Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes There are reasons why resort communities like Nativa Resort in Garabito not to be thriving. There are quite a few abandoned residential communities along the coast of Costa Rica. Sonesta One Jaco, Columbus Heights, and Costa Esterillos are just a few in the Central Pacific coastal area. Some were sold…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes Residential construction in Costa Rica has changed quite a bit in many ways over the last 25 years. This is due to changes in the way of living, the climate, and construction materials. When shopping for a house, of course, you have your expectations of how your house should look…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes I have thought about writing to you to say how much our life in Costa Rica meant to us. First of all, I want to tell you about another special experience we had there. When we moved down to Costa Rica, I purchased two Isuzu Troopers to take with us. …
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes For a successful real estate investment in a foreign country, and to keep it successful, there are a few things we want to have a good look at. To keep a financial investment secure, and without having to predict what will happen in the near future, you have to understand…
Estimated Reading Time: 3 Minutes Are you planning to live off the grid? This can be a rewarding way to live, but it isn’t always an easy transition if you have always lived in a traditional neighborhood. Costa Rica is the environmentalist’s dream home, yet putting your roots down in the Central American nation isn’t…
Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Waking up early morning is horrible for many of us unless you’re a farmer. Normally, people who live in a colder climate go to bed late and wake up late. Some have a really hard time adjusting to that when they move to Costa Rica! Nonetheless, when you live in…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Quite often I receive an email from someone looking for property records. Sometimes it’s the wife of someone who believes her husband bought a beach condo in Costa Rica for his lover. More often a loved one passed away and for some reason, the heirs suspect they own a property…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Costa Rica is a marvelous place to live; however, there are 3 items new residents cannot do without. The Switzerland of Central America, as Costa Rica is known, is a place where it feels like every day is a vacation. With a population growth rate of 1.48% per year, more…
Estimated Reading Time: 4 Minutes Buyers make loads of house shopping errors, especially when they come from another country. I’m sure that first making this big decision of moving to Costa Rica and then making costly mistakes when buying a house in your new home country, is not What you are looking for. I’m also…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes In many countries, it is pretty common for homeowners to live in a house for five to seven years before selling. It’s rare a house is a “forever” house. The truth is, if you are like most people, when you purchase a house, you only plan to stay for a…
Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes A non-smoker will notice immediately a smoker’s house, from the moment of entering. Also, a strong smell of Febreze, air fresheners or other fragrances could mean that the seller is trying to mask an odor. The other day, when we arrived, the seller was sitting up front, waiting for us…
Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Did you know that you can get a foot in the door by investing in Costa Rica using your retirement funds? Of course, there are some rules. But most think their IRA or 401(k) can only be used to invest in stocks and bonds or in real estate in the…
Estimated reading time: 6 minutes Of course, everyone says they have done their due diligence before they buy a property. Unfortunately, many think they do. They end up buying in the wrong place and say it’s everyone’s fault, except their own. This happens more often than you think. That’s one of the reasons I always…
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes Ethical Traveler keeps supporting countries working to maintain strong environmental, human rights, and eco-tourism values. This nonprofit organization, Ethical Traveler, started placing Costa Rica in its Top 10 in 2011 of the best ethical destinations worldwide. Costa Rica did it again in 2012, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021. Ethical…
Estimated reading time: 5 minutes Are you moving back to Chicago and buying a house there? Even though it’s pretty cold in Chicago, some expats have reasons for moving back. I’ve had quite a few clients moving from Chicago to Costa Rica over the years. Kathy D. Peterson even wrote about her experiences. Kathy has…
Estimated reading time: 4 minutes If you have a garden, no matter where in Costa Rica you have your home, tree upkeep is indispensable. There are over 2,300 different species of trees in Costa Rica, including the national tree, the Guanacaste. This tree is also known as the monkey-ear tree. With the average temperature between…