I know I have a lot of posting to do, but wanted to get something up on the blog regarding real estate.  One thing we did find out was that although building a home is relatively inexpensive when compared to the States,  the land itself is pretty expensive!  Even if you’re working with a real estate agent in Costa Rica, we found out it is imperative to have hired an attorney that is also a notary.  Your attorney should be someone YOU select to ensure that he/she is representing YOUR interests.  We have not yet gone that far, since we don’t know when we’ll be going back, but from the stories we’ve been told, it is crucial that you do your due diligence!  There is no regulation of the real estate industry yet in Costa Rica, so it’s definitely buyer beware! If you don’t already have an attorney I’d suggest getting one via personal recommendation or through ARCR.  I’m guessing, just as in the States, attorneys have areas of expertise, so you’ll want to find one that deals primarily with real estate transactions. The attorney will be able to do the research on the property and advise you of any issues that could impact the sale.  We’ve heard some stories of people buying a piece of land, only to find out later that it is not buildable! We are likely to rent long term before buying for a variety of reasons.  It will allow us to keep more cash in the bank for one and not tie up a lot of money in a home we may not stay in for a long time.  It will give us the freedom to explore other areas of Costa Rica so we can be sure to settle in the right place!  It’s easy to like a location but when you haven’t lived in the community,  you are likely not getting  a genuine feel for the place. For those of you looking for real estate in either the Grecia/Naranjo/Sarchi or Atenas areas, Steve and I dealt with two women we thought were awesome!  Brooke Bishop and Isabelle Jones are both agents with GoDutch Realty.  They each took us all over their areas of expertise and were so pleasant and professional to deal with!  One house that we really liked was one that Brooke showed us in Naranjo, a lovely area full of coffee farms!  A picture of the house is below. Unfortunately the house isn’t for rent, and of course we aren’t ready to move yet, so it will likely be gone by the time we return.  I have to tell you though, I felt really good vibes at this house!!  Our experience with Brooke and Isa left us with the impression that we will be able to find what we’re looking for when we’re ready!  If you contact Brooke or Isa, please let them know you found them through my blog I also posted a page on a home for sale in Grecia, so take a peek at that too! Hasta Luego! Deb