Real Estate in Costa Rica – two great gals we met!
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.
Naranjo House
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
Costa Rica here we are!
Hola! I meant to make a post a few days ago, but Pura Vida got the best of me
Our trip down went fairly smooth and got through customs with no problems whatsoever. We were met at the airport by a wonderful couple Dave and Marcia, who live next door to the house we’re renting and also care take the rental for the owners, who still reside in the States. Dave and Marcia have been a Godsend. They have been so hospitable and helpful, both with little things and insights living in Grecia. They have been a huge part of making our stay here as comfortable as it has been.
We are very happy with our accommodations and location. We are literally on a hillside smack in the middle of a coffee field. There is a river way down below us that we can hear (but not see) and when we look out our bedroom window, we see a steep hillside full of coffee plants. It is serene and the birds are lovely to listen to. The weather has been very rainy since we arrived, which is what we expected, since it’s Green season. Yesterday, it poured most of the day, but we were perfectly content since we have a terrific internet connection It was actually chilly yesterday once it got dark, so much so that I was wearing my winter jammies and grateful I had thought to bring something a little on the warm side.
Today we took the bus down to San Jose, the capital, from Grecia to attend the two day ARCR seminar. Dave was kind enough to drive us into downtown Grecia, rather than have us wait for the bus near the house. Thanks to his map, we were able to get to the correct stop and to our destination without a hitch!
The ARCR seminar is a must in my opinion, if you are considering a move to Costa Rica. This organization provides a great deal of resources for foreigners here. Costa Rica functions in it’s own unique way, and navigating through the process of establishing residency, or buying property, cars etc can be daunting when doing it on your own.
ARCR offers great assistance in getting through the bureaucracy, which, from the sound of it, could prove very frustrating at the least. Even though we haven’t decided to move here yet, we have decided to become members of ARCR. The fee is well worth it, for if we do decide to move, they can provide us great services on insurance, document prep for residency, and lots more at discounted rates that they’ve negotiated with the various service providers.
Steve and I both feel much more comfortable being here this time than we did last year on our first trip,
One major conclusion we have come to… we MUST learn Spanish! To move to a country and not attempt to communicate in the native language and get to know the culture makes no sense to me.
So what’s left to decide? Right now the big decision remains open.. can we adapt to a climate that can have days on end with little or no sunshine? So far so good, but we’re early into the trip.
Pura Vida!
