You are advised to use the services of a real estate broker to buy or sell property in Costa Rica. Real estate agents normally collect a five or six percent commission on the sale of a home and up to 10 percent commission on the sale of raw land. This commission is paid by the

First, we should talk about real estate brokers in Costa Rica. Let’s face it, whether fair or not, real estate agents—here and elsewhere—enjoy a status only slightly above that of used car salesmen. That said, you can find extremely competent, professional, honest real estate agents in Costa Rica if you know how to look for

There’s a bit of the old Wild West to real estate transactions in Costa Rica, and not just because so many buyers are stampeding here to buy property. More than a handful of brokers have a shady cast to them, tall tales issue from their mouths, and some drive cars that might lose out in

You will encounter probably the single most bothersome aspect of owning real estate in Costa Rica (and living there) soon after you enter a car in search of property: the roads in Costa Rica are almost never good, and they range from the poorly maintained to the abysmally bad. We who live here wish we

When renting an apartment or house in Costa Rica retirees should always have their lawyer look over the rental contract before signing it. Nevertheless there are a few things retirees should know to avoid misunderstandings and headaches down the road. (1) The amount of the monthly rent should be stipulated in a written contract. (2)

Quepos and Manuel Antonio lie about an hour’s drive south from Jacó and host a very different community altogether. Of the two, Quepos is the bigger town but still very much a working fishing town rather than a tourist destination. Its real estate market isn’t as developed as that of Manuel Antonio, a 10-minute drive

Development in Jacó began earlier than in Tamarindo, though the latter has now more or less caught up. Real estate brokers estimate that the frenzy of condominium, resort, and condotel development will put about 2,000 new units on the market over the next few years. Of course, as with any real estate development, some of