First time home buyers—as well as people who have bought property in other countries—will want to read this chapter in order to get a general understanding of how buying and selling real estate works in Costa Rica. Special attention is paid to factors that are unique to the real estate market in this country, though we also give pointers that apply universally when you engage in real estate business transactions anywhere in the world. You will find more detailed information on some of the topics covered in this Website (Buying a Home).

An Overview of Real Estate in Costa Rica

• Foreign Ownership of Costa Rican Property
• Benefits of Owning Real Estate in Costa Rica
• A Tax Loophole
• One Restriction on Foreign Ownership
• Title to Property
• Title Insurance
• Escrow
• Challenges and Drawbacks with Real Estate in Costa Rica
• The Real Estate Business in Costa Rica
• Brokers
• Finding a real estate broker in Costa Rica
• Lack of Regulations Governing Real Estate Business in Costa Rica
• The Special Role of Lawyers
• A note on How Property Prices and Building Costs Are Measured
• The Real Estate market in Costa Rica: Present and Future
• Regional Differences