During the first decade of this century many opportunistic realtors appeared on the scene in Costa Rica. In part this was due to the country’s burgeoning real estate market which was driven by the county’s unblemished reputation as a retirement haven for Baby Boomers and tourism mecca. Because real estate brokers are not regulated here some bad apples found their way to Costa Rica. Unfortunately, due to a few realtors without scruples and others who were outright incompetent some foreigners were taken advantage of. A lot of good real estate people have paid the price for this. Now there are a few self-righteous retirement gurus who recently appeared on the scene who are making a habit of bashing almost all realtors and the idea of buying a home here. Basically these guys don’t have the resources or guts to buy a nice home so they are playing god and trying to dissuade others from purchasing the home or property of their dreams. These people are neophytes and do not know what they are talking about. What they really want is attention and a forum to lure people to their websites. About a year ago I published a 550-page guidebook (“Christopher Howard’s Guide to Real Estate in Costa Rica”) about the real estate scene in Costa Rica. Four years of research including hundreds of interviews went into writing this book. Virtually everything is covered including how to find a broker. I am not selling anything but just giving advice. Really buying property here is as safe as purchasing in the States provided you take the time to do your homework, do your due diligence, have your lawyer check the title in the registry and use a broker who is a “buyers agent.” All of these measures will ensure the odds of you making a seamless purchase. Granted not everyone is a buyer. Renters abound here. By no means am I trying to talk people into becoming property owners. However, consider this: a property purchased in a good area and in the path of progress will appreciate in coming years because of Costa Rica’s popularity, unblemished international reputation and fame as a warm-weather destination like Hawaii. The Baby Boomer influx will also continue to drive the real estate market in the future.