Here are a few important features of the property to keep in mind when negotiating real estate deals for retirees or anyone else:

• Grade: How steep is the property? Will it be hard to build on it?
• Bodies of water: While a river running through a property is a nice feature, bodies of water can be either a plus or a minus. Its presence will limit the use of the property, as there are building restrictions within 15 meters of bodies of water.
• Water source: If you need to drill a well, remember that getting water rights where there are none is a separate process. If those rights are already locked it, it will save you a potentially major headache.
• Utilities: Water and power connections to the property (or, more to the point, lack thereof) could have an important affect on the price, as they can be fairly difficult to arrange.
• Access: Is there a way to get to your property? What’s the road like? As a helpful exercise, try to imagine it with five inches of rain falling in the space of a few hours.
• Encumbrances: Does a neighbor have a right-of-way that passes through the property? Are there power lines or pipes that will restrict how you can use the land?
• View: Is it up or down? Does it look out over a the Pacific Ocean or a sea of tin roofs?
• Landscape: Cow pasture and other farm land is relatively easy to build on; forest is not, as you have to get special permits from the Ministry of the Environment to cut down trees.
• Security: Does the development include the infrastructure for 24-hour security, such as a guard shack?
• Financing: Is the seller financing the deal? Is he or she willing to accept balloon payments or some other kind of option that will better meet your needs? Does the seller need quick cash? Will you be forced to wait for any legal issues to be resolved before you close on the deal?

As far as the human side of the negotiations, negotiating with a Tico land owner versus negotiating with a professional developer are two distinctly different experiences. Business negotiations in Costa Rica are quite circuitous, and if you decide to take part, you will be expected to drink a lot of coffee and begin meetings with long, winding discussions on the weather, family, and other such niceties. It can be pleasant once you get used to it, which you might as well do, because though language barriers may cut down the chitchat somewhat, American-style aggressiveness and brusqueness will get you nowhere. This is perhaps the most important thing for retirees to keep in mind when going into a business negotiation with a Tico, especially in rural areas. If you are an impatient or pushy person and have a difficult time containing yourself, it might be a good idea to find a bicultural broker who can handle the negotiations on your behalf. Negotiations will, of course, have a different quality if the seller is a developer – local or foreign – with product to move. Developers have a set range in which they will negotiate, and it’s a range that varies depending on the newness of the development. Make an offer and see what happens. Newer developments will be anxious to get some sales on the board and their sales staff are probably more likely to come down in price. One advantage of buying a place still under construction is that you can negotiate the interior, including the fixtures, cabinetry, floor, lighting, and even appliances. If the developer doesn’t want to do things the way you like them, you can negotiate the furnishings right out of the contract and do them yourself once you take possession. One final caveat to negotiating with Tico landowners is that though you can usually talk the “gringo price” down, it depends on the landowner’s motivation. Some property owners simply slap a se vende sign on the front gate after seeing their neighbor rake in a million bucks. They’re not motivated to sell the property, but they will if the price is right. Oftentimes, however, their expectations are unrealistic and you won’t be able to negotiate that seller’s price down much at all. In that case, it’s best to move on. BY remembering all of the above and the information from Part 1 of this article and retirees and others should be able to negotiate a fair price for their retirement home.