One of the things that can make purchasing Costa Rica real estate so difficult is the many small details in Costa Rica real estate law. Many of these can make or break your closing as well as reduce the worth of your property down the line if you are not careful. Whether you are a small investor looking for a piece of property in Costa Rica to retire on, or a large investor looking for properties in Costa Rica to purchase and develop, you need to know about a few small laws that will determine the future of your real estate investments.

First of all, pretty much most investors want a piece of the beautiful Coast Rica beach front real estate. However, getting around the maritime law can be difficult and confusing, plus it involves a large amount of funds and time to actually purchase a chunk you can own. Even then you will only own 49%, so you had better really have your heart set if you want maritime property. Otherwise, you might consider some other prime Costa Rica real estate that is set a little further back along the coast. Ask about the titled beach front properties in Jaco, these are fully titled and do not involve concession laws. It is important that you talk to a qualified real estate agent because the nuances of what you can do and what the law says, can be entirely two different things despite your next door neighbor actions.

Second, you need to know that it is possible to get handed a bad title, and even a property sold with the wrong deed. Working with part time real estate agents will give you part time results. It the title of your property begins to display problems you can watch these disappear when issues are caught in the government processing of your Costa Rica real estate transaction. So employ a reputable lawyer and real estate agent you can trust from. Coldwell Banker Jaco has been working in Costa Rica for over four years and has been providing service to foreign buyers with success and happy resolutions to all of the transactions. Use some common sense when choosing an agent, work with someone who has demonstrated successful real estate transactions with satisfied clients. It is not hard to find these agents as clients usually are all too willing to give a reference or referral. Coldwell Banker Jaco prides itself on the number of referrals it receives because it is indicative of how clients trust their service.

If you are interested in finding a property in Costa Rica or a Jaco Beach condo to buy contact Lisle Head at Coldwell Banker Jaco and let the team of professionals help you achieve your goals of owning a piece of Costa Rican paradise. Call 866-403-1345 or use our Contact Form here

Costa Rica Real Estate

There is one very positive benefit of Costa Rica real estate which most people do not talk about.  The Costa Rica property that you purchase today is a great investment in your future.

There are two equally important points to this.  First, if you purchase a piece of Costa Rica real estate at today’s cost, it will amount to financial security in the future.  Even if property costs rise during the upcoming years or decades, you will have the home that you want.  You will not be affected by potentially higher costs in the housing market in the future.  As the Costa Rica real estate market, like all others, is generally quite difficult to predict, so the sooner you select the type of investment you want, the sooner you will be free from worries about future housing costs.

Second, your Costa Rica real estate property will be an excellent asset.  If you should decide you that you wish to sell your property in Costa Rica at a later point in time you will be able to get a very fair price for it.  In addition, if you make improvements to your property, this will increase its resale value.  The overall worth of your property is not completely dependent on what you pay for it now–  many types of easy home improvements and even additions to the landscaping will make it worth much more.

Opera Salvaje Costa Rica home for sale

Both of these factors make it easy to see why an investment in Costa Rica real estate truly is an investment in your future.  You will have the security of a beautiful home in a prime location, and the option of making money from it if you decide to sell it later on at a profit or earn rental revenue while it is vacant. If you are seriously considering making an investment in Costa Rica real estate, you owe it to yourself, to contact a trusted and proven real estate brokerage like Coldwell Banker Jaco. Call them to discuss your ideas or plans and they will help make them come true. You can contact Lisle Head by using this contact form or you can call 866-403-1345 to learn about your options for investing in Costa Rica.

In Costa Rica, there is an exceptional opportunity for people to purchase real estate. The luxury real estate market in Costa Rica has much to offer from opulent homes, resorts, hotels, mansions, ranches, and even castles. The country has so much to offer; you can purchase a beachfront property, a property in the mountains, or a property with a breathtaking view of the rain forest.

Coldwell Banker Jaco handles many transactions in Costa Rica luxury real estate with excellent service to their clientele. Lisle Head, broker/owner of Coldwell Banker Jaco says “the luxury market here in Costa Rica is very affordable compared to other markets and with recent price drops the opportunities arise daily so it is best to be in touch and let us know which property type you are interested in.” You can shop for properties in a wide assortment of regions such a San Jose, Santa Ana, Heredia, Santa Domingo, Alajuela, Cartago, and the magnificent beach locations via the website or you can contact one of the professional Coldwell Banker sales agents to assist you.

Costa Rica Luxury Real Estate

Costa Rica offers diverse environments to choose from, beaches, mountainous regions, and rain forest. Coldwell Banker agents can present to you some of the most stunning properties to be purchased anywhere in the world. The country has beautiful weather, great towns, fantastic people, modern facilities, and some of the most pleasant scenery you will ever see. At this time real estate, prices are very affordable and much lower than other popular destinations such as Florida, Arizona, or Southern California. Even with the current market of short sales or foreclosure sales in the states, Costa Rica still offers great deals on property that cannot be found anywhere in the world.

Most of the Costa Rica luxury real estate listings can be found under “Top Properties” on the website and allows you to take a virtual tour of the property right from your home. You may want to further explore this way of purchasing property. With the internet, you can look at many different properties in a very short amount of time helping you narrow your search.

If you are considering investing in Costa Rica real estate, you will need to become very educated on the intricacies of Costa Rica real estate investment laws. Like every country, there are many Costa Rica real estate investment laws that are tricky to maneuver and can be the difference between successfully purchasing Costa Rica real estate or losing your money. In addition, maritime law and general law regarding where a foreign investor can own land. Rules can get hazy depending on current residency laws in effect at the time of purchasing your Costa Rica estate investment, so you will need to know how to understand these tricky laws.

Here is an example of Costa Rica realestate law that is hazy, one dominent Costa Rica real estate investment laws is called the Maritime law. According to Costa Rica Maritime law, the land that is 55 feet from the shoreline cannot be owned or sold, unless it is owned by a family that has held the property since the Maritime days. Now, of course the coastal areas are the most prime Costa Rica real estate investment areas since most people want to live on the beach and the beach areas attract the most tourists where you can rent out your Costa Rica condo to earn rental revenue. Therefore, it would be in your best interest to learn the law and how to legally maneuver around it with the help of a Costa Rican real estate lawyer and a knowledgeable real estate broker Costa Rica.

If you are able to get past this first hurdle in the above example of Costa Rica estate investment law and able to purchase the property, you can only hold 49% of the Costa Rica land as a foreign investor. Thus you need a Costa Rican lawyer or someone you can trust to hold the other 55% in their name. Many people who want to make a large Costa Rica estate investment choose to partner with Costa Rica investment firms so they can bypass the law with the natural investment laws. This can get tricky as well as you can enter many different agreements, so your best bet is to thoroughly study Costa Rica estate investment laws before you proceed. Coldwell Banker Jaco will help you understand these laws and suggest a competant lawyer that they have worked with in the past. Coldwell Banker Jaco interests are your interests, since they know that a successful transaction is the best form of marketing and networking. As a result, most of Coldwell Banker Jaco Costa Rica clients have been referred to by past clients.

If you are interested in learning how to purchase a Costa Rica condominium or Costa Rica beach home for your own enjoyment and/or to earn rental revenue, please call Coldwell Banker Jaco Costa Rica’s broker owner Lisle Head at 866-403-1345. Lisle can discuss your options that are the right for you, not him. Coldwell Banker Jaco prides itself on its integrity and its track record of success. Take a look at their Costa Rica Real Estate Testimonials section, and read how other satisfied clients feel about them.

One of the first things you will want to do before you make a Costa Rica real estate investment is scout the land to find out where you want to either build or live if you are an individual investor. Many people are drawn to the Costa Rica real estate investment market because it is highly profitable and continues to grow since the government is aiming to make it an international attraction. Many people are drawn to the warm temperatures and scenic landscapes, which might be the same reason you want to make an investment in Costa Rica real estate.

One of the best ways to decide which Costa Rica condos are right for you, is by moving to the area of interest and rent a few properties in the local Costa Rica real estate market before you make your final decision. This would give you ample experience of the town, its people, and its pulse. Plus, there are so many different Costa Rica real estate markets such as Costa Rica oceanfront real estate, to Costa Rica real estate in Escazu, to Costa Rica properties in Guanacaste and Costa Rica real estate in Jaco Beach. Therefore, renting in the Costa Rica real estate market of your choice offers you an easy way to back out of that decision and look in a different market. If you cannot move here for a period of time, at least take an extended Costa Rica vacation and visit daily the area that you are interested in purchasing your Costa Rica home or Costa Rica condo.

Another benefit of renting or extending your vacation is being able to find a reputable and trustworthy Costa Rica real estate lawyer and a Costa Rica real estate agent because they will be your chief ally during the process of purchasing your Costa Rica real estate. Meeting these people face to face can help you decide who is for real and who is selling you hype. Despite the fact that Costa Rica and its citizens resemble the Western countries of the US and Europe, there are still many people who try to run property scams where there is very little oversight from the government. Which is a great reason to work with an internationally known company such as Coldwell Banker. All Coldwell Banker offices are held to a high standard and each office is accountable for its actions and representations to its clients. Coldwell Banker Jaco has been helping people for many years buy Costa Rica properties in Jaco and the greater metro area of Jaco.

If you are interested in learning how to purchase a condominium or beach home for your own enjoyment or to earn rental revenue, please call Lisle Head at 866-403-1345 Lisle can discuss your options with you that are the right ones! Coldwell Banker Jaco prides itself on its integrity and its track record of success. Take a look at our Costa Rica Real Estate Testimonials section, these are real people just like you.

If you are looking for a Costa Rica condo as a vacation home or a real estate investment, there are plenty of places in Costa Rica that are available for purchase. You have your choice of various homes, condos and bungalows to look at. Most of these homes are built with great quality and are located in some of the most scenic areas of Costa Rica.

If you are looking for nice weather year round, then looking for real estate in Costa Rica is a great place to start. The weather is nice and you can be assured of warm temperatures every day of the year. There are many features that will suit your taste as you look for a home in Costa Rica.

Even though Costa Rica is smaller than most countries, it is one of the places where you can find a prime piece of real estate still untouched by modern society. Not only do people look at it as a paradise, but they also look at it as an investment as well. If you are looking for something that is inexpensive, has high quality construction, built in a tropical location with beachfront of beach view lots then real estate in Costa Rica would be a great place to begin looking.

On our site there are many Costa Rica real estate listings that you can look through, perhaps you will find one that you would be interested in. If you are not familiar with real estate in Costa Rica, you can call one of our Coldwell Banker real estate agents to assist you. The agents are familiar with Costa Rica and can show you properties that you’re interested in. They can provide you with information on what you’re looking for and help you with the purchase and eventual move in.

Don’t be in a rush to get the first thing that you see. There are plenty of Costa Rica properties to see and you may regret not taking the time to look around to see what is available. Soon enough, you will find something that is in line with what you want and will be putting the key in the door of your new Costa Rica condo or home, whichever you choose.

If you are interested in learning how to purchase a condominium or beach home for your own enjoyment or to earn rental revenue, please call Lisle Head at 866-403-1345 Lisle can discuss your options with you that are the right ones! Coldwell Banker Jaco prides itself on its integrity and its track record of success. Take a look at our Costa Rica Real Estate Testimonials section, these are real people just like you.

If you are one of the many people who come to Costa Rica and buy property for investment purposes then you would be keen to the trends in tourism. Costa Rica has been growing every year in tourism for the past 10 years and all indicators point to continued growth. For rental property investors or if you are considering buying a Costa Rica property the report below can give you some good indication of the potential earnings.

Costa Rica Tourism Report Q1 2010

After increasing from 2.06mn in 2006 to 2.29mn in 2007, the report expects arrivals to have increased to 2.51mn in 2008 before dipping down to 2.29mn in 2009. Arrival numbers are forecast to tick up again in 2010, and to grow to 3.5mn in 2014, at the end of our forecast period. The majority of tourists visit Costa Rica during the peak season (January-May) and come from the Americas. Arrivals from the country’s three most important source markets – the US, Nicaragua and Canada – increased steadily during 2004 to 2007. However, looking at the inbound tourism data by region, although 2008 continued to trend upwards in North America and Latin America, the report is forecasting arrivals numbers from both regions to decrease by 9.45% and 8.60%, respectively, in 2009. The next most important source markets in terms of arrivals are, in order, Panama, Mexico and Spain.

The main growth drivers for the industry are ecotourism and health tourism. Costa Rica has 32 national parks, eight biological reserves, 13 forest reserves and 51 wildlife refuges. The industry is estimated to suffer slightly in 2009 due to the ongoing recession, particularly in the US, and the H1N1 virus (swine flu), however it is forecast to see relatively quick turnaround beginning in 2010. The continued expansion of the Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in the north and the growing amount of chartered flights from Europe all have the potential to drive growth in the market. Furthermore, the planned development of the Caribbean province, looks set to bring more tourists to this less-developed Costa Rican province. Indeed, already the province’s port has served as the finish line for the Transat Jacques Vabre sailboat race in 2009 and the race is scheduled to finish there in 2011, 2013 and 2015 as well. The port has also been added as a port of call in 2010 to two luxury cruise liners’ schedules.

Costa Rica’s tourism industry is a major contributor to the economy, accounting for about 7.8% of GDP in direct terms in 2008 and nearly 3% of total employment in 2006 – 49,000 individuals – according to data from the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). However, the industry’s contribution to GDP is forecast to steadily decline, from 7.1% in 2009 to just 4.6% in 2014. Collective government expenditure on tourism was an estimated US$29.7mn in 2008, a 4% increase year-on-year (y-o-y). Collective government expenditure is forecast to slump slightly in 2009 to 27.9mn, bouncing back to 30.0mn in 2011. Expenditure is then forecast to rise to 35.5mn by the end of the forecast period in 2014. The government has proposed a tax on inbound airfares. The legislation, which has yet to pass in the Assembly, requests the addition of a fee of US$15 to all airfares, to replace the current 3% hotel tax. Part of the revenue from the tax, which is expected to be more than US$80mn a year, will fund some activities of Instituto Costarricense de Turismo (Costa Rican Tourism Board, ICT), including marketing, promotion and planning. The change in taxation came about due to the increasing amount of condominium and other private rentals that were not included under the umbrella of the hotel tax. New hotel developments are ongoing in the country, with major international companies including Intercontinental Hotels Group, Marriott Hotels & Resorts and Barceló constructing hotels near the beaches and in urban centres.

If you are interested in learning how to purchase a condominium or beach home for your own enjoyment or to earn rental revenue, please call Lisle Head at 866-403-1345 Lisle can discuss your options with you that are the right ones! Coldwell Banker Jaco prides itself on its integrity and its track record of success. Take a look at our Costa Rica Real Estate Testimonials section, these are real people just like you.

To get a copy of the complete report you can find it here

If you have travelled Central America you can describe most of the countries by a few words. Guatemala has its large indigenous Indian culture along with their rustic colonial era architecture. The same can be said about Nicaragua but without the Indian culture which is isolated on the Caribbean coast, colonial towns like Granada really give you a feel what it was like living here during the colonial era. Panama is the Miami Beach south of the border with its chic high rises and young population and good roads. Then we have Costa Rica the ecological trailblazer with vast areas of protected forest and wild animals that has attracted people from around the world to make tourism in Costa Rica the second largest source of income and it is still growing(hint for property investors). Most travelers would agree that another overall descriptive of Central America is the low cost of living in this part of the world and its delightful weather zones from tropical rain forests to mountainous cloud forests offers everyone a place to visit.

Ever since the Iran-Contra scandal people had this image of Central America as a dangerous area to visit and not friendly to northern Americans. But in the last 15 years Central America has been lifted out of this obscure, war torn, guerrilla war to a peaceful region. Sitting in the middle of most of the Central American drama is the democratic republic of Costa Rica which has no military and has been an important ally of the United States for the last 60 years. Once people got the idea out of their heads that Central America is a war zone, tourism began. Costa Rica where capitalism has prospered; was the first country to see its future and made the adjustments needed to attract an international tourism market. As a result, with political and economic stability, it is no secret why Costa Rica has become an area of foreign dwellers who are investing their money in second homes, vacation homes, and investment properties. Today, Costa Rica has excellent and low cost healthcare, excellent private schools and prep schools, high speed internet on the ever increasing fiber optic network, low crime, and low taxes. All of these features continue to attract property investors and developers alike. You cannot have one without the other and Coldwell Banker Jaco has been helping clients and developers find the right investment for them. Lisle Head broker/owner of Coldwell Banker Jaco in Costa Rica can help you make a balanced and rewarding decision for you and your pocketbook. He has helped many people make the dream of living in the rain forest a reality for people just like you. So give Lisle a call today at 866-403-1345 to discuss your options and you will be pleasently surprised to find that Lisle genuinely wants to help you.

Now that you are here, walking on the beach during the sunset, having a drink beside the pool, enjoying lunch at the marina with friends, tee time at 6 for 18 holes and/or hiking in the rainforest is wonderful but for most people who are adventurous enough to purchase a property in Costa Rica they are going to want to discover more. So stay tuned for the second part of this article which addresses the opportunities here in Costa Rica for travel, adventure, and business opportunities that can keep your daily life rewarding and abundant.