Costa Rica Real Estate, from Coast to Coast, the Right Way!!!

By guestblogger Jeff Lichtenstein for the Easy Times

As you all know, Costa Rica real estate is very connected with Florida real estate. Both are retirement markets and people look to move to warmer destinations as the weather keeps changing with more rain and more cold. The Florida real estate market got hit hard when the bubble burst but the Costa Rica real estate market has been pretty stable, mainly based on a strong local purchase power from the young professionals who have great paying jobs from the US companies that moved to Costa Rica looking for cheaper labor. Costa Rica banks are very happy to give these yourng profesionals a mortgage for their property purchase.

Because I believe that when the Florida real estate market comes back, Costa Rica will be right behind it and I forsee that when that happens, we will soon get lots of retirees from up north deciding to retire to Costa Rica again. For this reason you will enjoy this article by Palm Beach - Florida realtor Jeff Lichtenstein who sells luxury homes in this area.

By Isabelle Jones for the Easy Times

Choose Atenas when you want to live away from the rat race, let me explain why. You have spent countless hours searching the internet trying to find that ideal location for retirement, second home and - or investment. 

You have narrowed your list and have decided Costa Rica is the country for you based upon its democracy, lack of military, lower taxes and a whole variety of reasons. It is now time to choose a specific town in Costa Rica that would suit your lifestyle.  Why select Atenas as your new home in Costa Rica?

Many ex-pats have chosen to settle in Atenas, whether they are retirees, young couples just starting out, or families with children.  My family and I are a good example.  We moved here over 7 years ago. 

By Ivo Henfling

I’m of Dutch origin and moved to Costa Rica 31 years ago and still love every day of it. I’ve seen some hard times, haven’t we all, but I have never regretted that decision. I came here for different reasons than I have now; I wanted to get out of the rat race and now the rat race caught up on me. But I enjoy every day of it. What’s the difference? The 28 years living in Costa Rica have made me wiser and I have realized that paradise doesn’t exist, you make paradise yourself.

Throughout those years, I have always worked hard, first to survive, as I was learning how to live in Costa Rica with a different culture, a different language and a different way of doing business, learning to adjust to all these new things. Soon, I came to appreciate the great weather in this beautiful country, the nature, the easy going people and their acceptance of foreigners amongst others.

By Ivo Henfling for the Easy Times

You surf for real estate in Costa Rica on websites all day and you are asking yourself if you are becoming a Costa Rica real estate website junkie or not. Many people spend hours surfing real estate websites just for the fun of it.

The other day, talking on Skype to my mom in Holland, she was saying that she enjoyed looking at our newest listings just for the fun of it. My mom has lived in Costa Rica back in the 80s and lives in Holland again, but loves to dream about buying a home in Escazu or purchase a beach house in beautiful Costa Rica.

Talking about how much she enjoys browsing our website, my mom remembered an article about Funda, an MLS website in Holland, and the writer of this article who calls herself a Funda junkie.

Happier Than a Billionaire: Quitting My Job, Moving to Costa Rica, is that an option for me too?

By Ivo Henfling for the Easy Times

Our affiliate realtors partner in Dominical, John Wieland, who by the way sells some really beautiful homes there, sent me an article from CNN that was published on the 11th of August about a book published by Nadine Hays Pisani: Happier Than a Billionaire: Quitting My Job, Moving to Costa Rica & Living the Zero Hour Work Week."

Wow, what an adventure

I thought, wow, these people had exactly the same reasons I had to move to Costa Rica 30 years ago. The world hasnt changed much apparently, at least not the reasons for getting fed up with your job and make the step. I havent read Nadines book, but I hope she sells lots of copies. Nadine and her husband Rob also have a blog where they say things that show what Costa Rica is all about and that doesnt only mean a 6 hour wait at the doctors.

By Ivo Henfling for the Easy Times

One of our affiliate partners, GoDutch Realty, was recently approved by International Living® and their commercial division Pathfinder, as their representative for the Central Valley of Costa Rica. The next International Living® convention will be in Cancun, Mexico 21-25th February 2012 and we needed to decide for a good sample of properties for sale to promote there.

Since we are a Costa Rica real estate company and not a free tour company, I had to find a way that those clients looking at Costa Rica as their retirement destination would not ask us to be shown all over the Central Valley while looking at 150 properties each. About half the 1,700 properties we have for sale on our Costa Rica real estate website are located in the Central Valley and therefore I decided that around 40 properties in different price ranges, building lots as well as homes for sale and maybe a couple of commercial properties would give us a good choice to present to the International Living clients who registered for the convention.

By Brooke Bishop, our Grecia - Naranjo specialist

The last couple of years have seen a surge in foreigners living in Grecia. From Europeans to Canadians to of course any ex-pats, Grecia is a very attractive place to retire and live in peace. With a great climate, views from many of the ridges and exceptional shopping and entertainment opportunities, it is no surprise that Grecia is the new hotspot to buy Costa Rica real estate.

Real estate prices in Grecia have remained steady throughout the economic turmoil that we have experienced around the world in the last couple of years. One reason for this is that the prices never really became overpriced as they have in other parts of the country. Even Costa Ricans can see the value in the land in this fertile area. Sugar cane, coffee, and great infrastructure make this area still extremely valuable to locals as well as investors.

By Ivo Henfling for the Easy Times

Buy Costa Rica real estate in your IRA or 401K portfolio and even in your Canadian Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP).

You have your money in the wrong place! Think of your retirement now. Make between 6 - 8% return on your investment (ROI) and still have something to leave your children and it's tax free!.

All inherited IRAs are subject to annual IRS minimum required distribution (MRD) rules, but these are generally based on the inheritors own life expectancy.

This enables continued investment in an Inherited IRA without the impact of immediate taxes, so that you can potentially maximize these inherited assets.

By Ivo Henfling for the Easy Times

With all of the chaos that comes with setting up new digs, you might think that changing your address is an insignificant item on your checklist. Allow me to give you some 10 helpful tips to make changing your address a little easier.

By Ivo Henfling for the Easy Times

When you move to Costa Rica and buy a property or rent a home, you want to be a legal resident of Costa Rica. Read the following information if you are planning to retire in Costa Rica.

To be able to apply for residency in Costa Rica as a “Rentista”, the applicant must demonstrate a permanent fixed income of at least US$2,500 per month. This amount includes the applicant, their spouse and the children which are under the age of 25 and live with them in Costa Rica.  

The Rules and regulations for immigration and residency in Costa Rica change continuously. Although we try to keep the information on this website up to date, please make sure you check all information on this page with any of our recommended residency attorneys.