Retiring in Costa Rica

Become a Luxury Rancher or Organic Farmer

Ever dream of becoming a farmer or rancher, but could not give up the amenities of a luxury home and being close to a city.  Well, now it is possible live this dream in a 6,000 square foot mansion on a 30 acre horse farm within 45 minutes to the city of San Isidro, Costa Rica.  Located in a rural area surrounded by coffee farms and cattle ranches this property offers private tranquility with tons of...

Luxury Dominical Home for Sale

This is an incredible luxury home in Escaleras, perched above Dominical with open air design to optimize the tropical lifestyle of Costa Rica.  Panoramic vistas of the Dominicalito Bay and Punta Dominical with coastline all the way to Manuel Antonio offer an unsurpassed view.  Cool breezes off the ocean during the day and down from the mountains at night allows for indoor/outdoor living in absolute...

Purchasing Property in Costa Rica – FAQ’s

There are many questions first time Buyers in Costa Rica may have and these are some of the most common we experience.  This guide of Frequently Asked Questions will help first time Buyers become informed of the Buying Process and different aspects of owning property in Costa Rica. What is the procedure to buy a Costa Rica property? First: After you have found the right property with your Real Estate...

Costa Rica is Once Again the Happiest Place on Earth

Once again Costa Rica has been determined the Happiest Planet on Earth in the annual Happy Planet Index (H.P.I.) by the New Economic Foundation.  The study ranks countries in terms of life expectancy, the amount of well being experienced by the local population, and environmental impact.  Costa Rica has been in the top 3 since the formation of the first H.P.I. in 2006 and has been #1 for the past 2...

Learning Spanish…. “Donde esta la sopa?”

Learning a new language is very challenging and overwhelming at times, but if you can speak some of the local language it will help you transition to a new culture more smoothly.  This is true around the World and Costa Rica is no exception.  Although many locals speak some English and I know many foreigners that have gotten by for years without any Spanish skills; I still feel learning some of the...

Investing in Costa Rica

In the past investing in Costa Rica real estate was one of the best investments Worldwide with exponential returns year over year.  However, these exuberant returns were unsustainable and when the global economic crisis hit the property values had to come back down to realistic levels.  Today it appears we have past the bottom of the cycle and many of the fire sales have been swooped up by savvy...

Private Health Care in Costa Rica

The public health care system in Costa Rica is based on socialized medicine and is actually very good treatment once you are seen by the doctor.  However, due to the bureaucracy of public medicine scheduled appointments can be months, if not years, away.  If there is an emergency they will admit you to the emergency room, but for exams, tests, etc the waiting period can be too long for some to endure. ...

Residency vs Perpetual Tourist Visa

Many people live in Costa Rica full time without residency by constantly renewing their 90 day tourism visa.  This is because some do not qualify for residency and others just choose not to go through the process.  However, renewing the tourist visa requires leaving the country for 72 hours every 90 days and is a technicality and not a legally recommend process. Perpetual Tourism I know people that have...

How to Move to Costa Rica with Only $50,000 USD

Most people dream about moving to a tropical paradise and enjoying the beach and beautiful scenery while living a laid back lifestyle.  Then reality strikes and they think it is an impossible dream only for the wealthy and they go back to plugging away at the ‘rat race’.  Well, this dream can become a reality and for less than one would imagine.  In this blog we will discuss on how to leave it all...

Why it’s Safe to Buy in Costa Rica

Buying real estate in Costa Rica carries similar risk as anywhere else in the World, but there are processes and legal procedures in place to ensure a buyer’s safety.  The following are steps you should take in order to eliminate any ambiguity in a real estate transaction. Use a professional and experienced realtor/broker that has lived and worked in the area for a few years in which they are selling...