How to find a house in Costa Rica
“How to find a house in Costa Rica?” is a question that most people find difficult to answer. Many Americans nurture the dream of buying a house in Costa Rica, but are clueless about how to find one. This article will come as a relief to such individuals because in this article we mention a few tips that can come in handy while planning on finding a house in this enchanting country.
Costa Rica, with its picturesque landscape, captivating mountains and lovely volcanoes, is now a hot spot for buying property. People from different countries of the world, especially America, come here in dozens in the hope of finding their dream house on this soil. This has especially seen an increase since the time recession started because of the dwindling real estate prices in America.
The country of Costa Rica is divided into seven major provinces which are San Jose, Heredia, Cartago, Alajuela, Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limon. Guanacaste, Puntarenas and Limon are preferred by people who would like to buy beach homes because these places have some of the most amazing beaches in Costa Rica and has a lot of “gringo” (foreigners) population. Places like San Jose, Heredia, Cartago and Alajuela are centrally located and well populated. Most of the native Costa Ricans, also called “ticos”, live in these four provinces.
People should be very cautious while finding a house in Costa Rica. To the unaware investor, finding a house in Costa Rica can become a nightmare if certain important points are not kept in mind. The points that you need to keep in mind are listed below.
The first thing that you need to keep in mind, while buying a house in Costa Rica, is to have a “tico” (native Costa Rican) by your side. Ensure that the Costa Rican who you have chosen to help you in this endeavor is your friend who you can rely on to get you a good house in Costa Rica.
Once you have tico friend by your side, scour the area where you would like to buy your house thoroughly. It is recommended that you inspect the area minutely to ensure that you will not have any regrets once you make the purchase. If possible, you and your tico friend should stay in that neighborhood to understand the area really well. The more time you spend there with your tico friend, the better understanding you will have of the area.
Once you have decided on the area you want to stay and the house you want to purchase, the next step is to find out all the details about the property. Your tico friend will come in really handy now. Both of you have to go to the Public Registry office and find out about the title details of the property. Since all the details there are in Spanish, your tico friend should be able to read and understand it and tell you. If the relevant title documents are not present, it is better not to purchase that property because it can lead to ownership issues later.
Once all these things are in place, the next step is to negotiate the price of the property. As a “gringo”, it is better that you don’t approach the seller directly. Send your tico friend to help you negotiate the deal. Also, ensure that he/she doesn’t negotiate the deal in dollars but in Costa Rican money. This will help you save a great deal of money.
Great! Now that you can answer “how to find a house in Costa Rica” better, it is time to proceed with your plans and make that much awaited trip.
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