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The Tourism Minister of Costa Rica is headed towards Denver, Colorado this weekend to speak with Frontier Airlines in order to increase flights to San Jose and add flights towards the Daniel Oduber in Liberia so expect more good news soon.
Mr. Woody, the purchase of Maritime Zone properties in Costa Rica is a very delicate subject so make sure you are using an experienced attorney to advise you. Concession properties are not titled, they are leased by the Municipality. Also, if you plan to “negotiate” with the Municipality you should be warned that you are breaking the law of Costa Rica and could spend time in prison for corruption.
Go to this website http://www.crautos.com, it’s were most people in Costa Rica sell their used cars. You will get an idea as to how much cars cost in Costa Rica and what’s available for purchase. If you decide to purchase a new car and wish for a quick resale, your best bet is Toyota, Nissan or Hyundai.
I think your best bet is Ocotal Beach Resort in the Ocotal area. You should try staying at Villas Sol in Playa Hermosa, it is 5 minutes away from Coco Beach and they have very nice rooms.
You still have to go to the MOPT driver’s license facility in downtown San Jose. You might just wait until June when they implement the BCR system. Med Exams are still needed. You will need a copy of your passport, cedula or resident visa and your med exam.
I think it is good as he will probably develop an eco-friendly, low density and ultra luxury development. I don’t think in Costa Rica we will see what is happening in Panamy City as we have MINAE and SETENA to stop any massive large scale developments. Mel Gibson is devoted to the preservation of the environment so expect something well done. The only negative issue is going to be the increase in celebrities in the area, the speculative increase in prices around South Guanacaste and yes, the ticos will slowly be pushed further into the Central Valley as housing prices are becoming ridiculously stupid.
I think it is a local problem of your area as there have been no blackouts here in Santa Ana or in Playa Hermosa, Guanacaste when I was there the last 2 weeks.
Terrycook, first of all we need to distinguish shared ownership from timeshare or fractional ownership. Shared ownership is when a developer buys a piece of land, he divides the mother land into “x” amount of lots (residential lots, condos or homes) and then sells each unit as a share or derecho. The Folio Real number or property number of a shared ownership property will be something like this: 1-123456-001. The last 3 digits 001 are the key numbers to look out for. When a propety is not a shared ownership property this last 3 digits are usually 000. The 001 means that you own share # 1 of “x” amount sold. The problem with this system is that it is unclear who really owns which lot in the property until a judge decides it. This might be risky if you already built your house on a lot or did custom repairs or works on your new condo or house. A time share is a vacation license for 25 years that usually sells for $5K to $75K. This license may be inherited, sold and shared but no property is transfered so it is not titled. You may buy fixed weeks, floating weeks or points, but usually unless the contract states it you will get a different unit each time you visit. An example of legitimate timeshare projects in Costa Rica are Villas Sol Playa Hermosa, Fiesta Puntarenas and Nacazcol. A fractional ownership is usually more expensive ($100K to $1.5 M), you have more time to use your property (1 month to 6 months) and it’s titled. You receive a specific unit to be used on a specific date every year. This can also be inherited, transfered and sold as well. Four Seasons is selling fractional and there are others that have just started but this is rare in Costa Rica. In your case, I think that you have a shared ownership which is not a condominium and you may be having the same situation as in Mapache. I’m not an expert in the subject so my advise is to read your purchase contract thoroughly and contact a lawyer. I have heard that a lot of projects in Jaco and Tamarindo are of this type. Shared ownership is not always bad, but why take the risk when you can buy a Condominium property?
I am from Costa Rica and not even I would dare such roadtrip. Just thinkin about going through Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador and Nicaragua would be scary enough for me to prefer driving to the nearest International Airport. This is not going to be like an RV trip around the U.S. Sammysdream. In the border towns of Mexico and Guatemala there is a big problem with “mareros” which are latin street gangs and known to be some of the most vicious and violent in the western hemisphere. These towns are also full of “coyotes” which specialize in smuggling people into the US and prone to having the presence of lots of South American drug cartels. If I was to make this trip I would do some serious research, ask for references from people that have taken the trip in the past 1-2 years, talk to the consulates of each of the embassies I am fixing to cross through for advise, get travel insurance, find a way to have money access in case of being robbed at gun point and establish the safest driving route possible. This is possibly one of the most dangerous road trips you can take, but if you prepare yourself properly and know all the dangers involved then you could possibly have a good experience.
Mapache requested the 20% payment for start of construction without having the required building permits and without having the Condominium legally registered. They advertised they were selling “Condos” when in fact they were selling the project as “shared ownership”. Basically the mother land was divided into “x” amount of lots and each owner receives a share or derecho. This is not a condominium and therefore there are no rules or regulations that all owners must abide to, no Home Owner’s Association (HOA) that rules over the condominium and no real guarantee as to who owns each lot or share. I have heard that some owners have even opened up commercial activities in these “Condos” as there are no clear rules or regulations in place. In order for the project to be a legal Condominium project all owners would have to agree to such process, put all shares into a trust and then have the project legally registered as a Condominium for each owner to receive their “finca filial” number with their respective title, establish the rules and regulations for the conodiminium and apoint an administration and a Home Owner’s Association. This is going to be a long, expensive and virtually impossible process. If I had bought property in this project, I would try establishing a group of residents to get together and hire a good law firm like Facio & Canas or Pacheco Coto to bring a lawsuit against Mapache for fraud.
This is why you do not buy real estate from “shady developers” and why you always use a lawyer to purchase Costa Rica real estate.
Dkharlan, you should follow Scott’s advise about hiring an attorney ASAP. I recommnend you contact Cordero & Cordero Abogados http://www.corderoabogados.com their phone number in Guanacaste is 667-4242, ask for Hernan Cordero or write him an email hcb@corderoabogados.com. You may also try Casafont Estrada y Asociados 667-0700 http://www.casafont-estrada.com, ask for Juan Antonio Casafont 389-1548. Both of these law firms are located in Guardia, a little town about 10 minutes from Coco and Ocotal. Good luck!
Worldwide Management & Rentals in Playa Hermosa is a good property management company but they only cover Playas del Coco, Ocotal, Hermosa and Papagayo. Check out their website:www.coastalcostarica.com
Charlie, you should head out to Guapiles as this is where most Costa Rica tropical flower and foliage farms are located due to its perfect growing conditions. There are several viveros on the main road that will be cheaper and of higher quality than the stores in San Jose. If the viveros don’t have Aves del Paraiso, they will point you to a local farm to purchase it from the growers at a fraction of the cost. Take a day trip to Guapiles (45 mins from San Jose) via the Braulio Carrillo highway which is one of the nicest road trips you can take in Costa Rica. There is a good restaurant called “Roberto’s” at the Intersection to Rio Frio where you could stop by for lunch. Another great option is to travel back to San Jose via Puerto Viejo de Sarapiqui and stop by at La Paz Waterfall Gardens which is always really nice.
Mediatica, Bruno didn’t mention in his posting that he was looking to get rental income so that is why I said that my suggestion would largely depend on the reason he is considering buying a condo in Costa Rica. If he was buying a condo as a vacation home or retirement home then I would recommend Tambor and Dominical over Tamarindo as they are very beautiful less developed areas where you might experience Costa Rica at its finest, not to mention purchasing a beachfront or ocean view condo for under $200K which is unheard of in Tamarindo. If he is looking solely for rental income then I would suggest Tamarindo, Playa Hermosa, Playas del Coco and Jaco, but all these places are highly developed and have similar issues.
Don’t get me wrong, I am a big Tamarindo fan as I am a surfer and I have visited this place many times during my lifespan, I have friends that are long time residents and I visit it constantly as I live in Playa Hermosa. I just think that some people don’t like Tamarindo because they are “escaping” from the densely populated areas in the US, from crime, pollution, noise and wish to seek a much more relaxed lifestyle in a tropical setting. Tamarindo is terribly busy, there are traffic jams, sewage problems and the roads are in very bad condition not to mention the drugs, crime and prostitution issues. For example, I don’t think a lot of people would consider relocating from New York City to Tamarindo as they would encounter similar issues they are trying to “escape”. There are some that like Tamarindo because of its nightlife, restaurants, services, proximity to good surf and beaches as well as the international airport in Liberia. That is also why I told Bruno that it would depend on his personal taste and preferences.
There are condos under $200K in all of Tamarindo’s surrounding areas that you suggest, but none of them will offer ocean view or beachfront like those available in Tambor and Dominical do offer. The area on the Gulf of Nicoya and Domincal will develop greatly in the next 5-10 years so you would probably profit heavily from an early investment there as people did in Tamarindo in the past 5-10 years. I just try to advise people based on what they are looking for, their tastes, their preferences, their needs and expectations. Even though I like Tamarindo, I don’t recommend it frequently as I know that the majority of people come to Costa Rica with very different expectations.
I was born and raised in Costa Rica and I think it is paradise! Does it have problems, of course…who doesn’t? The bottom line is that Americans need to understand that they will be venturing into a new culture and thus they need to adapt and respect their new culture. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
Americans are very typical! They move away from the United States to “escape it all” but as soon as they get to their destination, they immediately point out the negatives and compare it to the wonders of their home town they have just “escaped”. They then build shopping centers, sports bars, high rises, McDonald’s, Starbucks and Pizza Hut and when they are done building their “Mini America” they say “Paradise is Lost” and move on to their next “escape”. Why not enjoy their new “escape” as it is? Instead of thinking the glass is half empty, think of it as being half full. Until Americans learn to think this way they will never understand why Costa Rica is paradise.
I don’t mean to stereotype all Americans as I know that the VIP Members of this website truly love Costa Rica and there are many of Americans that despise large scale development, they live very pleasing and simple lives in their new Tico homes and they are actively involved in their communities to improve Costa Rica. Those types of Americans we welcome with open arms in Costa Rica!
