Costa Rica Realtors - Terry Mills & Jeff Hickcox in Atenas & Grecia. Free video interview.
Scott Oliver
Terry Mills is a fluent Spanish speaking American citizen who has lived in Costa Rica for eight years, she is a permanent resident of Costa Rica and legally entitled to work as a Realtor. Rodrigo is Terry's Tico partner and he's fluent in Spanish as well as English, can negotiate, translate and explain not only the Spanish language but also the Tico culture which is sometimes even more important. Terry has five children, the oldest is 27, the youngest is 14, the 2 who live in Costa Rica are 18 and 14. "My 18 year old son is a tech support agent for Alienware, my 14 year old daughter studies at home, helps in the office, does babysitting for clients, and teaches English and Spanish." Terry lives in Atenas which is located in the Central Valley about 35 kilometers west and "a bit north of San Jose." As buyer's agents, "we have worked in many areas but have a special emphasis on Atenas and Grecia."
Costa Rica Realtor for Atenas & Grecias
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Costa Rica Realtor - Brief biography: "My parents are both retired Realtors, my Dad was a broker, developer and general contractor for many years while I was growing up, so I have been in this environment my whole life. Things are very different here, most of what I learned about real estate law, ethics, etc in no way applies here." "The only thing that is universal is to treat people the way you would like to be treated, work openly and honestly and all the rest will fall into place."
"Living in Costa Rica as a child, I was fortunate to learn the language and be exposed to the culture at a young age. I am very grateful to my parents for giving me this opportunity." Real estate is not a hobby or a part time job for Terry, it is the only income for three entire families who are very serious about getting the best and the most for our clients.
Terry and her partner have been selling Costa Rica real estate for five years and have a lot of experience in "dealing with the bureaucracy and red tape," with a "great team of professional Ticos who work with us in property acquisition, legal matters, banking, building, etc., and lots of satisfied customers." Costa Rica Realtor Video Interview: To watch this short video with Terry Mills about real estate in Atenas, please click on the small white triangular Play button in the middle of the screen below and allow a few seconds for the video to begin. "We are a full service 'transitions specialists' company, we help with everything from hotels and car rentals while visiting, to help with home rentals, shipping, getting settled, banking, lawyers, builders, even where to shop and get help with your Spanish." Terry's philosophy is simple: "Though we are a small company, we are proud of taking lots of time with each of our clients, not just to sell them a property, but to provide guidance in all phases of their new life in Costa Rica. We know that people need to hear the truth about how things work here." "We will not gloss things over and pretend things work like they do in other places, but we will make sure our clients have the information, tools and professional help they need to be successful and as stress free as possible in their new life and adventure. We are always a phone call or email away, before, during, and after the real estate part of our job. We always start the process with clients and end up with friends."
If you look above the 'N' in the bottom left hand corner, you will see Atenas and look NE of that and you will see Sarchi & Grecia
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Atenas & Grecia Realtor - Q&A with Terry Mills: Q: How many properties did you sell in 2008? A: "Only around 30 and that is counting the ones that have not closed yet. Why would I brag about that? Because selling a property is only a small part of what we do, a large portion of our clients are doing exactly what you suggest which is rent for a while, get to know different areas, get to know Costa Rica, then buy or build a home in their favorite area." Q: What was the last book you read about your market? A: "I don't read a lot about real estate here in Costa Rica because I get frustrated at how little the authors seem to really know about the way things work here." But I did read and enjoy 'How To Buy Costa Rica Real Estate Without Losing Your Camisa'.
Q: What is your favorite quotation? A: "You can see San Jose, the airport, Escazu, Cartago, the entire Central Valley, and on a really clear day, if you stand just over there, you can see the Lake of Nicaragua!" Client/friend Bob Silaghi bragging about the view from the porch of his almost completed new home. (He exaggerates just a little bit). Q: What makes you uniquely qualified to help your customers? A: "We care! It doesn't matter if they have $50K to spend or several million, we dedicate the same time and TLC to our client's needs!" A Team of Realtors Working For You: Terry also works closely with Jeffrey Hickcox who is a real estate investment specialist who knows the area well.
Costa Rica Realtor Jeff Hickcox
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Costa Rica Realtor Outlook for Atenas & Grecia: "Here in Atenas and Grecia, we have a full spectrum of possibilities as to types of property, price ranges even climate. You can buy a decent Tico style home on a quarter acre for under US$100K and you can buy a large "Gringo style" luxurious custom built home with an indoor pool on a hill top with spectacular views for under US$500K." "The climate in this area depends mostly on altitude you choose and ranges between 75° to 90° during the day and 55° to 80° at night. We have a shortage of rental properties, and property values have risen sharply in the past 2 years and continue to rise at an almost alarming rate."
Costa Rica Realtor - Customer Testimonials: "Terry is a gem! We contacted her to see some property we found on her web site. It turned out the property was one we liked while touring the beach communities along the central pacific coast. We wanted the location and community, and the price was right, so we were willing to see about buying it." "We originally did not have the nerve to call the number on the 'Se vende' sign, or the language skills to find out the information we needed, so we passed it up. Once we hired Terry to be our agent, those barriers to our quest disappeared. She went to work describing the process of purchasing property in the Maritime Zone, and lead us to a good attorney to help check everything out." "The process was very rigorous and we submitted an offer only to find we were too late. Somehow Terry knew we still had a chance, so she talked the seller into keeping us as a secondary even though the primary offer was higher than asking price. This is when Terry earned our greatest respect. She kept in touch with the seller and through that relationship, the seller offered for us to buy the property when the primary seller started to drag things out, and become too demanding." "Terry and her team gave us the opportunity to buy that property at a very good price. We realize that Terry could have raised the price to meet the primary offer, but did not because she was working for us. It was her team that instilled trust onto that seller, that our offer was better, even though it was lower. It worked out well for the seller, and we could not be happier." "I am an Architect who has real estate experience in the USA, but I could not have done this without Terry." "Terry remains a big help to us in many other ways, and we always look forward to sharing a morning cup of coffee, and Gallo Pinto with her, and her associates when we come to Costa Rica. Do check into the idea of a "buyers agent" when looking to buy in Costa Rica. Terry is a Top Broker!" Jim & Lori Read. Wisconsin, USA *************************************** "Yes, I would recommend Terry Mills. She assisted us with our move to Costa Rica and really showed us that she was happy to go above and beyond her duties to help us with every facet of the move - even those many challenges such as getting a drivers license, setting up a corporation, buying a cell phone etc." "I think we nearly wore her out, but she stuck with us from first email contact through closing the property." Kurt Dommers, Playa Potrero, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. *************************************** Ken Deaton in Washington writes: Business relationships are all about trust. Trust saves time, energy, and money. I wholeheartedly trust Terry, Rigo and Jeff. Terry and Rigo did everything during and after my first property purchase in Atenas 1 1/2 years ago. I mean everything, from the closing at the bank, to finding a gardener who is phenomenal, a maid, and even helping me set up my checking account at Banco de Costa Rica. They continue to help manage my property. In the past year, under the guidance of Jeff Hickcox, they have directed me into solid investments in Costa Rica. These people continue to amaze me with their knowledge, spirit, and love for Costa Rica. I'm looking forward to many more investment adventures with them." *************************************** Chris Dennis in Sacramento, California writes: "I met Jeff in Costa Rica two years ago and was immediately impressed with him and his vision of the future of real estate in Costa Rica. He helped me with an investment purchase and I was thrilled with his attention to detail. We have kept in communication since. I've found Jeff's character to be impeccable. He has become well-known for his honesty in the small community of Atenas where he lives. As an already seasoned real estate investor in his early thirties, he moved his family to Costa Rica in 2006, and has worked tirelessly since then to achieve his vision. His passion for real estate is contagious, and has also inspired me to pursue it as a path to financial freedom. Jeff is an indispensable resource to anyone who is looking to buy or invest in Costa Rica."
*************************************** Mike and Karen Elder of Ft. Lauderdale. FL writes: "Jeff is a true professional. His approach in helping us sort through the property options was patient, methodical and complete. Jeff worked hard to help us eliminate what we didn't want and in the end found us exactly what we wanted. You can trust that he is looking out for your best interests and not just "selling" you."
*************************************** "I flew down to Costa Rica in January '07 to look at properties and had become acquainted with Terry Mills through your website, so I arranged to meet with her down there. She bent over backwards to accommodate me. She and her business partner Rigo, picked me up at the airport, arranged to get a rental car and rental phone for me, and put me up at a B&B in Atenas, where I was treated like a king." "It turns out I actually didn't need my rental car much, because she and Rigo picked me up each day and drove me all over town to look at properties, meet with her attorney and form a corporation for me. She also drove me to the bank and helped me set up a bank account." "Terry speaks fluent Spanish and is very familiar with the Tico culture, laws and customs. Needless to say, the process of purchasing and selling real estate in Costa Rica differs quite drastically from what I've experienced in the US. I would have been overwhelmed with culture shock had it not been for her guidance. I highly recommend her to anyone looking to purchase property in Costa Rica, and especially to those who plan to relocate there."
Chris Dennis *************************************** "Terry is the best!" Johann Kofler *************************************** Costa Rica Realtors Terry Mills & Jeff Hickcox in Atenas & Grecia. If you would like to speak with Terry Mills, our preferred Costa Rica Realtor for the Grecia and Atenas areas please use the form below:
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