Costa Rica-Real Estate Condos for sale in Guanacaste

Un Techo Para Mi Pais (A roof for my country) is an organization that should be admired. They have helped giving a real home to those who cannot even afford a small room to sleep with the help of Costa Rica companies and people’s donations. Costa Rica is in fact a very rich country, unfortunately there is an ugly side to all the beauties this country has: Poverty in Costa Rica has increased over the years and more and more families suddenly find themselves without a place to live.

Another big issue that contributes to these people’s dramatic lives are the natural disasters caused by earthquakes and storms, the poor planning on some housing developments in marginal areas of Costa Rica have left hundreds of families on the street. 

Little kid in Los Guido, Costa Rica and volunteers building Un Techo Para mi Pais

The organization was created in Chile and has grown over the years by including more and more countries with a successful rate. Costa Rica is now part of the organization and this week, hundreds of volunteers will be conducting a massive collection of money with a campaign called “Un rojo por un techo” (a red for my country: 1000 colones bill is red). A lot of Costa Rica university students and middles youngsters have enrolled as volunteers and will asking passers by to donate 1000 colones to help built homes for all those people who need it. They set up a display in downtown San Jose of small room-like structures made or zinc, carton boards and old wood that resemble very accurately the type of homes these people are forced to live in.

Costa Rica properties in these neighborhoods are usually donated by the government to help families, but although they receive a small piece of land; they have no resources to build a home. Some other families just arrived on the area put together a wood and steel structure and hoped not to be removed from the area. In Costa Rica it is very common to find non-lucrative organizations to help those in need and the success rate of these campaigns is quite promising.

When I finally made the decision of relocating to a environment my main goal was to find peace, although I was never looking to get away from learning new exciting things. Costa Rica caught my attention when I friend of my brought pictures of his last vacation: there peaceful sceneries as well as great variety of fun things to do, so I began my research about all the possible locations I might like in Costa Rica. Guanacaste was of course the winner.

I fell in love with the views: Guanacaste Mountains seemed like another dimension to me, being so close to the ocean, the way the colors looked and that calm sensation was priceless. I first came to Costa Rica to get an idea of what it may feel like to live in such place and it was exactly what I wanted. Then I visited possible areas in Guanacaste: Flamingo beach was nice, but the nightlife was a bit overwhelming for an old guy like me; I liked the marina, so I knew I did not want to be too far away from it. Next stop was Tamarindo: great for youngsters and surfers, my children would enjoy it and it was a pretty neat town, although I was not a fan of the tourists (ironic, isn’t it). Playa Panama was so beautiful I honestly thought it was the place, until I realized I was going to be too far away from commercial places like supermarkets and drugstores. One of the most impressive beaches in Costa Rica is Carrillo it has one of the top ten sunsets in the world but again, not so close to urban areas.

Yes, this could be your everyday sunset for the rest of your life…

It was a hard search and it took a lot of work to finally come to the conclusion that if I was going to enjoy Costa Rica, Liberia was the best choice: every single place I loved was close driving wouldn’t take me more than an hour in most cases and it had every single service and facility necessary to live comfortable. Costa Rica was exactly what I was looking for.

In Costa Rica, luxury villas a lot cheaper than they would be in the US, and a lot more luxurious if I may add: a four bedroom, 2 bathroom villa with air conditioning, nice size swimming pool and a very decent piece of land could cost from $225000 to maybe $900.000 and that doesn’t even count the incredible views, weather and variety of activities. Guanacaste also has many residential projects and a condo can be purchase a very fair price anywhere in Costa Rica. Schools are available anywhere and the most prestigious private schools have branches in Guanacaste as well, so if you have children, no matter if they are in elementary school or college, education is nearby and accessible.

As you can see, there was really no reason to hesitate on my decision. My only recommendation is to be completely sure of what kind of property in Costa Rica will work best for you and you half way there.

To some people Costa Rica is a just a huge rainforest in the middle of the continent where it would be nice to take a nice long vacation. To some other people, it is an island with pristine beaches where surfers go to hide (It is not an island by the way) and to some of us Costa Rica has become our home and we are happy to embrace everything that comes along with becoming a Tico.

I am fool for culture and arts, so I take my time to indulge myself with local crafts and let me tell you, Costa Rica arts are quite impressive, it actually amazes me that they don’t get more spotlight around the world: paintings, photography, music and believe it or not, film making. There have been a few films made in Costa Rica, yet there was no school for film production up until a couple of years ago. This month there are three different film productions from Costa Rica featured: El Cielo Rojo (100% Tico Pop Corn movie), El Camino (several countries from Central America and mainly Nicaragua and Costa Rica were part of the production) and Ta Tau (a documentary on psychological views on tattooing). Most of these films were made with very little budget but the talent has given great critics to the pieces.

I have checked newspapers and seen interviews on television and Costa Rica artists are very proud to showcase their work, according to reviews I have read the audience is very amazed and thankful. Although there have been some difficulties young people have raised their voice claiming to be taken seriously in the industry, which I must admit: I admire. Costa Rica has shown potential and the carriers of that potential are here to stay.

It is definitely worth to check that cosmopolitan side of Costa Rica treasures, the insight of the culture itself and how technology is becoming a huge part of the evolution of the arts industry in Costa Rica. Soon Costa Rica real estate will not be one of the most important markets in the country and arts such as photography, film making and music will take its place. I strongly recommend you try to get a glimpse of these pieces of work; they are definitely amazing pieces of art.

This information really makes proud about choosing to move to Costa Rica. Reading the news yesterday I found a little piece of history that supports my idea of how wonderful a world without an army (like Costa Rica has lived in for over 50 years) could be better.

Since 1980, Costa Rica, the first country in the modern world to abolish its army, was chosen to become head quarters of a very important institution: Established by the United Nations, University of Peace is an independent university for postgraduate studies. From Costa Rica, University collaborators have been establishing programs in Africa, Central Asia, the Asia Pacific region, Latin America and the Caribbean, Europe and North America where they aimed to teach inhabitants to do things based on the UN Charter, the Declaration of Human Rights.

One of the main reason why Costa Rica has become a top destination for both vacationing or relocation is the fact that the way of life in this country is based under a “peace comes first” ideal and this view of the world has catapulted Costa Rica destinations to be part of the most important in the world.

The University of Peace was established in Costa Rica because of that view and because that view is exactly what they want to portray and teach the world. From Costa Rica, they have managed to expand missions defending peace and human right all over the world. At this moment, John J. Maresca, the Rector of UPeace is beginning the expansion of the University to take detailed care on Human Rights issues that may have been neglected in the past. Graduates of the University of Peace are now leaving Costa Rica to become spokes persons for peace and the respect of human rights all over the world.

Now, this reassures me that relocating to Costa Rica was a great idea. Sometimes, real estate in Costa Rica focuses too much in the cold areas of property selling and forgets that buying a property in Costa Rica not only includes a piece of land, but also includes learning to live a place where guns or fights have never had the last word.

In Costa Rica, real estate is a legal term like in many other countries. It refers to any type of property that involves land and/or buildings or in a fixed in location. Every country has its own real estate laws. Costa Rica for example has a very well marked differentiation between local real estate business and foreigner acquisitions. In previous articles I referred to the common requirements for a foreigner to purchase Costa Rica properties.

The real estate market around the world includes a variety of legal formalities that may be similar, but depending on the jurisdiction and the local laws, some formalities may change. In Costa Rica, real estate agents do not need a license to operate, but the transfer of property requires a lawyer to be processed. Also the easiest way to purchase real estate in Costa Rica is through an enterprise or company that includes a Costa Rica citizen as an associate; although there are other ways that will make the process easier depending on the property you wish to purchase.

The Latin American market for properties is considerably cheaper than it is in the United Estates or Europe, also tropical locations are considered an impressive investment since the value of property rises quite often. Costa Rica has the advantage of having lovely beach properties as well as rainforest areas and mountain side land, which opens up the variety of listings offered in real estate.

One good thing that is going on in Costa Rica is the improvements that will be made in transportation and roads, this will increase the value of some locations and open up the market to secluded areas in Costa Rica, expanding the choices of properties every where in the country. Real estate in Costa Rica has also begun to include apartment buildings in downtown areas that include luxury properties and amazing views.

A lot of people that come to relocate to Costa Rica are not only retirees looking for a place to rest and enjoy life. I have also noticed that a lot of youngsters come here looking for work opportunities to gain experience and in some cases, immigrants from other Latin-American countries come to Costa Rica to look for better living.

In the case of immigrants from neighbor countries, most of them end up working in low pay jobs: cleaning houses, babysitting, as construction workers and such. It is very hard for them to get a job in Costa Rica besides those, mostly because of the background they come from: Most of the countries that surround Costa Rica are in war, or a known to be very violent, so employers do hesitate on hiring them. Yet if they prove to be knowledgeable and have good recommendations they do get a chance. Costa Rica has opportunities for every one but they do take good care of their people.

Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty

It is also very common to see immigrants from Europe and USA teaching languages: English, French, German and Italian are the top languages taught in Costa Rica. English is however very well spoken and high percentage of inhabitants is at least bilingual. That is actually one of the perks of buying property in Costa Rica: there will always be someone that speaks English nearby. French and English are taught in high school, there are also some schools that teach three languages to kids which they will fully speak by the time they graduate. Education in Costa Rica is taken very seriously and you notice this as soon as you sit and chat with a local.

Now, although there are several call centers in Costa Rica, you need to have labor permission to apply for a job there, so make sure you have all your documentation organized. In Costa Rica listings for jobs are found on the newspaper or online so you shouldn’t have trouble searching for a job. For young people who just want to gain experience or earn college credits, a lot of companies in Costa Rica will hire foreigners as interns for a few months, all you need to do is contact them.

In Costa Rica, real estate agents can al so help you with the requirements necessary to work in the country,  they will not be able to find you a job per se, but will make sure you are fully aware on how it works, the documents you need and such. Do not be afraid to ask.

Today we are experiencing the beginning of one of the most expected sports events of this year: The Beijing Olympics. The best Athletes from all over the world will compete for the most important sports honors in the next few days and Costa Rica has send its most impressive performers to show and prove their skills.

In Costa Rica, athletes have been very successful in previous Olympic Games, and nothing less is expected from the group that is participating this year. A total of 8 athletes are right now waiting for their competitions that will take place during the next couple of weeks. All the competitors come from different parts of Costa Rica. These are the athletes and the schedule their competitions will be on:

Kristopher Moitland: Black belt for Tae kwon do. Competition will be held on August 21^st at 7:00 pm

Henri Raabe: Cycling Road. He will be the first Tico to participate this year: Competition will be held August 8^th (today) at 9:00 pm

Federico Ramirez: Cycling Mountain bike. Competition will be on August 23^rd at 1:00 am.

Nery Brenes: Athletics 400m Men. Race will be on August 17^th at 7:00 pm.

Allan Segura: Athletics 20km walk Men. Race will be held on August 15^th at 7:00 pm.

Gabriela Traña: Athletics Marathon Women. Race is scheduled on August 16^th at 4:30 am.

Mario Montoya: Swimming 200m freestyle Men. Competition will be on August 10^th at 4:30 am

Marianela Quesada: Swimming 100m freestyle Women. Competition will be held on August 13^th at 4:30 am.

All the schedules above are given in Costa Rica time. These athletes have participated for Costa Rica in many world championships and have returned to Costa Rica with good scores, medals and trophies; they traveled with their coaches and some with their family as well. As you can see Costa Rica treasures are not only in real estate or the beautiful beaches ad rainforests: people are quite valuable too. Good luck for all the athletes in the Beijing Olympics 2008.

After a while “in training to be a Tico” I have come to realize that, when you have a house in Costa Rica, there are certain items that you are almost required to have to be a real Costa Rica homeowner, or least prove that you are living the Tico lifestyle. It is part of the necessities of the area, small details that are not included in any Costa Rica real estate guide or listing, small thing you didn’t think you would need until the time came for you to find it out.

The first thing you find out is that in Costa Rica, mosquitoes come out in evening and when they come out they are hungry and you are fresh blood. Bug repellent might be kind of awkward, but there are also ambiance repellents, make sure you get some of both.

While you are at it, in the supermarket they also have the two main ingredients for a regular Costa Rica meal: rice and beans; you will need these especially if you like to invite your friends over, they will always expect these two legumes to be part of the meal. To cook any Costa Rica traditional meal you will need Salsa Lizano, it is a cheap home made sauce found anywhere, quite tasty if I may add. Fruits and vegetables are bought at La Feria as I explained in previous posts, so you will need your own shopping cart to run this errand.

While in the US, we are more used to wearing slippers at home, let’s remember that Costa Rica tropical weather is warm, for this matter Ticos wear flip flops, yet they call them chinelas. Costa Rica homes do have lots of windows, but if your home doesn’t have air conditioning you will need to get fans for every room.

When it comes to having guests, there are certain items that in Costa Rica are well known: Imperial beer, Guaro Cacique and Tapa de Dulce, these are regular beverages of the area, be careful with the Guaro, since it is basically industrially distilled moonshine. As per snacks, there are many delicious items: pejibayes, deviled eggs and home made dipping souces are always part of the deal, yet my favorite one is the Yuca, which you can make deep fried or just boiled, either way, it is one of Costa Rica’s most tasty meals. In Costa Rica, home owners always take care of their yards and the land is very rich, so if you have any fruit trees take good care of them, because whatever grows on them, you will consume. And don’t forget the Chorreador, although you will find coffee makers anywhere, Costa Rica coffee tastes better if it is made in a chorreador.

If you have heard about Costa Rica, you know that it is known no only because of the natural beauties, rainforests and beaches, but also because in Costa Rica peace is one of the most important treasures of the country. They constantly thrive to keep violence away and one of their methods is not having an army at all. The last time Costa Rica had an army was in 1948 when the last civil war took place, after that battle army was permanently removed until this date.

A few years ago the current president of Costa Rica won the Nobel Prize for Peace, because of his strong efforts to keep violence and fighting away from Central America. Children are often brought up to believe in peace and keep Costa Rica life as simple as possible. It may be harder nowadays, yet there are still many efforts being made to keep it as peaceful as possible.

At this moment, Costa Rica is joining Brazil signing into law a ban on child abuse by parents and guardians. This law is looking to eradicate violence as a punishment and clearly states that they want to change the “Rights of children and adolescents for discipline without corporal punishment and humiliation”. This law has been part of the U.S code of conduct for years now, yet in Latin America it has not been instated until now. With this law, the Costa Rica government plans to teach parents to discipline their children by setting up examples, getting to know them, negotiate and avoid using physical and humiliating punishment.

According to a study conducted by IDESPO 2003, in Costa Rica homes, 65.3% of parents beat, kick and pinch and 74.2% yell and verbally abuse their children. This comes from generations and generations and it is part of Latin American traditions. Also, these changes are part of the struggle people in Costa Rica are making to diminish violent behavior among youngsters, since it has been quite clear that crime rate and violence related issues have been increasing in the past few years and Costa Rica homes, families and mostly children deserve to have a society without violence.

Every year, on August 2^nd, Costa Rica embraces its catholic roots and begins one of the most impressive acts of faith I have ever seen in my life: La Romeria. People from all over the place and even other countries nearby walk from their homes towards La Basilica de Los Angeles located in Cartago to pay tribute, thank or ask for favors to the Virgin Mary or La Negrita, as they have nicknamed her.

The story begins in the year 1635 when a young Indian girl named Juana Pereira left her house to pick up wood and run chores. While she was walking in the woods, she found a small stone figurine that look like the Virgin Mary. She picked it up and took it home. The next day, she found it again and when she went back home she noticed “the one she picked up the day before” was gone. This continued happening for a few days so she spoke to the local priest who confirmed Juana’s story. Costa Rica is in fact a very religious country, so the priest, understanding that what the Virgin wanted was to live there where Juana found her started building a church in her honor, which is now the beautiful Basilica de los Angeles.

This act of faith proves that Costa Rica traditions do cover a huge variety of topics and it very interesting to experience how close everyone in the country is to their beliefs, how strong minded they are about keeping their roots and the power of faith that holds Costa Rica. Highways have been full the past few days because of all the Romero’s walking towards Cartago. Costa Rica celebrates this special date every year and lots of activities take place in the church surroundings. One of my favorites is the dressing of the Virgen de los Angeles: during the year, lots of dress makers from all over Costa Rica send in a specially design dress for the small figurine and one is selected as the most beautiful one and she wears it during the official Mass on August 2^nd.

If you are in Costa Rica right now and were planning on driving through any of the main highways, be careful with the Romeros, move aside and let them through and be aware that some main roads near the Cartago area will be closed today after 2:00 PM.