After a successful Real Estate Career in the United States I came to Costa Rica for semi retirement. Over the past nine years it has turned into a full time job. Now I find myself working harder than I did before but I guess that is what keeps us young. Costa Rica is a difficult place to do business with so many transient people here and no mandatory licensing. It was this problem that led me to form a real estate group working with trusted brokers both here and around the world.
As our reputation grew we found ourselves doing a great deal of referral business which has been the catalyst to our growth.
The world economy has affected Costa Rica like everywhere else in the world. Simply put; in bad times the first thing that goes is the toys and the vacation property. This has been bad for sales but it has given us some incredible buys.
Having always done good business in the past, naturally people turned to us to list their distressed properties here trying to save that home back in the states.
The new market: yes there is an emerging market here for retirees.
You can get more information on this on our website (costaricanrealtygroup.com) but a brief explanation would be this:
People can live here and fairly well on just a social security check. Yes it’s true, if they can afford to purchase a home and we have many affordable homes, the rest is easy. Annual taxes generally under $300 @ year, monthly electricity in the central valley aprox. $35 @ month (higher at the beaches with A/C of course), water $10 @ month, food cost is about the same here as it is in the states.
This is why so many people are fleeing to Costa Rica to retire; they know they can survive here very well and without working part time at the wall-Mart.
