Costa Rica guides
Straight talk on buying, renting, and living in Costa Rica. What things cost, where people actually settle, and how the process really works.
Buying a Costa Rica Home Without Spanish? The Deed Reading Is Not Enough
I moved to Costa Rica in 2014, have bought and sold here, and would never treat a Spanish deed reading as proof that an English-speaking buyer understands the closing.
October 2026 Costa Rica Property Market: 93,318 Active Listings, Plenty to Question
The CostaRicaRealtor data desk puts Santa Cruz at $594,500 and Jimenez at $122,641, but location and asking price are only the start of a buying decision.
Costa Rica Has No Single MLS. One Property Site Is Not Enough.
A fragmented property market makes it easy to miss homes, misread prices, and mistake three advertisements for three different opportunities.
Three Unpaid Tax Periods Can Put Your Costa Rica Holding Company Into Dissolution
A company can hold your Costa Rica house for years while overlooked taxes build up behind it, and the annual corporation tax carries a consequence far worse than a late fee.
Your Costa Rica Land Is Empty. That Does Not Mean It Is Safe.
An absentee owner's best protection is a clean title, paid taxes and someone nearby who notices trouble before an occupation becomes a legal fight.
The $1,500 Deposit Scam Costa Rica Renters Keep Falling For
Costa Rica has no central rental portal, and scammers know it. Here's how to rent long-term without wiring your deposit to a ghost.
The Notary Will Read Your Deed Aloud in Spanish. Here's How Not to Sign Blind.
Costa Rican law requires every closing to happen in Spanish, and after 12 years and multiple purchases here, I can tell you the language is the cheap problem to solve.
Your Empty Lot in Costa Rica Can Become Someone Else’s Problem in 12 Months
Absentee-owned land in Costa Rica needs fences, taxes, title checks, and real human eyes on it, because vacant-looking property attracts squatters and fraud.
Costa Rica Has No MLS. That Can Hide 90% of the Homes You Think You’re Seeing
Costa Rica property buyers often learn the hard way that one portal, one agent, or one Facebook group is not the market.
Is That a Gringo Price? 9 Ways to Check What Costa Rica Property Is Really Worth
Costa Rica has no public sold-price comps, so asking prices can get weird fast, especially if you sound foreign.
Long-Term Renting in Costa Rica in 2026: 11 Ways to Avoid Losing Your Deposit
Costa Rica long-term rentals can be messy because there is no single official rental portal, and that gap is exactly where Facebook scammers make money.
Buying Property in Atenas, Costa Rica: An Area Guide for Foreign Buyers
A practical guide to Atenas in Alajuela for overseas buyers, including the local feel, who buys here, current asking-price bands, due diligence, and how to compare the full market.