Thank you for this valuable information! I started my career in CR in 2011 after buying a piece of land in the mountains overlooking Costa Ballena over Uvita, site unseen. I drove from California with my cousin and proceeded to live in a tent on the property for almost a year straight. Eventually I built a house with support from the local pueblo. What I've learned is that in CR if you ask a group of expats how they achieved the same goal, it's not uncommon to hear a different answer from each person. Some said one cannot buy land with a US passport, I did that. I also opened a bank account at Banco CR without any paperwork from my bank in the States, also commonly said to be impossible. The quality of your information is greatly appreciated! Lots of snake oil soothsayers roaming around preying on foreigners and their learning curve.
Thank you for watching and your insightful comments. You are correct it is common to see different results for the same issues. Regarding the passport I can confirm your results that property can be purchased with a passport and the recording office will register it with that form of identification. Glad to hear you are enjoying your area which is a beautiful part of Costa Rica,
Costa Rican law is NOT based on English Common Law, but rather Spanish Colonial Law. We bought a site in Brasilito, close to Playa Flamingo, in order to build a bar / restaurant. Turned out that a RELATIVE of the seller had a "claim" against the property, and we NEVER had a clear title. Despite that, we were able to complete the construction, and operate Kokomo Bar for several years. We eventually sold it to a French expat, who apparently was able to secure title (probably by paying off the "relative"). WARNING - be sure your selected "piece of heaven" doesn't have "claimants" - laws are different in CR !
I have a friend who purchased beach front property from a German owner in Playa Grande 18 years ago. Turns out it was part of the local forest and he could not construct on the land, a 100k lost.
Thank you for watching and your comments. Yes, Playa Grande was affected by the Turtle preserve and for years there have been lawsuits related to land and permitting in the area. Doing a good due diligence can flush those issues out before paying in full for property.
Thank you for this valuable information! I started my career in CR in 2011 after buying a piece of land in the mountains overlooking Costa Ballena over Uvita, site unseen. I drove from California with my cousin and proceeded to live in a tent on the property for almost a year straight. Eventually I built a house with support from the local pueblo. What I've learned is that in CR if you ask a group of expats how they achieved the same goal, it's not uncommon to hear a different answer from each person. Some said one cannot buy land with a US passport, I did that. I also opened a bank account at Banco CR without any paperwork from my bank in the States, also commonly said to be impossible. The quality of your information is greatly appreciated! Lots of snake oil soothsayers roaming around preying on foreigners and their learning curve.
Thank you for watching and your insightful comments. You are correct it is common to see different results for the same issues. Regarding the passport I can confirm your results that property can be purchased with a passport and the recording office will register it with that form of identification. Glad to hear you are enjoying your area which is a beautiful part of Costa Rica,
Costa Rican law is NOT based on English Common Law, but rather Spanish Colonial Law. We bought a site in Brasilito, close to Playa Flamingo, in order to build a bar / restaurant. Turned out that a RELATIVE of the seller had a "claim" against the property, and we NEVER had a clear title. Despite that, we were able to complete the construction, and operate Kokomo Bar for several years. We eventually sold it to a French expat, who apparently was able to secure title (probably by paying off the "relative"). WARNING - be sure your selected "piece of heaven" doesn't have "claimants" - laws are different in CR !
Thank you for sharing your experience.
I have a friend who purchased beach front property from a German owner in Playa Grande 18 years ago. Turns out it was part of the local forest and he could not construct on the land, a 100k lost.
Thank you for watching and your comments. Yes, Playa Grande was affected by the Turtle preserve and for years there have been lawsuits related to land and permitting in the area. Doing a good due diligence can flush those issues out before paying in full for property.
Great info! Thank you. How can one get in touch with you?
Hi Thank you for your feedback. Sure. You can reach me via the contact page on my website at costaricalaw.com/contact/