Hi , we are Randy & Rhonda Berg and the house below is our home just outside of the town of Grecia in the central valley area of Costa Rica - we love it here !!!!

Below is a group of page links to various information about us and about what we have learned here in Costa Rica about advantage of buying property and building your own dream and retirement home.

In 1999 my wife and I vacationed in the Guanacaste region of Costa Rica. During the next three years we took several more trips to different areas of Costa Rica, each trip only confirming our desire to eventually move there

Then, FINALLY , in 2002 we sold our business, sold our home and made final plans to move to Costa Rica. All of our dreams and plans were finally coming true!

My wife and I had done extensive “homework” for our move (reading virtually every book written about Costa Rica and spending literally hundreds of hours researching
the country's customs and real estate on the internet.). We were prepared!

Imagine our surprise when we went to Costa Rica prepared to buy property and initiate our move and found that EVERYTHING we had learned about real estate and property was completely WRONG !

What We Learned:

1) There is no formal regulated real estate industry in Costa Rica: 99% of all real estate transactions in Costa Rica take place exactly as they have for decades.

2) Real estate presented on the internet is generally overpriced by 20-200%.

3) Nearly all real estate transactions in Costa Rica follow a two-tier system: one price for Ticos and one price for”Gringos”.

4) Almost all real estate is priced substantially less than nearly all “gringos” believe UNLESS they know how to work within the existing real estate system

OK , HOW DO I MAKE SURE I GET THE BEST PRICE ON COSTA RICAN REAL ESTATE ?

Quite simply, your choices are limited to:

1) Be very lucky ?

2) Finding an honest Tico to negotiate the best price for you.

3) Use the services of CR-Home ( Costa Rica Home ) !

Over the past two years we have put together a group of retired Americans and a group of five retired Ticos to form CR-Home.  We all love Costa Rica and believe that our approach to real estate and property in Costa Rica is the only tried and true system of obtaining real value here.  We don't try to change the system...we work within it...and use people that understand the way that the real estate market truly functions in Costa Rica.

What, specifically, does " Costa Rica Home " do ?

1) Conducts interviews and tours specifically designed for each individual or couple to determine the most appropriate Costa Rican place of residence.

2) Helps locate the most appropriate real estate and obtains best pricing possible.

3) We help facilitate ALL aspects of your move to Costa Rica. We want your move
to be every thing you dreamed it would be.

* The way land is bought and sold in Costa Rica has not changed in decades despite other "realtors" pretending to the contrary vis-a-vis MLS and "exclusive listings".  In over 99% of all real estate transactions which take place in this country properties are marketed almost solely by word of mouth. It is important not only to work within the existing system but also to have the correct personnel.  In order to obtain any "good and fair" price from a Tico seller the buyer or person doing the negotiating  MUST be a Tico also .

Who should use " Costa Rica Home " ?

A) Those who are serious about moving to Costa Rica.

B) Anyone who wishes to thoroughly explore the different possibile areas for relocation BEFORE arriving at a decision. ( It is not our intention to just sell you property... our goal is to find you the best valued property in the area you will be most comfortable. ) We can help alleviate many of the frustrations that can arise 6 months later such as not being able to find a bilingual school for your children, or finding out you don't have internet access or cell phone connection in your new neighborhood.

C) Those who wish to get the most for their money. We treat each purchase as an investment.  Even if you are planning to live in Costa Rica for decades, we want your purchase to be a sound investment as well as a great place to live.

If interested in using the services of CR-Home please read on ... and also please remember to complete and send us your profile information so that we can best serve you and best protect your interest and investment here in Costa Rica !!

	Rodrigo Zumbado  Graduate of the University of Costa Rica, married to Char, spent four years in the U.S. , originally from Poas and currently lives in Grecia.   Son, Dolan, one year old.
	Char Viehouser Zumbado Married to Rodrigo, originally from MN.   Assists with construction and translations.   Mother of Dolan.
	Liffer Ledezma Liffer Ledezma and his wife Yolanda and two children.    Liffer has been with CR Home since its beginning and is invaluable in finding properties for us.
Picture coming soon	Margo and Jeff Ackerman Formerly of Houston , have recently joined CR Home. Jeff is an M.D. and recently served as CEO of a major hospital in Houston.  Margo was formerly an account executive with Smith, Barney. Hopefully they won't work as many hours as Rhonda and I do.  They bring a fantastic organizational, managerial, and marketing background to CR Home. We are delighted that they have joined us.
Picture coming soon	Mark Alsip Mark and his wife Sheri and two sons moved to Costa Rica nearly two years ago after buying property from us in San Ramon.  They have just finished building a fantastic ocean view home and have already managed to collect several dogs, cats and two horses.   Both were emergency room nurses in past lives.
Picture coming soon	Albert and Francini Albert and Francini and their two children joined us in early 2008.   Albert is a scout and his wife cares for ALL of Char and Rodrigo's children as well as their own.
Picture coming soon	."the woodpecker", Alvaro Trejos ...ladies man, he truly knows about everything ( and if he doesnt , he will make it up!)...he is first and foremost a scout, but he too knows how to get just about any job that we need...done.   He has served as landscape foreman, construction foreman...just about anything that we absolutely MUST get done.

What are our Costs?

In the past , this section filled nearly an entire page, most of it was explaining or justifying why we charge per diem expenses.

At this point in our history this section is not about money. It is about our time.
All of us spend much more time with our clients than any other firm in Costa Rica...  that is who we are.

But... we do not want to waste our time. We are all retired and want to enjoy our lives here. It is easy for anyone who visits Costa Rica to naturally fantasize about life here and wonder "what would it cost to live here ?", then pick up the phone and call some realtor. We cannot afford time to show property to everyone who is simply curious.

A per diem commitment shows that you are serious about buying property in Costa Rica. Each client is different. And we structure our fees to fit the client
and their own objectives. We have found that our fees typically equal that of a qualified tour guide.

We no longer charge a per diem fee...but may be forced to limit time spent due to increased visitors.

During an initial meeting, and after completing your profile page (first please)
we will detail your options as well as outline specifics which are available
( in dollars and cents ) .

Most people are VERY pleasantly surprised, especially if their contact with Costa Rica Home real estate has only been via the internet.

Our sales commission is 7% which is paid after completion of a purchase and due in full at the time of closing.

If there are specific questions about our fees, please try to obtain clarification before an initial meeting. Please feel free to call or email us with any questions you have , and we look forward to serving you in the best possible way we can.