February 11, 2010 – Costa Rica is a paradise for real estate agents because properties in Costa Rica are affordable and the cost of living is much lower then many other countries.
On top of that, Costa Rica offers excellent weather and the amenities that you will find in your own country making Costa Rica one of the top places in the world to retire to.
However, here is the straight story about Costa Rica that anyone considering moving should know.
Without further ado, here are the “10 Things About Costa Rica That Your Real Estate Agent or the Costa Rican Board of Tourism Don’t Want You to Know.
1. Ticos (native Costa Ricans) , contrary to public opinion, do NOT all like Gringos (Americans, Canadians, or Europeans ). The Tico personality will nearly always try to please and say what he or she thinks that YOU want to hear.
You will very seldom encounter direct aggression ...but you will definitely encounter passive aggressive behavior against gringos.
2. The bureaucracy in local and national agencies (as well as larger institutions ) can be maddening and frustrating.
Ticos seem to actually thrive waiting in long lines and seemingly possess endless supplies of patience. It is commonplace to wait for 6 hours to see a doctor...or an hour to deposit money. Wait until you try to apply for a telephone!
And worse... many of the “rules and regulations” seem to change almost weekly.
3. The country exists on an unwritten system of commissions and barter. Purchases and sales of real estate and most other private merchandise takes place almost the same as it has for decades.
Example: Jose has a vehicle for sale for $8000. He puts a SE VENDE sign in the window (for sale) and tells his friends. One of them tells an acquaintance about the car and it results in a sale. A commission ranging from 2 to 10% is then paid to the person who “arranged” the sale.
Outsiders never become aware that they are in fact paying the commission indirectly. This becomes especially important when you are told that there is no commission involved because of a net price...THERE IS ALWAYS A COMMISSION INVOLVED IN COSTA RICA!
4. Ticos, almost all of them, believe that nearly all gringos have money trees back home with a never ending supply of dollars. And , because we have “so much money” we should be willing to pay more for almost everything. Ticos generally feel absolutely no compunction or guilt “liberating” some of the gringo’s hard earned money.
Remember... if you ask the price of almost anything where barter is involved... the first price will normally be “as much as the traffic can bear”. { a footnote: to many of us that attitude may seem particularly offensive as many of us have moved to , or are considering moving to, Costa Rica to SAVE money.
We have saved our money for years and want to stretch our retirement dollars and vacation investments funds. ...} Many gringos see this behavior as dishonest and as simply lying. It is easier to understand if we gringos admit that “yes, we do have more money but we are here in Costa Rica because we are trying to save money. We can be generous...just not stupid”.
We hope you enjoyed part 1 of this 2 part series of “10 Things About Costa Rica That Your Real Estate Agent or the Costa Rican Board of Tourism Don’t Want You to Know.” Stay tuned next week for the 2nd part of this informational article about living in Costa Rica.
for more information about living in Costa Rica , please visit us at www.cr-home.com
Randy and Rhonda Berg have been living in Costa Rica for over 7 years and have a wealth of knowledge when it comes to buying a home in Costa Rica. You can contact them at: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it