Living
In the US, seeing a specialist means a referral, pre-authorization, a 3-week wait, and a $250 copay. In Costa Rica, I call directly and get an appointment within a week.
Investment
The best beachfront investment might be the lot at 15 meters elevation with an unobstructed view, not the one at 3 meters on the sand.
Investment
The market is not uniformly hot. Some segments are overpriced. Some are undervalued. The data tells you which is which.
Construction
The permit process in Costa Rica is not difficult. It is slow. Understanding the sequence saves you months.
Construction
I am not anti-container. I am anti-container when the motivation is saving money, because the savings are smaller than expected and the compromises are significant.
Living
I arrived feeling like I had done my homework. Within two weeks I realized the homework had prepared me for about 40 percent of the actual experience.
Construction
The plans can be identical. The finish level can be identical. The square meters can be identical. And the all-in cost can differ by 20 to 40 percent depending on which town you build in.
Construction
The difference between a project that loses $500 in materials and one that loses $15,000 is not luck. It is systems.
Living
The version of Costa Rica crime that American media presents is dramatically different from the version we actually live.
Design
The roof is the most important element of a house in Costa Rica and the one most people spend the least time thinking about.
Construction
Every client asks about materials. The conversation is always the same: yes, you can get almost anything in Costa Rica. But whether you should is a different question.
Investment
The national median is $230,000 — but that hides a 300% regional spread. What houses actually cost in Escazú, Tamarindo, Nosara, and the Southern Zone.