Yes, foreigners have as much right to own business and property in Costa Rica as any native born Costa Rican. The laws here favor foreign investment because it favors economic growth for the country's development. Costa Rica has had a long history of welcoming foreigners, and the people here have long been accustomed to living beside and doing business with people from all over the world.

Property taxes in Costa Rica are very low, only 0.25% of the property value in most cases.

How do you know that you're getting a good deal unless you're working with someone who studies the market and knows everything that's for sale and what comparable properties have sold for? Driving around in a foreign country possibly getting lost on bad roads could cost you a lot of time and agony that you could be spending enjoying or relaxing while you're in Costa Rica. Let Amigo Realty help you in your search for the right property, we'll help you every step of the way, to ensure an easy process, and make sure you're getting the best possible deal.

Most properties in Costa Rica are fee simple titled. There's a very small percentage of land that is a concession, otherwise known as a government lease, which usually lasts for about 20 years and is renewable. Most concession property is beach front land, although there is also some titled beach front land.

When you purchase a property in Costa Rica, it is typically the buyer who pays the closing costs, however this can be a point of negotiation and sometimes the fees are split between the buyer and the seller. The transfer taxes and stamps to register the property are standard and they all add up to about 2.5% of the purchase price. Then the lawyer charges his fee which is also standard and general 1% of the purchase price for deals valued above $56,000 (30 million colones) For deals below $56,000 (30 million colones) the lawer's fees goes up to 1.5 - 2%. In total the closing costs ad up to be about 3.8% on a typical real estate transaction.

Currently there are some banks that are offering financing in some areas of Costa Rica. The banks will not loan in high risk areas or for concession properties. The interest rates are higher than what we see currently in the US, and are normally based on the Liber plus 2 to 3%. The application process is similar to applying for a loan in the US, but you'll have to have all the documents certified by a Costa Rican CPA. The process can also take a really long time, up to six months, which may or may not work for any particular deal. More often we are seeing sellers who are willing to finance for a few years, or buyers are taking out lines of credit from their properties in the US to pay for properties in Costa Rica with cash. We have also heard it's possible for people to use their IRA funds for a purchase of property in Costa Rica.

Water, water, water! Make sure that when you buy vacant land it already has water or you won't be able to get permits to build. We don't recommend trying to get your own water because you never know how hard that could be and if it's even possible. Squatter's rights use to be a big concern for people buying big tracts of land, but now it's very easy to prevent this just buy putting up fences and no trespassing signs.

Costa Rica has very strict building laws in order to control development and the environment. To obtain building permits you have to get approval from 5 different environmental entities in Costa Rica, which are MINAE, SETENA, INVU, SINAC and finally the Municipality, and this all usually takes up to a year to complete. It's not as hard as it sounds as long as you do your research about fesibility before buying the lot, and you'll need a Costa Rican architect and engineer, and they'll do all the work for you. There are many building companies to choose from, and we recommend to go look personally at the work they've done before hiring just anyone.

In general, Costa Rica is the safest county in Central America, even the water is safe for drinking. There are crimes here and you should be careful just like anywhere else in the world, however, there are little to no risks of kidnapping or violence in Costa Rica. The most common crimes are petty theft and robberies which is why we recommend to buy in gated communities, or safe neighborhoods with security measures installed at your property to prevent as much as possible any unwanted visitors.

Title insurance is offered by some companies in Costa Rica, however it's not really necessary because they will do the exact same check that you're lawyer will do for you during the due diligence process before closing the deal.

It's a good idea to get a Costa Rican corporation or two if you're planning to live in or frequently visit in Costa Rica. They usually cost about $900 through a Costa Rican attorney. It's good to have one for business items, one for personal items and if you establish one for a property that should be it's sole purpose as before mentioned in the FAQ about closing costs, that way you can easily sell your property and save big on closing costs.