All Forum Posts by: Tim S

Hi NREP-

Living in Costa Rica, I can speak firsthand on this. There are many ups and downs that come with investing here. Of course, first thing you need is good legal counsel. This is a MUST. I've seen a lot of mumbo jumbo and people getting dragged through the coals....it can be a tough lesson if you don't have the right connections.

That said, when your OK there, there are many opportunities for the taking in Costa Rica. For any guidance, ideas, suggestions, or just chatter, feel free to contact me.

I have not. I haven't seen or heard of any auctions in Costa Rica. If you have any info on companies that will auction land worldwide, please let me know.

Thanks!

That's a great question, and I'm sure you've heard some horror stories.

To clarify, I've been living in Costa Rica since 2000. In 99.9% of the cases where you hear a woman was raped, kidnapped, abused, etc, there was one big factor involved: DRUGS.

Many times women are on vacation and get out of control. It's like spring break in Cancun - stuff like that happens when your intentions are to get drunk. It's the same thing here. In 2000, a pair of 2o something women were raped and killed. Apparently they had met a pair of guys in a bar and started to do drugs with them. One thing led to another, and now they aren't with us. RIP. You must make good decisions. I can also tell you that most of the crime in the country is isolated to the Limon region, the East Coast of the country. I'm a male, in great shape, and I really watch mysefl there. Most crime in this country is petty, like stealing things like cameras, bikes, mopeds, etc.

Bottom line, act like your in the "seedy" part of any US major city when your here and you'll be fine.

best of luck!

90% of my business here in Costa Rica is brokering land. Everything from small lots in a planned community, to large tracts that are now being developed by companies like Hilton.

There are many things to look out for. The chief concern is usually the title. I recommend lawyers to all clients to check that the company that owns the land has no liens, etc, before moving forward.

Also, your purpose is important. If you want to develop, you MUST do your due diligence. Some land cannot be built on due to strong laws that are intended on helping Costa Rica preserve its natural beauty. Environmental studies are important as well, as Costa Rica does have many mountainous regions, and recently due to heavy rains we have experienced landslides.

Investing in land in Costa Rica is a fantastic investment vehicle when done properly. My company will be conducting seminars very soon in major US cities.

If anyone has any questions, I consider myself an expert and will be happy to consult with you.

Hi Jon-

I find your posts very informative. JS, I do some business in S. Florida real estate, so please report your findings if you can.

Thanks. Good thread.

Hi everyone-

I represent a company looking to increase it's marketing efforts for a certain piece of raw land. It's listed with several brokers but many of them in Costa Rica rely on walk in traffic and don't always advertise heavily.

Does anyone have any out of the box ideas on how to sell raw land? Online advertising is pretty much the best option for a global market. Are there any other ways to get attention?

Thanks for anyone who contributes!

Hi all, don't come around here much and am trying to make it a point to change that.

Anyone down here in Costa Rica post here as well? I'll try to get back more often.

Pura vida!