A Tour of Hermosa Beach

When you hear people refer to Jaco, they are often referring to the Jaco area, which includes many great beachtowns. One of the things I like so much about this area are all the different types of beaches. Hermosa beach, just minutes outside Jaco, is famous for its outstanding and consistent surf, so much that it hosted the world surfing championships this past summer. Check out this video I snagged, he does such a great job I figured I would just use his clip.

90% Financing on Beachfront Condos

Let's face it, financing these days is tougher to come by. It's no different in Costa Rica, in fact most of times it's more difficult to obtain financing when purchasing property in a foreign country. So when there are opportunities for seller or developer financing in Costa Rica it's usually a nice option to have for most buyers. In most cases you can figure on 30% down being required, with rates at 7-9% amortized over 30 years but with some sort of balloon.

Today I wanted to highlight one project that has those similar financing options I just mentioned and with a couple units financing up to 90%! It's a great beachfront community that comes completely turn key, fully furnished and has on site property management. Below is a link to a full video tour, done by my broker Lisle Head. If you want to own Costa Rica beachfront and need financing I encourage you to check it out, just send me an email if you have more questions.

Nightlife in Costa Rica

At 32 years old, I'm still young to most people, but I definitely don't feel young when it comes to going out. The nightlife in Costa Rica can often run till 5 in the morning. For most people there is no better place to party than Jaco Beach. In the past year there has really been a makeover in the bars and clubs in Jaco. Le Loft and Vibe introduced a much more sophisticated and upscale club scene, while the Monkey Bar got a complete makeover. Backyard is still a definite for Wednesday nights and even they have seen some remodeling now featuring a nice air-conditioned bar upstairs. You can go out and hear all types of music, from hip-hop, electronic, salsa, even live jazz. No matter where you go in Jaco you are assured a great time, just make sure to go easy on the Guaro!

Check out the video below to get an idea of a night out in Jaco Beach.

Luxury Beach Home - Perfect Vacation Rental

One shortage we definitely have here in Costa Rica is a lack of luxury beachfront homes. What you typically find on direct beachfront in Costa Rica are one of three things, very old Costa Rican home that is not suitable for any sort of vacation rental, a small hotel, or in select places condos. There is a big market for luxury beachfront homes, specifically for vacation rentals. Larger groups and families often like the comforts of renting out a home while on vacation, and the home I'm featuring today is perfect for just that.

This 4 bed/4.5 bath, custom built home, is a rare and private jewel overlooking the Pacific Ocean and located right on Jaco Beach. This property features a magnificent courtyard and free-form pool and lush tropical gardens.

Spanish and Tuscan style details are included throughout the home which adds to its charm. The villa has approximately 4,000 square feet of air-conditioned living space and 4,000 square feet of beautiful patios, courtyards and outdoor dining areas that overlook the Pacific Ocean.

Enjoy the video tour, and let me know if I can help you in booking this or any other vacation rental in the area.

A Local Favorite

One of my favorite activities is EATING. My wife and I love going out to eat, and Jaco definitely caters to that quite well. There are a number of places that I suggest, Sushi at Tsnami, A great steak at D'Marios, or fresh ceviche at one of the local sodas, Jaco really has it all (except chinese food). I'm getting hungry just thinking about it. I will try to get out to my favorite restaurants soon and do some videos, but in the meantime check out another traveler's take on another great place I'd recommend in Jaco.

A Must in Costa Rica

One of my favorite places in Costa Rica are the hot springs in Arenal. It's been a year since me and my wife have been over there so we are definitely due. If you are lucky enough to catch the Arenal Volcano on a clear day it's an amazing site, with active lava flowing and sparks that make it look like a small firework show, but to me it's really all about the natural thermal water hot springs. There are a number of different resorts and spas in the area, none of course compare to tabacon a 5 star resort and spa located at the foothills of the Arenal Volcano. If you haven't been to Costa Rica before, I have a feeling you might be planning a trip after seeing this video, see below.

Beachfront Bargain

Fully titled, this close to the beach, with this type of view? YES, it IS extremely limited in Costa Rica, so when I say it is a deal at $350,000 I'm not exaggerating. Check out the video below for a full tour.

Staying Healthy in Costa Rica

One of the big appeals to Costa Rica for many people is the healthy lifestyle. Fresh fruits and vegetables, slower pace of live, active lifestyle and plenty of exercise are all part of the life here. For me the gym is my sanctuary, having a nice gym with plenty of weights and exercise equipment is a must. View this quick tour of the newly remodeled Platinum Gym in Jaco Beach.

What's Selling?

One of the things I take pride in doing is helping educate clients on this real estate market so they can better understand values and make a confident and smart decision with their purchase. Since there is no MLS in Costa Rica I thought it might be very beneficial for you to see what has sold in our office the in September and October.

Los Suenos Condo - $770,000
Acre Lot - $45,000
2 Bedroom Townhouse - $220,000
Beachfront Studio $213,000
Oceanview Lot - $100,000
3 Bedroom Home - $180,000
Beachfront Studio - $215,000
2 Bedroom Condo - $205,000
Oceanview Lot -$100,000
2 Bedroom Condo - $235,000

Click on my video to hear more details on whats happening in this market...

Tell Me You Wouldn't Want This!

Sorry I haven't updated this for so long, but I'm working on a lot of different things and hope to have everything up and running very soon. Our Coldwell Banker team has been hard at work to make some great videos on the different projects on the beach. Below is one of my favorites, Acqua, and the price is right with units starting as low as $299,000!

Check out the video, and please feedback good or bad is greatly appreciated.

Saving Your Shirt and Some Money with a Good Realtor

Finding a good realtor is tough to find in the U.S., but when you are buying in a foreign country it is especially important. Besides making sure you are purchasing/selling securely a good realtor should help to negotiate the best price and find you the property you desire. Click here to hear of an example of what goes wrong when you don't take the time to choose the best.

Biggest Developer in Jaco Beach

WIth six projects in Jaco, all beachfront, Daystar Properties is the biggest developer in Jaco. What I like about their properties is

That they all come completely turn key, fully furnished.
All have on site property management.
Offer developer financing.
Have finished product and experience developing in Costa Rica.

Pat Hundley, the founder and president of DayStar Properties, is the driving force behind the DayStar developer team.
With nearly 20 years experience in successful property development in the Midwest and Costa Rica, Hundley has set the example for progress and change in Jaco Beach and surrounding areas of the central Pacific coast. His passion for Costa Rica is palpable in his numerous charitable efforts; and his dedication to the local community has helped him gain repute as a key player in the ongoing evolution of Jaco Beach.

The video below shows a nice presentation of their projects. There are sales available in all of their properties, but currently there are some great deals on a couple resales. If you would like more information on Daystar please contact me directly, remember I work for you, Daystar sales reps work for them!

One of the BIGGEST MISTAKES When Purchasing in Costa Rica

I've seen this so many times, and think that people just dont understand how crucial of a mistake it is for them. Most people by now are aware that there is no MLS in Costa Rica and since there are so many different ads and listings for Costa Rica it is easy to inquire and deal with multiple realtors, but this is a terrible mistake. Let me provide an example, client John Smith sets an appointment to see properties A & B with realtor Bob, then makes an appointment with realtor Steve to see properties C & D, each realtor is obviously going to push the properties they showed. It's the same with developers and their sales offices, they are representing the developer not the buyer.

The good news is this can be avoided quite easily. So many people I talk to spend so much time researching properties but dont research realtors. I recommend spending more time in finding a reputable realtor that is knowledgable and has good references, one YOU feel comfortable with, but then once you find him/her stick with them. There is no property that a realtor can show someone. Clients can continue to look for properties on their own, but if they see something they would like more info on simply forward or call your realtor and let them know you are interested in that property, it's really that easy. Just like accountants, lawyers, doctors, and every other profession, professional realtors provide professional service, take the time to find a good one and you'll save more money and time in the long run

Showcase - Furnished Beachfront from $289,000

One of my favorite communities in all of Costa Rica is Paloma Blanca. It is is a very low dense beachfront community (34 units) on the south end of Jaco Beach. With the backdrop of pristine rainforest and pacific ocean in front, it truly captures what makes Costa Rica so distinct. And while it may seem like you are in your own private paradise, Paloma Blanca is just a ten minute walk from the center of Jaco where you will find plenty of great restaurants and shopping.
Four on site swimming pools, an outdoor barbeque area and cascading waterfall in the central courtyard create a serene residential atmosphere. Resort-style living includes staffed security, housekeeping and on site management.
Pricing starts at $289,000 for a completely furnished 2 bed/ 2 bath, making it the most inexpensive 2 bedroom on the beach with comparable properties at $340,000. And with airlines currently offering outstanding deals to Costa Rica, nowmight be the perfect excuse to plan a trip to this beautiful country.

Click below for a full video tour.

Please, GET THEM OUT OF HERE!

A couple weeks ago NBC started a new realty series called I"m a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here that is being filmed in Costa Rica. It is basically a bunch of C list celebrities put together in terrible conditions doing all sorts of crazy activities. I checked out the show last week for maybe 5 minutes and thought it was absolutely horrible. The idea is completely played out, but more so, the celebrities are a complete joke and would are hardly considered famous.

So yes, do get them out of here, and save Costa Rica for the real celebrities, like Jessica Alba who is caught below enjoying the beach here and looking pretty good while doing so :)

Flights to Costa Rica

I have lived in Costa RIca for over four years and I dont think I have ever seen flights so inexpensive. For those looking to come visit now is definitely the time. Here are some examples that I just pulled up

New York City - San Jose, Costa Rica - $279
Chicago - San Jose, Costa Rica - $276
L.A. - San Jose, Costa Rica - $329
Houston - San Jose, Costa Rica - $274
Miami - San Jose, Costa Rica - $207

All of these were for flights in July, as you can see they are all incredible deals. So what are you waiting for, if you have been waiting for an excuse to come down I think this is it. Give me a call if I can help you more with finding you a great deal on a flight, 1.866.403.1345.

World's Best Surfers Coming Soon

We are just two months away from the Billabong ISA World Surfing Championships.

Costa Rica is getting ready for the biggest surfing championship in history held in Central American coasts. One of the most important and traditional global surfing events, the Billabong ISA World Surfing Games will take place from August 1-8 in the perfect waves of Playa Hermosa, Costa Rica. This will be the first time that a Central American country will receive the best surfers from around the world.

The chosen place for the event will be the strong and consistent waves of Playa Hermosa, two hours away from the capital city, San José, and five minutes away from the famous surf town of Jacó. Waves are consistent at Playa Hermosa, going from one foot to six with perfect barrels. Even better, the dates were chosen according to the best season at Hermosa, because of the great conditions of the southern swells during this part of the year.

Obviously this is a very big deal for the central pacific region and all of Costa Rica. If you are want to see some incredible surf skills you might want to make plans now, (you can contact me for vacation rentals), or you can just see some of the country's best surfers in the video below.


Best of the Best Tico Surfers - The best video clips are right here

Showcase - Condos Block from the Beach -Starting $210,000

Here is one of my favorite communities in Jaco Beach. Check it out below. Located just a block from the beach and has a great feel. I was pleasantly surprised to see how well their property management was doing on rentals, producing cash flow for owners who elected to rent out their units. All of this and more details can be provided, along with more photos, just give me a call 1.866.403.1345.

Costa Rica Crushes U.S. in World Qualifier

I had plenty of calls last night from Costa Rican friends politely asking me what happened to our U.S. soccer team. In case you missed it, last night Costa Rica hosted the U.S. in a World Cup Qualifying game and they were not a very kind host. They scored about a minute into the game and really dominated the entire game en route to a 3-1 win. The win put them in first place for this region and dropped the U.S. to second place. Sitting in a bar full of Costa Ricans led to me taking plenty of abuse, but it's ok I'm confident the U.S. will bounce back when they host Costa Rica for a rematch in October. Check out the highlights here...

Costa Rica Taking Lead in Medical Tourism

I'm sure everyone is fully aware of the problems the U.S. is facing with health care. We are getting to the point that many Americans simply can't afford or qualify for health insurance and even if they can, are hardly able to pay the deductibles for major surgeries and operations.

Many countries are seeing this as an opportunity, trying to get a piece of this mult-billion industry. Medical tourism is quickly becoming a new alternative to more affordable health care. Costa Rica is on the cutting edge in this new trend. Check out this video that goes into more detail.

Jaco Beach on the Travel Channel

I've been meaning to shoot some video of Jaco Beach, but I think this will do just fine. Popular Playboy playmate Bridget Marquardt was in town last week showcasing Jaco.

Views From 11th Floor

Vista Palmas is a 16th story Luxury Condo Project in Jaco Beach. It is actually the largest residential building in the entire country and as you can imagine features some amazing views. Check it out through a virtual tour of an 11th floor condo. Click Here
http://jaco-condos.com/vista-las-palmas-ocean-view-jaco-costa-rica

The condo is 3 bed/ 3 bath, just over 3300 sq ft with a huge wrap around terrace that features a private jacuzzi. You can rent it out for just $450 a night (sleeps 6) or available for purchase at $1,399,000.
Listing info Here
http://www.sawitonline.com/1972513/

Best Investment in Costa Rica

One thing that just amazes me about Costa Rica is the tremendous shortage of brand name luxury hotels, especially on the beach. I've been to all sorts of tourist destinations and they all feature countless brand name hotels, Costa Rica has just a few at their beaches, The Four Seasons, The Best Western, The Marriott, and a new JW Marriott. All of these see great occupancy between 75-85% annually. There is no doubt that the Wyndham Beachfront Resort Jaco Beach with it's 5 Star Amenities and proximity to San Jose will provide similar occupancy rates. And since they are providing full ownership, this means a unique opportunity for owners to finally find a luxury property on the beach that truly cash flows. Enjoy the video below, and for full details including ROI figures just give me a call 1.866.403.1345

Choose Wisely

When it comes to real estate in Costa Rica I have seen a lot of people make bad decisions. If you are looking for to be near the beach then stick with the BIG THREE!