So, You Think You Want to Invest in Costa Rica Real Estate?
Many of us in the tourism industry who have lived in Costa Rica for many years have come across more than one self-proclaimed “real-estate agent” who inspires you to roll your eyes and make sure they are deleted from your social list. You see them around town in bars and restaurants, seducing tourists into buying the “Pura Vida.” You politely nod when you see them while you cringe silently, and hope the person they are talking to is not risking the family farm or their 401k. In my opinion, Costa Rica needs more “real estate agents” like it needs more bugs.
Having owned a hotel for many years, I get many people asking me about buying real estate and investing in Costa Rica. I never know what to tell them. It is a very complicated subject in which I seldom feel like investing the time or energy, because everyone has different personal or financial motivations for considering a purchase. Also, looking at the majority of the “agents”, it’s something I don’t want any part of (including sales commissions).
Normally, watching a 45 minute video with an interview of a “Costa Rican real estate agent” is something I would never contemplate. But Richard Bexon, the interviewer, is a long-term, respected colleague in the tourism industry in Costa Rica and a friend. I felt the least I could do is check out his new video podcast so that when I see him next, I could confirm I saw it (and not have to pretend I did).
I have to say, I was really surprised with his interview of this guy, Scott Cutter from 2Costa Rica Real Estate. He is what one might expect as an agent in a first world city. I was surprised at how knowledgeable he was and his assessments basically mirrored my own given my years of experience of buying and selling some properties. Even though he comes across as very confident, he did not pretend to know it all and made it clear he has personal biases about particular areas and types of properties.
If you are one of the people like I was almost 20 years ago (and no regrets) that wanted to explore “The Dream”, I highly suggest you watch this video. It’s a pretty realistic assessment of expectations. I can’t say whether I would hire Scott or not – I actually don’t know him. But just judging from this interview, I would definitely want to meet with him as a possible candidate.
