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Buying a vacation home in Jaco beach, Costa Rica

Joined
2 April 2004
Messages
486
Location
Savannah, GA
Hey Folks:

My wife and I are flying down to Costa Rica this weekend and staying until Thursday. We hope to come back owning a beachside condo in jaco beach. Has anyone here bought anything down that way? Any advice? I have done a great deal of home work on this but advice is always welcome. We hope to get some rental income out of which ever place we get. My hope is that we rent it out 5 days a month or more. We also plan to go that way about 4 times a year with friends or family. If anyone is looking for a place to stay down that way you'll have to give me a call.
 
Great surfing and fishing. I will tell you one thing it is HOT HOT HOT!!! And that's from a guy who lives in south Florida. The humidity and heat is incredible in Jaco. The town was small and mostly caters to tourists with restaurants and bars. Keep in mind, prostitution is legal and some of the bars are 3-1 woman to man and that may be a big put off for your wife.(if she notices). I stayed at Los Suenos Marriott and it is a fantastic 1000 acre tropical paradise and marina.

If it were me, I'd be more inclined to buy a place in the Bahama's, Sutart, FL or Miami. I know too many people burned by Costa Rica real estate.
 
I can imagine, the have squatter's rights in Costa Rica. You definitely have to buy in a gated community and have a property manager to keep tabs. It has been months of research to know what and where. One of the places we are looking at is in Las Suenas resort. The reason I like Jaco over Florida or the Bahama's is it is out of the hurricane zone, has low property taxes and you can still get a very nice place for not a huge cost. Living in Savannah I definitely understand heat and humidity :). I appreciate the advice, thanks
 
(used to be ?) Good seafood restaurant there-- El Hicaco.

Right on the beach.
 
I have been considering the same. Got any good links so I can start the search? Also can u let us(me) know what you though about it after you return.
 
Ritesh:

I have put the information below for the realtor we have been working with. She has been off the charts helpful from everything from the legal issues, to finding properties to just answering every question I have had in detail. She gets back very quickly. I would recommend you contact her. Look at her website for properties but also just google real estate in jaco beach. I will know when we get back and will post some information at that time.

David

below if the information on the realtor

Deborah Gauthier
United Country-Resort Realty
President/ Sales Specialist
U.S. Office #: 1-239-243-0791
Office: 011-506-2643-5005
Mobile: 011-506-8828-3344
Fax: 011-506-2643-5006
Email: [email protected]
Website: www.resortrealtycr.com
Corporate Website: www.jacocostaricaproperty.com
 
I have been there and all I can say is Costa Rican women are beautiful. I was only there for a day on business about 5 years ago but I did not see one girl that didn't look like she could proudly pose naked for any magazine.
 
We found our place thanks to our realtor Deborah, information in an earlier post. She was excellent as a host and a realtor. We looked at 9 places and found a place right in downtown Jaco about a half block from the main drag and 2 blocks from the ocean. It is a 2 bedroom, 2 bath place with views of the mountains from the second bedroom balcony and the front balcony area looks over the pools at the complex. We should close on June 22nd so if anyone wants to go down and rent it let me know. They have a great property management group and the pool area is awesome. We were able to walk to lots of bars and restaurants within just a few minutes. Great food down here. Going out tonight with Deborah, her partner Marcell and her daughter Rachael to celebrate and flying back home tomorrow. I think my wife may come down just to have a girls weekend with deborah and some of the ladies she has met down here, I guess I can hang out with Marcell as he was fun and has a deep sea fishing boat as well. Good folks to know :smile:
 
If you want to see pictures of the condo PM me, I can't seem to upload them. Deborah Gauthier was the best realtor. She showed us around the area so we could see if we liked it. Took us out for meals and showed us 9 properties in our price range. She also helped us with everything from understanding the laws, regulations and costs associated with living in the area. We made a friend down there not just a realtor. She is helping us with the final stuff now from inspections to the P & L for the homeowners association and will even help us rent out our unit. Can't say enough good about her. We love the Jaco Beach area, lots to do, great places to eat and with the mountains and beach you ask for a more beautiful place to stay. Can't wait to get back down there after we close and take our children and friends
 
Hey David. Not sure if you are still on here but I just saw you on House Hunters International buying the place! You are a celebrity.
 
Hey David. Not sure if you are still on here but I just saw you on House Hunters International buying the place! You are a celebrity.

Then I must have too, I'm addicted to that show. I'd love an island property but the NJ shore is as close I can do at this stage of my life.
 
Bought a vacation home in Costa Rica :)

Hey Dave,

Yep that was me and Rene'. We actually bought 2 years ago but they didn't film until this March. I just wish that they could have used the values we saw 2 years ago. All the properties were under $250,000 back then. By the time we filmed the values were higher and it looked like only what we bought was in our price range. Our real reason for buying what we did was that the rental agreements and HOA fees were reasonable and we liked the property manager who has become a good friend. The beachfront home was run by a company called Daystar and their rental agreements are so bad we would have been sending close to $1,000 per month down there to pay expenses. As it is the place we have has made a nice profit every year and we go down about 4-5 times per year and enjoy it. We rent it out ourselves as well to friends and family. In fact my niece just used it for her honeymoon 2 weeks ago. I hope you are doing well. What are you driving now? I have a corvette grand sport right now.


Then I must have too, I'm addicted to that show. I'd love an island property but the NJ shore is as close I can do at this stage of my life.
 
Hey Dave,

Yep that was me and Rene'. We actually bought 2 years ago but they didn't film until this March. I just wish that they could have used the values we saw 2 years ago. All the properties were under $250,000 back then. By the time we filmed the values were higher and it looked like only what we bought was in our price range. Our real reason for buying what we did was that the rental agreements and HOA fees were reasonable and we liked the property manager who has become a good friend. The beachfront home was run by a company called Daystar and their rental agreements are so bad we would have been sending close to $1,000 per month down there to pay expenses. As it is the place we have has made a nice profit every year and we go down about 4-5 times per year and enjoy it. We rent it out ourselves as well to friends and family. In fact my niece just used it for her honeymoon 2 weeks ago. I hope you are doing well. What are you driving now? I have a corvette grand sport right now.

That is so bizzare that they filmed it in March. How does that work? I guess all those shows are really fake.

I am driving the NSX still. 2000 Silver CTSC.

Why did you get rid of the Jag?
 
That is so bizzare that they filmed it in March. How does that work? I guess all those shows are really fake.

I am driving the NSX still. 2000 Silver CTSC.

Why did you get rid of the Jag?

The Jag was nothing but trouble. In the shop 5 times in a year, so before it went out of warranty I got rid of it. It was also a heavy a$$ at the track and not much fun there either. With the Corvette I have slicks and gobs of power. Nothing like the NSX in the twisty portions though but man when you get the line straight and hit it, there is nothing like it. The show waits to see if you buy something with the international edition. I guess they can't spend the time to film while you look and go back months later to film after. I know some of the shows with regular house hunters film as you shop as a friend of mine did that one and they spent like 2 months every weekend filming it. The places that we looked at on the show were pretty much the same places that were are actual finalists when we were buying.
 
The Jag was nothing but trouble. In the shop 5 times in a year, so before it went out of warranty I got rid of it. It was also a heavy a$$ at the track and not much fun there either. With the Corvette I have slicks and gobs of power. Nothing like the NSX in the twisty portions though but man when you get the line straight and hit it, there is nothing like it. The show waits to see if you buy something with the international edition. I guess they can't spend the time to film while you look and go back months later to film after. I know some of the shows with regular house hunters film as you shop as a friend of mine did that one and they spent like 2 months every weekend filming it. The places that we looked at on the show were pretty much the same places that were are actual finalists when we were buying.

It is hard to beat the vette. Mine was bulletproof and so much fun on the track. The c7 looks even better. I still love the nsx though.
 
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