Purchasing Costa Rica real estate

Purchasing real estate outside of your native country can be intimidating, but ten years ago I took the plunge and bought 80 acres of land in Costa Rica. Ocean view property in the US is out of reach for most of us, but I could own Costa Rica real estate with amazing jungle and ocean views and only a 15 minute walk to the beach for a very affordable price.

First, I built a tent platform with a roof, electricity, a kitchen area and a bathroom. I then spent $200 on a big 2-room tent. This was fun, but in 2010 I decided to build a house there, with construction costs about half the cost of US new construction. I was lucky to have a very reliable and competent contractor, as I was only able to spend a month on site during the 4-month construction process. But it was such a fun and creative process! And now I am able to rent it out at a profit that is enough to cover maintenance expenses and taxes.

Feel free to contact me if you are considering an investment in Costa Rica, and I will freely share my 10 years of experience there. Here is a little more info on me as your resource for buying outside of the US:

Bio on Kathleen Chiras, MSW, CIPS

She is president of SkyFor, Inc.founded in 1998. She has a master’s degree in social work, a real estate license, & is a certified international property specialist.

An avid environmentalist, Kathleen was a founding board member and corporate contributor to Evergreen Colorado’s Mountain Area Land Trust. She served on the Evergreen Parks and Recreation board for 4 years, and chaired a committee that helped bring curbside recycling to Evergreen.

She is the founder of Smart Homes Search, an International Association of Buyer Agents and Brokers and the website, BuyerAgentSearch.com

Kathleen helped create the National Association of Exclusive Buyer Agents in 1995 and served as its Executive Director for 6 years and it’s Consumer Inquiry Director for nearly 20 years. She has helped over 50,000 individuals get connected with good real estate buyer agents, primarily in the US, but also in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Mexico, and Central America, including Costa Rica. Her nephew serves in the Peace Corp in Nicaragua. She has traveled extensively throughout the world and speaks passable Spanish.

Kathleen visited Costa Rica in 1994, fell in love with the country, and purchased 80 acres and built a house. She also ran an almost successful sheep farm for a few years on her rural property. She planted 5,000 tropical hardwood trees for a three-fold purpose: investment, retirement, and environmental restoration. Twenty-five acres of her farm near Dominical Costa Rica are currently for sale for $100,000.

I’ve also explored the real estate market in Canada, Mexico and other countries in Central America. Feel free to contact me for a free consultation.