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Buying my Costa Rican Investment Property - Part 4: The Properties

By
Real Estate Agent with Compass Properties - THE Costa Rica Real Estate Expert

Some of you who have been reading my personal account of buying an investment property in Costa Rica are a little anxious to hear about the properties that I saw there.  I've purposely left that information out so far because I knew that much of this information was already available, and I wanted to share information that wasn't yet available - what it's REALLY like buying foreign real estate, in Costa Rica.

And to be honest, I'm not going to focus too much on that either.  My reasoning is that I don't want to bias anyone towards - or against - a particular property.  Everyone who is looking for real estate has their own criteria, including myself.  The purpose of this trip was to find a property that looked like a great investment, for the money that I had available.  For others, their criteria may be different, and their perfect real estate fit will also be different.

After my husband and I got settled into our hotel, we called my colleague, Tim, at the Jaco office of Compass Properties.  We had made arrangements with him to tour several condos that day within the beach town of Jaco.  Tim picked us up at the hotel, and off we went!

Before we began the tour, we made a brief stop at the developer's office, where we picked up some brochures on the properties we were about to see.  All were in different stages of construction - some complete, some in progress, and some hadn't even broken ground.  All of the properties were beachfront, and each had different sets of amenities - though all had pools and furnishings.

The following tour lasted less than 2 hours, during which time we visited Bahia Encantada, Diamante Del Sol, The Pacific, Bahia Azul, and La Paloma Blanca.  All of these properties were along the main strip of Playa Jaco, and did I mention that they are all beachfront?  The properties differed in many other ways though - amenities, sizes, design, and prices.

As I mentioned, all of the properties have pools, and all are furnished with high quality, attractive furnishings.  Linens and kitchenware are also included, and the buyer can choose from several different design packages.  This is a wonderful convenience, as out of town (country) owners needn't be bothered with furnishing their property. 

Another feature in all of the properties is controlled access with on-site security.  Probably the #1 fear that all foreigners have about foreign real estate (or traveling in general) is safety.  The developer has addressed the issue head on, instead of ignoring it.  As an aside, Costa Rica is VERY safe.  In fact, Interpol rates Costa Rica as the safest country in the world for women to travel alone.  That makes me feel very safe.

You'll also be pleased to find that prices for these condos varies widely, offering something in most everyone's price range.  At Bahia Encantada, you'll find 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom condos starting at $179,000, or a 4 bedroom, 4 bathroom condo at Diamonte Del Sol for $995,000.  No matter what price you pay, you won't be sacrificing on quality, as the developer makes extensive use of natural woods, tile, and granite.  Luxury living.

Each of the overall developments' design also varies significantly.  Developments like Bahia Azul, La Paloma Blanca, and Bahia Encantada vary in size from 30 units to almost 100 units.  Diamonte Del Sol and The Pacific introduce something new to Jaco.  Diamonte Del Sol will be more like resort living, with on-site restaurants, a day spa, and a casino managed by Caesars.  As for The Pacific, the first 2 floors will consist solely of a commercial center with fitness center, day spa, casino, and convention center.  The remaining floors will have 1-,2-, and 3-bedroom condo units.

Some of you may be thinking, "Wow, these sound great.  But what about houses?  I prefer a house over a condo."  Don't worry.  We've got that covered too.

The following day, we went on the second leg of our tour over to Costa Real and Costa Del Sol - actually the same development, but with 2 phases.

This development of new homes is separated from the ocean by a group of mangrove trees - a quaint touch that is a constant reminder that you are in Costa Rica.  The beach is a close 3.5 minute walk, so nothing is lost by not being right on the beach.

Each of the homes are brand new, fully furnished (with linens and kitchenware), attached garages, and all master bedrooms.  Some homeowners have even chosen to have a pool installed in their backyard, though this is not necessary with the numerous pools available in the community.

Also available in this community, is a secured gated entrance, on-site property management, tennis courts, walking paths, basketball court, and a BBQ area.

Costa Real/Del Sol is a great alternative for those who aren't as interested in the condos directly in the town of Jaco, and prefer a house.  Of course, with the on-site property management, it's easy to lease out your home if you aren't there, making it attractive for second home owners, or "snowbirds".

I'd love to go into greater detail about each of the properties, but I just can't do them justice.  It really is necessary to go out and see them.  And I'm saying that from firsthand experience.

So which property did I choose for my investment?  You'll have to wait and read that in my next article...

Tiffany Wilson is a real estate investor and an International Real Estate Consultant for Compass Properties, with offices in US and Costa Rica locations.  She is passionate about Costa Rica and loves telling people all about it!  She can be reached at mailto:twilson@compasscostarica.net?subject=Costa%20Rica%20Information.  Check out Compass Properties website at http://www.compassproperties.net/ for more information on Costa Rica real estate opportunities. 

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