Notes on buying, selling, and living in Playas del Coco, Guanacaste, Costa Rica, written for expats and locals thinking about their next move.

Your home-country agent, property manager, and engineer friend mean well, but none of them can see the property or know Costa Rica's rules.
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Yes. What you can buy, the few real exceptions, the extra checks for land, and how the purchase works from offer to registration.
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What most expats love, what genuinely frustrates them, and how to tell whether it's the right move, from someone who lives here.
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What the Registro Nacional record shows, what else to verify, and who does what, so you can buy with your eyes open.
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The commission, the 15% capital gains tax and the 2.25% option, the documents and the timeline, explained plainly for Guanacaste owners.
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Can you own it, how do you pay, and what does it do to your US taxes? A plain-English guide for American buyers, with the parts that surprise people.
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What Harmony's nine models really cost once you add the land, what's included, and what to ask before you buy a new-construction home near Liberia.
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A realistic, tier-by-tier look at what different budgets actually buy in Coco, from a sub-$150K condo to a $1M+ private-pool home.
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What the investment minimum actually requires, why the property should be in your own name, and a July 2026 threshold question nobody's fully answered yet.
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Real fee figures from local listings, what the cuota de mantenimiento covers, and the questions to ask before you buy into an HOA.
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An honest, town-by-town comparison of price, vibe, rental demand, and airport distance to help you decide where to actually invest.
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SENASA paperwork, flying into Liberia, costs, and settling a pet into life in Guanacaste.
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What each season actually feels like on the ground, and why green season can be the smarter time to house-hunt.
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Titled vs. concession land, the 50 m public zone, and the residency rules every beach buyer should know.
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What an S.A. or S.R.L. actually does for a foreign buyer, what it costs to keep one, and when your own name is simpler.
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In Guanacaste, water, not the view, often decides whether a lot can become a home.
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What a couple really spends in Coco each month, from modest to ocean-view, in US and Canadian dollars.
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What crime actually looks like here, the real risks (roads and ocean), and how owners protect their homes.
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The public system covers residents affordably. Here's how it works, and when private insurance makes sense too.
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A custom build gets you exactly what you want. It can also take longer and cost more than a finished home.
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Container shipping, air freight, or starting fresh: what each option actually costs and who it's for.
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Your foreign license works for the first few months. Here's how to make the switch once you're a resident.
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Not a rubber-stamp notary. What the role actually covers, and why the fee is one of the biggest line items at closing.
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A flat 0.25% of registered value, plus a separate luxury home tax above a set threshold.
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Short-term or long-term, self-managed or through a property manager: what it actually takes and what it costs.
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Not required, but it makes ownership easier. What a local account actually gets you.
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A practical rundown of what to expect when relocating to Guanacaste: visas, cost of living, and getting settled.
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What's driving prices in Coco right now, and what to look for if you're buying or selling.
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How to think through the decision if you're not sure yet whether to commit to owning property here.
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A look at what's bringing so many buyers to this part of the country, and where the growth is heading next.
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Real, verified reviews from the families and clients I've had the privilege to help in Guanacaste.
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Costa Rica doesn't license real estate agents. Here's what to actually look for instead.
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How language actually shows up in a Costa Rica transaction, and how I handle it with every client.
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The brokerage behind the buying experience, and how it fits into working with me directly.
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A realistic day-by-day breakdown of how much time to budget for a property-viewing trip, and why.
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The questions worth asking before you book flights, so you don't waste days on the ground.
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Remote closings are more common than people think. Here's how they actually work.
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How real estate representation actually works here, and what a buyer's agent does for you.
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A torch relayed from Guatemala, a nationwide lantern parade, and what to expect if you're in Guanacaste for it.
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What Guanacaste's Blue Flag beaches actually look like, and why Playa Conchal's white "sand" isn't sand at all.
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Which airlines fly it, how long it takes, and why Liberia beats connecting through San José.
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The 180-day rule, what it means for snowbirds, and when residency starts to make sense instead.
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Local banks won't lend to you as a foreigner. Here's who will, and what the terms actually look like.
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Wire transfer, FX broker, or escrow: what each one actually costs and when to use it.
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Yes, on both sides of the border. How Canada's worldwide-income rules and Costa Rica's rental tax interact.
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A realistic breakdown of transfer tax, notario fees, registration stamps, and what it all adds up to.
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A direct, line-by-line comparison for Canadian snowbirds weighing Guanacaste against Mexico's Pacific coast.
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What it actually takes to qualify for Costa Rica's most common retiree residency category.
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