Costa Rica now offers homes for sale in a large range of gated communities all over the country. Of course GoDutch Realty can show you homes and home sites in all of these communities and help you determine which might suit your needs and budget.
For many years, many people thought it was easy to develop a community and make a large profit offering new homes for sale in Costa Rica. They figured that since they had the money to do it, and since this is an underdeveloped country, everything would be easy. Time has shown that it is not like that. In fact, it is the opposite. Most end up losing their capital and leave an unfinished project to waste. Very few have been able to offer actual homes for sale in Costa Rica and the security of a sound real estate investment. There are many of those that “promise” a lot but give no security that everything they promise will be delivered. Make sure you purchase from a developer who can show a good track record and has done other communities before.
Security has become an issue in most countries around the world as times are changing. If you need to take a decision of living in a single family home or in a gated community, you have to look at your necessities of security, if you travel a lot or not and if your privacy is an issue or not. Many people cannot stand living right next door or across from the neighbor but many of the baby boomers plan to travel the world and will spend little or hardly any time at their home. That’s where security can become an issue. Also, many of the gated communities and highrises in the Central Valley offer amenities like common pools, parks, tennis courts and others.
Construction is booming and many developers are trying their first community. GoDutch realtors will only offer communities in pre-construction stage or under construction by developers with a track record. We don’t need you knock on our door to tell us you lost your investment because the developer didn’t finish the project for one reason or the other.
Most developers who sell in pre-construction stages offer 25% lower prices before breaking ground than when the apartment or townhouse is finished. Of course there is always a risk involved and generally they make changes as they go. Therefore it is imminent to make sure the rules and specifications are well documented. Try to stay to the basic product the developer is offering, the more changes you ask for, the more a mess it will be when your unit will be delivered. Most developers don’t have the employees necessary to keep track of all the changes and you will most probably not be around until the unit will be delivered to you.
Make sure the developer charges you by stages to be built and that each stage will be documented correctly before you pay. Developers are not used to have foreigners buy on a distance. Locals go and check whenever they have time on their unit, you are not in that position.
Few developers are successful because they don’t have the knowledge or the capital to build the community. Beware of advertising of developments that want you to deposit to send you a package, for those that pay for your tour and control you from the moment you enter the country until you leave. Do due diligence on what the competition offers. Ask your GoDutch realtor about the resort you are interested in.
Most clients that give us the honor to show them around stick with us till the end. But there are always smart one’s who think that they get a better deal if they go back and deal with the developer directly. This is NOT true. We register you as our client and will get paid our commission if you buy through us or not. In fact, that client is losing our personal attention, especially if you are not going to be in Costa Rica during the construction. We update you, go and take monthly pictures and will take care of monitoring your finishes. Be smart and take advantage of your GoDutch realtor’s special attention for the same buck
