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You’re looking at this incredibly well designed promotion material of a new construction home by a builder. You instantly fall in love with what you see. This is the place you want to spend the rest of your life or your vacations. This new construction home looks just what you need. Your first meeting with […]
by Ivo Henfling
If you haven’t already bought a house in Costa Rica through a GoDutch Realty agent, I’m sure you will as soon as you learn how to design the coolest bar in the neighborhood. Now, I’m not trying to turn you into an alcoholic, actually quite the opposite. If you have a cool bar in your backyard, you’ll […]
by Ivo Henfling
It’s amazing how many people get away with building a house in Costa Rica without getting a construction permit. I’ve been in the Costa Rica real estate business way for over 25 years and I have seen lots of constructions shut down by the local engineering department for lack of a construction permit but many […]
by Ivo Henfling
Many home lot owners in Costa Rica, once they are ready to start building, do all the wrong things. That is mostly for lack of experience. Most of us only build one house in a life time, or we don’t at all. I sometimes get messages such as “I’m fairly pleased, the home builder did […]
by Ivo Henfling
It was September 5th, 2012 and a 7.6 on Richter hit us. That earthquake was now almost 3 years ago and has been on the news worldwide. A 7.6 on Richter doesn’t happen very often. This was the 2nd strongest earthquake in Costarica’s history after the 1991 earthquake in Limon. This time, two people are […]
by Ivo Henfling
“What are the Local Construction Standards?” is an often asked question my expats who are considering buying a house in Costa Rica. Are the construction standards for building materials and installation methods that the majority of the people who grew up in Costa Rica are accustomed to the same as yours? If you have not […]
DANIEL CLARK The increasing demand for secure and, budget-friendly housing units has led many people turn towards modular buildings. It is totally a new concept in the construction industry. These structures are manufactured in a closed unit and delivered to customers in the form of a modular building. The best part of these buildings is […]
by Ivo Henfling
Once in a while, people who visit me in my office, ask if they can use the restroom. Some, who have been staying in an older hotel or Bed & Breakfast or live in a rural location, open the door of my restroom, peek in and ask “can I flush the paper”? For an outsider, […]
by Ivo Henfling
PABLO R. My wife, Katya, and I speak some Spanish (though probably not enough). Still, we thought we knew the word “asada.” It meant “roasted” and frequently modified “carne” or, in a masculine form, “pollo.” Who knew that “asada” also means “local water administration?” Well, now we do, and therein hangs a tale. Here it […]
by Ivo Henfling
Why must MacGyvering be used in Costa Rica quite often? In this blog, I’d like to recount an experience I had recently that is indicative of the way you’ll find product availability in this country. My story is about buying lumber. It is not particularly important taken at its face. But it exemplifies why “MacGyvering” […]
by Ivo Henfling