Before buying property in Costa Rica don’t forget to check these issues or better have them checked by a trustable lawyer. Verify
- that the seller is the registered owner and that you can legally buy the property
- that the property is registered as a separate entity. The vast majority of properties are registered in the Registro Nacional. If a property is not recorded, give it a month or two and make sure that the seller registers it properly! After all, Costa Rica has quite fast and straightforward procedures:
Source: Worldbank.org
- if there are any environmental regulations that may effect your construction project, such as national wildlife refuges and areas protected by the Costa Rican forestry law
- if the lot has access to
- water (either public or own spring water) and
- electricity (if no electricity runs to the property, find out what the cost would be to bring it to the property )
- It’s not really necessary to hope for a landline telephone connection. The nicest places often are too remote to lay cables. So just use a satellite-based Internet access and mobile phones
- that there are no restrictions on the lot that could result in the denial of a construction permit. It might not be enough to check the Public Registry. You should also check with
- the municipality where the property is located (municipalidad)
- the Ministry of Health (Ministerio de Salud)
- the Ministry of Public Works (Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transporte) for planned road construction projects
- the National Institute of Housing and Urban Development (Instituto Nacional de Vivienda y Urbanismo)
Fincas in Costa Rica 