Whether you like it or not Jacó Beach, on Costa Rica's Central Pacific coast, is destined to become much bigger. More condos, more homes, more Croc’s casinos, more restaurants, more churches, more shopping, more night clubs and more people spending money: In Jacó the next 10 years will see more development than in the past 37 years combined. There’s much unoccupied, flat, development-prime l...

Santa Ana, San José, Costa Rica, was, less than 20 years ago, very different from the Santa Ana we know now; back then, it was known for the many onion plantations, big portions of land dedicated to agriculture or cattle, some didn’t think this area had a big potential, they talked about water supply problems and the clay like soils that presented drainage challenges. Today, Santa Ana is known ...

Los Angeles, California-based Korn Ferry International, a leading global human resources strategy consulting firm, announced the opening of operations in Costa Rica with offices at Avenida Escazú, a posh commercial center in the western San José suburb of Escazú. The head-hunting multinational, which has grown through various mergers since its founding in 1969, now has more than 7,000 emplo...

Forbes Mexico released earlier this year its list of Richest Men of Central America. Their research showed that these men had reinvented themselves, they had invested in emerging markets and diversified their businesses, which is a reflection of their vision and abilities. The list includes 9 names, only one is Costa Rican. Although the Central American region with a population of over 46 milli...

Foreigners that invest in securities or bonds in Costa Rica but live abroad used to be subject to a 15% tax over the over the interests or revenue generated; however, as of September 25 this tax will now be only 8%, the same percentage which nationals are charged. This was determined by the Costa Rican Treasury (Ministerio de Hacienda) after a response by the Attorney General Office ruled that ...

Almost four months ago Costa Rica received the announcement of the construction in Costa Rica of the theme park Discovery Costa Rica. The construction is supposed to begin early 2018 and in theory environmental requirements and permits are already in order; yet, it seems that the project has hit its first bump in the road as the project is still in a process of “discussion and clarification of ...

Photo: ICE offices Sabana The Costa Rica Electricity Institute (ICE) will be auctioning 17 of its properties next August 14 in order to cut expenses and generate additional income. “These are properties that belong to ICE (13) and the National Power and Light Company (CNFL) (4), selling them will generate income for the companies and savings in operational and maintenance costs”, explained F...

A week-long visit to Costa Rica by the Abu Dhabi Fund for Development (ADFD) is focussing on investment possibilities, said the Ministry of Foreign Relations in s statement this week. Fund officials from the United Arab Emirates will analyze possibilities and issue a report on Costa Rica's viability as a recipient of investments in areas such as infrastructure and services that have an impact o...

Photo Credit: Universidad Hispanoamericana /Freddy Alvarez project Architect Freddy Alvarez presented a proposal to create a marina in Limón Port as his graduation project “Transformation of the port space- tourism marina Limón Port”; the proposal raised the interest of the authorities of the Interinstitutional Commission of Tourism Marinas and Piers (CIMAT) which is an organ affiliated to the ...

Shared work between humans and robots is on the horizon as a way to potentially reduce costs and errors, and to improve productivity and quality. Are service centers in Latin America ready to make this leap? This is one of the central themes being discussed at a regional meeting this week in San José of Latin American shared services center leaders. The event, organized for the fifth cons...

Costa Rica continues to make steady progress, earning a recognition position among investors, buyers and tourists in new markets. The good perception of the country brand, essential Costa Rica, positions it over competitors in the region, such as: Colombia, Mexico, Dominican Republic and Panama. The value of the Costa Rica brand moved up twelve positions in tourism and five in commerce and i...

Franchises from different countries, business models that start at USD $15,000.00, is what you can expect to find at the Franchise Expo (Expo Franquicia) 2017 that will take place at the Real Intercontinental Hotel, July 26 and July 27. This is the eight edition of this event, the only regional fair of its kind. The fair brings together franchises from Mexico, United States, Spain, Central Amer...

The construction sector in Costa Rica has shown signs of recovery, the creation of new jobs in this area is one of the main signs, employment grew by 5.17% in the first trimester of 2017 in comparison with the last trimester of 2016. According to data by the Costa Rica Statistics and Census Institute (INEC), provided by the Costa Rica Construction Chamber, the growth represented 6,540 new jobs,...

This week, Costa Rica embarks on a high-level tour in Japan to seek new markets for investment, trade and technical support to build capacity in Costa Rica, said the Costa Rican Investment and Development Agency (CINDE). "Strengthening trade ties with Japan is part of our government's efforts to diversify our economy. This work tour involves ... the promotion of investment, events with potentia...

Title insurance is a resource commonly available and used in the United States, it is, however, not well-known in Costa Rica. Title insurance basically protects real estate owners and lenders against any property loss or damage they might experience because of liens or defects in the title to the property; in other words it protects against events that occurred in the past of the real estate pr...

If you are a foreigner looking to buy real estate property in Costa Rica it is important you know that the Political Constitution protects private property and foreigners and nationals can enjoy the same rights in terms of acquiring and owning real estate property with just a couple of restrictions. Considering that most foreigners that want to invest in property in Costa Rica are looking to bu...

There are many qualities that make Costa Rica the perfect place to make a real estate investment, its political and economic stability, the fact that it is the second most pacific country in Latin America, and of course the wonderful weather, nature and people; however, investing in a foreign country raises a lot of questions and this is why the first step should always be to consult a real estate...

Many foreigners that come to Costa Rica whether on vacation or to live in the country for a period of time end up falling in love with the country and many times they choose to invest in land or property . The problems start after the purchase when the new owner neglects to look after the investment properly, the land is left “abandoned” or "Unmaintained"  to a certain extent and next thing you...

Building a home is a substantial investment, which is why it is very important to find a good home builder that will guarantee the final result will be exactly what you expected. If you bought land within a residential project, the developers usually already have a selected builder which is great considering that they have already done all the hard work of going over their profile, experience, ...

One of the most important aspects to consider when buying a vacation home in Costa Rica is tax payments. Ideally the details and information regarding tax payments for the property you are buying should be provided by the property developer or seller prior to the completion of the purchase; consulting a real estate attorney or tax expert is recommended in order to get a clear picture of the exa...

(Image used as reference only) The Costa Rica Drug Institute (ICD in Spanish) will hold an auction to sell 21 luxury cars that belonged to to organized crime and were seized by the police. The expectation is to be able to raise 280 million colones (close to $490 thousand ),“The idea is that we can collect some funds for the ICD and at the same time we get rid of unused vehicles that are curren...

Investing in real estate in Costa Rica is a good idea as long as you are careful about picking the right property. As expected, many foreigners who choose to buy property in Costa Rica are looking to escape the harsh winter and the stress of their current life, and therefore look for places near the beach, a vacation or retirement home, but then of course, there are always some that moved to the c...

Buying a house in a foreign country usually raises many questions, one of them has to do with your rights as a buyer and what warranty you get with your investment, after all, the last thing you need is to have an experience which should be exciting turn into a nightmare. Certainly, to avoid any problems with the purchase first you have to take some precautions, buyers tend to be impulsive and ...

- Inventor of the Canopy Tour® recovers invention patent in Costa Rica after lengthy legal battle, meaning local tour operators must receive authorization to continue to offer such tours in Costa Rica. After almost 20 years of wrangling through the administrative and judicial channels in Costa Rica, a legal resolution ended the conflict that arose after the canopy patent held by Canadian national...

If you have already been living in Costa Rica for a certain amount of time and probably paying rent, it is likely that the idea of buying your own place has crossed your mind, or perhaps you don’t live here but you are interested in making an investment in the country acquiring a vacation home, and of course, one of the first questions that comes into mind is whether it is better to buy or build a...

Costa Rica, May 25, 2017. US-based Okay Industries reinvested US$ 2 million in Costa Rica, which will expand its plant operation and will also acquire new state-of-the-art equipment to manufacture medical device industry parts. Okay industries, located in El Coyol, Alajuela, at Z Free Zone, is a manufacturing company focused on high engineering metal components and assemblies. Its focus on the ...

More than 800 properties in Costa Rica including houses, commercial spaces and land will be offered at the Properties for Sale Expo that will take place May 19-21 at the City Mall in Alajuela. Banco de Costa Rica, Banco Nacional, Banco Popular and BanCrédito, all public banks in the country, informed that important discounts and financing will be available for those interested. Banco Popular...

San Francisco de Heredia will soon be home to Oxígeno, a unique recreational and commercial space that combines nature and human relaxation in a development that “will be unique in the world," said Cuestamoras board president Manuel Zuñiga. Cuestamoras, owners of the Fischel pharmacy chain in Costa Rica, “is committed to becoming a multibusiness leader in the Americas across a range of industri...

Cartago will soon be getting its second Walmart store, this one in La Lima, at the entrance to the city and in the vicinity of the La Lima Industrial Park. This new store will bring the Walmart global chain’s total to 11 outlets in Costa Rica. No information was forthcoming regarding details of the opening date, construction size, or number of new hirees for the new la Lima store. The lat...

Shopping for the right house in Costa Rica is something that requires time, especially if you are the kind that believes that if you look carefully you can find the perfect balance between luxury, comfort and price, and you are right; just like with almost anything else in life if you do your fair amount of research and take your time to look and compare you will find the perfect house for you at ...

Many foreigners choose Costa Rica to invest in real estate, many pick this country as the perfect location to have a second home, whether for use as a second residence, a retiring home, vacation home or simply as an investment, houses and land near the beach or in popular expat communities are the most common election. But is real estate investing in Costa Rica safe? Costa Rica is a stable c...

One of the first questions that comes up when a foreigner is looking to buy a property in Costa Rica has to do with financing options. Let’s start by saying that buying real estate in Costa Rica can be considerably more affordable than purchasing a home in the United States, vacation homes are not an exception, a beautiful vacation home with a beach view in one of Costa Rica’s most popular area...

Choosing a realtor to work with is difficult anywhere you go, Costa Rica is no exception, if you are in the process of moving to Costa Rica or you already live here but you need to find a new house or property to buy or rent, read along as we give you some advice on how to choose a real estate agent that will really help you and not make you waste your time and money. The Costa Rican Chamber of...

Laureate International Universities, through the Latin American University of Costa Rica, will invest more than US$40 million in infrastructure this year in the construction of a new campus in Heredia, and THINK, an innovative higher education center focused on online education and with a center at Terrazas Lindora. "In a globalized world, it is vitally important that universities seek to stren...

$400 million will be the initial investment that Sun Latin America will make for the construction of Discovery Costa Rica, a theme park that will be developed in Liberia, Guanacaste. The construction is scheduled to begin in 2018 and during this stage it could generate close to 2000 jobs, the park is expected to begin operations in 2020. The President of Costa Rica Luis Guillermo Solís along wi...

Hospira Costa Rica Ltd., a subsidiary of Pfizer Inc., announced last week they are shifting their production in the Dominican Republic to Costa Rica this year. The multinational, which manufactures medical infusion and transfusion equipment, said it will gradually close its manufacturing plant in the Dominican Republic over the course of this year, and transfer most of those operations to its B...

Bellazo is Kalia Living’s newest gated ocean-view community, located in the exclusive area of Nosara, Guanacaste, Costa Rica. Offering modern luxurious eco-friendly designed homes, overlooking the Pacific Ocean and surrounded by lush mesmerizing nature. A self-contained community with all the amenities, spa, gourmet restaurant, beach club, sports courts, biking, hiking trails, maid services and va...

Costa Rica as a country has certain characteristics that make it a magnet for real estate investment, in general, investors have turned their eye to this Central American country for quite some time now, and it has to do mainly with the country’s political and financial stability, which translates into a low-risk investment. In addition to the above, Costa Rica’s geographical position, fantasti...

Most people who buy a vacation home do so, of course, with the idea of spending as much time as possible there, they choose the perfect spot to spend their free time, and a house they absolutely love. Many others think of it as an investment, the opportunity to make money with your vacation home in Costa rica along the way, but how do you turn your vacation home into a cash cow ? We’ve all hear...

Owning a vacation home has many advantages, it is a place you can escape to from your work routine and have a place to go any time you need to, it gives you all the privacy you like and want; you can travel with friends and family and have guests over, even bring your pets; you have everything you want and everything you need handy and the way you like it, so it is all about convenience and contro...