Friday, January 31, 2014

Third World Real Estate

Everyone . . . that means EVERYONE in Costa Rica is a real estate agent.

No license, certification or registration is required.  Sound strange?  I hope to shout!!

Absolutely anyone, who connects a property seller with a buyer gets paid up to 5% of the sale price.  Easy schmeezy, loosie goosie, kinda weird but oh whatever.

One of the problems with this little real estate system is that it converts so many connections, friends, neighbors, doctors, bus drivers, taxi drivers, waitresses, bank tellers, and oh so many more people - into your new friendly real estate pusher.

A friend of a friend led us to our favorite property yet.

Zory, my lovely hairdresser in San Vito just happened to have 
a house for sale.




Any time, any place - the most unexpected people
might walk up to you and say they have 
a friend/neighbor/relative/boss with a wonderful
property for sale.


Even the wonderful bamboo growers have real estate leads 
- as does the banker.

 . . . and as does Fredrico, the lottery ticket salesman.
"Are you looking for property?"  "Do you plan on living in Costa Rica?"   Any affirmative glance turns into an immediate promotion of some property they're sure is wonderful and that we'll love.  If that one doesn't get the response they want, of course they know of at least two more.

And it makes logical sense, really.  Consider how attractive it is to have no special skills or licensure but being able to make $5,000 on a $100,000 sale.  Pretty attractive to ANYONE.  Enough to transform a friendship into a business relationship in a flash.

Considering Costa Ricans rarely make over $1,000 per month and usually much less, the thought of making 5% on a real estate sale is HUGELY attractive!!  A total Windfall!

At the bottom level of this, it turns  us into a walking, talking dollar sign - degrading our very sense of our own humanity.  We'll be really glad when the day comes that we can tell the Costa Rican world, "No, we're NOT looking for property."  That'll separate the opportunistic from the sincere.


Fulvio's property has a sweet lemon tree. Time for a snack. 
Our next door neighbor's introduced us.  
(Have you ever had a sweet lemon?)


Chema is a living breathing Renaissance man, living in
a cloud forest, promoting organic sustainability, 
and selling a few hectares.

Chema built his house by hand with local materials.

Dr. Walter's house was amazing. The rental house he offered was not.

Sincere, well-groomed, down-to-earth. This dude can sell anything.

Valley of the Horses. Welcome to the neighborhood.


Starr is always ready to search in new directions.


Eduardo really knows his neighborhood 
- and lots of properties for sale in it.


Find the real estate agent in this picture. 
Oh don't worry, he'll find you.




What's up next?  Man have we been busy!!!  
We're pulling it together but don't want to say too much until we know more.