Every investor including real estate investors know that a sure way to get a great return on investment is to get in early on a good thing.

Had you bought stock in Apple Inc. back in 2001 with the dawn of the iPod, you would have earned more than 20 times your money in 9 years.

Taking advantage of these situations might require significant insight and knowledge or it might involve being at the right place at the right time and the ability to recognize value.

You aren’t concerned with chance encounters or learning about up-and-coming technologies though, you already know what you want. That is the first advantage you have and the first step to getting in early on the right opportunity in real estate in Costa Rica.

Whether you are looking for an investment or a place to live part-time or full-time, the important task now at hand is to continue narrowing down your options until you have found the perfect blend: the right piece of land, the right location, and a good (or great!) value.

Your second advantage here which will greatly enhance your probability of success is leverage. You are reading this article and it’s probably not the first one you have read about Costa Rica…

You are leveraging my knowledge and experience, that of others, and your own accumulated knowledge. So how do you get in early to get the best deal? How do you evaluate your options? How do you reduce your risk?

When evaluating any investment opportunity, one can not count on and hope for good luck or rely blindly on the words and promises of a marketing team. Everyone wants to sell whatever it is that they have (or don’t have) available to sell you. Words can be deceiving but your eyes will not deceive you.

• Costa Rica Real Estate Investment Tip #1

  Look at what is in front of you and use the information available to come to a reasonable conclusion. To get in early with real estate, part of the trick is to be in the path of development rather than to choose somewhere that is already well developed or somewhere a little too far away from it all.

• Real Estate Investment Tip #2

  Infrastructure (roads, electricity, internet access, water systems, surrounding structures) is a fantastic gauge of how far along in the development process a region or even a specific planned community within a region is.

  Would you prefer to trade your money for an acre of land that you can drive to, walk around, look at your view and electric post, and turn on your water spigot, or an acre of land yet to be specified in a general region that you can only hike to or get to on horseback? Both are for sale and both may have good future value, but only one has a measurable present value.

• Real Estate Investors Tip #3

  Buy something that you could conceivably make work and would be happy owning without having to rely on major property improvements by a developer. Sometimes to get in early and get a great deal you will have to temporarily compromise on some (not all) of the aforementioned things.

  Here is where you gauge what has been done already and don’t be shy about asking questions to determine how likely promises are to be fulfilled. Holding money back in an escrow account with your lawyer is a good way to protect yourself from potential downfalls on the part of a developer. If you follow Tip 3, this holdback money is your Plan B and will save your investment.

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• Real Estate Investment in Costa Rica Tip #4

  If you are buying pre-construction, buy from someone that has already done it, preferably multiple times, and make payments in stages so the job gets done well and in a timely manner. Anybody can buy a piece of land and have designs, floor plans, and renderings made.

  Getting permits and building a quality structure in Costa Rica is different than doing the same thing in North America or anywhere else. Costa Rica is a Spanish-speaking country with tropical weather. Proven experience should be a must when buying pre-construction. This goes for hiring a builder for any other pieces of land as well.

If you follow our four important Costa Rica real estate investment tips, you will find that getting in early is a rewarding endeavor in which only calculated and covered risks need be taken. I know about getting in early because I have been living in the southern Pacific zone (near Dominical) for many years.

Tips 1 & 2 will take you here possibly over any other region of the country. It is now visible with your own two eyes, accessible with your four wheels, and connected via your laptop or 3G wireless device.

Major infrastructure improvements have been made in just the last year, and plenty more are on the way. The southern Pacific coast is in the path of development because it has classic beach views, it is now easily accessible (only 2½ hours on good highways from San Jose), it has schools and hospitals and airports, and most importantly it is a wonderful and natural place to live and invest.

One of my top ‘get in early’ prospects is a planned community with just 38 lots designed and sitting within a 222 acre parcel of land. The nature-minded developers have already built their own million dollar home on one of the lots showing a high level of commitment to the success of the project.

Internal roads are all in place, electricity is in to most lots, and more than enough water for all potential homes is supplied by springs found on the property.

One of several common areas set aside for property owner use only is a trail to a sheer cliff face where a waterfall pours out of the rainforest 100ft above (onto your shoulders if you like strong massages). See for yourself, the views and natural setting are stunning! Get to town in 7 minutes and to the beaches in 12-15 minutes.

If you are looking for something already built, or are looking to design a custom home and don’t want the stress of building yourself, here is our top option.

If you want to learn about a safe and promising community where you can get in early to take advantage of great acre + home sites for as little as $75,000, contact me using the simple form below…

This developer really does know what he’s doing and has proven it. There are also two houses with pools and panoramic views which are already completed and ready for rental and/or sale with over 2,000 square feet of construction.

The guard house at the gated entrance is currently manned and waiting to let you into a great living and real estate investment opportunity…

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.