Escazu: safest areas/property types

[discuss]

Hello!

We have been in Guanacaste last year. We will visit Escazu this year. Temperature-wise, and in terms of airport etc., Escazu seems a better place for us.

Which are the safest:
– areas
– property types

And what are their average prices?

I assume that apartments are the safest, but we would rather go for a town-house if the price is reasonable. I think a house would be great, but it may be a easier target for breaks-in.

THANK YOU SO MUCH for sharing!

[johnnyh]

Most houses in the good neighborhoods in San Jose like Los Yoses, Rohrmosser, Escazu are built like fortresses.
Get a well trained German shepherd, trained not to eat food from strangers. And a 9MM pistol, or shotgun.
It also helps if you have a live in maid or caretaker. There are also neighborhood guards that are paid by the people directly. Sorry to say, but as the economy deteriorates and more workers from Nicaragua invade C.R. things will get worse. Still, I’m planning on retiring in Costa Rica with 2 German shepherds. I should get 4 for each corner! LOL

[discuss]

Thank you John! Just for me to understand: is this said 1/2 tongue in cheek, or is that your real assessment of the situation?

I don’t think CR is dangerous, otherwise we would not consider it. We wrote Ecuador off because it is dangerous. But, like everywhere else (LA, NYC, London, etc.) there are areas and property types which are safer, and some which are at risk.

Thanks!

[Andrew]

You can see the San José [url=http://www.imn.ac.cr/IMN/MainAdmin.aspx?__EVENTTARGET=ClimaCiudad&CIUDAD=7&FAHRENHEIT=1]temperature and rainfall here.[/url]

I have lived in and around San José, Escazu and Santa Ana for 14 years now and apart from having my rocking chair stolen from my garden in Escazu a few years ago I have had zero problems…

There are many communities in this area where you will feel very safe however, this is not a cheap area so be prepared…

Scott

[discuss]

Thank you Scott! Online, I have seen apartments between 90k and 200k+. And townhouses for less than 150k with swimming pool etc. There is quite a variety of prices. Maybe it depends if the properties are listed in English vs. Spanish, and of course on the area.

Can we say that 100k for an apartment and less than 150k for a townhouse are realistic prices for a 5 years old or less home in a good community? Maintenance fees look something between $80 and just over $100 per month, not too bad.

THANKS!

[Andrew]

My wife is my #1 Realtor, her son and his wife also work with us as Realtors so we must monitor the market quite closely.

You can find a wider range of more affordable properties on my Spanish website at [url=http://www.casadelujo.com/]CasaDeLujo.com[/url] – I simply don’t have the time to translate them and put them on WeLoveCostaRica.com

IMHO the most affordable apartments can be found at CONCASA. The project is not everyone’s cup of tea but nobody can compete in that price range… See [url=http://www.casadelujo.com/public/programs/search.cfm?searchquery=concasa&areas=all&department_select=all&sort_by=date]this link for example properties in CONCASA[/url]

My wife and I live in Santa Ana in the [url=http://www.casadelujo.com/public/programs/search.cfm?searchquery=avalon+country+club&areas=headline&department_select=all&sort_by=date]Avalon Country Club project which you can see here[/url].

You can see [url=http://www.casadelujo.com/public/1995.cfm]our apartment here.[/url]

You can see the best pre-construction deal for [url=http://www.casadelujo.com/public/2107.cfm]single storey homes in our area here[/url]. We know the developer very well and since it’s such a great value, we are buying one ourselves as an investment. Tis project should be finished by June 2015

Scott

[johnnyh]

[quote=”discuss”]Thank you John! Just for me to understand: is this said 1/2 tongue in cheek, or is that your real assessment of the situation?

I don’t think CR is dangerous, otherwise we would not consider it. We wrote Ecuador off because it is dangerous. But, like everywhere else (LA, NYC, London, etc.) there are areas and property types which are safer, and some which are at risk.

Thanks![/quote]

No, I’m serious. I have family in C.R. from my mother’s side, and one particular cousin who has a business that imports various beauty products of which Slendertone is one, has told me he doesn’t like to take more than $200.00 at a time from the bank for fear of being mugged.
You have to use common sense. There are people that would love to liberate your money and articles from rich foreigners, we are all rich. Use common sense

[costaricafinca]

You would be advised to rent in your chosen area for an extended time until you decide whether [u]you[/u] feel it is safe.

[discuss]

Thank you all. That’s true, one needs to rent before committing mid-term with a purchase. So it would make sense to rent in an area where we can afford to buy, if we so decide.

The prices are indeed quite substantial. I was thinking about 100k to 150k for a nice apartment or an OK townhouse, but I see the apartments alone sell for much more than that. BTW, Scott the apartment you listed looks amazing, that would probably go for 500k+ in US. But still, it is out of budget for us.

We’ll visit CR again this year. We’ll also visit Southern Spain and maybe Tenerife. Paperwork-wise (we are EU citizens) and even real-estate wise, Spain seems an easier place to go for us. However, geopolitically and ecologically speaking, CR has a better future, at least in my opinion.

[costaricafinca]

Obviously ease of changing countries and crossing borders, should be considered. Lot’s of English spoken in Tenerife 8)
Paying $100K in town will not provide you with much.
Have you read the [url=http://www.costaricalaw.com/Immigration-and-Residency/residency-general-information-and-summary.html]financial and legal requirements[/url] for living here?

[discuss]

Thanks! Yes, I usually look into permanent residency requirements first. That’s why Thailand was excluded from day 1, one can only be there by renewing a “language visa” and cannot own any property. The 2.5 per month / 60k for CR are not a problem.

However, if one has to spend 300k to get a home in a nice area in CR, then there are plenty of other locations in Canada, USA and Spain which are the same, or even cheaper. The goal is not to go to a cheap place, but to go to a nice place where the cost of living is still reasonable.

Thanks!

[costaricafinca]

Note: A second $60K is required to be deposited, two years after the first, and this should last you, if you then apply for Permanent residency at the beginning of the 4th year.
Another important note: if you are under 55 and a Rentista, your CAJA will be [i]quite[/i] high, possibly, $400-450 per month, as part of the premium will go towards a small pension. CAJA fees have risen twice this year…:cry:

[discuss]

Thanks! I was aware of the 2nd 60k, which would have been OK because I work remotely. However, the caja premium really comes at a… premium. $400/mo * 24 * 2 is quite substantial.

Thanks! Better to know these expenses now.

[costaricafinca]

Not sure what you are referring to [i]’…* 24 * 2 is quite substantial'[/i] but that premium will cover you both, although it will only provide a pension for the principal account holder.

[discuss]

That would be $400/mo multiplied by the rentista term length (24 months) multiplied by the number of terms necessary to apply for permanent residency (2). Assuming the monthly dues decrease once a person becomes a permanent resident.

THANKS!

[Author]

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