Establishing a Home in Costa Rica

Dreams. We all dream big ideas, but Christina and I could never imagine that this one would come to fruition. Most of our dreams are lost as we awaken. This dream started with us about five years ago. Never did I think we would be where we are today. In early 2021, we decided to plan a trip to Costa Rica and figure out if it was a place we would love to spend time and possibly retire in the future. The trip was planned for November, and we were staying for a week. In preparation for the trip, we reached out to a local real estate agent so that he could show us the towns and villages along the Pacific Coast of the Guanacaste Province. We rented a small flat in Las Catalinas, a newer village that was designed to feel like a Spanish or Portuguese coastal town. During our stay we looked at numerous homes along the coast from Potrero in the north, to south of Tamarindo. Unfortunately, none of the homes suited what we were looking for. Either there were shortcomings in the houses themselves or the location in relation to the beaches was not good. After five days of crossing the coastline and seeing the various towns and villages we decided to spend the day in Las Catalinas. While walking through the Plaza we noticed the sales office. As we entered, we met two very nice young women who showed us what was currently available in Beach Town and explained the new development, El Prado. With approximately 150 lots there was a lot to consider, however one lot spoke to us. Lot 32 appeared to be perfect! It was just big enough for what we wanted to build and had an ocean view from the top level. With only two days remaining in Costa Rica… and with this being our first visit to the country… we took a leap of faith. The next day we returned to the sales office to let them know that we would like to put a deposit on the lot. Some paperwork was filled out and I explained that I would complete the first wire transfer as soon as we returned to Kansas. Christina and I are decisive decision makers following our intuition and this was no different than other major decisions we have made in our lives. We were committed to make this dream a reality. Let the whirlwind begin!