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Central Pacific, Costa Rica: Real Estate Tours

Friday, March 2nd, 2012

by Hannah Fletcher, Broker/ Owner of REMAX Oceanside, Jaco Beach Costa Rica

Costa Rica has not been affected by the global financial crisis as profound as in other countries because if it’s historically conservative lending practices. However, there are many foreigners who own property here that have found themselves in financial trouble and need to sell at deeply discounted prices in order to get back on their feet again soon.

It’s a buyer’s market where you have the power to negotiate price, financing and terms in order to get incredible deals. Many purchasers paid cash for their property and are willing to finance a new buyer.

Sample Properties:

Pan Ov in CE L908 Remax Esterillos 2 HFC16 Mar Arena Remax 3

Mountain and Ocean view Lots

Homes: Walk to the Beach

Beachfront Condos:

Starting at $29,500

Starting at $98,000

Starting at $159,000

This beautiful gated community in Esterillos is complete with paved roads, underground electric and water on each individual lot.

Located in a gated community, walking distance to the beach with low monthly fees.

Located on the south end of Jacó Bay. Ground level fully-furnished 1 bedroom 1 Bath condo. Great rental property.

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Contact Hannah Fletcher to book your tour.  Hannah@jacobeachinfo.com

Hannah Fletcher REMAX Jaco Beach Costa Rica

 

 

 

 

 

Hannah Rico Fletcher – REMAX Costa Rica Buyer’s Agent – hannah@jacobeachinfo.com
Toll Free from US/Canada 866-847-9526     www.REMAX-OCR.com

Customer Focus!

Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011

Bob and I thoroughly enjoyed meeting you [], your hubby, Shawn,  Joyce and the others who were involved in the Central Pacific Tour with International Living.  You set a very high, and excellent standard for customer focus!

Donna – Saint Augustine

Buyers for your listing

Monday, September 12th, 2011

REMAX Jaco Beach Costa Rica Connecction

Home | About Us | Buy Property | Sell Property | Contact Us

Dear Seller,
This has been a crazy month but a good one. I apologize for the delay or lack of communication and I wanted to take this opportunity to update you since we have your listing and appreciate business.

For the past 5 years I have been working up to the position I now have with International Living magazine as the preferred broker for the Central Pacific and Central Valley of Costa Rica. The magazine holds “Invest and Live Internationally” conferences every year in San Jose which gives me an opportunity to engage hundreds of potential buyers organize buying tours and feature our listings.

This year’s conference just passed and my last private tour tomorrow so it looks like a I will be able to catch my breath very soon. The conference had a little over 250 attendees. We had group tours including 75 potential buyers and about 10 more that signed up for individual tours. We are already working on five offers and we are just beginning the follow up stage with the other contacts we made. I feel confident we will see many more deals as a result.

I was also invited to join international living in Las Vegas next month (October 6-8) where I will be the only realtor representing Costa Rica. As you can imagine that is a great privilege and opportunity to get your property in front of even more clients.

Please take this opportunity to consider revamping your listing. Here are some suggestions:

1. Make sure your listing price is justified and based on the true market value. (If you don’t want to sell for what the market value it might be better to take you listing off the market for a few months and then renew it later)

2. Review your listing description and pictures. You know your property better than anyone. Brainstorm the features that made you fall in love with the property and make sure they are highlighted. Send us any updates and we will be glad to post them.

3. The extra bit to make your property stand out. Right now we have almost 1000 listing in the central pacific alone. Do a little extra by taking a video yourself talking about the highlights of the property. For example: Tell potential buyers why you fall in love with the property, the area etc. Tell them why you are selling and how sad you are to let such a good property go. Send is the video file and we will use it as a tool to highlight your listings.

We are working hard and investing a lot of time and resources to give your listing the best exposure possible. If you have any questions feel free to contact our office. I will get back to you asap or have Lucy, my life support system in the office address your questions.

Estimado Vendedor,

Este ha sido un mes muy ocupado pero muy bueno. Les ofrezco mis disculpas por el retraso o la falta de comunicación, quisiera aprovechar esta oportunidad para ponerle al día ya que contamos con su listado y apreciamos la oportunidad de ayudarle a venderlo.

Durante los últimos 5 años he estado trabajando y he sido elegida por la revista International Living como la agente preferida para el área Pacífico Central y Valle Central de Costa Rica. La revista “Invierta y Viva el Ámbito Internacional” ofrece conferencias cada año en San José, en la cual tengo la oportunidad de participar con cientos de compradores potenciales, organizando tours de Bienes Raíces teniendo como base las propiedades que tenemos a la venta.

La conferencia de este año acaba de pasar y mi último Tour privado será mañana por lo que parece que pronto seré capaz de recuperar el aliento de nuevo. Esta conferencia tuvo la participación de un poco más de 250 asistentes. Hemos tenido tours con asistencia de 75 compradores potenciales y más de 10 se registraron para viajes individuales privados. Ya estamos trabajando en cinco ofertas y apenas estamos empezando la etapa de seguimiento con el resto de contactos que hemos hecho. Estoy seguro de que veremos más ofertas como resultado.

También he sido invitada a unirme a la próxima Conferencia de International Living en Las Vegas el próximo mes de octubre (del 6 al 8 ) en el cual seré la única agente de Bienes Raíces que represente a Costa Rica. Como podrán imaginarse es un gran privilegio y otra oportunidad más de exponer su propiedad frente a los clientes. Por favor tome esta oportunidad para revisar su listado y realizar algunos cambios de ser necesario. Adjunto algunas sugerencias:

1. Asegúrese de que el precio de su listado este justificado y basado acorde con el verdadero valor del mercado. (Si usted no quiere vender según el valor de este seria mejor que su propiedad este fuera del mercado por algunos meses para luego enlistarla otra vez) 2. Revise la información de su listado y fotografías.Usted conoce su propiedad mejor que nadie. Envíenos sus sugerencias aquellos detalles que Usted considera son esenciales para que los clientes se enamoren de su propiedad y la resalten. Envíenos cualquier actualización y estaremos encantados de hacer los cambios correspondientes. 3. Ese detalle extra para hacer que su propiedad resalte. En este momento tenemos casi 1000 propiedades solamente el Pacífico Central. Tal vez un video cortó personalizado por ustedes sobre los detalles importantes que destacan a su propiedad. Por ejemplo: Contarle a los compradores potenciales el porque usted se enamoro de su propiedad, el área, etc. Decirles por qué usted está vendiendo y lo emotivo que es tener que vender su propiedad. Envíenos el vídeo y lo utilizaremos como una herramienta mas para así resaltar su propiedad. Estamos trabajando duro e invirtiendo una gran cantidad de tiempo y recursos para darle a su listado la mejor exposición posible. Si usted tiene alguna pregunta no dude en ponerse en contacto con nuestra oficina. Estaré en contacto con Usted lo antes posible o pueden contactar a Lucy, mi mano derecha en la oficina para contestar sus preguntas.

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Vacation Rentals & Property Management

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Putting a price tag on your property: Pricing is all about supply and demand and it is the most important factor to consider when selling your Costa Rican property. You do not want to overprice it or sell yourself short so here are a few guidelines that will help as you consider what price tag you should put on your condo, house or lot Read more about this article

Comparable Listings and Sales: Investigate similar properties in your area that recently sold. Compare similar square footage, locations (example: Jaco, Hermosa, Esterillos) and features… Read more about this article…

Preparing your home for sale: You can help get the results you want by staging your home. Staging is not about redecorating your entire home. It is about rearranging what you do have and making a few improvements to appeal to more buyers.A staged home will sell, on average, for 17% more than an unstaged home. – U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Read more about this article…

Sellers Handling a Lowball Offer: In today’s market, sellers commonly have to deal with the infamous Lowball offer. The best strategy is to keep emotions out of the mix and “consider it” as a starting point for negotiations. Regardless of what kind of offers you receive, you can’t take it personally. Your motivation is to sell your property and the highest amount the current market will allow for! Start by asking how the offer compares with recent sales. Read more about this article…

Embrace Life,

Hannah Rico Fletcher

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Broker/Owner

hannah@jacobeachinfo.com

www.facebook.com/jacoremax

8814-5073 CR cell

2643-6010 office ext. 107

714-369-8133 US/Canada

We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit. – Aristotle

Costa Rica Cost of Living

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

IMG_1005Costa Rica is a great relocation option whether you are an American looking for an international retirement alternative and a slower pace of life, Canadian looking for warmer year-round weather,  or an adventurous spirit.

Almost once a week I have the “Cost of Living” conversation with someone considering the possibility so I have been inspired to share my experience.  Naturally your cost of living will depend a lot on your lifestyle so let me give you a little background on mine with the associated cost:

Food & Dining: The Farmers’ Market (Ferria) is a wonderful place to find inexpensive and fresh produce, plants, meat, and a variety of other items. If you are looking for a Tico (Costa Rican) meal with the traditional rice and beans with meat or fish, take in one of the many sodas around for about $4.

San Francisco 060My husband and I don’t cook! Well maybe once or twice a month, which means that I am your go to girl on restaurant recommendation and that my food bill is my chosen area to splurge. (We spend approx. $1000/month)

Health Care: Costa Rica’s public health care system (CCSS, or Caja) is inexpensive and offers medical care from highly trained physicians. Monthly rates are calculated on a sliding scale depending on income. Paying for medical services out-of-pocket is another alternative, as services are a fraction of what they are in the United States. Private insurance is also an affordable option.

We have private international insurance. (We spend approx. $290/month)

Utilities: The costs of services such as water, phone, and cable are also considerably lower than those in the United States, although electricity is considerably higher if you run the A/C all the time and have a dryer in our house.

(We spend approx. $180/month Electric, $35/month for 2 Cell phones, $55/month for home phone and DLS- high speed internet, $24/month on Cable TV)

Transportation: Purchasing a car is one of the more costly investments you will make in Costa Rica. Tax on new cars are especially high. The local transportation is not a bad option. For example: Bus tickets from Jaco to the airport only cost $3 and a taxi ride across town will cost $2-5.

My husband and I both work in Real Estate so we invested in new cars which would not be necessary if it was not for our jobs, especially since we live within walking distance to everything in town. . (We spend approx. $310/month for general car maintenance, Car tax and gas for two cars)

charcoProperty: Low property tax rates are one significant benefit when living in Costa Rica. Property tax rates can be as low as 1/25th of the rates of some areas in the U.S. Various regions in Costa Rica have different tax rates for each. \

We don’t live in a luxury condo on the beach. Instead, my husband and I found a small condo within walking distance to town with reasonable monthly fees and low maintenance cost. (We spend approx. $21/month on property taxes and $204/month on HOA fees)

Services: Labor is relatively inexpensive in Costa Rica. You can hire a housekeeper for an average of $25 per cleaning, gardeners, nannies and other skilled laborers are a great way to pour into the local economy and spoil yourself at the same time.

Four Seasons (19)We have a maid come in to deep clean once or twice a month and I firmly believe that a monthly trip to the spa is one of the finer things in life. (We spend approx. $15/month on maid service, $100/month of other services including: Tolls, international P.O. Box, Vonage international phone in our house, dentist, spa treatments, haircuts, entertainment, etc. and $72 on legal and accountant services)

There will be a variance from region to region. We live in Jaco which is known for being one of the most developed and attractive tourist town on the coast of Costa Rica. This means more imported goods, higher property values, higher rent cost, a higher concentration of amenities and more convinces then you would find in comparison to a smaller town in the middle of Costa Rica somewhere.

Let me know if you have any questions or if I can help you find your little piece of paradise.

Hannah Rico Fletcher

hannah@jacobeachinfo.com

714-369-8133 from the US/ Canada

2643-6010 CR office

REMAX Jaco Beach, Costa Rica: Take advantage of who we are.

Friday, July 1st, 2005

remax jaco real estate officeConsidering retirement, relocation or living internationally? Buying a vacation property? Or just doing some research on Real Estate in Costa Rica, one of the hottest markets in the world?

The professional real estate agents at RE/MAX Jaco Connection can help you find your little piece of paradise. We offer everything including: fully titled property, ocean view, oceanfront, walking distance to the beach, mountain view, commercial, investments, income properties, vacation rentals, residential homes, lots, hotels, B&B’s, condos, gated communities, developments, and much more.

Sign up to receive our real estate newsletter to stay informed about Costa Rica real estate, the Central Professional Real Estate agents in jacoPacific properties, the areas surrounding Jaco beach, local amenities and activities and much more. Take advantage of our experience with the real estate and residency lawyers, architects and builders, accountants, interior designers, shipping companies, rental companies, tours, hotels car rental companies in Costa Rica, etc.

RE/MAX is known for being the top real estate company worldwide. Our office covers Punta Leona, Villa Caletas, Herradura, Los Suenos, Jaco beach, Hermosa, Esterillos, Quepos, Manuel Antonio and all the little towns between. You can locate us in Jaco Beach, Costa Rica right in the center of town or on jacobeachinfo.com.