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Costa Rica Real Estate: What You Should Know About Investing

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Real estate investors have a saying,The only three things that matter in real estate are location, location and location. We all understand that a ten bedroom, eight bath home with cathedral ceilings and a swimming pool that is sitting next to a garbage dump has no value.

On the other hand a little one bedroom, one bath shack sitting in the middle of downtown Boston might be worth a small fortune. So you can see that the location is of the utmost importance when you are considering a piece of real estate to invest in.

The same thought process holds true when you are considering investing in Costa Rica. Costa Rica property has been returning at very high levels, since investment first began there.

Like in any other situation, you should ask yourself, “what makes the location of a piece of real estate a must have? The answer is fairly simply really. The value is based on nothing more than the desirability factor. Desirability is individual and is really hard to nail down.

Property that is totally undesirable to one person might be just the next person’s dream-come-true. And this phenomenon is true for real estate investors and for home buyers and for renters. It is true for all aspects of the real estate market.

The main point for any real estate investor to consider first is what their strategy will be for making money from the investment. The profit strategy determines whether the location of the property is good or bad and buying is only half the equation.

For example, prime real estate is the best choice if you are planning to purchase a property with the intention of just waiting for the market to rise. Locations that are near entertainment centers or newly developing areas would be best because the likelihood is pretty good that that the property will increase in value with little other effort.

On the other hand, if you are planning to invest in a property with the intention of renting it and making a monthly income from it, you might be better off to look into urban properties. Urban properties wouldn’t always be considered prime real estate but they are prime rental properties. What these properties may lack in space or amenities, they make up for by being very close to the action.

And we can’t forget the real estate investors who are handy with their hands. These kinds of investors enjoy renovating, and will buy properties below market value. They can make repairs and renovations to rundown properties themselves, sell it for a great deal more than their purchase price and make a very nice profit. Working neighborhoods with mid-priced homes make up the best location for these kinds of investors.

There are many factors that real estate investors consider when they are deciding which property to invest in. Knowing what kind of investor you are, and what your profit strategy is for the investment will help you decide where and how to find the perfect property in the perfect Costa Rican location.






Buying Your New Home: You can do it

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Across the world, there are thousands of people looking to buy a home – either now or in the future. Over the last few years, lower interest rates have come along, making it more affordable than ever to buy a home. When you stop and give it some thought – buying a home makes a lot more sense than renting a home or an apartment. But let’s face it, this is easily one of the most difficult decisions you will ever make in your lifetime, so you need to be smart and know what you are really doing.

In order to buy a house, you’ll need to start saving money to have enough for the closing costs and a down payment. Your down payment will normally need to be around 15% of the price or the real value of the property – whichever is lower. To be on the safe side, you should always try to have 20% put down. If you aren’t able to put 20% down, you’ll need to buy some private mortgage insurance, which will cost you more in terms of your monthly payment. A good advice is to know the property value before you make any commitment. If you are 100% clueless, think of using a computer solution like a Real estate analysis software to help you understand if the property you are buying is a good investment or not.

The usual closing cost is about 5% to 10% depending on the real estate agent, property, local laws, and county and seller’s conditions. Before you purchase the home, you should always get an estimate. An estimate won’t be the exact price but it will be really close. You should always plan to save up a bit more money than you need, just to be on the safe side. It’s always best to have more than enough than not enough.

You’ll know you’re ready to buy a home when you know exactly how much you can afford and you’re willing to stick with your plan. When you buy a home and get your monthly mortgage payment, it shouldn’t be any more than 25% of your total monthly income. Although there are lenders out there who will say that you can afford to pay more, you should never let them talk you into doing so – stick to your budget instead. Again, if you still feel confuse you can always ask the bank to advice you by using a Mortgage Calculator system , they are practical and they can help you to understand clearly how much you can really pay.

Keep in mind that there is always more money involved with a home other than the mortgage payment. You also have to pay for utilities, homeowners insurance, property taxes, and maintenance. Owning and caring for a home requires a lot of responsibility. If you’ve never owned a home before, it can take a bit of time to get used to.

Before you fill out any applications, you should always look over your credit report and check for any errors. Although you may think you don’t, you can easily get an error on your credit report and not even realize it. If you have an error on your credit report, it can cost you a lot of money in interest rates. An error will decrease your credit score, which will put you in a higher interest bracket and ultimately cost you a lot more money in the end. It pays to check your credit standing before approaching a lender. Don’t forget that this is one of the most important decisions you will take in your lifetime, so be smart, take your time and don’t be too emotional .

Give yourself some time to fix your credit should there be any by checking your credit report beforehand. Rebuilding credit can take time though, sometimes even years. You should always plan ahead,  and give yourself plenty of time to fix your credit.

Remember this: you should always commit yourself to buying a property. You should always strive to get the best possible deals, which means knowing your credit and where you stand. This way, you can get the best interest rates (and trust me, that is pretty important if you consider you will be paying your house for a long time) You don’t want to buy a home with bad credit, simply because you’ll pay a lot more money for the home’s value. If you take the time to fix any credit problems and save up some money – you’ll be able to get a much better home for your money’s worth.

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