The Buying Process
Purchasing
incorporation appraisals home inspections attorneys contracts survey map registration notary taxes titles closing
Appraisals
The appraisal registered with the municipality, the real estate broker and the sellers asking price combined provide plenty of room for inaccuracy. If you are not sure about how to measure the true value of the real estate of interest there are professional appraisal services within Costa Rica and we recommend that you take advantage. Appraisals usually last 2-5 hours and cost $150 to $500 depending upon size. If you are serious about making an offer this is an important step.
There are many things that can bring down property value and knowing these things can enable you to respond to high asking prices with a reasonable offer that is as low as possible. Does the house have pests, good water supply, a solid foundation? How close are you to public transportation? Hospitals? What are the local short comings of this specific area? Having these services performed gives you extra fuel for negotiation. Costa Rican culture accepts and promotes haggling so it is only to be expected that there may be some questions and negotiations during the purchase.
