Chasing Your Dream – Starting Your Own Business in Costa Rica

For many of you, moving and starting a business in Costa Rica is the ultimate dream. Chasing your dreams takes dedication and a bit of work, and I’m always thrilled to hear the stories of fellow expats who have made their dreams come true and become successful at opening up a business in Costa Rica. Last week I sat down with Michael Brown to hear his story.

Interview with expat Michael Brown, CEO of Mead Brown Costa Rica Vacation Rentals

Michael, what brought you to Costa Rica?
Like many people, our first trip to Costa Rica was for a vacation. It’s a big world; we figured we’d make one visit, cross it off our list, and continue exploring this fascinating planet of ours. But we were immediately captivated by the stunning natural beauty of the rain forests and the beaches, and by the monkeys, marlin, and orchids, as well as by the friendly and happy people.

What compelled you to move to Costa Rica and start a business?

We were living in Washington, DC, and had made multiple visits to the Pacific Northwest, with the intention of either buying an existing business there, or of starting one there. During our vacation in Costa Rica, we were having a friendly lunch with a real estate agent. Just making casual conversation, I asked, “What businesses are needed here? If someone were to move to Costa Rica, what do you suggest they do for a living?” His second suggestion was a vacation rental agency.

What was his first?
A drycleaner! Needless to say, we had no desire to move anywhere so we could inhale chemicals all day!

Did Costa Rica really need yet another vacation rental company?
Yes. We had been renting a high-end condo in Los Suenos Resort and the service was really bad. Virtually non-existent. We are not high maintenance or demanding, but we could not get liners for the trash can. Every time we’d call, they’d say someone would be right over with a supply. We never had liners during our entire week-long stay. That’s a small detail, but God is in the details. It was annoying all week to put trash into a can without a bag; we really felt like we were being disrespectful to the housekeepers.

On departure day, we called the rental office to ask what to do with the keys. They said they’d send someone over to check us out. By “check us out,” they meant that two people spent an hour counting all the spoons and forks and everything else! Unreal. We had been renting villas and condominiums for vacations for 20 years, and had never experienced that. I mean, who travels to a foreign country to steal the flatware?!

How did you go about starting and growing your business in Costa Rica.

Rather than merely publishing a web site and hanging out an “open” sign, we spent nearly a year researching every aspect of the business. This included half a dozen trips to Costa Rica. We wanted to have all the systems in place before we opened, rather than figuring it out as we went along.

There was still a learning curve after we opened, but we really had a pretty good idea of what was required to be successful. The vacation rental business has several key aspects: Marketing, reservations, housekeeping, maintenance, concierge services, transportation, and bookkeeping. We strive to be the best at what we do. Conde Nast Traveler magazine has just 40 villa rental specialists around the world. There is only one for Costa Rica, and it’s Mark Mead my partner (Conde Nast Traveler names individuals, not agencies, to their list). He was named to the list of villa experts in 2011 and again in 2012. He was carefully vetted through the magazine’s rigorous screening process, and found worthy. What this means for our guests is that we are reliable and trustworthy; these are important attributes when traveling to a foreign country, or anywhere for that matter.

What advice would you give to those wanting to move to Costa Rica and start their own business?
Do your homework first. Know what resources it’s going to take to be successful (and having those resources is no guarantee of success, but without them you’ll likely fail). Be committed to doing really well whatever it is you choose to do, as we already have many poorly run businesses in Central America and do not need another! If you are truly committed to performing and delivering to a North American standard—difficult anywhere, and particularly challenging in a developing country—then come give it a go.
Be realistic about what it’s going to take; ten or twenty thousand dollars is enough to get into trouble, and not enough to succeed in business. You don’t want to buy yourself a job; the goal should be a successful business, one that can generate a good income without you having to do everything yourself.

If you’d like more information about starting a business in Costa Rica or real estate in Jaco and the Los Suenos area please call David Karr at 707.962.4482 or email here.

About Mead Brown
Mead Brown Costa Rica is a boutique vacation rental firm offering professionally managed private villas and homes plus premium condominiums for rent in Jaco Beach, Los Sueños and other parts of Costa Rica. Visit them online at Mead Brown in Costa Rica.

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Condos for sale in Los Suenos can sometimes be hard to search online. Because there is no official MLS in Costa Rica it often takes searching through countless real estate websites to see what is available. The worst part is once you do come across a site with listings it often may not be updated. I have to admit that even our 2Costa Rica real estate office is guilty of this, although we do our best to keep our listings updated I always encourage clients to contact us directly just to check what is the latest available. For properties in Los Suenos, typically people are searching for a specific condo in Los Suenos. Del Mar, Colina, Veranda, Bella Vista, Montebello are some of the most popular residences in the resort. What’s also important to keep in mind is that while some offices focus on just selling their exclusive listings, I focus more on presenting all homes and condos for sale in Los Suenos, with a focus on the most motivated sellers and best priced. Currently there are some fantastic values in the Los Suenos resort. Below are the condos in Los Suenos that I feel are the best deals currently. If you would like more details on these condos for sale in Los Suenos or would like to receive an updated list of all properties for sale in Los Suenos Costa Rica please contact me here or call me direct at 707.962.4482

Del Mar Condo for Sale $459,000
Bay Residence Condo for Sale $740,000
1 Bedroom Veranda Condo for Sale $250,000
2 Bedroom Colina Condo for Sale $375,000
Montebello Condo for Sale $750,000

Acqua residences in Jaco Costa Rica will be auctioning a total of 8 condos. On May 26, 2012, there will be an auction to sell 8 condos of the luxury beachfront community in Jaco, Costa Rica. Four of the condos will feature no minimum price or reserve. All of the units are 2 bedroom/2 bath and vary in size from 1200-1900 sq ft.

On May 26, 2012, eight luxurious oceanfront condominiums located in Costa Rica’s Central Pacific region will be offered for sale at auction. At least 4 of the condos will be sold absolute, without any reserve or minimum price. Platinum Luxury Auctions, a U.S.-based auction firm specializing in very high-priced properties, is conducting the sale. Amenities include, 24-hour lobby attendant, gated security, fitness center, tv lounge, resort-style pool and Jacuzzi, spa and salon. On site property management is also available for those wishing to rent out their condo and use it as a Costa Rica vacation rental.

A no reserve auction obviously sounds like a tremendous opportunity to purchase your Costa Rica condo at a deep discount, but what’s important to learn in this situation is the actual value of these condos and just how much should one be willing to bid in order to ensure they are getting a great deal. If you have more interest in condos for sale in Acqua and this auction I encourage you to contact me for recent Acqua sales information and comps as well as details on the auction process. Call David Karr direct 707.962.4482 or email here.

Contact for other distressed sales in Costa Rica or foreclosures in Costa Rica.

Acqua Residences is a luxury beach front community in Jaco Beach, consisting of 38 condos. It is one of the nicer communities on the beachfront in Jaco, featuring no shared walls for added privacy, a gym, owner storage, covered parking, spa, salon, and beautiful beachfront pool.

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Amazing Price on 1.25 Acre Oceanview Property in Hermosa Beach – Just $69,000!

If you have been searching for perfect spot to build your oceanview home in Costa Rica, this is it!. Nestled in the lush rainforest, this 1.25 acre features gorgeous ocean and mountain views. Often times in Costa Rica accessibility to properties with stunning views like this can be difficult, but this property features is accessed on a paved road and is less than two miles to the beach. The property also features a gated entrance for added security. At this price you can easily afford to have a brand new beautiful oceanview home for less than $200,000!

Hermosa Beach, considered to be one of the best surf spots in all of Central America is just two miles away, while the conveniences of shopping and restaurants in Jaco Beach is just a short 10 minute drive. This area is clearly a surfer’s heaven for those who dream of surfing in Costa Rica every day, but also a perfect destination for full time retires and snow birds looking to spend a few months in the warm tropical sun.

Please call me direct for more info on this or other listings in the Hermosa or Jaco area.
David Karr Direct 707.962.4482

Jaco Beach. – A multi-million dollar stadium in Jaco may seem like a stretch for a division two soccer team in Jaco, but when Patrick Hundley, one of the most important developers of Jaco, is behind the idea it is usually more about the numbers. Why? The stadium is not just to house the Jaco Rays Soccer Team, it will stage the Women’s World Cup Under-17 in 2014 and be one of the magnets to attract new buyers of condominiums and homes located around the complex.

Hundley, of Daystar properties has plenty of real estate that will benefit from the new stadium.
Currently six finished real estate projects in Jaco include Diamante del Sol, Paloma Blanca, Bahia Azul, Bahia Encantada, The Palms, and several others on the books.

The stadium will hold 6-7,000 people, a tremendous upgrade from the current facility in Jaco. Construction is set to begin in the next 3-4 months with completion in time for the Women’s World Cup in 2014.

For those who understand spanish here is a video report on the story
Video report of new stadium in Jaco

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The Central Pacific remains the most popular destination for fishing in Costa Rica. Billfish are the primary targets for most anglers and they are rarely disappointed. Typically offshore fishing is done 12-20 miles out in the pacific waters. Once in the beautiful blue water anglers will catch Dorado, Sailfish, Tuna, Marlin and Wahoo. Inshore fishing is done around reefs, rocks, river mouths and estuaries, there anglers will catch Jacks, Snapper, Mackerel, Snook and more. Those who are die hard fisherman love the luxuries and amenities of Los Suenos.

Right now you can take advantage of one of the best values in the entire Los Suenos Resort with the Lowest Priced 3 Bedroom in Los Suenos. Price reduced to $459,000 on this fully furnished, 3 bedroom/2 bath Delmar in order for a fast sale. This corner unit has a much larger floorplan than other condos in the community, featuring a much larger terrace, and amazing views of the marina, golf course and resort. Owners have full access to Marriott Ocean Hotel’s bars and restaurants, room service, casino, spa, tennis and golf as well as access to a private beach club. On site property management also available for those wishing to use their condo as a vacation rental. With three free-form swimming pools, fitness facility, Jacuzzis, picnic grounds, barbecue areas and plenty of walking paths, the condo residences at Del Mar are ideal for those who want to take advantage of all the recreational opportunities available in Costa Rica.

Real Estate in the Los Suenos resort continues to be in hot demand thanks to the local San Jose market. With the close proximity to San Jose more and more locals are pursuing a second home in the Central Pacific and Los Suenos is their first choice. If you have more interest in properties in the Los Suenos resort please contact David Karr direct 707.962.4482 or in Costa Rica 8718.7216.

Video tour of Los Suenos Resort and beach club.

Originally posted

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DEVELOPER MOTIVATED – CONSIDERING ALL OFFERS

Beautiful Manuel Antonio Resort & Spa provides you with the opportunity for luxurious beach living, with nature right outside your door. Imagine the combination of 5 star services and the Costa Rican rainforest, along with a plethora of Costa Rican wildlife for your neighbors. You’ll love the location, as many of the country’s top attractions are just minutes away. Every Unit has an elegant ocean view, and comes fully furnished with Bali-style appointments. 3 Bedroom/3 Bath, 2500 square feet, with onsite property management available.
From $495,000 but ready to entertain offers, please contact David Karr for complete details, 707.962.4482.

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Amazing weather, friendly people, stunning scenery, simpler lifestyle, by now you have heard all of the many reasons why someone would want to make the move to Costa Rica. In fact you might be saying “I’ve always dreamed of moving and living in Costa Rica.” Obviously that is a big step that takes effort and time to research, and while many may think the first step in making their dream come true is finding a home in Costa Rica I’m here to say that they are dead wrong!

The first step in making the move to Costa Rica is to VISIT COSTA RICA. It amazes me the amount of time people spend in their real estate search prior to ever even visiting the country. Costa Rica offers several different climate zones, many different types of areas. Rural, city, beach, mountain, it’s hard to really know which area is right for you if you have not traveled and taken the time to discover for yourself. My best advice to clients who are serious about making their dream of Costa Rica come true is to simply plan a vacation to Costa Rica, if you fall in love like most do, you can then take the next steps in your pursuit to making Costa Rica your new home.

If you are ready to plan a trip to Costa Rica and would like guidance in finding the right area for you to live or retire let me know and I’ll be happy to assist.

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In any sort of business transaction it’s important to deal with trustworthy people, but when purchasing property in Costa Rica one of the most important decisions you will make is who you rely on to guide you with your search and with the sales process. Welovecostarica

has gone to great lengths to help warn people about some of the common pitfalls made in Costa Rica real estate, and I wanted to provide some additional tips to watch out for when choosing a realtor in Costa Rica.

Working for the Developer
One of the most common mistakes I see people make when looking at Costa Rica real estate is dealing directly with a developer’s sales office. Many times a developments sales team will label themselves as “realtors” when in fact they are simply sales agents for the developer. They work for the developer, period. That often creates bias and conflict for buyers, as someone working for a developer is typically going to protect his/her interest and perhaps push certain listings over others. Developer sales staff are also going to always paint the perfect picture and often not disclose some of the negatives that could be associated with the project. Any sales staff for any development in Costa Rica collaborates with a reputable realtor. By having an outside realtor provide you with buyer representation does not cost you anymore as commissions are simply shared between him/her and the developers sales office. Maybe there are re-sales at a lower price, maybe there is an upcoming assessment, maybe there is a similar project that is simply better, a realtor working for YOU will help answer all of this.

Working for Themselves
In Costa Rica there are many realtors who simply look out for themselves and soley promote their own listings so they don’t have to co-broke and share commission with another office. If you are searching for real estate in Costa Rica your realtor should be collaborating with other realtors and to show you other listings. If you go look at 10 properties and all of them are the agent’s own listings, then you should probably start to wonder. It is important to note however, in some of the more isolated areas of Costa Rica where offices are limited it would not be uncommon for one realtor to control a majority of the listings.

Long Term Commitment
Does your realtor have residency in Costa Rica? I would not suggest buying real estate from someone who is simply here as a tourist. Those who are committed to living here and staying in Costa Rica are who I would suggest working with. It’s also an important part of you having assistance after the sale. I have clients who I assist with favors years after they purchased, a realtor living here fulltime is a great resource for buyers after the sale.

Honest Feedback and Info
If you don’t feel comfortable being honest and upfront with your realtor about your thoughts, your finances and other personal info, then you aren’t dealing with the right person.

If you are looking at real estate in Costa Rica feel free to let me know how I can assist you more. Call me anytime direct at 707.962.4482 or in Costa Rica at 8718.7216

Following its hit production of “A Christmas Carol,” Teatro Jacó on the central Pacific coast is now presenting “17 Border Crossings,” an entertaining and thought-provoking collection of dramatic and humorous monologues woven together from real adventures of international border crossings.

The show is the creation of multitalented U.S. director, writer and actor Thaddeus Phillips, artistic director of Lucidity Suitcase Intercontinental, a theater team based in the U.S. city of Philadelphia and Bogota, Colombia, that develops original theater works using creative structures, objects, found and original texts and extensive travel.

The internationally acclaimed “17 Border Crossings” comes to Teatro Jacó directly from Madrid on a world tour. The Tico Times caught up with Phillips prior to opening night, Jan. 19. Excerpts:

TT: You are now on a world tour and your next stop is Costa Rica. Why have you chosen to perform at Teatro Jacó? Is this your first visit to Costa Rica?

TP: This is my first visit to Costa Rica and the Central/South American premiere of our work. Teatro Jacó invited us to bring our work here, and I am personally very interested in finding new venues – and Teatro Jacó is a complete adventure.

After graduating from Colorado College in the U.S., you studied at the DAMU (Theatre Faculty of the Academy of Performing Arts) in Prague. What did you study there?

Mainly the definition of what I studied is called “action design,” a form in which the stage design is a movable and integral part of theater. This process will be seen full swing in “17 Border Crossings.”

“17 Border Crossings” is based on your experiences and adventures at international border crossings over the past 15 years. Did these situations just happen during your extensive travels or did you go to specific borders that you knew could be dangerous?

The situations really just happened. When I went to visit a friend in Croatia during the civil war there, I felt it would be risky, but checked with the U.S. State Department and they said it was calm at that time. It was not.

The play starts with the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and spans the time period until 9/11/01. You then resumed writing again after the protest and suicide of Mohamed Bouazizi (the Tunisian fruit vendor who set himself on fire in 2010 and became a catalyst for the Tunisian Revolution and the Arab Spring). Why that particular incident?

I was looking at events surrounding the border crossing stories I was collecting, and noticed that certain ones were really linked to the fall of the Berlin Wall, like the war in the Balkans. And many other crossings were colored by the world after 9/11 – the increased security and suspicion of all things Arab and Muslim. The story of Mohamed Bouazizi and the Arab Spring marks another shift in the world order that could potentially bring forth a newly conceived and more free Arab world.

You use a mix of physical theatricality, humor and political critique to describe the situations you encounter, but with a bare stage or minimal set and virtually no props?

Yes. But the minimal set is full of surprises and visually stunning, and what our design team has come up with in terms of light and sound are a major part of “17 Border Crossings. Touring with the show to Jacó is Maria Shalpin, one of the best young light designers working in the U.S. right now, and she has created borders, scenes in bathrooms, on trains, etc., using just lights that are attached to a bar that ascends and descends in the space. Spencer Sheridan has created a soundscape that amplifies the themes in the work and uses old speakers, a mini-fender amp and microphones.

You have performed in many different countries. How many languages do you speak?

Really, one and a half – English and Spanish. I can speak parts of many languages quite well – I could make one think I speak Spanish fluently, and even Serbian, Czech, Italian and French. I love languages and how they work and communicating with people in other languages, so I dive into unknown languages and then just pretend.

Tell me more about Lucidity Suitcase Intercontinental’s shows, particularly “The Earth’s Sharp Edge”; did it have any influence on “17 Border Crossings”?

“17 Border Crossings” is actually a “greatest hits” playlist of almost all of Lucidity’s work. Each scene has something from another show, from “Henry V” to “The Earth’s Sharp Edge,” where the same scene at Newark Liberty Airport is recreated in “17 Border Crossings. The first scene at the airport in Havana, Cuba, is also lifted from a show we did called “Lost Soles.”

Do you think Lucidity Showcase will be coming to Costa Rica in the future?

Darren [Lee Cole], the artistic director of Teatro Jacó, and I have an idea to try to bring a very technically complicated work about a Colombian doorman to Costa Rica in the future.

“17 Border Crossings” runs through Jan. 29 at the new Teatro Jacó, inside Oceans Center on Avenida Pastor Díaz in the Central Pacific beach town of Jacó. Performances are Thursday through Sunday at 7:30 p.m.; Sunday evening shows are performed in Spanish. Ticket prices are $35 for main floor seating and $20 for balcony, with a special locals’ price of $17.50 for Sunday’s Spanish-language performances. For more information, call 2630-9811 or visit teatrojaco.com

Originally posted here

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