Costa Rica Luxury

Over the past few weeks, news released about Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie buying property in Costa Rica. Why do you think a famous couple like this, with enough money to buy property any where over the planet, would even consider buying property in Costa Rica, a tiny little country in the middle of the American continent? On one hand Brad Pitt says Costa Rica “will be the perfect place for the family to get away from everything for a while.”  He adds that he “loves the country and is considering buying some Costa Rican property so they can spend some time there when life gets less hectic for them.” On the other hand, Angelina Jolie says she plans to step away from her flourishing Hollywood career in a few years to focus more on raising her children who will by then be near their teenage years.  She explained, “My kids (Maddox 10, Pax 8, Zahara 6, Shiloh 5, and three-year-old twins Knox and Vivienne) will need me a lot when they hit their teens. If I know anything ...

Los Laureles home with swimming pool Features: Location: Los Laureles, Escazu. Bedrooms: 3. Bathrooms: 2.5. Construction area: approximately 430 m2 of total construction (4626 sq.ft). Lot size: 925 m2 (9953 sq.ft). Alarm system. Swimming pool. Recently remodeled. Guard shack with bathroom and kitchenette. Garage: 2 + 2 parking spaces. Fine finishes: granite countertops, travertine floors, teak floors in bedrooms, Cristobel fine wood built-in cabinetry, hard wood beamed ceilings, brand new kitchen appliances. Monthly rental:  $2,800 unfurnished Description: This house is perfect for families looking for a centrically located home in Escazu, with fine finishes and lots of entertaining areas. The approximately 4626 sq.ft construction offers a beautiful ample kitchen with brand new stainless steel appliances, granite counter tops and a central gourmet style cooking island; additionally a double high ceiling living/dining room connected to the exterior terrace, garden and pool. The ...

The favorite word of any realtor!  But what does it really mean?  How anyone does get there? Experience has proven that the following ingredients are basic: C areful follow up at every step of the process L istening to the client´s needs and requirements O rienting both sides in the right direction to keep the process fluent S olving problems with creativity and professionalism I nnovating to maintain uniqueness N egotiating with transparency and confidence G o and walk the extra mile to prevent unexpected surprises... never assume anything! Yalile Alpizar, President/Broker/Owner Costa Rica Leading Estates CLE S. A. Exclusive representatives of www.prestige-mls.com LOL Team of Experts email:  yalile@clecr.com http://www.costaricamilliondollarhomes.com http://www.costaricaluxuryestates.com http://www.costaricaluxuryvacationrentals.com/ http://www.atcostaricarealestate.com Phones:  (506) 2235-7779  Cel:  (506) 8861-1515  

In most economies debt crises and recession have not largely affected the luxury real estate market, as the wealthiest people in every market keep on investing in high end real estate.  In our own experience most of them pay cash.  The International Luxury Residential Report presented by Christie´s International Real Estate at their annual conference in London, shows that buyers' optimism is slowly increasing with more than 67% of its agents and affiliates reporting an increase in activity in the first eight months of 2011.  Scarcity of property is driving up prices especially in top cities such as London , Paris, Hong Kong, New York and Beverly Hills. This is a key statement:  They point out that the very best property in the world’s most desirable locations will sell whatever is happening in the world economy and property is still seen as a safe haven when stock markets and equities are more volatile. Top performing real estate sales are in countries with an abu...

This past Friday it was formally delivered the notification by one of my clients, that they will vacate their apartment in two months. They are actually living in one of the most luxurious apartment buildings of Escazu. I must share with you my deep concern for the reasons that are forcing this decision, because the clients arrived at the building with a great expectation of finding peace and tranquility due to their health condition, and this was explained to the owners of the apartment on several occasions, even before signing the contract. The fact that the building is secluded and away from traffic and high density construction, was the main attraction for choosing this building in comparison with the other options they had at the time. The months in the building for my clients became a daily torture, mainly due to some famous roosters owned by the next store neighbor’s gardener, although there were other issues related to the building and its maintenance that also weighed in...

Starting with the Prestige MLS (www.prestige-mls.com)expansion in the USA and now the Latin American region, the Business Club expands to the Costa Rica Luxury real estate market with the appointment of Costa Rica Luxury Estates in July 2011. Costa Rica Luxury Estates (CLE) is recognized as the top luxury real estate boutique firm of Costa Rica and will be, this year, the Exclusive Representative for Prestige MLS Club. Pioneers in the professional development of the luxury real estate industry of Costa Rica, with over 20 years of expertise in the real estate market and more than 35 years of experience dealing with foreign clients from all over the world, Costa Rica Luxury Estates is committed to delivering results, combining integrity and dedication with experience and expertise. Costa Rica Luxury Estates is a family owned company, and as such, is able to keep maximum care and confidentiality in the handling of the information of its clients. Costa Rica Luxury Estates offers expe...

This is a newly built tropical Tommy Bahama style estate, a one of a kind design that elegantly blends Caribbean influences with modern architecture. Exposed beams, high rise ceilings, quality timber finishes, freshly decorated interiors The property has a total land size of 8112.01 sqm/ 2 acres and a total living space of 560 sqm/6028 sqft. and air conditioning throughout. On the main floor the principal entrance to the property leads you into the main open living area including the dining room, living room and kitchen. A large balcony with ocean view, a key feature of the main floor, can be accessed from the main living area. The kitchen design is modern, spacious and practical with granite worktop, solid wood and chrome finishes as well as cook top island and breakfast bar. A pantry and laundry room is positioned in close proximity to the kitchen. A well designed layout ensures that all bedrooms benefit from ocean views. On the main floor, the master bedrooms feature solid wood floo...

Costa Rica Luxury Real Estate: The Hawaii of Latin America:  Mal Pais and Santa T... : "The Hawaii of Latin America:  Mal Pais and Santa Teresa, among the ten most beautiful beaches in the world Even thought the name means 'bad ..."

Costa Rica is a bit different than many of the favorite destinations around the globe in many ways.  If someone chooses to live in Costa Rica instead of living in any other country, there must be a strong reason for that, especially in the high end, where buyers are much more demanding about their taste and needs.  In the high end we are mostly dealing with highly educated people, who have a clear understanding of the trends moving the market and, they usually do a lot of research before making any decision.   Prices in Costa Rica started to go down since the real estate crisis in the United States started.  Before that time, prices were up in the skies, mostly due to speculators from the USA creating a real estate bubble that had to go down at anytime.  As a result, properties sat on the market for months and months without selling.  Since then, owners have become aware of the need to lower the price on their properties, to adapt it to the present market c...

The Hawaii of Latin America:  Mal Pais and Santa Teresa, among the ten most beautiful beaches in the world Even thought the name means "bad country", it has nothing to do with that. Forbes Magazine voted the beaches of Malpais and neighboring Santa Teresa as "One of the ten most beautiful in the world."   Mal Pais is one of the preferred destinations for vacationing of famous celebrities. Mel Gibson and Gisele Bundchen are among those who have built beautiful vacation homes in the area. From Villa Vista Real you can view the beaches of Mal Pais, Santa Teresa, El Carmen and Hermosa, which are located one after the other one and represent the magical beauty of the beaches of Costa Rica. Villa Vista Real is offered as an exclusive vacation rental and it is also for sale on a turnkey deal: http://www.costaricamilliondollarhomes.com/Casa-Vista-Real/index.html .  “ Malpais is situated on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica on the southern tip of the Nico...

La experiencia nos ha demostrado que durante visitas temporales al país o en el proceso de encontrar una residencia permanente en Costa Rica, los ejecutivos y diplomáticos de alto nivel prefieren la comodidad de un apartamento que el ambiente de un hotel.   Acomodar a una familia en un país diferente   Para quienes eventualmente necesit a n alquilar un apartamento de lujo en Escazú, por semana o por mes , ponemos a su disposición un lujoso penthouse de 532 m2 en Escazú.   Ver descripción detallada y fotos en este link:  http://costaricaluxuryestates.com/LH_1/Luxurious-Penthouse.html   Con amplias terrazas privadas, vistas espectaculares, Jacuzzi externo para 8 personas, 3 amplios dormitorios, el principal con Jacuzzi, 2 oficinas, 3 salas, amplia terraza privada, aire acondicionado central.  Seguridad las 24 horas.  Completamente amueblado a todo lujo y equipado con todo lo necesario para que los ejecutivos solamente tengan que llevar su ma...

Bosques de Lindora is an exclusive gated community located in one of the most privilege sectors of Santa Ana.  With 24 hours security, a beautiful club house with swimming pool, tennis courts and entertainment areas, manicured community gardens with mature trees and impeccable maintenance, this neighborhood has become one of the preferred gated communities in the Central Valley.  Luxury homes from $800,000 up to $6 million make of Bosques de Lindora an ultra luxurious destination for those wanting to live in an exclusive address.  Security regulations are one of the main assets of Bosques de Lindora, and it is the main reason why many top level executives and diplomats choose this neighborhood for their residence.    Not many homes in Bosques de Lindora are offered for sale, and inventory in this neighborhood is rather slow along the year.  This is a sign that shows that families are satisfied and happy living there, and have made of Bosques de Lindora thei...

 We believe that laughter and joy is the ultimate luxury.  If you have billions, but cannot have a good belly laugh or enjoy your possessions you really are impoverished -- not wealthy at all. It gets people to really think about the meaning of luxury.  The best things in life are truly free!   Cheers! Ron & Alexandra     Visit Our Blog! The Language of Luxury Get Fluent.  Get Affluent!     Napa Consultants, International Strategic Business Development (805) 684-8180 www.NapaConsultants.com              

Expectations for a market recovery in luxury real estate--- an illusion.   This time we want to share some important information about the trends of the luxury real estate market in Costa Rica.  Last year the market was very slow and with few exceptions, merely homes with large discounts got sold.  The truth is that in year 2010 most luxury homes were sold with discounts in the range of 20% up to 50%, which is bad news for home owners who are obviously hoping to sell under better terms.    There are of course exceptions, but the general rule for luxury home buyers is to get the largest discount possible out of the deal.  Basically, there are strong reasons for this.  Firstly, most properties in the most popular markets have suffered aggressively as a result of the real estate and financial crisis.  This article is an example, “in more than a decade, the average price of a home in Orlando dropped to less than $100,000” http://www.proper...

La experiencia nos ha demostrado que durante visitas temporales al país o en el proceso de encontrar una residencia permanente en Costa Rica, los ejecutivos de alto nivel prefieren la comodidad de un apartamento que el ambiente de un hotel.     Para empresas que eventualmente necesiten alquilar para sus ejecutivos de alto nivel un apartamento de lujo por semana o por mes, ponemos a su disposición un lujoso penthouse de 532 m2 en Escazú.   Ver descripción detallada y fotos en este link:  http://costaricaluxuryestates.com/LH_1/Luxurious-Penthouse.html   Con amplias terrazas privadas, vistas espectaculares, Jacuzzi externo para 8 personas, 3 amplios dormitorios, el principal con Jacuzzi, 2 oficinas, 3 salas, amplia terraza privada, aire acondicionado central.  Seguridad las 24 horas.  Completamente amueblado a todo lujo y equipado con todo lo necesario para que los ejecutivos solamente tengan que llevar su maleta.    Alquiler por sema...

By Yalile Alpizar February 10, 2011 Selling luxury real estate is about selling peace of mind. If you check Wikipedia for the words "Peace of Mind" you will read: "Peace of Mind" may refer to: The absence of mental stress or anxiety, and the presence of serenity, calm, quiet, comfort of mind; Inner peace. In decades of selling luxury real estate I have come across many clients who are looking not only for a "piece of property" but for the right kind of property that will bring the necessary peace of mind to them and their families. High end buyers of luxury real estate are very particular about their needs and demands, and fulfilling them is not an easy task, especially in our case, as we are dealing with clients who are moving from a different country, different language, and different culture. At a closing recently, our client was at the end of a process that had taken him and his wife several years of continuous search for the right kind of pr...

When we sell a luxury property in Costa Rica we are not just selling a piece of land with a house on top of it... we are making dreams come true! This is what buyers usually say at closing day, and we are very clear that behind that special moment there are many years of planning and thinking, fears and expectations, mixed feelings about the future and a great desire for adventure. It is a radical change in lifestyle, and most families that we deal with are looking for that change. It involves new school for the kids, new doctors, new grocery shooping lists, new neighbours, new friends, new everything... and the changes that these families experience everyday have an impact in the lives of their families overseas as well. Yesterday I got a call from a client from Spain who moved with their kids to Costa Rica. They had just finished touring half of the country with family members who came from Spain to visit, and they are in love with the country. Changes involve a large variety o...

SELLING OF MILLION DOLLAR HOMES IN COSTA RICA AND THE ISSUE OF THE COMPARABLE MARKET ANALYSIS By Yalile Alpizar, President - Costa Rica Luxury Estates I wanted to share with you some input about what it is to purchase a luxury home in Costa Rica. Many of you have asked about the data bases of comparable market analysis for properties sold in Costa Rica over the last two years. I am very sorry to tell you that there is no such thing as a data base of comparable market analysis of properties in Costa Rica! Properties that are listed for sale, presently pending of sale and properties that have sold with/in the last year are only a part of each real estate office’s private data base. Costa Rica does not have an organized real estate system that would allow for realtors to update this type of information in order to make it available to buyers and sellers. Finding out comparables can result in a titanic task to any realtor or buyer who wants to have a better definition of what is in...

THE DANGERS OF OVERPRICING By Yalile Alpizar, President, Costa Rica Luxury Estates The big mistake in trying to sell luxury real estate starts right from the beginning of putting the property in the market… it has to do with OVERPRICING. Costa Rica is characterized by a real estate market where in theory everything is for sale if the right price is paid. This is what most buyers are told when they are putting their house on the market. Then we have the fact that there is more inventory of houses for sale than buyers who can actually qualify to purchase those homes. The equation is then more sellers competing for fewer buyers. There is a myth that sellers have to face from the very beginning if they are truly interested in selling the house at the right price on a timely basis, this is: “"The initial listing price isn't that important because the price can always be adjusted down later." This is NOT true, and the fact is that buyers loose a lot of time and ef...