Adventures In Costa Rica

My $75,000 Lesson

Pure vida life is for me and I was initially enchanted by Costa Rica!

Back in 2016, my boyfriend invited me on a real estate adventure to the Quepos & Manual Antonio region, to potentially invest in land for development.

8 gorgeous days in a stunning hotel with 180 degree views of the Pacific Ocean was quite the charming beginning to our trip, filled with dreamy sunsets, beach runs followed by massages, zip-lining and nature park walks.

We even got caught in a torrential downpour with crazy rain water up to our knees as we sloshed to a local bar for delicious Imperial beers.

Long story short, after some property investigation, my boyfriend and I arrived at an agreed price for a 1-acre parcel of land in a planned community with several other investors that we traveled with. The land was located south of Quepos and a 1/2 mile from the beach with a grand vision for building 2 structures on our plot, orchestrated by a U.S. expat’s development company, facilitated by a local attorney.

We planned to build a vacation retreat to lease out 11 months of the year. Neither of us were new to real estate, as we’d worked together in the industry for years and each both owned several properties in California.

The price tag was $150,000 in 3 payment installments wired through our S.A. (Sociedad Anonima) company that the local attorney created on our behalves.

I was rolling in cash at that moment, so a $75,000 investment didn’t make me break a sweat.

It was many months later when the land developer stopped communicating altogether and our Costa Rican attorney completely disappeared, that I realized we’d be taken. Not one person in the real estate investment group seemed to know what was going on, and after patiently waiting a few more months, I already knew the outcome.

Fly down to Costa Rica and pick a fight with a likely squatter on my property? Hunt down the developer or attorney? I think not.

I walked away from the lesson $75,000 poorer and a good deal wiser.

It felt more peaceful to let it go, focusing on future abundance and new opportunities.

Will I ever explore Costa Rica again? Absolutely!

Aside from my real estate fiasco, I find the energy there mesmerizing and I cannot wait to return.

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