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Buy or Build?
Perhaps it is not a question in the minds of most visitors to Costa Rica who plan to move here. The common thought is, "We find a nice neighborhood, buy a nice house, move in, and if we need a few repairs we will make them and live happily ever after." I believe most people think this way, including Cheryl and myself, but during our first one week exploratory trip to the San Jose and Escazu area we became very discouraged. The prices were high, the traffic was intense, or the neighborhoods were just not right for us. The gated communities seemed like a compound, or they were "cookie-cutter," or, did I mention the prices were too high?
Before I go further, this is OUR experience and many have made a happy life in San Jose and Escazu in just those ways that Cheryl and I could not have done. We came from Dallas and "enjoyed" the driving experience just enough there - Thank you very much! We were seeking a similar lifestyle (slowed down a bit) as we had previously enjoyed at a lower cost and we were unable to find that in the San Jose or Escazu. The amenities, restaurants, shopping, and such, were all you could ask for, but the prices did not meet our expectations and the noise level in those cities was more than we cared for.
We then learned that Grecia, where ever that was, had the reputation for being the cleanest city in Latin America and THAT was interesting to us. Having lived in Panama, Puerto Rico, and Mexico in my earlier years (Army brat), this sounded very much worth the exploration time as cleanliness is just one of those neat things we did enjoy in the states. Grecia, by the way, is about 30 minutes from the airport, 45 minutes from San Jose and Escazu. We fell in love with the community, the moderate daytime temperatures and cool evening temperatures. I like to sleep where it is cool at night and not smothered by heat during the day. While we are surely beach "lubbers" and bubble blowers (scuba) we just don't like the daytime heat of the beaches, so the Central Valley became our place. And are we ever glad? You bet. And we can drive to the beach area of Jaco in less than 2 hours. I feel like we have the benefit of both worlds; cooler climate, yet close enough to the beach. And property far less expensive than beach property was certainly the clincher.
Being the picky people we are, and I mean picky, (not discriminating), we were unable to find that perfect neighborhood, that nice house, nor the gated community that met our demands (including those demands made by our dogs), but prices were sounding better, at least for pieces of land. We really did not want to be in a "side by side" situation, but nor did we want to farm coffee, herd cows, or have too much to maintain.
Someone told us you could build for $25 to $35 a square foot, which included the roof, but not the doors, windows or kitchen cabinetry. If you hear those numbers please perform due diligence based on your requirements. Building prices are, in fact, cheaper, but to use those numbers as your guide will lead you down the path to disappointment. I cannot give you a price per foot, because just as anywhere, it really depends on what you want and your choice of amenities, materials or upgrades. We have many trustworthy builders who will happily give you their prices based on your plans and several architects who will plan your house based on your land and your wishes and wants. In case you cannot tell, my preference for this country would be to buy the land and build the house. But that is me---not you! I have success stories in the "buy it, repair or remodel it, and move into it" mode as well and I am more than willing to pursue that end on your behalf, but I believe it is a personal decision, one you should make for yourself after you too personally visit and analyze the process of "Buy or Build" to determine what is best for you and your family.
My very best advice is to keep your mind open to the possibilities and benefits of both. Then weigh those possibilities and benefits with what your very own eyes see when you get here to find that right "place."
PURA VIDA!
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