Yes. Foreign nationals — including Canadians — hold Costa Rican real estate with the same legal rights as Costa Ricans. Owner financing is the most common path for Canadian buyers because Canadian banks won't lend on Costa Rican collateral. You take title in your name on closing day, secured to the seller via a registered hipoteca.

Yes. U.S. citizens have the same property rights as locals. Owner financing through Real Estate Grupo eliminates U.S. bank approval, foreign-property denials, and 90-day underwriting timelines. Title is registered in your name (or your U.S. LLC / Costa Rican S.A.) on closing day.

No. Owner financing is negotiated based on the property and the down payment, not your domestic credit score. Most North American banks wouldn't help anyway — your credit history doesn't translate cross-border.

Yes — and we close a lot of deals at 0%. We negotiate the seller directly and trade interest rate for certainty: a strong down payment (typically 35–45%) and a defined balloon, in exchange for zero interest on the balance. Sellers say yes because they want a clean exit, not a decade of monthly cash flow. When 0% isn't on the table for a specific property, we land between 5% and 9% fixed — still better than every developer rate in Costa Rica.

Typically 20% to 40%. Lower down on longer terms. Higher down often unlocks 0% structures. We negotiate the exact figure with the seller based on what your deal looks like on paper.

Yes. A Costa Rican Notario Público transfers title to you (or your selected entity) at the Registro Nacional on closing day. The seller's hipoteca is registered the same day as security. You are the legal owner from minute one — the seller cannot retain ownership. This is fundamentally different from a developer "rent-to-own" or "land contract" where title only transfers after final payment.

Most of our deals carry no prepayment penalty. Some structures even offer prepayment discounts — typically 1% off the outstanding balance for every $100,000 lump-sum payment. We negotiate the prepayment clause as part of the term sheet.

Default triggers the registered hipoteca's foreclosure mechanism, governed by Costa Rican law and the executed contract. Every deal we structure includes written cure periods, formal notices, and clear remedies — the goal is to make default avoidable, not punitive. A typical contract gives the buyer 30–60 days to cure a missed payment before any acceleration.

Canadian residents must file Form T1135 (Foreign Income Verification Statement) if total foreign property exceeds CAD $100,000 in cost. A Costa Rican real estate purchase almost always crosses that threshold. We are not tax advisors — confirm your filings with a Canadian cross-border accountant before closing. We have a referral list if you don't already have one.

U.S. citizens may need to file FBAR (FinCEN 114) if escrow / rental accounts exceed USD $10,000, and Form 8938 (FATCA) at higher thresholds. Rental income is reportable on Schedule E. We are not tax advisors — verify your specific filings with a U.S. cross-border CPA. Costa Rica and the U.S. don't have a bilateral tax treaty — your accountant will navigate this.

Yes — and most international buyers do. A Costa Rican S.A. or SRL gives you asset protection, simpler estate planning, and clean books for rental income. We coordinate the entity formation alongside the closing — typically 5–10 business days, around USD $750–$1,200 all in.

Because most listing agents don't ask. They don't qualify the seller, they don't structure the deal, and they don't have the buyer pipeline to make a 0% pitch credible. We do — and we close a lot of deals at 0%. We're brokers, builders, and operators with our own Nicoya Peninsula portfolio. When we walk into a seller meeting with a qualified Canadian or American buyer and a strong down payment, a 0% rate in exchange for a defined balloon is a serious offer — and it lands.