Testimonials
We are very grateful to all those who have elected to use our services while buying a home in Costa Rica or simply investing in property. Here are just a few comments from Costa Rica real estate buyers we have been privileged to work with.
If you are thinking about relocating to Costa Rica, be very careful. Rosa, George, and Linda have an excellent company that will protect you. My family spent ten days with these people and was extremely impressed with their hospitality and professionalism. Their knowledge of Costa Rica is second to none. Their associates that they introduced me to are equally as impressive. I think the secrete to buying a house/condo in a country you are unfamiliar with is to trust the people that are guiding you. I can assure that these people are trustworthy. If you have any questions, my name is Steve Perlstein feel free to call me at 203-565-3178. I live in the United States.
Sincerely,
Steve Perlstein
Hi, Guys, This is just a note to express my appreciation for all your help during our visit last week. Ricardo took us first to Puriscal where we looked at properties in our price range. It was an idyllic setting and a beautiful property. Our visit there was a lot of fun and we looked forward to more scenic drives the next day when we went to Heredia and found two more places that would have worked for us, but wanted to keep looking so as not to overlook anything. Our next voyage took us to Turrialba where we had an enjoyable (and cheap) lunch. One home there was crossed off our list because of (1) its location and (2) its condition. On the way back Ricardo took us to a charming mountain cabin that was picturesque as could be, but its size and location, again made us decide against it. After a couple of days R & R we drove to the Orosi Valley and found just what we wanted in a house and decided to make an offer on it. On the road back we visited another small restaurant and enjoyed a great trout dinner for the unbelievable price of $13 for the three of us. On Ricardo's recommendation we had dinner at a steakhouse in San Jose and had the best steaks I've ever eaten after getting the legalities in order on Saturday. Thanks again for all your hospitality and knowledgeable assistance
Jay Bridwell jbrid11@gmail.com
For all of you who are considering buying Real Estate in Costa Rica, we wanted to share our experience with John Hepner of Buyer’s Agents of Costa Rica. We started actively looking online for a home in Costa Rica last summer. John Hepner responded to our interest in a property. After learning of our criteria and budget, John searched for other properties that we might be interested in. He encouraged us to make a trip to Costa Rica and go on a Real Estate Tour with him. But, we did not come until we had pre-qualified a sufficient number of properties to make our trip worthwhile. John’s preparation was invaluable to us. He did not limit our tour to his company’s own listing, but arranged showings through several other realtors’ and owners’ listings. The tour was extremely well coordinated with every property available upon our arrival. We covered a vast area of the Central Valley and South Pacific on our tour. We found just what we were looking for in San Vito, made an offer and after much negotiation handled for us by John, we reached a purchase agreement on the property. John wasted none of our time and provided a service that we could not have done on our own. Most of the properties we saw we probably would not have located on our own. John’s company, Buyer’s Agents, is unique so far as we can tell. They are great networkers and cover the entire country through their own listings and their extensive contacts throughout the country. We could go on about how pleased we are with the results of our search for a home in the Garden of Eden. Please don’t hesitate to contact us if we can be of any help. Pura Vida,
David and Maureen Cantley Stuart, Florida DKC1444@aol.com
My first time in Costa Rica was quite an experience. It started when Geovanni Solis picked up our party of 4 at the airport. From there our adventure began. Geovanni had no idea what he was getting himself into. We were up the following morning early and on the road to begin our tour of the country. We encountered a back up due to an accident on the main highway. We had a choice to sit still for 3 hours or take a country tour around Arenal Volcano. Geovanni made the decision to keep moving (not such a bad thing) and we got lots of pictures for our memory books. We toured from the north Tamarindo, Samara, Jaco, Quepos, Manuel Antonio, to the South Dominical and everything in between. Geovanni was well versed in English and Spanish which served us well when 2 days into our trip, our car got broken into. Backpacks and purses foolishly left in the rental car and stolen. All our identification Credit Cards, Money, Passports etc… Geovanni dealt with everything: police reports, hotel owners, the Embassy, many locals and our own spirits during a stressful time. We were over the shock quickly. We continued our trip and quite frankly we had the time of our lives. Geovanni’s professionalism, knowledge of his country, Spanish lessons while driving, good humor, pleasant personality, and organizational skills for our complex itinerary and demanding schedule was extraordinary. He is a very caring, giving and trusting person. In a short period of time, he was part of our family, and like a beloved Uncle to the 2 year old traveling with us. We shared all meals with Geovanni and enjoyed many conversations about everything. We experienced monkeys, great sights and views, drove through rivers and past a mud slide on the highway. We walked many acres and viewed many resorts and hotels in our search to buy one. We were introduced to many professionals, developers, hotel owners, architects and a lawyer for any questions we may have needed clarified for investing in the country. We are very thankful to Buyers Agents, George and Lynda Bradbury, Geovanni Solis and the whole team. We were treated with the utmost hospitality, care and professionalism. I am sure not only for us, but also for Geovanni Solis this was quite an adventure. Part of “Life’s Memories”. We are excited to return to Costa Rica, to live, invest and bring our own professionalism to a Country full of much charm, amazing people and opportunities. Blessings from Canada!
Creatively, Sandra Smith, Interior Designer Interior Lifestyles Toronto, Ontario Canada.
I would like to nominate this agent: Colin Miller Colin runs the Jaco office of what was called VacationCity but now goes by the name of Buyer's Agents Costa Rica. He has helped us purchase two homes, one in Playa Bejuco (Paritta) and the other in Santa Ana. I cannot say enough good things about Colin. He is very thorough, knowledgeable, and serves way "above and beyond the call of duty". He is fully fluent in Spanish, really takes time to get to know his clients and matches properties to his clients' needs. His advice, help, and concern goes beyond the purely real estate angle. He is very honest and trust worthy. In all of my real estate deals (10) that I have done in North America, the Caribbean, and Central America, I have never met an agent as quite as remarkable as Colin. His clients happiness is paramount and their concerns are his. He asks those question that we forget, discusses angles that we have not thought of, understands our budgets, and treats clients spending $150,000 the same as those who spend $1.5 million. He has helped us with so many non-real estate issues as well and has introduced us to some very fine people, expats and Ticos. He has made what could have been a completely overwhelming ordeal possible and even fun. I would recommend Colin to anyone. He is a prince of a man.
Janice Cazakoff
Do you remember the property owner who threw a Banana Peel to mark a lot boundary? (see March 2007) Well, the same agent, John Hepner just finished a 4 day Real Estate Tour with a couple that included looking at properties in Atenas, Quepos, Manuel Antonio, Parrita, Jaco, Herradura, Tamarindo, Playa Flamingo, Hermosa and Coco! That is miles of driving and a dizzying group of towns. On the way back to San Jose, he was driving their rental car, it was getting late, and there was drizzle and fog. John, who first came to CR in 1998, drove like a "Tico" and passed trucks whenever he could. After an aborted attempt to pass, the husband suggested that maybe he should drive. This meant that the husband had to drive up the wet, winding mountain roads in the dark - a heart stopping experience the first time you do it. As soon as he was on a wider stretch, he passed a big truck on a double yellow line while everyone in the car held their breath. Right away, his wife said it was her turn to drive! Of course, she got the easy part, the drive near the capital city. This was part of their learning curve - it can take a lot to learn about this country and getting around. At the end of the tour, they said that they finally knew what "they didn't know they didn't know". They were appreciative that John shared his personal and professional experience with them in their quest to buy the right real estate in Costa Rica.
We engaged Geovanni Solis of Buyer's Agents of Costa Rica to take us on a real estate tour of Costa Rica in May. Maggie is a licensed realtor in Chicago, and was seeking investments for ourselves and for her clients. Geovanni showed us about 20 properties over a 5 day period, including homes, condos and land in San Jose, the Jaco beaches area, Tamarindo area and the North Pacific and Guanacaste areas. Since he was very well acquainted with the properties and their locations, our tours were very efficient and our time with him was well spent. This is very important in a country without street signs. Geovanni was well prepared, as he had previewed the properties and showed us the best real estate investments available in Costa Rica. He answered many of our difficult questions promptly, and if he didn't have an answer, he researched them the same day. He was the perfect host while we looked at real estate. He paced our tours well, so that he made sure we had time to see the properties, eat, sleep and enjoy the country. We dined with Geovanni at the end of most days and it was our pleasure to spend even some of our precious free time with him. Geovanni was able converse in Spanish and English which made it easier for some listing agents at the properties, who spoke mostly Spanish to understand what we wanted to ask. In working with us in making an offer on a property in Costa Rica, he proved to be a person of high integrity. We have already recommended several clients to Geovanni so that he can serve as their buyer's agent in Costa Rica. We are confident that he will do an excellent job with them as he did with us."
Maggie Finegan and Keith Clauson
A recent client who went on a Real Estate Tour wrote us a thank you note, to complement the professionalism of our agent, John Hepner. The client included the comment that our staff must now know how to measure a property using the Banana Peel Method. When we asked the agent about this, John explained. This client was looking to purchase a building lot in an inland area of Costa Rica. Evidently, they went to see a property in Atenas, a sunny area that is one hour west of San Jose and one hour from the beaches of Jaco. The owner was showing them the field that adjoins his home that is for sale. The whole time they visited, the owner was taking bananas off a bunch and eating them. While they stood on his back deck, they couldn't figure out exactly where the two lots met. Finally the owner finished his third banana and threw the peel hard and said, "That's where the property line is." The client and John have dubbed this surveying system, the Banana Peel Method. It is amazing the skills our staff members have to use on the job.
In December, 2006, at the beginning of the so-called dry season in Costa Rica, which really means, I gather, the less-wet season, my wife and I enjoyed a day with Jean Pierre, during which he drove us (in our rental car) to a series of properties meeting pre-specified criteria which we had suggested, i.e., drivable to golf courses, within a certain price range, etc. We saw several properties during the day which fit our interests perfectly. Jean Pierre did a great job of tailoring his tour to our needs, even though he knew we were not ready to buy at that time. When an agent was late for an appointment, Jean Pierre adapted well to the situation because he was able to identify other drive-bys in the area. We also were given an ongoing education as we drove regarding the various districts we visited, weather patterns, likelihood of increased values, security, and characteristics of neighborhoods. We happened to be interested in finding a home which would maximize opportunities for meeting both Tico and Gringo neighbors. Jean Pierre is very comfortable in both worlds and showed us properties in colorful, mostly Tico neighborhoods that were great. He is a fun conversationalist and a driver with the skill and experience necessary for San Jose area traffic, in which a New York Taxi driver would probably feel intimidated. E-mail us (Kat and Layne) for more at layne@inreach.com. Or, if that address is no good (we might need to change ISPs) check with Jean Pierre for our new email add
Layne Winklebleck
My wife and I were looking for land in Costa Rica but we didn’t know the language, laws, or the country so we needed help. We contacted George at Vacation City to help us with a trip to see what was available throughout the country. What made the trip challenging is we didn’t even know what area of the country we liked best. We had a 2 week trip with Jean Pierre, which was a real challenge for him because we decided from day to day on where to go depending on weather we liked what we saw. This resulted in him working about 12 hours a day because when my wife and I ended our day Jean Pierre had to plan the next day. Jean Pierre got us around so that by the end of the trip we were confident that the north end of Osa Peninsula was the place for us. Not only did we find the right area for us but I think we looked at every piece of property for sale in the area so we have no doubt that we found the best property for us. Thanks again Jean Pierre.
John and Anna Berry, email:BerryDonkey@aol.com tel. 727-527-9211 Tampa, Florida