With the arrival of large international companies in Costa Rica and better paid jobs, developers have adjusted their market to smaller homes and apartments in condominium, also called starter homes.
Most property sellers drive home every day and take their surroundings for granted, however what a house's exterior looks like is the first thing a buyer sees when looking to purchase a property.
When you want to purchase a property in Costa Rica and the funds to pay for that property come from outside the country, your funds will be frozen for sure. The reason for the Costa Rican government’s control over arrival of new funds to bank accounts is to monitor money laundering and drug trafficking.
I have been a real estate agent since before condominiums and gated communities even existed in Costa Rica. Even in those days, security was an issue. Due to a lack of social welfare and being a developing country, petty thievery and breaking and entering has always existed in Costa Rica, so the creation of condominiums was a good idea.