A Very Helpful and Necessary Part of my Relocation Tours

Recently, I received a thank you letter from one of my past tour guests. Two years after taking my tour she purchased a beautiful homes in Atenas. This is what Lindsay wrote, “I have great news. I just bought a house in Roca Verde, Atenas. A beautiful house with panoramic views. When I am moved in and unpacked I would love for you and your tour groups to come visit so that I can help people with my experiences in making the big move to Costa Rica! I”The only thing to fear is fear itself!

It was a lot of work and a long haul to get here but I did it! ( Marian Veltman is my Realtor and she has been fabulous! ) Hope to see you in the not too distant future and THANK YOU Christopher for your KNOWLEDGE and EXPERTISE. “

Over the years dozens of my clients have found their dream home in Costa Rica. However, I do not want prospective expats to get the wrong idea about my tours. They lifestyle tours are definitely NOT to sell your homes or timeshares.

Viewing homes is an integral part of learning about how expats live here. My tour would not be complete without it. Originally many of my clients asked me to see housing, so I honored their request and made visiting homes part of the tour. I have never sold property to any of my past clients.

I use a real estate company that is happy to show my guests homes with the hope that some of them will purchase a property them down the road. In Lindsay’s case she waited two years to move here before making a purchase.

Of course, I tell everyone on my tour that they should “Test before they invest,” and rent before they buy something.

One portly expat who does copy-cat relocation tours and unfortunately has a high-profile website, has demonized buying real estate here. He has stated repeatedly that all of the other relocation tours are “disguised to see real estate.” That’s probably because he does not have the money or knowledge to make a good investment. One thing is to offer a real estate tour and another is to provide honest, reliable and time-tested contacts to protect future home buyers. I would be doing a disservice to my clients if I didn’t provide this information and contacts.

Over the 30 years that I have been in this business I have made hundreds of people happy and helped them change their lives for the better. Many of my former clients have purchased homes in the Central Valley while others have opted for the beach. However, the majority of people on my tours turn out to be renters.