California Layover

As you may have read from my previous blog post, I was absorbed for a few
weeks in the Pura Vida of Costa Rica. While there, I continued to engage in my ongoing planting of seeds worldwide to determine where my Spirit was calling me next. As a result, I was in communication with a gentleman in Florida I connected with via craigslist who had a room offered in exchange for work. The work was a very worthy charity that I could easily align with and provide major assistance in a variety of ways. I was almost at the point of going directly to Florida from Costa Rica. For a number of reasons I was guided to stick with my previous set itinerary of returning to California. However, I figured it would be a quick turn around on my way back to the Sunshine State. My excitement to be back in Florida near my beach clouded my vision regarding this particular work-exchange in the

beginning.
Cloudy or not, it became clear to me that the communication between this man and I was definitely not on the same page. Disappointment was a fleeting emotion as I promptly called to the Universe, “Next!” I must admit, due to the possible situation that wasn’t meant to be, in my mind I was already in Florida. There I was happily running, walking and strolling on my warm beach. There were my Dolphin Friends welcoming me back with a joyous display. The Y was just waiting for me to bring back my smile and energy to volleyball. I was there! Now to figure out how to flow my way there physically as well.

California, of course, had its blessings too. While I didn’t let very many folks know I was back since I planned on leaving soon, I did get to spend some quality time with my family….Mom and Dad, Tasha and Jeffrey (my kids for any new readers) and extended family. My Sis, Seal (my pet name for her – ok, if you must know, mine is Shell), her boyfriend, Paul and her son Paul came all the way down from Washington for a visit. It was a blessing for my presence there to coincide with theirs. Even my musically gifted nephew, Greg, made an appearance a few times and entertained us

with his exquisite guitar and mesmerizing voice.

Meanwhile, I hunted through listings, posted ads, mailed requests looking for ways to sustain myself in Florida. Among my efforts, I looked to find someone interested in trading their house in Nokomis for my land in Costa Rica. If you are interested in checking it out, I even made a Facebookpage to that end and postings on craigslist. What I thought would only be days or weeks became a month until I was actually ready to do something. Yes, it was still kinda vague but I had a couple strong possibilities lined up one being that of renting a room from a delightful lady named Elizabeth. Still hoping for something that would allow me to have my own place or a work/exchange or something that got me on Casey Key……I headed for the unknown in that magnetic area that kept pulling me back over and over again. Stay tuned for the magic that burst forth when I arrived…..

My Grandpuppies

One Gringa’s Experience With Real Estate In Costa Rica

Peoples’ motives for acquiring and moving real estate are as varied as the myriad of listings on the market. In 2004, my former husband and I bought tropical land with an ocean view for our future dream home. This was done via a seminar in the US in which a group of us purchased lots in a Canadian presented development. The land….in Ojochal near the Osa Penninsula on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. For those a little more familiar with the area, it is a little south of Uvita and north of Golfito.

Sometime later, one of our friends who bought at the same time we did was having marital issues. Living in the US, it was not a good time for him to have a lot in Costa Rica. We weren’t really interested in another lot but bought it from him anyway as a favor. Since it was in the same phase of the development, we figured maybe we could expand later or simply have it as an investment property.

In 2007, we were having our own difficulties with real estate and otherwise. We opted to list both properties with a local Canadian real estate agency to see what kind of action we might get.

2009 saw us divorced…..our dream home definitely wasn’t to be. An incredible journey toward the end of that year found me in Ojochal, right near the lovely lots. Since I ended up in the area, I played around seeing if there was a way I could make things work there on my own. What a surprise I found when I dropped in on the real estate office that had the listings for the 2 properties. Previously, I’d tried to find the lots on their website. Even though I knew exactly what I was looking for, I never could find them without the listing ID numbers. At their office, it even took them a while to find them. They had over 700 listings and almost no buyers. No wonder we hadn’t heard a peep from them before. The more I checked opportunities around there, the more I got the feeling that what made the area special for me was what I had there with my former husband. So now it was almost the opposite with me having no desire to stay in spite of the amazing nature around. That incredible beauty included delightful beaches, scarlet macaws, colorful beaked toucans, dolphins, whales, howler, cappuchin and spider monkeys….that all barely scratching the surface of wonders.

I realized when I was there, the real estate market was pretty much dead. Since we had a non-exclusivity agreement with the RE agency, I’d casually put ads on craigslist, ree.com and other sites here and there. Except for an occasional inquiry, there was still no action. Now I realize if there were houses already built on the lots, they would be an easier sell. Many people want to buy something turnkey ready. The original reason we were buying was to find a gorgeous piece of land and create our custom home to fit that property. We even had a number of designs dancing in our heads. That was the draw of buying raw land for us. Since we purchased, many people have built their own creative homes on their land. So for those who may have like the idea, but were a little fearful of being the “pioneers”, there are many resources now available from the ones that have paved the way.

In my opinion, the area is the perfect blend for those who want the feeling of being “away from it all” yet within easy driving distance to restaurants, shops, farmers’ market and entertainment. If you are interested in an ocean view lot of almost an acre (.94) and a forest lot that backs up to a creek a little more than half acre (.55), let me know. I am a highly motivated seller – especially if you’d like both lots as a package deal. In addition, I can refer you to some resources in the area to help you get started creating your own Pura Vida Dream!

If you are interested or a little curious about this property - for sale or trade, please email me. Thanks for "traveling" with me!