Ivo’s Blog by Godutch Realty

a Costa Rica real estate blog

Aguinaldo or Christmas bonus in Costa Rica is obligatoryArtboard 2

Aguinaldo or Christmas bonus in Costa Rica is obligatory

Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes In most countries around the world, employees do not receive a Christmas bonus – Aguinaldo in Spanish. For your information: it is mandatory to pay the Aguinaldo – Christmas bonus to all your employees during the first 20 days of December, even if they work only a few hours a…

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Discover how to cook the different Tico vegetables with imagination

Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes This week, we had the monthly ARCR seminar, part of the Christopher Howard’s Live in Costa Rica Tour. Elizabeth, one of the participants, asked me about Dutch cooking, and we ended up talking about vegetables and Tico Cooking. So I thought to re-publish this article. In 2015, I felt an…

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The neglected house for sale in Costa Rica

Estimated Reading Time: 8 Minutes Does a neglected house sell quickly? Let’s find out now! Dick and Jane del Valle – Springfield called me to check out their house for sale. They needed help in getting the house priced right because they already have moved to another country. Their 20-year old son is living in…

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17 Questions to ask when buying a rural home in Costa Rica

Estimated Reading Time: 10 Minutes Buying a rural home in Costa Rica sounds like an exciting plan, but is it so easy? Now, with Covid, some are looking to buy in a rural area. Others even go a step further: off the grid, Costa Rica has a varied topography. The Central Valley has smooth hills…

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Tolerance is the #1 Virtue needed to Move to Costa Rica

Estimated Reading Time: 6 Minutes No matter where you live in the world, you need tolerance to live in peace and harmony with your neighbors. Therefore, if you want to move to Costa Rica, YOU have to adapt to the local culture and not the other way around. To be able to adapt, you will…

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Checkin’ Out Costa Rica on Suicide Showers and other things to avoid

Estimated Reading Time: 5 Minutes Suicide Showers, Surfer Hotels, and Other Things to Avoid on Your First Trip to Costa Rica. Unless you want to go native and adapt to your new home country. In this blog, I’m trying to cover things you may not hear or read before you visit Costa Rica for the…

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Checkin’ Out Costa Rica | Getting Around

Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes Getting around this relatively small nation is pretty straightforward, but you should know a few things. Costa Rica has more than its share of national parks, outdoor activities, beaches, wildlife, laidback lifestyles, and many cultural activities. You should be aware that driving times and speed limits are slower than you…

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Checkin’ Out Costa Rica | Part 1

Estimated Reading Time: 7 Minutes We decided to start checkin’ out Costa Rica; this was in 2013. We have settled in our little community and still love it here. As stated in my last blog, “Movin’ On,” we were committed to an exploration holiday to La Suiza Centroamericana. The plan was to get to know…

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All About Costa Rica vehicle restriction or tag day

Estimated Reading Time: 9 Minutes I was updating this blog about vehicle restriction or tag day and realized that the government started implementing this restriction on the 6th of April, 2013 for the first time. So, it’s about time for an update, especially with all the Covid restrictions. For a realtor, before Covid started, vehicle…

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