Hello my friends,

I have been totally enthralled lately with the activities going on around the world in the trading markets.  Investors are panicking, stock prices are plummeting, snow is blizzarding, and in the meantime, I’m just sitting back in my office watching the hordes of travelers find their way around the streets of Jaco all the while avoiding sun burn.

The streets, hotels and restaurants in Jaco right now are packed.  And that’s a good sign for all of the rest of us.  For some reason, a colleague of mine was under the impression that Jaco was a deserted town these days.  That colleague works in Guanacaste, so it is not surprising that he had heard negative things about Jaco there.  You see, Tamarindo (which is like the Jaco of Guanacaste) has rivaled Jaco in development for the previous 5 years; and in popularity as a hot tourist beach destination for the past 10 years.  

As with any rival, comes a bit trash talk, and I can’t say that I’m not completely innocent.  I admit, I have told a traveler or two that Tamarindo’s development seems a bit chaotic and thank goodness for the wide paved roads with multiple exit and entrance routes in Jaco.  But I’m calling a truce.

In this economy, we need to stick together and focus on the positive.  Quite frankly, the large groups of spring breakers, sport fisherman and families vacationing in Costa Rica direct from the USA is a very positive sign for me.  At my office, we rent homes, and although January was a little rocky, March and April are proving to make up for our slump.  Is it a good sign that the economy is not that bad?  Well, maybe.

Let’s face it, not everyone is interested in international real estate trading, so we are somewhat of an exclusive group.  But considering that in the previous months we’ve seen around a dozen properties go under contract from this office alone, I’m optimistic.  And honestly, life is good down here in Costa Rica.  The weather is fabulous.  The food is always great, and in the meantime, business, for the most part, is still booming.

Believe it or not, my claim is that our market is still strong. The well priced properties are moving and people are still buying, building and renting.  

Three cheers for pura vida!

Wendy

Hello again world,

I assume that if you are reading this blog, you are at least somewhat familiar with Costa Rica real estate.  And that familiarity may have introduced you to a seemingly “organic” code of ethics in the world of listing, buying and selling real estate.  It is almost a tradition to swap funny stories of ridiculous episodes where would-be clients intend to do business with so-called real estate agents and any number of follies or haphazard information arises during an unorthodox negotiation.  Screw-ball lawyers, greedy sellers, buyers that have no money nor credentials to negotiate million dollar deals, and of course unscrupulous real estate agents are all too common players in this dog eat dog world of Jaco real estate.

I try to keep my forum upbeat and positive, but the unethical practices that have always tainted my profession have finally made me mad.  I do not need to outline which ridiculous episode it was this time that was the straw breaking my figurative two humped camel back, but I will simply concede to this inconvenient truth.  There are simply too many sleeze balls in the real estate related industries here. 

Of course, I would exempt myself and anyone I do business with, but even lately, I have found out that people within my inner circle are partaking in subversive activities to get a piece of the pie all to themselves.  So I am left thinking, why do people put themselves through all of this just to bump ahead if only for a little while.

We have one motto at ERA Jaco Realty, and that is 100% transparency at closing for EVERY deal.  That means that we will not be over charging (the popular practice of sobreprecio) buyers to take a 25% commission on a sale.  We will not be going behind a real estate agency´s back and go directly to a seller just because we can.  We will not remove any other real estate agency´s sign from a yard, and we will always try to reach the best negotiation for all of our clients, buyers and sellers.

We are card carrying members of the CRGAR, and I personally have worked very hard to strengthen Jaco´s local chapter of the CRGAR in an attempt to raise the bar of professionalism in the area.

We still have a ways to go.  And although some people in the country have taken courses on Ethics and proper real estate proceedures, there is nothing fancy about the golden rule.  Treat others as you wished to be treated.  If we could just follow this one simple rule learned in kindergarten, we would already have won half the battle.

On a positive note, I am very proud of the United States right now and this moment in history.  Although my frusteration may be rising to the surface here in Jaco, the message of hope and change does give me a good boost of inspiration in this corner of the world.  And I am very, very proud of Big Ben and the Steelers.

See you at the superbowl!

Wendy

Jaco has always had a transient population.  When I moved here in 2001, every foreigner knew every other foreigner in town.  That was eight years ago.  Now I meet people all the time in the market that ask me if I’m having a good time on my vacation and if I want to buy something from them.  It’s funny really.  Ol’ timers around here are often caught up in the changing landscape of Jaco, but some can sit back, suck in a deep breath of fresh air and realize exactly how far we’ve come.  

We went from having no paved roads to having all paved roads.  We’ve come from having two hotels in town boast five stories, to having more condo towers than I can count right now.  We have a skyline!  And with all of this growth, we also have a growing population.

I was buying a bagel at the local Bagelman’s in Jaco and was very pleased to see a sign on the door informing patrons that only paying customers can sit all day in the a/c with their computers and solicit business.  If you’re a jacobeno (what we call locals), you know exactly what I am talking about.  There were a pack of 3-6 real estate and other professional fields being represented by people who came to the bagel shop every morning, ordered a cup of coffee, set up a card holder with business cards and conducted business while using the free internet service there. 

Most of these people were real estate “peddlers”, but there were some other professions represented there too.  I used to get very fired up when I would try to go into the bagel shop to have a cup of coffee and overhear some “new comer” to Jaco in the seat next to me talking loudly about the market and properties that they were selling.  It really used to bring me down. Not only because sometimes half of the information coming out of their mouths was completely off base, but it really dilutes the seriousness of our craft.  

Anyhow, here’s three cheers to the Bagel Man for ousting the real estate agent posers.  And to the rest of you, please remember that the term REALTOR is only applicable to card - carrying members of the National Assocation of Real Estate.  Just because you have a business card, you do not automatically become a REALTOR.  For more information on REALTORS in Costa Rica, visit the CRGAR’s website at www.costaricare.net.

Much love to the Jacobenos out there.

Wendy