Costa Rica is a land of sunshine, educated and friendly Ticos (as the Costa Ricans are called), and affordable prices for real estate and cost of living. The country offers its residents 23 distinct climates to choose from, one of the highest standards of living in Latin America, and an amazing natural exuberance which includes: 1) more bird species than the US and Canada combined, 2) beautiful tropical plants littered about the land, 3) exotic tropical wildlife popping up when you least expect it, and 4) incredible sunset, ocean and mountain views around every corner.

All of these attributes have led many businesses, retirees and professionals to relocate here and enjoy the 'pura vida' (pure life) that Costa Rica offers. If you are considering relocating overseas or investing in real estate in a foreign country, here are some steps you can take to make your purchase a success and to avoid the most common traps.   more ...

by Claudia Gonella, co-founder of Reveal Real Estate

Imagine you are looking for a house to buy in an overseas market. Let's pick a country like Costa Rica or Panama, where there is no comprehensive Multiple Listing Service and the market is relatively un-regulated. You meet with a real estate agent and she shows you a few houses.

One of them looks great and you begin to formulate an offer.

But there's something holding you back. You've got this niggling feeling that there are properties for sale that you're not being shown. You start to wonder: Does your real estate agent have access to all the listing on the market?   more ...