Documents first. Then the price. Then the listing.
What we check before listing a property is what the buyer would check anyway. Doing it first saves weeks.
- 1
We read the documents
Title report, cadastral plan, zoning and setback alignments.
- 2
We price it
Comparables with screenshots and dates, the residual method and a separate review.
- 3
We build the listing
Survey plan, drone video and a technical sheet in Spanish and English.
- 4
We find the buyer
One by one: developers, companies, funds and partner brokers.
- 5
We close with a notary
Written offer, buyer due diligence and deed with an independent notary.
What each one is and what it tells you.
Cadastral plan
The official drawing of the parcel registered with the National Cadastre: boundary, area and neighbours. It says where the parcel is; it does not say what can be built.
Title report
The National Registry report: owner, registered area and any mortgages, easements, annotations or liens. It is the first thing the buyer’s lawyer checks.
Zoning certificate
Issued by the municipality under its zoning plan: permitted uses, lot coverage, height and setbacks.
Setback alignment
How far to build from a national route, a street, a river or a power line. Issued by the authority in charge: MOPT, the municipality, INVU or the power utility.
Utility availability
Letters confirming water and power for the project: AyA, the local water board or municipal utility, and the area’s power distributor.
Buildable area
How much can be built: lot area × permitted coverage × number of floors, minus setbacks. An estimate, confirmed by the zoning certificate and the design.
How we calculate price per m²
A listing’s price per m² is the asking price divided by the registered area. We always show it, so it can be compared with any other property.
To reach the asking price we use two methods and compare them:
- Comparables. Similar properties listed in the area, each with a screenshot and date, adjusted for size, frontage, zoning and documents.
- Residual method. The value of the finished project, minus construction cost and developer profit. What remains is what a developer can pay for the land.
Costa Rica has no public record of closing prices. So we treat every listing as a ceiling, and we say so in the listing.