We are currently working through the maze of paperwork to register all the lots. Some of them are ready to sell, and for the others, you can put a 10% deposit in escrow, with Stewart Title or another escrow company operating in Costa Rica, and that will hold your lot until we have the lot registered with its own title.

Do you offer financing?

Yes, if we think you fit in with the community we will do whatever we can to make you part of it, and that includes “owner financing”. We’re especially open to people who have a background in green building, to artists and performers, organic gardeners, etc.

Do these lots have ocean views?

No, the lots face roughly to the north and most have beautiful mountain views from the ridge. If these lots had ocean views they would be at least double the prices! Our goal was to make a community that was affordable and livable to people who love Montezuma.

How far is the lot from the beach and town?

By car it’s just under a 10 minute drive to Montezuma and its beaches. It’s about 30 minutes to the Malpais/Santa Teresa beaches, and 20 minutes to Tambor. Cobano is also around 10-12 minutes away.

How big are these lots?

Most of the lots are a little over 1000m2, which is a around 1/4 acre. Along the road, the average width is around 28 meters, which is approximately 90 feet wide. There is a 3 meter (10 foot) setback from the borders of the lot, for any wall that has a window on it, which still leaves much more than enough space to build a house. For the small houses we envision at Pura Vida Sunsets, we think there will be plenty of room for almost anything you’d like to build, plus space for a garage, workshop, guest house, organic gardens, fruit trees, etc.

What will be included on the Community Lot?

The community lot (Lot #12) is about a quarter of an acre. We plan to build a clubhouse/rancho/yoga-pavillion (natural palm-roof shade structure) and an eco-friendly salt-water swimming pool. The rest of it will have gardens and fruit trees. The clubhouse lot will be owned collectively, in equal shares, by all the 12 lot owners, who will form a committee to manage it. Some club dues will be required, but we don’t anticipate it being more than $50 per month, and probably even less.

What Utilities are Included?

Public power is already in place to the corner of Pura Vida Sunsets. We will pay to put in three extra poles on the public road, to bring power within reach of every lot. The position of the power lines is shown on the map of the lots, which shouldn’t obstruct anyone’s view. The lot owners will need to buy their own transformers, which can be shared between multiple houses, depending on how much power each house needs. It will cost around $3000 for a transformer, which normally could be shared by two houses. With the eco-friendly houses we anticipate at Pura Vida Sunsets, we hope that a single transformer can serve three or even four homes. As for water, each lot owner will need to register his or her own water meter with the local water company, which costs around $300. We also are planning on digging a hand-dug community well on the community lot, but we don’t know yet how much water it will have. If possible, we can supply some or all of the lots in the project with this well.

Will I have my own TITLE to my lot?

Yes, Costa Rica allows foreigners to own land outright when it is further than 200 meters from the beach. You will have title to your land, with the same ownership rights as Costa Ricans. We recommend that you put your land in a Costa Rican corporation, which makes it cheaper to sell later on, protects your land from lawsuits, and has a few other benefits, such as being able to then get a cell phone in Costa Rica through your corporation.

Are pets allowed?

Yes, dogs and cats are okay, as are chickens, but not roosters (they make too much noise!) The lots are too small for horses and cows, but there are places nearby where you can board a horse. As for dogs, we expect that you will be a responsible owner and train your dog to not bark all the time or attack the wildlife.

How much does it cost to build a small eco-house?

Of course it depends on what options you want, but you can build a small two-bedroom house, made mostly from cement and local materials, for around $75,000. Your house should include plenty of outside living space, since you will probably spend most of your time outside. Large, covered decks are ideal for Costa Rican tropical houses, but it’s also important to have a secure inside space for stormy or buggy days.

What? There’s bugs in Costa Rica?

Many people imagine that there must be clouds of mosquitos in the rainforest, right? Well not here! This part of Costa Rica isn’t a true rainforest. It’s a “dry tropical forest” and for five months per year (Dec-April) there’s hardly a drop of rain and so it’s a desert climate. So during dry season you will rarely see a mosquito. The worst bug problems are in May, when the wet season starts and everything hatches from wherever they’ve been lying dormant. After a month or so, the ecosystem seems to go back into balance and there are less bugs around. Also, mosquitos around your house are usually caused by your own personal breeding pools – wrinkles in tarps, blocked gutters, hollow aluminum fence posts, old buckets, plastic bottles, etc can all breed mosquitos. Cleaning up all these stagnant pools gets rid of 90% of the mosquitos. At my house, we have the doors wide open almost all year. You will also find that the longer you’re here, the less the bugs bother you.. apparently your system becomes immune after a while. As for scorpions and spiders, we don’t have any dangerous bugs here. The most dangerous spiders and scorpions are in the United States.

Can I RENT my House?

Yes, we expect that not everyone who buys and builds in Pura Vida Sunsets will live there full-time, so you are free to rent your house. Geoff is an expert at renting houses in the area and will give you all the tips you need to make sure your house rents. Also, we will use the Pura Vida Sunsets website to help find renters for you. We think that many people will love vacationing in an eco-friendly home in Montezuma.

Are any of the houses build yet?

No, because of the current world financial problems, there are no banks in Costa Rica that are doing any financing, so until the banks turn on the money spigots again, we have to self-finance. Any of our clients that want one of our homes will pay as we build it, with an initial downpayment and installments as the house reaches various stages of completion.