When is the best time to buy real estate in Costa Rica? That depends on a few things. In this post, I will focus on buying Costa Rica real estate that borders or is near a river.
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Rivers can be an asset to your Costa Rica real estate. They offer such beauty and magic. However, consider viewing properties with nearby rivers just after heavy downpours, especially during September and October which is the peek of the rainy season aka 'invierno' (as ticos call it). Here is an example of how much a river in Costa Rica can rise considerably.
A friend took this first image shortly after Tropical Storm Nate passed. Notice how quickly the water is flowing. You will come to appreciate this fact in the comparison image below. Fortunately, this bridge was not washed away as was the case of many other bridges. However, the water level almost reaches the bottom of the bridge's pedestrian path and therefore puts it at risk.
Below is the same river 2 weeks after Tropical Storm Nate. Although the river flow is still much stronger than normal, it is easy to observe the drastic difference in the water level. Additionally, the river has not yet returned to its usual level. For instance, the section between the rocks (in the middle of the river) and the house's guard wall (on the far side of the frame) is usually completely dry.
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Needless to remind you, rising rivers like these are deadly. Tropical Storm Nate claimed several lives in Costa Rica alone. Huge chunks of earth fell into suddenly fast moving rivers, often washing away entire houses, cattle, trees and so on.
I saw a property with pure magic when the wet season was just beginning in May. One clue that the property could be a risky investment is the fact that the structure was less than the building code's required 25 meters from the river's edge. However, to the untrained eye, it would have seemed certain that, given a terrace-like elevation of roughly 2 to 2.5 meters up from the river, the structure was secure. However, Nate may have been too strong. Unlike the river above, that river is always powerful, even in the relatively dry month, aka 'verano' as ticos call the dry season.
Apparently through pure chance, I ran into the realtor of that property a few days before anyone even knew about Nate. The agent called out to me with a wide smile, "Hey, how are you doing?! By the way, the property is still available. Call if you wish to go visit it again. Please feel free to call." However, when I messaged him, requesting a post-Nate viewing, his only response since then was that it was "not a good time". This short and aloof response is quite uncharacteristic of him. Needless to say, the otherwise very friendly owner was equally unresponsive.
Buyer beware!
The brutal nature with which Nate passed through Costa Rica was especially revealing for even unseasoned (potential) buyers of riverside properties. The signs of destruction were immediately obvious. However, since Nate was an extreme occurrence that does not happen each year, hire a 'perrito' during the due diligence phase of the buying process. A perrito is an engineer who, among other things, can assess flooding and other river-related risks associated with your dream property.
Apart from looking for the obvious flooding and structural damage, also consider how nearby rivers can indirectly affect your dream property in Costa Rica. For instance, after Tropical Storm Nate, many roads were impassable due to land slippage (when steep loose soil washed onto roads). In some cases, roads and bridges were completely washed away to the extent that these indirect effects rendered otherwise safe properties incommunicado.
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CONTENT RELATED TO BUYING RIVERSIDE REAL ESTATE IN COSTA RICA
- Why buy real estate in Costa Rica?
- Cost of Living in Costa Rica (Quick overview)
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