What ownership actually costs you every yearThe annual carrying costs of a Costa Rican property are lower than most North Americans expect in one respect and higher in several others. A round trip on a Costa Rican property costs somewhere near ten percent of its value before a single month of fees or a single dollar of price movement. Foreigners can hold titled property in their own name with the same rights as Costa Rican citizens. And hire your own Costa Rican attorney, with no relationship to the seller or the agent, to run the title study and hold the funds. Consult a Costa Rican attorney and tax adviser before buying, selling or signing a long-term lease.