services
Being fine-tuned
We are fine-tuning our list of trusted partners so that our clients are best served. Rather than publish a long directory of names we cannot vouch for, we would rather show you only the people we actually use.
Why the list is short for now
Most relocation sites carry a page of "recommended" providers that is really a list of whoever asked to be on it. Half the names are out of date, a few no longer operate, and nothing tells you which ones the agency has ever worked with.
We are doing the slower thing. Every partner on this page has to be someone we have used ourselves, on our own listings or our own moves, and would use again. We are going through the list one name at a time, checking that each is still in business, still doing the work we first hired them for, and still the person we would call first.
That takes time, and it is the whole point. A name on this page should mean we have actually worked with them.
Already confirmed
Professional Photography — Dan Aspin of Paradise Productions shoots our listings.
Financing — Volo Loans and Second Street, two lenders offering 30-year, US-dollar mortgages on Costa Rica homes.
Legal Services — Green Citizens Legal, for immigration law: residency advice and filing.
Mechanic Services — Godzilla Garage in Playas del Coco.
Home Inspections — Stripe Signature Home Inspections: ASHI-trained, with drone roof checks and thermal imaging.
Medical & Emergency — CostaDoc: a doctor on call 24/7, with house calls along the Guanacaste coast.
Dental Services — LS Dental in Playas del Coco: a bilingual clinic with its own dental laboratory.
Our research so far
Two guides we have published while the vetting continues. They are compiled from industry directories and reviews, and say so; they are a starting point, not yet our own confirmed partners.
Relocation Services — international movers with a Costa Rica track record, and what to expect on customs and transit times.
Pet Relocation — getting the animals here safely, which is its own specialty.
What is coming
Attorneys and closing. Independent Costa Rican counsel for due diligence and closing, because you should always have your own lawyer.
Movers we have used. The guide above narrowed to the companies that have actually handled a client's move for us.
Immigration. Residency categories and what each requires. For the filing itself, Green Citizens Legal is the firm we refer to.
In the meantime
If you need a name now, ask. We know who we would call, even where the page does not yet say so, and a personal introduction is how most of the good ones work here anyway.