Daniel and Becky Ness from Maryland,USA. Owners of a Home and Cabina in Arenal Lake.

We are happy to share our experience with you; this is how the process of buying land in Costa Rica began…Our search to buy property in Costa Rica started out very frustrating and intimidating. We searched hard and long on the west coast but the realtors were impersonal, the properties were expensive, the climate hot and dusty, and the roads were horrible. We headed to the lake Arenal region and when we came over the top ridge and saw the pristine lake, cool climate, beautiful mountains, and good roads, we new where we wanted to buy. Luck would have it that we pulled into Rene Ruiz office (Alebrijes Lake Arenal).
He quickly answered all 500 of our questions and showed us his listings in our price range. We looked at many properties and were not easy clients for Rene, but his calming nature and professional approach to the business saw us through the process. We bid on a house with car and cabin and he closed the deal for us. He found us a bilingual lawyer, introduced us to the bank personnel and acted as interpreter through the whole process. Costa Rica does not regulate the real estate business so anyone can and does sell real estate from the local farmer, expat, or the local bar tender. Rene taught us the difference between titled and untitled land and all the other requirements of our new purchase with the end result, getting us the proper government stamps and on the national registry. He knows all that is necessary to legally get the transaction done and does so in an efficient and professional manner. He is so concerned for his customers to have a total positive experience through it all. He also showed us the ins and outs of living in the region; from where to shop, what mechanic to use,etc, etc. The buying experience was so easy for us and less intimidating because of his hard work. When you buy from Rene you are not just another satisfied customer but become part of his extended family.
Now that my wife and I own a house, cabin, and car we chose Rene and Laura (Rene’s wife) to manage our holdings for us and how glad we are to have them. They work seven days a week and are always there to handle our questions or problems. They have gotten us the very best people to work on our house, cabin, and car. They negotiate the prices for any given contractor and always make sure we are not paying too much. They have found us good mechanics to fix the car, electricians, masonry workers, and even walked us through the local municipality offices to make sure our taxes were right. Without their guidance we would be lost since we only speak little Spanish. They make our stay in Costa Rica so much more enjoyable because they handle so much. We have witnessed Laura take on the government owned electric company for one of her clients which took many hours and trips to town to remedy their problem. There is nothing these two cannot do and nothing that they do not know about the region or Costa Rica as a whole. Having them as managers gives us great confidence that all will be taken care of no matter what problem arises. They welcome you into their family and it is a wonderful spot to be. They have great computer skills, language skills, and above all people skills. Rest assured they are the best in the area or anywhere for that matter.
Yours Truly, Danny M Ness and Rebecca M Ness.
Link to Ness's property http://arenalvilla.blogspot.com/