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World's Bargain Dream Homes - Season 1 Episode 11 - Limón, Costa Rica
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00:01This view is priceless.
00:05Imagine a world of bargain dream real estate.
00:08Just $41,000.
00:11What?
00:11This is unheard of for the States.
00:13Global destinations.
00:16Bonjour.
00:17I'm going to embarrass myself.
00:19I love it.
00:21Great way to meet Anaïdes.
00:23This architecture is amazing.
00:26And local expert know-how.
00:29The cost of this in the States, I think it would be double for sure.
00:33The cost of living here is so much more affordable than the U.S.
00:36It is definitely a bargain.
00:39You can afford to live your dream.
00:42I can't believe this is going to be my new home.
00:45At a price you never thought possible.
00:48You did incredible.
00:49This is exactly what we came all this way for.
01:01Isn't this awesome?
01:03It's so crazy, dude.
01:04It's really hard to believe we're here.
01:06It feels like a dream, kind of.
01:07We're not even on vacation right now.
01:09Right.
01:09Yeah.
01:10Woo-hoo!
01:34The next day, we're going to be here.
01:35It's a dream home for more than the West Coast.
01:36And it's still a bargain property hot spot, where you can find a dream home for under 150,000
01:44U.S. dollars.
01:45Coming to Costa Rica is going to be a big change for our lives.
01:49We're leaving everything that's familiar behind.
01:52Want to piggyback ride?
01:53Sure.
01:54We were really lucky to be able to sell our farm for a good price,
01:58and we're looking forward to taking that money
02:00and putting it on a house and being debt free.
02:02Things here are a lot cheaper.
02:04Dude, they're going to get us.
02:05They won't get us.
02:06They're going to, dude, stop.
02:08We have family, we have grandkids, we have friends.
02:11And so to uproot from all of that and to come here, it needs to be worth it.
02:15Back in Michigan, we had several animals.
02:18Unfortunately, all the chickens had to stay behind,
02:20but we did bring the three dogs and four cats.
02:22We did.
02:23Finding Joe and Kelly their dream bargain home,
02:26nearly 4,000 miles from Michigan, requires an expert.
02:31If you want to move your life to Costa Rica,
02:33I'm the one you definitely need to chat with.
02:35Here, you can really find authentic Costa Rican culture, amazing food,
02:40wildlife, national parks, incredible beaches,
02:44and you can find properties at a really good affordable price still.
02:50Hey, guys.
02:51Oh, hey.
02:52Oh, hey, guys.
02:53Hi.
02:54Oh, my gosh.
02:55It's so nice to meet you.
02:56Oh, it's a pleasure.
02:56Yeah, it's so good to meet you guys.
02:58So, what brought you here?
03:00The warm, the beach, the sand, the sun.
03:03I feel like here, there's this very chill vibe in it.
03:07And then it's very green.
03:08Yeah, we checked out the western side of the country once, and then we came to this side,
03:13and we were like, wow, there's something special about over here.
03:16Something just clicked for us, yeah.
03:17It's much, much cheaper.
03:18Are you still going to be working, or are you just full retirement?
03:20What are we looking at?
03:22No, actually, we are.
03:23We are working.
03:23We're starting an upstart company.
03:25Yeah, we've developed an app, and that's the business that we're going to use to make this
03:29more comfortable.
03:30Yeah.
03:31You're going to make your business fit into your new lifestyle here in Costa Rica.
03:33That's exactly what we're doing.
03:35So, what are you looking for in a property?
03:37We're looking for two to three bedrooms.
03:39But one thing that we're really drawn to are the more modern homes with the outdoors brought in.
03:45It's something I really love, at least.
03:47I also hope that it has really good internet.
03:49That's kind of a big one for me.
03:50The most important thing, though, is the water.
03:53I need to be near a beach, or I really need to have a pool.
03:57Yeah, I'm not a big fan of the pool.
03:59You know, it's just more maintenance and cleaning.
04:02Oh, enough space for animals.
04:04That's really important.
04:05What budget are we looking at?
04:07Probably the sweet spot for us is going to be 150,000 US dollars.
04:14But if we find a place that we just love, you know, we'd be willing to go up to like
04:19185-ish.
04:21That's our maximum, though.
04:23That would be like our maximum.
04:23Yeah, well, I mean, this is a huge lifestyle shift,
04:25and if this is the budget, I'm going to make that happen for you.
04:28Awesome.
04:30Costa Rica has made it easy for foreigners to move here,
04:33offering many different types of residential visas and tax breaks.
04:38So Costa Rica is definitely a big destination,
04:41and I think one of the big reasons is, well, property taxes.
04:44We are at 0.25% of the value of the property.
04:48Wow.
04:48It's unheard of.
04:49Yeah, so now living in Costa Rica, whenever we find your dream home,
04:52especially that's going to be nice and affordable,
04:54your property taxes are going to be minimal.
04:58Awesome.
04:59That's amazing.
05:00Joe and Kelly's affordable real estate adventure begins in the town of Coquita,
05:06just under a 30-mile drive south of Limon.
05:10It has a mix of Afro-Caribbean traditions, Latin American heritage, and dream bargain homes.
05:19Coquita may look low-key, but it has all the amenities you could want,
05:25including fast internet connection, so Joe and Kelly can work remotely.
05:31All right, guys, we're here.
05:33Oh, yeah.
05:33I am so excited for you to see this house.
05:36You've got to come check this out.
05:37Oh, yeah.
05:37It's unique.
05:43So let's talk price, because I know that, obviously, budgeting, big theme here.
05:46So we're looking at 185,000 US dollars.
05:49The property's been on the market for quite a while.
05:51I do think we could put in an offer lower in a range that's more comfortable for you,
05:56and we could just see, you know, what the response is.
05:58See what happens.
05:59Yeah, well, let's give it a look and see what we think.
06:01Okay.
06:07Wow, Joe, look at this.
06:12Holy cow.
06:14This is amazing.
06:15Incredible.
06:17This is not what I expected.
06:20No.
06:20Look at the indoor-outdoor living.
06:22Gardens right in your dining room.
06:24This is amazing.
06:26Look at that.
06:27That's open up there.
06:28Yeah, it's very lofted looking.
06:29I love that.
06:31Look, look, look.
06:34Don't let me fall.
06:35Hammock in the house.
06:36Help me.
06:36Sure.
06:39Oh, Joe.
06:41Is that what you're open for?
06:43Oh, yeah.
06:43No, the plants can hang over me.
06:45It's fine.
06:45Oh, this is amazing.
06:47The sun, plants all around me.
06:49It's so cool.
06:50You could bring me a beer.
06:55Hey, this is part of that container home.
06:58Oh, right.
06:59Yeah.
06:59Okay.
07:00Actually in the container right now.
07:02Oh, this is so cool.
07:03I really like this space.
07:05I like that it's long.
07:07I wish it was a little deeper, but I guess that's the nature of container homes, right?
07:10Yeah, probably.
07:10I think it's cool.
07:11I think it's cool how they broke out the side of the container, and then you just put these
07:15beautiful glass doors in here.
07:17Yeah.
07:18You know I've always loved French doors, and we've never been able to have them yet.
07:20We've never had them.
07:20Yeah.
07:21I really like that.
07:21It just feels very elegant.
07:23Yep.
07:25Designed over two floors, this unique open plan home built from shipping containers is designed
07:32to maximize large open air spaces and indoor and outdoor living.
07:39It has a main room and kitchen, two bedrooms, and two bathrooms.
07:50All essentials, including the beach, are just a short drive away.
07:55Oh, wow.
07:56Wow, look at this.
07:57What an oasis.
07:58Incredible.
07:59Hey, Kelly, here's your swimming pool.
08:00Oh.
08:01This is perfect.
08:01What is happening?
08:03A bathtub?
08:04An outdoor bathtub?
08:05No, it's a swimming pool.
08:06Oh, I see.
08:07I see what you're trying to convince me of.
08:09Okay, what do we think?
08:11Hey, I think you can get in with me.
08:14Oh, yeah.
08:16I mean, it's cool.
08:17It's not a swimming pool.
08:18Kind of, though.
08:19I mean, it's a really cool bathtub, though.
08:22Yeah.
08:22I could take a bath in here.
08:24Yeah.
08:24I could cool down in here, too.
08:25And most swimming pools don't have all these cool plants.
08:28But that's true.
08:29I see what you're trying to talk me into.
08:30I think this is a big win.
08:31Gosh, this is awesome.
08:34Wow.
08:35This is so unique.
08:35It's a tree house, Joe.
08:39Oh, look at this.
08:41So this is bedroom two?
08:43Or one.
08:43I don't know.
08:44It has a master on it, too.
08:46Yeah.
08:46I like this.
08:47It's kind of got that same vibe.
08:48You're up.
08:48It feels a little more secure on the upper floor, doesn't it?
08:50Electrical right next to it.
08:51So if you, like, slid this out a little bit, you could have a nightstand.
08:54Yeah.
08:56Oh.
08:57I don't really like this.
08:59Yeah.
08:59This is a big deal.
09:00Yeah.
09:00I'm not liking that there's no rail here.
09:02Yeah.
09:03No, I don't.
09:04We'd have to have that fixed before grandkids show up.
09:06This would be a problem for us.
09:06I do like it, but if we have the grandkids come, it's going to be a problem.
09:22Well, you're back.
09:22I can't wait to hear.
09:23What do you think?
09:24This house was a whole adventure.
09:25I got to swing.
09:27I got into a bathtub.
09:29I was up in a tree house.
09:30This was an amazing house.
09:31The only thing I think that stuck out the most was that there's no railing on the balcony up there.
09:38It seemed a bit dangerous to us.
09:39It seems a bit dangerous.
09:40I'm surprised that there's not something there.
09:41Grandkids.
09:41We definitely have to have that fixed before we could have visitors with little kids.
09:45I mean, it is at the top of our budget, but I mean,
09:47who knew you could get a house like that for what they're asking?
09:50Yeah, I think you nailed it.
09:55It's not just the bargain property prices drawing Americans to this region.
10:00It's the prospect of a whole new way of life,
10:05which would include the incredible Cahuita National Park,
10:09almost 58,000 acres of protected rainforest, coral reefs, and stunning coastline.
10:16All right, well, I want to show you guys this area.
10:19What do you think?
10:21It's beautiful.
10:22It's amazing.
10:23This is so beautiful.
10:25The National Park extends all the way to there.
10:28I mean, for miles.
10:29This whole thing is National Park.
10:30All of it's National Park.
10:31And you know, it's really right here on your doorstep.
10:34I mean, monkeys, sloths, blue waterfall butterflies, iguanas,
10:38really all the animals that are typical of Costa Rica you're going to find here.
10:41That's amazing.
10:42I mean, imagine you guys could be starting your morning in a place like this.
10:44Right.
10:44I feel like I could trade the gym in for this place.
10:47Nature's jungle gym right here.
10:56Back on the road, just 10 miles down the coast from Cahuita, is Puerto Viejo.
11:05A town with a large American expat community, all drawn by surfing, beach hopping, and the legendary music scene.
11:15Just a four-minute drive from Puerto Viejo town center is this blue hilltop house that is big on size,
11:23but small on price.
11:24And it comes with almost half an acre of land.
11:27Well, this is the property.
11:29I'm really excited for you to see it.
11:31First impressions.
11:32Wow.
11:33Yeah.
11:34That's a really nice size.
11:35It's a big size house.
11:36I didn't expect a big house.
11:38So this home has been recently renovated into two separate areas.
11:41So even if you have the family visits, everyone can have their own privacy.
11:45But also, there's some income potential here.
11:47Interesting.
11:48Oh, that's great news.
11:49So it's something you can actually run out.
11:49Yeah, that's really interesting.
11:51That's exciting.
11:51Awesome.
11:52So the listing price is $160,000 US dollars, but I have spoken with the owner.
11:57He seems really motivated to sell, and I think we could put in an offer for $150,000 US dollars.
12:02That's amazing.
12:03Right on.
12:03Yeah, that's awesome.
12:04Yeah, that's really good news.
12:05That works for us.
12:06The upstairs area is the main living area of the home.
12:09So I would start there first.
12:12Holy cow.
12:13Holy smokes.
12:14Look at how you can just see right down in there.
12:16This is crazy.
12:18I love the view.
12:19Yeah.
12:19This view is amazing.
12:20You know what the best part about this view is?
12:22What?
12:22There's no swimming pool.
12:24Ah, we're going to work on that.
12:27We'll find a space for it.
12:28Okay, maybe.
12:30This house is split into two self-contained spaces on separate floors.
12:36Each one has a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.
12:41All set in its own tropical garden.
12:44The essentials are a short drive away.
12:47Oh, wow.
12:49Whoa.
12:49Wow.
12:50I didn't expect that.
12:50Look at how open this is.
12:51I didn't either.
12:52This is such a big open room.
12:54It's huge.
12:54Yeah, I like the high ceiling.
12:56It makes it feel more spacious.
12:57Not exactly like a Michigan kitchen though, is it?
13:00Well, a little small.
13:05For some reason, I thought that the house was going to go a little further.
13:08Yeah?
13:09Yeah.
13:09Like the room would be bigger?
13:10This kind of caught me off guard a little bit.
13:11Yeah.
13:12Do you think that it's because there's two beds or do you think it's the depth of the room?
13:15It might be because of the two beds.
13:18Oh, wow.
13:19This is something, isn't it?
13:20It is something.
13:22And propane.
13:23Propane right here.
13:24Attached to the stove.
13:28I'm going to have to adjust if we're going to live in this kitchen.
13:31Yeah.
13:32Can you imagine just sitting in here having a cup of coffee during a rainstorm?
13:36No, not really.
13:36It's just not modern enough for me.
13:39Let's go find Sarah.
13:40Okay.
13:42All right.
13:43How did it go?
13:44Oh my God, that kitchen.
13:45I'm a little disappointed.
13:47The kitchen would be really tough for me.
13:48And we didn't have space for the dogs.
13:50And I knew we'd have to adjust, but I didn't think about adjusting this much.
14:03Limón, Costa Rica.
14:06A bargain real estate hotspot and one of the most diverse places on the planet.
14:15Cheers.
14:17Cheers.
14:19That's sour.
14:21Yeah.
14:22Super sour.
14:23So sour.
14:23Very sour.
14:24It's really juicy though.
14:26I like it.
14:30Just a few minutes from the town of Puerto Viejo is the tiny, quiet community of Hone Creek.
14:40Less tourism means lower prices, so if you're looking for space and affordability without being too
14:47far from the action, this neighborhood is a great, cheaper alternative.
14:54I think you're going to absolutely love this home.
14:56So Kelly, I really listened to what you said.
14:58I know you really want modern, so I hope that this will have that modern aspect for you.
15:02So I know you're looking for a space where you can take your dogs.
15:05So there's a river, three minutes walking.
15:07There's a river, tons of green space, and it also has a pool.
15:12Yes, yes, yes.
15:14I'm so excited.
15:16So it is above what you guys are hoping for.
15:18So it is at the $195,000 US dollar range.
15:21I know, however, the property's been on the market for quite a while.
15:26Okay.
15:26I do think we could put in an offer lower in a range that's more comfortable for you,
15:30and we could just see, you know, what the response is.
15:33Let's give it a look and see what we think.
15:35Okay.
15:36Built in 2025, with good airflow and rooms open to the skies,
15:41this home perfectly captures the idea of indoor-outdoor living.
15:47Something of a similar size in Michigan could cost almost double the price.
15:52Nearby is a small cluster of stores and the only gas station for miles around.
15:57Can you believe this is real? This looks like...
16:00A magazine?
16:01Yeah, a magazine. Exactly.
16:02That's crazy.
16:03I love the lights. I love these windows.
16:06Oh, yeah.
16:06You can see everything.
16:08Joe, look at the kitchen.
16:09This is amazing. I can cook so much food here.
16:12And the fridge is still a little bit small, but
16:14it's a little bit bigger than what we've seen so far.
16:17Yeah.
16:17Yeah, it might work.
16:18I could be in here cooking.
16:20You could be, I don't know, watching TV, playing your games.
16:24I can't think of anything it doesn't have that we're looking for.
16:27Just a lower price, that's it.
16:30Yeah, that's true.
16:31For an affordable $195,000 and set within a secured boundary fence,
16:38this dreamy open-plan modern jungle house also has two good-sized double bedrooms and two modern bathrooms.
16:47Joe, look at the pool. What do you think?
16:52It's better than I expected. At least it's not huge.
16:55Yes. Yes, yes, yes. So it's not a no.
16:58It wouldn't take too much effort to clean, I think.
17:01I can help.
17:02I'll get to it.
17:04This is pretty nice.
17:06Yeah.
17:06Yeah.
17:07Can you believe that we're, right there's the kitchen.
17:08No, that's wild.
17:10And we're at the pool.
17:11That's wild.
17:12Like you could walk and get a beer or something.
17:14Yeah.
17:14Come back and sit at the pool.
17:15Yeah, just everything's right here.
17:22Oh my gosh, is that the toilet?
17:25Okay, that's the toilet.
17:28And a window.
17:30Why?
17:30That's a little odd.
17:32Yeah, you can see out, you can see in.
17:35I wonder how that works.
17:36I can show you how it works.
17:44Oh my.
17:46That's how it works.
17:48Okay.
17:50We're gonna have to set some rules.
17:51Yeah.
17:55The bedroom's nice and big.
17:56Oh goodness.
17:57Yeah.
17:58Well, this is something, isn't it?
18:00Yeah.
18:01Imagine.
18:03How do you do this?
18:05There's a window right there.
18:07Yeah.
18:07Well, how do you get privacy?
18:08Probably right here, honey.
18:10There you go.
18:12Okay, that's it.
18:13All right.
18:13I can't see.
18:20Yeah, I don't know how I feel about that.
18:22Yeah, I guess you can use the other one.
18:24The one with the glass door.
18:27Right.
18:28Okay.
18:29That's funny.
18:34So, what do you think?
18:35I love it.
18:35It's a fantasy.
18:36This place is a fantasy.
18:37It looks like a magazine.
18:38Yeah, you're right.
18:39It checks so many boxes.
18:40Yeah.
18:40Yeah.
18:40I agree.
18:41And the positioning of the bathroom stuff is a little strange.
18:45The lack of privacy is a little...
18:47It's unique.
18:47It's unique.
18:48It's unique, yeah.
18:48Okay.
18:49The biggest issue still is the price.
18:52Yeah.
18:52You know, it's outside of our budget.
19:12So, while you were in there checking things out, I did make a few calls.
19:16Okay.
19:16And I was able to confirm that all the furniture.
19:19So, everything that you see, you know, on this property in this house is already included.
19:23Oh, wow.
19:24So, you don't have to buy anything.
19:26And I still think there is some room for negotiation.
19:28Okay.
19:29I'm liking that.
19:29You didn't want a lot of work.
19:30Okay, that does help.
19:40We got a really big choice to make here.
19:42Okay.
19:43Hand on heart.
19:44What did you think about the blue house?
19:46It really just isn't ticking the box for me.
19:48Yeah, I feel you.
19:49It's not really ticking the box for me either.
19:50Yeah.
19:51All right.
19:51How about the coastal retreat?
19:53How'd you feel about that?
19:54I like that one.
19:55It's really cool.
19:56I mean, it was a super huge surprise.
19:58Like, when you walk in, you know how, like, much different it was.
20:02It was totally unexpected.
20:03The bathtub's a little weird for me.
20:05Ah, it's a pool.
20:05Yeah, I heard you.
20:07That jungle house, it was so beautiful.
20:10It didn't have great space for the dogs, but it had a pool, it had an open kitchen.
20:15I really want to love that house.
20:17Mm-hmm.
20:17And I do love that house.
20:20But it's outside of our budget, and I really don't want you to be disappointed.
20:23Yeah.
20:24All right.
20:24What are we going to do?
20:25I don't know.
20:33We had a really hard decision to make, and after a lot of discussion, we did decide to
20:39put in an offer on one of the houses.
20:41We made an offer for $180,000 U.S. dollars.
20:45And do you want to tell them which one we picked, though?
20:47Go for it.
20:48Okay.
20:49We bought the Myter Jungle House!
20:52Well, we probably spend two hours a day in this pool when it's hot.
20:55Peppercone!
20:59She loves to do this like two or three times a day.
21:02I'm so glad that we made this choice.
21:04It really did turn into what I was fantasizing about.
21:07Yeah, me too.
21:08Me too.
21:08Yeah, I know we're definitely living fortunately here, and it's such a dream come true.
21:14I mean...
21:14We're so lucky, aren't we?
21:16It's very lucky, yeah.
21:17I just can't believe how well this worked out.
21:19Yeah, sometimes you just wake up and you're just like, where am I?
21:24Oh yeah, I'm in Costa Rica.
21:27Weird.
21:27We did it.
21:28Yeah, we did do it.
21:29We really did it.
21:29And we did do it.
21:30We had a dream and we just made it happen.
21:32Stop it!
21:32I might be in it!
21:33Bye!
21:34Bye!
21:34Bye!
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