Costa Rica – Your Second Home Abroad

Finally buy that second home abroad.
Without the fear.

Caltern is the platform for buying and owning a second home anywhere in the world.
Human oversight  ·  AI precision

See How It Works
Structured like a project·Licensed local partners·Both-sides legal knowledge
The reality

Buying your second dream home abroad shouldn’t feel like navigating a maze blindfolded.

Every year, thousands of buyers walk away from the second home they’ve been dreaming about for years – not because the opportunity isn’t real, but because the process is opaque, fragmented, and deeply stressful. And the part no one tells you: no one in that transaction legally represents your interest. Not the broker (paid by the seller). Not the local attorney (juggling both sides). Not the inspector (referred by the broker). Welcome to Caltern. We’re the first ones who do.

Legal complexity you weren’t prepared for

Foreign title systems, maritime zones, HOA structures, and local tax law work nothing like US real estate. One wrong step can cost you the home you’ve been picturing – or your deposit.

Currency, financing & closing costs nobody explains

Wire transfers, exchange rate risk, local financing constraints, and closing costs that run 6–8% of the purchase price. Most dream-home buyers find out at the closing table, not before.

Who do you actually trust?

Local brokers, attorneys, and inspectors are unvetted. Referrals are often circular. There’s no Zillow, no Redfin, no standardized disclosure. Just your judgment, your savings, and a country whose system you don’t fully know.

The platform

Your dream home.
Managed by professionals.
Powered by best‑in‑class software.

Caltern Guardian – your human project expert, powered by AI precision – coordinates your buy-side team of attorney, broker, inspector, and escrow through a single platform. Every partner is hand-picked, vetted, and reviewed. This team represents your interests and works for you only. Always.

100%Structured milestones – 36 per transaction, every time
100%Curated partners who represent only you – never the seller
ForeverFull audit trail – every document, message, and decision kept for you
Bank‑gradeSecure, traceable escrow payments
The process

From first question to keys in hand – structured, traceable, guided.

Every Caltern client moves through three stages. You always know exactly where you are and what comes next.

01
Stage 1

Explore

Free – no commitment

We will learn about the second home you’re picturing. We map out the costs, process, risks, and timeline for your chosen location in Costa Rica. If you already have a specific home in mind, we review it with you. If you don’t, we will offer you through our network a curated shortlist of homes that match your criteria, budget, and lifestyle. You also get a personalized Corridor Brief within 48 hours. You then decide whether to move forward.

  • Free consultation – on your schedule
  • Personalized Corridor Brief
  • Cost & timeline overview
  • Curated property shortlist (if you don’t have one yet)
  • Go / no-go clarity – no pressure
02
Stage 2

Acquire

Choose your plan →

Your dream home purchase, structured as a 36-milestone project. Choose to be fully guided by your personal Caltern Guardian, or navigate the process yourself through our platform. Either way, every milestone is tracked, every document is stored, and nothing falls through the cracks.

  • 36-milestone project tracker
  • Licensed attorney coordination
  • Full due diligence package
  • Escrow & title management
  • Regular progress updates
03
Stage 3

Own

1st year membership included

Owning a home abroad doesn’t end at close. Property taxes, HOA dues, utility monitoring, registered agent services, and annual legal compliance – all managed through your Caltern dashboard. Your local presence at your second home, even when you’re back in the US.

  • Recurring bill management
  • Registered agent services
  • Annual legal compliance
  • Utility & HOA monitoring
  • 2x annual walkthroughs
Plans & pricing

Choose how you want to be guided to your dream home.

Every client starts with a free consultation. We’ll help you choose the right plan.

Self-Guided
$4,199
per year – all-inclusive Year 1
You’re in the driver’s seat – but you’re not alone. Caltern introduces you to our curated local team of attorney, broker, and inspector. You manage them directly through the platform. Every communication is logged, every document stored, every payment goes through the portal – one source of truth, no confusion. Our AI system analyzes your progress at every milestone and tells you exactly what to do next.
  • Curated local team introduction (attorney, broker, inspector)
  • All communication & documents through the platform
  • Direct payments to your team via the portal
  • AI-guided milestone recommendations at every step
  • Full audit trail – every message and decision, forever
  • Explore + Acquire + Year 1 Own included
CALTERN BUY SIDE GUARDIAN
Guardian
$24,900
flat fee – all-in, start to close
Your dedicated Buy Side Guardian manages the entire transaction for you. Every milestone executed, every party coordinated, every risk flagged before it becomes a problem. You make decisions; we handle the rest.
  • Dedicated human Buy Side Guardian
  • Your Guardian manages the team and the entire project on your behalf
  • Attorney & escrow coordination
  • Due diligence package
  • Ongoing status reviews via video calls
  • Full transparency – track everything through the platform, single source of truth
  • Explore + Acquire + Year 1 Own included
Own
$1,200
per year – included in Year 1, renews from Year 2
Once your dream home is yours, Caltern stays with you. We become your permanent local presence – managing the day-to-day so you can enjoy the home you worked hard to buy, from wherever you are.
  • Recurring bills paid on your behalf (taxes, HOA, utilities)
  • Registered agent & legal compliance
  • Annual legal compliance filing
  • Local service provider coordination
  • 2x annual property walkthroughs
  • Full platform access – your home, always visible

Why the difference?

The Guardian isn’t just a service upgrade. Self-Guided gives you the tools, the team, and the AI. Guardian gives you someone who owns the outcome – a dedicated professional who manages every party, flags every risk, and is accountable for getting you to close. For a first-time international buyer or a busy executive who values their time, the $24,900 buys peace of mind that no platform can replicate.

Which plan is right for you? If you’re comfortable managing professionals and want full control over the process, Self-Guided is built for you. If you’re buying internationally for the first time, have limited time, or simply want someone accountable for getting you to close — that’s Guardian.

Common questions

Everything you need to know before your first call.

The team

Built by people who’ve helped Americans buy second homes abroad.

Our team brings together cross-border real estate attorneys, transaction coordinators, local market specialists, and AI engineers. Every Caltern client is guided by practitioners who’ve personally helped Americans navigate the second-home purchase you’re planning. We’ve closed dream-home transactions on both the US and Costa Rican sides – we know where deals break down, and we’ve built the platform to prevent it.

Cross-border real estate law

Costa Rican and US transaction law, title insurance, and due diligence

Local Costa Rica market expertise

On-the-ground transaction experience, vetted partner network, local licensing

AI platform engineering

Workflow automation, milestone tracking systems, and multi-jurisdiction knowledge architecture

Operational real estate at scale

Decades of combined experience managing complex real estate portfolios and transactions

Why Costa Rica

Where Americans actually find their second dream home.

Costa Rica is where we launched first – because the fundamentals are unambiguous. Strong legal framework, title-insurable homes, direct flights across the country, and the largest community of Americans who’ve already done what you’re planning. Whether your dream home is on the Pacific coast, in the Central Valley, or in the Southern Zone – we cover all of it.

Direct flights from 12+ US cities

San José (SJO) and Liberia (LIR) both serve Dallas, Miami, Houston, LA, New York, and more. Wherever you buy in Costa Rica, you’re never more than 5 hours from home.

Title-insurable homes, US-standard process

Stewart Title operates in Costa Rica. Fee-simple ownership is available and legally protected. The closest thing to a US home purchase you’ll find anywhere abroad.

An established American community already there

Over 120,000 Americans already call Costa Rica home, with the highest concentrations in Pacific coastal communities. Your dream home doesn’t mean starting from scratch – the infrastructure, the community, and the answers are already there.

$1.2B+ in US buyer activity every year

2,500+ Americans buy their second home in Costa Rica every year. Demand is structural, not speculative – driven by lifestyle migration, FIRE, and retirement planning.

$707K Median US dream-home purchase in CR
2,500+ Americans buying their second home every year
$1.2B+ Annual US buyer volume
120K+ Americans living in Costa Rica

Source: CINDE / Costa Rica Tourism Board

What buyers face without Caltern

This is what the process looks like without a guide.

Real quotes from American buyers on Reddit, Facebook, and expat forums. We built Caltern so you never say any of these.

“Be prepared for a ton of unexpected expenses. Take what you’ve heard and triple it. I would do so many things differently.”

r/costaricaAmerican buyer, 3 years in CR

“Imagine buying titled property only to be told years later that you can’t build on it because the survey was done incorrectly.”

r/costaricaExpat property owner

“Condo fees, water rights, titling, and corporations can all bite you big. Our experiences have been a mix of fantastic and downright frightening.”

r/costaricaSecond-home owner, CR

“The agent lied to me and said there was nothing in the region under my budget, then pushed a property where they represented both sides of the deal.”

r/costaricaUS buyer, moved to CR 2024

“A property that looks 20 minutes from the beach on Google Maps can be a 45-minute mud road in the rainy season. Nobody tells you this upfront.”

r/costaricaExpat, 10 years in CR

“Water rights cannot be overstated. I’ve seen people close on land only to discover water access wasn’t guaranteed. It came back to bite them years later.”

r/costaricaCR resident, 9 years

“I have yet to find a real estate agent here that adds value to a buyer. I have walked from deals where the seller tried raising the price at the last minute.”

r/costaricaMulti-property owner, CR

“It’s the Wild West with zero oversight. So many relocation ‘specialists’ with no accountability. Buyer beware doesn’t even begin to cover it.”

r/costaricaUS expat, CR community forum

“You get to closing and it’s 13 different owners and one decides not to sell. Or the seller raises the price at the last minute. This is normal here.”

r/costaricaAmerican buyer, CR

“Be prepared for a ton of unexpected expenses. Take what you’ve heard and triple it. I would do so many things differently.”

r/costaricaAmerican buyer, 3 years in CR

“Imagine buying titled property only to be told years later that you can’t build on it because the survey was done incorrectly.”

r/costaricaExpat property owner

“Condo fees, water rights, titling, and corporations can all bite you big. Our experiences have been a mix of fantastic and downright frightening.”

r/costaricaSecond-home owner, CR

Every one of these situations is preventable.

Caltern exists to put a structured, experienced team between you and every one of these outcomes – so the dream home you’ve been planning for years actually becomes yours.

For Professionals

Join our vetted network of Costa Rica specialists.

Caltern works with a highly selective group of attorneys, brokers, inspectors, escrow providers, property managers, and other specialists who meet our standard for quality, transparency, and buyer-side integrity.

We do not accept commissions or referral fees from our network. Partners are selected on merit and matched to clients based on fit — not financial arrangement.

→ Applications are reviewed individually — we onboard selectively
→ No fees to join — partners are never charged for referrals
→ Work with serious, pre-qualified US buyers exclusively
We work with
Real Estate Attorneys
Licensed Brokers & Buyer’s Agents
Property Inspectors
Escrow & Title Companies
Property Managers
Other CR Real Estate Specialists

Your dream home starts
with one conversation.

Tell us what you’re looking for. We’ll match you with the right plan and send a personalized Corridor Brief for your second home within 48 hours.

No commitment · No cost · Just clarity