Category Archives: Real Estate & Hospitality

Selling the Investment Too Early: A Mistake That Can Cost You Residency

Marco Abellán – Director, Costa Rica One of the most critical—and frequently misunderstood—rules in Costa Rica’s immigration system is the obligation to maintain the qualifying investment until permanent residency is formally granted. Unfortunately, this is an area where poor or informal advice often leads to serious legal consequences. Under Costa Rican immigration law, investor residency…

Good Faith: The Silent Pillar of Arbitration

Carolina Diab – Special Counsel, Guatemala In arbitration—as in life—not everything is written. Beyond rules, deadlines, and formalities, there exists a principle that silently upholds the legitimacy of the process: good faith. It is not always mentioned and is rarely expressly regulated, yet when it is absent, arbitration suffers and loses its essence. Revisiting this…

Newsflash – GED System: New Electronic Platform of the General Property Registry

The General Property Registry (RGP) of Guatemala announced that the Electronic Document Management System (GED) became operational on Monday, December 8. This platform allows notaries to submit documents electronically 24 hours a day. Once implemented, most acts (sales, purchase agreements, leases, mortgages, easements, immobilizations, judicial orders, among others) may be submitted online. However, the Registry…

Newsflash: Luxury houses tax (solidary tax)

This tax, known as ISO, is a levy imposed on residential properties whose construction value and fixed installations exceed ₡143,000,000 (approximately US$286,000). The tax return must be filed every three years through the Tax Administration’s electronic system. If you filed the return in 2025, you will only be required to make the payment. However, if…

Condominiums in Tourist Marinas: Costa Rica’s new development opportunity

As part of the natural process of evolution of any real estate project, opportunities for diversification, structuring, and offering new real estate products arise over time. In Costa Rica, tourist marinas have been a clear example of how the natural conditions of a country, in our case, the coasts, can assertively enable the commercial and…

BLP inaugurates a new office at Marina Flamingo on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica

As part of its expansion strategy and to continue providing value in its solutions through added contact points, BLP is opening a new office in Marina Flamingo, the latest generation marina and resort village in Costa Rica. This new office focuses on transactions related to local real estate under the auspices of BLP’s renowned Real…

BLP adds a renowned specialist in Business Law and Real Estate

As part of our growth strategy and in response to crucial market demands, BLP adds José María Pacheco as Special Counsel to its team in Costa Rica. José María joins our practice areas of Business Law and Real Estate and Hospitality. https://www.blplegal.com/blp-web-2021/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Jose-Maria-Pachecho-400×489-1-245×300.png José María Pacheco Special Counsel | Costa Rica José María has represented regional…

BLP advises on the financing of Marina Flamingo in Costa Rica

BLP has advised both Banco BCT and Marina Flamingo Development Group on granting a syndicated loan for the development of Marina Flamingo, located in the province of Guanacaste, Costa Rica. The loan in tranches is intended for constructive financing of the project’s first stage, soon to start operations. Separate BLP teams advised on the structuring…