Our $800 Costa Rica Dream Home

"Being from Texas, we were tired of the cold, humid winters and the oppressively hot summers… we spent most of our time inside, and we wanted to change that!" Judy Nusbaum Henss tells me as we overlook Lake Arenal from her spacious outdoor living area.

"I was so impressed with the quality of homes available in Costa Rica when I saw them on an episode of House Hunters International," she says. And now she lives in her own Costa Rican dream home.

Texan Judy Nusbaum Henss enjoys this view over Lake Arenal from her dream home in Costa Rica.

Judy and her husband Rudy completed building on a mountain overlooking Lake Arenal in March 2023. The steep mountain drive up to their home is best done in a 4x4, but the view is stunning once you arrive at the top.

When the retired couple first arrived in Costa Rica in the spring of 2021, there were many options to buy. Yet once things eased up after COVID, homes were getting snatched up like hotcakes. And the cost of existing homes was more per square foot than building a new one.

"It made more sense to build our own," Judy says. "So we decided on a two-bedroom, two-bath home with an open living plan, a laundry room, a carport, and a covered outdoor patio area overlooking Lake Arenal and its volcano, which can't be beaten! We also built a cabina, a small house, on our property to increase the property's resale value."

Rudy pipes in, "And the best news is that our yearly property taxes cost just $800!" This is much lower than a similar property would cost in annual taxes in the US (according to the National Registry, it's valued at $500,000). In Costa Rica, property tax is 0.25% of the purchase price or the assigned value.

Judy and Rudy built this two-bedroom, two-bathroom home in Costa Rica and pay just $800 in property tax.

The couple is proud of their home and loves to show off its craftsmanship. This past Thanksgiving, the couple invited 11 of their expat friends over for dinner—something you can do when you have a space like this.

They have found it easy to make friends in the area since moving.

Judy shares, "Around the Lake Arenal area, different expat groups get together and go to breakfast, brunch, or lunch on certain days of the week. We found one that made living in Costa Rica much easier. A group called L.O.L.A. (Ladies of Lake Arenal) also meet monthly for a potluck luncheon."

The majority of these expat groups organize via Facebook.

Life in Costa Rica is much more calm than back home, centered around the Costa Rican ideal of "pura vida"—which leads people to seek harmony. Judy shares, "I found there was a lot of political unrest in the US, and I was looking for a peaceful place where I could relax and release the anxiety in my body. And thankfully, I have done just that in Costa Rica."

They also find the cost of living to be lower in Costa Rica—particularly for healthcare, which they are still paying for privately.

"At this time, we are not in the Caja system; we are still considered tourists. We use private healthcare and have had great experiences," Rudy shares. "I went to the E.R. for a partially torn Achilles tendon, an M.R.I., a specialist, and a walking boot; the bill was $500. Other doctor's visits are usually between $40 to $70. Dental care is also generally cheaper here. I had two implants, which cost $1900 each."

When they reflect on their decisions, Judy says, "We wouldn't do anything differently if we had to do it all over again. Rudy did a lot of online research about the country, so we understood the building process and the politics involved. We wanted to be informed, so we felt comfortable checking out this country. And the rest is history."