Do I get a title for my house?
During phases 1, 2, and 3, all owners buy a title. Later, this will change as Yoko Village will sell homes that are located on agricultural land. When buying homes at phase 3 or onwards please be aware that Yoko Village will have two types of land usage lots. One type of land usage allows subdivision of the lot (close by to the public road). In this case, you will receive a title of ownership which is registered in the government registry. The second type of lot (agricultural lot) does not provide title ownership. When building on agricultural lots, up to 2 houses can be built. Costa Rican law does not allow for the subdivision of agricultural land and therefore Yoko Village will subdivide the land internally. The subdivided lot in its entirety will be owned by a newly formed company (LLC) and the owners of the villas will have shares in that company based on their villa type. As an owner of this type of property, you will be able to sell your shares and do whatever you like to your house as you please. This method is fully legal and fairly common practice here in Santa Teresa and Costa Rica as a whole. Your part of the land and thus the company will be detailed on your contract and you can sell it at any time. Buying a home within agricultural land is similar to how Co-Op’s are owned in places like NYC.

Who owns the property?
You always own the title to your property. If you want to subdivide one of the 5000 m² agricultural lots with a partner, it is done as follows. You and your partner would form an LLC and the subdivision would be stipulated within the contract of that LLC. You own the LLC and therefore, you own the title. The communal spaces will be owned by Yoko Village.

What are the estimated monthly HOA fees?
$250 per month. The HOA fees include security, landscaping, and general maintenance of Yoko Village, like running the communal services i.e. shared workspace, garden, roads.

What other monthly fees may apply?
$200 per month for the maintenance of your home. Including a handyman available for any unexpected issues.

Is there a board or organization that runs the community?
There is no community board. There is an in-house management team looking after all aspects of the community. They will be based on the community campus and their job will be to manage all of the community’s business affairs as well as manage properties for owners who wish to use their villas for additional rental income. You will have ownership of your house and what you do in your house is your prerogative. We will have some general rules for co-living in harmony in the community, but apart from that, we do not want to overreach. Our job is to keep the place running smoothly and efficiently.

What are the property management fees?
If you want to create a passive income on your property or wish to rent out the villa when you are not using it, Yoko Village will manage the whole process. To have a successful rental business there are a lot of criteria that need to be met and typically that is very time-consuming. YokoVillage will therefore be responsible for the whole process of advertising, cleaning, renting, checking in and out guests, providing oversight with reports for a 20% fee of the booking price. We are proficient in online rental services such as Airbnb and VRBO. With Yokovillage.com obtaining direct bookings all year long, YokoVillage clients save on expensive booking fees.

When can I sell the property?
At any time.

Can I buy a ready-made home?
Currently, we are selling houses by order only. Once all the community has been established an existing owner might want to sell their house.

Do I need to have residency status in order to own a home? 
Costa Rican law permits you to apply for residency after you have spent $200,000 or more on any property. You do not have to have a residency to enter into the country, however border agents typically give a tourist a 3-month visitor stamp. If you apply for residency the process is relatively easy and inexpensive ($1,500). We created an article about immigration to Costa Rica here.

Is the developer the legal owner of the land designated for Yoko Village?
Yes. The developer has secured the land on which Yoko Village is being built.

Is the land that I’m buying free of any debts, claims or litigation?
Yes. Yoko Village has done all due diligence and has gone through all the legal process to acquire the land.

Are all taxes paid for the property I’m buying or being part of?
Yes.

How long would it take to register the property once I sign the agreement?
All land/title transfers are done with lawyers in Costa Rica, their land registry system is extremely efficient and well organized. After signing, you will have a contract in hand and a copy of that title is electronically and physically sent to the municipality to be officiated.

What are the closest airports to Santa Teresa?
Costa Rica has two international airports. The first is San Jose International Airport (Juan Santa Maria, SJO) and is located in the capital of San Jose. The other international airport is Liberia International Airport located in Liberia. Depending on where you are flying in from each airport has different direct flights into the country. From there you can either take a 20-minute domestic flight to Santa Teresa’s nearest airport Tambor (and coming soon Manzanillo) which is a 30-minute drive from the town.

How do I get to Santa Teresa?
From Liberia or San Jose you take a 20-minute domestic flight and then there are taxis from the local airport to the village.

How long is the flight from NYC/LA/ Europe?
New York under 5 hours
Los Angeles 6 hours
Europe 10 Hours

Do I need a vaccination?
Costa Rica does not require visitors to have a Covid-19 test, however due to the pandemic they are requiring visitors to have travel insurance.

I would like to visit the property, is that possible?
You can visit anytime you want, we’ll be happy to show you around.

Who is Yoko Village?
Yoko Village is a company founded in Santa Teresa last year after its founder and CEO Liran Rosenfeld saw a shifting mood for the digital nomad (term used to refer to people who do all of their work online and no longer need a fixed location to work) to be able to work from remote and beautiful destinations outside of the US job market. As he himself had done the same thing he realized there was an opportunity to help many others with a like-minded living and at the same time develop a great business model.

Where are you based?
We are based in Santa Teresa, but our team, like most of the Village, hails from all 4 corners of the globe.

What is the experience that you have in the area?
Daniel Assado and Itay Ohio, Board Of Directors members of Yoko Village have over 20 years of experience in the region as developers, building together 50 successful projects and counting. Founder, Liran Rosenfeld comes from a strong marketing and sales background as founder and partner of PassRight, and the regional partner for Amazon. Our management, marketing, and sales team have been working with top US companies for many years now and we’re all happy to move down to Costa Rica and take life a little slower and replace quantity for quality.

What do you hope to accomplish at Yoko Village?
A thriving community. Yoko Village is uniquely designed to cater to the needs of remote workers and their families looking to escape the city life in exchange for a relaxed, less stressful, and more productive lifestyle. The community comes fully equipped with all the amenities and facilities necessary to maintain a healthy, well-balanced, co-working lifestyle.

What are the benefits of living in Yoko Village?
Houses in Yoko Village are built ground up, are beautifully designed, and weather resistant.
Yoko Village has amenities that are exclusive to its residents including a gym, a large elegant co-working space, a communal restaurant, communal garden, and is located in a gated property with 24hr security service providing comfort and security for your family and investment.
A community of like-minded people, who maintain a healthy lifestyle and an adventurous spirit.
The best location on the peninsula. Nestled in the hills of Santa Teresa, minutes away from the beach, restaurants, and nightlife, Yoko Village has a premium foothold in Santa Teresa.
Abundant nature surrounds you, peace and tranquility follow your every step.
Construction has been planned ahead so that as the community grows it will not stress the infrastructure, while continuously blending into the environment.
The resale factor will only go up as the community’s roots grow deeper.
Due to the fact that we are building such a large-scale project, we have already gone through painstaking efforts to secure top contractors, architects, and landscapers that we know can do the job and provide top-quality affordable finishes.

Am I buying directly from Yoko Village?
Yes, we are the sole owners of the project and are doing all of the in-house sales, marketing, and working with trusted and very experienced contractors for the construction.

If I’m not 100% satisfied with the construction at the end of the build what do I do?
Here at Yoko Village, we are dedicated to creating a well-constructed and executed community project. That being said all construction has a 1-year warranty on the build. The contract itself is very detailed as to what you will be receiving as far as finishes, sizes, construction materials, etc. and you will be getting the exact same villa like the one shown in our unit specifications document (Annex A).

Is Yoko Village a family-friendly space?
Our will is to create a community open to every type of person and their clan. If the trend is pointing towards more families, we will adjust the amenities to suit that need.

Are you the only community in Santa Teresa?
Yes. There are a few residential communities that exist, however, none of them are providing anything close to what we are. They are gated residential areas with little amenities to provide. We will provide all the lifestyle perks that make us unique to Santa Teresa.

Are you working in any other projects?
Yes, we have another Yoko Village in the pipeline on the peninsula.

What if I have more questions?
Contact us!! info@yokovillage.com
We are here to give you all the information you need.

What monthly income do you foresee on a rented villa?
We project by our knowledge and research that the average percentage is around 14% return on your investment. Of course, this can vary depending on the season and type of rental, long term vs. short term.

What do I need to know about Management fees and services?
The management fee is 20%, and is only for people owning a property as an investment and are not planning on living there. Many people in Santa Teresa own houses that they use periodically throughout the year, and the rest of the time the property is earning income as short-term rental. Yoko Village offers internal management services in sort term rentals for the Villas of the community. The management fee covers all rental platforms and advertising, cleaning, maintenance, and all other services that are necessary for running a profitable rental business, making it easy and smart for owners to see the highest return.

Our rental office will be using platforms such as Airbnb, Vrbo, and Luxury Retreats to advertise your property in our community. We believe that if everything is run under one umbrella the community and properties will be better managed and protected.

Is it possible to get a mortgage for part of the investment?
We’re not offering mortgage contracts; however, we are working on a financing deal with a US financial institution to be able to create a mortgage program.

What is the deposit amount?
$25,000

Is the deposit refundable?
Due to the high demand for such a sought-after product, we are expecting our clients to be sure about their decision. That being said, we don’t want to lose other people to indecision so deposits are non-refundable.

At what point can I still back out of the deal?
Once you have signed the contract and transferred funds over to us, we consider the deal closed. At that point, you are committed to seeing the project through to completion.

What guarantees do you offer?
We offer guarantees on the workmanship and materials used in the buildings. We guarantee that your house and finishes will be and look like the one you saw in the model unit.

What extra costs will I incur?
Gas, Electricity, Cable, Taxes.
This is a question based upon your personal needs; however, you will have a gas, electricity, and water consumption need. These prices can vary based upon your villa consumption. Cable, internet, etc. are services that we don’t personally provide, but they are well established and easily installed.

Do you have an estimation of utility costs i.e. electricity, gas, insurance?

When do I start making payments on my house?

What is the income tax rate in Costa Rica?
Property taxes in Costa Rica are ridiculously low. You will pay a 0.25% property tax on the value appraised and registered by the city, which is always a lot lower than the real value. A $200,000 property might be registered by the city for $50K and you will, therefore, pay $125/annually.

What are and how much are closing costs?

What is the price per meter/foot for construction?
$1,200-$1,500 per square meter.

Will my villa look like the model in the brochure?
We will have two models per layout. The 1,2,3 bedrooms will have a standard and exclusive model. They will all be the same design so yes, your house will look like the one you saw.

Can I have the house designed the way I like?
To maintain a pleasing aesthetic throughout the village we are choosing to have several choices of construction and keep a uniform look to have the houses blend into the surrounding beauty.

How big are the villas?
1BR Interiors 70-80 square meters. Area Built 180
2BR Interiors 90-100 square meters. Area Built 280
3BR Interiors 100-120 square meters. Area Built 320
For more information please go to the following link

Do all villas come with a pool?
All villas except the 1 bedroom villa model B come with a pool.

What is the average distance between villas?
While each home has a different distance from its neighbors, the average 5,000 square meter lot has up to 4 homes. Each homeowner obtains ownership of 1,000 square meters which distances homes by at least a few hundreds of meters from one home to another.

What materials do you use for construction?
The foundation will be poured concrete (minimal amounts to lower our environmental impact). The flooring will be polished concrete and the structure will be made out of wood, metal, sheetrock, and metal studs.

Who is responsible for utilities?
The homeowner is responsible for all utilities in their property, such as electricity, internet connection, etc. The communal expenses will be paid for by Yoko Village out of the HOA fees.

What layouts are you offering?
There are two models: Single Family Home and Semi-Detached Home. 1,2,3 bedroom layouts in two versions each, Standard and Exclusive model.

When do I choose what finishes and details in the villa?
You will actually need to do that before you purchase your house as the finishes and extras can potentially increase the amount of your final costs.

Does the price include furniture?
The furniture is not included, but we offer to furnish the house at a cost that is under market price.

What building finishes can I choose?
We will send you a brochure with all the details and pricing upon request.

What (if any) warranty do I get on the construction and appliances?
The contractors we work with have a year guarantee on labor. Like most houses anywhere in the world this is a standard form of guarantee.

What type of zoning do you have?
Santa Teresa has three types of land use zoning, Commercial, agricultural (not the same as the concept of land for growing, but rather land protected for keeping nature), and lastly a form of land use connected to main roads that we will call Road Adjacent. Each type of land allows for different types of buildable property and ownership. Yoko Village is a mixture of both.

Have all slope analysis, erosion checks, and safety measures been made already?
Yes, we have checked the land with various engineers and are taking all safety measures needed.

When are communal areas and services expected to be up and running?
By mid 2022 Yoko management and security is live and running and you will be able to rent out the Villa immediately. By the end of 2023 all communal areas will be built and ready for use. Some of the communal areas might be completed before the end of 2023.

When will construction begin? 
Once you have signed your contract and transferred funds it will take about a year of the legal process until the contractors will be permitted to commence construction.

How fast can my house be built?
A typical time frame for building a 1-3 bedroom house is 6 months. However, there is a waiting time of about 3-12 months before we start building, because of permitting and planning.

Are there any risks of not getting the needed approvals for either villas or communal areas?
There are no risks in getting approvals for the construction of the villas and communal areas. All Villas and communal spaces are built according to law with the Yoko Village engineers and architects.

Is there any risk of increased costs of building etc. for the purchaser?
No. We commit to the costs in advance and under contract.

How is the capital paid at this first stage guaranteed to be used for the actual Villa ordered?
Yoko Village will make use of the funds in any way it sees fit and is committed under the law to build your home as mentioned in the home description and architectural plans as written in the contract.

Is there a fast internet connection?
Yes, there is an excellent internet connection, and the speeds are up to par with any American House.

Are there restrictions on travel to and from Costa Rica?
Costa Rica currently has no travel restriction and all borders are open. Due to Covid 19 situation, this can obviously change. They do require an Insurance policy that will cover you for all medical expenses if you do contract the virus while in Costa Rica. This can be obtained from any travel agent.

Do I need a visa to come to Costa Rica?
You can reference this link to see if your country of origin requires a travel visa for its citizens to enter the country. US citizens do not need a travel visa.

How hard is it to get a residence permit?
Any person over the age of 65 Is eligible to apply for a retirement visa. Any person owning property over $200,000 is also eligible for residency. The application process is fairly simple and inexpensive. We can recommend several lawyers for the process if needed.

Do you have any good lawyers you can recommend?
Yes.

I have more questions, who can I call?
We are here to answer any questions you may have. Our email is info@yokovillage.com or you can schedule a call with our sales operator, or you can give us a call anytime at +506 8988-5394.

Can you call me?
Of course. Please feel free to leave us your contact and we will reach out to you at our earliest convenience, typically within 24 hours if not sooner. We also invite you to join our mailing list, where we share valuable information and announce openings, new offers, and more, all made with big care and discretion, we ensure to keep your inbox clean and protect your information.

Can I come and visit the community?
We would love for you to come and see what we are doing and share our enthusiasm for our way of life. Any time you come down here you are gifting yourself with sun and fun. We can even help and suggest how and where to get here.

Where can I learn more about what you are doing?
www.yokovillage.com

Where are you located?
We are located in the village of Santa Teresa in the Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica.