Original subtitles

This view is priceless.

[narrator] Imagine a world of bargain dream real estate.

-Just $41,000. -What?

This is unheard of for the States.

Global destinations.

-Bonjour. -I'm gonna embarrass myself.

-Fromagerie. -I love it.

Great way to meet your neighbors.

-Yeah. -Yeah.

This architecture is amazing.

And local expert know-how.

[realtor] The cost of this in the States, I think,

would be double for sure.

The cost of living here is so much more affordable

than the U.S. -It is definitely a bargain.

Thank you.

You can afford to live your dream...

Whoo!

I can't believe this is going to be my new home.

...at a price you never thought possible.

You did incredible.

This is exactly what we came all this way for.

[Joe] Isn't this awesome?

[Kellie] It's so crazy, dude.

It's really hard to believe we're here.

It feels like a dream, kind of.

We're not even on vacation right now.

-Right. -Yeah.

-[exclaims] -[laughs]

Limón, a stunning region

on the Caribbean coast of Costa Rica.

Just a four-hour flight from Miami via San Jose

and an international hub for cruises

to the Caribbean islands like Barbados and Antigua.

There's a rich Jamaican influence and a tropical ocean

that's four degrees warmer than the West Coast.

And it's still a bargain property hotspot,

where you can find a dream home

for under 150,000 U.S. dollars.

Coming to Costa Rica is going to be a big change

for our lives.

We're leaving everything that's familiar behind.

-Want to piggyback ride? -Sure.

We were really lucky to be able to sell our farm for

a good price, and we're looking forward to taking that money

and putting it on a house and being debt-free.

Things here are a lot cheaper.

Dude, they're gonna get us.

-They won't get us. -They're gonna -- don't, stop!

We had family. We had grandkids.

We had friends.

And so to uproot from all of that and to come here,

it needs to be worth it.

[Joe] Back in Michigan, we had several animals.

Unfortunately, all the chickens had to stay behind,

but we did bring the three dogs and four cats.

We did.

Finding Joe and Kellie their dream bargain home,

nearly 4,000 miles from Michigan, requires an expert.

If you want to move your life to Costa Rica, I'm the one

you definitely need to chat with.

Here, you can really find authentic Costa Rican culture,

amazing food, wildlife, national parks,

incredible beaches, and you can find properties

at a really good affordable price still.

-Hey, guys. -Oh, hey.

-Hi! -[indistinct]

Oh, my gosh.

-It's so nice to meet you. -Oh, it's a pleasure.

Yeah, it's so good to meet you guys.

So, what brought you here?

The warmth, the beach, the sand, the sun.

I feel like here, there's this very chill vibe,

and then it's very green.

Yeah, we checked out the western side of the country once,

and then we came to this side, and we were like,

wow, there's something special about over here. -This is it.

-Something just clicked for us, yeah. -Yeah.

[Kellie] It's much, much cheaper.

Are you still gonna be working, or are you just

full retirement? What are we looking at?

-No, actually, we are -- -We are working.

We're starting an upstart company.

[Joe] Yeah, we've developed an app, and that's the business that

we're gonna use to make this more comfortable.

You're going to make your business fit into

your new lifestyle here in Costa Rica. -Exactly.

-Yeah, exactly that. -That's exactly what we're doing.

So, what are you looking for in a property?

We're looking for two to three bedrooms, but one thing that

we're really drawn to are the more modern homes

with the outdoors brought in.

It's something I really love, at least.

[Joe] I also hope that it has really good internet.

That's kind of a big one for me.

The most important thing, though, is the water.

I need to be near a beach, or I really need to have a pool.

Yeah, I'm not a big fan of the pool.

You know, it's just more maintenance and cleaning.

Oh, enough space for animals. That's really important.

What budget are we looking at?

Probably the sweet spot for us is going to be

150,000 U.S. dollars.

But if we find a place that we just love, you know,

we'd be willing to go up to like $185,000-ish.

That's our maximum, though.

That would be like our maximum.

Yeah, well, I mean, this is a huge lifestyle shift,

and if this is the budget,

I'm gonna make that happen for you. -Awesome.

Costa Rica has made it easy for foreigners to move here,

offering many different types

of residential visas and tax breaks.

[Sarah] So, Costa Rica is definitely a big destination.

And I think one of the big reasons is, well,

property taxes.

We are at 0.25% of the value of the property.

-Wow. Wow. -Wow, that's unheard of.

Yeah, so, now living in Costa Rica,

whenever we find your dream home,

especially that's gonna be nice and affordable,

your property taxes are gonna be...

minimal. -Awesome.

That's amazing.

Joe and Kellie's affordable real estate adventure begins in

the town of Cahuita, just under a 30-mile drive south of Limón.

It has a mix of Afro-Caribbean traditions,

Latin American heritage, and dream bargain homes.

Cahuita may look low-key, but it has all the amenities

you could want, including fast internet connection,

so Joe and Kellie can work remotely.

-All right, guys, we're here. -Oh, yeah.

I am so excited for you to see this house.

-You got to come check this out. -Oh, yeah.

[Sarah] It's unique.

So let's talk price, because I know that,

obviously, budgeting, big theme here.

-So we're looking at 185,000 U.S. dollars. -[Joe] OK.

-[Sarah] The property's been on the market for quite a while. -OK.

[Sarah] I do think we could put in an offer lower,

in a range that's more comfortable for you,

and we could just see what the response is. -[Joe] See what happens.

-Yeah, let's give it a look and see what we think. -OK.

-Wow, Joe, look at this. -Whoa.

-[Kellie] Holy cow. -[Joe] Wow.

-This is amazing. -Incredible.

This is not what I expected.

No, look at the indoor-outdoor living.

Garden's right in your dining room.

-This is amazing. -Look at that.

It's open up there.

[Kellie] Yeah, it's very lofted looking.

I love that.

Look, look, look.

Don't let me fall. Come on.

-[Joe] Hammock in the house. -Help me.

Sure.

Oh, Joe.

Is that what you were hoping for?

Oh -- yeah, no, the plants can hang over me.

-It's fine. -OK.

[Kellie] Oh, this is amazing. The sun, plants all around me.

-[Joe] So cool. -You could bring me a beer.

[Joe whispering] Energy.

[speaking normally] Hey, this is part of that container home.

-Oh, right, yeah. -Yeah.

-OK. -We're actually in the container right now.

-[Kellie] Oh, this is so cool. -[Joe] I really like this space.

[Kellie] I like that it's long.

I wish it was a little deeper, But I guess that's the nature

of container homes, right? -[Joe] Yeah, probably.

[Kellie] I think it's cool how they broke out the side

of the container, and then you just put these

beautiful glass doors in here. -[Joe] Yeah.

[Kellie] You know I've always loved French doors, and we've never

been able to have them yet. -[Joe] Never had them.

[Kellie] Yeah -- I really like that. It just feels very elegant.

[Joe] Yep.

Designed over two floors, this unique open-plan home

built from shipping containers is designed to maximize

large open-air spaces and indoor and outdoor living.

It has a main room and kitchen,

two bedrooms,

and two bathrooms.

All essentials, including the beach,

are just a short drive away.

-[Kellie] Oh, wow. -[Joe] Wow, look at this.

-[Kellie] What an oasis. -[Joe] Incredible.

Hey, Kellie, there's a swimming pool.

-This is perfect! -[Kellie] What is happening?

-A bathtub, an outdoor bathtub? -No, it's a swimming pool.

[Kellie] Oh, I see what you're trying to convince me of.

OK, what do we think?

Hey, I think you can get in with me.

-Oh, yeah. -I mean, it's cool.

It's not a swimming pool.

-[Joe] Kind of. -But, I mean, it's a really cool bathtub, though.

-[Joe] Yeah. -I could take a bath in here.

-[Joe] Yeah. -[Kellie] I could cool down in here, too.

[Joe] And most swimming pools don't have all these cool plants.

[Kellie] That's true. I see what you're trying to talk me into.

I think this is a big win.

Gosh, this is awesome.

-[Kellie] Wow. -[Joe] This is so unique!

[Kellie] It's a tree house, Joe.

-Wow, this is so -- -[Joe] Oh, look at this.

So this is bedroom two?

[Kellie] Or one. I don't know.

It has a master on it too. Yeah, I like this.

It's kind of got that same vibe.

You're up. It feels a little more secure on the upper floor, doesn't it?

[Joe] Electrical right next to it.

So if you slid this out a little bit, you could

have a nightstand, yeah. -Same outlets, yeah.

-[Kellie] Oh. -[Joe] I don't really like this.

[Kellie] Yeah, this is a big deal.

Yeah, I'm not liking that there's no rail here.

[Kellie] Yeah. No, I don't.

We'd have to have that fixed before grandkids show up.

-This would be a problem for us. -[Joe] I do like it,

but if we have the grandkids come,

it's gonna be a problem.

Well, you're back. I can't wait to hear.

What do you think?

This house was a whole adventure.

I got to swing. I got into a bathtub.

I was up in a tree house. This was an amazing house.

Yeah, the only thing I think that stuck out the most

was that there's no railing

on the balcony up there. -It seemed a bit dangerous to us.

-Just seems a bit dangerous. -I'm surprised that there's not something there.

-Grandkids? -We definitely have to have that fixed

before we could have visitors with little kids.

I mean, it is at the top of our budget, but I mean,

who knew you could get a house like that for what

they're asking? -Yeah, I think you nailed it.

It's not just the bargain property prices drawing

Americans to this region.

It's the prospect of a whole new way of life,

which would include the incredible Cahuita National Park,

almost 58,000 acres of protected rainforest,

coral reefs, and stunning coastline.

All right, well, I want to show you guys this area.

-What do you think? -[Joe] It's beautiful.

-Amazing. -[Kellie] This is amazing. This is so beautiful.

[Sarah] The national park extends all the way to there,

I mean, for miles.

[Kellie] This whole thing is national park?

[Sarah] All of it's national park.

-[Kellie] Wow. -[Sarah] And, you know, it's really

right here on your doorstep. -[Joe and Kellie] Yeah.

[Sarah] I mean, monkeys, sloths, blue morpho butterflies,

iguanas, really all the animals that are typical to Costa Rica

you're gonna find here. -[Kellie] That's amazing.

[Sarah] I mean, imagine you guys could be

starting your morning in a place like this. -Right.

[Kellie] I feel like I could trade the gym in for this place.

Nature's jungle gym right here.

Yeah.

Back on the road, just 10 miles down the coast from Cahuita,

is Puerto Viejo,

a town with a large American expat community, all drawn by

surfing, beach hopping, and the legendary music scene.

Just a four-minute drive

from Puerto Viejo town center is this blue hilltop house

that is big on size but small on price,

and it comes with almost half an acre of land.

[Sarah] Well, this is the property.

I'm really excited for you to see it.

-First impressions. -Wow!

-Yeah. -It's a really nice size.

-[Kellie] It's a big size house. -[Joe] I didn't expect a big house.

So, this home has been recently renovated

into two separate areas.

So, even if you have the family visits, everyone can have

their own privacy.

But also, there's some income potential here.

-Oh! -Interesting. Oh, that's great news.

[Sarah] So, it's something you can actually rent out.

-OK. -Yeah, that's really interesting.

-That's exciting. -Awesome.

So, the listing price is 160,000 U.S. dollars,

but I have spoken with the owner.

He seems really motivated to sell, and I think we could put

in an offer for 150,000 U.S. dollars.

-That's amazing! -Right on!

-Yeah, that's awesome. -Yeah, that's really good news.

That works for us.

The upstairs area is the main living area of the home,

so I would start there first.

-Holy cow! -Whoa, holy smokes!

[Kellie] Look at how you can just see right down in there.

-[Joe] This is crazy! -[Kellie] I love the view.

-[Joe] Yeah. -[Kellie] This view is amazing.

[Joe] You know what the best part about this view is?

-What? -There's no swimming pool.

We're gonna work on that.

-We'll find a space for it. -OK, maybe.

This house is split into two self-contained spaces

on separate floors.

Each one has a bedroom, bathroom, and kitchen.

All set in its own tropical garden, the essentials are

a short drive away.

-Oh, wow! -Whoa!

-Wow! Look at how open this is! -[Joe] I didn't expect that.

[Kellie] I didn't either.

-This is such a big open room. -It's huge.

[Kellie] Yeah, I like the high ceilings.

-It makes it feel more spacious. -[Joe] Yeah, it's very big.

[Kellie] Not exactly like a Michigan kitchen, though, is it?

[Joe] No. A little small.

For some reason, I thought that the house was gonna

go out a little further. -[Kellie] Yeah?

Like the room would be bigger?

This kind of caught me off guard a little bit, yeah.

Do you think that it's because there's two beds,

or do you think it's the depth of the room?

[Joe] It might be because of the two beds.

Oh, wow. This is something, isn't it?

It is something.

-Propane. -Propane right here.

-Cooktop. -[Kellie] Attached to the stove.

-Wow. -Some older windows.

I'm going to have to adjust if we're gonna live

in this kitchen. -Yeah.

[Kellie] Can you imagine just sitting in here having a cup of coffee

during a rainstorm? -[Joe] No, not really.

[Kellie] It's just not modern enough for me.

-Let's go find Sarah. -OK.

All right. How did it go?

Oh, my God, that kitchen! I'm a little disappointed.

The kitchen would be really tough for me.

And we didn't have space for the dogs.

And I knew we'd have to adjust, but I didn't think about

adjusting this much.

Limón, Costa Rica.

A bargain real estate hotspot and one of the most

diverse places on the planet.

-Cheers. -Cheers.

That's sour.

-[Sarah] Super sour. -Yeah, this is so sour.

-[Joe] Very sour. -It's really juicy, though.

I like it.

Just a few minutes from the town of Puerto Viejo is

the tiny, quiet community of Hone Creek.

Less tourism means lower prices, so if you're looking

for space and affordability

without being too far from the action,

this neighborhood is a great, cheaper alternative.

I think you're gonna absolutely love this home.

So, Kellie, I really listened to what you said.

I know you really want modern, so I hope that this will have

that modern aspect for you. So I know you're looking

for a space where you can take your dogs. -Oh good.

So there's a river, three minutes walking,

there's a river, tons of green space, and it also has a pool.

Yes, yes, yes! I'm so excited.

So it is above what you guys are hoping for.

-So it is at the 195,000 U.S. dollar range. -Jeez.

I know, however, the property's been on

the market for quite a while. -[Joe] OK.

[Sarah] I do think we could put in an offer lower in a range

that's more comfortable for you, and we could just see what

the response is. -[Joe] See what happens.

Let's give it a look and see what we think.

OK.

Built in 2025 with good airflow and rooms open to

the skies, this home perfectly captures the idea of

indoor-outdoor living.

Something of a similar size in Michigan could cost

almost double the price.

Nearby is a small cluster of stores and the only gas station

for miles around.

Can you believe this is real?

-This looks like -- -A magazine?

-Yeah, a magazine, exactly. -That's crazy.

[Kellie] I love the lights. I love these windows.

-[Joe] Oh, yeah. -[Kellie] You can see everything.

Joe, look at the kitchen. This is amazing.

I can cook so much food here.

And the fridge is still a little bit small,

but it's a little bit bigger than what we've seen so far.

-Yeah. -Yeah, it might work.

I could be in here cooking.

You could be, I don't know, watching TV,

playing your games.

I can't think of anything it

doesn't have that we were looking for.

-Just a lower price, that's it. -Yeah, that's true.

For an affordable $195,000 and set within

a secured boundary fence, this dreamy, open-plan,

modern jungle house also has two good-sized double bedrooms

and two modern bathrooms.

[Kellie] Joe, look at the pool.

-What do you think? -[Joe] It's better than I expected.

-At least it's not huge. -Yes, yes, yes, yes!

So it's not a no.

[Joe] It wouldn't take too much effort to clean, I think.

-[Kellie] I can help. -Hold you to it.

[Kellie] This is pretty nice.

-[Joe] Yeah. -[Kellie] Yeah.

Can you believe that we're -- right there's the kitchen.

[Joe] No. That's wild.

-[Kellie] And we're at the pool. -That's wild.

Think you could walk in and get a beer or something?

-[Joe] Yeah. -Come back and sit at the pool.

-Yeah, just everything's right here. -Ten steps.

Oh, my gosh. Is that the toilet?

It -- OK, that's the toilet.

And a window.

-Why? -That's a little odd.

Yeah, you can see out, you can see in.

-I wonder how that works. -I can show you how it works.

[Kellie] Oh, my.

-That's how it works. -[Kellie] OK.

We're gonna have to set some rules.

Yeah.

The bedroom's nice and big. Oh, goodness.

Yeah.

Well, this is something, isn't it?

-Yeah. -Imagine.

How do you do this? I --

There's a window right there. Well, how do you get privacy?

Probably right here, honey. There you go.

OK, that's it. All right.

-I can't see you. -Yeah.

Yeah, I don't know how I feel about that.

Yeah, I guess you can use the other one.

-The one with the glass door? -Yeah.

-Right. -OK.

That's funny.

-So what do you think? -I love it.

It's a fantasy. This place is a fantasy.

It looks like a magazine. It checks so many boxes.

-Yeah. -Yeah, I agree.

And the positioning of the bathroom stuff is

a little strange. -[Kellie] The lack of privacy.

-It's unique. It's unique. -[Joe] Yes, yeah, it's unique.

OK, the biggest issue still is the price.

-Yeah. -You know, it's outside of our budget.

So while you were in there checking things out,

I did make a few calls. -OK.

And I was able to confirm that all the furniture,

so everything that you see, you know, on this property,

in this house, is already included.

Oh, wow! That helps, that helps.

So you don't have to buy anything.

And I still think there is some room for negotiation.

-OK, I'm liking that. -We didn't want a lot of work.

OK, that does help.

We got a really big choice to make here.

OK. Hand on heart.

What did you think about the blue house?

It really just isn't ticking the box for me.

Yeah, I feel you. It's not really ticking the box for me either.

Yeah. All right.

How about the coastal retreat? How'd you feel about that?

[Joe] I liked that one. It's really cool.

And it was a super huge surprise

like when you walk in, you know how like

much different it was. It was totally unexpected.

[Kellie] Bathtub's a little weird for me.

-Ah, it's a pool. -Yeah, I heard you.

That jungle house, it was so beautiful.

It didn't have great space for the dogs, but it had a pool,

it had an open kitchen.

I really want to love that house,

and I do love that house,

but it's outside of our budget, and I really don't want you to

be disappointed. -Yeah, all right.

-What are we gonna do? -I don't know.

We had a really hard decision to make, and after a lot of

discussion, we did decide to put in an offer

on one of the houses.

We made an offer for 180,000 U.S. dollars.

-And do you want to tell them which one we picked, though? -Go for it.

-OK, we bought the modern jungle house! -Modern jungle house!

[Kellie] Well, we probably spend two hours a day

in this pool when it's hot.

Pepper, come!

She loves to do this, like, two or three times a day.

I'm so glad that we made this choice.

It really did turn into what I was fantasizing about.

Yeah, me too, me too.

Yeah, I know we're definitely living fortunately here,

and it's such a dream come true.

-I mean -- -[Kellie] We're so lucky, aren't we?

[Joe] It's very lucky, yeah.

[Kellie] I just can't believe how well this works out.

[Joe] Yeah, sometimes it just, like, you just wake up

and you're just like, where am I?

Oh yeah, I'm in Costa Rica.

-Weird. -We did it.

-Yeah, we did do it. -We really did it.

-We did do it. -We had a dream and we just made it happen.

Hm, slap hands.