LA PAZ SCHOOL (PRIVATE SCHOOL)

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HISTORY & PHILOSOPHY

La Paz School was founded in 2007 with the mission to;

“educate the culturally diverse youth of Guanacaste through bilingual experiential learning and enrichment that integrates the local community and ecology, while preparing students to become thoughtful, creative, and active stewards of their environment and future leaders of the world.”

La Paz is a non-profit school that emphasizes experiential, project based learning. Parents participate in the learning process by volunteering their time which encourages students, parents and teachers to work in harmony.  La Paz, means “Peace” in Spanish.  The school emphasizes the importance of developing a peaceful self, family, community and world.  View the curriculum here.

La Paz School is part of the International Baccalaureate program.  This program has global recognition in the academic community. This curriculum ensures that each student is able to attend college anywhere in the world.  Read more about the IB program here.

SCHOOL CAMPUS

You will find La Paz at the entrance of a gated community.  This private campus sits between the beach towns of Playa Brasilito and Playa Flamingo.  Students attend from various communities in the Northern Guanacaste area.  There is a bus that provides transportation from the nearby towns of Playa Grande and Tamarindo which means there are several options about where to live.

Since 2007 the school has been growing exponentially.  In 2017 the school joined their two locations into one campus.  Today La Paz is making progress on a larger plan to complete a comprehensive campus including a sports center, art studio, labyrinth and more. They even have a chicken coop that the students care for and collect eggs from. The eggs are sold at the weekly La Paz Farmers Market.  You can view the facilities here.

SCHEDULE

The school year runs from September through June using a trimester calendar.  There are three breaks a year so you have  plenty of time for international travel to visit friends & family.  You can view the full school calendar here.

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About the Author
GRE_TEAM-Dave

A dynamic leader with a proven track record of success in real estate, hotel, restaurant, and sales businesses. Effective leadership style that inspires trust and confidence in team members and clients. Relationship-based sales approach that yields many repeat clients and referrals. Experience in sales for over 20 years. Well over $100,000,000 in career real estate sales. Proud husband of Annie Corredor and father of Maggie Corredor.

COSTA RICA EXPERIENCE

Grande Real Estate
CO-FOUNDER and CO-OWNER
2016 - Now

After years of experience in the Playa Grande market, Dave and Annie started this small real estate brokerage and consultancy with the intent of using their best skills in sales and capitalizing on the plethora of qualified prospects generated by both RipJack Inn and their plentiful relationships in the area.

  • With Dave acting as lead agent/broker and Annie as GM, Grande Real Estate has grown to a level of over 50 transactions and $15,000,000 per year in sales volume.
  • Dave and GRE have been the exclusive agent for several gated communities/major developments in the area. In this role, Dave is counted on to help guide the decisions about what and when to build for the current market conditions. With this expert guidance, Dave has led multiple projects to their best performance in a variety of market conditions.
  • Grande Real Estate has had the majority of transactions and significant listings in the Playa Grande market during since inception. The vast majority of Dave’s clientele comes from existing relationships, repeat clients, and referrals. Dave’s greatest strength has always been developing and maintaining relationships through a commitment to the highest level of service.

Local Real Estate Investments/Projects
INVESTOR/MANAGING PARTNER
2004 - Now

As opportunities arise, we invest in and develop real estate projects in the local area. We currently own several properties in various stages of development, including the construction of fine custom and spec homes. We intend to emphasize this more as we move forward and do multiple projects per year beginning in 2021. As always, our focus will be on high quality end products and true, long-lasting value for our partners and clients, our most important relationships.

Premier American Escrow, LLC
ESCROW SERVICES FOR COSTA RICA REAL ESTATE
2017 - Now

In response to a clear need for streamlined escrow services in Costa Rica, Dave, Annie and 2 partners opened a Florida LLC to do escrow services for transactions, mostly involving Grande Real Estate. To-date, Premier American Escrow has done over 10 escrows very successfully. Customer satisfaction has been high and we expect the company to expand in the coming year.

RipJack Inn, Playa Grande
CO-FOUNDER and PRESIDENT
2004 - Now

Re-developed an older hotel property in a great location into the largest and most successful business in town. RipJack Inn has become the leading hotel and restaurant/bar in town and generates an average of $1,100,000 per year in sales. RipJack Inn is also the original and most successful yoga studio and retreat location in Playa Grande. Revenue streams also include group events/weddings, catering, tours/activities, and some retail. Also acquired expansion land permitted and executed new construction in the most difficult place to build in Costa Rica. The hotel has grown from 8 to 21 rooms over the last 17 years.

RipJack Inn currently provides solid employment to over 30 Costa Ricans and has employed over 150 people in its history. Dave and Annie have become experts in the navigation of the legal systems, employment, accounting, taxation, and culture of Costa Rica. RipJack Inn is an employer, taxpayer, and corporate entity in good standing in both the United States and Costa Rica.

UNITED STATES EXPERIENCE
Cornish and Carey Commercial, Palo Alto, California
LEASING AGENT
1998 - 2002

  • Primary focus was tenant and landlord representation in lease transactions for the dominant brokerage house in Silicon Valley. Client list included PayPal/Ebay, Advocco, TellMe Networks (acquired by Microsoft), Adecco, PricewaterhouseCoopers. Held State of California Real Estate Salesperson’s License.
  • Won prestigious Rookie of the Year Award in 1999, first full year. Set record for most commissions earned in an agent’s rookie year.
  • Year 2000, reached elite Super Bonus level with over $600,000 in earnings. Set standard for any agent in second year in history of company. Over $20,000,000 in total consideration in transactions for year.
  • Discovered and worked from start to finish on two office-building/redevelopment projects in Mountain View, California as agent and investor. Created two Class A office building in the heart of the Silicon Valley from scratch and saw them through lease-up and sell-out. Project included the first world headquarters for PayPal (then acquired by Ebay) and over $75MM in total consideration to the investment group.

PERSONAL

Married for 18 years and helping my wife Annie raise our daughter Maggie, my #1 focus. Interests include surfing, cycling, reading, personal growth, dogs, and travel. Fully fluent in Spanish, inclusive of speaking, reading, and writing to contract level. Permanent legal resident of Costa Rica.

Additional Leadership Activities

Vice-president, Board of Directors, Association AyA, Playa Grande, Santa Cruz, Guanacaste. My primary community service role is to help guide the board in the management of the town’s water system. We focus on sustainable practices to ensure the long-term health of the town’s water supply and system. A crucial role in a place where development and water usage are highly politicized and controversial. Over 10 years on this board to-date.