FIND OUT WHO LIVES IN THE CHARMING TOWN OF PLAYA GRANDE, COSTA RICA

Lucy_Fotor

Playa Grande, while petite in size and despite the name (large beach), is home to an eclectic amalgam of full-time and seasonal residents. Costa Rica has gained a reputation of being a North American haven and an expat magnetic, but it is anything but homogenous.

What’s unique about Costa Rica and Playa Grande in particular is that in such a small perimeter, a globally diverse community exists and thrives in a way that the rest of the world can learn from. Race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, educational background, religion, and sexual orientation don’t seem to influence where someone fits in the community and social construct in Playa Grande.

Kindness, compassion, good humor, warmth, shared interests, lifestyle, and a common moral code tend to be more of what matters than anything else.

RipJack Inn in Costa Rica

FRIENDLY FACES IN PLAYA GRANDE, COSTA RICA

Playa Grande is a beautiful and charming beach town where you can truly be yourself and not fear that you won’t fit in, that you will be harshly judged, or that your unique weirdness won’t be understood. If everyone was the same, the world would be so boring. It is for this reason that Playa Grande is such an interesting place to live or spend a significant amount of time in. It is diversity that connects people here.

This community is home to people from Costa Rica, Argentina, Chile, Australia, Canada, the United States, Germany, and England, just to name a few home countries. There is a mix of business owners, entrepreneurs, yoga instructors, teachers, baristas, bartenders, restaurant servers, surf guides, writers, photographers, artists, musicians, architects, and other types of doers, creators, and fixers.

Playa Grande, Costa Rica

FRIENDS EQUAL FAMILY

Playa Grande is also composed of the full spectrum of ages and life-stages, which includes quite a lot of families with children. With so many great schools in the area, it’s no wonder families from Costa Rica and abroad flock to Guanacaste to provide their children with exceptional education opportunities.

Between the beaches, the surf, the paved roads that are perfect for biking and skateboarding, and the impressive collection of after school activities, sports, and clubs, Playa Grande and the surrounding towns offer a truly incredible environment to be a kid.

The small beach town of Playa Grande is a place where everyone knows their neighbors and where neighbors are actually friends and help each other in times of need. It a place where everyone looks out for everyone else. It is a place where people gather daily to watch the sunset and cheers to the setting day, wave to one another in passing whether they know each other or not, support each other’s businesses and trades, and connect with one another on a deeper level because life isn’t superficial here.

GRE

FRIENDS THAT SAIL TOGETHER STAY TOGETHER IN COSTA RICA

Playa Grande isn’t for everyone, but for those whom it is for, it is everything and more.

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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.