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For Canadian buyers

Buying here from Canada

More people read this site from Canada than from anywhere else, and until now every page on it was written for an American. This one is not.

Getting here

Nonstop from Canada: Montreal on WestJet — seasonal · December to April. That is the only one, and it is seasonal — which means that for most of the year, and from every city that is not Montreal, you are connecting.

The usual connections are Miami, Houston or Panama City into Managua. From Managua it is roughly two and a half hours by road to San Juan del Sur. Budget a travel day each way and you will not be disappointed by it.

Every nonstop route into Managua, with real block times →

What is actually different for you

What we will not tell you. We are not accountants and we are not your lawyer. You will find sites that will confidently explain how a Nicaraguan purchase affects a Canadian tax return. We are not going to be one of them — we would be guessing, and it is your money. Ask your own accountant, and put the legal questions to a Nicaraguan attorney before you sign anything. The questions worth asking are set out on day three of the scouting guide.

The 5-day scouting trip → · vs. Costa Rica → · the houses →

Questions people ask

Can a Canadian own property in Nicaragua outright?

Foreign buyers can hold property in their own name — there is no requirement to use a local partner, and a Canadian is treated the same as any other foreign buyer. What matters far more than nationality is the quality of the deed, which is why the scouting guide puts a lawyer on day three.

How do I actually get there from Canada?

There is one seasonal nonstop: WestJet flies Montreal to Managua from December to April. Outside that window, and from every other Canadian city, you connect — most people through Miami, Houston or Panama City. Managua to San Juan del Sur is about two and a half hours by road.

What about the exchange rate and Canadian tax?

We are not going to answer that, because we are not qualified to and getting it wrong would cost you real money. Property here is priced and sold in US dollars, so a Canadian buyer carries a CAD/USD exposure an American does not. How a Nicaraguan purchase sits against your Canadian return is a question for your own accountant. Ask before you offer, not after.

Is it wise to buy somewhere I only ever visit in winter?

It is the honest question, and the answer is to come in the rainy season too. May to November is when the roads, the drainage and the humidity show you what they really are. Anyone who only sees a place in February is seeing its best week.

Ask about any of them

Christina lives in San Juan del Sur and shows these herself. Tell her which one and she will send photographs, the deed position and what the closing actually costs.

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