More About Us
Honey and Nuts is a small, concierge style Real Estate business located in Costa Rica. We are focused on the international ex-pat community, providing them with property related expertise, insights into local culture, and a rolodex of connections, with the aim of making the transition to the tropics easier. Our unique partnership is made of a born and raised Tica lawyer, and an international architect who started coming to the tropics 20 years ago, and relocated more permanently in 2016. After being together a while, we realized we had chemistry not just in our personal lives but synergy in business aspects as well.
Honey, real name Raquel, is a born and raised Costa Rican with strong family roots. She grew up on the East side of San Jose and attended the French School. After completing her law degree at UCR, she became a lawyer and notary public, and has spent decades bee-ing a very intelligent and sweet connector and counsel to her clients. She speaks 4 languages and has been providing expats with an easy button, in relation to residency and other aspects of their transitions to and within paradise.
Honey lives connected to the matrix of city life, diplomatic events, and generally knows what’s up on the cultural calendar. She has been to all the popular places in the country, and knows where the best culinary experiences are found. Camping is a no-no, glamping is bearable, and traveling comfortably to near and far off places is a favorite activity with her family and friends.
Nuts, real name Nils, is a salty South African born, German rooted, California raised, global citizen, who packed his truck and drove a reverse migration to CR 9 years ago. He is an architect and artist, having spent the past 4 decades on a path less travelled but through highly creative projects of varying types. He feels he has gained valuable insight and unique perspective into the differences between people, places, things, and processes far apart.
Nuts lives off grid in the humid jungles of the Southern Pacific in an experimental off the grid eco house he designed and built by hand, of shipping containers and bamboo. He likes dogs more than people and doesn’t mind getting dirty, but can also clean himself up well enough to be presentable in public and attract Honey. Honey has made his foreign life much easier, as there is a lot to navigate.
This combination of skills can be of high value to clients shopping from afar, those who can’t just go take a look themselves. We aim to be your trusted partners, as our expertise is unique in a property market where literally anyone can call themselves a real estate agent. Being cautious is needed here. You won’t be in Kansas anymore.
Also worth mentioning is that the financial markets are currently both volatile and unpredictable. Investing in real estate in such a democratically strong and safe Central American country as Costa Rica pays double dividends, as aside from holding and increasing land values, it potentially provides a Plan B and safe haven if your own neighborhood goes awry.
As this business venture begins, our intention is to highlight real estate listings that are well designed, mostly of contemporary architecture, as well as unique lots with high potential for customized solutions to individual dreams. We also seek to educate expats on both the benefits of living in the Central Valley, as well as its various cultural, artistic, and gastronomic highlights through our blog posts. We wish to represent and guide owners looking to sell their existing properties, as well as help buyers understand the market, while providing expertise to all who seek the honest truths of life in a place different from where we came.
Biography of Raquel and Nils
RAQUEL CASTRO – MUSMANNI
Born and raised in San José, Costa Rica, Raquel’s studies started at the French – Costa Rican international school. She immediately pursued university studies, earning a Bachelor of Laws degree with outstanding results from the University of Costa Rica in 1999. She also became a Notary Public and a member of the Costa Rican Bar Association. After extensive experience in the legal field, working mainly for North American Companies and European foreign investors, on 2010 Raquel joined the Lexing/Artech Law Offices, now part of the international Aliant network, where she is an associated attorney and Notary Public. Fluent in 4 languages, Raquel specializes in Immigration law, Real Estate law and Contracts, making her a valuable asset to the firm.
Prior to joining the Aliant office, Raquel had a successful 11-year tenure at the Law Firm of Lang & Asociados, where she focused on Corporate, Labor law, Notarial and Registry law, Trademarks, Immigration law, and legal research / due diligence for companies seeking to invest in Costa Rica on innovative businesses. As a lawyer by training, her entrepreneurial spirit also led her to co-found Conservas Finca de Oro S.A., a canning and export company, where she was in charge of contracts, industrial property and international food trade shows, from 2000 to 2012. Apart from that, following the family tradition of construction, she has been a Real Estate entrepreneuse for 20 years and manages apartments, houses and industrial buildings.
A passionate advocate for learning, she also studied business administration and other languages, always interested in business and cultural exchange. Raquel embarked on language studies at a young age, earning an advanced French certificate from the University of Paris- Sorbonne in 1993 and an advanced Italian certificate from the Dante Alighieri Cultural Association in 1996. She also completed Italian language internships in Florence, Italy, and in Montauban, France. For English, she completed studies at the North American Cultural Center in 1992 and also obtained an advanced English Certificate from the University of Cambridge in 1993. Raquel is known for her legal acumen, linguistic and cultural versatility, and diverse skills, which make her a distinguished legal professional in Costa Rica and beyond.
Languages: Spanish, English, French and Italian.
Office: Barrio Dent, Oficinas Colabora, San José, Costa Rica
E- Mail: rcastro@lexiscostarica.com
Web: Aliant Law
NILS HAMMERBECK
As mentioned, Nils was born in South Africa to German parents, but grew up in the Western US from age 7 on. Life was challenged by a weird accent in a new land but his family moved often, thus experiences counted more than opinions. He survived his teens, then studied architecture and received his degree from Arizona State University.
He worked for masters in the field for 15 years in places like Aspen, San Francisco, and Santa Barbara, working on both high end residences and larger mixed use hospitality projects. He became licensed in the state of California in 2004. He never got married nor had any kids and therefore was able to live a more adventurous life, including working with a bamboo constructor at world famous music festivals for a number of years.
10 years ago, tired of too much bureaucracy and closed mindedness, he packed his truck, left his tribe, rolled the dice, and took off on a reverse migration South. Over the past decade of living in CR, he has been involved in many projects, both built and unrealized. He worked hard on the completion of Kinkara, a boutique glamping hotel, as well as master planning for other dreams related to the Rise development, near Mt Chiripo. He then spent 2 years developing a design / build modular customizable but factory based prefab system with an expat contractor, but unfortunately after many successful projects, the doors shuttered as the partner retired.
Thereafter, he achieved the lifelong dream of designing and building his own home, without any human neighbors. Since its completion, he has been involved in numerous other home designs and master plans for larger planned communities. He now splits his time between life in his experimental off grid eco home in the jungle of the South Pacific coast, and a new office & studio in San Jose, to be closer with his partner Raquel, to connect to the higher level of professionals he found in the big City, to enjoy the the arts and cultural events scene, and to be available for projects all around the country rather than just being focused on the South Pacific.