A Clean, Complete File Is Easier To Review
GAP Equity Loans helps qualified property owners prepare lender-ready private property-backed financing requests in Costa Rica. The review focuses on the property, title, liens, equity, documents, loan purpose, repayment plan, and exit strategy.
Loan requests start at US$50,000. GAP does not require or pull a credit score. There is no fixed down-payment requirement. Terms range from 6 months to 3 years. Once the complete file is in and GAP due diligence is finished, qualified loans often close in about 10 business days.
The property is important, but it is not the whole file.
Private financing is property-backed, but the request is reviewed as a complete opportunity. GAP looks at the property, title, liens, location, marketability, value, loan amount, use of funds, repayment plan, and exit strategy.
At the beginning, the goal is to clearly understand five things:
- The Costa Rica property offered as collateral
- The requested loan amount
- How the funds will be used
- The current title and property-document situation
- How the loan is expected to be repaid
GAP works only with first-lien positions. Smaller loans are commonly secured by a registered first-position mortgage on the Costa Rica property. Some transactions may use a trust structure when appropriate, while preserving GAP’s first-lien position.
Strong files are clear and realistic. Clean documents, practical leverage, and a sensible repayment plan make the review easier to organize.
Start with the core property and loan details.
You do not need to send every document at once. Start with the information below so GAP can identify what is most important next.
Borrower And Property Basics
- Borrower name and contact information
- Property location
- Google Maps link, Waze link, or WhatsApp pin drop
- Property type and present condition
- Estimated property value or recent purchase price
- Passport, DIMEX, or cédula photo
Loan Request Basics
- Requested loan amount in US$
- Clear use of funds
- Existing mortgage, lien, legal claim, or other debt on the property
- Brief repayment plan
- Expected exit strategy, such as sale, refinance, investor funds, business income, or project proceeds
This first overview helps GAP determine whether the request appears practical for a deeper review before additional time is spent gathering documents.
Documents that help confirm the property file.
The documents needed depend on the property and request. These are the items most often useful for a property-backed loan review:
- Folio Real or current registry information
- Plano Catastro, the official registered survey plan
- 10 to 15 good landscape photos of the property
- Ownership details and corporate records when a corporation owns the property
- Municipal tax status, if available
- Appraisal or valuation support, if one exists
- Information about legal access, water, zoning, permits, and improvements when relevant
Construction, unfinished-property, commercial-property, and project files need documents that clearly show the property condition, budget, use of funds, and repayment plan.
What makes a request easier to review.
A property-backed file is stronger when the property, loan amount, documents, and repayment plan make sense together.
Good Location
Location matters because lenders want collateral that is understandable, marketable, and practical to evaluate.
Realistic Loan Amount
The requested amount needs to make sense compared with the property value and the overall structure.
Lower Loan-To-Value
Lower leverage often makes it easier to align the request with the property, value, title, repayment plan, and exit strategy.
Clear Use Of Funds
Explain where the money is going and why the use of funds makes practical sense.
Clean Documentation
Clear title, registry information, photos, ownership details, and property facts reduce unnecessary delays.
Sensible Exit Strategy
Lenders need to understand how the loan is expected to be repaid, sold, or refinanced.
Some requests may be reviewed up to around 50% loan-to-value, but stronger files are often closer to 30%–40% loan-to-value. For example, a US$250,000 loan against a property valued at US$500,000 is 50% loan-to-value.
The purpose of the loan matters.
A clear, practical purpose helps explain why the financing is needed and how repayment is expected to work. Common purposes include:
- Completing unfinished construction
- Improving a rental property
- Adding useful property improvements
- Renovating or upgrading a commercial property
- Supporting an income-producing use tied to the property
- Bridging a timing gap before a sale, refinance, investor funds, or project proceeds
The clearest files are tied to a defined property, business, construction, renovation, refinance, or project purpose.
What financial information may be needed?
The property, title, equity, loan-to-value, legal structure, use of funds, repayment plan, and exit strategy are central to the review.
Depending on the request, supporting information may include business information, rental-income details, project budgets, proof of repayment source, or other documents that help explain the file.
Practical Review
Larger, commercial, construction, or project-related requests normally need more support so the full structure is clear.
The review is not only about property value. The request, title, documents, use of funds, repayment plan, and exit strategy must make sense together.
Different request types need different supporting details.
The core review approach is similar, but each property type can need additional information.
Home Equity-Style Requests
These use Costa Rica real estate as collateral and are reviewed based on the property, title, equity, loan amount, and repayment plan.
Commercial Loans
Commercial-property requests need clear information about the asset, business purpose, use of funds, condition, and repayment plan.
Construction Loans
Construction files need more detail about permits, budget, stage of completion, photos, and the planned use of funds.
Additional information for construction requests.
Construction requests need more than a basic property summary. Useful supporting items can include:
- Construction budget or estimated remaining cost
- Plans or blueprints, if available
- Building permits, where required
- Water availability or water letter, when relevant
- Project timeline
- Contractor information, if applicable
- Current stage of construction
- Photos showing the current condition and progress
Budget And Organization Matter
Construction-related funding can require more structure than a completed-home loan request.
A clear budget, timeline, permits, water situation, current stage, and repayment plan help GAP understand how the file should be reviewed.
Larger project funding needs an organized package.
Larger deals and shovel-ready projects are reviewed differently from standard property-backed loan requests. For these files, GAP may ask for documents in one clearly labeled Google Drive folder.
Helpful Folder Structure
- 01 – Overview: Plano Catastro, Google Maps pin, short description
- 02 – Legal & Registry: Folio Real, ownership details, municipal tax status
- 03 – Zoning & Water: zoning and water documents when relevant
- 04 – Construction: permits, plans, blueprints, environmental approvals if applicable
- 05 – Financials: appraisal, budget, comparable sales, or valuation support if available
- 06 – Photos: 10 to 15 key photos only
Additional Review May Follow
More documentation may be requested when the initial package supports a deeper lender or project review.
The first goal is a file that is understandable, organized, and easy to review without scattered documents or unnecessary material.
What can slow the review down.
Even a strong property can be delayed when basic issues are not addressed early.
Missing Documents
Incomplete property, ownership, registry, or construction documents can delay review.
Unpaid Taxes
Municipal tax issues or unclear property status can create problems before closing.
Title Issues
Registry, lien, annotation, or ownership questions need early review.
Ownership Details
When a corporation owns the property, GAP needs corporate ownership and signing-authority details.
Construction Details
Missing permits, incomplete plans, unclear water status, or unclear progress can slow construction files.
Slow Organization
Delays in gathering and organizing the file can slow even a strong opportunity.
Clear closing and funds handling.
Legal fees and closing costs are reviewed as part of the loan structure and include GAP’s fee where applicable. The closing attorney or Notary Public prepares the legal documents and handles registration. GAP never accepts cash; funds move through the appropriate banking and closing process.
What if there is already a loan on the property?
An existing mortgage, lien, or private loan does not automatically prevent a review. It needs to be disclosed early so GAP can understand the title, available equity, payoff structure, and proposed closing plan.
Depending on the structure, existing debt may need to be paid out or handled as part of the closing. This is reviewed with the property, title, legal requirements, and closing attorney.
Terms and pricing are reviewed for each file.
Terms range from 6 months to 3 years. The property, loan size, loan-to-value, title, repayment plan, exit strategy, and overall file guide the proposed structure.
Qualified borrowers of any nationality can be reviewed.
A practical guide before sending a file.
This page helps borrowers prepare a clean, realistic request before sending it to GAP for review.
The goal is simple: organize a clear property-backed file for financing review, legal work, and closing.
Send the basic property and loan details.
Start with the property location, requested loan amount, estimated value, use of funds, existing debt, and repayment plan. GAP can then explain what information is most important next.