Practical property-backed loan review in Costa Rica.
GAP Equity Loans helps borrowers in Costa Rica present sensible, property-backed loan opportunities clearly and professionally.
Real files. Real property. Real structure.
At GAP Equity Loans, our focus is not on hype or vague promises. Our focus is on the actual file, the property, the requested amount, the purpose of the loan, and whether the overall deal makes sense.
Borrowers usually come to us because they want a practical conversation. They want to know if the property is likely to work, if the requested loan amount is realistic, what may need to be cleaned up first, and what could slow a deal down.
Some files are strong from the beginning. Others need work before they are ready. Either way, we believe it is better to have an honest conversation early than waste time later.
We help borrowers present property-backed loan opportunities properly.
GAP Equity Loans focuses on real estate-backed borrowing opportunities in Costa Rica. That includes standard property-backed loans tied to homes, commercial properties, and construction-related borrowing, as well as larger project financing opportunities that need a separate level of review.
Our role is to help review the opportunity, identify strengths and weaknesses in the file, explain what matters, and help move sensible opportunities forward in a clear and professional way.
What We Review
- The location of the property
- The current value and overall condition
- The amount being requested
- The use of funds
- The loan-to-value
- The current state of the documents
- Whether there is an existing loan already in first position
- Whether the overall structure makes sense
We take a practical, file-first approach.
We focus on the real opportunity in front of us, not just on a headline or a rough idea. We want to understand what the property is, where it is, what the money is for, how much is being requested, and what may need to be resolved before a lender is likely to move forward.
We also believe in setting realistic expectations. Better files usually create more lender interest. Cleaner properties in stronger locations usually perform better. Lower leverage usually helps. A sensible use of funds matters.
What makes a strong file?
In general, the strongest loan requests usually have several things working in their favor.
Comfortable Location
A property in a location lenders understand and are comfortable reviewing.
Realistic Loan Amount
The requested amount needs to make sense compared with the property value.
Clear Use Of Funds
The money should usually support a sensible property-related purpose.
Clean Documents
Clean documents, or problems that can be clearly identified and fixed, help the file move forward.
Prepared Borrower
A borrower who is responsive and organized makes the review process easier.
Commercial Sense
The overall structure needs to make sense for the borrower and the lender.
The strongest requests are often the ones where the money is being put back into the property or used in a way that improves the asset, completes construction, supports an upgrade, or helps create income tied directly to the real estate.
The purpose of the loan matters.
Adding a pool, completing a construction phase, improving a rental unit, upgrading a commercial property, or installing a solar system can all make far more sense than a vague request with no clear property-based purpose.
We do not focus on debt consolidation. In general, the cleaner and more sensible the purpose of the loan, the stronger the file tends to be.
Costa Rica requires a practical approach.
Costa Rica is its own market. Property-backed borrowing here is not just about owning real estate. Location matters. Title matters. Registry matters. Municipal taxes matter. Existing liens matter. Documentation matters.
In some cases, a file can move quickly. In others, things need to be cleaned up first. Practical local understanding matters because a deal that looks simple on the surface may still have issues underneath.
Clean Files Can Move Faster
We can often close in about 10 days if the file is clean and the borrower has everything ready.
In many cases, delays happen because taxes need to be paid, documents are missing, title issues still need attention, or the borrower is still organizing the file.
Not every loan request belongs in the same category.
A standard property-backed loan tied to an existing home, commercial property, or construction-related borrowing is one thing. A larger development, shovel-ready opportunity, or more complex project financing request is something else entirely.
This distinction matters because the rates, terms, review process, and overall structure can be very different depending on the type of request.
Standard Property-Backed Borrowing
For standard real estate-backed borrowing tied to homes, commercial properties, or construction-related borrowing.
Larger Project Financing
For larger and more complex opportunities that need a separate level of review and a more structured project discussion.
What borrowers usually want to know
Most borrowers who contact us are trying to answer practical questions such as:
- Does my property look workable?
- Is the loan amount I want realistic?
- Will the location affect lender interest?
- What should I have ready before I reach out?
- What kinds of problems could slow the process down?
- Can an existing first-position loan be paid off at the closing?
Those are the right questions. The stronger the file, the better the conversation tends to go.
Start with a clean, honest summary.
If you want a serious review, it helps to have the basics ready from the start.
- The property location, ideally as a Google Maps pin, Waze link, or WhatsApp pin drop
- Your estimate of the current property value
- The amount you want to borrow
- A short explanation of what the money will be used for
- Any key property details or documents you already have available
You do not need to send a novel. A clean, honest summary is usually the best place to start.
Better Files Create Better Conversations
When the location, estimated value, loan request, use of funds, and current property situation are clear, we can review the opportunity much more efficiently.
If the file is scattered or unclear, even a decent property can become harder to evaluate.
Experienced leadership and senior project support.
GAP Equity Loans is led by people who understand Costa Rica property, private lending, borrower realities, and the importance of clear structure. Standard property-backed loan files are handled through the core leadership team, while larger development and project financing opportunities may involve senior advisors and associates with specialized capital and project experience.
Leadership Team
Glenn Tellier
Glenn Tellier is the Founder of GAP Equity Loans and has spent decades working in financing, real estate, and capital structuring. Before relocating to Costa Rica, Glenn helped arrange and secure hundreds of millions of dollars in financing in Canada across a wide range of lending and investment transactions.
After moving to Costa Rica, Glenn quickly recognized a major challenge facing foreigners, non-residents, and property owners seeking financing. Many borrowers had real property, practical needs, and reasonable opportunities, but struggled to navigate the local lending environment or present a file in a way that private lenders could evaluate seriously.
What began as helping clients understand their options eventually evolved into GAP Equity Loans, a company focused on practical, real estate-backed financing solutions in Costa Rica. Glenn’s approach has always been direct: review the real property, understand the use of funds, look at the documents, and determine whether the structure makes sense.
Today, Glenn continues to provide strategic oversight, lender insight, and long-term direction for GAP Equity Loans and the broader Grupo GAP ecosystem.
Lawsen Tellier
Lawsen Tellier serves as Director of Operations for GAP Equity Loans and plays a central role in the day-to-day leadership of the company. His work includes borrower communication, loan analysis, property review, lender coordination, transaction follow-up, and operational oversight throughout the financing process.
Originally from Canada, Lawsen began his professional career in construction, where he gained practical experience with building practices, site conditions, property development, and the realities of working with physical real estate. That background gives him a valuable perspective when reviewing collateral, visiting properties, and helping determine whether a file is practical from both a lending and property standpoint.
Having been involved with Grupo GAP through its growth in Costa Rica, Lawsen understands how borrowers, lenders, real estate professionals, attorneys, and property owners need to work together for a transaction to move forward efficiently. His role is not simply administrative. He helps lead the operational side of GAP Equity Loans and is often involved in the details that determine whether a file is organized, realistic, and ready for serious review.
Lawsen’s strength is his ability to connect the financial side of private lending with the practical realities of Costa Rica real estate. He brings a clear, responsive, and solutions-focused approach to borrowers and professional partners throughout the process.
Strategic Advisors & Associates
Steven Stewart
Steven Stewart supports GAP Equity Loans and the broader Grupo GAP ecosystem as a Senior Development Finance Advisor, with a focus on larger project financing, development platforms, structured finance, and capital strategy.
Steven brings more than twenty years of experience in real estate development and capital strategy, including hospitality, residential, mixed-use, and larger-scale development opportunities in Costa Rica and international markets. His background includes positioning projects for institutional capital, private credit, pension fund interest, and cross-border funding groups.
His experience is especially relevant when a financing request goes beyond a standard property-backed loan and begins to involve a larger development, phased construction, feasibility review, lender-ready presentation materials, or a more complex capital structure.
Within GAP Equity Loans, Steven’s role is focused primarily on larger project opportunities where development finance experience, project structure, and capital positioning matter.
Robert N. J. Stewart
Robert N. J. Stewart is a Senior Financial Advisor associated with Grupo GAP’s larger project and strategic capital initiatives. His involvement with GAP Equity Loans is primarily connected to larger development opportunities, complex financing situations, and project-level advisory work rather than standard borrower files.
Robert is a Chartered Financial Planner with nearly sixty years of experience and more than one hundred industry awards. Beginning his career in nineteen sixty-five, he became one of Kitchener-Waterloo’s recognized financial planners and later spoke at major international financial conventions in Brazil, Hong Kong, and England.
After relocating to Costa Rica in two thousand four, Robert expanded his investment and advisory experience across Costa Rica, Spain, and Nicaragua. He later served as Chairman of the Board for a major development initiative, providing strategic oversight and high-level planning guidance.
Today, Robert’s role within the GAP ecosystem is focused on strategic financial perspective, larger project structures, and helping support serious capital conversations where experience, discipline, and proper planning matter.
Real conversations, not empty promises.
We believe borrowers are better served by clear and realistic conversations than by vague promises. Property-backed lending depends on the file. The location, the collateral, the requested amount, the use of funds, the structure, and the overall logic of the request all matter.
That is why our goal is not to make every scenario sound easy. Our goal is to help borrowers understand what makes sense, what needs work, and what may be worth pursuing seriously.
Helpful next pages
Own property in Costa Rica and want us to review a loan opportunity?
The next step is to send us the basics clearly so we can review the property, requested amount, use of funds, and overall structure.