Sarah Breitlander | Broker | Attorney | Owner of KRAIN

Sarah brings her wealth of experience as a former real estate litigator to KRAIN’s clients, educating them on the laws pertaining to ownership of both U.S. and Costa Rica property.

Sarah_HHI-Logo.jpgSarah Breitlander is a United States attorney and founding partner of KRAIN Costa Rica.  As a U.S. licensed attorney, Sarah brings her wealth of experience to KRAIN’s clients, educating them on the difference in laws pertaining to real estate ownership in the U.S. and Costa Rica; the ability of, and limitations upon, foreigners to own property in Costa Rica; and the differences between owning titled property and concession property.  For her commercial clients, Sarah advises as to the specific processes, and best practices, by which foreign investors can acquire, subdivide, and develop large tracts of land.   Acting as a liaison with legal counsel, financial analysts, and engineering firms throughout Costa Rica, Sarah assists her commercial clients in acquiring water rights sufficient for the proposed development, in obtaining building and environmental permits, and in formulating a development and resale plan to maximize financial objectives and minimize risk.

Sarah is also founding partner of KRAIN Costa Rica Property Management, which, in three short years, has established itself as the premier property management company for luxury and vacation homes along the beaches of Playa Flamingo, Playa Potrero, Playa Conchal, and Playa Ocotal.  

Sarah practiced law for over a decade in the United States before moving to Costa Rica.  Specifically, she practiced at a large Chicago law firm, where she counseled and represented clients in various commercial and residential real estate disputes.  

In 2012, Sarah was named among Chicago’s top “40 Under 40” Illinois attorneys to watch.  For five consecutive years beginning in 2009, Sarah was named an Illinois “Rising Star” in Super Lawyers Magazine, a distinction reserved for the top 2.5% of Illinois lawyers who are under 40.  Sarah also served for over 10 years on the board of the Women’s Bar Association of Illinois (WBAI), and was voted President-Elect of the WBAI before her departure to Costa Rica. Sarah was also 2011-12 Chair of the Chicago Bar Association’s Commercial Litigation Committee and was the youngest attorney to ever chair that committee. 

Sarah has also worked for various highly distinguished judges.  She served as law clerk to the Honorable Anne M. Burke of the Illinois Supreme Court.  In addition, she served a judicial extern to the late James H. Alesia and the Honorable Robert W. Gettleman, both federal judges in the Northern District of Illinois.  

Sarah received her Juris Doctor Degree from the John Marshall Law School in 2003.  In law school, Sarah received numerous scholarships for her academic achievements, including the Fred F. Herzog Scholarship Award, the Edith, and Philip Baim Scholarship Award, and the Dean’s Scholarship for Academic Achievement.  Sarah was also a member of the John Marshall Law Review. 

Sarah is also a member of the Costa Rica Global Association of Realtors (CRGAR) and has a Certified International Property Specialist (CIPS) designation.  

Like so many of her peers in Costa Rica, Sarah came to Costa Rica seeking a better quality of life for her and her family.  Costa Rica has amply provided this life, and she and her family happily reside near the ocean in the Guanacaste region.  In 2015, Sarah and her husband, Pete, founded the Kaiser Breitlander Memorial Fund to help underprivileged children acquire the gift of a quality, bilingual education.  For more information on the Fund or how to donate, please click:  https://www.gofundme.com/KaiserMemorialFund