No Ordinary Mansion

No ordinary mansion: This $2.5 million Costa Rica escape lives on the edge — of a cliff

Editor's Note: Houston, the surrounding areas and beyond are loaded with must-have houses for sale in all shapes, sizes and price ranges. In this continuing series, CultureMap snoops through some of the best and gives you the lowdown on what's hot on the market.

The "pure life" awaits in an international award-winning luxury villa in tropical Costa Rica, now for sale at $2.49 million.

A bit of background

Casa Pura Vista, or House of Pure Views, is the two-year-long project and the final 2009 creation of acclaimed Costa Rican architect, Andres Morales. For this contemporary cliffside dwelling in Quepos near the Manuel Antonio National Park, Morales received an International Property Award in 2011.

The contemporary stunner sits 500 feet above sea level in the private residential community of Pura Vida Valley and enjoys unobstructed panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean and lush valley below. Getting to the house from Juan Santamaria International Airport takes a scenic two-hour drive.

Walk through
Park your car at 3 Las Vistas Drive behind an artist-designed steel surround with automatic gate in the oversized two-car garage. Additional security features include an invisible perimeter fence and security cameras. The first level also has a large laundry area and housekeepers' quarters with full bathroom.

Take the elevator or spiral "floating-glass" stairwell to the main living level with covered outdoor sitting areas, solid teak ceilings and large skylight.

Enter into the spacious, open-concept kitchen with imported custom cabinetry, Italian Murano glass pendant lighting, Brazilian granite, stainless steel appliances and additional breakfast bar seating. You'll find designer fixtures and finishes throughout the property. The formal living and dining rooms boast soaring floor-to-ceiling windows. Large sliding doors open to bring cool tropical breezes inside.

The master suite, located on the second level, impresses with two-story windows affording more incredible views. The master bathroom is complete with two closets, dual vanities and a dressing area. Just off the master bedroom, owners enjoy a private outdoor shower and Jacuzzi tub.

Two large secondary bedrooms with ensuite baths are located on the third level, as is a media room/office. Covered terraces and breezeways connect each space.

Step outside
The terrace is ideal for outdoor sunning, relaxing and entertaining and features a 50-foot infinity edge pool with three custom fountains. The grounds are landscaped with native foliage and a custom outdoor eating area offers more opportunities to enjoy the open air.

Extras
Energy efficient amenities include solar panels, rainwater reclamation and filtration systems. Smart-home technology integrates Casa Pura Vista’s indoor and outdoor audio/visual equipment, lighting and pool settings with the touch of a button. Excluding the art collection, the villa is being sold fully furnished.

Square footage: 6,000

Asking price: $2.49 million

Listing agents: J.D. Adamson, RE/MAX Top Realty, Empire Team

Watch a video tour of the villa:

Welcome to 3 Las Vistas Drive.

Photo by © Tony Gibson Anthony James Photography

Welcome to 3 Las Vistas Drive.

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Bang for Buck

Surprising suburb unlocks biggest apartments in Houston for $1,500

Photo by Matt Halls on Unsplash

Pasadena has the 6th roomiest apartments on a budget in Texas.

Budget-conscious renters searching for the roomiest apartments in the region should look no further than Pasadena. According to a new study, the east Houston suburb has the biggest apartments on a budget in the metro.

In 2026, Pasadena residents can rent a 1,125-square-foot apartment for $1,500 per month. That's enough space for a two- or three-bedroom unit, and it's four square feet bigger than what renters could get with the same budget last year.

RentCafe's annual report analyzes the places where renters can find the largest apartment sizes across 200 of the most populous U.S. cities for a monthly budget of $1,500. The price per square foot was calculated using the average apartment rent and size per city based on "multifamily properties" containing 50 or more units.

Pasadena offers the 6th most spacious apartments in Texas for $1,500, and Houston ranks 11th statewide.

Renters in Houston proper will net a 976-square-foot apartment for the same price in 2026, a size that has shrunk by more than 20 square feet since 2023.

Apartment sizes across Texas
For the second year in a row, the Rio Grande Valley is the region that has the most spacious apartments for a $1,500 monthly budget, RentCafe found.

McAllen leads the nation with the biggest apartment size – at 1,378 square feet – which is large enough for a three- or four-bedroom unit.

"With rents averaging just $993 and the typical apartment measuring 912 square feet, McAllen renters get a lot more space for their money than most Americans do within that monthly budget," the report said. "Still, that figure is down slightly from last year’s 1,393 square feet — a sign that even the most affordable markets are starting to tighten."

Brownsville, another city on the border located an hour east of McAllen, ranks fourth statewide with apartments spanning 1,213 square feet for the same budget.

These are the top 10 Texas cities that offer the biggest apartments for $1,500 in 2026:

No. 1 – McAllen (1,378 square feet)
No. 2 – Amarillo (1,237 square feet)
No. 3 – Lubbock (1,217 square feet)
No. 4 – Brownsville (1,213 square feet)
No. 5 – El Paso (1,128 square feet)
No. 6 – Pasadena (1,125 square feet)
No. 7 – Corpus Christi (1,115 square feet)
No. 8 – Killeen (1,058 square feet)
No. 9 – San Antonio (1,023 square feet)
No. 10 – Mesquite (988 square feet)

real estate apartments housing rentcafe study houston pasadena