Costa Rica's Last Boom Towns Could Make You Rich
Costa Rica is a beautiful country, with long stretches of deserted and undeveloped beaches…dense jungles teeming with exotic wildlife…towering volcanoes, lush green valleys, and hundreds of crystal-clear lakes and rivers…
Not only that, but the country offers a great climate, neighborly atmosphere, a low cost of living, excellent health care, and a stable democracy.
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Fast Facts
Population: 4,516,220
Capital City: San Jose
Climate: Tropical and subtropical; dry season (December to April); rainy season (May to November); cooler in highlands
Time Zone: GMT-6
Language: Spanish (official), English
Country Code: 506
Coastline: 1,290 KM
Costa Rica Archives
In a place where your dollar goes further… where today’s economic crisis is creating new opportunities… instead of taking them away.
Where costs of living, healthcare, and property are still affordable – like they once were in the US. And you can still live luxuriously… even hire a maid… on nothing more than your social security check.
Discover our top retirement destinations for 2012 at International Living’s Seventh Annual Ultimate Event.
When Ernest Hemmingway was asked how he went broke, he replied, “Two ways. Gradually, then suddenly.” It’s the same pattern with hot new beach destinations (only instead of going broke, you could make money…gradually, then suddenly).
The Costa Rican beach towns of Quepos and Jacó can feel a bit like Daytona Beach. Themed restaurants, multi-story condos, U.S. chain hotels and resorts…
I made my escape to Costa Rica in May 2010, to teach English in San Jose. I recently discovered a beautiful little mountain town (where a friend lives) that’s an easy day trip from the capital. Urasca is a small town in the province of Cartago, at about 3,000 feet above sea level. It has a climate quite different to San Jose—Costa Rica is marked by its micro-climates.
Costa Rica is one country that may truly have it all: a year-round tropical climate, modern cities, Caribbean beaches, Pacific coastline, rain forests, lush valleys, and mountains.
Join us in Costa Rica this November, and we’ll tell you exactly where to go, who to see, and what kinds of properties make sense if you’d like to buy in this country.
This time next year—you could be living your dream life in Costa Rica. And the Fast-Track Costa Rica: Lifestyle & Opportunity Conference is the best, most efficient way to make it happen.
Lake Arenal in Costa Rica’s lake country is stunningly beautiful. The weather, with year- round temperatures in the 70s, is near perfect.
From the lake (and from the elevated lots at The Preserve, the project I told you about yesterday) the views to the towering Arenal Volcano are jaw dropping.
This is rich pasture and tropical jungle country. You might think you are in Switzerland. The roar of howler monkeys… flamboyant and dramatic…and brightly colored birds tells me I’m not.
Lake Arenal, Costa Rica has been overlooked. I can’t explain why. I can see no good reason. It’s just one of those anomalies.
It’s stunningly beautiful. The weather is near perfect. The community of locals and expats is welcoming and friendly. The road here is good and you don’t want for any modern conveniences or amenities.
I’ve seen situations like this before.
It’s easy to find yourself surrounded by lush green jungle, a kaleidoscope of flowers, and a menagerie of animals. You can have this in your backyard if you wish. For me, this is a huge part of the magic of Costa Rica and the main reason I chose to live and work here.
Along Costa Rica’s Southern Zone the bright, thick, green jungle canopy rolls down to a coast of sandy beaches and rocky points. It’s truly stunning.
While prices in the north soared…prices here stayed low. It was difficult to get to. But a new smoothly paved coastal highway has changed that.
One project along this coast stands out as the gold standard. It’s here…on a stunning ocean view lot surrounded by jungle-clad hills in Pacific Lots…that a small group of Real Estate Trend Alert members will gather this February 8-11.
Healthier and happier. We hear that over and over from IL readers who move to Costa Rica. Ben Hill says “I was a junk food junkie…stopping at every 7-11 and buying a bag of chips and a coke, a candy bar…but now I eat healthy food, I feel better, I’m more flexible and I weigh a lot less than I did back in California.”
If you followed the scouting trip to Costa Rica I made with my wife Suzan earlier this year, you’ll know that this is the best time to buy. Here are some of the highlights:
With long stretches of sand along the coast, jungle-clad hills, beach towns that range from sleepy to surfer-central, Costa Rica is a great place not only to retire, but also to vacation. Even better—that trip can be free. Through an online contest, the Costa Rica Tourism Board is “gifting” $1 million in week-long vacations to people throughout the U.S. and Canada. Each winner and a guest will spend eight days…
The Caribbean side of Costa Rica languished, creating what is today a bargain-hunter’s dream. The neglect of this region is one of those anomalies that produces excellent profit opportunities. And I’ve found a way you can buy land in a Gold Standard gated community here for less than half of what you could pay just outside those gates.
Not even the Costa Ricans know it’s here. The forgotten province. But they’ll hear about it soon enough—especially with the massive investment slated for the region. The biggest of its type in Costa Rica’s history. So far, there’s been little development of the real estate and tourism markets on this nation’s Caribbean coast (yes, Costa Rica has one). It’s hard to understand why it’s been overlooked. Yet it has… and that means that this stretch of coast holds some of the Caribbean’s most undervalued real estate.
“A Good Base for a Single Woman”
Name: Jan Hunsinger
Age: 64
From: California
Moved to: Cuenca, EcuadorWhen …
Along Costa Rica’s Southern Zone the bright, thick, green jungle canopy rolls down to a coast of sandy beaches and rocky points. It’s truly stunning. While prices in the north soared…prices here stayed low. It was difficult to get to. A new smoothly paved coastal highway has changed that.
One project along this coast, rich in nature on land and sea, stands out as the gold standard. It’s here…on a stunning ocean view lot surrounded by jungle-clad hills in Pacific Lots… that a small group of Real Estate Trend Alert members will gather this December 8th-11th. They will have two price lists. One for all the inventory at the project. The other, a list of special pricing for our little group on more than 22 handpicked lots.
To evaluate our seven countries for our Business Index 2011 we consulted seasoned entrepreneurs who’ve made the move and learned the ropes, as well as worked through in-country attorneys. We asked them about visa requirements, financing, and how easy it was to set up a bank account. They told us about local taxes, business expenses, infrastructure and the local culture for doing business, Here is what they had to say…
For International Living’s first ever Business Index we asked our in-country correspondents and a host of expat entrepreneurs what opportunities they see around them in their new homes. These gaps in the market include everything from small guesthouses to dog grooming services… read on to spot your opportunity.
In California, Jill Hill used to work in the “eye fashion” business…and her husband Ben built swimming pools. But when they moved to Costa Rica, they changed careers. From the hills of Nosara, they now run a successful yoga spa business that looks out over the Pacific Ocean. Ben and Jill were guests on IL Radio recently.
Live and Invest Overseas Conference
Your own cottage on a quiet beach… a grand apartment in a city vibrant with concerts and cafes… a mountain villa where the air is crisp… a vineyard amid gently rolling hills… maybe a full-time maid… plenty of time and funds to travel…This fall, we’ll show you where you can make that dream your reality… for as little as $649 a month.
Costa Rica may seem to you like nothing more than a pricey fantasy. But in fact, you can own a lot here for only $40,000. And it’s in a spot that’s poised to boom.
It’s easy to repeat Warren Buffett’s advice at dinner parties: “Be fearful when others are greedy, and greedy when others are fearful.” It’s harder to follow when it comes to your own portfolio.
Here’s a quick round-up of some of the events coming up over the coming weeks and months.
“Costa Rica offers true freedom,” Todd says. “They say that about the U.S., but Costa Rica really does offer true freedom.” No one bothers you here, the government is non-invasive and stable, there aren’t people protesting in the streets…people are happy. Sociologists have actually proven that Costa Ricans are the happiest people on the planet.
We just learned about the top places in Costa Rica that make the most sense for expats to live, to rent, buy real estate, become part of a community and have access to all the amenities that make life comfortable and enjoyable.
Three years ago, Andy and Fran (then in their late 50s) did something extraordinary—which turned out to be exactly the right thing for them to do. They sold out of the U.S. and moved to Costa Rica. They’re happy here. And not only that, but they’ve reduced their annual expenses by 65%.
Although the country is known for its beaches, the majority of foreigners who move to Costa Rica tend to settle in the Central Valley…near, but definitely not in…the chaotic capital city of San Jose.
Costa Rica’s affordable cost of living, scenic beaches with an abundance of surf, and lush natural landscapes are what initially drew me to this tropical paradise. The friendly nature of the locals, lots of of fresh fruit and vegetables, and relaxed lifestyle are what’s keeping me here indefinitely.
This time last year I couldn’t wait to attend the Live & Invest Overseas Conference in Las Vegas. I wanted to find out as much information as possible about my country of choice: Panama.
On February 1 you received my report from my scouting trip to Costa Rica’s Caribbean coast. I gave you a heads up about a planned new phase at Grand View. I told you that we would be able to get in early at special member-only pricing and terms.
And today, you can get in.
Putting together the Annual Global Retirement Index, which ranks the best countries in the world to retire, is a major undertaking. Here’s how we did it.
As a member of our little group, you will know that we look for Path of Progress opportunities. I’m talking about infrastructure projects like a new road…or a new bridge that will make an area more accessible and desirable. When this happens, prices rise. Like we’ve recently seen in Costa Rica’s Southern Zone…and in Tulum, on the southern edge of Mexico’s Riviera Maya.
My colleague at Pathfinder, Margaret Summerfield recently returned from a trip to Costa Rica, where she investigated the impact of a newly upgraded road that stretches out from the capital, San Jose. She returned to her base in Panama excited about a project she had seen in the area.
Pristine waterfalls, myriad geysers, natural swimming holes, bubbling mud pots, fumaroles, rejuvenating thermal hot springs, hiking, horseback riding, orchids, bird-watching, a canopy zipline, white-water rafting and a quarter-mile waterslide…a visit to Hacienda Guachipelin in Guanacaste, Costa Rica, is anything but boring.
Costa Rica has it all. And even in a country this stunning, Arenal stands out. Easily accessible from Costa Rica’s international airports of San Jose and Liberia, this gem boasts rich, green pastoral hills that roll down to the lakeshore while soaring, dramatic volcanoes form an awesome backdrop.
Visiting a U.S. dentist, Alan got a quote of $22,500. As longtime IL subscribers, we knew there were places where we could not only save a lot of money, but have a great vacation, too.
Lee and Sharon moved to Costa Rica because they wanted to stretch their small social security income and knew that retirement in the U.S. was out of the question.
We had traveled extensively in Mexico and Central America, but had missed out on Costa Rica. We decided this would be our opportunity to explore the country as well as take care of my husband Alan’s dental needs.
Andy and Fran Brown had a predicament. It was 2008, and both had suddenly found themselves out of work. The couple had a nest egg but after doing their sums, they discovered that their funds would only last nine years… if they stayed in the U.S.
Upcoming Events
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In a place where your dollar goes further... where today's economic crisis is creating new opportunities... instead of taking them away.
Where costs of living, healthcare, and property are still affordable – like they once were in the US. And you can still live luxuriously... even hire a maid... on nothing more than your social security check.
Discover our top retirement destinations for 2012 at International Living’s Seventh Annual Ultimate Event.
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