Costa Rica Retirement Vacation Properties

Have you thought about using IRA or 401K  funds to purchase investment real estate?

This has always been a good investment option for growing your retirement funds. Many investors do not sell real estate as an option for their IRA. The reason for this is that most IRA brokerage companies and banks do not allow investors to hold real estate and other alternative assets. Brokerage companies sell products (securities, mutual funds, annuities, etc.) and therefore they limit your investment options to what they are licensed to buy and sell.  To be in real estate with your IRA you need a custodian that offers truly self-directed accounts and does not work on commission or give financial advice.

The main benefit of investing through an IRA is the tax-deferred or tax-free growth. The individual investments made within the IRA are not taxed. Therefore, if you buy a property that has income (rent) or a property that appreciates over time, you will not have to pay taxes on those gains. You can use the money you would have paid in taxes to continue to grow your IRA. Taxes are paid only when you take a distribution at retirement age (unless your account is a Roth IRA; then, distributions are tax free).

In the current state of uncertainty, it is hard to know where to invest and yet difficult to stay where you just lost up to 60%. Knowing well that to recover now you need to double your money and that will only put you back where you started before the decline. This can take up to 7 years and that is not a good option for someone 55 or older. Not many people have the same love affair with the market after what they have seen happening to them and everyone around them.

The use of self directed IRA’s to buy Real Estate can be a very good option especially in some of the USA markets that have been hit so hard.  One has to be very careful just the same because buying a property that has lost 50% of it’s value while you are 55, doesn’t translate into doubling your money any time soon. A lot of the downside in the USA market is due to correction which was needed remember.

What can one do in this situation to accomplish an objective of fast tracking your IRA?

Consider this. Costa Rica is still one of the leading Real Estate markets in the world today due to it being a very visible brand world wide. Further, it is America’s number one choice as a retirement destination. Due to the US recession, property prices have declined for the first time in 20 years.

Many fine properties held by US citizens are being offered at distressed pricing due to the owner’s need to deal with his home equity loans he used to buy the property.

Costa Rica Real Estate went through all this mess was never hit like the USA. The central bank right at the outset ceased all project funding in an effort to not overbuild and develop a similar situation as the housing market in the USA. With 70,000,000 Baby Boomer poised and ready, Costa Rica is surely going to participate in this rush of Real Estate opportunity. Moody’s rating has remained very high through all this period. The World Bank ranks Costa Rica very high in stability. The infrastructure that was underway to improve the Tourism and foreign investment never ceased.

The government has finally completed the Escazu stretch of superhighway between the Pavas exit and Multi Plaza. The new road from Quepos to Dominical is ahead of schedule and will finish in 2010. The new road connecting the central Pacific to San Jose is ahead of schedule and will complete very soon.

We at Costa Rica Retirement Vacation properties have been pondering this for some time now and have decided that the best approach to offer our clients is based on capitalizing on the above. We have identified some key areas for investment at this time. They include distressed properties as mentioned above. Condos for long term rental, Raw land and mortgage packages on prime properties with excellent loan to value.
For someone retiring in 2 to 7 years, investing in your retirement home at today’s prices and renting it until you arrive  can be a very shrewd move.

Even if you choose to sell it and buy another one at the time. Any type of retirement plan can be self-directed. The most common type of IRA is the traditional IRA. A common choice among self-employed
persons is the SEP IRA. SEP IRA plans allow self-employed individuals to contribute 25% of their wages up to a maximum of $45,000 to their IRA each year. The type of account with the most tax benefits is the Roth IRA. The Roth IRA allows the investor to not only grow their account tax-free, but distributions from a Roth IRA are also tax-free. The Roth IRA account holder does not receive a deduction in the year they make a contribution to their IRA, but because they pay income tax on the money when it goes into the account, they will not have to pay taxes when it comes out of the account.

For an example of how you can utilize your IRA for Costa Rica Real Estate or investment, contact us  here or call 1 888 591 1786 and ask for Robert or Carol.

We have a streamlined simple and safe system for processing self directed IRA’s very expediently.

To investigate this program thoroughly, ask us to prepare a Tour of some fine properties that are very under valued at this time and stand a better than average chance to grow very fast in value. These Costa Rica properties include Ocean front Condo for rental, Central valley homes and condos for rental, mortgage opportunities with good loan to value and some excellent distressed raw land.

Buying a Costa Rica Condo can be a very positive experience. People who live in condos enjoy the lifestyle associated with condo living . They offer amenities such as pools, gym, tennis and other activities.  Travel is made much easy by just the “ lock and go ” style of living and returning knowing all is well and secure.  Many condos are within walking distance to shopping, restaurants , movies and other entertainment areas.

Another important consideration is that most condo developments have a rental plan that can be a source of income when not occupied by owners . Living  in comfort but not having to take care of anything is a definite advantage .

Often people fall into a deal on their own by searching ads and web pages.  That is fine as long as you know the pitfalls that can affect your future in the condo. Many times the Condo has it’s own contract, accepts deposits payments to their account directly,.
Also, they have corporations all ready to go, often build closing costs into the price and you are feeling that this is very slick and simple.  In some instances this can be the mechanism  to have the closing completed quickly and on their terms.

We at Costa Rica Retirement Vacation Properties insist on the use of an outside attorney to review the contract even though it will cost extra. We do not allow money to go to any Devloper or Escrow they have set up until this contract is reviewed and approved.

Other considerations  when buying a condo :
Are monthly maintenance fees and listed items the fees cover. Is the developer still managing or is there a homeowners association in place. Very important is the insurance and is there a blanket policy for the buildings . Is there a reserve fund that will cover expenses such as painting ,roof repair and building maintenance. If not then you can expect a special assessment to cover such items . Condo documents should be reviewed also . How often are meetings held to discuss issues.  Is there a system of checks and balances on expenditures.

The above items are normal and if done properly insures  the condo project will be efficient and successful.

Important in any decisions made for the project is the following objective   ” Any decision made should be in the best interest of ALL the owners “. keeping this focus will eliminate individual agendas and will enhance the decision making process.

Rudy Matthews is an marketing associate of Costa Rica Retirement Vacation Properties with many years of Condo sales experience as wellas being an owner of a blockof Condos inthe USA.. He will be glad to assist you in any property interest you have in Costa Rica . Rudy has been a member of  a condo board of directors and served as subsequent president for five years .His knowledge of condominium living covers all parameters.

Rudy recently sold an Ocean front Jaco Beach Condo and secured his clientsome nice perks. He got Eighteen months of maintenance fees paid by the seller plus having the condo totally repainted at the sellers expense Result - a satisfied and happy client with a very good Condo.

The tourism boom in Costa Rica began in 1987, with the number of visitors up from 329,000 in 1988, through 1 million in 1999, to 2 million foreign visitors in 2008.

Costa Rica stands as the most visited nation in the Central American region, with 1.974 million foreign visitors in 2007, thus reaching in 2007 a rate of foreign tourists per capita of 422 visitors per thousand inhabitants, one of the highest within the Caribbean Basin countries, and above other popular travel destinations such as Mexico, Dominican Republic and Brazil.

Costa Rica has been affected like most Countries through this economic downturn but not with the severity we have seen in the USA and some of Europe.  As a result, we have been a little slow to react in lowering prices.

Our Company Tours have seen many people since December 1st.  Many of thse people are gripped with fear for the future and are hard pressed to make a buying decision.  One of the common fears was that Costa Rica had not hit bottom yet and they didn’t want to participate in anymore losses like  their IRA.

I am the listing manager of Costa Rica Retirement Vacation Properties and recently sent mass mailing to over 2000 listings in our database. The response was very encouraging as we updated many listings with lower prices and some owner financing. If this is an indication of what is happening all over, this will bolster things for us dramatically.

We have seen a huge decrease in the prices of the properties. For example, this Costa Rica property in Sierpe is  $200,000, and owner recently reduced price to $95,000.

This Tres Rios residential building lot is beautifully located in San Jose, close to 5 different private schools and 10 minutes to commercial centers and much more, is now priced at only $45,000. This has been dramativcally reduced and owner is also available of $25,000.

There are many more very good deals appearing.

It seems people are now adjusting to the new economy we are facing and are offering properties at very interesting prices and in some cases owner financing.

Since Costa Rica is the most visited nation in the Central American region, there’s no doubt that Costa Rica Real Estate Market is stable and this is a good time to make a safe and good investment.

Updated - The property in this story is up for inclusion on our Costa Rica IRA investment properties.

Only $80,000 for a 6000 meter lot looking at Volcanoes in the distance, beautiful lake Arenal an right next to a private reserve area.

A killer deal was had by Christine and ,,,,, her daughter this week.

It was a great experience for me putting together one of our Lifestyle Property Tours for this couple. It all began as an inquiry seeking a large lot in a very special location that gave them safety, seclusion and beauty.
Designing this tour wasn’t easy for this particular as we had to create a balance between vegetation, water, view, proximity to amenities, good price. We spent a tremendous amount of time planning in the planning stage. We utilized all of our resources and finally when our client arrived everything was ready with a good itinerary and all the appointments confirmed with key properties matching their objectives.

This client wanted a big lot next to a river and near to a protected area. We decided to include the Lake Arenal area for this tour and she found exactly what she always dreamed of, a 1.5 acre lot, next a beautiful river, surrounded by a protected forest with a killer lake view and the great part of this story is that we found a property at a true 50% discount and now our client is happy and ready to build her dream home.

We have two more deals like this one avilable plus some homes at 40% off the advertised prices and then it is over.

If you fit the profile of this client above, this area is definitely should be a prime consideration. Our 6 Pack Arenal Tour covers this area very well and we also have a central valley version (San Jose area 6 pack Tour) that has many nice choices as well.

At Costa Rica Retirement Vacation Properties we design a different tour for each one of our clients because every person is different and something that we clearly understand. With us you are miles ahead before you arrive and you cannot possibly see more for the time you allocate.

I am Steve Matinez and am at your service for identifying the best Costa Rica Real Estate for your objectives. Always remember, VALUE is key to being comfortable in buying property in this market.  I can be reached toll free at 1 888 581 1786

Special note: When buying Costa Rica Real Estate at deeply discounted pricing, it is important to know what you are getting into.  Often deeply discounted land can be with problems, so one must be in good hands to identify them. In this case the one Christine finally bought was part of a very good development and the developer had put a large amount of his own money into the project. His objective was to fire sale some lots to help the cash situation after the central Bank stopped construction loans in December.

These are properties that fit very well with our “Get you IRA back on the fast track” program.  See our Blog about IRA here. I can be reached toll free at 1 888 581 1786 ask for Steve or Robert.

GETTING  THE MONKEY OFF YOUR BACK

One of the common problems in Costa Rica Real Estate is when a buyer is making a decision to buy a lot or a turn-key home.  People are hesitant to take on a construction project in a different country where Spanish is the predominant language.  They fear not being around to oversee the progress or lack of.  On the other hand, they don’t want to inherit someone else’s problems or accept their design.

Speaking personally, in 1999 when I bought my home in Playa Tortuga de Ojochal, I was living and working in San Jose with no intentions of overseeing a construction project.  So, I bought a turn-key home with 2 other building areas located on the property where I could have the option to build something later. Now, I am under more pressure to complete a home for my parents as they grow older.

Over the last 10 years, I have met many contractors, recommended many developers and viewed many prefabricated structures.  I wanted someone who was modern,  offered high quality craftsmanship, yet was ecological, incorporating alternate energy sources if desired.

Finally, I found the solution to who will build for me on my other 2 lots and I got the monkey off my back!

While at the weekly softball game, I noticed a stunning 2 story structure, Japanese style being assembled inside of a warehouse next to our field.   When I spoke to the project foreman, I discovered that the structures were designed and resurrected inside the warehouse, presented to the owner for approval and then moved to the lot.  I was even more surprised to find out that a friend is the representative of the new project, Nature Home.

Here in Dominical and Uvita he is the exclusive representative of Nature Home, which is a design and build firm based out of New York and Dominical, Costa Rica. Natura builds luxurious yet simple homes that are sustainable and thoughtful. The influences are primarily Japanese timber frame and Balinese, and you can see a combination of elements throughout the homes.

Every effort has been made to source the most sustainable materials and build the homes in about 1/2 the time of traditional construction (6 months estimated total time after materials arrive). Pricing is for seamless, turnkey construction, including basic foundation/site work, in house design, permitting and construction. Basic fixtures are included but upgraded fixtures, furniture and appliances are not, although we have sourced great furniture and low-energy appliances and can help with a package for you if you’d like.

They have a number of basic designs we are working with, but the system is modular, so you can help design a home that makes sense for you based on your individual desires.

You can design the basic size and layout you have planned for your home and when you plan on beginning construction they can send you current pricing and some floor plans.

For southern zone of Costa Rica Real Estate, this is a major consideration for someone contemplating relocating here.

Additional Options
Custom ?oor plans available.
We partner with several sustainability pioneers—John Todd Ecological Design and Bill Reed, among others—to provide sustainable systems and services appropriate to your location. These include:
• Solar photovoltaic or micro-hydro turbines for energy generation
• Solar hot-water systems
• Constructed wetlands for wastewater management
• Organic polyculture farming for food production
Items NOT included in Natura Home package include:
• Shipping and handling for all components, including wood, appliances, plumbing, and lighting
• Feasibility studies
• Soil studies
• Permitting
• Site work, including but not limited to: foundations, septic tanks, pools, Jacuzzis™, etc.
• Additional workers and labor insurance
• HVAC
Interior and exterior paints, stains, waterproofing, sealers, oil finishes, etc.

All wood species have been chosen for strength, beauty, and natural durability to rot, fungus, and termites. Designed for durability and adaptability.
Engineered to meet Zone 4 seismic loads(as found in California) and 155-m.p.h. wind
loads (as found off the coast of Florida).

Our Lifestyle Property Tours include a tour of some of these structures and meeting the developer.

For more on this or southern zone Costa Rica living, please contact me at any time.

Costa Rica’s Intel plant will begin to make part of the products manufactured at three plants in Asia that were closed by the crisis in early 2009.
The product line is to be moved are  microprocessors for servers, central processing units for desktop machines (CPU) and chipsets, which are the “nervous system” of computers.

Management of Intel Costa Rica, said that the transfer of each product will be made gradually. “Each product has its own timetable for development. We can not leave a gap in production to deliver to our customers. In some cases, we must have a backing to support the start of production here in Costa Rica.
Lower demand for computer chips, forced  Intel  to close two assembly and proof plants in the Philippines and Malaysia.  They also merged one in China. Intel claims that despite the lower sales, the business of micro tends to stabilize.

This was stated after participating with John Davies, Intel vice president of sales, in an activity about technology development in times of recession organized by the Central America  Academy.

They are seeing improvements, but not return to the same levels as before the recession and  even predicted a rebound in exports from here in the second half.
Sales of products manufactured in the country that includes parts of Intel dropped 18% in the first quarter over the same period of 2008.

Please click HERE

According to an today’s edition of La República, Costa Rica will be one of the countries in Latin America whose economy bounces back starting in 2010. These predictions were made by Miguel Savastano, Assistant Director of the International Monetary Funds (IMF) for the Western  Hemisphere. This information is based on Costa Rica’s financial system being in sound shape and the government’s financial policy which includes protection of the most vulnerable sectors of the populations. The IMF also firmly endorses the fiscal policies of Costa Rica’s Central Bank.

In addition, “Latin America in general, will experience a quicker recovery that the larger economies” according Nicolás Eyzaguirre Director of International Monetary Funds (IMF) for the Western  Hemisphere. He goes on to say that “Latin American and the Caribbean are not confronting a bank crisis like the United States and a large part of Europe.” He goes on to state, “Many countries in the region have responded to the crisis with policies which boost production and employment. The outstanding feature being that six months after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, NO Latin American financial system has experienced a banking  crisis. Liquidity is good and Latin American banks have little dependence on foreign financing.”

While the Costa Rica Real Estate market has softened due to the loss of the American and European clients, we feel this is only temporary. People are beginning to understand the ramifications of letting other people totally manage their IRA’s and that they need a hedge for the falling US dollar.
The very diversified industries of Costa Rica that support the fine educational system and infrastructure speaks to good balance and the ability to weather these kinds of storms.

Costa Rica land is becoming an obvious hedge with the great Brand that Costa Rica is today.

Costa Rica Retirement Vacation Properties has identified some excellent opportunity properties for investors to sit on, medium and large tract developers to build out.

One such central Pacific property is a 375 hectar (935 acre) tract near to the new Quepos Marina, Manuel Antonio, five beaches and much more and is offered at $1.58 per meter. This is and Eco developer’s dream as you can use only 30% and have a build out that will net $1,000,000,000 profit.

If you missed it before, you can have it now if you understand the paths of growth and where to find the versatile properties to achieve this.

For a complete sampling of our private data base of development land and opportunity properties, call Robert at 1 888 581 1786.

It appears that not all are viewing these times as the cup half empty.

A group of businesses called Grupo Manuel Antonio, has joined efforts to improve infrastructure in Quepos/Manuel Antonio are and organize development programs. This is Costa Rica’s very popular Central Pacific destination Manuel Antonio National Park is going to get a face lift and, which will benefit from $120 million for improving facilities there and offer better services to the many tourists who visit the coastal preserve.

The second most visited protected area in Costa Rica, Manuel Antonio has been without proper maintenance for years and some studies claim the lagoon inside the park has become contaminated.

There also some ambitious plans for the Quepos Municipal Airport. They plan to invest between $4 million and $5 million, with the local municipality declaring the project of ‘‘cantonal interest’’ and providing the first 200 million colones ($365,000) to begin improvements to the airport, which is expected to become the new gateway to the Central Pacific region.

It is currently the second busiest national airport, behind Tobias Bolaños in San Jose, according to Civil Aviation officials.  When completed, it will handle planes carrying up to 46 passengers to land there, from destinations such as the international airports of Juan Santamaria and Liberia and other destinations inside and outside Costa Rica.

Funds will be provided by private sources as well to make Quepos the first mixed-capital airport project managed by the Civil Aviation General Office (DGAC).

Aguirre Mayor Oscar Monge said that his municipality has already approved $200,000 for the next budget cycle to begin expanding the airport under a mixed-capital agreement. In other efforts to strengthen the tourism industry in the region, officials announced the organization of travel fair, A travel fair called EXPOMA 2009, will be held next Sept. 24-27 under the concept of ‘‘zero carbon emissions.’’ This will be the first Pacific regional fair and will also include a ‘‘Green Expo’’ spearheaded by the Corcovado Foundation and a regional employment fair with participation from the

An agreement was signed  by The Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT) with the Municipality of Aguirre (where Quepos is located) for training of personnel, as part of the Tourist Municipalities Program. It will include developing a lifeguard program for the Espadilla Norte beach, one of the most popular in the region; the program will entail hiring trained personnel and building a lifeguard station on the beach, with support from the municipality and local tourism companies.

Tourism companies in the Central Pacific are also offering discounts of 15 percent up to 40 percent are being offered by Tourism companies in an effort to increase visitors to the region.

Also, the Hotel Parador has just unveiled a new tower with 30 luxury suites and two master suites. Wyndham Resorts just announced construction of the five-star Hotel Jade in Manuel Antonio, which will offer more than 200 units. Hats off to this group of businesses that have shown the initiative to move forward in a very positive fashion.

We at are please to represent some of the fine properties of the central Pacific. Take a peek to see a fine project for ocean view homes $139,999 coming soon.

Costa Rica has many small areas that are not among the most recognizable names you hear. To really get the feel for Costa Rica, you need to know some of these places. One such area is Tinamastes.  It is a beautiful area located about thirty minutes from the center of Perez Zeledon, booming growth area where Costa Rica Real Estate growth is just beginning.

The of Perez Zeledon is characterized as the resting-place of many tourists and travelers who go to the beaches of the south of our country, a cool climate, majestic views over the ocean, the greenery all around, the birds singing in the mornings and breathtaking sunsets where the sun and sky are lost deep in the ocean and this carries you to a state of peace and tranquility.

The  humble and helpful people have  made this small town a boom in southern Costa Rica Real Estate. The value of the properties is growing daily. The town of Perez Zeledon boasts a  number hotels, restaurants, small supermarkets, everything needed to enjoy life.

Nearby Tinamastes make the perfect spot for those who want to be near the beach and nature while being near the city and its amenities.  view an It is an excellent location to develop a project for retiring north Americans and Europeans alike. Southern Costa Rica is experiencing a number of positive changes such as the new road from Quepos to Dominical, the upcoming new international airport at Palmar Sur and the new Golf course at San Buenas.

The next time you head to one of the finest beaches in the south take a minute to stop and contemplate the beautiful scenery and the feeling of freedom of how we live in this small town called Tinamastes.

For more information on the whole area, please contact me at 1 888 581 1786, Gustavo Odio.