The recent changes in the country have been celebrated nationwide as people look positively into the future as events will shape the future of Costa Rica Real Estate and travel industries.

First, Costa Rica has a new President… we elected a female president for the first time ever. This has increased overall confidence that Costa Rica will continue in former President Arias’ footsteps to offer better infrastructure and a foreign policy that will maintain and even encourage foreign investment.

Second,  are the infrastructural changes such as:
the new highway connecting Santa Ana and Escazu to the Coastal highway of the Central Pacific has finally been completed after planning for  over 30 years!.

Third, the bridge in Paritta that always cause a 20 minutes delay has now been replaced
Fourth, the road from Quepos to Dominical is now a 30 minute smooth ride replacing the old 1.5 hours that would shake bad dentures loose.

San Jose is a mere 45 minutes away from Jaco.  This highway is just the dose of medicine the economy of the Central Pacific has been waiting for and now is the time everyone has been waiting for.  Prices are low and this is the time. Buyers looking for retirement  and vacation  homes as well as solid offshore investment in Real Estate will now be only 45  minutes our away.

Anything that makes a piece of real estate easier to get to,  drives it.  I’m talking about roads, bridges, airports and sea ports. I remember what happened when the new airport opened in Guanacaste in Costa Rica. Accessibility in the surrounding area increased and real estate values sky-rocketed.  We call this “Pioneer Investing” or positioning yourself “ahead of the Path of Progress”. This is one of the favorite strategies for profitable international Real Estate investment.  As a result of Costa Rica’s commitment  it has seen the growth in the past and will again flourish as one of the top markets in the world.

Example – Here is a project that was developed in anticipation of this new event.  The developer has timed it perfectly.  Located in Orotina, it is only 25 minutes to Jaco Beach and 20 minutes to San Jose.  That simply means that all the great health care, shopping and fine dining are only 25 minutes away.   Day trips to the southern zone are now an easy event.

The project is well conceived as it has scope and good planning.  It will attract three distinct markets as a direct result of the new highway passing.  It becomes and obvious great location for those seeking retirement property and for those seeking Vacation homes.  Investment is an no brainer as this is truly Pioneer Investing.

This project offers a nice range of product for every budget, it i s high and scenic, nice climate and most important a great developer.  Develpers  can check in here as well for some shovel ready packages that will ultimately create the change of pace projects need from area to area.

A perfect vacation home setup

Many people rush into buying their vacation home and find later that rentals are low, maintenance is high and the quality is not what it appeared.  In the end, they would probably have done better paying rent.   The objectives govern much of the decision so it is not fair to say that and leave it there.  Some people just want debt service covered and look to the future for gain. Others just want their own place and really don’t care about the cost so much.

If you happen to be lucky and find one that is free standing, has luxurious design, in excellent condition, nice grounds and close to golf and a place like Tamarindo for dining, shopping and beaches  then you have done well.  If it also has a good track record for rentals and is a home then rentals will be better as families tend to like homes.

We found one such place and it is priced relative to the rental history and can even be improved upon. Guanacaste has been a very popular area for Costa Rica Vacation homes in the past.  With the market driving pricing these days, it can be opportunistic for the those seeking viable option for vacation homes.

When Costa Rica Retirement Vacation Properties listed this one, we realized this is what families look for.  In this case the owner has a lot of use of this beautiful home with it’s great location. Here are a couple of more photos.

If you are looking for  a very good vacation home, this is a luxury home priced right  and has a spreadsheet showing activity.  Please feel free to call us or write at any time for more on this beautiful home.

How the market has changed…….We are seeing some exceptional values these days as the World markets are dictating.  This one is 5543 square feet and priced at $485,000.

This is classic example of opportunities in Costa Rica Real Estate today.  This is one of Costa Rica’s primer Golf communities and very well built and designed home.

Golf families will love this one.  It is 5543 square feet and priced at $485,000 and is in Cariari.

Cariari Country Club features Lifestyle for all with it Olympic poll and smaller ones for the smaller family members along with many Tennis courts both indoor and outdoor and lighted yet.  All the facilities are here. Great for entertaining, family outings and more.  Best of all it costs only $1000 per year after basic membership.

Drive you golf cart to the course and join in the skins game every Tuesday 6, Thursday and Saturday.

Subscribe to our Blogs at the top and for more information on this one……..

Robert Shannon: Cell: (506) 8820 5627 Location: San Jose office Position: Director of marketing  Telephones: (506) 2293 2446 – Toll Free: 1 888 581 1786 Email: robert@costaricaretirementvacationproperties.com

Green development projects often “perform extremely well financially and often command a price premium in the marketplace.

The benefits of building green are often many. Things such as lower operating costs for residents, increased comfort, higher perceived value, reduced sprawl, and protection of the natural environment.

There are three basic elements of Green Development

-environmental responsiveness
-resource efficiency
-community and cultural sensitivity.

Green development projects must consider siting and land-use issues; conserve energy, water, and other precious resources; provide a healthy and comfortable indoor space through the use of reused and recycled products, as well as energy- and resource-efficient products; blend in with the natural environment and protect open space; increase a sense of community; and address cultural issues.

Costa Rica Developments are fast identifying the benefits of Green.  The Country offers many fine locations with a blend of Mountain, Ocean and Valley views to complement any project.

A great opportunity today in Costa Rica is that of the Baby Boomer retirement crowd that we will experience in greater number than before.  We need to develop things that have good scope with product that fits the market and amenities that match up to pricing.

Here is an example of a property that could be developed perfectly for a combination retirement community and Vacation home location.  This is almost 1000 acres of land and can be very profitable as a green project using only 33% of all the land and and completing the balance to reserve. Add top this a Hotel Condominium, nature trails, Animal watching platforms and trams above the treetops, and you have a complete development package that will work.

This one has it all. Close to many interesting centers, 5 beaches, has ocean view ridge lines, a high mountain section for exclusive retreat high end homes, great profitability and is a perfect Green project property.  This one is priced at today’s market and offers a 20X return conservatively.

Find out how to identify the best locations and properties fro Green Development.

Robert Shannon:  Cell (506) 8820 5627 Location: San Jose office Position: Director of marketing  Telephones: (506) 2293 2446 – Toll Free: 1 888 581 1786 Email: robert@costaricaretirementvacationproperties.com

Much is written about how cheap it is to live in some of these other Countries that are being being promoted.  Also, Costa Rica has risen beyond a point of being affordable.  One must respect the views of others as many circumstances dictate decisions for location and regiment.

It is important that relativity be applied as well or one can miss the obvious benefits of a little more cost .  Some of the benefits we offer in Costa Rica are as follows:

Many direct international flights
Closer proximity to mainland USA
Politically tranquil
Friendly people
Less crime
Very good infrastructure
Great health care
A beautiful country
Choices of climate and lifestyles

These are just a few of the many many benefits if you really want to make a case.

Choices of places to live is also important.

Here is one couples documented comparison of  costs to  live in Costa Rica

My wife and I happen to provide a perfect real-time laboratory of an expense comparison. Every year we split our time almost exactly 50/50 between two very beautiful parts of the world; our house about an hour outside San Francisco, California, and our house on the southern Pacific coast of Costa Rica. In California our 1,500-square foot house sits on a 1/3 acre lot nestled in the redwoods. We have two cars in California, both more than 10 years old. In Costa Rica our 2,700-square foot house sits on a 5-acre lot overlooking the Pacific Ocean. We also have two older vehicles in Costa Rica, both 4WD of necessity.

I just analyzed our living expenses in selected categories going back over five years. Of the total in each expense category I computed the percentage spent in California vs. the percentage spent in Costa Rica. The table below lists the result

To find out more about this, contact Costa Rica Retirement Vacation Properties or ask to include this property   Lifestyle Real Estate Tours when you arrive.  This is also and example of good use of a self directed IRA.

Steve Martinez : Cell: (506) 8827 9258 Location: San Jose office Position: Marketing associate Telephones: (506) 2293 2446 – Toll Free: 1 888 581 1786 Email: steve@costaricaretirementvacationproperties.com

Buying Ocean front Condos is the dream of many. Vacation homes in Jaco beach have been very expensive by our standards (not by California  or Florida) in the recent past.
A vacation home often provides a good way to defray costs of owning through the rental pool programs.  Caution – Not all projects have great Rental Pool Programs. Also, maintenance can be very high.

When choosing a Vacation home one has to pay particular attention to the maintenance and the rental pool that is being offered.  Costa Rica has experienced it’s first drop in prices in 20 years and some deals are appearing, but you must heed the foregoing.  Here is an example of a very good product at a great price, good developer and one of the best rental pools.

It has what we as professional Realtors  deem amenities that match up with the price.   It is located in the center of Jaco Beach, central Pacific and is now 45 minutes from the Capital with all the amenities and world class health care.     This is the latest luxury ocean front development to be completed in Jacó Beach. Located in the heart of town, you can easily walk to countless restaurants, markets and shops.  Suite 302 in the North tower is situated on the 3rd floor as close to the sand as you can get. Two bedrooms and 2 and a half bathrooms feel spacious in this 1,615 square foot condominium appointed with porcelain floors, granite counter tops and all furnishings down to the silverware.  Eventually an on-site commercial center will host restaurants, a day-spa, fitness center, and more. 70% financing is offered.  We include this project on our comprehensive Real Estate Tours.

Carol Odonnell:
Location:Hermosa/Jaco beach
Position: Marketing Director Central Pacific
Telephones: Office (506) 8318 0717
Toll Free: 1 (866) 374 -8522  or  1 888 581 1786
Email: carol@costaricaretirementvacationproperties.com

The current investor should be taking a hard look at good projects priced to this market with amenities built in that won’t cause you to lose sleep over the maintenance fees.  These should be located with good proximity to the Ocean and to the major medical and services.  The location and amenities should reflect a real price savings over that of the past.

One such place that we see falling nicely into the Retirement market in Costa Rica as well as the Vacation Home market is located in Orotina.  It has gorgeous land at $50 per meter ($5 per foot) and beautiful infrastructure as well as ocean, valley and mountain views.  The Best part is that it is only 25 minutes to the beach and 30 minutes to San Jose with all its services including fine dining, world class health care, dentistry and shopping.

This is not a deeply discounted deal, but is a true deal today.  You can lock in your Costa Rica Retirement or Vacation home now and when you look down the road, it will have truly been a deeply discounted property.

The market for this type of product will be fantastic in the near future.  Costa Rica is still a number one destination for retiring north Americans. With the 77,000,000 Baby Boomer falling out as we speak, coupled with other social and political issues, our share of the Baby Boomers  is going to be even larger in the future.  This spells opportunity for the investor, vacation home buyer and those seeking a nice community for retirement today or in the future.

We are currently previewing this project in depth with our full staff and will be happy to report  more information on this retirement or vacation home location.  We will be showcasing it on our Lifestyle Real Estate Tours.
call us at 1 888 581 1786 and ask for Steve, Robert or Gustavo.

Costa Rica Retirement Vacation Properties  
We are a Real Estate Company – listing and marketing properties in all of Costa Rica.  We and know the country and Real Estate business very well. 
Buying Real Estate is easy simple and safe with our company.

Often  clients call to tell me they are coming to Costa Rica with cash and are coming to buy. They make it clear that they have cash and will only entertain deeply discounted opportunities.  Further, they plan to arrive in 3 days to 1 week.  Think of the logic here.  When a real deal that is truly deeply discounted appears, who knows about them first?

The owner’s:  Realtor? – Bank?  -  Attorney?

The Bank, depending how they prioritize it can move it the same day if they want as they have good clients of their own asking them to be on the lookout for deals. If the Bank has money in  it, they will prioritize it and give it to their clients seeking this kind of deal, or a good Realtor client of theirs.  Seldom do they have to call Realtors.  Attorneys are in a similar position.  Not only do they have clients seeking deals but often will buy it themselves or with partners.  Realtors as well have clients waiting and they also have interest in putting deals together on distressed situations.  So unless, I have an inventory of really good deals that I am sitting on (not likely), my new found client is coming all the way here for nothing.

Wielding cash doesn’t get done what one thinks. Often the person has already discounted his property in bad markets and is in a wait and see mode.  Therefore the cash guy comes to him with his already discounted property and tries to offer 50 cents on the dollar.  Where do you think this negotiation is going?  Nowhere.  Sooner or later frustration sets in and when he sees something on his own he perceives to be a real deal, it may be something that is fraught with problems.  It usually is. You know where this is going.

Well, how do you find the good deals you are always hearing about?

1  You need to advise your representative that you are sincerely interested in deeply discounted properties in Costa Rica.

2  You need to be ready to come to view the Costa Rica Real Estate on very short notice.

3  You need to  have the ability to act quickly

This may take 2 to 6  months, but in the end it is the best way to go about it.  There are some very good deals that we hear about early as Costa Rica Retirement Vacation Properties covers most of Costa Rica.   Costa Rica for the most part is very nicely situated in this down economy believe it or not.  Prices have finally adjusted and we are seeing sales again. That tells us what the market  pricing really is for the here and now.  Deeply discounted properties are not that available today given the above scenario.  Also, a property can only be deemed deeply discounted when there is an up market on the horizon so you may take advantage of it and sell.  That is the only barometer as far as how discounted anything really is.  We don’t see escalating prices in the near to mid term.

Costa Rica Retirement Vacation Properties -
We are a Real Estate Company – listing and marketing properties in all of Costa Rica.  We and know the country and Real Estate business very well.
Buying Real Estate is easy simple and safe with our company.

After the 27th of January, private world class health care will only be 45 minutes away from the Costa Rica central Pacific.  Couple this with all the shopping, the fine dining and cultural events the central valley offers, Baby Boomers seeking Retirement Real Estate will now be able to take a serious look at this area.

Various routes along the way such as Atenas, Orotina, Puriscal will become more attractive to foreigners seeking retirement in Costa Rica as well.

Recent release
The new autopista a Caldera will be inaugurated on January 27th, one week before the national elections,  Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias, announced in Puntarenas on Saturday. “For the first time I made it here (Puntarenas) in 50 minutes by way of the new highway”, Arias told a crowd during a tour of the Pacific port town. The section between Santa Ana and Orotina of the new San José – Caldera highway that is not yet open to the public, had been scheduled to be open in March, pushed up from the original June opening date when construction commenced two years ago. However, advances in the work enable it open early. President Arias called the new highway a “gift to Puntarenses”, saying that Costa Rica has waited almost 40 years for this highway to become a reality, for the port city to have easy and fast access to San José and vice-versa. The new road allows travel between La Sabana on the west side of San José to Caldera, south of Puntarenas, in less than 45 minutes. Currently it takes between 90 and 120 minutes to make the same trip. The savings in time is because the highway cuts through the mountains, eliminating the steep climbs and drops on the current routes, as well the slowdown in traffic caused by big trucks and buses. The sections between San José and Santa Ana and Orotina and Caldera have been open since last year, remaining was the middle portion. The cost of tolls to travel the 77 kilometres of the new highway, from end to end, is about ¢1.500 colones each way for passenger vehicles and motorcycles, more for heavy trucks and buses. On Christmas day, Inside Costa Rica was able to ride the road. Click here for that report.

Costa Rica Retirement Vacation Properties serves all areas between the central Valley and the Pacific coast.  If you are a Baby Boomer trying to decide, “WE MAKE IT EASY” with our Lifestyle Real Estate Tours.

Jenny Phillips, of the ministra de Hacienda. said on Thursday it is extending the deadline for the payment of the luxury home tax.  Luxury home owners  will have until January 15, 2010 to pay the tax and not December 31, 2009.   (This refers to the new law recently passed imposing tax on Luxury Costa Rica Real Estate)

Only 600 of the estimated 10.000 owners of luxury homes have already paid.

The fact that many offices are closed for the year end holidays and the complexities experienced by the tax department has complicated matters for many, both the taxpayers and the tax collector,  the other reason for the extension.

October 1, 2009  lawmakers passed a law that imposes a special tax homes valued at more than ¢100 million colones. Approximately $180,000)

The tax is expected to raise some ¢10 billion colones for government coffers, money that would be used to eradicate slums.

The law requires that every owner of a luxury home ( any home valued at ¢100 million colones or more, be it free standing or part of a condominium) must pay the tax or face sanctions that include fines and possible confiscation of the home.

Home owners who don’t pay up by the deadline face a fine of up to 10 times the original tax, plus interest.

The tax is for a 10 year period, beginning this year.
This is the first time that the tax department has attempted to collect a property tax in one lump sum.   Francisco Gamboa, director general de Tributación, said that this has been a learning experience both for the taxpayer as the tax collector.

Some of the complaints filed with the tax department so far is the complications of the form and the manner of payment. In some cases taxpayers have reported difficulties in paying the tax, no matter how hard they tried.

It is recommended to hire a professionals to complete the forms and service of calculation and payment of tax.

The price for the professional services vary. The service can cost between us$200 and us$2.000 or more. Some firms offer certificates of evaluation to assure the taxpayer that the evaluation and contribution is not unfounded.

Some owners of the luxury home tax are totally confused as if they should pay or not. Adding to the confusion it the possibility of a Constitutional Court challenge to the tax law, which could stall the payment or collection of the tax until the courts resolve the issue. However, no such appeal has been filed as yet.

To see if you should pay, we offer the following advice:

1. Determine the type of housing based on Manual de Valores Base Unitarios por Tipología Constructiva, which is available on the Ministerio de Hacienda website (https://www.hacienda.go.cr).

2. Obtain the m2 (per square metre) value of the home.

3. Calculate the depreciation that corresponds to your home depending on the type of housing that it corresponds.

4. If the value of the home is more than ¢100 million colones, the property is subject to the tax.