When people think about doing something in retirement a B&B or a small Boutique Hotel comes to mind rather quickly. Most feel that if they have people skills and a sense of hospitality needs for travelers, it can be a good business with a minimum of start up training. While this is true, in the past it was not so easy. Marketing ability was the key factor in success as is today so one needed a lot of this experience or savvy.

Today, it is much clearer and easier with advent of Internet marketing, a good Hotel ranking systems (trip advisor) and websites. To really have an immediate impact and improve performance the following can take an existing business and improve the business by large percentages.
Simply embark on a program of personal community interaccion with travel agents and tour operators, area taxi drivers, bar tenders etc. Add this effort to your web site marketing, Hotel ranking and existing customer base and you will have a winner. The best part is that you will have a lot of fund meeting all the contacts in the areas, adjusting to the new lifestyle, making new friend, enjoying the cultural changes and making the extra income.

Here is an example of a couple of good deals at present that one could take advantage of in this market. In both cases they have need to return to their Country for unexpected things that happened in families.
how to do it in Costa Rica.
This one was just reduced to $339,000. It is located in Costa Rica Prime Retirement location, Atenas.  Atenas is set in beautiful Mountains all around. It offers a nice home with pool, good income (recorded) best climate anywhere and many ex patriots in the community. You don’t have to sell anyone on the area. In fact, you probably already have heard about it or been there. It is only 20 minutes from Escazu in the Capital of San Jose with all it’s world class health care, great super Malls and fine dining of every imaginable type. Also, going the other way 45 minutes to the beaches and attractions of the central Pacific.  See this beautiful Atenas Bed and Breakfast here.

This one adds Ocean to the mix. It is located on one of Costa Rica white Caribbean beaches which offer great diving and all the water sports.

It has been reduced drastically to $325,000. This was originally $495,000 and was price right then. It is one of the nicer Boutique Hotels on the Caribbean side.  Owner has emergency need to return home very soon.
See this Costa Rica Oceanfront B&B

Buy a B&B such as these - Live in it as your residence - Budget your time and profit requirements together to maintain a comfortable balance of keeping active, relaxation and discovering the new culture and lifestyle activities.

We have various opportunities in most of our locations across Costa Rica .  If you wish to look into this great alternative, call us and we can give you good counsel on areas and product available that matches your budget and lifestyle objectives.

Toll free 888 581 1786 and in Costa Rica (506) 2293 2446 ask for Robert

 Costa Rica Gold coast indicators - - more evidence of opportunity

In the coning articles, we will be focusing on the infrastructural and housing elements that show forward positive indicators that will lead to an opportunity for Costa Rica Gold Coast Vacation Homes. This all translates into more tourists, and the need for places to stay. Condo rental is an increasingly interesting way to go for families and two couples travelling together. The International Airport of Liberia, Costa Rica is offers excellent international connections to the US and Canada, as well as some Europe and South American countries.The Daniel Oduber Quiros international Airport is the key focus that speaks to the anticipated growth of tourism. The number of Airlines the Airport currently serves, the new international additions (see below) along with the major expansion indicates there is a very positive force at work here. This is quite refreshing in light of the past two years where it was hard to find optimism. 

The New construction and expansion program mean increasing arrivals via Liberia year after year and put the city and airport on the map in a much bigger way. The airport code is “LIR” and the local time is GMT +6.0 (central). We have a list of airlines with operations in Liberia.  Adding to this we now have two more new Airlines connecting us to Minneapolis, Minnesota and Germany.

The airlines research suggests that their clients will enjoy savings utilizing Costa Rica as a vacation destination. Just imagine the numbers we are talking in these two alone.

Sun Country Airlines, an American airline, has announced to start flying to Daniel Oduber International Airport in Liberia between January and April 2012. The weekly flights will be direct and will connect Minneapolis, Minnesota and Liberia. The flights will depart from the U.S. in the morning and will arrive to Guanacaste at 1:32 pm.  A Boeing 737-800 aircraft would leave the country at 2:30 pm and arrive at Minneapolis at 7:50 pm. “Liberia is a great winter destination that we are willing to offer to travelers from Minnesota.  It will be the only nonstop service,” said Stan Gadeken, president and CEO of Sun Country in a press release. “We are expanding our airline in order to offer our customers a family and comfortable option based on the value of Costa Rica. We are pleased to operate the new route and we think our passengers will be delighted by the savings, the high level of quality and service

A German Airline Will Fly To Liberia for the First Time The flight will make a stop in Cancun, Mexico.  Air Berlin, the second largest German airline, has selected Guanacaste as its new destination. The first flight to Liberia will arrive on November 12, 2011. The flights will depart from Düsseldorf, Germany and will make a stopover in Cancun, Mexico. This will be a bi-weekly flight, operated on Saturdays. Costa Rican Tourism Minister, Allan Flores, has said that this achievement is the result of the negotiations in the ITB tourism fair that took place in Berlin in March. “We welcome with enthusiasm this new connection to Europe, one of the most important target markets for the country. This enables us to strengthen ties with these destinations, open new markets and boost tourism in our country,” said Flores. Germany is the second most important European market for Costa Rica, surpassed only by Spain. “This flight represents the first route between Liberia and Germany and will generate a significant increase in arrivals of German tourists with 18-day stays in the country,” said the Minister of Tourism.

With these kinds of forward indicators, one has to translate tourism into Vacation home needs. Guanacaste Gold Cost Vacation homes are among the cheapest in all of Costa Rica. Prices have dropped considerably from their heyday. Here is an example of what we mean…….Two years ago, Flamingo Condos like these were selling for much more. Today you can buy in a beautiful setting a nice 2 bedroom for as low as $155,000.

Opportunities are springing up for semi retirement folks who wish to buy a small profitable business and change their current lifestyle and live in a popular Beach area. Small, strong cash producing  Guanacaste  Hotels that are operating profitably and located in trendy places suddenly become very attractive and provoke investigation.

This is a point in time. Price have dropped, tourism is on the rise. If you dream of a Vacation Home, it seems this is the time to take a close look at the Gold Coast of Costa Rica.

For more on opportunities that are present as a result of the increase in tourism, contact me now. Jerad Portner

Watch for the next in our series  that covers major
developments ready to break ground,
large hotels moving ahead
and more….

Part I of 4 in a series about events shaping Guanacaste growth…..

Whenever access is made easier and faster, look to growth in Real Estate.  Keep your eyes on the Guanacaste Gold Coast.

Vacation home buyers can now take a serious look at Guanacaste Real Estate.  The events that will be shaping the future of this great area of Costa Rica are incredible.

Thankfully Costa Rica tourism held up pretty well during this terrible world crisis. Not like the past but respectably so.  Guanacaste Real Estate has seen prices drop by as much as 40% throwing up some fantastic opportunities.

Now we finally have some good forward indicators that cause us to feel very positively about the Guanacaste.  Here is the first example of the forward indicators we speak of…..

Expansion of Liberia international Airport Passenger terminal the gateway to Guanacaste….

The terminal began to take shape months ago as a response to the province’s urgent need for establishing itself as a tourist destination. This is a two-story  project of more than 23,000 square feet, 14 double desks, 4 bridges and 3 boarding remote stands.  Tamarindo News contacted the Civil Aviation Technical Council and they say that it is expected to be ready in November this year, before starting the high season.  The terminal will have parking for 500 vehicles, 12 spaces for shops, restaurants and other venues. It will have capacity for 1500 passengers at peak hours, and the double of capacity in waiting rooms, corridors, migration sections and other areas.

With the new airport gearing up, it is obvious that they are bracing for an increase in Tourism and with Condo prices at an all time low, that translates to a perfect point in time.  Baby Boomers are coming of age also.

Costa Rica Vacation homes bought at the right price can be very enjoyable if all the cost associated with them is offset with rentals.  Look at this one that has been reduced considerably.  A nice place for yourself and very attractive for the rental crowd.

Please call us for more on Gold Coast deals.  You may also wish to consider out Lifestyle & Real Estate Tour that fully acquaints you with all aspects of Gold coast living and investing.

Please call us toll free at 1 888 581 1786.  Ask for Jerad.

With all the turmoil in the world today,  people are looking for alternatives and leaving their countries these days.  One such reason is to semi retire and start a new life and business.  Costa Rica retirement is always good bet for this especially if one is seeking a small Hotel or B&B (tourist related business) for income. Tourism has held up very well in Cost Rica making it a viable location.

Costa Rica Retirement Vacation Properties  has been finding a large interest in small Hotels and Bed and Breakfasts this year and as a result when we get one we feel good about, we like to promote it.  One such Hotel that caught our eye is located in a very special area.

This is a classic SEMI-RETIRE operation with a good income, high quality trendy location. for only $399,000.

It  is  a profitable Botique surf Hotel with an upscale surf school attached. This trendy little piece of heaven will surprise you with a nice local population and a number of famous people hiding away here in their vacation homes.

It is profitable and offers financials, a complete inventory list and business plan.  It has a beautiful lot adjacent with ocean view that can be a great owner residence and  is not attached directly to the business.

It is distinct because  its a surf destination, upscale surf school and a boutique hotel.  It is nicely furnished and landscaped 100 meters from some of the best surf breaks anywhere.

 The price, at a very low $399,000 or together with a beautiful lot $455,000.  This is a semi retire situation that you can love even if you are not a surfer.  See details of this Hotel.

We have a number of small Hotels for sale in Costa Rica.  Please contact us directly at our toll free number 888 581 1786 or locally [506] 2293 2446 ask for Robert.

Don’t tell me what great land you have with all  the expansion potential and how I can make it very profitable if I just do this and make this a little larger, change the staff, expand the hours and so …..SHOW ME CASH FLOW POSITIVE and I buy it.

13% return year after year – turnkey beach town good little buisiness -
Playa Grande Costa Rica

Bar, Restaurant, Supermarket, 6- 2 bedroom rentals, fully titled with liquor licenses.

This great location is Costa Ric’as  Playa Grande, the quiet town with it’s beautiful beaches.

Want to live in semi retirement and have it all.  Now you can.

Playa Grande is one of Costa Rica’s jewels featuring beautiful beaches and lots of activities.

The excellent Tourist trade, retirees and local Tico population make this very successful little business a serious contender for any number of people seeking to retire in Costa Rica or even just change venues and move here for all it offers.

This is the kind of business people seek today.  They don’t want you to tell them the potential, they want cash flow and positive.

THIS IS IT.    And…. the owner will hold your hand until you get it under your belt.  If he likes the way you operate, he may even finance.

To get the full scoop on this one, you have to be here.  Give us a call and let us help plan your trip to come see this before it is scooped.

Call us toll free 1 888 581 1786, ask for Nova or Robert

Here is a nice little turnkey business located in a great beach area, Playa Grande. It shows a 13% return year after year with proof from day one.  Not only that, the owner will finance.

Every time we get a business like this with the real numbers and it is profitable, it sells fast.  When you look at the pricing of many businesses for sale, they are often based what the  potential can be.  Buyers in today’s economy need it now and just pass over the fluff. Hotels with land around them are a good example.  Often the land has all the value as the operation my not earn 3%.  In soft markets no one wants to hear about potential.

Take a close look at this here and see why this one should move fast.  If you have a business like this and would like it published here, dimply drop us a note with your details.  Call us at 506 2293 2446 or toll free 1 888 581 1786 ask for Nova or Robert.

Part 2 Permitting continued…

There is no one, single way to do the permitting process, and there is no single entry point. How you do permitting will depend a lot on who you hire and how much you’re willing to spend. Many of the procedures discussed in this chapter can be carried out in parallel, either legally or extra-legally. Permitting any sizable construction project, however, is not a do-it-yourself experience, and for the most part you’ll start out by hiring the professionals you will need for the process.

After drawing up your construction plans, you’ll be doing permitting in an attempt to please basically four government entities.
The Colegio Federado de Ingenieros y Arquitectos (CFIA) will want to know that your construction plans include all the basic elements that construction plans should. They will also want to know that for the project, you have hired professionals registered with the CFIA.
The Secretaria Técnica Nacional Ambiental (SETENA)needs to be satisfied that your construction project will not significantly damage the environment or the local community. If you’re doing a development of a high enough density, the Instituto Nacional de Vivienda y Urbanismo (INVU)has a whole list of different permits and go-aheads you’ll have to get from different government agencies before it will give your project the green light. And finally, the local municipality where you are building will want you to present the CFIA, SETENA, and INVU approvals (plus perhaps a few others) before it will grant you your construction permits.

An important point is that each municipality requires different documents for the granting of the final construction permits. But even if the municipality grants you a construction permit without one of the permits you need from some branch of the central government bureaucracy say, the environmental certification you still need that permit. This redundancy of authority is one of the curiosities (some would say absurdities) of the Costa Rican system: Just because a builder has construction permits from a municipality does not mean the construction is legal. The other permits for the construction must be obtained regardless of what the municipality says or you could be shut down at any moment by a central government regulator. Keep this in mind if you’re tempted to bribe a municipal official to get your permits. That ill-gotten permit won’t do you much good if the cen¬tral government decides to bring down the hammer.

At the same time, however, the bitter irony (as long-time developers in Costa Rica will tell you) is that there are so many regulations and restrictions administered independently of one another by so many different branches of the Costa Rican bureaucracy that sometimes you don’t fully comply with the law even when you want to. Do your best.

A final important principle to keep in mind as you approach the permitting process is that land in Costa Rica is under the Napoleonic legal regime, not the common law regime found in the United States and Canada. In practice, that means that while you technically own the land, you don’t own any natural resource on top of it or below it. Trees, mineral deposits, well water, rivers, lakes, springs, wildlife, and all the rest are property of the State. The principle to follow, therefore, is that if you are going to remove, use, or modify any of these things on “your” property, there is probably a permit or concession you will have get from somewhere.

Bureaucracy glossary

It helps to be familiar with the alphabet soup of regulatory agencies you will be dealing with during the permitting process. Following, a brief list:

MINAET (www.minaet.go.cr): The Ministerio del Ambiente, Energía, y Telecomunicaciones, or Ministry of Environment, Energy, and Telecommunications. This is the big cheese when it comes to environmental regulation in Costa Rica. Permits to cut down trees, drill wells, and mine anything must pass through one of its many branches.

SETENA: The Secretaría Técnica Nacional Ambiental, or the National Technical Environmental Secretariat. A branch of MINAET. SETENA is the bugaboo of many a would-be developer, as this is the agency that reviews the environmental impact of developments and gives them the thumbs up or thumbs down. Its infamy comes from the incredibly slow process of the environmental review. For developments that have to do a full impact study, the entire processes takes about two years, often more.

ICE:The Instituto Costarricense de Electricidad, or Costa Rican Electricity Institute. The government monopoly that controls all electricity generation and distribution and, until recently, telecom-munications.

AyA:The Instituto Costarricense de Acueductos y Alcantarillados. Ba-sically the state water utility. AyA does not have national coverage, and in many parts of the country outside the Central Valley, developers have to get water permits elsewhere.

ASADA:Asociaciones Administradoras de Sistemas de Acueductos y Alcantarillados Sanitarios, or Administration Association of Sewer and Aqueduct Systems. In some parts of the country, these are the as-sociations that manage the water supply. They are local, and whether you have to deal with one depends entirely on where your property is located.

INVU:The Instituto Nacional de Vivienda y Urbanismo, or the National Housing and Urbanism Institute. INVU is supposedly in charge of urban planning, meaning that all condominium and subdivision developments need its seal of approval.

ICT:The Instituto Costarricense de Turismo, or the Costa Rica Tour¬ism Board. Anything that has to do with the Maritime Zone (i.e. –coastal land within
200 m. of high tide) happens through the ICT. Also, permits for hotel and restaurant operations.

Ministerio de Salud:The Health Ministry. Salud oversees every¬thing having to do with public health, including wastewater disposal and water treatment, as well as health certifications for hotels and restaurants.

CFIA:Colegio Federado de Ingenieros y Arquitectos, or the Federated Association of Engineers and Architects. This government-sanctioned professional association must give the OK to all construction projects. The Association is primarily concerned with technical design issues.

That covers the process and the agencies. to the average person, it may not be adequate so if you wish to discuss it further and/or arrange a conference call with our engineering firm to assist you in understanding better our process,call
 Robert at 1 888 581 1786   local number is  506 2293 2446.  If you are a Costa Rica land owner here and would like to investigate best use of your property, whether it is a large tract of land or Condo project, we will be happy to give you a presentation complete with pricing.

part 4  - the permitting
Developers and home-builders face is the enormous variety of permits that must be obtained before building.  To develop a property larger than 500 m2, you need the OK from at least half a dozen separate entities, probably more.

Developing a subdivision or a condominium in Costa Rica adds another layer of oversight from another regulatory body, and when all is said and done you’ll probably need to have hired at least seven state-certified professionals, including an architect, a civil engineer, a topographer, an environmental engineer, an archaeologist, an anthropologist, and a biologist. All that, and you haven’t even started construction yet.
All told , the permitting process for a small Costa Rica development can take anywhere from a six months to several years and cost the developer some percent of the total value of the project. Construction of individual homes on properties covering less than a half a hectare must pass through a similar process, but with substantially less regulation.

The regulations are constantly changing, they vary in each of the Costa
Rica’s 81 municipalities, and no matter how sure something seems, exceptions pile upon exceptions.

This outline seeks to be only a detailed overview of construction permitting in Costa Rica, and is meant to compliment the expertise of a highly-recommended team of professionals that you should hire to handle the permitting process for you.

If all this sounds too complicated and expensive, and is tempting you to cut corners on permitting and environmental compliance of your development, you wouldn’t be the first.

Government regulators have simply not kept pace with developers during the last decade, causing severe backlogs. That encouraged many developers – especially in Guanacaste and the Central Pacific to throw up their hands and begin construction without all the necessary permits, muttering the mantra that it’s easier to ask forgiveness than permission. Other developers have turned to corruption, dolling out bribes to government officials to get things moving.

A lot has changed here and I wouldn’t recommend this approach today
Costa Rica is very environmentally conscious and to that end has really clamped down on shortcuts that quite often lead to destruction of our natural resources.

Today, cutting corners on permitting costs more than it saves, both in time and money. This is mainly because the government is finally improving enforcement, significantly increasing the chance that un-permitted construction will get shut down long before the developer has a chance to ask forgiveness. Indeed, the year 2008 saw a series of high-profile crackdowns on construction sites all over the country that got the developer community’s attention. Legally, the penalties can include everything from fines to even jail time. Along with the crackdowns, the government is also making a few key changes in the permitting process – particularly in the environmental review – that promises to make permitting move faster, meaning that bribes, in addition to being a crime, are no longer worth the risk.

If you think doing permitting the right way is onerous, wait and see what happens when you do it the wrong way. Without the meticulous attention to detail that the permitting process requires, you could end up unnecessarily delaying your product an extra year or two.

Finally, cutting corners on permitting hurts everyone in the long run. Improper waste water management, the illegal clearing of forest, and the interruption of biological corridors by private roads destroy the very reasons people want to live in Costa Rica in the first place – namely, jungle, wildlife, beautiful landscapes, and friendly local communities. Permitting in Costa Rica is complicated and frustrating, but it is intended to protect the goose laying the golden eggs. Even better, think of it as keeping your neighbor from building a monstrosity that would lower the value of your property.

More to come on Permitting……   For more information or a conference call with our Engineering team, arrange it with
Robert at 1 888 581 1786 toll free or locally 506 2293 2446

President Laura Chinchilla has taken the speculation out of Costa Rica’s southern zone Airport project .  The following is a reprint from the Tico Times

Southern zone airport gets key public interest designation
By the A.M. Costa Rica staff

The project to build an international airport in the southern zone got a boost over the weekend when President Laura Chinchilla declared the concept to be in the public interest.

That technical designation put a high priority on the 35 million project, which will start in 2012 to put in the bare bones of an international airport. Until then there are more studies and surveys.

Significant planning and environmental work already has been done. For example, officials can say with certainty that the land proposed for the airport does not contain any of the famous pre-Columbian stone spheres of other important sites. An archaeological survey already has been completed. 

According to plans reviewed Saturday, the airport will have a runway from 2,000 to 2,600 meters, some 6,560 to 8,530 feet. The site already has been selected. It is fincas 9 and 10 in the Valle de Diquis in Sierpe de Osa. Officials also plan on getting two adjacent fincas for eventual expansion.
Finca 9 is the property of the Instituto Nacional de Fomento Cooperativo, a public agency. It contains 233 hectares (about 576 acres). Finca 10 contains 261 hectares (645 acres). This is enough land for the runway, ramps, taxiways, a passenger terminal, parking and space for a fixed base operator to handle private aviation. Also needed will be a fire station, a control tower, navigation and landing systems and space for customs and immigration.

The money for this project will come from the Dirección General de Aviación Civil, the national budget and an allocation the Ministerio de Obras Públicas y Transportes received from the International Civil Aviation Organization, officials said.

Ms. Chinchilla said that the airport is important to generate employment and combat poverty. Real estate operators and tourism agencies are solidly in favor of the project.

Ms. Chinchilla made a tour of the southern zone over the weekend and attended a meeting of the Golfito municipal council. There central government officials agreed to help the city with its tourism promotion.  (End of Tico Times report)

This addition, combined with the new road from Quepos to Dominical changes the dynamics of travel, tourism and southern zone Real Estate.  From this destination, travellers can visit the far south and the central Pacific with ease.

The Airport project will certainly help the economocs of the area, but the revitalizing of the development industry will be most refreshing to those who have gone through the slow down of the past two years.

The current world economy has finally forced pricing to what it was 5 years ago in a lot of the southern zone Real Estate. It appears that this is the standard for some time and that bodes well for new southern zone development opportunities.

For a complete rundown on prime development land for sale, contact Robert or Alonso at 1 888 581 1786.

Many people are looking to early retirement these days based on finding offshore locations with lower cost of living. If your income is not geared to growth (and very likely is not in this climate) that can be a serious problem in the future

Semi retirement is a good alternative to your present situation.  Living with growing concerns over shrinking dollar, unemployment political concern and the state of affairs world wide is a strain on everyone these days.  One needs to give some consideration to alternatives available such as buying into, or outright a business that has potential and can be operated by yourself and an assistant with less hours than you work at present.

This article is prompted by the large number of Hotel inquiries we have had lately and our experience in coordinating between buyer and seller. In one instance the seller was committed to leave the Country and his time away was not helping the business. Many people came for rooms and no one was there to register  them.  This Hotel historically had a following and began losing clients.

The buyer recognized this and had the background to make this niche hotel a winner in short order.  He bought it a very good discount with excellent terms.  Both buyer and seller were content with the deal.  The buyer was astute and considered all factors including the history, the niche market  and what he himself could bring to this operation.  He made an offer relative to what he  could live with, and bought it.  The seller knew he was offering good value because of the past years business when he was present and working it.  The age and quality of the structures were important as well.  He finally accepted the terms because it all made sense.  

Many Costa Rica Hotel sellers today are too intimate with their properties and need to go through the exercise to see it from the buyers perspective.  Once a property has a willing buyer today, they need to listen and work together especially if you really need to sell.

Let me give you a simple menu of things that one should use as a guideline when looking at Hotels for sale.

Price relative to net profit
Condition of the property
Opportunity for expansion
History of income and occupancy
Source of bookings
Willing seller

Things that can influence the outcome
You are associated with the travel business 
You have marketing experience
You are a highly organize and efficient
Low rate for financing

Here is a classic example of a semi retirement opportunity buying a Costa Rica Hotel.

The Playa Hermosa Hotel Playa Hermosa Hotel is a very popular niche market Surf Hotel. It is beachfront, well known, and priced right. More, it is an older Hotel but rustic in nature because of the market. Therefore, maintenance and refurbishing are not  major factors now or in the future.. 
Price: $786,000
Financing: 33% down
It has – Location, reputation, history

This can be a good deal for semi retirement, and… on the beach   This resort property is located on the beach at Playa Hermosa, one Costa Rica’s best surfing destinations. Only 10 minutes away from Jaco and 1 hour drive from Manuel Antonio/Quepos National Park.  It has it all: restaurant, surf shop, ample parking, manager’s apartment, 9 spacious suites and an owners direct ocean front residence. It is a well established business with high occupancy rates, good cash flow and a marketing system in place.It has – Location, reputation, history
 
This can be a good deal for semi retirement, and… on the beach   This resort property is located on the beach at Playa Hermosa, one Costa Rica’s best surfing destinations. 10 minutes away from Jaco and 1 1/2 hour drive from Manuel Antonio/Quepos National Park.  It  has it all: restaurant, surf shop, ample parking, manager’s apartment, beach front with 9 spacious suites and more.

 For more information on Niche market Hotels, contact Carol Odonnell at 1888 581 1786 or 506 2293 2446

Watch for more on semi retirement with Costa Rica small Hotels