The Costa Rican real estate market took a nosedive with the rest of the world when the Great Recession hit a few years back. Since then, those in the industry have been peering ahead for that light at the end of the tunnel. Though a full recovery may still be a ways off, real estate insiders around the country say business is slowly picking up.

Aleyda Bonilla, president of the Costa Rican Chamber of Real Estate Brokers, told The Tico Times in an e-mail that the market began to recover during the first quarter of 2010 and has since continued to gradually pick up.

“There has been a timid awakening in selling homes and condos on Pacific beaches, while the GAM [greater San José metropolitan area] residential sector has been growing at a steady pace with an excellent range of properties,” she said.

Meanwhile, the commercial sector has shown a moderate increase with excellent prospects for the eastern sector of San José, Bonilla said, adding that banks have begun reopening their doors to developers, which has allowed them to resume stalled projects and begin new ones.

“Buyers … feel more secure in this economic environment, given the growth in actual employment levels, and the opening of new financing alternatives,” she said.

Agents around the country confirm Bonilla’s optimistic report.

“It’s starting to get better, honestly. Things are looking up,” said Les Nunez of First Realty (www.firstrealtycre.com, 2672-1181) in Playa Hermosa, a beach community in the northwestern province of Guanacaste. “I want to be very candid and not just paint a rosy picture as most realtors tend to do. But yes, it certainly is better than it was last year.

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Por Richard Barone

El sueño de la vida de lujo esta hecho realidad y ha pasado por la escuela de modales en residencias Pacifico en la costa de Playa del Coco en Guanacaste, Costa Rica.

La lista de lujos necesarios puede ser un sueño para algunos, pero aquéllos cuya vida profesional activa los lleva a todas partes ni sueñan estar sin ellos. Spa, clubes privados, centro comercial y restaurante en una comunidad listo con una variedad de paquetes de dueño de propiedad, todo sólo horas de su vida ocupada.

¿Cuan rápido puede usted relajarse observando los perfectos jardines rebosantes de flores visitadas por pájaros exóticos? ¿Te ayudaría  a relajarte un masaje al lado de la piscina sobre mirando el mar? ¿Que tal una ronda de golf mientras los monos juegan sobre su cabeza en los árboles?

Pero escoger su próxima casa en Costa Rica es sobre mucho más que jugar, se trata de buenas decisiones de negocio.

Pacifico ofrece muchas opciones,

• Las residencias ‘Estilo de vida’ de 1168 pies cuadrados,  (1 dormitorio, 1 baño)  a 1599 pies cuadrados,  (3 dormitorios,  2 baños  y medio)
• Las residencias ‘Clubside’ de 1351 pies cuadrados ( 2 dormitorios, 2 baños) a 1728 pies cuadrados, (2 dormitorios,  2 baños  y medio)
• Townhomes, 2546 pies cuadrados , (tres niveles con 3 dormitorios,  4 baños,  oficina, y garaje)
• Oceanvista, casas de 2050 pies cuadrados , (3 dormitorios, dos baños)
• Arquitectura mediterránea y plan Costero o detalles personalizados, usted escoge

¡Usted puede tener una casa de lujo en una comunidad exclusiva con todas las conveniencias de los estilos de vida del los ricos y famosos comenzando en $129 mil dólares!   Si usted compra una residencia o terreno dentro de 6 meses de su visita inicial, Pacifico emitirá un crédito promocional de $2,500 hacia el precio de compra. Vea el website de Pacifico para los detalles.

Pacifico es desarrollado por La Corporation Jack Parker quien ha creado hoteles fabulosos y residencias de lujo en los lugares más exclusivos en Manhattan, Palm Springs, Florida y por  todos los Estados Unidos desde 1955. Con un nivel de comodidad y acabado de calidad alta,  adornos de Kohler y enseres Whirlpool, decorada profesionalmente con interiores coordinados, su inversión en una casa de Pacifico en Costa Rica no puede ser igualado.

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Escrito por: Rodrigo Calvo C.

Publicado: 2009/11/25 en nacion.com

La duda que por meses se discutió en el deporte local sobre el tipo de gramilla que tendrá el nuevo Estadio Nacional en San José, se despejó ayer cuando las autoridades del Gobierno informaron que será natural y no sintética.

El anuncio lo hizo ayer el viceministro de Deportes, Osvaldo Pandolfo, en una rueda de prensa que se realizó en el segundo nivel de la futura gradería suroeste del inmueble, ubicado en el mismo sitio donde estuvo la anterior sede en el parque La Sabana.

“No fue fácil la decisión. Se analizaron los pros y contra de cada opción (natural o artificial). Se consultaron a deportistas, dirigentes, medios de comunicación, empresarios y asesores, y creemos que los más conveniente para el país desde el punto de vista deportivo, es la instalación de una cancha natural”, explicó Pandolfo.

El funcionario argumentó que la inversión inicial es menor en el terreno natural, pues dijo que instalar uno sintético tendría un alto costo de $400.000 y $500.000 más.

“Si se brinda un buen mantenimiento, la vida útil es mucho más amplia en la natural que la de una gramilla sintética”, aseguró.

Pandolfo insistió que los mejores futbolistas del mundo prefieren la cancha natural. Además, comprobó el buen funcionamiento de este tipo de césped en estadios reconocidos como el Santiago Bernabéu en Madrid, España, y el Azteca, en México, Distrito Federal.

Luego subrayó que la cancha natural permitirá sin dificultades las competencias de campo en atletismo, como lanzamientos de jabalina, martillo y disco.

El viceministro puntualizó también que se producen menos lesiones en la superficie natural, que se utilizará para partidos de las selecciones de futbol y rugby, series contra clubes internacionales, encuentros especiales como un clásico, competencias de atletismo y otros espectáculos artísticos, culturales, deportivos y religiosos.

“El éxito de este acuerdo dependerá de si seremos eficientes en los drenajes, la variedad de césped, el uso de cobertores apropiados y el buen mantenimiento de la cancha natural”, aceptó.

Muy avanzado. La construcción empezó hace ocho meses, el 12 de marzo de este año, y la nueva estructura está muy adelantada, lleva casi el 50% de su totalidad, según detalló el embajador de China en Costa Rica, Wang Xiao Yuan.

Pese a lo avanzado de la obra, Rodrigo Arias, ministro de la Presidencia, aceptó que “es difícil” que albergue el traspaso de poderes.

Según Pandolfo, los actos de inauguración del estadio durarán una semana y serán en marzo del 2011, con una posible triangular de futbol entre Costa Rica, China y otra selección. La organización estará a cargo del Icoder y la agencia de publicidad JBQ.

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Chris Howard, the resident author and Costa Rican expert, has turned his talents to real estate. The result is a new book “Christopher Howard’s Guide to Real Estate in Costa Rica.”

“Purchasing real estate in Costa Rica is not for the faint of heart,” said Howard, a 30-year resident. “Many have made money while others have lost their shirt. Realtors don’t need a license to operate here, so potential buyers have to be very careful with whom they deal. It is sort of like the Wild West at times because of a lack of regulation and frontier mentality. However, with the correct information and guidance you can make a good purchase and find the home or property of your dreams.”

Despite the current stresses in the real estate sector, Howard notes that the country was voted one of the top five markets in the world in 2006.

Howard said that his 500-page book is carefully researched and took more than three years to write. Treated are subjects as technical as getting permits and as crucial as establishing value. Included is a section on how U.S., citizens can use the money in an investment retirement account to purchase property, Howard said in an announcement.

There also are lists of resources and contacts.

Howard had help producing the book. “Those who worked on and wrote the book aimed to provide an objective guide to buying real estate in Costa Rica,” he said. “One writer is a professional journalist with years of experience at the top financial media company, Bloomberg. The other writer has been a newspaper reporter and independent journalist. Neither of the writers are involved in selling real estate in Costa Rica. This guide is based on more than 100 interviews with experts in real estate across the country and from many different countries.”

Howard knows the country. He has been running retirement/relocation tours for years and has seen most of the nation. During such tours real estate has been a prime topic. He also is the author of “The New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica,” which is in its 16th edition.

Howard also has written more than a dozen books about retirement in Costa Rica, in other Latin countries and about the Spanish language. He is a fluent Spanish speaker and holds a master’s degree from the University of California.

Howard’s “Guide to Real Estate” is available via his Web site or from Amazon.com. The book is $26.95.

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Source: PR

Rich in biodiversity brimming with excitement and unparalleled in gorgeous views, Costa Rica is one of the hottest destinations for travelers and expatriates. One Los Angeles-based eco-luxury lifestyle brand is taking advantage of Costa Rica’s natural appeal by creating Kalia, four blissfully modern, eco-friendly luxury communities. Nestled among pristine bluffs overlooking Costa Rica’s breathtaking Pacific coast in some of the most desirable locations on the Nicoya Peninsula, Kalia is poised and ready to make a name for itself in the world of luxury eco-living.

Kalia’s entrance into the upper echelons of eco-savvy society is heralded by the groundbreaking for its first three of nine distinct sustainable model homes: Breeze, Mist and Lush. The Breeze, Mist and Lush models include 3 bedrooms and range in size from a generous 2550 square feet to over 2900 square feet. Open floor plans boast floor to ceiling windows, multiple pools and over 2100 square feet of outdoor living and entertaining space in the form of sleek decks, balconies and native landscaped yards. Appealingly, each Kalia model home offers nearly as much outdoor living space as indoor space, offering residents the full enjoyment of a true Costa Rican indoor/outdoor living experience. Cool breezes, stunning ocean views and warm tropical temperatures are meant to be enjoyed outdoors, and now they can, without leaving your Kalia home.
Every residence in Kalia’s community includes strategically located windows and doors to maximize cross ventilation, striking green roofing systems, special water features to cool the home, partial solar energy and a gray water recycling system to help the locally landscaped plants thrive. Kalia’s uncompromising commitment to eco-luxury continues inside their residences with eco-friendly paint, sustainable building materials and sexy modern furniture fabricated from natural, environmentally responsible materials. Residents benefit by enjoying the rare combination of living in harmony with Costa Rican nature and living it up with the Kalia community’s resort amenities. Kalia is for people who want to live a completely green, eco-responsible life without sacrificing an ounce of luxury. It’s a lifestyle that is exquisitely green with an uncompromisingly luxurious setting.

Upon completion, Kalia’s four eco-villages (Ruby Sky, Emerald Woods, Black Beauty and Diamond Cove) are planned to include linear “green-belt” pedestrian systems, lush native landscapes, gourmet restaurants, boutique hotels, golf & tennis, shopping areas, children activity centers, spas and fitness centers. The goal in building Kalia is to create enticing resort-style luxury living for individuals who want to own a home in Costa Rica, and, in doing so, to redefine the modern standard for sustainable luxury development.

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Back in the early 1980s, International Living recommended buying real estate in Northern Costa Rica. Readers who took this advice reaped big rewards. This part of Costa Rica caught on…and became the No. 1 destination among foreign retirees and investors who were looking for land buys with big upsides. The upsides were realized. Through the 1990s, the market boomed. Prices for beachfront property along the Pacific coast increased 6-, 8-, 10-fold, and more.

Central Pacific Zone

Today, there is another pocket of opportunity in Costa Rica. Prices have stayed low in this area because it’s difficult to get to. That’s set to change. You have the opportunity to position yourself ahead of the Path of Progress. But you need to move fast. Some of the most amazing scenery in Costa Rica is in an area that runs south of Quepos to the border with Panama. Landscapes here in Costa Rica’s Southern Zone are dramatic–panoramic ocean views…lush tropical rainforest…and sheer jungle-clad slopes, rising sharply away from pristine stretches of sandy beach.

There is more land preserved in national parks and reserves in the Southern Zone region than in any other in Costa

Ballena Marine National Park

Rica. Ballena National Marine Park is a hotspot for humpback whales. Corcovado is awesome, and is reputedly the largest area of primary rainforest left in the Americas, plus home to numerous endangered plant and animal species. Beaches are mostly deserted. In a country with an established real estate market like Costa Rica, this sounds like just the type of place that would attract a lot of fervent investors. Difficulty getting there has kept it under the radar in terms of development and kept prices far lower than areas to the north.

The Costanera Highway is unpaved between Quepos and Dominical and the airports are small, local affairs. These are exactly the kind conditions I look for when scouting for a good real estate opportunity. Especially when these conditions are set to change. Thank You, Mr. President.  Costa Rica’s President Óscar Arias Sánchez recently kick started the final stage of the Costanera highway. Asphalt work has started. This has been promised by successive governments for 30 years. The Costanera Sur is the vital Pacific oast highway. On completion (slated for this October) it will open up an area of Costa Rica that has remained undiscovered…simply because it’s difficult to get to. Four bridges have also been constructed along this route. The geography is dramatic. This has hampered accessibility. The bulk of the heavy traffic now takes the Interamericana highway that winds through San José and Cartago and then over Cerro de la Muerte. The Costanera will cut all this out. The 90-minute plus trip from Quepos to Dominical will be cut to 25minutes.

New airport location in relation to La Joya Perfecta, The Center of Wellness

An international airport is planned for Palmar Norte. Due to be completed next year (the government has already allocated funds) the airport is planned to open in stages; the first, next year, will allow international flights with a maximum capacity of 50 passengers. Eventually, the plan is to have a runway capable of accommodating even the world’s largest passenger plane, the Airbus A-380. An airport of this scale needs to be close to a hospital…so they built one. The ultra-modern 85,000-square-foot, Hospital de Osa located in the town of Cortez, in Puntarenas is now open. The hospital is the newest in Costa Rica and features multiple treatment facilities including a state of the art emergency room, a pediatrics wing, a neurology center and an obstetrics and gynecology center.

How to Profit:   If you want to take advantage of this opportunity, I recommend you buy real estate in the heart of Costa Rica’s southern zone, where emerald-green hillsides slope down to deserted beaches…and where cloud-ringed mountains tower behind. Don’t think for a moment, though, that your early-in opportunity in this emerging area of Costa Rica means you have to rough it. If you buy into a mature development, you can make sure it’s fully serviced with roads, water, electricity, satellite TV, Internet, and a modern communications system. Last week, I told members of my Real Estate Trend Alert how to buy into this opportunity, in a real estate development where you can buy one-acre lots for $50,000. As soon as the road opens next year prices like this will be consigned to the history books. You have a short window to act.

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Óscar Arias gets to drive a steamroller on Costañera Sur

Great news reported by our friends at AM Costa Rica today!

Asphalt work has started on a section of the Costanera Sur., the vital Pacific coast highway that has been promised for three decades.

President Óscar Arias Sánchez was in the area over the weekend and gave the symbolic go ahead to the final stage of the highway.

He also inaugurated a new bridge over the Río Naranjo between Savegre and Quepos. This is the fourth new bridge installed on this route.

A finished Costanera Sur is expected to give a boost to tourism, development and transportation. The bulk of the heavy traffic now takes the Interamericana highway that winds through San José and Cartago and then over Cerro de la Muerte. The Costanera allows motor transport  straight down the coastal highway.

The highway has been gravel for years and a source of local air pollution as well as periodic washouts.

The highway jobs are valued at $33.6 million. Three contractors are at work on different sections of the 42-kilometer (26-miles) road. It runs from Dominical to just south of Quepos.

Officials hope the work is finished in October, weather permitting. The area is notorious for heavy flooding, and more than one local bridge is destroyed each year.

The Río Naranjo bridge is costing $2.8 million, and it is 198 meters (about 650 feet). The concrete beams are 56 meters (184 feet), the longest of any bridge in Central America. The other three bridges span the rios Paquita, Portalón and Matapalo. Three more bridges are in construction.

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Source: A.M. Costa Rica staff

Henry Kaufman

Henry Kaufman’s first project in Costa Rica will be a 500-unit senior living complex in Santa Ana not far from the Cruz Roja building and just four blocks from the commercial center.

Kaufman, a Wall Street legend, has been in Costa Rica hearing real estate proposals. But the $60 million senior living project is fully permited and ready to go. Associates say the ground breaking on the seven-hectare (17-acre) tract may be as soon as July.

Kaufman, 84, is anxious to become a part-time Costa Rica resident, sharing his time between here and Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he has purchased about a third of the downtown area.

Kaufman is high on Costa Rica, noting that the climate is perfect, the standard of living is high, the cost of living is low and there are no simmering social protests. But he said he believes the country is not promoting itself to the extent that it should be.

Kaufman is an expert at locating hidden value. He made millions in Wall Street by recognizing undervalued bonds.  He has such a reputation that the Spanish language newspapers sought him out for his views on the economy.

He is pretty blunt. Despite his career as one of nine interdealer bond brokers on the floor of the New York Stock exchange, he is out of stocks and bonds, he told a reporter from El Financiero.

He has his reasons. At the current interest rates, the return    on bonds is not worth the risk, and the current economic situation makes it impossible to know the true value of a company, he said.

Kaufman said he envisions something like the Del Webb Sun City adult living concept in Santa Ana. One of each unit’s occupants will have to be 55 or over and children will just be visitors, an associate noted.

Kaufman said in an earlier story that senior retirement communities, assisted living and even nursing care will propel the growth of Costa Rica to double digit gross national product during the next 20 years. But he also said that during his visit here he met with representatives of other projects that he will consider. He left today.

Kaufman styles himself as a visionary, but in his conversation Saturday at an Escazú home some nostalgia could be detected and a little anger at the financial managers who have damaged the U.S. economy.

They have no discipline and no responsibility, he said. Kaufman noted that when he had his own firm starting in 1958, the owners were partners. There were no corporate shields to hide behind. He is certain that interest rates are headed upwards, in part because of government spending.

Kaufman is no stranger to tough times. He grew up in Fall River, Massachusetts, which was hard hit in the Great Depression. He concedes that may be what attracted him to Tulsa where tall office buildings were standing vacant because the oil wealth had moved to Houston, Texas.

Now his eye is on Santa Ana where he hopes to duplicate his financial successes.

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Progress can be seen in these photos that were posted over at welovecostarica.com. Take a look at the paving operation and bridges that are going in for this huge project that will benefit travelers to the coastal areas.

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Hatillo- Photo Source: CostaRicanTrails.com

Approximately 20 miles (30 kilometers) south of the Quepos airport or 5 miles (8 kilometers) north of Dominical along the Costanera Highway, Hatillo is a quiet, local beach community along the largely undeveloped coastline that stretches from Quepos to Dominical.

The town of Hatillo features a supermarket and several local restaurants that offer low-priced, Tico-style cuisine.  There is one local bar for dancing and socializing.  Area accommodations range from lower priced cabinas to luxury condo and villa rentals.

The two major shopping hubs, Quepos and San Isidro General, are each about an hour’s drive from Hatillo.  In Quepos one can find several supermarkets, hardware stores, appliance stores, and other retail outlets, as well as bars featuring live music and dancing.  Quepos offers a wide range of tourist activities, and is the gateway to one of Costa Rica’s most popular national parks, Manuel Antonio.  Several surrounding communities, such as Dominical, Barú, and Matapalo offer further dining, dancing, and recreational options.

The inland city of San Isidro General is larger than Quepos with a similarly broad range of commercial and service-oriented enterprises.  Organic produce can be purchased at area farmers’ markets in San Isidro and Dominical.

Hatillo provides easy access to several beaches, the closest being the uncrowded Playa Guapil, which is good for surfing, and Playa Hatillo, with the world-famous surfing beaches of Dominical a short drive away.  Coastal wetlands at Playa Guapil are a prime site for mangrove kayaking.  Other area recreational activities include fishing, hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, rappelling, ziplining, and birdwatching.

The principal properties on the market in Hatillo are premier homesites and undeveloped land.  In the first category, sixteen various-sized ridgetop estate lots with superb ocean and mountain views in a 400-acre high-end development that includes a private nature preserve range in price from $199,000 to $545,000.  In the second category, a 1.87-acre (7572-square-meter-) property with spectacular views of two rivers meeting the sea, coastal expanse, and surrounding mountains is available for $225,000.

Hatillo is a 4+-hour drive from San José. Sansa and Nature Air offer several flights daily between Quepos and Palmares Sur and San José or Liberia.

If you’ve visited Hatillo, share your impressions below in the comments.

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