Costa Rica Real Estate: An Eco-Friendly Retreat!
by Stacey Crevoiserat
Costa Rica is a simply beautiful place to visit, but imagine living there!! Your dream vacation could be your everyday life! Costa Rica real estate is a booming market at the moment and attracting a great deal of attention. If you're looking to buy a second home, move permanently, or retire somewhere tropical, Costa Rica is the place for you!
The following are a few reasons you should invest in Costa Rica Real Estate!
1. Stable Government Means Stable Investments! The Costa Rican government is a very stable one. They are a democratic republic with three branches and have enjoyed a peaceful democratic existence since 1949. The government sees the high value of tourism and encourages foreigners to visit and retire in Costa Rica. This stable government ensures that the money you invest in your real estate is a safe investment and will not lose value suddenly.
2. The Currency Is Stable, So Your Money Is Safe! Because the government is a stable one, the currency is as well. The Costa Rican colon, also referred to as the CRC, is the official currency and one US Dollar is equal to 516.245 CRC. Both US Dollars and CRC are accepted widely throughout Costa Rica, as much as 90% of the establishments will accept the US dollar.
3. Taxes! Costa Rican taxes are considerably lower than that of which we are used to; in fact they are some of the lowest in the world. For example, the property tax is only .25%, and only income earned in Costa Rica is subject to income tax. Also, Costa Rica offers large amounts of income that can be deductible and is free from all taxing. That is a huge break compared to what most Americans are used to!
4. It's All About Location! If you're looking to invest in a vacation home, or moving to enjoy your retirement, you may find you are still traveling back to your home city for holidays or to visit friends and family. The following cities are a 3-5 hour flight away from Costa Rica: Miami, Houston, Atlanta, Dallas, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and Toronto.
Another great thing to love about Costa Rica is the eco-tourism that brings in more tourists every single year. Owning a beautiful home in the middle of this eco-friendly environment is a dream come true!
What is Eco-Tourism?
Eco-tourism, basically, is the purpose of traveling to a select destination for the natural areas you wish to visit there, and to understand the culture and natural history of that environment. An eco-tourist takes special care not to alter the ecosystem and instead tries to do things to better the preserve and make it a more enjoyable spot for those who visit. This is a very broad definition that encompasses a simple day trip to a wildlife preserve to a weeklong trip in the rainforest.
Costa Rica Takes Advantage
Eco-tourism is booming due to more and more people growing frustrated with the tourist traps of concrete hotel lined beaches and overcrowded amusement parks. And Costa Rica has definitely benefited! In 1998, Costa Rica had 943,000 tourist visitors while in 2000 they had an amazing 1,100,000! While many Third World nations are putting their efforts into rapid industrialization, Costa Rica has actually gone the other way and is dedicated to eco-tourism as the key to their economical development. Although the country is only about the size of West Virginia, the biodiversity is amazing; with scenic beaches, lush rain forest, impressive volcanoes, waterfalls and exotic wildlife.
The environment has greatly benefited from the increasing development of eco-tourism too. They have made great leaps and bounds since 1963 when their very first environmental protection reserve was created. Now there are 70 protected areas covering 21% of the nation's territory. While it did cause some locals to have to move and some industries shut down, it opened up an entirely new world of employment in the means of heavy increases in tourism.
It's easy to see why so many people are interested in investing in Costa Rica Real Estate! If you're considering Costa Rica wait no longer! The Time Is Now!
Showing posts with label Costa Rica Real Estate. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Costa Rica Real Estate. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Saturday, March 14, 2009
Costa Rica Real Estate : Economic, Political, and Social Stability
Costa Rica Real Estate : Economic, Political, and Social Stability
by Victoria M. Brown
Amidst the political and social turbulence that plagues many of the Latin America countries, Costa Rica has been able to sidestep that. The economic, political and social stability of Costa Rica is one characteristic that has distinguished it through its entire contemporary history and as one of its most important strengths, has enabled it to reach great success in luring foreign investors.
Costa Rica's government has been a stable democracy since 1949. The country's success was recognized in 1987 when President Arias Sanchez was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The award was granted for the president's high ethical standards and the image that he portrayed as a representative of the Costa Rican people. The people share in his high ethics and morals. They are recognized to be among the top educated and socially aware people in the world.
Political Stability
Costa Rica was the first country in the world to constitutionally abolish its army. Following civil war in the 1940's, Costa Rica ended rule by armed forces and established a democratic republic. Since 1949, the Costa Rican government has been a stable democracy that is governed by a strong, democratic constitution. Even before the current democracy was established, the Costa Rican government stemmed from a political tradition of rule by the majority. Its government has also been able to work towards pacification and successfully avoid the widespread violence that occurs throughout most of Latin America. Costa Rica is one of the most stable governments in the region.
Economic Stability
For the past twenty years, Costa Rica has not experienced any economic crisis. For a developing country, that is a great accomplishment. Poverty has been reduced from 40 percent of the population to below 20 percent of the population, which is over a 50 percent reduction. The average economic growth rate of the country is approximately 2.5 percent each year. Costa Rica has increased their participation in world trade as well. Exports rose from 30 percent of the GDP in 1980 to 50 percent in 2000. The increase in trade has led to an expansion of the economy and greatly reduced the economy's vulnerability to financial crisis. As the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) was implemented, Costa Rica was further integrated into the world economy and economic stability was further established.
With a $1.9-billion-a-year tourism industry, Costa Rica stands as the most visited nation in the Central American region. Most of the tourists come from the U.S. (54%) which translates into a relatively high expenditure per tourist of $1000 per trip. In 2005, tourism contributed with 8.1% of the country's GNP and represented 13.3% of direct and indirect employment. Ecotourism is extremely popular with the many tourists visiting the extensive national parks and protected areas around the country. Costa Rica was a pioneer in this type of tourism and the country is recognized as one of the few with real ecotourism. The protection of the environment has also become a top priority to Costa Ricans and their government.
Social Stability
As Costa Rica has succeeded in implementing political and economic stability, many of the country's policies focus on social stability. Economic and political policies have helped to ensure that the basic needs of the people are being met and the standard of living is continually improving. The Costa Rican people are well-educated and nearly the whole population is literate. The literacy rate in Costa Rica is of 96% (CIA World Factbook, February 2007). Elementary and high schools are found throughout the country in practically every community. Universal public education is guaranteed in the Constitution. Primary education is obligatory, and both preschool and high school are free. There are both state and private universities.
According to the United Nations Study conducted in 1980s, Costa Rica's medical system was first in Latin America and ranked near the United States and Canada among the 20 best in the world. There is access to clean water and health services and the life expectancy rate is high. The World Health Report (1995) placed Costa Rica third in life expectancy in the world. All of Costa Rica's social indicators are among the best in Latin America.
All of the achievements that the Costa Rican government has made in the past 50 years have led to political, economic, and social stability. It is no reason why Costa Rica Real Estate Investments are increasing at an alarming rate each year. According to the U.S. Embassy's website, over 20,000 private American citizens reside in the country. While property prices still remain extremely reasonable, the great attraction to Costa Rica, on all levels, is raising property prices and many investors are enjoying double-digit appreciation annually.
by Victoria M. Brown
Amidst the political and social turbulence that plagues many of the Latin America countries, Costa Rica has been able to sidestep that. The economic, political and social stability of Costa Rica is one characteristic that has distinguished it through its entire contemporary history and as one of its most important strengths, has enabled it to reach great success in luring foreign investors.
Costa Rica's government has been a stable democracy since 1949. The country's success was recognized in 1987 when President Arias Sanchez was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. The award was granted for the president's high ethical standards and the image that he portrayed as a representative of the Costa Rican people. The people share in his high ethics and morals. They are recognized to be among the top educated and socially aware people in the world.
Political Stability
Costa Rica was the first country in the world to constitutionally abolish its army. Following civil war in the 1940's, Costa Rica ended rule by armed forces and established a democratic republic. Since 1949, the Costa Rican government has been a stable democracy that is governed by a strong, democratic constitution. Even before the current democracy was established, the Costa Rican government stemmed from a political tradition of rule by the majority. Its government has also been able to work towards pacification and successfully avoid the widespread violence that occurs throughout most of Latin America. Costa Rica is one of the most stable governments in the region.
Economic Stability
For the past twenty years, Costa Rica has not experienced any economic crisis. For a developing country, that is a great accomplishment. Poverty has been reduced from 40 percent of the population to below 20 percent of the population, which is over a 50 percent reduction. The average economic growth rate of the country is approximately 2.5 percent each year. Costa Rica has increased their participation in world trade as well. Exports rose from 30 percent of the GDP in 1980 to 50 percent in 2000. The increase in trade has led to an expansion of the economy and greatly reduced the economy's vulnerability to financial crisis. As the Central American Free Trade Agreement (CAFTA) was implemented, Costa Rica was further integrated into the world economy and economic stability was further established.
With a $1.9-billion-a-year tourism industry, Costa Rica stands as the most visited nation in the Central American region. Most of the tourists come from the U.S. (54%) which translates into a relatively high expenditure per tourist of $1000 per trip. In 2005, tourism contributed with 8.1% of the country's GNP and represented 13.3% of direct and indirect employment. Ecotourism is extremely popular with the many tourists visiting the extensive national parks and protected areas around the country. Costa Rica was a pioneer in this type of tourism and the country is recognized as one of the few with real ecotourism. The protection of the environment has also become a top priority to Costa Ricans and their government.
Social Stability
As Costa Rica has succeeded in implementing political and economic stability, many of the country's policies focus on social stability. Economic and political policies have helped to ensure that the basic needs of the people are being met and the standard of living is continually improving. The Costa Rican people are well-educated and nearly the whole population is literate. The literacy rate in Costa Rica is of 96% (CIA World Factbook, February 2007). Elementary and high schools are found throughout the country in practically every community. Universal public education is guaranteed in the Constitution. Primary education is obligatory, and both preschool and high school are free. There are both state and private universities.
According to the United Nations Study conducted in 1980s, Costa Rica's medical system was first in Latin America and ranked near the United States and Canada among the 20 best in the world. There is access to clean water and health services and the life expectancy rate is high. The World Health Report (1995) placed Costa Rica third in life expectancy in the world. All of Costa Rica's social indicators are among the best in Latin America.
All of the achievements that the Costa Rican government has made in the past 50 years have led to political, economic, and social stability. It is no reason why Costa Rica Real Estate Investments are increasing at an alarming rate each year. According to the U.S. Embassy's website, over 20,000 private American citizens reside in the country. While property prices still remain extremely reasonable, the great attraction to Costa Rica, on all levels, is raising property prices and many investors are enjoying double-digit appreciation annually.
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