You are not alone if you are considering retirement or a second home outside of North America.  An ever increasing number of American and Canadian Citizens are thinking beyond the box of considering an alternative to retirement and investments in Florida, Arizona and the South in general. 

This beautiful, natural country is the jewel of the Americas.  It is a true democracy since 1948 and it's President even received the Nobel Peace Prize.  Its peaceful prosperous countryside boasts beautiful beaches from the Caribbean on the east to the Pacific, west side.  Its diverse and unspoiled landscapes include rain forests, volcanoes, majestic lakes, waterfalls and magnificent mountains, some jutting beautifully into the Pacific Ocean. 

Travelers from all over the world are choosing Costa Rica as the perfect spot for their first or second home.  One reason why Costa Rica real estate investments are so popular, is the fact foreigners have the same rights as Costa Ricans with regards to owning property.  They can own property outright with a deed, and then sell it or pass it on to their heirs.

Why People Choose Costa Rica:

Wonderful Lifestyle - Costa Ricans, commonly referred to as Ticos, live a laid back life. They take advantage of their time, enjoying their family and the pleasures of life. A popular greeting and salutation for Ticos is “pura vida” or pure life, which explains the Costa Rican philosophy on how to live. 

Stable Economy - 15 years ago the economy of Costa Rica was primarily agriculture. The economic development since then has been dramatic and diverse. The largest export is computer parts, primarily driven by an Intel plant that manufactures microchips. The plant employs over 5,000 people and is located just outside of San Jose. 

Because of a highly educated and bi-lingual workforce many other multi-national companies have located their Central American headquarters in Costa Rica. Hewlett Packard has nearly 7,000 white collar workers here. Currently, the second largest industry is tourism followed by agriculture, primarily pineapples, bananas and coffee.

Low Taxes - Real Estate taxes are extremely low, ¼ of one percent (.25%) of the declared value of a property. Costa Rican corporations pay taxes for income generated in Costa Rica. There is no capital gains tax. With such low property taxes, residents accept that road repairs are slower than in other countries.  During the beginning of 2010 a luxury tax was imposed on property with an appraised value of more than $179,000.  It’s complicated…….lawyers are needed. 

Adequate Communications - Costa Rica has one of the most advanced communication systems in Central America. In most metropolitan areas you will find modern telephone service, cable TV and high speed internet. Cell phone service has coverage in about 95% of the country. There is also a new G3 “roaming” internet service available anywhere in the country through ICE.

Moderate Climate and Weather - There are two seasons in Costa Rica; dry and the green (rainy). The dry season extends from mid December to late May. The green season is from late May until late November. During the green season the mornings and early afternoon are generally sunny. The rains that come after that are mild and since it is always warm, most people do not mind them.

Temperatures in the Central Valley rarely get above 85 degrees and never below 65 degrees because the Valley is actually 3,500 feet above sea level. The Valley is surrounded by mountains, which causes a unique affect called micro-climates. Temperatures can vary 5 or 10 degrees just driving over a hill.

Temperatures on both coasts are hot much like the weather in Florida in the spring or fall. The weather in Costa Rica does not vary much because the country is located near the Equator, only 9 degrees north.

Natural Beauty – The reason tourism is the largest industry at the moment is because Costa Rica offers its guests a truly beautiful place to visit, enjoy and relax. From beaches, to waterfalls, to rain forests and volcanoes, Costa Rica has a very large array of natural beauty for residents and visitors to fall in love with.

Political Stability – Unlike many other Latin American countries, including Mexico, Venezuela and Nicaragua, Costa Rica has no standing army and a strong tradition of open democratic elections. The well educated public is generally involved in the running of their country from the local to national level.

The healthcare in Costa Rica rivals that of the U.S.A.  Doctors are highly qualified, many trained in North America, and therefore, bilingual.  Healthcare is available to all people of every economic status.  Costa Rica has had 70 years to get ObamaCare right!

The CIA World Fact Book has recently listed Costa Rica as "a Central American success story" because the Costa Rican government has successfully established an economically and politically stable country in which more overseas investors are focusing their financial interests.