Saturday, December 25, 2010
Dear Reader,
Today's giveaway will take you to a rising star in Costa Rica...the Southern Zone. This stunningly beautiful area boasts low property prices...because it was difficult to get here. Now, thanks to a new coastal road that opened in January 2010, traveling here is quicker, smoother, and more comfortable. Mainstream tourists are coming here, and we expect them to bring residential and resort developers in their wake. Moreover, plans call for a new international airport. Property prices should rise...
The draw is for a free chill weekend for a couple--a $500 value. All you have to do is get yourself to San Jose, and the developer takes over from there. You'll enjoy a four-day and three-night trip, including transfers, accommodation, and meals. It's a perfect opportunity to explore the jaw-dropping scenery of the Southern Zone...investigate the longest-established development in the area...and enjoy a mini-vacation.
Just give us your name and e-mail address here to enter the draw. We'll announce the winner on January 7th, 2011. Read on below to find out what you'll discover in Costa Rica's hottest investment zone.
Margaret Summerfield
Stake Your Claim in this South Pacific Frontier
Dear Reader,
This place is home to some of the most stunning landscape you'll see in Costa Rica. Sharp, spiny mountain ridges...cloaked in thick, rich rainforest...wind into the distance. They slope down to a curving coast, with mile after mile of pristine beaches, backed by immense national parks. Hot-orange tropical flowers stud the roadside verges...waterfalls cascade from rocky overhangs...and the rhythmic sound of the surf greets you at every turn.
Costa Rica's north Pacific coast boomed in the 1990s. But this area stayed under the radar...with its mist-shrouded mountain peaks, pristine beaches and vast forests...a secret known only to adventure tourists, a small group of expats, and the locals.
It should have attracted swarms of property shoppers...and resort and residential developers, looking to cash in on the real estate boom. But it didn't...because it was tough getting here.
I'm talking about Costa Rica's Southern Zone.
Sharp mountains, vast rainforests, miles of sandy beach...this is a dramatic landscape
Now, this coast is on the move...
The Costanera (coastal) Highway was, quite frankly, one of the worst roads I've come across on scouting trips. Unpaved...filled with lunar-sized craters...with rickety bridges and whole sections that washed out in rainy season. In dry season, clouds of dust obscured other drivers heading straight for you, on the wrong side of the road...trying to avoid the potholes. The drive wasn't for the faint-hearted.
There is an airport, but it's a small, domestic affair, lacking basic amenities. You won't find duty-free, VIP lounges, or airport food here. You'll wait for the tiny planes alongside the bumpy strip in an open-sided hangar with wooden benches, with your fellow passengers--all eleven of them...
The beaches stretch for miles--and you'll often have them all to yourself
These are exactly the kinds of conditions to look for when scouting out a promising real estate opportunity - a stunning setting, with low property prices, that's tough to get to...with infrastructure upgrades on the way.
The upgraded, resurfaced coastal highway, with new bridges, storm drainage systems - all the bells and whistles - opened in January 2010. It cuts the drive time from Costa Rica's capital, San Jose, to three hours. And it's a smooth, comfortable, easy three hours. One section that took 90 minutes on the old road took 22 minutes when I tested the road in August.
The government plans an international airport, too. They've chosen the site, and are currently soliciting private partners to construct the airport, just as they did when they built the international airport in Liberia, in northwest Costa Rica.
The Hospital de Osa opened in the Southern Zone in April 2008. It has an emergency room, a pediatrics wing, and a neurology center. It's out of proportion to the area as it is now...but an international airport needs a hospital of a certain size and caliber...so they built this one.
The new highway kick-started the opening of this region to mainstream tourists. These tourists will bring residential and resort developers, who'll want to buy the best beach and ocean view properties. They know that once tourists see this place, they'll want to spend more time here...and want to own a piece of it. That all means one thing: property prices should rise...
A surprisingly cosmopolitan twist
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Almost two thirds of the land in this region is preserved. Ballena National Marine Park is a hotspot for humpback whales. Corcovado is awesome; National Geographic describes it as "the most biologically intense" place on the planet. The beaches are mostly deserted. Playa Uvita was my favourite...miles of sand beach, nobody around, and yet this is one of the top beaches in Costa Rica. |
Close to the little town of Ojochal in the heart of the country's Southern Zone, you'll find Pacific Lots. This secluded spot is where emerald-green hillsides slope down to deserted beaches...where cloud-ringed mountains tower behind ...and the afternoon sun glimmering through the lush vegetation creates a magical show of light and shadow...
Don't think for a moment, though, that your early-in opportunity in this still-emerging area of Costa Rica means you'll be roughing it.
Pacific Lots is a mature development, with over 150 homes already constructed, and it's fully serviced with roads, water, electricity, satellite TV, Internet, and a modern communications system.
The development is close to the new coastal road, and Hospital de Osa.
The nearby village of Ojochal has plenty of tiny restaurants. But instead of serving rice and beans, they serve Indonesian food...French, Italian and even organic food. You can buy crispy French baguettes fresh from the oven...grab an espresso from the coffee shop...or savor a wood-fired pizza. A small deli stocks imported cheeses, wine and champagne, Cuban cigars, Swiss chocolate and other treats.
It feels quite cosmopolitan for such an out of the way place...
If you're an outdoor enthusiast or a nature lover, you'll love the unspoiled, lush landscape, and pristine beaches. It's the perfect spot for swimming, surfing, sea kayaking, hiking, bird watching, whale watching...or chilling out in a hammock, rocked by the ocean breeze.
Affordable property...for now
Choose your view...choose your lot...and design your own dream home
What will really take your breath away is how extremely affordable the majestic views at Pacific Lots are.
For as little as $40,000, you can purchase a home site, with superb mountain views...or a lot with both mountain and ocean views starting at $100,000. Custom homebuilding runs around $100 per square-foot...meaning you could build your 2,000-square-foot dream home for $200,000...on a lot with a to-die-for mountain view... for $240,000 in total.
There are no requirements to build immediately--so you can lock down your piece of paradise at today's low prices.
If you wait to buy here, the early-in deals will be gone. It's inevitable that values will rise dramatically once the infrastructure upgrades open this coastline up.
Snap up your spot...
If you'd like to get a feel for this place, and try it on for size, why not enter our competition to win a Southern Zone Chill Weekend for two? These trips showcase the region...giving you the perfect opportunity to check out the pristine beaches, national parks, and little towns (like Ojochal).
The trip runs over four days, and three nights, and includes airport transfers from San Jose, full property tours, accommodation, and meals (prepared using fresh, natural, tasty ingredients, many sourced locally).
Just give us your name and e-mail address here to enter the draw.
And don't worry about high-pressure sales tactics: you won't get a sales pitch or presentation. This property sells itself.
When you see the beauty of the area, the magnificent views, and the exceptional value, you'll understand why.
Margaret Summerfield
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