Recently a reporter from a New York Times affiliate interviewed what he thought was a good source for information about moving to Costa Rica. The  reporter found the person he interviewed at one of the more high profile web sites which supposedly contains “real’ information about living in Costa Rica. Unfortunately, the person who was interviewed gave the reporter a biased and highly subjective piece of advice.

He told the reporter he would never own property in Costa Rica which is absolutely a ridiculous statement. Almost everyone who has invested in real estate in Costa over last five years has profited. Currently Costa Rica has one of the best real estate markets in the world which has not been affected by events in the U.S,

What the person also did who gave he incorrect information was to discourage people form investing profitably here and possibly spoil their dreams of moving abroad.

The bottom line is to consider the source of the information you gather when researching a move to Costa Rica. By wary of some of the self-serving informational sites that are on the web which on the surface appear to be the real deal. Only trusted time-tested sources with a long track record. Most of the sites providing information are trying to sell something which in some cases you need but most often you don’t.

• Year-round spring-like weather in the Central Valley
• Untarnished international image. How often do you hear bad things in the news about Costa Rica? Only good news!
• Latin America’s oldest democracy
• No army and NO terrorism. Costa Rica has NO enemies.
• Excellent health care at a fraction of the price you pay at home
• Good real estate investments. Costa Rica is considered one of the world’s best emerging real estate markets. Many properties are in locations with breathtaking views
• More Americans residents proportionately than any country in the world
• A tightly-knit expatriate community
• Time-tested organizations in place to help you with everything you need to know to make the move from A to Z
• Excellent quality of life
• Good communications with high-speed internet in many areas
• Tax savings
• Opportunities for entrepreneurs of all ages
• Affordable utilities
• friendly people
• Many people who speak English
• 1000s of activities to stay busy and happy
• A nature lovers Disneyland
• Affordable hired help
• The beauty of the country
• Fantastic beaches and warm water
• Latin America’s #1 tourist destination according  to Travel Weekly Magazine
• Many American products and services available
• Fruits and vegetables all year
• Good public transportation
• Any many more intangibles

Because of the abundance of information available on the web most people have done their research before they visit Costa Rica in search of a place to retire. However, it is easy to become thoroughly confused and suffer from an overload of information after reading all of the material on web sites an the chatter on the blogs, forums and news groups.

A lot of the basic information from said sources is very good  but some of it is erroneous, far too subjective and even borders  on science fiction. The problem is to learn how to separate the wheat from the  chaff.

The best thing is to take the information from unbiased organizations like the Association of Residents of Costa Rica  then visit Costa Rica to see what is true.

Sadly people have read so much that they consider themselves experts before they arrive and try to do things on their own, only to fail big time.  It is of paramount important to have the right guidance every step of the way and deal only with reliable source and time-tested services when you arrive here.

All of you remember the Spanish Explorer Ponce de León who accompanied Columbus on his second trip to the New World and discovered Florida in the process while trying to locate the mythical Fountain of Youth.

Well we have good news for you. If you make an effort you can find the Fountain of youth in Costa Rica. if you include some of the country’s delicious tropical fruits and vegetables in your diet you are bound to be healthier. The country also offers scores of outdoor activities to keep you fit. Costa Ricans have one of the highest longevity rates in the world. There is a town in the Nicoya peninsula is world-famous for its large number of Centenarians.

If all else fails you can resort to one of Costa Rica’s world famous cosmetic surgeons to keep you looking young. Costa Rica is known as “The Beverly Hills of the South” because of the large number of people who travel here to take advantage of the affordable plastic surgery. We have seen the results and they are amazing for only a fraction of the cost you would pay in the U.S.

Although gasoline prices has risen here as in the rest of the world public transportation is still affordable. A trip by bus to furthest destination in the country  is around $10 dollars. A trip from San José to the suburbs is less than a dollar. An hour ride to some of the outlying towns in the Central Valley like Grecia is less than $2 dollars.

With such low prices you don’t really need the expenses of owning a an automobile here. There are buses going to almost every city and  town in the country. The government  has to provide this service and keep it affordable for the vast majority of the Costa Rican people who can’t afford cars.

Indeed this is another benefit of living in Costa Rica.