The boom on Costa Rica real estate, and the good life help to make the country like one of the best places for retirees
When you think of people who relocate to Costa Rica, the first thing that comes to mind are people on small budgets or pensions who want to make their money go farther. Most everyone who moves here falls into that category. However, the other day I received an interesting call from one of my oldest friend’s brother.
He lives in Malibu, California and has been retired for around 20 years. He was able to do it because he sold a small company which he owned for several million dollars at the time. Soon after he retired, he purchased a big boat and hired a crew. Then he took his boat to Mexico where he lived the good life for many years. Eventually he got tired of the the lifestyle there and took his yacht to San Diego where he resided before moving to his current home in Malibu.
Although he does have a substantial nest egg, he is growing increasingly tired of the U.S. claims it almost impossible to maintain his lifestyle because of the exorbitant cost of living. Anyway back to our phone conversation. Bob told me that he wanted to check out Costa Rica with the idea of possibly relocation here because he had heard nothing but good things about the country. He asked a lot of questions and I recommend he read the 15th edition my guidebook, “The New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica.” It covers basically everything one needs to relocate here.
I also suggested he take one of my monthly relocation/retirement tours to get an even better idea of what it is like to live here, make some invaluable contacts and to facilitate the whole process of relocating. Bill said he would following my advise and visit Costa Rica by the end of the year whether he takes the tour or not.
Bill is part of a growing number of dentists, doctors, other professionals and well-to-do folks who also find Costa Rica appealing for a variety of reasons. This goes to prove that the country really has something for every lifestyle, taste and budget.
We can learn a lot from the way the locals approach life.
About 10 days ago the roadbed of a bridge near San José separated and what ensued was like a comedy. Actually, the crack was only about an inch wide. You would think the whole bridge came down judging by all of the attention the hoopla. Every rubbernecker who traveled over the bridge had to slow down to see the crack which caused a huge traffic back up. The local highway department finally closed down the bridge and tried to repair it. When they finally opened the highway to traffic again the repair only lasted a couple of hours and the traffic jams were back.
The media had a field day with this joking about the ineptitude of the Costa Ricans highway department since they couldn’t fix the bridge. A couple of local models even took advantage of the situation to pull a publicity stunt. They appeared scantly dressed on the side of bridge showing off their best attributes. Of course this brought traffic to a virtual standstill while every male drive admired the model’s curvaceous bodies and female passers-by called the sexy female models sluts or even worse things. Anytime a high-profile incident like this one happens in Costa Rica the people turn it huge event, media circus and make up a whole slew of hilarious jokes about the situation. People don’t fret, they just joke about most things.
Costa Ricans are very event oriented. Everything here is a vacilón or excuse to have fun. Even major elections are one big party. Almost every local scandal becomes the target of local jokes and humorists. Actually it seems that Costa Rica’s fun-loving people don’t take anything seriously. They say that the three most important things in a Costa Rican man’s life are women, beer and soccer but not necessarily in that order. It’s a wonder anything gets done here with such a care-free attitude. This can be trying on a foreigner who is in a hurry or trying to get something important done.
I have come to discover that we can learn a lot from the way the locals approach life. They seem to slow down, smell the flowers, face problems with a good sense of humor and savor the moment a lot more than most Americans do.
On my monthly relocation tours I go into to Costa Rica psyche and culture in detail to help my clients understand the country and its people.
Costa Rica’s people are the happiest in the world.
Over 50 years ago Costa Rica abolished its military. This enabled the country to spend more money on education and healthcare. The results have paid off. The country is one of the healthiest in the world, has a longevity rate on a par with countries of the first world and a large number of centenarians. Furthermore, it has one of the highest literacy rates in Latin America of over 90 percent. Unfortunately, most of the countries in the region lag behind in these areas due to endemic social and economic problems.
Mexico, which used to be the #1 place for Americans to retire, now has over 50 million poor people which represents 47 percent of its population. This can only lead to social problems down the road which will affect the quality of life there. Add this to the country’s out of control drug wars, kidnappings and other woes and you have an environment which is not conducive for foreigners to live.
Nicaragua continues to be submerged in a political and economic morass from which it may never recover. After Costa Rica, Panama seems to be the only other good choice in the region but does have its own baggage. The weather is not nearly as good as Costa Rica’s and no matter what people say, Panama does have a crime problem. Nevertheless, the country has attracted many foreigners because of of its generous incentive program for retirees. So, if Costa Rica isn’t your cup of tea, then try Panama. Personally i don’t think the two countries compare. If Panama was a better place for me I would be living there at the very moment.
Costa Rica does have its warts (problems), but as a whole I still consider it the best place to live in the region, if not the world. According to a recent survey Costa Rica’s people are the happiest in the world. Living among the people here is contagious. I have never been happier in my life.
When one thinks about retiring abroad there are not that many choices anymore. The far east has issues with terrorism and the distance from the U.S. In the event of an emergency at home. Most of Europe is too expensive. That basically leaves Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Panama and Mexico.
Unfortunately Nicaragua has just never gotten its act to together. A series of bad governments have kept this second poorest country in the western hemisphere from developing. Panama does have appeal for some people but rising unemployment and crime, a slump in housing and the small choices of areas where to live have all combined to keep it from becoming the “new” retirement haven that it was suppose to be. Don’t get me wrong!
Mexico has the largest number of retirees from the U.S, but things have really gone south there. The wars between the powerful drug cartels have escalated to an unbearable point and many many once desirable areas unsafe. One drug group called “La Familia” has virtually overrun parts of the State of Michoacan. Another dangerous group called the Zetas is also causing havoc. On top of that kidnappings have increased .. Kidnappers now target middle class people instead of the very rich. It is only a matter of time before the set their eyes on foreign retirees.
All of the above makes Costa Rica more and more attractive to foreign retirees. I receive many inquiries form people who are thinking of moving to Costa Rica and/or taking one of my relocation/retirement tours. I make it a point to always give them my take on the other countries in the area.
