Britt added three more in the shops located outside the airport in Miami, Florida.

Café Britt, Costa Rica’s premier brand of coffee, is looking to expand its empire. With fifty stores in seven countries the company now wants to install stores in the island of Antigua’s airport, in Peru, Chile and a roasting plant in Cancún Mexico. The company already boasts over $60 million in annual sales. In addition to coffee they sell local handicrafts, their own brand of chocolates, books and more in airports and hotels.

This is another example of a Costa Rican company expanding beyond its borders. Dos Pinos, the country’s largest producer of daily products and Florida Ice which makes several types of beer, are already selling their products in neighboring countries and abroad. Costa Rica’s famous Imperial beer may be purchased in many areas of the U.S. The author downed a couple while visiting New York City a couple of years ago.

All of this points to the county’s continued growth which could not have been achieved without political stability.

According to an article that appeared in today’s edition of La República, Costa Rica will be one of the countries in Latin America whose economy bounces back starting in 2010. These predictions were made by Miguel Savastano, Assistant Director of the International Monetary Funds (IMF) for the Western  Hemisphere. This information is based on Costa Rica’s financial system being in sound shape and the government’s financial policy which includes protection of the most vulnerable sectors of the populations. The IMF also firmly endorses the fiscal policies of Costa Rica’s Central Bank.

In addition, “Latin America in general, will experience a quicker recovery that the larger economies” according Nicolás Eyzaguirre Director of International Monetary Funds (IMF) for the Western  Hemisphere. He goes on to say that “Latin American and the Caribbean are not confronting a bank crisis like the United States and a large part of Europe.” He goes on to state, “Many countries in the region have responded to the crisis with policies which boost production and employment. The outstanding feature being that six months after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, NO Latin American financial system has experienced a banking  crisis. Liquidity is good and Latin American banks have little dependence on foreign financing.”

Not only is Costa Rica the 8th most politically stable country in the world but the first most politically stable in the Americas. Regarding the latter the U.S. is only ranked 56th.

This information was compiled by The Economist Intelligence Unit.  They are a division of London’s Economist Group, is the most respected provider of country analysis for governments, multi-national corporations and financial institutions around the world. Through our network of over 500 international contributor economists, we establish independent macro-economic outlooks and detailed reports on the political and commercial environments for over 200 countries around the world.

What does all of this mean? Costa Rica is a safe place to retire and invest.

Costa Rica Any Way You Want It

Costa Rica continues to capture the headlines. Besides being Latin America’s premier retirement destination, Costa Rica continues to stand out for its natural wonders. The country has been described as a Disneyland for eco tourists.

People come here as tourists and fall head over heels in love with the country to the extent that many of them and up moving here. I don’t know how many times I have heard tourists say, “I wish I could live here.”, only after having spent a couple of weeks touring the country.

To se the recent new York times article praising the country please go to this link: http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/travel/22CostaRica.html?pagewanted=1

Costa Rica is one of the prime retirement destinations in the world because of all that it has to offer.

Most everyone is reluctant to invest because of the current world economic crisis. I understand their mind set but think they should consider the following reasons why I still consider Costa Rica a good investment.

First, a lot of big players like Intel, Wal-Mart, City Bank, Amazon.com, Proctor and Gamble and a whole lot more have invested hundreds of millions of dollars in the country.  If big players are doing it than you should feel safe investing, too.

Costa Rica is the oldest democracy in Latin America which is tantamount to political stability and thus making it a good place to invest. The country has NO army nor is there an imminent threat of terrorism. How many places in the world can make this claim?

Insured state-run banks, escrow services, title insurance, diligent lawyers and a national registry exist to protect buyers.

The country is also Latin America’s number one warm weather travel destination according to many travel publications. This trend is not expected to change. Tourism will continue to fuel the investment climate despite international events. Most tourists fall in love with the country and many end up investing in real estate here.

Investing in hot foreign real estate markets has become an alternative to more traditional investments at home. Baby Boomers also have their eyes on Costa Rica. The country is one of the prime retirement destinations in the world because of all that it has to offer.

One Costa Rica’s major  selling points is its affordable laid-back lifestyle. There is every imaginable activity both indoors and outdoors to stay busy and happy. Most people who have moved here say they have a better quality of life than in the States. The bottom line is that “It’s really all about lifestyle.”

Costa Rica offers a wide variety of choices for investment: condominiums, homes, gated communities and more in different settings like lakes, mountains, beaches and urban environments. In Costa Rica there is “Some thing for everyone and everything for someone.”

I have personally invested in Costa Rican real estate over the last fifteen years and have done very well. Granted the market has slowed down but the country’s track record remains excellent. In fact Costa Rica is considered one of the five best emerging real estate markets in the world. If you look for VALUE properties you will not go wrong.

Many a wise investor knows that to make money sometimes it is necessary to do the opposite of the masses. Most people are hesitant to invest now. Perhaps it is the right time for savvy investors to look at the opportunities and bargains out there. Most adroit investors survive the bad times and the majority use adversity to get ahead. In Spanish we say, “Smart fishermen know how to catch fish in troubled waters.” Think differently!

There will be bargains out there as many people seek to unload their financial burden at lower prices. Buy wholesale!

A few people I know have been land banking (investing in land) and just waiting for the good times to come back. They know that their property can be cashed in a later day for a nice profit.

There you have it! All of the facts and reasons are listed above. Now you have to weigh them and decide if Costa Rica is right for you. Investment in Costa Rica isn’t for everyone.