During the last year I have personally seen a huge leap in the interest in Costa Rica. I have personally been interviewed by reports for Newsweek, Ophra’s magazine and Fortune.

I suspect this spike in interest in Costa Rica has to do with the Baby Boomers coming of age. The year 2006 is when the first group of Baby Boomers turns 60 and draws closer to retirement age. Many of them find themselves in a position where they just can’t afford to spend their golden years in the U.S. and maintain a decent lifestyle. Consequently, many are forced to look abroad for a more affordable lifestyle. Costa Rica may just be the place they are seeking. I spoke with an economist from the U.S. the other day and he says we are seeing the beginning of this tendency of Boomers moving abroad.

The other day I was contacted by a producer of the NBC’s Today Show. She want to bring a camera crew here to do a report on retirement. They will film parts of the seminar, my inland and beach tours plus profile a few expats and what they do here.

Please stay tuned my friends to find out when the show will be aired. I plan to post this information on my site and in the newsletter.

People often ask me, “Is it safe to invest in Costa Rica?” I don’t purport to be an expert in the field of international investments but lately have seen a growing number of big name U.S. companies and individuals investing in Costa Rica. They would never think of putting their capital here if the investment climate was not favorable.

Intel was the first major play to invest in Costa Rica in 1998. A significant amount of Intel’s major manufacturing and technology development has taken place at its award-winning site in Costa Rica. This site includes two manufacturing plants and one distribution center dedicated to the assembly, testing and distribution of the world’s fastest processors.

Let’s look at who else has invested recently in Costa Rica.

• General Electric purchased 50% of the Bank of San Jose, a private local bank. As a result the bank plans to expand to other areas of the country.
• Wal-Mart just purchased stock in Supermercados Unidos, the largest supermarket chain in Central America.
• Steve Case, the founder of AOL and of Time Warner fame, just purchased 23 million dollars worth of beach property. He plans to build an upscale resort at Punta Cacique.
• Wendy’s Hamburger chain will open over 15 stores in Costa Rica starting in May of 2006. All 15 of the stores should be completed by 2010.

This year our world famous tour received a nice mention in the May 14th issue of “Newsweek.” Sara Davidson, a senior editor for Ophra Winfrey and renowned author, accompanied us on the October Beach/Central Valley Tour. She was doing research on her new book on baby boomers. There will be a whole chapter devoted to Christopher Howard’s Relocation/Retirement Tour. Christopher Howard was also mentioned in the July 30th edition of New York Times.

This month Peronet Despeignes, an economics writer for “Fortune Magazine”, took our Central Valley Tour. He is gathering information on an article about baby boomers retiring in Costa Rica.

Mr. Despeignes is also part of a brilliant team of experts behind an innovative concept called Serenity. The founders of the company and “think tank” are graduates of Harvard, the Haas Business School of the University of California, Stanford and other prestigious universities.

Serenity is an international company dedicated to outsourcing retirement. The company’s mission is to scour the world to find the best, cheapest places to live, retire or do business and move their clients their effortlessly. They review your finances and figure out the most prudent relocation option for you and help you get settled. Everything from A to Z is done for you. The services continues after you make the move to help you adjust to the new culture. Nobody else in the world offers these unique services.

The company is proud to announce that Christopher Howard is now part of their Board of Directors and CEO of their soon-to-be Costa Rica office.

We will keep our readers informed as this unique project progresses.