A Fresh Look at Costa Rica for Retirement & Investment

See article here:

http://www.escapeartist.com/OREQ26/Fresh_Look_At_Costa_Rica.html

SPEC HOME BUILDERS WANTED IN SAN RAMON!

There is significant demand for American-style resale homes in San Ramon (Province of Alajuela) but few are available at prices most expats/retirees can afford.  We have the solution.

Join us in this great opportunity to build spec homes in San Ramon for an ever-increasing expat/retiree community.  You don’t need spec home experience.

Great land financing is available, with no interest, with substantial lead time to build on already very reasonably-priced home sites, all with ocean views, and within minutes of the center of town.  Lots are fully titled and clear of any liens, mortgages, etc.

We want you to do well and help us continue to create a special communities–communities you would want to live in.  All projects are organic, have all services and an local farmer can offer organic fruit, vegetables and coffee.

We have a great, reasonably-priced, high-quality builder and can help market your spec home nationally and internationally.

Read about the opportunity in this blog and contact us for full details.

Only a limited number of home sites are available so please contact us today to schedule a property viewing and to learn more about this terrific opportunity.

Please contact us today at organicpropertiescr@gmail.com.  Include your phone number, location, and a good time to call you.

Pura Vida!

Why build spec homes in San Ramon?

Demand, demand, demand! There are very few quality, American-style homes for resale in San Ramon, but because of the low cost of living, great climate, nearby services, and proximity to San Jose and the beaches, North American retirees and expat continue to flock to San Ramon.  While many people buy lots and build, many retirees in particular want a quality home from 1500 to 2000 square feet that they can just move into.

Value. Both land costs and building costs in San Ramon are lower than other Central Valley towns including Atenas, Grecia, Naranjo, all of the close-in suburbs of San Jose, and of course, the Pacific Coast.  This means you can sell a reasonably-priced house to a retiree or expat couple and still do well, very well–it’s a “win-win” for clients and investors.  Want proof?  Come see for yourself.  Look at competitors’ trying to sell homes for $300,000, $400,000 and even over $500,000, and they aren’t moving because they are simply OVERPRICED for San Ramon.  This market doesn’t attract clients who will pay an half-million dollars or more for a home.  They want value–not cheap–but value, and we offer that.  At $50-$60 per square foot to build a quality, North American-style home, and lot prices in the $55,000 to $68,000 range, think about what you can buy and build at, and sell at….

Turn-key home construction. We will link you up with an high quality, very reasonably-priced home construction team in San Ramon.  We’ve seen builders in San Ramon charge between $75 and $120 or more per square foot to build here.  That’s OVERPRICED.  Our builder can do the same quality work for $50-$60 per square foot–to North American standards.  These aren’t cheap “Tico homes” but homes of the same quality you would expect in the United States, Canada, or Europe.  This team can do it for less because they are efficient, highly knowledgeable and manage their home-building teams so you save time and money.  And, they don’t see huge dollar signs when a gringo comes along.  Now that’s refreshing!  They are not only builders but certified architects so they can handle everything you need.  See their homes and meet their very happy clients.

Marketing. Through our company, various tours that come through town, and word-of-mouth, San Ramon is well-promoted.  This means you’ll be able to flip your spec home quickly.  Work with us to help you put in place a plan for land acquisition, home construction, marketing, and sales.

Financing. Great financing terms on lots are available for spec home builders.  You’ll be amazed–ask us!

Honesty & Integrity. We’ve been working in real estate in San Ramon for six years and own the town’s leading development company.  We know who’s honest and who’s not and we’ll share with you REAL prices–not inflated gringo prices–for land, construction material, and labor.  We want you to make a nice return on your investment and ensure clients’ expectations are exceeded–it’s how we’ve always operated.

Contact us:

For more information, please contact us at organicpropertiescr@gmail.com.

Our values

There are many real estate developers in Costa Rica offering thousands of lots and homes for sale, particularly on the Pacific Coast, but most are simply sellers of land and do not care about your investment objectives, particularly quite a few in San Ramon!  We do.   We strive to act on our values everyday, including:

• Honesty is the cornerstone of our work.
• Integrity can never be compromised.
• We work in your best interest.
• Knowledge makes for successful investors.
• Long-term partnerships reap more rewards than do short-term sales.

Contact:

For more information, please contact us at organicpropertiescr@gmail.com.

San Ramon for investment

• We are based in San Ramon, a quaint mountain town about 35 minutes from the Juan Santamaria International Airport (SJO) near San Jose, about one hour from downtown San Jose and about 35 minutes to the Pacific Coast.
• San Ramon provides easy access  to other parts of the country.  One route runs north out of town directly to the popular  destination of Arenal Volcano, and the Pan-American Highway runs just past the city’s southern edge granting easy access to all other north-south points in the country, as well as linking San Ramon to the Pacific Ocean and the rest of the Americas.
• All of our real estate investments are in San Ramon so we can closely monitor them and continue our work with the local community in the areas of environmental protection and education.
• The close-in suburbs of San Jose are becoming over crowded and very pricey.  And, as in the US, people continue to move farther out from these suburbs to take advantage of San Ramon’s great climate, slower pace of life, services and cultural/outdoor activities.
• San Ramon is still being discovered by foreigners and most developments are small to medium (12 to 60 lots) and owned by relatively less capitalized investors.
• San Ramon has not yet attracted large-scale developers capable of driving up prices rapidly.
• Prices remain reasonable for land.   Lots with mountain or ocean views are often $50,00 0or more less expensive than in nearby towns such as Palmares, Grecia, or Atenas.
• San Ramon offers a great combination of location, climate, services and affordability, which will continue to attract baby boomers interested in retirement here.
• Land in San Ramon, particularly in the Magallanes and Berlin sections, offer some of the most stunning ocean views in the entire country, and for now, can be purchased at reasonable prices.
• San Ramon is beginning to attract upper middle class and upper class professionals and executives who see the value of investing in the area.  Some examples of these people include CFOs, travel executives, business owners, attorneys, management consultants, Wall Street brokers, and senior-level government officials–all of whom just want to have an enjoyable and peaceful retirement.
• Because San Ramon boasts the only branch of the University of Costa Rica outside of San Jose, and is the home to four ex-presidents and the country’s most well-known poets and writers, it has people with diverse interests.  This “city of Poets and Presidents,” also attracts a good number of creative people including artists, writers, photographers and chefs.

Contact:

For more information, please contact us at organicpropertiescr@gmail.com.

General tips for real estate investment

• Retain a attorney who has an impeccable track record you can verify.
• Have your attorney conduct a thorough title search.
• Check to see if the survey of a property is recent and no border issues exist, which is a common problem in Costa Rica.
• If you intend to purchase developed land, such as a lot, confirm appropriate infrastructure (roads, water, electricity, etc.) is made available to your property at closing by the developer.  Also understand on-going maintenance fees for the community and for your lot, particularly if you intend to hold it.
• If you are buying raw land, get several estimates for infrastructure work and factor in these expenses as you consider your ideal return on investment.
• Determine that the area is not facing any short- or long-term water supply issues.
• If the price seems too good to be true, it probably is. Remember, even in Costa Rica you get what you pay for.

Contact:

For more information, please contact us at organicpropertiescr@gmail.com.

Strategies for investing in Costa Rica real estate

1. Build a network of people you can trust. This is the most important strategy for real estate investing in Costa Rica.
2. Consider trends in your home country (i.e., the US). Nearly 80 million baby boomers will reach retirement age in the US within the next 20 years.  While this represents significant wealth as a group, the average buyer who is considering Costa Rica will be looking for moderately priced real estate in areas with a reasonable cost of living and good services.   While the Pacific Coast is currently a hot market, prices are already expensive and real estate appreciation is limited due a much smaller long-term pool of retail buyers.  The Central Valley, where most people live, is a better bet.
3. Location! Focus on the broad retail market such as Baby Boomers. These customers are more likely to purchase land  that is in close proximity to a major town, has good infrastructure, and offers restaurants, stores, and medical facilities nearby.
4. Consider spec home building. With property prices still appreciating and construction costs low compared to the US, it is possible to buy a lot and build a home to flip.  While the price of the lot will likely just below the retail level, you get the convenience of the having the infrastructure of a planned community for which foreigners feel safe living in and most likely will be offered an advantageous financing deal from the developer.   Plan to spend no more than $200,000 for a lot and to build a home in order to sell it to the middle- to upper-income baby boomer or retiree.  Again,  focus on the larger middle income market and in locations offering services, a short distance to a major town and land characteristics such as ocean or mountain views.  If you do not want to build, buying a lot and sitting it on it for few years has good payoff potential, particularly if you purchase it in the Central Valley, which is most attractive to baby boomers and retirees.

Contact:

For more information, please contact us at organicpropertiescr@gmail.com.