You Call This Tourism?

Playa Hermosa is a beach just north of Uvita, towards Dominical. There are several “Playa Hermosa” beaches in Costa Rica. We used to go out to this one and marvel at the beauty of the 2 mile-long stretch of beach that extends down to Uvita’s Whales Tail reef, and how there was absolutely nobody there. We used to joke about trying to find a place to put our towel, like what you find on so many such beaches in various parts of the world.

We’re not there yet, and frankly,

Big Interest in Moving to Costa Rica

Earth coming apart

Traveling around the US, the interest in Costa Rica that I encounter is universal. While talking with visitors to Costa Rica, we frequently hear: “everybody is talking about Costa Rica. It’s a real buzz-word in (wherever they are from”. This they say to a guy while there in Costa Rica – to a guy that lives in Costa Rica – while they are discussing the possibility of moving to Costa Rica. Hmmmm, are these statements truly unbiased and objective? My recent travels around parts of the States answers these questions.

Understanding Costa Rica Real Estate

Costa Rica Real Estate 101 Book

Back in 2004 I found myself running a small real estate company in Dominical called Horizon Properties. At that time, the concept of a property listing having a value within the agency, and amongst the various agencies, was non-existent. As the chief cook and bottle washer of the company, I pretty much expected to procure … Read more

State of the Market – Midway 2013

Should I buy or buy and build a house in Costa Rica?

I don’t know the exact percentage but I’d guess at around 90% of the visitors to our offices here start the conversation stating that they would like to buy a house. They are not interested in building. Until recently, this desire went unfulfilled. After looking at the meager house options, the actual base-line interest of the buyer would be exposed: they wanted to own property in The Zone. A house would be the first pick, but barring that, a raw piece of land that they could then build on would be an acceptable fall-back position to fulfill the fundamental interest that they had in owning something here in The Zone.

Most prospective buyers wanted to buy a house. Most prospective buyers bought raw land.

Now things have changed.

A Positive Experience With a Costa Rica Government Agency

Costa Rica governmental education program on hydroponics.

For many of us here in Costa Rica’s southern pacific zone, we marvel at the hub-bub made in Costa Rica information books and websites about the high level of education in Costa Rica. We simply don’t see it.

A course I just took at the good graces of the governmental education agency INA stands in stark contrast with that observation.

The course was being offered free, totally government sponsored, but you had to be a resident. I had to provide a copy of my residency cedula, as well as fill out a form with all my information in it, all of which intrigued me that this course was something authentic. I jumped through the various hoops thinking that I would probably pull out at some point.

Long story short, I didn’t – I did the course – and I’m a better Guy because of it.

How to Live in Costa Rica Transcript

The Avid Reader Bookstore

This is the outline that I used for my presentation.

May 11, 2013

Presented by Ben Vaughn & The Avid Reader

(Davis, California), free of charge for anyone interested in the topic of what is involved with living in Costa Rica as an expatriate.
Ben Vaughn:
• grew up in Davis
• spent 20 years in the Aspen valley in Colorado
• has lived in Costa Rica since 1999
• currently serves as a consultant for those that are interested in making Costa Rica their home

The Avid Reader Bookstore
This is the store front for The Avid Reader where I gave my talk “How to Live in Costa Rica”

(POV Shift)
I come up to Davis every 6 months to visit my family who still reside here.
Regardless of whether I’m visiting Davis, or some other area of the country, I find that there is  considerable interest in Costa Rica and what is involved with living there as a foreigner.

Today, my sister Audrey and I went to Whole Earth week out at U. C. Davis. In conversation there with the various venders, they would ask if we lived here in Davis or were just visiting. When they find out that I’m visiting, but not only that, I’m visiting from Costa Rica – well, now that involves some questions.

  • How long have you been there?
  • What area are you in? We went there for our honeymoon / family vacation / recently etc…
  • Is it expensive?
  • Can you own land?
  • What currency is used there?
  • Do you have to learn Spanish?
  • Are there lots of bugs?
  • Etc…

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A Costa Rica Evening

Ben's talk How to Live in Costa Rica at Avid Reader

I have just returned to Costa Rica from my regular visit to Davis California. This trip was predicated by the fact that my mother had been diagnosed with cancer. The preparations for the trip were rushed. My mother’s surgery to remove the cancer from her throat was scheduled on Monday, so the Monday prior, my sister Audrey made the arrangements and I spent the week getting things in order to fly.

Ben's talk How to Live in Costa Rica at Avid Reader
Here is the setting. I have retouched the photo to insert my head onto the guy who was actually in the pic. We didn’t take any pics at my event. 🙁 But, it gives the setting 🙂

My mother had specifically requested that I come before her surgery.  She didn’t say, but we suspected that she was scared. Also, since her surgery was to be in her throat, she would likely not be able to talk for some time after the surgery.

We had a couple hours on Sunday and then the surgery was on Monday.

When the doctor went in to do the incision, he was a bit taken aback. There really wasn’t much cancer to speak of. So he just did a biopsy. The next day, Mom was up walking around, talking and eating.

All of which resulted in the point of this article, which is to tell you about my evening giving a talk at a bookstore, The Avid Reader in Davis. But first I should probably finish the lengthy lead-in part.

My mother had been diagnosed with

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Costa Rica – What Are We Doing Here?

New friends in Costa Rica.

The reasons for moving to, or visiting Costa Rica are diverse. In my time here I have been asked the question “why did you move to Costa Rica?” so many times I’ve lost count.

However, I am not just the askee of this question. I am the asker of the same question, different sense. “What is your interest in Costa Rica?”, the answer to which tells me volumes about the person I am talking with.

New friends in Costa Rica.
The cultural mix. A great reason for being here.

Cultural Convection: Things are changing here in the southern zone. I think of it as a “cultural convection”. It’s like the ever-present breezes here on the coast around The Zone. The breezes come in off of the ocean in the morning. As the earth warms throughout the course of the day, the inland flow changes and the breezes push back out to the sea in the afternoon and evening.

I think that there is a parallel with the human element.

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State of the Market – March 2013

There might be a b… b… A b-b-b… Hmmm I can’t quite bring myself to say that word, maybe later. Let’s just say that we seem to be experiencing a hot time in the real estate business in Costa Rica’s southern pacific zone. I feel like we are at a new beginning of sorts here in Costa Rica’s southern pacific zone.

State of the market Costa Rica real estate
Get it while its hot! The latest on what is going on in the real estate market in Costa Rica’s southern pacific zone.

From where I sit, overlooking the industries of real estate and hospitality, I’d say we are at the beginning of a new day here. What exactly this means for real estate is a bit hard to say.

Hospitality Sector: Vacation rentals and restaurants are enjoying a brisk business. ICT, the Ministry of Tourism for Costa Rica says that the overall numbers are up. However, the numbers for Hotels are down. I find this interesting. Hotel occupancy is generally the indicator of how tourism as a whole is doing. Costa Rica may be an exception since so many find alternate lodgings, such as vacation rentals, B & B’s, hostels and so on. Pam, over at the Flutterby House (beach hostel) in Uvita says that they are having a swell year.

From Frank Walker’s March Newsletter:
Where Have All The Tourists Gone???
– If you listen to the ministry of tourism people are flocking to Costa Rica.  However, figures from the hotel industry tell a different story.  Figures indicate that the occupancy rate for 2012 was just slightly above 54%.  That’s below 2011 figures.  Industry wide the breakeven point  is 74% occupancy.   A recent survey by the Camera National Turismo which is separate from the ministry of tourism revealed that for the two months of December 2012 and January 2013 which are supposed to be the height of the tourist season occupancy rates ranged from a low of 22.1% in the central valley to 45.3% in Guanacaste. 

Real Estate: There have been a number of sales here on luxury homes above the $2 million mark. One fellow come into the area and has so far purchased a hotel and a number of high-end homes. Reportedly he pulled out of his homeland entirely and has chosen to work with his available resources in this way. Not to discuss the merit of his strategy, but the effect of his acquisitions – they can skew the trends a bit. He is one buyer that caused a number of high-end sales.

In recent discussions with realtors, across the board they are BUSY.

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