My Story
When
arriving in Playas del Coco, Costa Rica nearly 30 years ago on a 65 foot yacht, the last thing on my mind was
settling here for the remainder of my life. At that time,
Playas del Coco was a sleepy little fishing
village with dirt roads, one telephone,
no city water and very little electricity. We had to regularly
take the one hour bus ride to Liberia because
there was no place to shop even for food. Those were the days we could buy Guaro
(the local fire water) by the five gallon jug.
In
1974 on my initial visit to this area I was fortunate to meet several
shrimp boats whose crews slept in the day and shrimped at night.
Having two blonde Dutch girls on board our boat certainly helped our
bargaining power when we bartered with the crews for shrimp. In
those days one picture from a pinup magazine was worth about a kilo
of shrimp.
My how things have changed. As the years went by, city water, telephones, paved
roads and reliable electricity all slowly arrived. With all these amenities came tourists,
which brought developers and real estate agents to serve the
increasing number of people who wanted to stay longer than a week or two.
Today the Coco area boasts some big hotels, nice restaurants, a bank, supermarket, and
sport fishing boats. Marinas and several golf courses are all
within an hour. The Four Seasons hotel chain just opened the
largest resort in the area. It is no longer a secret that this
part of Costa Rica's popular Guanacaste province is ready for explosive
growth.
When looking for property in the late 70’s most of my amigos assumed
I'd purchase on the beach because of my nautical background. But I found
a large area of land just 2
kilometers from the beach with some great ocean views.
Being from Texas, I need my space.
I can remember when there were just three houses on a two kilometer
road from the beach all the way to my property in Coco. Now, that same road is lined with homes right
up to my property's main gate.
It is important to note
that beachfront land cannot be owned within the first 150 meters from the high tide
line in Costa Rica. It can however, be leased from the government. A home cannot be built within 50
meters of the high tide line. This means that if you do own
land within these first 150 meters, anyone can camp on what is basically your front yard because all beaches in Costa Rica are public. That's
one drawback of beachfront property in Costa Rica that will likely
never change.
The
property I found was ideal for me because I could see the ocean from
over half of
my 25 acres. The property was totally virgin. What you see in the
aerial photograph was
manicured with
many hours of love and care. Before city water came
to the property I had to build a well and run electricity for about 600 meters from the road to the main house.
A telephone was not available for another 5 years.
A nearly life-ending motorcycle accident forced me to move to San Jose for a
period in the 80s. During this time I maintained the property with maid and gardener who ended up
working with me for 16 and 21 years, respectively. Eventually,
I moved back to the estate and turned it in to a small B&B, which in
time grew into a boutique hotel. Recently I sold about 5+
acres, including my old hotel, The Rancho Armadillo Estate.
Check it out at: www.ranchoarmalillo.com.
I am now ready to share
the rest of the
property with a chosen few. I have kept true to my old Texan
love of space by dividing up the remaining property in lots of a little more than 1 and 3/4 acres each.
This will give anyone who lives in the new project lots of privacy and security.
Here's my advice to ANYONE considering living or retiring in Costa
Rica. The sunsets are incredible, the fishing is great, the stars are brilliant, the white water rafting is fun, the surfing is world class, zip-lines through the jungle is exhilarating, the
green rainforest is ever present, the natural fruits and vegetables are
abundant. But don't think life here is "paradise". Is it
anywhere?
It
is also true that some of the local roads push your driving skill to
their limits. Like anywhere, there is a percentage of the
local and foreign population who are less than saintly. Life in
Costa Rica can be great...but not always perfect. Talk to
foreign residents who have stayed here as long as I have and the
reasons they will probably cite for why they have remained:
1. The Weather
2. The People
3. The Laid Back Pace Of Life
Here's an anecdote I tell most people who are considering moving
here:
So,
you've decided to take the plunge. You go back home, sell
everything and get ready for the move. You are ready, every thing
is packed...or so you think. You will need three suitcases:
Your smallest suitcase, your carry on bag, will have only your clothes.
You just do not need so many clothes here in Costa Rica unlike the northern climes where
multiple outfits for various seasons are necessary. Once you
adjust to the climate here, then you can decide what type of
clothing you'll require.
Then your middle
sized suitcase should be full of
money. Unlike when I arrived here nearly 30 years ago and was
able to survive on $300 U.S. a month, things are far different now, prices are getting higher.
But if you do not buy imported items
(food, luxury items) and learn to live like a local, you can live quite comfortably with maids and gardeners cheaper than
is possible in North American and Europe.
Now that last suitcase, the biggest one, the one with wheels, the one you may need help
with from the porter is full of your patience. If you
intend to live in Costa Rica, or any third world country, you may
need more than one big suitcase full of patience. Life can be
frustrating in a foreign land. It takes YEARS to learn how to
navigate a new system, lifestyle and culture. If you're
dedicated to making the move, you will need lots of patience.
Panama: The New Frontier:
The guru, after 31 years in Costa
Rica, has for the past three years, started to firmly root himself
in the Panama culture. Why? Adventure, something new, doing it
again from the beginning stages of a countries development,
there are many reasons. Both of my Tica daughters have finished
high school-- one in L.A, working on her doctorate and the other
attending college in Costa Rica. So those parts of my life and
the responsibilities that go with it have pretty much taken on a
kind of parental consulting phase.
Tourism in Panama is
possibly 30 years behind Costa Rica, the tourism I was a part of
helping develop in Guanacaste. But Panama may be light years
ahead of Costa Rica in infrastructure. No the “pura vida mae”
attitude is not here, but that does not mean that the people are
not just as friendly, and because the Panamanians worked along
side Americans for almost 100 years, the Panamanian is more
straightforward and will say no if they do not have a answer to
your question.
I see Panama growing
at very fast pace at this time: 50% bigger in land area with a
population of one million less people than Costa Rica.
Land prices here in
Panama are increasing at a pretty fast pace, however they are
still affordable. With the exception of
electricity/telephones/cell phones and cable, most everything
else here in Panama is cheaper. The aforementioned services are
about 10% higher than Costa Rica.
The currency is the
dollar. So, there are no confusing daily currency changes here.
Vehicles are only
slightly higher than the states so it is my recommendation you
do not bring your vehicle to Panama.
Are you looking for
clean white sand beaches? Archipelago Las Perlas (The Pearl
Islands) off Panama Bay are close to Panama City. Then in the
Western Pacific islands, Coiba and Parrita are your
destinations. Diving around Coiba Island is not aquarium diving;
here you will see some big guys. Oh sorry did I mention fishing?
Fishing on the Pacific coast of Panama--with no exaggeration--is
as good as it gets anywhere in the world. Bocas del Toro and the
San Blas on the Caribbean all have classic tropical white sand.
Presently the Azuero
Peninsula (Province of Los Santos) in the town of Pedasi is on
the map. Land prices are escalating and you will want to get in
now. Air Panama is flying in three times a week Wed-Fri-Sun. The
Guru will be opening the Posada Pedasi on the main street of
Pedasi in July or August of 2007. Call me for updates in you are
in Panama (507) 6671-7180 The
http://www.thepanamareport.com. will keep you posted on our
opening dates.
The Guru also has
property in Boquete, an absolutely magnificent valley with
incredible views, nice cool weather, and gardens beyond belief.
Please contact me should you be interested in sharing this
beautiful lifestyle too. Stay tuned for when the Guru's house on
the canyon will be available for rent by the week or for long
term (6 to 12 months). This house will be available by June
2007.
The guru hopes you
enjoy our new site
www.panamarealestatepros.com If you are planning a visit
please go to
www.vacationtopanama.com Panama is a new frontier waiting
for us to explore and enjoy.
My mission: To make
your dreams come true.
jim@panamarealestatepros.com
Mobile phone: (507) 6671.7180
Tel: (507) 264-1279
Fax: (507) 993.3131
|
