Investors who are interested in international property have long been attracted to Costa Rica, but it is just recently that the real estate market in the country has greatly increased. The reason investor confidence is so strong can be found in the CIA World Fact book, which is now calling Costa Rica “A Central American Success Story.”
It is a fact that Costa Rica has been politically and economically stable for nearly 60 years, as a result people from around the world are turning their attention to this tiny country for vacationing and retirement. The last 15 years in Costa Rica has seen a steady 30 percent annual increase in property values with 90 percent of available land yet to be developed. Steady gains in a stable environment have vaulted investor confidence to an all time high. Some of the leading investors are coming from the United States and Canada, whose capital gains are being burdened by unwieldy tax and reporting regulations in their current countries are therefore looking elsewhere in order to secure larger portion of their gains.
Since 1948 when social and political unrest was eliminated in Costa Rica, the country began to grow into a democracy. The Republic of Costa Rica is truly a democratic country with no army and only a national police force required to protect it. Because of its relatively neutral position in World affairs and its incredible beauty, Costa Rica is referred to as the "Switzerland of Central America." The crime in Costa Rica is quite low, while the standard of living is quite high. The local population is well educated and the government offers certain tax breaks to companies investing in Costa Rica meaning that it is an attractive country for many business owners and entrepreneurs as well.
Costa Rica, also known as the 'Rich Coast' is a stunningly beautiful country which is rich in abundant and rare flora and fauna. Although Costa Rica only makes up for 0.1% of the world's landmass it actually contains 5% of the world's biodiversity. The government of Costa Rica is well aware of their country's precious state and has protected a great deal of land, creating national parks in order to preserve the natural beauty and unique state of the country.
Nestled in between Nicaragua and Panama, Costa Rica has really been able to make a name for itself. While its economy has mainly been driven by agriculture it has recently been overtaken with its new found profile and growing tourist market. The economy is booming, the tourist and real estate market is booming, and it will continue to do so as Costa Rica’s riches continue to be recognized.
In 1997 Costa Rica began emerging from a long period of recession and its recovery has been bolstered and shored up by the Costa Rican government's commitment to a seven year program of economic expansion through the development of the high tech industry in particular. The government has also implemented a series of attractive taxation incentives as mentioned which are designed to increase FDI. Anyone considering investing in real estate in Costa Rica and moving to live in the country full time can potentially benefit from these tax breaks which are available to some investors - and they can also benefit from the excellent standards of education, healthcare and welfare available locally as well as the good standards of living enjoyed across the country.
