Costa Rica, Panama...

[Unplugged]

I've been studying these markets with interest for a while now.

From another [ame="http://www.sowal.com/bb/showthread.php?p=106867#post106867"]thread[/ame] :

I agree, Panama is beautiful, but it doesn't have the Americans flocking to it like Costa Rica. I look at Costa Rica as a 3-5 yr investment and the returns will be astronomical.

Spencer: can you elaborate please?

Americans are going there. Don't you read the travel magazines? There are plenty of investors and developers from SoWal buying Panama as I type. A group I work with go down once a month and take small groups of investors with them.

SJ: I met one of these groups at the Alys Beach reception Thursday - it was very interesting to hear what they are doing. I am thinking about tagging along one of these days.

:roll: I can-not believe it! I go away for a few lousy days vacation...the market tanks over 200 in one day, gold craters, mortgage rates go up again and you guys are talking about speculating in land in Costa Rica....sheesh!

SHELLY: :clap_1: would love to hear more thoughts from you on these markets please.

Spencer I am leaving for Costa Rica in 5 days, maybe I will check some stuff out...

IBD: Please tell us all about your trip and take lots of photos! ...and if you have time, some investmant 'reconnaissance' would be great too!

Has anyone else been to Costa Rica or Panama? Your thoughts from an investment perpective?
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[Smiling JOe]

SJ: I met one of these groups at the Alys Beach reception Thursday - it was very interesting to hear what they are doing. I am thinking about tagging along one of these days.

Let me know your time frame of when you want to go to Panama and I will take care of making arrangements for you.

 

[Unplugged]

Let me know your time frame of when you want to go to Panama and I will take care of making arrangements for you.

GREAT thank you - I will :clap_1:

 

[SHELLY]

SHELLY: :clap_1: would love to hear more thoughts from you on these markets please.

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What markets are you referring to?...real estate in far-flung countries.... or the travel companies that are hosting the trips for the investulators?

 

[Unplugged]

What markets are you referring to?...real estate in far-flung countries.... or the travel companies that are hosting the trips for the investulators?

Whichever you feel like commenting on - enjoy reading your take on things ;-)

 

[SHELLY]

Whichever you feel like commenting on - enjoy reading your take on things ;-)

Costa Rica real estate is the Investment-Du-Jour. Google the words and you'll get anywhere from 16- to 32- million hits...the "secret" is out.

If one is planning on actually living there--as opposed to "flipping" land and property--it might be worth a look-see. If one is planning on investulating, one must add the cost of the "tour" to the carry costs and only use money they can afford to lose. I'm betting we'll be reading scam stories about the same lots and condos being "sold" to numerous "investors" some time down the road.

The way to play this game would be to find a way to cash in on the "investulator" tours (a premium paid per head you can stick on a tour maybe?), Costa Rican tourist hotels/bars, servicing American retirees, and, sometime down the line...securing a license to practice law in Costa Rica to represent disgruntled investulators.

(Of course for those investulators who actually take the time to look up the location of Costa Rica on a map, they'll note that it may very well be subjected to hurricanes. That would be one hell of a long drive to board up the windows before or rip out wet carpeting and spraying down the walls with Clorox after.)

 

[Smiling JOe]

Costa Rica real estate is the Investment-Du-Jour. Google the words and you'll get anywhere from 16- to 32- million hits...the "secret" is out.

If one is planning on actually living there--as opposed to "flipping" land and property--it might be worth a look-see. If one is planning on investulating, one must add the cost of the "tour" to the carry costs and only use money they can afford to lose. I'm betting we'll be reading scam stories about the same lots and condos being "sold" to numerous "investors" some time down the road.

The way to play this game would be to find a way to cash in on the "investulator" tours (a premium paid per head you can stick on a tour maybe?), Costa Rican tourist hotels/bars, servicing American retirees, and, sometime down the line...securing a license to practice law in Costa Rica to represent disgruntled investulators.

(Of course for those investulators who actually take the time to look up the location of Costa Rica on a map, they'll note that it may very well be subjected to hurricanes. That would be one hell of a long drive to board up the windows before or rip out wet carpeting and spraying down the walls with Clorox after.)

Panama, on the otherhand, has never had a reported hurricane. However, fee simple property has just been approved this past year in Panama and not every property is sold fee simple. You better know what the heck you are doing when you buy in a market which may be out of your league.

 

[Sandcastle]

Panama, on the otherhand, has never had a reported hurricane. However, fee simple property has just been approved this past year in Panama and not every property is sold fee simple. You better know what the heck you are doing when you buy in a market which may be out of your league.

Precisely why the "big boys" are still investing in the USA.

 

[SHELLY]

You better know what the heck you are doing when you buy in a market which may be out of your league.

Hasn't stopped folks without a clue from doing it for the past couple years here in the good old U.S.A.--so they might as well go international.

I think the target audience for this latest pitch for foreign real estate is aimed at those who feel they've "missed out" on the U.S. real estate whoopee cushion.

I'd venture to bet that you can count the number of folks who "know what they're doing" on the thumb of one hand (over a 6-month period) on all those $650 7-day "Investor Tours of Panama/Costa Rica/Nicaragua/etc./etc."

 

[30A Skunkape]

Gringos beware. La hierba solomente es mas verde en lado otra (or somehting like that). :shock: