Forget Costa Rica's Coasts--Look to the Central Valley International Living Postcards--your daily escape Thursday, April 19, 2007
The Central Valley, Costa Rica A couple of decades ago, Costa Rica was near the top of your list if you were interested in a second home in the sun. But things changed. Prices rose, the bureaucracy became stifling, and the country abandoned its famed pensionado program that provided financial incentives to foreigners on a fixed income. New FREE service: The Costa Rica First Alert Howler monkeys and orange iguanas…palm trees and pristine beaches…eco-tourism and scuba diving…retiree haven and investor opportunities… Costa Rica has all this, and more. Learn about it first, here. |
Today the situation is improving, especially in the beautiful Central Valley. Prices have moderated throughout the country (though cars and some other items are still unreasonably expensive). The bureaucracy, though far from streamlined, is forging ahead with transportation improvements and reformed property rules that will make title searches more efficient. (And if you want to apply for residency, you can now make the application in your home country.) Today you can live in a growing number of inexpensive areas that were once too remote to consider before highway and airport improvements. Real estate prices can be relatively high by Central American standards, but the rate at which prices have risen in the Central Valley trails those on the country's coasts, particularly the fashionable North Pacific. About two-thirds of Costa Rica's population lives in the Central Valley plateau. While coastal areas are typically hot and muggy, especially during the rainy season, the Valley's altitude of 3,000 to 5,000 feet makes it comparatively cool year-round. San José, now the capital of Costa Rica, was an insignificant village until 1824, when the country's first elected head of state decided to move the government from the colonial capital of Cartago to San José. While moving the capital symbolized a fresh start for the country, it also created a city without much of the Spanish colonial architecture that makes many other Latin American capitals so elegant. The Central Valley, however, has many smaller towns that are known for their beauty and charm, including Sarchi, Grecia, Zarcero, and Orosí. Americans with second homes in the Valley enjoy going to art galleries, handicraft shops, boutiques, bars, restaurants, flower markets, and friendly village churches. Though you can spend several million dollars on a residence in the Central Valley…you don't have to. Below you'll find some recent sample property listings (but please note some or all may be sold by the time you contact the agents): * A 500-square-foot country cabin on an acre of land in the hills near San Ramón. The small A-frame house, only 10 minutes from downtown San Ramón, has one bedroom and a balcony upstairs and a living area, kitchen, and bathroom downstairs. Price $50,000. Contact: http://www.american-european.net. * A 1,200-square-foot, two-bedroom ranch-style house in Atenas. The residence, bordering a beautiful stream, has a tiled kitchen, a light and airy living room, two bathrooms, and a covered patio. Price: $117,000. Contact: http://www.godutchrealty.com. * Recently built, a 1,500-square-foot condo in Cariari, a block from the Cariari Golf and Country Club and 20 minutes from San José. Two bedrooms, two-and-a-half bathrooms, a dining room, kitchen, living room, and balcony. Price: $185,000. Contact: http://www.godutchrealty.com. Don Ediger
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