Read the Tico Times March 18, 2007
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Read the Fine Print in the Tico Times
Before you buy real estate, invest, move or retire to Costa Rica or any foreign country, especially one you are unfamiliar with, you need to research that country as thoroughly as possible. You should be familiar with it’s history, culture, economic system, political situation, and you should be able to make an educated guess about that country’s future. “What are things going to be like in three years, five years, or twenty years?”
“Feeling” Costa Rica
Most potential investors, conduct their Costa Rica research, by visiting Costa Rica. Their visit to Costa Rica usually lasts anywhere, from a week to two weeks, and will involve two or three different locations in Costa Rica. Most are trying to get a “feel” for Costa Rica.
Visit Costa Rica
A one week visit, may be sufficient to determine if you want to continue exploring Costa Rica, or to discover that Costa Rica is not for you. A one week visit to Costa Rica may or may not give you an accurate picture of the country. However, a one week visit to Costa Rica, will definitely not give you enough time or information to make an accurate investment or life changing decision regarding Costa Rica.
You should visit Costa Rica before investing, some people have invested in Costa Rica real estate, or even moved here without first visiting. But before you visit Costa Rica there is something you should do that will be benefit you immensely.
Read the Tico Times
Before I had even visited Costa Rica, I was a subscriber to the Tico Times, Central America’s leading weekly English language newspaper. I took out a six month subscription, and had it delivered to my house in the United States, I prefer the paper edition over the online. You can compare the Tico Times, in quality and depth, to your local hometown newspaper. The cost for a six month subscription is only $34 - incredibly inexpensive for the wealth of information you receive.
Gossip Too!
Read the TicoTimes every week. Read every section of the Tico Times. Even stuff you’re not interested in like sport fishing or the theatre. And especially the classified section of the Tico Times. Read the slick full color ads for real estate developments, even though you’re not interested in them, (as explained in Costa Real Estate) the appreciation has already been taken out. Read the gossip section.
Why do you care about Sport Fishing or the Theatre in Costa Rica?
If you are thinking about buying a condo in Manuel Antonio Costa Rica, because you are gay and love the gay beach so much, but you don’t care about sport fishing - you should.
Gay Sport Fishermen
Because if you read the fishing report in the Tico Times, you might know that, sport fishermen aren’t doing well. Their aren’t as many fish in the sea. They’re blaming el nino, global warming, long lining, the Taiwanese, and they are worried about the future of fishing in Quepos.
“Who cares about Quepos?”
You are about to buy a condo in Manuel Antonio. Quepos is a port town, that serves as the commercial and financial hub for Manuel Antonio. Manuel Antonio National Park is only five minutes from Quepos. Much of Quepos’s fortune is tied to sport fishing. And sport fishermen rent condos in Manuel Antonio. If fishing isn’t doing well? You aren’t either. “But the gay beach was beautiful when I visited and everything seemed fine?” If you’re a sport fisherman why should you care about the theatre in Costa Rica? I’ll let you figure that one out.
Appreciating Slick Real Estate
What do the slick real estate developer ads in Costa Rica tell you? If you are an interested real estate investor in Costa Rica -it tells you where not to invest. Again, the appreciation has been removed. Beyond that, and beyond the development, the surrounding land and property has over appreciated. As a value investor you are not interested.
The Exciting Classifieds
The most exciting part of the Tico Times is the Classified Section. If you are interested in retiring or living in Costa Rica, then the classified section of the Tico Times, is a must read. Everything from the obvious, properties, apartment rentals, cost of a used car in Costa Rica, help wanted, washing machines, pets, and much more. It is a wealth of data that you can track, with your subscription to the Tico Times, over a long period of time. To the not so obvious, why are their a lot more rental listings for Escazu, than three months ago? And why are rental prices going up in Heredia? The reason is home invasion robberies. Read the Tico Times.
Ramsay
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