I had the pleasure of attending International Livings Ultimate Event 2 in Panama City, Panama last October (2007). International Living (IL) is an organization dedicated to provide people with information on International real estate, relocation, moving abroad and anything else about going offshore.
IL has been helping people become expats for almost 30 years. They were an early backer of Costa Rica in the 80’s then they stopped recommending Costa Rica, instead they focused on Panama and Nicaragua in Central America.
The reason to turn against Costa Rica was because of the rising cost of real estate. Which is true in some parts of Costa Rica like Escazu and some beach towns like Tamarindo which have been over developed and are now very expensive in terns of real estate-even at U.S. standards. But if you’re considering relocating overseas to Central America you shouldn’t write off Costa Rica. You can still find good prices, you just need to expand your radius or stay in the expat popular areas and expand your wallet.
After years of IL ignoring Costa Rica they have now done did a 180. I’m glad to see that they have re-discovered Costa Rica and are now recommending Costa Rica.
The event wasn’t just about Latin America there were representatives from developments from all over the world. The seminar featured presenters covering various subjects including worldwide insurance plans, hot spots for International real estate investors, travel suggestions, relocation tips and more.
The keynote speaker was Arthur Frommer founder of the famed Frommer Travel Guides. His keynote speech was excellent focusing on the joys of traveling and living abroad by keeping an open mind.
I was able to meet many interesting people attending the seminar as well as the development representatives from all over the world.
I was a participant during the Costa Rica panel where we discussed practical living considerations to consider before moving to Costa Rica. There were many folks in attendance from all over the United States and Canada. All interested in learning more about Costa Rica as a possible location to relocate.
It was very clear that there is still a lot of interest in Costa Rica. A welcomed re-discovery. Even though I chuckle since Costa Rica never went anywhere. It’s still one of the best countries for those interested in relocating to the tropics.
Alan Petersen is the host of Costa Rica Talk Radio, a popular podcast - Internet radio show about Costa Rica. Alan was born and raised in San José, Costa Rica to an American father from Minnesota, USA and a Tica mother from Puntarenas, Costa Rica. Go to my website and discover Costa Rica: http://www.CostaRicaTalkRadio.com
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