Private Air New York

www.privateairny.com Private Air | Spring 2021 48 is immense, covering square miles. is is Indiana Jones territory. It would be best if you had a tour guide to navigate your way through its mix of rain forests, cloud forests, rivers, and beaches. If you're lucky and your guide is good, you can expect to see harpy eagles (big enough to eat monkeys), endangered Baird's tapirs, and even jaguars. Everything is in the brightest technicolor. Electric- blue morpho butterflies flit past on the breeze. Flocks of scarlet macaws fly overhead while toucans sport brilliant yellow beaks. Tiny emerald hummingbirds sip from hot-pink flowers, their wings a fast-moving blur. You can hike, surf, sea kayak, or zip-line through the forest canopy. You can take a whale watching tour, cool off under a cascading waterfall, or relax in a hammock. "e Worst Road Ever" "e road is bad, very, very bad… the drive will take at least seven hours from San Jose – if we're lucky…" When I first began researching Costa Rica, I was looking for the fundamentals of a stunning RETA opportunity. My team scoured the country, making connections and putting boots on every jungle trail, toes into every gorgeous sandy beach. I kept hearing about the Southern Zone. How it was the most beautiful part of Costa Rica; the lushest, richest in wildlife; home to paradise beaches, amazing surf breaks, and a small community of pioneering expats. So, I went there. I've traveled on rough roads, but nothing beats that one, bouncing and rattling through clouds of dust, avoiding crater-sized potholes. e road surface had worn away in some sections for miles. e single-car bridges were rickety, claptrap affairs. It was an uncomfortable, nerve- wracking, and very tiring drive. But I loved the Southern Zone. Straight away, I could see its vast appeal and potential. In 2010, a new coastal road opened that connected with new highways leading out from the capital. New bridges replaced the old, dilapidated single-car bridges. It was a game- changer for the Southern Zone, and the new road cut the drive time from San Jose to three hours. Now mainstream tourists are coming. Doctors, lawyers, tech entrepreneurs, professionals of all kinds come to unwind in a jungle home. More part-time expats are venturing to the Ojochal area, south of Dominical, drawn by the quality of life, tropical weather, and the sense of freedom. Folks who have brought lots need places to stay while building their homes; everything is moving fast. Why Costa Rica Is a Sound Investment Natural beauty aside, there's another reason millions of people are happy to drop vacation dollars in Costa Rica. Costa Rica is among the safest and most stable countries anywhere on our RETA beat. e army was abolished in the late 1940s. For many Americans and Europeans seeking a warm-weather escape, Costa Rica is a beacon of dependability. It's in many ways a model country, respecting personal freedoms, and strong on the environment. e money other counties spend on the military goes into education (the literacy rate is 96%) and a top-rated national healthcare system. It's a healthcare system that foreigners who become official residents can use and costs a fraction of what healthcare is in the U.S. (e nearest hospital to Ojochal is a clean, modern facility in Cortes, about a 20-minute drive away.) Since 2010, Costa Rica has enjoyed strong economic growth, and the country has attracted one of the highest levels of foreign direct investment per capita in Latin America. Life expectancy is 79.8 years. at's higher than the U.S., and Costa Ricans are a happy bunch. While Americans report a marked increase in unhappiness in 2019, Costa Rica's laidback, low-stress pace of life focusing on family and friends appeals to many expats. So does the outdoor lifestyle and the delicious local produce, fresh seafood, and tasty home-cooked meals offered in markets and little restaurants. en there's the fact Costa Rica is close to home. For instance, a two- hour, 40-minute flight gets you to San Jose from Miami, and it's only five hours from New York. Low-cost carriers like Spirit makes fares are competitive. So, it's quick, easy, and affordable to get to Costa Rica. e Southern Zone is sticking to a boutique track. Primary forest is off- limits. e rules and regulations to develop farmland gets more difficult every year. As investors, we care about this. Designed to protect the region's immense natural beauty, it also boosts real estate values. You're not going to be in competition with thousands of residential communities. And, that natural beauty brings in well-heeled tourists, the kind who are happy to pay big bucks to rent a comfortable home. Build a home, and you have the potential of receiving a high rental income. One owner I know of made $64,241 in gross income. Another built a home for his future retirement but made so much money renting it out ($88,000 in one year alone) that he decided to keep it as a rental and built a second house for his retirement. And if you want to buy a lot and sit on it, holding costs are incredibly low. I'm talking just $500 to $800 a year. INVESTMENT

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