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| Growth of Real Estate in Costa Rica Is Phenomenal |
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Friday, January 11, 2008
Even the New York Times is jumping up and taking notice of the burgeoning real estate market in Costa Rica. In a recent article, Times’ reporter Janelle Brown highlighted a number of individuals who had made a killing on their real estate investments in Costa Rica within the last three to five years. Every story mentioned extraordinary gains in value for investors, with many properties purchased for as little as $50,000 and sold for $500,000 a short time later. Realtor Chris Mailloux was quoted as saying “there’s not a lot left that hasn’t quadrupled in value in the last three years.” If you want further evidence of what a great deal investing in Costa Rican property can be, all you need to do is look to the hundreds of foreign companies that are practically running to start plants and divisions in Costa Rica. Just a smattering of the companies you’ll find based in and around San Jose are Sony, IBM, Chiquita, Dole, Proctor & Gamble, Excedrin, and Intel. But don’t think there isn’t still ample room for growth—companies like Cisco are currently celebrating the ten-year anniversaries of opening for business in Costa Rica, and continue to grow strong. Aside from these major companies, many key individuals on the international scene have been discreetly investing in Costa Rica property. Steve Case, the founder of the multi-billion-dollar company AOL, owns property in Costa Rica. Luxury condominiums are currently selling for upwards of $300,000, properties that would have cost a mere fraction of that only a few years ago. New hotel chains, eager to take advantage of the rise in ecotourism and the influx of foreigners seeking sage, low-cost elective surgeries in Costa Rica, are springing up rapidly, building multi-million dollar luxury suites where only a year ago there was no sign of economic life. The continually rising property values are not just a fluke. Costa Rica is fast gaining international renown for its friendly, well-educated people (their literacy rate exceeds 96%), its cutting-edge medical services, and its natural beauty. As tourist and commercial interests in Costa Rica grow, the price of real property in Costa Rica will continue to rise, making it the perfect investment for today’s economy. by David Lovendahl, Costa Vista Marketing Costa Vista Land is ‘developing paradise’ in Costa Rica http://www.costavistaland.com. The company buys raw land in large quantities after they have thoroughly surveyed and researched all details. Because of this, Costa Vista Land acquires their properties at discount prices and develops them in less than 18 months. Hence the unique program in which you can obtain developed land at undeveloped prices and why company President, Brad Hogan says, “We are an investment company first and a land sale company second.” Parcel choices range from valleys to mountains, to beautiful coastline property. This lucrative program comes with 100% money back guarantee. Everyone is encouraged to visit Costa Rica, stand on their property and see the beautiful country they have invested in. While visiting, the company pays for your accommodations, meals and transportation. For more information contact 1-877-55-COSTA, or order the FREE 50 minute informational CD at http://www.developingparadise.com. The Truth About Mold One of the most prevalent concerns on today's home market is the presence of mold in homes and condos. As many of us already know, mold can cause significant damage to a house and also has many negative health aspects. In order to better understand the growing mold problem, let's have a closer look at mold itself. Mold is a naturally occurring fungi that develops in dark and moist areas on organic materials. In regards to a home this is most likely drywall, flooring or support beams and other carbon-based products. Mold usually indicates the presence of some type of moisture leak within the structure of the home, although this is not always the case. Mold reproduces by sending out spores, microscopic in size and nearly undetectable, that thrive on moisture. In fact moisture is just about the only thing that mold needs to survive. Most commonly, mold can for in certain appliances such as humidifiers or indoor vented dryers, or as the result of flooding or leaks. This can include plumbing leaks, continually damp basements and crawl spaces, and any other area that is moist on an ongoing basis. The question remains, how much of a danger is mold in the home? Stereotypically mold in the home causes a number of allergy-like symptoms like runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing and nasal congestion. However these symptoms can be worsened in those who are extra sensitive to molds such as individuals with a compromised immune system, those with respiratory conditions, the elderly, and infants. There is also a few different forms of mold that can be severely damaging to humans such as Stachybotrys. This mold grows only on cellulose products such as paper or wood and needs time to grow. Usually in a home the biggest threat of mold comes after a house has flooded. After a flood there are several steps that should be observed to ensure that mold does not begin to grow in your home. First, when cleaning up, try to lower the temperature & humidity of the area. This creates an environment that the mold cannot develop or thrive in. Now, the best step to take is to remove all moldy objects from the area. If possible, it is a good idea to simply throw then all away, if these items are keepsakes or valuables either drying completely or freezing them will kill all of the mold. Disinfecting any surfaces is essential to ensuring that mold does not occur. Once all of these steps are done, then bring in the industrial fans and dryers to clear out any remaining water or dampness. In order to minimize your contact with mold while doing a cleanup ensure that you utilize a HEPA respirator. This will minimize the amount of spores that you breathe during the process. Also, always position fans so that they exhaust to the exterior of the home. Another good idea is to shut off the heat and/or the air conditioner, this will prevent the spreading of spores throughout the home. Mold can occur in homes in many different forms, make sure that when considering the purchase of a home, you have a proper inspection done. Ask the inspector to keep a sharp eye out for any signs of mold in the home. If you are selling a home that has flooded in the past, have an inspector come in after your cleanup efforts to ensure that you did not miss anything. This can save you both time and embarrassment during the sale process. Any negative aspects of the home can and will be utilized by a smart buyer as bargaining points to bring down the asking price of your home, so minimizing them is essential. If your home is clean and mold-free, then you chances of receiving your asking price are much greater. REW Writers is a collective publication network facilitated by Real Estate Webmasters. Each article is contributed by a member of our real estate community. This particular article was submitted on behalf of Sanjog Gopal, a certified Phoenix Arizona real estate specialist. IDX Search Tools Give Ted Blanchard from 866-New Home a Competitive Advantage EUGENE, ORE. - Eugene based IDX, Inc. today announced the addition of 866-New Home’s Ted Blanchard to its suite of real estate clients. Blanchard now uses IDX, Inc.’s primary application, IDX Broker, to display and completely integrate Multiple Listing Service (MLS) listings on his personal website. This allows him to retain leads generated from direct traffic, rather than losing out to the listing broker through the use of traditional framed MLS search tools. The IDX Broker application provides agents, brokers and other real estate professionals with the tools needed to create a competitive advantage in a growing real estate market. The objective in developing a website with an integrated IDX/MLS data feed is to generate new leads quickly at a low cost to the client. With automatic email announcements, custom client home views and advanced admin and integration controls, Blanchard’s clients now have access to the entire MLS database on his website. This gives his website an advantage over those that don’t integrate the MLS listings with the IDX search tools and gives his listings free advertising on other real estate websites that also display the MLS data. Additional benefits of using IDX Broker include the ability to automatically create featured listing pages, check the status of new MLS listings and generate automatic emails 24/7. And as a member of the NTREIS MLS in Texas, Blanchard’s clients can search that MLS quickly and easily using IDX search tools. About Ted Blanchard As a member of the 866-New Home team, Ted Blanchard is committed to finding his clients the right home at the right price. Blanchard’s goal is to provide his clients with the best service and individual attention possible throughout the entire real estate process. About IDX, Inc. Headquartered in Eugene, Oregon, IDX, Inc. is a leading provider of web-based applications for real estate professionals throughout the U.S. IDX, Inc. offers two primary applications: IDX Broker and SLM Pro. IDX Broker allows individual real estate agents and brokers to integrate listings from their Multiple Listing Service (MLS) seamlessly into their own real estate website. This integrated IDX data feed allows agents and brokers to generate and manage leads online from all listings in their respective area of specialty. SLM Pro is a Sponsored Listings Management marketing program that assists businesses with the complex task of creating and managing a dynamic online marketing plan. SLM Pro uses a unique approach to online ad placement that maximizes the overall reach of a user’s website, while delivering relevant and targeted traffic efficiently. For more information about IDX, Inc. services and products, please visit http://www.idxbroker.com or call (800)421-9668. |
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