The Costa Rica Retirement Plan

Are you starting to plan your retirement and worrying about how the state of the economy will effect your life style after you turn 65? Are you watching your friends make plans to cash in their paper assets, move to a smaller home, and cut down on spending? This is what many people are doing in the face of a recession in the United States right now. But you imagined having a little money to travel, visit Paris maybe, or go on a cruise. Is all of that just a fantasy now?

Well some people have discovered out how to make the dream a reality and retire in style by living and investing in the heavenly paradise of Costa Rica! It all begins with the real estate market. Those who know say the real estate market in Costa Rica is one of the most stable in the world, and prices are easily comparable to US property or lower. You could easily find a beautiful beach house for $300,000 overlooking the ocean. Or buy a piece of land near the beach for $100,000 and build your dream home. Imagine spend your days walking on the beach, a drink on the terrace, watching the sunset, and socializing with new friends who share your enthusiasm for a good retirement!

You may think it sounds crazy, that people only go to Costa Rica on vacation, but that is no longer true. More and more foreigners are retiring in Costa Rica, especially Americans but also Europeans and other foreigners. And they are all doing it the same way: investing in property which will only go up in value for years to come, while living their retirement in the sunshine.  But how? you ask. The following are just a few examples of the things that make it so easy to live the dream and retire in Costa Rica:

ONLY 2 HOURS AWAYCosta Rica is only 2 hours away from Florida and all the comforts of home. Take a log weekend in Miami and do some shopping, or grab a connector flight to visit your family, and have them come visit often! And be careful who you invite to come visit you, it is so easy to get to Costa Rica that they will certainly come!

ESPANGLISHMaybe not everyone speaks English, but no matter where you are, there is probably someone around who will be able to translate. A large majority of the population can speak at least some English, and most of the private schools are English Immersion, so from a young age many of these kids are bilingual. And hey, why not take some Spanish lessons yourself? Stretch your brain a little and make some friends while you are at it.

COST OF LIVINGThe cost of living is comparable to the US if not slightly lower. There are some items which are shockingly inexpensive, while others are what you are used to at home. Groceries, restaurants and shopping tend to be about what as you are used to, however workers such as a live in maid or gardener are much less expensive than in the US. During retirement, it can often be a great blessing to have people around to help you with the daily chores.

HEALTH CAREHealth Care in Costa Rica is known for its quality and inexpensive price tag. Many of the doctors are trained in the US or Europe, and hospitals are very modern with all the latest equipment and technologies. Not to gossip but Costa Rica is known for its movie star plastic surgery!

MEDICAREBoth the Costa Rican government and Medicare and are making it extremely easy for ex-patriots to receive their Medicare cheques in Costa Rica through a network of banks in now offering direct deposit to your Costa Rican bank account.

VISAS & LEGAL ISSUESDo I need a visa, or how does it work? If you are 45 years or older you can apply to be part of a retirement program set up by the Costa Rican government to encourage foreigners to come to Costa Rica. Benefits include tax exemptions and incentives, but the greatest thing is that you don’t have to pay tax on your retirement income in Costa Rica!

CAN I OWN PROPETY IN COSTA RICA?In Costa Rica foreigners are in no way penalized when purchasing property. Foreigners have the same rights as a Costa Rican and the law will treat them as an equal. You can also incorporate your own company and purchase the property through your company for additional tax breaks.

OF COURSE THE BEAUTY …The words Cost Rica actually mean Rich Coast, a name Christopher Columbus bestowed on this country overflowing with natural beauty, lush rainforests, mountains, cloud forests, and sandy beaches. Costa Rica is world famous for its diverse natural habitat and beautiful sunsets.

So there you have it, not a bad list of reasons to rent out your house, cash in your paper assets, and retire to a beach house in Costa Rica! There may be a coming recession, but you don’t have to live in it, or let it spoil your long awaited liberation from the rat race.