Real Estate News from the USA

Good morning friends and family
Every month I would like to share the Real Estate market news from the States with you.
All you need to do is click on the link and watch a news clip.
If you have any questions please feel free to ask me. I am your Professional Real Estate Agent.
The best compliment that you can give me, is to give my name and number to a family member, friend or associate who is looking to buy or sell Real Estate in Costa Rica or the USA. I am at their service.
God bless all of you!
Enjoy the video!

http://kwconnect.kw.com/connect/user/share.jsp?p=2679&sh=431

Stray Dogs Kill Couple

Please read this article.
This is why it is extremely important to spay and neuter all stray dogs and cats. If you are feeding them, then they become your responsibility. Please do the right thing. Have them spayed or neutered or take them to the pound.
You can also help by donating time or money with the people who volunteer at spay and neuter clinics in your community.
In Nosara you can contact http://www.nosaraanimalcare.com/

Dr. Carl Wells volunteers his time to work with Dr. Delgado to offer their services free or at reduced prices to spay and neuter the stray beach dogs in Nosara Costa Rica.
God bless our furry friends and the ones who care for them!
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090819/ap_on_re_us/us_deadly_dog_attack

Change of Season - Rain!

For those living in North America, rain may not seem like a big deal. In fact it may often be an unwelcome visitor, seeming to arrive with uncanny timing for weekends and outdoor events. Here in the Guanacaste of Costa Rica, May begins the "low season", "rainy season", or "green season". Last night, right on schedule the first rain arrived to Nosara. Nothing could have been sweeter.

The dry season begins in early December and ends in May, but these pattern changes are not abrupt. The rain begins to fade in mid November and by January it is indeed a rare event here in the Guanacaste. Months of no rain, sunny skys and blue water seem to be just what the tourist crowds want as this period corresponds with the tourism high season. If you live here such prolonged drought, though normal and expected, takes it's toll. Gardens fade to brown without regular and copious ammounts of water applied. Unpaved roads become dust factorys and the temperatures at the end of the dry season can be stifling with humidity building week by week toward those first welcome thunderstorms. Even the people who endure the full dry season can get a little crispy around the edges. We always want what we do not have!

Last night marked the begining of the gradual shift we all have been waiting for. The rain lasted for about an hour. My guage said just under 3 cm (about 1 inch) had been granted us. This morning was predictablly cooler, fresher. The surrounding real estate was moist with the plants taking in the much needed water. My morning run was without the dust and my lungs were grateful. With a few more rains the fishing at the Boca Nosara will even improve as the fish respond to the change in flow and nutrients coming down the Nosara river. Surfers will enjoy a larger swell as the waves react to off shore storms. The famous Costa Rican sunsets will appear even more brilliant and intense. Each year I am in wonder at how fast the landscape changes to vibrant green, seemingly within days of the first good rain.

So it begins. The rain and the low season are upon the Nosara beaches. Each year I notice more people discovering that the rainy season is not a negative but indeed quite a positive thing. The rain is not an every day event, especially at first . The mornings are generally sunny with showers later in the afternoon, perfect timing for a siesta. Less people, a bit cooler, great waves and world-class fishing. The "low season", the "rainy season" or the "green season", what ever name you choose, is notably less low these days - and I certainly understand why.

Pura Vida!

Carl

Great article in the New York Times

Good morning friends and family
Here is a link to a great article on Costa Rica in The New York Times.
It talks about Costa Rica's biodiversity and how it is preserving it's cornucopia of plants and animals.
Costa Rica is such a great place to vacation or live!
Enjoy the read!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/12/opinion/12friedman.html?_r=2&emc=eta1
Please check out my website too at
www.TheCostaRicaRealEstateAgent.com

What does it take to live in Costa Rica?

What does it take to live there?
It's so easy to live there. You can live there without becoming a resident so long as you leave the country every 90 days for 72 hours. We do this most inexpensively by taking a bus to Nicaragua for a 72 hour vacation.
To live in Costa Rica as a permanent resident you can live there as
1. a residente pensionado (retiree), which you need to have proof of a $600-a-month retirement income like a U.S. Social Security check or pension check.
2. a pensionado rentista, which is for those who are not old enough to retire. You must prove $1,000 a month income from an investment such as a certificate of deposit, an annuity or other source of guarantees of at least $1,000 per month, or $60,000 to be deposited in a Costa Rican bank.
3. a rentista inversionista, which is for people wanting to go into business. It requires a $50,000 investmentwith an approved tourism or export business, $100,000 in a reforestation project or a $150,000 investment in to any other type of business.

Fishing is Good!

Hi everyone!
We have been eating fresh fish that Carl has been catching.
Yesterday we had fried snook sandwiches for lunch and oh my God were they good!
Carl saw whales last month from our house! How cool is that!
The surfers have been enjoying some sweet waves too. There was a surf tournament here last week. Lots of talent!
Take care and Pura Vida!!