Real Estate Bubbles vs. Costa Rica Boom! Report Savvy investors will realize that now is the opportune moment to move on this dream. Interest is growing by leaps and bounds in this ecologically pristine region of Costa Rica that National Geographic magazine called a “crown jewel of the eco-system.” Fortunately, much of the vast tropical habitat in this region of the country has been preserved by a forward-thinking Costa Rican government that has for decades sought to encourage growth and development without selling its soul or losing its natural treasures. What little property there is available will soon be in even higher demand with the construction of a new international airport near Sierpe, Osa, as discussed in La Nación, Costa Rica’s leading daily newspaper (to read article, visit www.nacion.com). “Our goal is that the new airport be in operation before 2010,” says Viviana Martin, president of Costa Rica’s Civil Aviation Technical Council (Consejo Técnico de Aviación Civil, or CTAC). Costa Rica’s second international airport, Daniel Oduber Quirós International Airport in Liberia, opened in 2000, quickly became a significant point of entry for tens of thousands of tourists annually, drawing ever-increasing numbers of regularly scheduled commercial flights by major international carriers. The momentum generated by the airport’s opening helped spur the arrival of an impressive array of international luxury resort brands, such as Ritz-Carlton, Marriot, Four Seasons, and Hilton Hotels, looking to establish an eco-friendly foothold on Costa Rica’s beckoning shores. In addition to the new airport, a new regional hospital is nearing completion in Osa, Puntarenas on the South Pacific coast, a clear sign that the Costa Rican government is prudently preparing for future growth by making sure all essential services are in place. A study by the National Association of Realtors indicates that 77 million U.S. Baby Boomers will retire during the next 17 years, during which time they will receive more than $100 billion transferred from their parents’ generation. If Europe is included, the figure rises to more than 200 billion retirees. Many of these present and future retirees are looking for retirement properties outside their own countries where the quality of life is high but the cost of living is less. Cascadas del Mar glimmers as one of the precious few opportunities to call Costa Rica’s most alluring natural zone home. Given current and future market demand, this opportunity will streak pass and forever disappear, like the shooting stars that dress the sparkle-studded nights on Costa Rica’s South Pacific shores.