I was standing in the outfield at the Saturday Softball game in Uvita, when the feeling hit me. It was the warm feeling you get (and I’m not referring to the direct sun variety) when you are with a group of people having fun. In a word: community.

We have a special one down here in the Southern Pacific Zone of Costa Rica. Perhaps it is the international mix of ex-pats— Germans, French, Italian, Swiss, Argentinean, Canadian, Mexican, African, Chinese, and the list goes on. A variety of backgrounds and personal stories better than any television series— the crazy Italian chef turned humble bread maker, the ex-radio personality turned successful bar owner, animal activists, people activists, retired couples from Atlanta to Ibiza…. the list is long and varied. It’s diversity meets adventure meets pura vida, and we love it.

For many investors, Costa Rica has been (and continues to be) primarily a smart place to put your money. And, that’s fine; investing is encouraged given the bright future of the country and region. But, for those people considering a permanent (or semi-permanent) move down to Costa Rica, the reasons stretch beyond democracy, economy and sunshine.

Variety evolves culture. This is especially true with the exotic cuisine found in the area; there is even a restaurant named Exotica, and it is excellent. In addition to numerous Tico restaurants, international options include—French fusion, organic Italian, Japanese sushi, Curry Night, and yes even elements of “the western diet” satiate the The Zone’s inhabitants.

In addition to these restaurants dotting the landscape, a staple of any conscious community is the farmer’s market. There are in fact two weekly farmer’s markets in The Zone—Thursday and Friday in the fast-growing city of San Isidro, and the Saturday Farmer’s Market in our sleepy beach town of Uvita. This relatively new farmer’s market offers an increasingly broad array of (mostly) organic produce, baked breads and pastries, homeopathic elixirs, and hand-made gifts. I consider all of these wonderful vendors “artists”, as you only need to grow or create something and share it with others to qualify. In fact, we have more photographers, painters, writers and musicians per capita than any place I’ve ever been. Perhaps it is this artistic quality that blends so nicely with the laid back, friendly nature of the Ticos.

Most of the people living here agree that the economic downturn is no excuse to lose sight of the importance of doing what we love. In fact, it compels us to re-adjust our sights on something uplifting and sustainable. Simply put, Ben and I love helping people invest in property in the Southern Pacific Zone of Costa Rica. We love every aspect of this service—putting deals together, hiking around large farms, chopping tall grasses with machetes, designing new websites…. all of it. In fact, work doesn’t feel like work at all. Experience tells us the recent drop in property prices will soon hit bottom (if it hasn’t already), and another long rise will begin.

This coastal area, as my friends in California like to say, is golden. The reasons are many—low population & construction density, great value, the Coastal Highway is almost paved between Quepos and Dominical, an International Airport in our future, it’s a tropical paradise. And, let’s not forget the original inspiration for this article—community. It’s not something you can put a price on. It’s something you feel.

Especially on days when you observe 20 gringos cheering for a Tico kid who hit his first home run.