Guys In The Zone: Costa Rica Real Estate

What does the future hold for The Zone?

The crystal ball… standard equipment for psychics and investors, alike. Ben and I are constantly observing the trends and then peering into the future of our little Costa Rican real estate market.

The First Wave

Around 1995, the first wave of developers arrived to the area. These early mavericks (let’s call them environmental-preneurs) benefited from a combination of vision and cheap land. Development was easier back then. Buy a big farm and segregate it into smaller farms (or lots). As the news of cheap land and low costs for materials and labor trickled out to the world, there was a 10-12 year rush on land that led to spiking prices for ocean view home sites. At the beginning of 2007, there were no quality ocean view lots left under $100K, at least not any in developments with good infrastructure (roads, water and electricity). Well, it’s now 2010 and we suddenly have many ocean view properties that can be purchased for under $100K. This quick “land in The Zone” recap is an attempt to set the table for the next trend I believe we experience, moving forward—Houses in The Zone.

Ben and I estimate over 60% of the people who inquire about property want to buy a house; however, over 60% of those house hunters end up buying raw land. There is a very obvious lack of supply in this economic equation, and the reason is we are simply at an early stage of the development cycle. According to CFIA (Colegio Federado de Ingenieros y de Arquitectos de Costa Rica), compared to 2007, the province of Puntarenas experienced decrease of -67% in total square meters constructed compared to the January–April of 2008.[1] Safe to say, the global economic downturn effected everyone investing in Costa Rica.

Gorgeous villa in San Buenaventura.

Yet toward the end of 2009 to present, we find ourselves busier than ever! We currently have 40 house listings on the coast (which means not including the mountain towns of Platanillo, Tinamastes, and the regional capital of San Isidro) ranging from $66,000 to $3.2 million. And, it’s no surprise that 90% of home buyers want an ocean view.

For those with construction experience and a desire to build houses in a foreign country, this where there may be money to be made. The crystal ball formula is– buy a cheap ocean view lot, no more than 10 minutes from the Costanera (our paved coastal highway), and build an affordable house with a swimming pool. The main question we anticipate from potential builders’ is “What kind of house do I need to build to guarantee a sale?” Unfortunately, we cannot provide a “guarantee” only guidance based on our personal, feet-on-the-ground perspective.

Price

The $weet $pot in our house market is between $200-250K. There are folks looking for houses on the coast in the $100K range, but they quickly realize those days are over. If you their budget is fixed at $100K, then we show houses up the mountain in towns like Platanillo and Tinamastes. We do have a couple of nice coastal properties with old tico houses on them for under $100K, but most of these are “tear downs” and re-building on these footprints is generally un-advisable.

Floorplan

Swimming pools sell property.

In this $250K price range, one effective floor plan is the 2&2 en suite (e.g., double master), central kitchen and small living area, and a large patio outside to enjoy the view. Most of the living experience in Costa Rica is done outside. Without question, one of the key rental amenities is the swimming pool.

IT doesn’t need to be huge, or have an infinity edge. But, it really helps a sale because it really helps rent-ability. Even thought there is a bathtub-warm ocean with miles of empty, gorgeous beaches just sitting there for people to enjoy, vacationing groups, couples, and especially families, love the pool.

I could offer a few more building suggestions, but I’ll leave those details to those with far more experience in spec building. What I do know is… Ben and I need houses, and I see them in our future. Thanks for reading.