Open Letter from the Developer:

October 15, 2007

Regardless of whether you choose Hacienda El Dorado, I am convinced that the Costa Rican real estate market offers a sufficiently wide range of options to accommodate the full range of budgets, needs and preferences of home buyers and real estate investors. Observation and experience shows us that many people do not think through “location” well enough. We feel that the Central Valley offers the best combination of value, lifestyle, services, and conveniences.

Coming from North America (USA and Canada), I found it difficult to comprehend that I could live comfortably without heating or air conditioning; as a builder I could not imagine not building in these “essential” features.  In the Santa Ana area of the Central Valley, I live in golf shirts day and night —only rarely do I put on a long sleeved shirt. I do, however, end up using a sheet and a blanket around 3 a.m.  

When I think about the level of property taxes I paid in North America vs. what I pay for a lot nicer home in Costa Rica, I have to sit down because I get dizzy.  I don’t think about the cost of eating dinner out as I would in Toronto and I have a choice of many, many different cuisines. If I choose to dine at home, which I do most of the time because we entertain a lot, I know I can eat outside on the terrace 350 days out of the year—and we do. When I read about $1,000 pizzas or deserts in New York,  I shake my head. 

I can be at either one of the two oceans (Pacific – 2 hrs. / Caribbean – 3hrs.) any time I want or I can just get buried deep in a tropical rain forest watching monkeys or magnificent macaws and parrots... I can watch the most active volcano in the world spit out boulders day and night while lounging in hot springs (4 hrs drive) I have to say Wow! Nature is truly magnificent.

I know that if I have a medical problem, I can get first class treatment by North American or European trained English speaking doctors the same or the next day and I don’t have to mortgage the house and sell the kids. Any dental work I need or want is available to me at a fraction of the cost in North America.

I have all the communications devices needed —VOIP, conventional, and cell phones, at a fraction of the cost in North America, fax line, high speed internet, cable TV, satellite TV with North American channels shown on plasma TVs with a home theater surround sound system. I’m located in the Central Time Zone so have not more than 3 hrs difference whether speaking to either the East or West coast !   I can fly direct to most major cities in North America in 5 hrs or less.

If I want to play golf ($225/mo. unlimited play or tennis (covered or uncovered courts) the facilities are readily available in the Santa Ana area. If I want to go lake fishing or deep sea fishing, it too is available (3 hrs). Birding is at my door step or I can go in any direction to a number of different ecosystems not more than 2 hrs. drive in any direction.

When I consider that there is no tax on interest income and no capital gains tax I pinch myself to make sure I’m still alive and not dreaming. I have my house cleaned once a week ($10); my car washed and cleaned inside ($6); my cell phone bill is normally about $5 per month; a car mechanic is about $4 per hr. I get a tire changed for $1. I buy beef tenderloin for $5 a lb. I shop in any number of grocery stores which rival North American stores. I have 10 banks within 5 min. of me, one of the largest shopping malls in Central America featuring national and international brands as well as a movie theater showing North American movies in English ($3) and popcorn I can afford. My Spanish is not good but I can survive; I can’t discuss politics or religion neither of which I care debating in English.

I find I meet more interesting people here; people from different countries, different backgrounds, having had different experiences and open to forming new friendships. I miss my friends from my former life but some I see and most I talk with now more than I did when I lived in North America —neither they nor I had time— we were both too busy “working” paying the mortgage, readying the paperwork for one of any number of government agencies demanding information, etc. 

In short, I feel I lack nothing here and have all the time I need to enjoy Life and have here a better lifestyle at a fraction of the cost than I did in North America. That said, we would very much like to extend our invitation to you to visit us in Santa Ana, Costa Rica, and see for yourself, have a chat with one of us over a glass of wine, go out have a nice dinner in one of the local restaurants, play a round of golf, whatever, just to get a feel for what it might be like to make Costa Rica your new home.

Best regards,

Brian
brian@eldoradocostarica.com