In 2006 the first Baby Boomers turned 60. Behind this first wave is a virtual tsunami of graying, affluent soon-to-be-retirees desperately seeking some affordable sunshine. And it’s not only Americans. Swedes, Germans, Brits, Canadians, and others are all looking to escape cold weather, dark skies and their dreary, over-regulated, under-performing economies. So where are you (and your global counterparts) going to land? Have you priced real estate in Arizona, Florida, or Southern California lately? Do you want to risk building your dream home on the Gulf Coast only to have it flattened by Hurricane Katrina’s uglier, meaner sister? Look around the rest of the investment landscape and you can be just as depressed. Even Wall Street’s deep thinkers will tell you that we’re most likely in for decades of tepid, single-digit returns in stocks. Don’t even think about living off your fixed-income investments either.

A savvy, soon to retire investor with a few bucks tucked away might look at it this way:
The dollar is weak and will continue to fall; wars, record deficits and more will keep the pressure on. The US governments will be staring at a colossal tax increase in just a few years to fund social security and Medicaid benefits for the flood of retirees. U.S.real estate is massively over-priced and any rise in interest rates couldpop the bubble Diversifying out of a falling currency and into hard assets outside the U.S just mightbe the only way to protect your hard-earned wealth—and enjoy the lifestyle you want. Is there an investment way to profit from these irreversible waves? Consider your options, run the numbers, and think about everything you’ll need: an ideal climate, accessibility, advanced infrastructure, excellent healthcare, and so on. Over and over again—Costa Rica is the brightest blip on the radar.

The Rush to Paradise is Just Beginning
But great vacations are only part of the story. The real secret of Costa Rica today is how easy it is to live and work there. The next wave is for retiring boomers to move “way South” for at least part of the year. Telecom is much better than people realize. With a laptop, cell phone, VPN (virtual private network) and the latest VOIP (voice-over Internet protocol) phone services, you can stay in touch more cheaply than ever. Costa Rica is easily reachable from major U.S. airports. Health care is superior. The people are friendly and welcoming. English is widely spoken. The Costa Rican government has made a major commitment to protecting and enhancing its spectacular natural environment.

Barry's Top-10 Reasons Why You’ll Love Costa Rica
1. The people are welcoming and friendly
2. Surfing and fishing are both spectacular
3. Costa Rica is not a Banana Republic. Intel makes all its Pentium chips here
4. Costa Rica is easy to get to with non-stops daily from 22 US cities
5. Costa Rica abolished their Army in 1949
6. Cell phones are only $10 a month and long distance calls to the U.S. are less than $0.20 a minute. New VOIP rates are less than a nickel a minute
7. 80% OF THE people live in San Jose which means the beautiful coasts are deserted
8. The Pacific Coast is protected from hurricanes by the mountains
9. Prime real estate is still affordable
10. It's the last place in the world they still like Americans

The Perfect Wave is Heading for the Central Pacific Coast
Costa Rica’s Central Pacific Coast is pristine and unspoiled. You’ll find the most spectacular scenery, the best surfing, superb sport fishing, endless empty beaches, and as much privacy as you want. Even better, it’s getting easier and easier to reach this slice of heaven A new toll road means that you can drive from San Jose to Esterillos Este in just one and a half hours. Without question, over the next five years the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica will be the sweet spot for investors. Using the analogy of a commercial center, the Central Pacific region of Costa Rica is anchored by the Marriott Los Suenos Resort and 40 miles to the south by Costa Rica's crown jewel, the Manuel Antonio National Park. Both of these anchors are geographically constrained and the logical path of future growth is towards the center. From a practical perspective, this will be in the area of Esterillos Este as it is thelast high ground between the two anchors. Our reputation for successful development in the area as well as our extensive local ties has created numerous opportunities with local land holders who wish to sell land. In the past several years we have acquired over 2000 acres in this prime growth corridor.

By Barry Strudwich