Buying Costa Rica Investment Property with your Self-Directed IRA and Equity Lines of Credit.

What goes up, might possibly slide down.

With the current stock market at an all time high, many people are looking to diversify. This morning I had breakfast with a client, who was upset that the DOW hit a bump last week, and he lost some money.           

There is wide spread concern, and an overall agreement, that the market cannot continue to climb at these astronomical numbers. It HAS to come down, at some point. So many people are looking for an alternative investment in which to move their funds.

So, we are seeing many of my clients moving their net worth, out of stocks and back into Hard Assets like real estate. What better place to park your money than paradise? Last year was the best year we have had since 2007, as more and more people are investing in Costa Rica.

Many clients are moving here and making this their full time home. They are also looking for ways to live down here, without touching their life savings; rental properties. You only need to own 2 rental properties in Costa Rica, to cover ALL of your living expenses.

That’s right. So many of my home buyers, after they get settled, are coming back to me to purchase a condo or two, which could generate some cash flow, and off set their expenses.

But lots of people, are still years from retiring and living in paradise. Yet they want to get in the game and move some money to the land of PURA VIDA. A lot of these people, are not sitting on cash, and it is impossible for a foreigner to obtain a mortgage here. So, what can they do?

Many of my USA clients do not realize, that they can use their 401k and purchase a Costa Rica investment property. Personally, I have done dozens of these transactions for my clients in the last couple years. It is actually a quite simple process.

There are many companies that specialize in what is called a Self-Directed IRA. It allows you to get to this money, without taking a tax hit for early withdrawal, and roll it into a vehicle that can purchase an investment or rental property outside the United States of America.

We work with a couple of the most reputable companies back in the States, and I can personally introduce you for more information. If you have money in a retirement account, NOW is the time to look into this.

Most of my Canadian clients are sitting on a gold mine of money, as they have had a 2-decade ride of real estate growth. That bubble too, is starting to stagnate. All of my Canadian real estate friends are telling me their markets are slowing down, as they have flat out priced themselves out.

When an average couple cannot afford to buy a property, that is when the market turns. So, dozens of my Canadian clients last year, went to their local bank and obtained an equity line of credit. This allows them to get to the “cash” that is just sitting in their back yard. They are using this money to purchase a Costa Rica investment property, either a home or a condo.

Both the USA stock market and the Canadian Real Estate market have peaked. You have ridden that wave as long and as high as it can go. Now is the time, to take that money out of one ride while you are at the top, and put it into the next curve, as it is just starting its early climb.

And with it getting harder and harder for new projects to get permitted and built, it only makes sense that the current inventory will rise in value over the next decade.

Above are some of the best rental properties that are currently on the market. Please contact me directly for more information on these and other, great investment opportunities.

Hope to see you soon.

Come on down baby.

Pura Vida.

Michael Simons

Every day more and more people are moving to Costa Rica.  The majority of property buyers will probably never sell their property, at least not in the next couple decades.  They have done their homework and made their choice.  They looked all over Latin America and the Caribbean and picked Costa Rica, for so many obvious reasons.  Yet, you never know, life might throw you a curveball and you end up having to sell your property.  That is why you need an exit plan. I always chuckle when I read the blogs on the internet about how many people come to Costa Rica, don’t like it and decide to go back.  That is just NOT true.  We have sold thousands of properties here and I can truthfully say that a very small percentage of the buyers fall into this category.

Most of the people who are selling are doing so for a variety of other reasons. Unfortunately, many people have been forced to sell their little piece of paradise for financial reasons, as things didn’t go as planned back home.  Also, people have to sell their Costa Rica property for the same reasons they have to sometimes sell any other property or investment:  Health, family, death and divorce.  These things happen everywhere in everyday life.  The majority of my sellers though, are not leaving Costa Rica. They started with a smaller property, such as a condo or townhome, to test the water and see if they liked the Costa Rican experience. Then, after a few years, they have fallen in love with paradise, like the rest of us. They want to spend more time here, quite possibly as a full time resident, and want a larger, or fancier home. Many times, they are now comfortable with the process, and have decided to build their own custom home, so they need to sell their original property first. Of all the real estate sold to foreigners in Costa Rica, most of it is sold right here in Guanacaste.  We have the best infrastructure, the best weather, first world amenities and amazing hospitals and health care.  We also have an International airport 20 minutes away and some of the most beautiful beaches in the world.