Thai law, like the law in many developing countries, severely restricts the amount of land that foreigners can own in the country.  However, while you can own actual pieces of land, what you can own is a beachfront condo.  Foreigners are allowed to own condos in Thailand, so long as they don’t own over forty-nine percent of the total building.  While you won’t be able to have a home right on the sea, having a condo to visit a few times out of the year, is the next best option.  But, before you jump in headfirst, there are a few rules you need to follow to quality for condo ownership.

Private island off Ko Chang, Thailand

The biggest restriction on foreign land ownership is that you need to pay for the land in your foreign currency.  This means that you much transfer your foreign currency – not Thai baht – to a bank in Thailand and have it certified before you can pay for the property.  There are several steps involved in this process.

First, you must obviously open a bank account with a Thai bank and then transfer funds from your overseas bank into the account that you just created.  You then need to obtain a Tor Tor 3 form from the bank to pay for your condo unit.  To quality for this form you must transfer over at least the equivalent of $20,000 to your bank account, so make sure your transfer is at least this much.  The bank should be able to help you with this process.

Once you have to money transferred over, but before you buy the your dream condo, make sure that the title is clean on the property you’re looking to invest in.  Make sure that you are dealing with the actual developer of the property and not someone else and also make sure that the property doesn’t have huge mortgages or outstanding debts against it.  Next, you will need to work with the developer to draw up a sales agreement that you both will sign.  After this all that’s left is to make the payment in full and then register the sale with the Thai Land Office to transfer the deed to your property.

These are the essential steps in buying a beachfront condo in Thailand, but rules are always subject to change.  Make sure that before you enter into any agreements that you consult with local real estate agents and lawyers to make sure that the contracts that you sign are legal and that you are buying property that is actually valuable.  A trusted real estate agent will be invaluable in finding your dream Thai beachfront property.

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If you’re vacation plans are taking you to Costa Rica, there are many reputable internet sites that you can visit to find condos and reviews of them from past tenants. They’re a fairly cheap option, costing around $1200 to $1500 for an entire week, for what you get. Condo owners are generally fairly good landlords, because they visit the property a few times themselves every year, and make sure everything is in working order and kept up. Many condominium complexes also give you access to some great facilities, such as a swimming pool, spa, high speed internet, and parking free of charge. Most also have various security measures, from guards to cameras up so that you can rest easy at night.

If you’re a prospective beachfront property owner looking to invest in Costa Rican real estate and use it for a few weeks out of the year, finding a condo to rest is also a good idea. If you won’t be spending a lot of time in the country, condos are definitely a much more practical option than buying sprawling villas in gated communities. They will have lower property taxes, lower upkeep, and will be much easier to find tenants for. Because the Costa Rican real estate market is still expanding, you should be able to get a good return on the property and on renting it and have a great vacation spot to top it all off. If you still want a taste of the good life, there are many luxury condo units available as well. When you’re searching for a condo, a good place to start is the internet, but it’s always a good idea to visit the site first before you sign any papers. Keep in mind a list of all the features you want in your unit, from floor space to beds and baths, whether you want a beachfront condo or not and if you want a balcony or not. Expect to pay around two million to eight million US for a condo, depending on the location and how lavish it is.

Costa Rica condo rentals are great for both the week long vacationer and anyone looking to buy a piece of real estate in one of the most beautiful countries in the world. Vacationers get a relatively cheap, safe, clean place to stay for their vacation, while prospective landlords will get access to the upside of a great real estate market, a great place to vacation, and a way to pay for maintenance and upkeep costs. Costa Rica may have become famous for its gated communities and huge villas, but for most people a beachfront condo will be the best option.

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Reason #1: Miles of Tropical Coastline

Belize is a tiny country, it only has a population of about 300,000 total people but it is located on a pristine stretch of Caribbean coastline. There are over two hundred and forty miles of tropical coastline in Belize, making plenty of beachfront properties available in the second tiniest Latin American country.

#2: The World’s Second Longest Barrier Reef

The 175 mile long barrier reef that lies off the coast of Belize is the second longest in the world, second only to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. The corals and abundant marine life on the reef makes the coast of Belize one of the best, if not the best, place in North America for diving and snorkeling.

#3: The National Language is English

Unique among Latin American countries, which were all either settled by Spain or Portugal, Belize was settled by the English. It was actually known as British Honduras until the 1960s and received its independence from the United Kingdom in 1981. It’s long history with England has left many things in Belize that expats from the U.S. or U.K. will love, including the ability to converse and fit in better with locals who speak your own language.

San Pedro, Belize

#4: Currency Stability

Currently, the Belize dollar is pegged to the U.S. dollar at two Belize Dollars to one US Dollar and US currency is frequently accepted across the country. Barring an Argentine-style de-pegging, there are no tricky conversions involved and your money will be easily exchangeable from one currency to the next. You can worry much less about dramatic currency adjustments if you’re from the U.S. as well because the two currencies float together.

#5: Taxes

The tax system that is in place in Belize is one of the most friendly to foreigners of all governments in Latin America and possibly the world. Belize places no taxes on foreign income and doesn’t have capital gains taxes, corporate taxes, or inheritance taxes. In fact, if you are moving to Belize, you can take many of your goods to the country tax-free as well. You worked hard for your money, why should you allow someone else to take a cut just for living in a certain area?

#6: Political Stability

Belize’s political system is remarkably stable compared to most other Latin American countries. There is no history of military coups or violent government overthrows. The system is also modeled after the British common law system that the U.S. political system is also loosely based on. The government also has a strong tradition of protecting property rights as well, making your investment all the more safe.

#7: Affordability

Belize is one of the most affordable places to own beach front property in the world. Unlike in other countries like Costa Rica, where property values have shot up and upper scale gated communities are the rage, Belize has remained relatively undiscovered. While it isn’t quite as cheap as Nicaragua real estate, it still offers a great value.  When compared with other Caribbean countries like Bermuda, you can expect to pay about one-eighth the price for land.

#8: Verdant Forests and Mountains

If you are going to be in a country for a long time, odds are that you don’t just want to be laying around on the beach all day. Luckily for you, Belize is not just about the coastline. There is a large interior area to explore filled with unspoiled mountains and tropical forests filled with wildlife.

If you’re looking for an affordable beachfront home in an exotic, beautiful locale, you would be hard pressed to find somewhere much better than Belize. The language, currency, and tax laws make the move incredibly easy, Belize property is cheap compared to other places in the U.S. and Caribbean and you have access to numerous different water sports and eco tourism activities. If all this sounds interesting, start researching some options for real estate today.

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Reason #1 to Get Costa Rica Beachfront Property: The Weather

Costa Rica has one of the best climates in the world. In the main valley, where the capital city of San Jose is located, the temperature stays an unbelievable comfortable 72 degrees Fahrenheit year round. There’s only really two seasons to the climate here, wet and dry. How wet you get will depend on where in the country you live. Along the Northern Pacific Coast, where property values have skyrocketed in recent years, the worst of the wet season is avoided and the climate is the best.

Costa Rica also tends to avoid the worst of the disasters that strike many other more popular destinations in the Caribbean. There have been no direct hurricane hits on the country in the last forty years, which means that if you are going to be leaving your property, you can be relatively secure in the thought that Mother Nature won’t destroy it by the time you get back.

Reason #2: The Landscape

Despite being located on the thin strand of land that connects North and South America, Costa Rica has an incredibly varied landscape. It ranges from the peaceful Caribbean coast in the east, through the dense rainforests in the middle of the country, up to high volcanic peaks, and back down to a tropical Pacific coastline. Whether you like water sports, trekking, or any other outdoor activity, there will be something for you to do in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica has also become one of the premier spots for eco-tourism in the Americas. There are large tracts of untouched rain forest for you to explore and large parts of the sea are protect marine reserves, making for great snorkeling and scuba diving as well.

Manuel Antonio Beach, Costa Rica

Reason #3: The Beaches

Costa Rica has some of the most beautiful beaches in the world. Many of them stretch for miles upon miles of shimmering white sand in the tropical sunshine. Depending on what part of the country you visit, you can find anything from a bustle of people to a deserted, secluded beach.

Reason #4: The Expat Population

Costa Rica has been a popular place for foreign expats to vacation or retire in for over two decades now. In fact, there are over thirty thousand Americans living in Costa Rica full time with about twenty thousand living there part time. This means that many areas will speak English and you will have to deal much less with the “foreigner discount” you can get in other areas where the locals are more wary of your intentions. There will also be plenty of other people in the country that you can relate to, making the culture shock adjustment much easier.

On top of this, there are top notch consular services in the country that can help you out should you get in trouble or stuck for some reason.

Reason #5: Property Rights

Owning beachfront property in Costa Rica is incredibly easy. Unlike in other countries, such as the Philippines, foreigners have the same rights to buy property as native Costa Ricans do. There are various taxes and transfer fees that you will have to pay, and you will most likely have to hire a Costa Rican attorney, but once you buy the property it is yours and you will have complete title over it. The legal system is also very well developed for Latin America and you should be able to protect your rights in a dispute.

The only exception to this is in beachfront concessions. Private ownership of beach is technically not allowed in Costa Rica, however there are various methods to get around this fact in certain areas.

Reason #6: Property Values

Costa Rica is becoming more and more popular with expats every year it seems. This means that property values in the country are jumping, and in some places they are skyrocketing to new heights. Despite this, property is still affordable, just not as affordable as it was 10 or 20 years ago.

Reason #7: Easy Entry Requirements

Costa Rica also has easy entry requirements for foreigners looking to stay in the country. Anyone from North America is legally allowed to enter Costa Rica for three months, then must leave for 72 hours before they are granted readmittance. If you overshoot your stay, you will simply be fined at the airport on your way out.

If you want to retire in Costa Rica, the entry requirements for this are reasonable as well. You must be able to prove at least $600 a month in pension benefit, $1,200 a month in other income, or have investments totaling anywhere from $60,000 to $125,000 depending on where you are living and your situation.

This just scratches the surface of the myriad of reasons there are for buying Costa Rica beachfront property. The country also has access to great infrastructure, hospitals, and many great options for schooling. Do your research, visit the country a few times, and find out why everyone from celebrities to pensioners are choosing Costa Rica for their beachfront homes.

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#1 – Boracay

Sunset in Boracay

Boracay is one of the most popular destinations in the Philippines for tourists and for good reason. It’s white sand beach is reportedly one of the world’s best. There are also any number of water sports to be found at this beach, from diving to kite boarding. There’s a fairly new lifeguard service that’s been introduced, which started in March 2008, and the nearby international airport is getting a serious facelift to accommodate some larger planes, and giving it easier access to regional hubs like Singapore, Manila, and Taipei. With the exception of the rainy season from June through October which brings the risk of typhoons, there is good weather and tourists galore making this a great location to own property.

#2 – Cebu

Cebu is an island in the middle of the Philippines and is home to the nation’s second largest city, second largest airport, and largest seaport. Because of the amount of people in the city, property here is not very cheap. However, the area is much more easily accessible to outside flights, with direct connections to most of the major Asian hubs every day, making getting to any beachfront property you buy here much easier. The area is a short ferry ride from many other pristine locations, including the island of Bohol, and is a highly sought after destination for both divers and tourists. For the comforts of a big city with the setting of a beach, beachfront property is Cebu is worth it.

#3 – Palawan

Coron, Palawan

Palawan is an archipelago of over 1,700 islands located in the South China Sea, but is dominated by the large island of the same name. It is the eco-tourism destination of the future for the Philippines. There is a huge, long coastline protected from the seasonal typhoon, four marine sanctuaries, and even two world heritage sites. On top of this, the island is very close to the financial centers of Singapore and Hong Kong. However, what is holding Palawan back right now is a lack of infrastructure. There are daily flights from the island’s main city of Puerto Pincesa to Manila, but travel up to the northern city of El Nido takes seven hours by bus over bumpy roads. El Nido does have an airport, but service is not consistent. Once better infrastructure is built on this amazing island, property prices will skyrocket.

For all of its problems, the Philippines contain some of the most beautiful beaches and scenery in the world. If you’re a fan of watersports, you’ll never find yourself with nothing to do in this amazing country. Make sure that you’re aware of all the risks before investing in any property and enjoy your own private island paradise!

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There are over 7,000 islands to choose from in this country, but only about 2,000 of those islands are inhabited. The islands are split into three major groups, Luzon, Mindanao, and Visayas. Luzon is the northernmost set of the islands, and contains the largest island, which is home to the capital of Manila. Visayas contains the middle group of islands, and Mindanao is the southernmost group of islands. With so many islands in such an idyllic location, beachfront property is not hard to come by. However, there are several obstructions to owning property in the Philippines.

Cebu, Philippines

First, despite the fact that there are many locations for eco-tourism, diving, and other water sports, not to mention great weather, the Philippines has received a lot of bad press. It’s in the middle of a volcanic fault line known as the “Ring of Fire” making volcanic eruptions in certain areas a relatively common affair. Depending on what islands you’re on, there are also typhoons that hit the islands, sometimes in devastating form. If you can deal with everything Mother Nature throws at you, the Philippines also have their share of political troubles. Since being colonized by the Spanish, the country has been predominantly Catholic, but there is a small Muslim majority on some of the islands that stirs up trouble from time to time. Perhaps the most important flaw holding people back from owning land in the Philippines is the corruption present in the government. Despite recent efforts to tackle this, the Philippines is consistently one of the worst countries in the world for corruption, which will limit your ability to own the land, and also to sell or rent it.

If you decide that even with these troubles, owning beachfront property in the Philippines is worth it, there’s another obstacle in your way. Foreigners are not permitted to privately own land in the Philippines. Unfortunately, there is no way for you to directly own any Filipino beachfront property. What foreigners can do is control up to 40% of the equity in a domestic company that owns land. These companies are generally joint venture development projects that are run by Filipino individuals and build condos and other apartment blocks. This is because the lease holding is much easier and more straightforward for the condos. Instead of just owning 40% of a piece of land, leaving you out maneuvered if your Filipino business partner decides to pull a fast one, Foreigners are allowed to own individual condos in a complex, provided that they don’t own more than 40% of the total amount of units.

The Philippines is a great area with some of the beast beaches in the world. Unfortunately, the country also has many problems it needs to tackle. Whiles these issues don’t make the country completely unstable, serious issues like corruption make owning property a risk because your rights to it may be violated by the highest bidder to a certain government official. On top of this, foreigners can not directly own land in the country making it more difficult to acquire beachfront properties. With all this taken into account, while the Philippines has a great atmosphere, great people, and great beaches, it may not be worth investing your hard earned money into the country and instead keeping it as a vacation destination, especially when there are so many other great places to own land in the world.

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