Beachfront Property Guide » beachfront real estate

Costa Rica Condo Rentals: Ideal for Vacationing or Investment

Jack — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 07:20:18 +0000

Costa Rica is the most visited country in the Caribbean. Over two billion US dollars is spent on tourism here every year by people who come for one or several of the country’s incredibly scenic attractions. There are very few places in the world that are as diverse as Costa Rica within such a small area. There are miles of white sand beaches along two coasts, volcanoes, and scenic mountains. In a few days you can hike through cloud forests, go river rafting, and experience some of the best scuba diving in the world at a fraction of the price you would pay for such activities in the United States. Costa Rica is also a great discount golf vacations destination as well. Whether you are just going to Costa Rica for a short holiday, or are trying to buy a property that you can use for an investment, Costa Rica condo rentals are sure to not leave you disappointed.

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.

Beachfront Real Estate: What You Need to Know Before You Buy

Jack — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 15:09:17 +0000

Buying beachfront real estate is much like buying normal real estate, but there are a few more things you need to take into consideration before you pull the trigger. Houses that face the sea are built on shakier ground, are subjected to harsher conditions and more severe weather, and many times you won’t be around to tend to them the entire year. Because of this, you should be very careful and have the property professionally inspected before you sign the final papers. Here are a few things that you need to watch out for.

The first thing you need to look for when you’re buying beachfront property is of course “location, location, location”. Right on the beach is great, but you will have to take the overall geographic location of the area into account as well. Is the area prone to frequent storms? If it is, you might be facing incredibly high insurance costs, if you can find insurance to cover your property at all. If it’s right on the shoreline, is the shoreline eroding away to the point where you new dream home will be in danger? If it’s not, look at how close the water comes to your home at high tide. If the water comes too close, it runs the risk of flooding your home and making salt degradation a much quicker process.

After you’ve made sure that the location for your beachfront real estate is exactly where you want it to be, you need to look at the foundation to your new home. Especially if the area is prone to storm surges, you need to have the home built on a deep foundation topped by concrete footing and wooden pillars that support your home. Newer homes may have advanced construction methods like breakaway walls in the event of a really large storm surge that will let the waters pass through your home. It ruins part of your house, but at least the whole thing doesn’t float away. Also make sure that the home as adequate storm windows and doors to protect against heavy winds.

When you’re looking at the structural integrity of your home, also pay attention to the condition of the building. Make sure that you ask what year it was built in. Look at other houses in the area as well and ask what year they were built in if you can find out. Is the home you’re looking at buying in significantly worse shape? Better shape? Did all the building in the area degrade pretty quickly? If Mother Nature is particularly harsh to any structures that are in the area, you should seriously think about lowering your asking price.

Finally, and most importantly, when you’re buying a home make sure that you stay within your budget. If you’re planning on renting out the property, make sure that you can still afford the payments if a low season hits and you can’t find any tenants for the summer. If you don’t do this, you could find yourself in some serious trouble with the bank and with a nasty black mark on your credit history that will prevent you from enjoying any other beachfront properties in the near future.

Buying real estate at the beach is not too much different than buying real estate inland. Make sure that you exercise some caution and don’t buy anything until you’re absolutely certain that you know everything there is to know and it’s up to your standards. If you use these tips and some common sense you should be able to find a great piece of beachfront property that you will be able to enjoy for years to come.

Should I Buy Beachfront Property?

Jack — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 05:00:24 +0000

So you’ve been to a vacation destination several times and decided that you love the place so much you’d like to have a permanent base there. It’s a great thought, and one that enters many people’s head. Unfortunately, the decision of whether or not to buy beachfront property should not be entered into lightly. There are many different factors affecting whether or not you should buy property in a given area at a certain time. Make sure that you know everything that you are getting yourself into, your personal financial situations, and the property that you are buying inside and out. If you know these things, and you do the proper research, you’ll be able to come to the best decision you possibly can in no time.

Before you even start looking at specific beach front properties, you should first and foremost look at your own financial situation. Examine if you really can afford to buy beachfront property. If you can, always set a budget based on what you think you can afford and make a vow to yourself not to go over this. Make sure to include not just mortgage costs in this, but also costs of upkeep, maintenance, and of furnishing the home or condo. This is to help you if you should happen to fall in love with a certain property that is just out of your price range. If you are planning on using the property to rent it out, always do the math to see how many renters you need each year to break even in case the market in the town your are buying property in collapses for some reason.

After you have gotten your personal finances in order, the next step is to familiarize yourself with the local housing market. Start by looking around the internet for various different places you would be able to own property in. You may already have an idea of where you would like to own a beachfront condo if you have a favorite vacation spot, but there may be other areas that are cheaper or more attractive than this. Doing research on the internet will also allow you to compare property prices so you’ll have a rough idea of what sellers are asking for before you actually take the time to go down to your future beach home.

As you get closer to looking to buy a beach home, talk to a local real estate agent and, if possible, friends and other locals that have lived in the area. Find out what property prices are doing in the area and if there are any proposed projects underway that could affect property prices either way in the near future. This could involve plans to station lifeguard, beach renovations, new roads, or other new infrastructure projects. The condition of the beach is of particular importance. The cleaner and better kept the beach is, and the less erosion that it suffers, the more people will be willing to come and you will be able to charge higher prices for rents.

Try to find out more about the overall economy of the town surrounding the beach as well. Are more and more tourists coming year after year? Or have people lost interest in this location and are slowly beginning to migrate to other areas? The one bodes well for your future property value, while the other one doesn’t.

Finally, find out as much as you can about the individual property that you are planning on buying. When did the seller buy it? For how much? And why is he selling it now? Asking why a seller is selling a piece of property should be a particular importance. If they’re moving, figure our why. Do they just need more money, or have they seen the writing on the wall and want to get our of town before they lose more money on their investment?

There are many different factors that influence whether or not you should buy beachfront property, and only you yourself can figure out if the investment is worth it for you. The major thing which should influence your thinking is what order your personal finances are in. After this, make sure that you find out as much as you can about the property you are going to buy, the town surrounding it, and the housing market in general. If you follow these simple steps, you can find yourself in the beach house of your dreams in no time.

3 Hot Areas For Beachfront Real Estate in the Philippines

Jack — Sun, 27 Dec 2009 06:50:54 +0000

The Philippines is a collection of over seven thousand islands in the Western Pacific Ocean, south of Taiwan and Northeast of the island of Borneo. Despite allegations of corruption and semi-frequent natural disasters on some islands, if you know where to look you can find Filipino beachfront real estate in areas that are safe and where the people are friendly and speak nearly perfect English. Here are four of the best areas to find beachfront property in the Philippines.

#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!