Revealing real estate trends in Central America

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Revealed: The state of the international real estate market in Belize
2009-09-22 03:59:00
One of the frustrating things about investing in real estate in Belize (or elsewhere in Central America for that matter) is the difficulty of getting hold of objective market data. There are no easily accessible central databases or comprehensive Multiple Listing Systems to research.  Buyers are often left with information they receive from real ...
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10 questions you must ask the real estate developer before you buy
2009-09-16 19:58:00
Master-planned communities in Central America come in all shapes and sizes - from small condo buildings to developments covering thousands of acres offering resort style amenities.  Many offer pre-construction sales where you buy before you see the finished product.   Great gains can be made as properties are offered at a discount.  But you have ...
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Panama property: doing better than many markets, but not immune to the glob
2009-07-26 11:55:00
Yes, list prices for real estate in resort communities, condo towers and gated developments in Panama are falling for the first time since the boom.   But the falls are smaller than those we?re getting used to seeing elsewhere in global property markets. The picture in 2009 The chart provides a snapshot of where things stand in 2009. By ...
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Comparison shopping: An analysis of purchasing destinations for Nicaragua r
2009-07-14 23:36:00
The Nicaragua real estate market is hard to generalize on a national level. It’s made up of many micro or sub-markets.  In this article we deep-dive into some of Nicaragua’s most important sub-markets or ‘purchasing destinations’ to draw out the kind of data we hope will help buyers and sellers make more educated decisions. In Nicaragua the ...
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New data: Real estate developers in Nicaragua cut their prices
2009-07-02 20:05:00
We?ve just compiled Nicaragua real estate market statistics for 2009 and compared this against our 2008 data. With price falls across the main real estate categories, it’s clear that Nicaragua is not immune to the global contagion of sliding property markets. The numbers that tell the story The table below sets out the change in median price ...
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The state of the real estate market in Nicaragua 2009
2009-06-27 23:19:00
Property investors looking at Nicaragua need good data to make good decisions.   Until now, finding this data has been quite difficult.  There are no centrally held databases collecting market data and no Multiple Listing System (MLS). Our goal at Reveal Real Estate is to plug this information gap.  We aggregate asking prices from real estate developments ...
More About: Real Estate , Real Estate Market , Market

Revealed: 2009 Panama statistics
2009-06-04 00:30:00
Listing prices in Panama are decreasing for the first time since the boom.  We’ve partnered with the Panama Report on releasing this data on the Panama real estate market.  The aim: to put data into the hands of consumers so that they can make more informed investing decisions. Head on over to the Panama Report for ...
More About: Statistics

Fun with maps in Central America
2009-05-08 23:28:00
We’re using maps on Reveal Real Estate to help investors looking at individual real estate developments and property hotspots to see what’s nearby. After all, location is (nearly) everything in real estate.  Our maps plot the following information: Introducing country maps We’ve now gone one step further and built a series of country maps. ...
More About: America , Maps , Central America , Central

16 insider tips to investing in real estate in Central America
2009-04-28 00:05:00
1. Understand the link between tourism and real estate There is a strong relationship between leisure markets and the market for vacation and retirement homes. Across Central America , the areas that attract most tourism numbers also generate the highest levels of real estate activity. Add data on tourism rates into your research and ...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Tips , Investing

Are real estate prices stickier in Central America?
2009-04-15 03:08:00
We’ve just started a new round of data collection for 2009 covering Nicaragua, Belize, Panama and Costa Rica.  When we have this collected, we’ll present a trend analysis - showing how prices have changed since 2008. Kirk Hankla, owner of International City Mortgage, on a recent trip to Nicaragua, put forward the view that we would ...
More About: America , Estate , Real Estate , Real , Central America

3 trends in Central American real estate as developers and buyers respond t
2009-04-04 18:53:00
Times are certainly tough.  But sometimes its the tough times that provide space for innovation and new ideas.  Yes, some real estate projects in Central America are stalling, but others are responding to the tough economic news with new products and attractive incentives to persuade buyers to purchase.   Here are 3 trends that we’re seeing in the ...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Trends , American , Real

The real estate market in Central America: In graphics
2009-03-29 00:06:00
Whether you?re in the market for real estate in Central America , or you are selling, market data matters more than ever.  Without data how can you determine fair value, track where the market is heading or feel confident that you are making the right investment decision?  Trouble is, in Central America market data and comps ...
More About: Graphics , Reviews , Estate , Real Estate

Tell us about your real estate investment in Central America. Was it a tri
2009-03-19 04:26:00
We’re looking for the inside scoop, your investment story.  Why?  Because we think personal insights, reflections and information direct from other investors will help those who come after make more informed decisions.   It’s all about increasing market transparency and providing an additional lawyer of information to people researching the region. So what makes a good review? Reviews ...
More About: America , Estate , Real Estate , Real Estate Investment , Investment

5 real estate bloggers in Central America you should follow
2009-03-07 03:10:00
If you are looking for news and views from the front line of real estate in Central America , here are 5 real estate bloggers you should follow. 1. Panama Investor Blog, written by Sam Taliaferro, is packed full of insight into the real estate market in Panama.  Sam has a long experience in real estate development ...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Bloggers

The 7 most expensive regions to own an ocean view condo in Central America
2009-03-05 20:41:00
Costa Rica tops our list coming in first and second.  In fact, 3 of the 7 regions fall within Guanacaste, Costa Rica’s northern state.  The data is based on our database of real estate developments in Costa Rica, Panama , Belize and Nicaragua.  Nicaragua, being a cheaper destination than the other countries, did not make the ...
More About: America , Condo , Regions , Ocean

Green building south of San Juan del Sur
2008-02-03 17:40:00
Could we be witnessing the beginnings of a green real estate movement in Nicaragua? On a hillside a few kilometers south of San Juan del Sur on Nicaragua’s Pacfic coast, a green community, completely off-grid, is being born. A team from Earthship Biotecture (gurus in green building from the US) and a local ...
More About: Building , Green Building , Green , South

NAR report on Americans living abroad
2007-11-25 00:22:00
The National Association of Realtors released a report this month that pulls together data and trends on Americans living abroad. This kind of data is hard to come by making this white paper an important contribution to the field. Download the paper here. The data does not include Americans still living in ...
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Fantasy island for sale in Belize - without the price-tag.
2007-08-27 04:55:00
Belize offers some of the most affordable Carribean real estate in the region.  And some of the properties for sale are magnificent.  Have a look at this private island for $650,000. Click here for a Video Tour
More About: For Sale , Fantasy , Sale , Island , Price

Highest, medium and lowest searches for real estate online
2007-07-25 15:15:00
Central America continues to attract investors and tourists alike.  But not all countries have the same pulling power.  The graph below shows which countries rack up the highest number of searches for real estate online based on the generic country-followed-by-real-estate search phrase.  As you can see, there are more searches made for “costa rica real estate” than ...
More About: Estate , Real Estate , Online , Real , Medium

Google maps showing real estate projects on Nicaragua?s Pacific coast
2007-04-27 00:22:00
There are over 100 real estate developments dotted along Nicaragua’s Pacific coast.  Most are located in the southern part of the coastline between El Astillero and the border with Costa Rica with the fishing town of San Juan del Sur emerging as the major investment hub for the region.  The “Tola Riviera” lies within this southern stretch ...
More About: Google , Projects , Estate , Real Estate

Rasing the bar for golf real estate in Central America
2007-03-25 21:18:00
Nicaragua’s Seaside Mariana Spa & Golf Resort is the site for a Jack Nicklaus Design 18 hole championship golf course and five-star flagship resort.  Seaside Mariana is set to usher in a new level of luxury ocean front living and will put Nicaragua (and Cent ral America as a whole) firmly on the high-end resort destination map.  The first ...
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Risk and reward for real estate in Central America
2007-03-21 21:46:00
The real estate opportunities available in Cent ral America span a range of risk / reward profiles.  There is real estate on offer to suit different investment goals.  Properties that are good candidates for short term capital appreciation exist as well as properties in lower risk environments with the promise of an immediate rental income.    Of course ...
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Raising real estate industry standards across Central America
2007-02-21 14:25:03
National real estate associations exist for most counties in Central America .  And, given the sharp growth of real estate investment in the region, these bodies seem to be getting more active. There are some big ticket items on the table not least the question of licencing, code of ethics and ultimately (maybe) development of an MLS.   The associations are as follows: The Costa Rica Chamber of Real Estate (CCCBR), Costa Rica Global Association of REALTORS® (CRGAR), Camara Salvadoreña de Bienes Raíces (CSBR), Asociacion Nacional de Agencias de Bienes Raíces de Honduras (ANABIR), Camara Nicaraguense de Corredores de Bienes Raíces (CNCBR), Asociacion Panamena de Corredores y Promotores de Bienes Raices (ACOBIR), Camara de Corredores de Bienes Raices de Guatemala (CCBRG) Association of Real Estate Brokers of Belize Federation of Real Estate Associations of Central America and the Caribbean (FeCePAC) - an umbrella organisation that ties the other bodies together with a focus on integrat...
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Panama real estate: secure, exotic and diverse
2007-02-18 02:23:01
Panama is at the top of our list for the most secure, diverse and promising real estate destination in the region. Security - Panama provides real estate investors with a strong sense of security based on its dollar based economy; stable political situation; transoceanic Canal, and its standing as a regional headquarters for many multinational corporations. Panama has established a facilitative taxation framework to encourage foreign investment.  For example there are no real estate taxes for twenty years on any new construction and the tourism master plan exempts tourism related businesses from income or capital gains taxes for twenty years and allows the importation of a wide variety of goods duty free.  Financing on real estate purchases is more widely available than in other Central American countries given Panama?s position as a international banking centre. Diversity - Panama combines a sense of the first world with an experience of the exotic. Within its borders visitors and ...
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Real estate goes beyond the Internet listing
2007-02-18 02:23:01
By Nancy Beth Jackson When shopping for real estate across borders or across continents, how would you like to tap into the local news and gossip, have a virtual tour of the area and chat with potential neighbors before buying a ticket for a personal visit? Just as Web listings transformed international real estate a decade ago, new Inter net tools are making even more information available ? and not just from real estate agents. Increasing numbers of potential buyers and investors are exchanging information in online forums, downloading video and audio reports, tailoring Internet maps to their needs and reading blogs for news and opinion. And what is in cyberspace today is only the beginning, says Mark Lesswing, chief technology officer and senior vice president of the Chicago- based National Association of Realtors, which recently entered its first international joint venture with its Mexican counterpart. “What we’re going to see goes beyond listings,” he said. &#...
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7 hot buttons that underpin the demand for real estate in private residenti
2007-02-18 02:23:01
What emotional drivers are you responding to when you buy real estate in a private residential or resort community?  the aspiration to be in an attractive location or interesting setting the desire for a change of scene, to unwind and experience a change of pace the motivation to be stimulated and entertained through recreational interests such as diving, hiking, fishing, water sports and so on the expectation for rental income and capital growth the enjoyment of local culture and environment the sense that everything is being taken care of the desire to belong to a community of like minded individuals the wish to fulfill an escapist dream When assessing real estate offered in private residential and resort communities, don’t let emotions override your decision making.  Our own starting point is to use the criteria in the box below.  Yes, it may be a bit cut and dry but it is worth pausing to consider these factors as they well help you to determine the overall positioning o...
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Central American countries make up 4 of the ?6 hottest markets for second h
2007-02-18 02:23:01
The four countries are Belize, Honduras, Mexico and Panama.  Costa Rica also gets a mention as a destination attracting real estate investors.   According to State Department estimates, some 6.6 million America ns live abroad - about 2.2% of the US population.  The Brits are still far ahead in relative terms with 10% of the nation’s population living as expatriates.  Read the full article.
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How much does it cost to live in Central America?
2007-02-18 02:23:01
By drawing on purchasing-power-parity (PPP) data released by the IMF, we can calculate what US $1,000 “adds up to” in various countries across Cent ral America .  According to Wikipedia ”Purchasing power parity (PPP) … is the method of using the long-run equilibrium exchange rate of two currencies to equalize the currencies’ purchasing power. It is based on the law of one price, the idea that, in an efficient market, identical goods must have only one price.” So the theory behind PPP is that exchange rates should adjust to equalize the price of a basket of goods and services around the world.  In the United States $1,000 is the equivalent of, well, $1,000.  But in Nicaragua, for example, it rounds up to a hefty $4,144, see below. We have to be careful not to draw too much from these averages as they don’t apply to all product categories.  But for day-to-day goods and services your dollar will stretch further in Central America.
More About: Cost , Live , Much

Are Matagalpa and Jinotega Nicaragua?s answer to Panama?s Boquete?
2007-02-18 02:23:01
Savvy investors are always on the look out for emerging destinations - especially those with a twist on a familiar theme. The Inland Mountains region of Matagalpa and Jinotega could be just that. The area shares many of the characteristics of Boquete - probably the hottest spot for real estate in the Panama after Panama City - such as enchanted ?hidden? valleys, mists that shroud the mountaintops, a perfect spring like climate, rushing rivers, flowers and high quality coffee.  This is where you come to commune with nature, hike, fish, cycle, kayak and recharge your senses in a setting of peace and tranquility. Prices in the area are still 1/4 of what you will find in Panama and around 1/3 of property on Nicaragua ?s Pacific coast. Read more on the mountainous, coffee growing areas of Nicaragua.
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Real Estate: Nicaragua Optimism Despite Ortega
2007-02-18 02:23:01
by Chronicle Staff Despite a new, leftist government led by President Daniel Ortega, executives in Nicaragua ’s growing real estate industry remain bullish. “The real estate market outlook continues to be positive,” says Claudia Gonella, director of the Nicaragua offices of U.S.-based real estate agency Coldwell Banker.”We are selling well out of both of our real estate offices, at approximately the same rate as this time last year.” Timothy Thomas, owner and broker at ReMAX Monteverde, agrees. “I think [the government] will be OK,” he says. “Our investors met with Daniel Ortega after the election and he wasn’t the Danny Ortega of the 1980s, that’s for sure.” Nicaragua is one of the key growth markets in Latin America outside Mexico for U.S.-based First American Title Insurance Company.  “The market has not slowed down as people seem to be optimistic about Ortega staying the course when it comes to investments in...
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