Playa Hermosa Newsletter May 2012
Welcome to Playa Hermosa!
The Coming of Age in Playas del Coco?
Strangely enough, the photo above brings to mind how much this region has changed since 1997. An MMA (Mixed Martial Arts) event with International titles being disputed right here in little old Playas del Coco is a far cry from Coco's humble beginnings even as far back as 15 years ago.
Here is a quick comparison of how it was then and now:
1997 vs, 2012
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No Wine to be found in Grocery Store |
Gourmet Vintages from every corner
of the world
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One number in whole country for dial
up Comcast email service
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Up to 10 MB of high speed Internet
available to every home
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Cellular phone lines were like gold
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IPhone 4S available on every corner |
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No Movie Theater
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4 Plex Movies Theater with first run
movies in 3D
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No Marina
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World Class Marina Papagayo
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No Commercial Airlines serving
Liberia International Airport
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Over 100 flights weekly into Liberia
by over 10 international Airlines.
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No Fast Food Joints
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Burger King, Pizza Hut, McDonalds,
Subway, Papa Johns, etc.
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1 Supermarket with questionable
selection
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AutoMercado, Luperon, Coopecompro
Mega Super, etc. with selection to rival
any North American or European store
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No Bank
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3 Full Service Banks
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Bohio Bar, Sambukas on the beach
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All Buildings in the maritime zone
replaced by the Boardwalk
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No RE/MAX Offices
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3 RE/MAX Offices in the area with the
number one producing office in
Costa Rica RE/MAX Tres Amigos
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Some might say that all change is not good change. There is no doubt that the change has only just begun!! We can only hope most of it will be for the best.
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A number of people have asked me to provide information on issues like water in Playa Hermosa and news about future developments in the area.
Water - There is an ongoing effort in the Playa Hermosa, Playa Panama, Playas del Coco and Ocotal areas to upgrade the infrastructure and legally deliver more water to these areas. I have personally attended meetings put on in conjuction with the state water company (AYA), the state water authority (SENARA) and other institutions involved in the regulation and delivery of water in Costa Rica. Every one is in agreement that there is clear data that there is sufficient water to provide for current and future development. Every one is also in agreement that the delivery of water must be done to make sure that acquifers are not depleted nor contaminated. It is important to point out that Playas del Coco and Ocotal currently are working on a project to receive water from acquifers in Sardinal. This project seems to have been approved and in the final stages before the taps are open.
It is also important to note that currently Playa Panama and Playa Hermosa ( all the way to Los Altos del Cacique) receive water from the Playa Panama acquifer and that any issues surrounding the "Sardinal water issue" do not apply. The project to provide water to multi family projects in Playa Panama and Playa Hermosa is well on it's way to being implemented and the players involved have learned from the mistakes of Sardinal and will come out of it with a system that benefits both the local communities and the developers who wish to invest much needed capital into projects in the area.
Currently in Playa Hermosa and Playa Panama water hook ups (and building permits) are being approved for single family homes that are on already existing AYA water lines or in subdivisions with water systems already approved by AYA.
Developments - As many of you may have heard in recent years many of the large development projects have been put on hold or cancelled in the area. To have a definitive answer on whether on not a hotel is going to be built or project developed is tough to call with 100% certainty and I always rely on my eyes not my ears. I like to see physical construction activity that is backing up the words. On that note however there has been encouraging news of late with the Sol Melia Paradisus Resorts brand (click here to see details on this project) announcing they are going to develop a Paradisus Papagayo Bay on a beachfront property in the vicinity of the existing Occidental Allegro Papagayo. In addition, the newly opened RIU Hotel and Resort in nearby Playa Matapalo has announced they will build an additional 500 rooms that will be an upscale option to the exisiting all-inclusive concept.
The Cacique Costa Rica project between Playa Hermosa and Playas del Coco was put on hold but it is not for sale contrary to rumors and the current ownership is still very positive on the project and have been rumored to be starting in the next 18 months or so. The former Costa Blanca property that was to have a Regent hotel between Playa Hermosa and Playa Panama is rumored to be in the process of changing hands or at least ownership control and a couple of different high end hotel brands have been heard in connection with the project. In either case both properties are far too nice and have far too great an earning potential to stand fallow for long.
Property Sales in the first quarter have been very solid. Properties that are attractively priced are selling so Sellers looking to sell should be willing to negotiate. Click for a list of PROPERTIES FOR SALE
If you are considering selling your property email me for a free property evaluation at jessica@costaricadan.com
If you are new to Costa Rica and are starting your research, click on the link for a Buyer's Guide to Costa Rican Real Estate
Contact us for more information on available properties in Playa Hermosa and surrounding areas jessica@costaricadan.com
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