Six More Reasons Nicaragua Makes Sense Right Now

But, as I'm sure you'd agree, cheap property alone does not make a destination attractive. Yet beyond the real estate, Nicaragua has a tremendous amount to offer the would-be investor, retiree, beach-home shopper, or expatriate. In fact, here are six more reasons Nicaragua makes smart sense today… 

1. Extraordinary Natural Beauty and Diversity

You'll be positively wowed by the beauty of this nation. From its clear water lakes to its coffee-covered hills… from its secret beaches to its bustling capital city and colonial towns… You'll find yourself falling in love with the untouched feel of this place, the authenticity of its communities, and the jaw-dropping natural bounty Nicaragua offers. 

This small country -- it's not quite as big as New York -- gives you lakes; cool, coffee-clad mountains; old-growth forests with immense trees; lush, green rainforests; a dramatic, rocky coastline and cliffs enveloped in tropical forest; secret beaches, caves, and coves… There are volcanoes, crater lakes, and lagoons for exploring.  Primeval cloud forests harbor jaguars, howler monkeys, and striking birds like toucans, scarlet macaws, and legendary quetzals. 

You'll find here mangrove forests… turtle beaches… exotic marine life, like freshwater sharks… primeval jungles where endangered animals live and newly discovered plants thrive… And that's just the beginning… Nicaragua offers everything an eco- or adventure-tourist could possibly crave -- from world-class fishing and renowned surfing, to rainforest canopy tours and volcano skiing.

The sun shines here 320 days a year. And this nation is just a quick two-hour direct flight from Miami, Houston, or Atlanta.

2. Access to First World Comforts… at a Fraction the Price You're Used to Paying

Now, I don't want to paint an unreasonably rosy picture. I'll be frank: Nicaragua is a developing nation. And, as such, it lacks at times a certain polish, if you will. Not all the roads are paved -- and some are downright abysmal. A vast percentage of the population is poor, and that means they don't enjoy the creature comforts you're probably used to. 

Your cell phone isn't always going to work. There are truly remote spots here, and communication can be a problem sometimes. But things are changing in Nicaragua… and fast. And that's good for the local population as well as overseas investors and the expatriates who settle here… 

The staggering increase in tourism and business investment that Nicaragua has experienced in recent years has meant great positive change in Managua, the capital, for instance. Today you'll find there high-end luxury hotels, first-rate shopping malls with cine-plexes (just like you have at home), restaurants featuring not only the local flare but catering to international tastes as well. 

And these days many roads are wider, longer, and paved. The modern and newly enlarged international airport accommodates daily flights from Miami, Houston, Atlanta, and elsewhere in the world. You can rent a car from Hertz or Avis or another provider. 

And you'll find here a Costco and plenty of Home Depot-type stores... Point is: You have access in Nicaragua to all the same conveniences and luxuries you're used to at home… only they cost a small fraction of what you're accustomed to paying. 

3. Nicaragua is Politically Stable… and Safe

Nicaragua has enjoyed political stability for nearly 20 years now… it's come a long way since the days of the Iran-Contra Affair. The current president, Enrique Bolanos, is a businessman who has promoted free-market principles along with legislation assuring land-ownership rights for both foreigners and Nicaraguans.  And he's deeply committed to increasing the tourist dollars flowing into the country.

In fact, last year nearly three-quarters of a million tourists visited these shores. And with the increase in media attention that Nicaragua is enjoying, those numbers are likely to rise. Based on steadfast progress like that, in 2004 the IMF and the World Bank forgave Nicaragua’s $4.5 billion debt. 

Not only that, but with the country's commitment to "inward investment," new money has been made available for continued infrastructure improvements. As history has shown in Mexico and in Costa Rica… when you create the infrastructure… and market the nation… you can create a mecca for foreign retirees… There's something else about Nicaragua that may surprise you. Contrary to most people's assumptions about this country… it's safe. 

In fact, a recent study by the Inter-American Institute on Human Rights shows that Nicaragua is the safest country in Central America… and one of the safest countries in the world. A survey of police forces in the Americas in the same study cites that the crime rate in Nicaragua is lower than that in Germany, France, or the U.S.

4. The People are Warm and Welcoming

Nicaragua is the poorest country in Central America. Yet people here are rich in kindness and generous in spirit.  They’re eager to help… offering a smile and an a la orden -- at your service -- to visitors.  Nicaraguans are generally a happy people. 

In my view, it may be the opportunities that bring you here… but it will be the people that have you falling in love with this country. 

Their warmth is infectious… and I think you'll understand what I mean once you're here and have had a chance to spend some time with locals and resident expatriates. I've been traveling here at least twice a year for the past ten years, and I have made long-lasting friendships I value greatly. I travel elsewhere in the region as well, of course… places I enjoy… but it's here that I've found a welcoming "second home," and I think you'd find the same.

5. Your Timing is Perfect… to Reap the Rewards in the "Next Costa Rica" 

Your timing is right on for an investment in Nicaragua. Twenty years ago, Costa Rica was a little-known Central American country with a highly dubious reputation as a banana republic with little to recommend it beyond its natural wonders. 

Fifteen years ago, a few hardy Americans began taking an interest in real estate there. Land was cheap, and word began to get out about the untamed wilderness, the beauty… and the affordability, too. Ten years ago, homes and resorts began to spring up in greater numbers -- and the trend continues unfettered. Costa Rica hired a U.S. marketing firm to promote itself, and tourism numbers there have soared. 

Today, a whopping 70,000 Americans call Costa Rica home. And it isn't so cheap anymore. In fact, as the New York Times reported this past February, "in the last few years, Guanacaste [on the northern, Pacific-coast of Costa Rica] has been transformed by a collection of hotels and real estate developments aimed at America's affluent baby boomers.”

"All up and down the coast, bulldozers are at work. Three major developments, including a project anchored by a Four Seasons hotel, are already selling luxury condominiums for $500,000 and up, and hundreds of smaller, more speculative endeavors are also breaking ground."

On Costa Rica's coastline sits a necklace of million-dollar homes. And some of them are a mere 45-minutes from Nicaragua… 

…along the very same coast… with the same dramatic and wild beauty… but in Nicaragua the prices are a tiny fraction of what you'd pay less than an hour south.

Nicaragua's Pacific coast is the hottest property market in Central America today. (Expats in Costa Rica know it, too. They're headed across the border in droves. Having experienced Costa Rica's prices, they know a good deal when they see one.)

The market in Nicaragua is appreciating rapidly… and maturing fast. But you can still get in and benefit big from that trend! 

6. The Number of Potential "Buyers" in Nicaragua is About to Explode

There's another important data point to consider when you weigh a potential investment in Nicaragua: The pool of potential buyers for property there is about to explode. Here's why… We already know that retirees seek warmer locales -- no need to look further than Florida or Arizona to prove that. 

And we know, too, that they also seek out more affordable places to live. Just take a gander at Costa Rica. Only Costa Rica isn't so affordable anymore. And so where are those warm-weather-affordable-living seekers going to go next? You got it: Nicaragua. 

And the thing is: A Baby Boomer turns 50 every 7.5 seconds. That pool of folks looking to stretch their retirement dollars outside the U.S. is poised to expand like never before. 

The people there waiting for them are going to reap the rewards.