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Why Costa Rica? Why Right Now?
Reasons to Believe in the Value of SDP
Dear Friend of SDP -
It is no secret that we are in a tough real estate climate right now. The same problems that exist in the US market persist in Costa Rica as well. My outlook remains positive for both Costa Rica and Sierpe del Pacifico though...here is why. Just like in many US real estate markets, this time of general uncertainty has created tremendous buying opportunities for individuals still in a position to invest, and who recognize lasting pillars of value unique to Costa Rican real estate.
I started thinking about what factors set Costa Rica and more specifically Sierpe del Pacifico apart from the rest of the real estate market. After a conversation about this with my uncle Jay (partner in SDP) he passed along the fall issue of the Wharton Real Estate Review. For those of you that don't know, the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton school of Business real estate program has been ranked #1 in the nation by US News & World Report for the past 18 years. This most recent issue featured an article about the vacation home property market and, specifically, the development strategies and land attributes that will drive the market and capture consumer preferences in this current market decline. Here are a few reasons - all referenced by the Wharton Real Estate Review - why I think Costa Rica and SDP will drive and retain value.
Scarcity and Differentiation - "Scarcity and differentiation drive value more now than ever before.", "Scarcity and intimacy create value and hospitality in second home development."
Sierpe del Pacifico is a one of kind development in Costa Rica. Nowhere else in Costa Rica is one able to enjoy the best of the jungle, river and sea at the same time. The Sierpe River system stands alone in this regard.
"Coastal property is still hard to come by."
The Sierpe River is the only safe anchorage and full service port for the nearly 100 miles of coastline between Quepos and Puerto Jimenez. Boat slips alone at the new marina in Quepos start at $179,000.
Lifestyle and Cultural Components -"Successful development communities take advantage of their natural surroundings and the unique aspects of the land itself."
The surrounding environment is the cornerstone of value at Sierpe del Pacifico. We didn't change anything here. We just made it more accessible, comfortable, and easy to enjoy. Costa Rica as a country has a global reputation of being nature's playground. Strong national attitudes and regulations fostering environmental stewardship ensure that these unique environments will always be protected.
"Multi-dimensional and experiential amenities create a diversity of activities for a range of users, especially multi-generational families", "Innovative accommodations and diverse experiences are attracting buyers"
The sheer variety and quality of adventure activities that can be enjoyed by people of all ages in this part of Costa Rica is unique. When creating SDP, we wanted it to be a legacy property - a place its residents would gather with all generations of their families for years to come.
Environmental and Social responsibility - "Buyer preference for products with environmentally sustainable, socially responsible profiles during the last boom have continued....borne out by the notion, that at any price point, socially responsible and environmentally sustainable products will retain their value.", "Buyers want to feel good about their investments."
Through every step of the development process we've contemplated what the environmental and social costs are for the complete life-cycle of Sierpe del Pacifico. We're confident that the result is a project that will make a positive ecological, economic, and social contribution to the Sierpe River community.
Two years ago when I hiked the SDP property for the first time - well before we had walking trails, a boat dock, or a deluxe cabina on the property - I immediately felt the tranquility, adventure and natural beauty of this land. Two years later that hasn't changed. Despite the current decline of the real estate market, I am confident that these qualities inherent in SDP will continue to make it a lasting value.
Pura Vida, Feliz Navidad y Ano Nuevo
- Cassidy Scheer
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November Fishing Report
November 14th
Every corporate group has its team building exercises and corporate retreats, right?.... Well here at Sierpe del Pacifico we believe that those who work together will do so in a more engaging and productive manner if they fish and laugh together on the side. With that in mind, myself, SDP operations manager Guillermo, SDP builder Marc and operations assistant Gehovanny headed off-shore for the day. We didn't find the big mother lode of dorado that we had hoped for, but we did get a few nice ones to add to a mixed bag of red snapper, yellowfin tuna and albacore tuna. All around it was a great day of fishing spent with great people.
November 15th
A week or so before I left the US for this most recent visit to Costa Rica, I received an email from a college friend, Ryan, who was traveling through Central America for a couple of months. I invited Ryan and his girlfriend to spend a couple of nights at SDP and join me for a day out on the water. The three of us headed out in my friend Trevor's boat, along with his associate Jake. Spending time on the water with friends and catching half a dozen amberjack and half a dozen tuna made for a pretty good day. Letting the local Italian restaurant prepare us a 7 course dinner with our fresh fish made for an equally exceptional evening!
November 21st
My friends Matt and Erica of Finca Bella Vista - a tree house development in nearby Piedras Blancas - came down for a day on the water with me. Dorado are my favorite fish to catch here in Costa Rica, so with reports of lots of fish just south of the Llorona Bank we had our game plan for the day. After picking them up at the Sierpe del Pacifico dock, where they had spent the previous night we made the 25 mile run south along the coast to a rock in 200 feet of water that holds lots of amberjack, snapper and tuna. In 45 minutes of jigging we had several of each in the boat with Matt bagging an AJ that went a good 50 lbs. While trolling a couple of hourss later we came across a floating piece of rope holding a lot of bait and 100+ good sized dorado underneath it. Within the next hour we had 6 big ones on ice, all of which were caught on lighter tackle casting from the boat. Shortly thereafter a school of dolphins moved in and scared off the fish, but by that time we had a full fish box so we headed back to the docks in town to filet our catch and enjoy some ice cold cervesas!
November 22nd
SDP builder Marc Leroux and I headed out to the Foruno bank with our friend Dede who is a very experienced fishing captain in the area. Our goal was to troll for some dorado and then jig for some grouper and snapper. Nothing really was coming together for us at Foruno so we headed to the Diablo reef to jig. Dede promptly caught a 60lb. amberjack and I pulled the hook on one that was surely larger. With the onset of the cooler afternoon hours we moved to the Paraiso reef to cast topwater plugs for red snapper. I consider this to be the most exciting way to fish here in Costa Rica...much akin to musky fishing back in Wisconsin. The action got hot and heavy right away as I had 7 big mullet snapper chasing down my popper on my very first cast. This good action continued for the next two hours with myself going 3 for 6 on mullet snapper up to 25 lbs. and Dede catching a cubrera snapper in the neighborhood of 50 lbs.
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 Cassidy's Best Value Lot:
The Cocoa Farm Properties As some of you may already know, in addition to our Sierpe del Pacfico offerings we have several other properties and projects either currently for sale or in various stages of development on the Sierpe river. Of these, the three lots available at a five lot project we call the Cocoa Farm are an exceptional value - combining all the best attributes of riverfront living with certain amenities not available at all Sierpe River properties.
Located just 1 mile upriver from the town of Sierpe by boat and 3 miles by car these three1.25 acre lots offer a great option for someone who requires access by motor vehicle or the comforts of unlimited electricity. All three sizable lots private and lushly forested with mature palms, hardwoods, and tropical fruit trees. The two lots available in the back of the property have views of the Costanera Fila and Talamanca mountain ranges, while the front property has nice views of the Rio Sierpe. All lots share communal use of a large boat dock connected to all properties by an internal access road. All lots are serviced by municipal water and have excellent cell phone coverage. The boat ride to the Pacific and all ocean related activities is just 35 minutes.
A great place to build both a primary or vacation residence on the Rio Sierpe!
2 mountain view lots available at $59,900
1 river view lot available at $89,900
Please email me at [email protected] to receive the current pricing list for all available Sierpe del Pacifico home sites. | |
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