July 04, 2009

Nicaragua makes it even easier to retire here

Nicaragua already boasts some of the best retirement and investor incentives in Central America. The global economic crisis is encouraging it to get even more generous.

Nicaragua's tourism agency announced new changes to residency laws that will make it easier for foreigners to retire and establish residency here:

• The tax exemption will be increased to $25,000.00 for cars (from $10,000), and the car can be changed every 4 years (instead of 5 years).

• The tax exemption increases to $ 20,000.00 for household goods (from $10,000.00).

• The age to apply will be 45, but if the applicant proves stable income there's no minimum.

• The law will be clear in order to accept the Naturalization Certificate instead of the Birth Certificate, i.e.: an American citizen who was born in Hong Kong or any other country will be able to submit his/her Naturalization Certificate.

• There will be an exemption from sales taxes on car rentals and home construction materials up to the first $50,000.00.

June 13, 2009

New Costal Law Brings Peace of Mind and Big Boost to Nicaraguan Beachfront

Nicaragua has passed a new coastal law that brings a new level of clarity, security and stability to owning real estate here that will delight many beachfront property owners -- and those who'd like to be beachfront property owners. Click this link for more details on how serenity has been brought to the Nicaraguan beachfront property market. Even more details here, including the "nitty-gritty," from development guru Raul Calvet and reaction from key players. This is very good news for Nicaragua and those interested in investing here. It reinforces a basic point we've made before: Nicaragua has every interest in promoting investment here and promoting itself as a destination for foreign investment.

April 15, 2009

Downsize your budget without downsizing your life

USA Today reports yet another recession survival story about Americans coping with the severe economic slump.

But you don't have to become a hermit, or live like the Unabomber, to dramatically cut your living costs. You don't have to downsize your life to downsize your budget.

When buying their own house (or plantation) in Nicaragua, most couples here find they can live a comfortable middle-class life here for around $18,000 to $24,000 a year (including maid service and weekly trips to the movies, high-quality health care, restaurants and the mall). With a budget of $36,000 a year -- that's a modest Social Security check -- you're living in luxury (including live-in maid service).

Or you can choose to live without those things and live as simply as the Wojtowicz family and save even more  -- a lot more. And it's a lot easier to grow crop down here than in Michigan...

It's well past time to Discover Serenity.

April 01, 2009

"Recession gardens" sprout in the U.S....why not buy a plantation?

CNN reports that "recession gardens" are sprouting across the U.S. as people try to reduce their food costs by planting fruits and vegetables in their own backyards. Why grow a "recession garden" when you can have a plantation? If you really want to reduce your living costs -- not just food costs but your entire cost of living -- it's much easier to do that here than in the U.S.

For one thing, land is generally cheaper down here. Also, in areas with perfect 'Goldilocks' climates and rich soil like Matagalpa and Jinotega, the land is incredibly fertile and varied in the fruits and vegetables it can produce, everything from oranges, mangoes and pineapples to avocados, onions and potatoes. The joke around here is, drop anything into the ground and it'll blossom. Also, labor -- including caretakers and gardeners -- is very affordable, to put it mildly.

Living down here, you get all that that along with many of the creature comforts you're used to back home, including high-speed internet, satellite TV, U.S.-style movie theaters and malls not that far away and, increasingly, well paved roads.

Discover a new way of life.
Discover Serenity.

March 03, 2009

Update on Coastal Law

From the Facebook page of top development consultant Raul Calvet (also see Calvet Report):

This morning we met with the President of the President of the Legislative Municipal Commission to discuss the last issues of the long awaited Coastal Law of Nicaragua.

After a previous discussion the night before, we are still arguing about the benefits of keeping the actual setback in 30 meters from the high tide as it is now. Calvet has always defended the position that Nicaragua needs to reinforce its credibility and that passing a law that changes the rules at this point will not help the tourism and real estate industry.

Calvet’s position is also the firm opinion of all the developers and investors working in the country. Legislators opposing to the 30 meter setback are pushing for a 50 meters setback like in Costa Rica, expanding the public area of beach areas. Calvet and the investors argue that there are too many projects being developed at this moment using the 30 meter setback as a starting point for their designs and changing the ruling will cause more problems than benefits.

It seems that advocates of the 50meters are more motivated by populist interests than any technical or even practical reason. The fight for the Coastal Law has been going for the past four years; and it seems that now it is close to an end with the approval of the law in April or June.

Hopefully the law will be a good one. Calvet, ANID, Canatur and many other investors have been working together for all these years with the objective of passing a law that improve Nicaragua’s investment environment and that will help the coastal communities as well.

December 22, 2008

New 40MW wind farm to start operations in January

Latin America Herald Tribune reports:

[Nicaragua's] first wind farm -- by US-Nicaraguan company -- will produce 40 megawatts of electricity.

MANAGUA -- The first wind farm for producing 40 megawatts of electricity, built at a cost of $95 million in southern Nicaragua, will start operations on Jan. 4, an executive of Amayo, the company that owns the project, announced Saturday.

The local press reported Saturday that 18 of the 19 wind turbines 100 meters (328 feet) tall of the facility are already completely installed in the province of Rivas, 128 kilometers (80 miles) south of Managua, according to Amayo manager Sean Porter.

[...]

Each of these wind turbines produces 2.1 megawatts, Porter said, adding that the 40 megawatts that they will produce together will be connected to the national grid on Jan. 4, and will provide service for 325,000 homes that consume an average of 150 kilowatts per month.

According to Porter, the cost of generating electricity with wind is 8.6 cents of a dollar per kilowatt, while with petroleum derivatives it is 18 cents.


This news is just the latest sign of things to come as Nicaragua, along with much of the rest of the world, expands its use of alternative energy and reduces its dependence on foreign oil.

More power to you, Nicaragua.

December 20, 2008

How Investors Should Navigate Nicaragua's Choppy Political Waters

A shortened version of this article was previously published on NuWireInvestor.com and will also appear in a forthcoming book on Living & Investing in Nicaragua. This is the original draft.

How To Hedge Against -- and Profit from – President Ortega
How to navigate Nicaragua's current political storm...and be positioned to profit


An 2007 economic analysis performed for Agora Financial found that real estate prices in Nicaragua were 68% below the average price of real estate in countries with similar economic policy conditions. Put another way, Nicaragua was available at 32% of the average price of its peer group. Put yet another way, prices here would have to at least triple to reach the average of Nicaragua's peers.

The analysis looked at two variables:

1) The 2007 Wall Street Journal/Heritage Foundation Index of Economic Freedom, which ranks countries based on the extent to which they offer what investors seek: secure property rights;
a low tax burden; price stability; freer trade; flexible labor laws; reasonable regulation; low corruption and a positive business climate overall.

2) per capita income (in U.S. dollars) as a general gauge of a country's "price" level (including its real estate prices).

The analysis collected both series of data for 140 countries, displayed them on a simple scatterplot chart and generated a trend line. The Economic Freedom Index rankings run left to right, along the x-axis, and per capita income runs bottom to top, along the y-axis.

Countries above the line are generally “overvalued” on the whole. Countries below the line are “undervalued.” In other words, countries below the trend line offer more economic and business
freedom for the buck than countries above the trend line.

Nicaragua, 68% below the trend line, is circled, along with Panama and Costa Rica. By this simple measure, Nicaragua in 2007 was the best value in Central America. For all of Latin America, it was
second only to Chile, which is a lot farther away from the U.S. (a 8-hour direct flight from Miami versus 2 1/2 hours for Nicaragua).

Mind you, this is a preliminary filter that does not control for all country characteristics that can affect property values, but it's a compelling initial filter.

These results jibe with other assessments that find Nicaragua to be less than 1/5th the price of nearby beachfront in southern neighbor Costa Rica. According to the Global Property Guide, the best one
can hope to get for a prime beachfront lot with a house on it these days, in the Caribbean, is currently $1,300 to $1,500 per square meter in places like Jamaica, Aruba and the Dominican Republic.

But Nicaragua's Caribbean Corn Islands offer the same white sand beaches and clear, blue and turquoise waters for less than $20 per square meter, not far from the island airport.

In other words, Nicaragua's “price” was already heavily discounted for political risk even before Ortega returned.

Second: Get Informed on Politics

Ortega relishes incendiary diatribes his far-left supporters enjoy gobbling up, his far-right opponents love to hate and business people bemoan. But what forward-looking investors should focus on are his actions, not words, as well as facts on the ground that greatly constrain both Ortega's desires and his actions.

You can establish this by reading Wikipedia entries on Nicaragua and her politics and by following expat English publications such as the NicaTimes and local dailies such as La Prensa and Nuevo Dario, which can be computer translated through Google Translate. For those on a busy schedule, order up comprehensive automated weekly e-mail update of all mentions of Nicaragua with Google News alerts.

In doing this over the past year, you would have known or learned that Ortega has been a minority president since he returned to the presidency in January 2007, and that he didn't win the 2007 presidential election... the opposition lost it by splitting the vote among multiple candidates. That allowed Ortega to eke past constitutional minimums and “win” with only 38% of the vote.

You'd also learn that Ortega has even less support now then he did after the election: La Prensa reported last month that Ortega's ratings sank to an all-time low of 21% this summer. He faces a growing opposition on a number of significant issues, emboldened by more than 15 years of democratic institution building.

By visiting sources such as Nica Times as well as the World Bank, you'd also learn how much Nicaragua's financial dependence limits the president's freedom of action. The Nica Times reported last month that the European Union alone ponies up a whopping 30% of the federal budget. This is the latest statistic to cement the reality that Nicaragua will never receive as much support as it does from the U.S. and E.U. – in trade, aid and private investment – over such a prolonged period from countries such as Venezuela or Iran, whose dysfunctional, third-world economies are struggling, at best (which you can also see with a simple Google search).

Ortega talks trash to appease his base (the dirt poor), but has not made radical economic policy moves. The World Bank, International Monetary Fund and U.S. Millennial Challenge Account continue to maintain condition-based financial support based on their rigid reform-minded policy criteria (update: the Millenial Challenge Account recently suspended support pending resolution of the disputed municipal elections). This is a virtual seal of approval you can monitor on an ongoing basis by setting up Google Alerts with keywords for “IMF and Nicaragua”, “World Bank and Nicaragua”, etc. One of my Google Alerts picked up the following with my IMF alert a few weeks ago:

"There has also been significant progress in the implementation of the structural reform agenda,” said the IMF's mission director Luis Cubeddu in his latest report. “The government has continued working on an action plan to strengthen public financial management.”

Investors generally react quickly – and violently – to an adverse change or even the risk of a possible adverse change in the future, so that's also a helpful indicator to watch. You can check on this site to monitor the country's exchange rate for any violent shakes. It hasn't shown many since Ortega took office. The managed devaluation of the Nicaraguan cordoba against the dollar has been continuous and steady for the most part.

Third: Watch the Political Calendar

Ortega opened a window of opportunity for smart, forward-looking investors with a five- to ten-year time horizon to get in “before the herd”, before the end of his term potentially unleashes pent-up demand and a resumption of the boom that preceded him.

In that sense, Nicaragua may now represent the kind of business opportunity Ireland did when it was an economic basket case in the 1980's; that Argentina did during its peso crisis in 2001; that Eastern Europe, reeling from the end of Communism, represented in the early 1990's and that Nicaragua itself represented in the early 1990's after the end of the Sandinista's communist rule. Each of these periods eventually gave way to fantastic booms. The current situation is nowhere near as dire as those pre-boom case studies [and unlike the many Wall Street gurus who pretended to be fortune tellers, we are not] but the past is instructive, providing perspective on the possibility of a significant rebound.

That's why it's important to keep an eye on the political calendar through the news sources and Google Alert functions mentioned above. In November, the country has its municipal elections – most equivalent politically to the midyear elections in the U.S. They will provide an early hard indicator of Ortega and the Sandinistas political fortunes. Later come the presidential elections in 2011, when Ortega's current five-year term ends. Few expect him to win. The big question rather is whether the opposition will get its act together and unify to prevent a repeat of its self-inflicted loss in 2006.

Fourth: Aim Low, Think Trojan Horse

When balancing whether or not to go into the water, stick a few toes in first. In the case of Nicaragua, where investors face the question of whether or not to get in, hedge. Consider getting your foot in the door with modest, low-hassle investments that you can build upon later. There are many ways to limit an ambitious investment in Nicaragua to below $200,000 – well below.

That can mean buying raw land that can be improved upon later as opposed to buying property with constructions on it (like a home or other building), or buying fixer-uppers that can be renovated later as opposed to buying a perfect move-in Spanish colonial, or focusing on high-value areas off most people's radar screens on the path of progress (such as Leon, Matagalpa and The Corn Islands) rather than today's relatively high-priced hotspots such as Granada and San Juan Del Sur.

The unrelenting focus should be on location – on well located, high-value properties not yet fully discovered, but solidly on the path of progress, including new roads. Consider that it's often land, not what sits upon it, that is usually the part of a property that appreciates the most during a property boom. Once you have the land, you've already got a lock on the part of a real estate investment that appreciates the most in a boom.

This way, you can keep your financial commitment low, but be in a position to expand that investment if and when the political climate improves, without being exposed to future appreciation. In other words, see your investment as a Trojan horse and insulate yourself from future property price increases.

Small investments are less likely to be affected by a downturn. From this perspective, it can be big developments and big investments that face the biggest risks. You should only be paying so much for property here. You shouldn't be paying more than, say, $250,000 for any residential property here, just because it's pretty, unless it is exceptional in size, quality, material or some mix of these and other amenities.

Fifth: Buy An Umbrella

There are numerous ways to hedge and minimize your financial exposure to a political or economic rainy day.

Property purchase agreements (promesa de ventas) can be drafted to include conditions mutually acceptable to the buyer and seller such as due-diligence periods of up to 6 months. You could theoretically include conditions tied to the outcome of the upcoming November elections. Besides banks, many sellers are open to seller financing or installment payments that can stretch out your commitment and minimize your risk.

First American Title insurance can be obtained to ensure your title and bolster your legal claim to the property in the event of a legal challenge. It also helps to use a full-service agency such as Serenity of Nicaragua that offers before- and after-market services extending beyond conventional realty, including services such as title research, orientation and settlement services, project monitoring and assistance with accessing government tax incentives.

By taking this approach and these and other steps, you can substantially reduce -- if not eliminate – your financial exposure to any downside political risk and put yourself in a more secure position to profit from any potential post-Ortega takeoff in the market.

Conclusion

Recent developments in Nicaragua and beyond Nicaragua remind us that the norms of equal rights, free markets, due process, the rule of law and a sober judiciary -- things Americans may even be no longer able to take for granted in the U.S. -- are a long way from being fully entrenched abroad at the very time they might be needed most.

But mitigating against this is the fact that, over the long run at least, human beings tend to do what's in their best interests so the incentives to reform and progress are everywhere, including Nicaragua.

The fact is, Nicaragua was being heralded widely -- globally -- as the “next Costa Rica” and the “next Panama” in the world press before Daniel Ortega's presidential victory earlier this year. It's still getting praised in tourism articles across the U.S. and across the world. As real estate prices have escalated in both Costa Rica and Panama, as baby boomers continue to seek warmer, cheaper, "old world" locales outside North America and Western Europe and as Ortega approaches the end of his five-year presidential term, there's a serious possibility this will happen again.

Again, we are not fortune tellers and have no idea what will happen next. We can only say that time and time again, with real estate and other investments, it's been proven that the real money isn't made in a safe and already discovered bet, but in an uncertain and undiscovered bet before it becomes a solid bet and gets the attention of the herd. It's that thought that should be foremost on investors minds as they consider any kind of investment anywhere.

Accordingly, Nicaragua offers a window of opportunity, unique in today's Central America, to get in at or very close to the ground floor, and by taking the steps mentioned above you can insulate yourself to some extent from the possibilit that the ground floor may turn out to be a trap door.

October 11, 2008

To North Americans and Europeans Seeking a More Secure Retirement...

Our hearts go out to retirees and near-retirees who, over the past year, and especially over the past two weeks, have seen their retirement plans devastated through no fault of their own.

These are unnerving times. Even putting aside the current chaos on Wall Street, the global bailout is truly a case of the bankrupt bailing out the near-broke: One of the biggest financial threats facing all Americans is the U.S. government itself....

The federal government is now more than an estimated $90 trillion short (and rising) in meeting its future obligations for Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and other entitlements (Dallas Federal Reserve: Storms on the Horizon, March 2008). That dwarfs Wall Street's massive failings. Forget your broker or your bank. It's Uncle Sam you should be most worried about, and he's not alone. Many U.S. states are also staring at gaping shortfalls in their pension plans. This is at a time when the U.S. faces multiple external and internal security threats that could prove very costly to deal with in the future, from Iran to North Korea, from terrorism to the environment.

America's financial black hole (or rather, red hole) is the cumulative result of decades of short-term thinking and "me-first" misgovernment in D.C. and state capitols across the country that has left these "authorities" dangerously underprepared for what might lie ahead.

Many Americans instinctively know this and are turned off by politicians at all levels of government in the U.S. -- state, federal and local. And it isn't just the U.S. Many people worldwide, including Western Europeans, have lost faith in the capacity of their own governments to meet basic obligations and responsibilities, confront serious long-term financial, social, environmental and security challenges and make the tough, responsible choices we used to expect of adults.

They've grown tired of the unending parade of incompetents and self-serving opportunists who spend more time looking out for their own short-term interests or the interests of their families, their parties and favored interest groups, than looking out for the long-term well-being of the general public they pledged to serve.

Our message to all of you, whoever you are, wherever you are and whatever your political leanings: Don't look to someone else, much less a politician from any party. Take matters into your own hands. Empower yourself.

Do more to insulate your family, your life and your future retirement from the nonsense of bad government and bad policy. Get educated about other retirement options within and outside the U.S.

Consider Nicaragua where a couple can live comfortably on as little as $1500 a month in a country that blends the best of the Old World with the creature comforts of The New World.

The globe has become a smaller place. A massive virtual shopping mall of new lifestyle options is now more accessible than at any time in human history. New technologies have become powerful tools that make relocation much easier than in the past.

Serenity can help you build greater security against the chaos of today and the many big unknowns and disasters to come.

August 14, 2008

Nicaragua's Window of Opportunity (2)

A staff member was recently asked a question on an international forum about Nicaragua's investment climate. This was the excellent answer:

---------

According to a 2007 regression analysis of 150 countries using the Index of Economic Freedom (Heritage Foundation) and per-capita income (as a proxy for overall prices including real estate prices), Nicaragua is 68% undervalued. Basically, prices here are 32% of Nicaragua's peer-group average and would have to triple to reach “fair value.”

Nicaragua was globally heralded as the “next Costa Rica” and the “next Panama” before Daniel Ortega's presidential victory. It still gets praise in tourism articles across the U.S., Canada and Europe. Ortega (a minority president who won only 38% of the vote with current approval ratings below 22%) is a bit like what President Bush is to many in the U.S. – a black eye for his country's reputation, but not representative and increasingly marginal politically.

Ortega talks trash to appease his base (the dirt poor), but has not made radical economic policy moves. The World Bank, International Monetary Fund and U.S. Millennial Challenge Account continue to maintain condition-based financial support based on their rigid reform-minded policy criteria. This is a virtual seal of approval. Nicaragua is more dependent than ever on the U.S. and European Union -- most Nicaraguans know this.

The proximity and success of Costa Rica, Panama, Chile and Uruguay are, long-term, powerful examples to Nicaragua about the right way to bolster growth and job creation and reduce poverty. As real estate prices escalate in Costa Rica and Panama (the “California” and “Florida” of Central America); as baby boomers and entrepreneurs continue to seek more cheaper, virgin markets outside North America and Western Europe; and as Ortega approaches the end of his five-year presidential term (in 2011), Nicaragua will continue to attract investor attention.

Ortega has created apprehension, but investment interest remains intense, especially from Europeans and Canadians enjoying strong currencies, for whom the region is a bargain. Ortega opened a window of opportunity for smart, forward-looking investors with a five- to ten-year time horizon to get in “before the herd”, before the end of his term unleashes pent-up demand and a resumption of the boom that preceded him.

Nicaragua may now represent the kind of business opportunity Ireland did when it was an economic basket case in the 1980's; that Argentina did during its peso crisis in 2001; that Eastern Europe, reeling from the end of Communism, represented in the early 1990's and that Nicaragua itself represented in the early 1990's after the end of the Sandinista's communist rule. Each of these periods eventually gave way to fantastic booms.

Regarding the Atlantic coast: there are plans for a new Atlantic-Pacific Highway, a deepwater port in Monkey Point, expansion of the Bluefields airport to accommodate international flights and for expanded oil exploration, all of which will encourage infrastructure development. A note about a previous answer: Highway quality between the capital, major cities and ports is excellent, in many cases superior to Costa Rica and Panama. Major road-improvements are underway to better connect smaller towns. The airport is new, congestion-free and first-class (beats the heck out of Dulles, JFK or LAX).

Nicaragua is one of the most peaceful countries in Central America: moreso than the U.S. according to The Economist (UK)-sponsored Peace Index. Another big asset (amid global, current or pending resource shortages): its massive, varied, untapped supply of alternative energy and freshwater. The posted link provides more detail, original sources and independent commentary from across the professional spectrum, from people who've assessed the country thoroughly.

          

Links:

      

'Nuff said. Discover Serenity.

August 06, 2008

Solar power: major breakthroughs up ahead

Major breakthroughs are underway and up ahead in the world of solar power...breakthroughs that could substantially reduce if not eliminate our dependence on fossil fuels within as early as a decade...breakthroughs that could make living in Nicaragua even more appealing than it already is now. Nicaragua enjoys an unusual abundance and variety of untapped alternative energy, including solar.

Mitsolar2_2 Mitsolar_2

The Massachusetts Instituste of Technology reports on MIT Professor Marc Baldo's and MIT Professor Daniel Nocera's surprising work on new technologies to absorb and store solar power in a new way that could make solar power much more useful, much cheaper and a lot more practical.

Congratulations professors...is that a Nobel Prize we see up ahead?

July 25, 2008

New tourist maps of Leon & Matagalpa

The 2nd edition of Serenity's popular comprehensive tourist maps of Leon & Matagalpa are now out, including a number of new businesses and groups that have popped up in Matagalpa and Leon over the past year. You can find more details and links to the Leon map here and links to the Matagalpa map here. The high-resolution computer images are free. Enjoy!

LeonMatagmap2 






Discover Serenity.

July 12, 2008

Coastal Law: update

We were in Managua this week talking to several top lawyers and developer marketing consultants about the coastal law under consideration in the National Assembly. Among those we had very fruitful conversations with: top consultant Raul Calvet. We were told that, contrary to news reports last month, nothing significant is likely to happen on this front until next year, at best. Americans and other foreigners from other democracies may appreciate the reason we were repeatedly given: this is an election year, where politics, posturing and jockeying for position takes precedence over substantive policymaking. We'll continue to relay any new updates as we get them.

June 28, 2008

Cute (and we do mean cute) story from Corn Island

Canada's contender for Miss Universe 2008 is giving Corn Island a higher profile. Her Miss Universe video features her on Corn Island, a place she's fallen in love with. We believe this is just the beginning of the celebrity attention the islands will be getting over time, and (we expect) it will eventually mirror the experience of Costa Rica and Panama, especially if plans to open the islands to direct international flights come to fruition.

Missucanada


Miss Universe Canada in Corn Island (computer translated from Spanish)


Discover the Corn Islands...mon'.

June 22, 2008

AP: The Great Anxiety, The Great Unraveling

This Associated Press article summarizes better than anything we've read recently the extent of "The Great Unraveling" that appears to be taking place...

Associated Press: The Great Unraveling

He's one chart (click to magnify) illustrating the dramatic change for the worse world events have taken over the past few years:

Oilprice1947_5

....and it's not just about oil. This highlights why more Americans should consider other options they might not have considered before (see, among many other posts on this blog, such as "To Americans who want neither 'choice' " and "Matagalpa birdsong").



Source: WRTG Economics

We encourage you to read more of this blog and to visit our website.

There are other options. There is another way.
Discover Serenity.

June 20, 2008

Matagalpa bird song

This is the sort of birdsong residents wake up to in Matagalpa. If any of our dear readers is familiar with the name of this bird please let us know. Click the following link to hear beautiful birdsong:

Download birdsong-morning-matagalpa.MP3

Discover Serenity.

June 19, 2008

New Nicaraguan coastal law could be on its way

The typical real estate agency in Nicaragua is doing a disservice to its potential beachfront buyers by not informing them of uncertainties recently raised by the country's renewed consideration of a new coastal law governing development along its oceanfront.

As you might have noticed while navigating our website and blog...we're not the typical real estate agency.

Below are links to two articles we hope you'll find helpful, one from the Miami Herald and a follow-up piece by NuWire:

Miami Herald: Pending legislation on coastal land

NuWire: Nicaragua's Coastal Law

Serenity, as always, is available to consult clients on such policy issues and to refer you to top lawyers and political insiders who can provide more detail and analysis of these developments. In the immediate term, the wrangling over the potential new legislation adds uncertainty. In the long-term, it could offer much-needed clarification and settlement of property rights and terms for property development along the coast.

Any concrete developments from the government on this legislative front will be reported immediately on our website and to all of our clients considering beachfront property. Discover Serenity.

June 05, 2008

To Americans who want neither 'choice'...

These are unnerving times for many Americans disturbed by the possibility of either a "President McCain" or a "President Obama." Many Americans are dismayed by all options. Many have lost faith in government and in their own political parties. Many people worldwide, including Western Europeans, have lost faith in the capacity of their own governments to meet basic obligations and responsibilities, confront serious long-term financial, social, environmental and security challenges and make the responsible and difficult choices we used to expect of adults. They've grown tired of the unending parade of self-serving opportunists -- politicians and parties -- who spend more time looking out for their own short-term interests than for the well-being of the general public they pledged to serve. Our message to all of you, whoever you are, wherever you are and whatever your political leanings: Don't look to someone else. Take matters into your own hands. Empower yourself. Do more to insulate your family, your life and your future retirement from the nonsense of politics and misgovernance. Serenity has attractive options that can help you look out for yourself -- no matter who gets elected -- including options you might not have considered before. We can tell you about possibilities that can help you build greater security against the many big unknowns and great disasters to come. Consider this: a second home on a Central American beach, running partially on solar and wind, can be a pretty good hedge against the future nonsense. Vote for your Serenity in '08.

May 24, 2008

CNN: Nicaragua safer than U.S.

CNN reports that a global index of peace sponsored by the respected Economist Intelligence Group ranks Nicaragua safer than the U.S. On a peace scale of 1 (most peaceful) to 5 (most violent), Nicaragua is 1.92. It's highest sub-ratings are earned for its respect of human rights, very low odds of terrorist attacks and armed conflict, as well as treatment of foreigners and property rights. It's one thing to see numbers like that. It's another thing to experience the reality for yourself. In Leon, for example, female university students brag about how safe they feel walking the streets alone after a late Friday or Saturday night party. There is violent crime here and elsewhere in Nicaragua, as there is everywhere on this planet, but when it happens here, it's the talk of the neighborhood and the talk of the town, which highlights how rare it is when it happens -- and how special this place is. The comparisons are even more compelling when looking at specific Nicaraguan cities such as Leon versus specific U.S. cities such as Detroit, Boston, Los Angeles and New Orleans. Discover Serenity.

April 27, 2008

"The Thin New World"

The International Living publishing group deserves credit for this nice perspective on today's multi-faceted turmoil. What the author says about Mexico being a sanctuary from it goes even more for Nicaragua, the safest country in the region:

------------------------

"As oil prices rise, the costs of food production, processing, and transportation rise as well. Suddenly the connection between what we eat and how it’s grown, packaged, and delivered becomes painfully real...
The number of mouths to feed on the planet keeps multiplying without check, but corporate farmers are now eying the higher profit margins that come from filling gas tanks instead of stomachs. After all, we desperately need alternative fuels…look what the price of oil is doing to the cost of food!"       

What is Corporate Farming’s answer? Quit growing food all together...plant biofuel crops instead. After all what good is food if you can’t afford to drive your car to the store to get it?

      

As I write, food riots haven’t yet started in Asia, but  parts of Africa and the Caribbean are already  burning.

      

"I watch all this from my little corner of Mexico, where there hasn’t been a ripple yet, although everyone here is very sensitive to the price of corn. Corn is one of the Three Sisters of Latin American nutrition…the other two are beans and squash. When you put these three things together with some avocado, tomato, chili pepper, and a bit of chicken or goat, you have the basis for advanced civilization…the Three Sisters have made it possible for this part of the world to eat well despite largely marginal farmland since the time of the Maya Empire.

      

I don’t eat any more corn than I used to, but even if the price of corn goes to the moon, I figure I can still live here for about half what I lived on in the U.S. when I add up my savings on health care, electricity, and taxes. And since I live in a neighborhood with shops, stores, and restaurants, I can get almost everything I need within walking distance, so I’m not sweating the price of gas too much, either.

      

And spending less on all these things means I have more left  to spend on food, at whatever price.

      

For me, this makes my little corner of Mexico the perfect place from which to watch the modern world’s ongoing crackup…the war in the Middle East, the U.S. presidential election soap opera, the meltdown of the global credit shell game…and the coming of the Thin New World."

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March 28, 2008

The affordable Caribbean

Nicaragua offers the most affordable beachfront in Central America -- and the Caribbean. According to a recent article by the Global Property Guide, the best one can hope to get for a prime beachfront lot with a house on it these days is $1,300 to $1,500 per square meter in places like Jamaica, Aruba and the Dominican Republic.

They forgot Nicaragua's "ya-mon" Corn Islands, where we're offering tranquil beachfront within 10 minutes driving distance of downtown and the airport for much less. In fact, we're offering one parcel of 4.75 acres  with at least 20 meters of beachfront available for $14 per square meter. Add a $300,000 house to that and the per square meter cost rises to only $29 per square meter. Nuff said.

Discover Serenity...mon.

July 2009

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