Archive for the ‘Events’ Category

Announcing new dates for ‘Your Future Now’ property tours

We know that the actual process of buying real estate is fairly straightforward. But understanding how to leverage the current buyer’s market and cut great deals on exceptional properties is more difficult.

And that’s exactly what we do on our Your Future Now real estate tours.

Think of the tours as a road map to the best opportunities the country has to offer and an introduction to a brand new way of living.

In fact we’re so confident in the quality of the tour program and the amazing deals that we’ve unearthed, that we are pleased to cover all in-country expenses, with no obligation whatsoever. Learn more.

Our Your Future Now tours have been such a success that we’ve added a new date. The next tour will run 1-3 May 2009. Learn more about our real estate tours.

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Cutting great deals on exceptional properties

We know that the actual process of buying real estate in Nicaragua is fairly straightforward. But understanding how to leverage the current buyer’s market and cut great deals on exceptional properties is more difficult.

And that’s exactly what we will be doing on our Your Future Now real estate tours in March.

We’ve run the numbers, done the math, interviewed and ranked property developments across the country against 7 Opportunity Factors.  We’ve ensured that the tour only showcases market leaders with strong brands, delivering quality products that are already outperforming their competitors:

Learn more about our 7 Opportunity Factors and Your Future Now tours in March 2009.

Your Future Now will run on March 13-15, 2009 and again on March 20-22, 2009. If your preferred date is full, we’ll try our hardest to accommodate you on the alternative tour date.

No question, Your Future Now is a highly efficient way to get a handle on this market. And remember, we’re covering all on-the-ground expenses for three days. All you need to do is book your air ticket to Managua. We’ll take care of the rest.

Learn more.

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How to side-step the financial crisis

A select group of forward thinking investors and entrepreneurs are quietly expanding their horizons beyond the US.

A special event with Mike Young on January 17-18, 2009

You can’t have missed the headlines over the past few weeks “Citigroup to slash 52,000 jobs.” “Recession is going to be long and painful.” “US shares fall to five year low.” “US mortgage meltdown.” Things are turbulent out there, and the question on everyone’s lips is “How will this affect me?”

Well, one thing is clear, change is coming…

Are you on the offense or the defense?

A few weeks ago, we accompanied a couple from New England on a visit to the central Pacific coast of Nicaragua.   Their retirement assets are shrinking and they can no longer afford to relocate to Florida as planned. But they don’t want to give up on their dream of an oceanside, golf-front retirement home.  So they are out looking for an alternative, and thinking about expanding their horizons beyond US shores.

We showed them a range of beach front, ocean view and golf real estate opportunities at prices far below what you can find elsewhere in Central America, in a country where you can enjoy a cost of living up to 60% less than in the U.S.

Here’s what they found.

Join us on January 17-18, 2009 to learn more.

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Posted in Events, Golf resort | No Comments »

Brooke Rundle becomes Central America’s first eco-broker

Brooke Rundle, sales representative with Coldwell Banker Nicaragua, recently became the first accredited eco-broker in Central America under the program “Ecobroker International.”

Scoring another first for the region, she’s also been working hand-in-hand with developer Tim Kelly on building an Earthship - an innovative green home built almost entirely out of recycled materials.

A green real estate momentum is rapidly building here in Nicaragua.  Just last month, the Association of Nicaraguan Investors and Developers (ANID) hosted its first green real estate seminar in Managua.  The turnout was huge and the excitement contagious.

Reporter Blake Schmidt was at the event and wrote an article for the Nica Times on what he heard.  It was there that he met Brooke Rundle and learned about our green real estate tours showcasing the very best in green investment opportunities in the country.

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Posted in Events, Green real estate, Nicaragua in the news, San Juan del Sur, Social responsibility | 1 Comment »

Real estate at a fraction of the price

“Nicaragua is next in line for fractional real estate offerings after Costa Rica and Mexico” according to Scott A. Preston of law firm Ballard Spahr Andrews & Ingersoll, speaking at a recent event hosted by the Association of Nicaraguan Investors and Developers (ANID). 

Fractional real estate is broadly defined as vacation real estate sold in intervals of more than one week and less than whole ownership.  It sits alongside destination clubs, condo hotels, timeshare and private residence clubs on the spectrum of real estate models being used in the second home and vacation market. 

Despite being new to the market here, Nicaragua has an advantage over Mexico (where fractionals are booming) when it comes to the legal basis of fractional ownership.  With a simpler legal system and an environment where foreigners can own land with fee simple title, fractional offerings are set to flourish. 

Hassle free absentee landownership

For investors not equipped or not willing to be absentee landlords, fractionals offer a compelling proposition.  It is often not a matter of being unable to afford a vacation home, but a case of not wanting the hassle and expense of maintaining a home 52 weeks of the year when they are likely to occupy it only for two or three weeks each year.   

We know of a number of developers in Nicaragua planning fractional products.  All part of a wider trend towards mixed use offerings in the vacation real estate world. 

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Posted in Data, trends and statistics, Events | No Comments »

The great turtle race

We were invited by Steve Jackson, Our Man in Granada, to pick a turtle in the Great Turtle Race.  We have chosen Champiro and will be cheering her on as she swims from Costa Rica to the Galapagos Islands.

The race starts on Monday and we’ll link to updates on her progress.  What a great initiative to raise awareness for the plight of leatherback turtles. Here is a CNN article with more background - Great race is on for endangered turtles.

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Surfing in Nicaragua: Gaining International Recognition as the First National Circuit of Surfing Takes Place in Nicaragua

Nicaragua has been hosting surf contests for several years. Begun by Tom Eberley of Eberley surfboards, continued by local surfer Javier Baldovines, and now organized by Ricardo Morales, of Sands Surf Shop, the surf contests in Nicaragua are being taken to a whole new level. In 2006, I had the pleasure of representing Nicaragua womens surfing in an international event held in Esterillos, Costa Rica. Following the event, Ricardo Morales began organizing the first National Circuit for surf contests in Nicaragua, with the goal to compete internationally after this year’s first circuit. This years International Central American event is schedule to be help in Guatemala and will follow the same format as last year’s tournament in Costa Rica.

In each event there have been numerous advertisers/sponsors who help out with the event to make each contest possible. News of this last event in La Boquita was on the front page of La Prensa, El Nuevo Diaro sports page, and on the local and national radio stations as well. The event brochures and posters are distributed throughout Managua, San Juan del Sur, Rivas and all along the Coast. Surfing is quickly becoming one of the most popular sports in the country… Click here to view the article

The first event of the National Circuit was held at Playa Maderas, quite possibly Nicaragua’s most popular surfing beach. The second event was held in La Boquita. The next event is scheduled for March 10 and 11th and is located in Las Penitas, just outside of Leon. After that we take the games to Playa Santana, and the final event is scheduled to occur in Popoyo. We are very excited to see this sport gain national recognition in Nicaragua.  For property opportunites near a surf break, follow this link for surf real estate available in Nicaragua and, if you want to come on a surf vacation, check out our Surf Nicaragua vacation packages.  We’ll tailore the activities just for you.

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Posted in Events, Nicaragua in the news, San Juan del Sur, Surfing in Nicaragua, Tola and Popoyo | 4 Comments »

Poets flock to Granada to celebrate Nicaragua’s most popular art

Poetry is perhaps Nicaragua’s greatest passion and every year an International Poetry Festival is held in Granada.  This year’s celebration, currently taking place and running to February 11th, commemorates the 100th anniversary of the birth of Jose Colonel Utecho a famous national poet.

Over 40 poets from Latin America, US and Europe have arrived in Granada to perform poetry readings, lectures and musical performances from the steps of the San Francisco church (left).  The festival will not pass without numerous fond references to Ruben Dario (1867-1916), one of the most famous poets with writings in Spanish, widely considered the nation’s greatest son.

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Posted in Events, Granada | No Comments »