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Introduction

When searching for your own personal paradise, it’s important to understand that there’s no magical location that’s perfect for everyone.

Your idea of paradise might involve digging your toes into the warm white sand of your own private beach, smiling, knowing that you’ve finally been able to escape the rat-race.

Or maybe paradise is having a cup of coffee at a cafe in the middle of a bustling square, in a city with a deep, rich energizing culture that you can’t help but soak in.

Given the subjective nature of tropical destinations, if you could explore all 57 of these locations for yourself, you’d no doubt rank these cities in a very different order than we have.  Your list might be slightly different according to your own personal tastes and interests, and that’s ok.

Our goal with this guide was not to establish a definitive, unquestionable ranking system for tropical destinations.  Rather we want to give you a well-rounded view of the various living experiences available to you in the Latin Tropics.

Our Rankings are Based on a Wide Range of Criteria

If you’re looking for lists citing the cheapest destinations, those offering the best authentic culture, or the ones with the best surfing, you can find those. However, we think it’s important to base your decision on where to live or invest on many different factors, not just one overriding characteristic.

Take cost of living for example.

The Latin Tropics are so much more than just a place to live cheaply and–if that is your only reason for moving here–don’t. You won’t be happy just because it costs less; you need to really want to live here and enjoy the lifestyle and everything that is part of it.

That being said, when ranking these cities we’ve taken into consideration a variety of factors. A few, but certainly not all, of those are:

  • General atmosphere – To whom will the city appeal?
  • Market stages – How developed is the area currently and how quickly is it growing?
  • Quality of life – What kind of lifestyle does the town provide?
  • Local laws and taxes – Are the area’s taxes and incentives friendly to foreigners/investors?
  • Natural beauty – What opportunities for enjoying nature abound in the area?
  • Community – How welcoming is the local and/or expat community?
  • Activities – What is there to do in the area?
  • Amenities – What modern conveniences and consumer options does it offer?
  • Investment potential – What sort of return might I get on my investment?
  • Accessibility – What does the city’s location add to its desirability?
  • Cost of living – What can I expect to spend for the lifestyle I desire?

Our picks reflect some combination of these qualities and how we think you, the reader, will value each place. We’ve ranked the cities in order of the ones we think will appeal to the highest number of individuals.

For example the #1 place, Nosara, Costa Rica, is where we think the biggest number of people would be happy. But that doesn’t mean that everyone would be happy there.

Key Component Scores

Affordability (4 of 10)
Real Estate Prediction Meter (90%)
Quality of Life (9/10)

We’ve also given each city “Key Component Scores” based on how it ranks in three categories that a lot of people find particularly important.

The Affordability meter represents the Cost of Living in each area.  The cheaper it is to live there, the higher the score.  Each destination also received a Quality of Life score between one and ten, where ten is the most satisfying.

The Real Estate Prediction Meter indicates the probability that land in a given area will appreciate in the next five years.  Destinations that score a ten are the ones we think are most likely to increase in value.

However, again, we suggest that you keep in mind what your particular needs and preferences are. If a high standard of living means everything to you, and price is no object, then you should place far greater emphasis on the Quality of Life score.

We Created This Book to Help Would-be Expats and Investors

The Latin tropics is an incredible region with an intriguing history. There are beautiful and pristine locations spread out through many different countries. As a result, whether you’re a would-be expat, investor, or just someone interested in exploring the area, it can be hard to narrow down your options to a single location.

There are a lot of resources available to those who are interested in living or investing down here.

But a lot of them are biased, inaccurate, or just flat out bad information designed by marketers trying to lure unsuspecting expats into buying into their developments under false pretenses. (Spoiler alert: If anyone tells you that you can move down and live a North American lifestyle for $500 per month, they’re LYING.)

Another huge problem with resources that expats use to learn about the Latin tropics is that most of them overlook the single biggest aspect that’s on the forefront of the minds of most would-be expats: real estate.

Not just arbitrary average home prices or estimated rental amounts, but actual tangible examples of what’s available in a particular area.

Not only are we real estate investors and developers, we also have the fastest growing real estate site in Latin America.

If a particular area interests you, then in most cases you’ll also have access to current listings that our partners have available. It’s the natural next step in your journey towards becoming an expat.

This Book is Only a Starting Point

When it comes to making important decisions about relocation and investment in the Latin Tropics, doing a bunch of research from your home country or even taking a few quick trips down on your own just won’t cut it.

There is simply no substitute for the expert advice of someone who has experience, not only living, but also investing in the Latin tropics.

And with over 20 years of combined experience, we’ve pretty much seen it all. We’ve learned a lot about the various Latin real estate markets, which (another spoiler alert) are about as different from those in North America as you can get.

We learned a lot of it the hard way. And we don’t want to see other expats make our same mistakes if we can help it.

You can’t base such a big decision, like where to live and invest, on the fact that International Living says it’s a top destination or because some writer on Huffington Post had a great time staying on a coffee plantation there.

You need to learn more about the real estate market and where the opportunities are. And there’s nobody better to help you.

We’re Putting Our Money Where Our Mouths Are

When we say these are the top 10 places you should live or invest in the Latin tropics, that isn’t just lip service.

We truly believe that these destinations offer an unparalleled quality of life and that they also represent incredible investment potential. As a result, we plan on investing in and creating projects in several of them.

We’re starting with our number one pick, Nosara, Costa Rica. And once our project is underway we’d love to have you join us by either buying a property or investing with us. If Costa Rica isn’t right for you, then we hope you’ll stay tuned for the next project to come down the pipe.

We help people like you get a GREAT deal on a GREAT piece of real estate in the tropics.

If you’re looking for your dream property, you may very well find it in one of our developments. If you’re an investor who’s scouting out the next up-and-coming destination, we can lead you to it.

Our main business is helping you get a great deal on a great piece of property.

To learn how that works, just reply to the email we sent you with the link to this book, or fill out the form below.

When you respond, let us know if you want more information about real estate in a specific area, if you’d like to learn how you can get a great deal on a property in one of our developments, or if you’re interested in investing with us.

It’s time to get excited about your search and prepare for a new adventure. And it all starts with this book.

Get In Touch With Us

Our main business is helping you get a GREAT deal on a GREAT piece of real estate.

That might mean an investment or your own piece of paradise. If you want to know how we can help you do that, just fill this form for details on our real estate or investment options.

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