Costa Rica Real Estate Property Awards Infrastructure Contract

On Oct. 20th, Hacienda Matapalo, the most sought after gated community on Costa Rica’s South Pacific Coast with more than $60 million in pre-construction sales, announced today they have awarded the contract for the infrastructure construction on their property.

"Today's announcement marks a significant milestone in our progress and moves us one step closer to fulfilling our vision of creating and delivering the absolute best residential community in Costa Rica," said Hacienda Matapalo Chief Executive Officer David Matluck.

The agreement – with one of Costa Rica’s largest and most respected builders – calls for the completion of Hacienda Matapalo’s grand entrance and the continuation of the infrastructure which connects the more than a square mile of forest, streams and mountains which are part of the 655 acre master planned, gated community.

Scheduled to recommence in November as the seasonal rains subside, the infrastructure construction phase will include: the entire water treatment facility, water delivery systems, electricity delivery systems, 11 kilometers of road and the lakes that add to the community’s beauty and serenity.

Once the roads and utilities are in place, owners will be able to take formal ownership of their home sites and begin building the home of their dreams.

"The pre-construction success we’ve experienced emphasizes people' desire to live and invest in a place of casual elegance surrounded by picturesque natural beauty," atluck explained. "Being able to offer ownership at pre-construction pricing has kept the project affordable and along with our location has made Hacienda Matapalo the most desired development in Costa Rica."

Hacienda Matapalo Executive Vice President Brian Albury, who has been at the forefront of the many architectural aspects of the project, said the breathtaking residential community boasts "an unrivaled collection of thoughtfully designed single-family homes and condominiums." The homes and condos are available with tropical / rainforest views, mountain views and "some of the most breathtaking ocean views in all of Costa Rica!"

"The comforting sounds of the breaking Pacific Ocean can be heard from even the first ridge of the property and all the way up and throughout the 665 acres," he said, trying to describe the experience. "The calls of exotic birds, decorated frogs and countless other incredible species that live in and around Hacienda Matapalo's 200-plus acres of private preserve and surrounding sanctuaries are also part of the intimate relationship with the natural environment."

Residents at Hacienda Matapalo will enjoy a resort-like lifestyle including a private beach club, equestrian center, community center and clubhouse featuring several winding and flowing infinity edge pools, tennis and basketball courts, multiple picnic and gathering areas and a fabulous playground. The natural wonders of Hacienda Matapalo include abundant waterfalls, bustling streams, lush forests, majestic mountains, tranquil lakes and access to 26 miles of virgin beach that was recently named the second-most eco-friendly beach in the world by CNN Travel and Mother Nature News.

In addition to the extraordinary lifestyle, residents will also benefit from many conveniences including gated security, rental and management services, concierge and maid services and a small retail center to support the community's grocery, restaurant, medical, and other basic necessities and conveniences.

The grand entrance is the doorway to Hacienda Matapalo and it's only fitting that it includes lush landscaping and water features that reflect the feel of the community and its proximity to the Pacific Ocean.

"Developing in a sustainable and 'Green' minded manner is and has been at the forefront in the design, engineering and planning of Hacienda Matapalo," said Albury. "Environmentally sensitive designs have been a consideration from the beginning and continue to improve as our team works closely with our architect, engineers and biologists."

Albury explained that the condos and homes have been designed to "blend with nature" and the use of native materials will "enhance the Hacienda Matapalo experience." The architecture is reflective of a Polynesian style and is designed by the renowned architect, Miguel Wong.

The community's close proximity to Manuel Antonio National Park, one of Costa Rica's prized sanctuaries, is just another reason why buyers have chosen Hacienda Matapalo. Owners will also enjoy some of the world's best fishing, surfing, diving and zip-lining. The recent completion of the new Pacific Coast Highway and the Autopistas del Sol Pacific Highway have made the drive from the International Airport in San Jose to Hacienda Matapalo a short and pleasant commute.

Additionally, the new full service Marina Pez Vela is now open and already home to an impressive fleet of vessels. And the new 80,000 square foot state-of-the-art Hospital de Osa is open, conveniently located just a short drive down the coast from Hacienda Matapalo.

With Hacienda Matapalo reaching its pre-construction sales goal in record time – which is quite a statement in today's real estate and finance environment – they will soon be releasing an updated pricing schedule that will coincide with the resumption of the infrastructure construction.

Pegasus Star Limitada, the Costa Rican developer with American partners, has systematically and strategically built a team of professionals from amongst the most elite the country has to offer. No doubt, Hacienda Matapalo will be a Costa Rican landmark known throughout the country and the world.

To learn more about Hacienda Matapalo, visit their Web site at http://www.haciendamatapalo.com.

Investment Confidence Sparks Renewed Interest in Costa Rica Property; Chinchilla interviewed by CNN

Following the recent announcements that indicated consumer confidence in Costa Rica as an investment option has strengthened, Hacienda Matapalo, the most sought after property on Costa Rica’s South Pacific Coast, has seen a dramatic increase in inquiries.

Last month, when Moody’s Investors Service announced that Costa Rica’s credit rating had been upgraded from speculative to stable, Costa Rican President Laura Chinchilla said the country would take advantage of the investment-grade credit rating to sell bonds, citing economic growth as companies make investments in the country.

However, Hacienda Matapalo Executive Vice President Brian Albury said that news of the upgrade has had a near immediate impact on Costa Rica’s South Pacific Coast, as investors who had previously been skeptical about buying into the market are no longer hesitating to make the commitment.

“We’ve seen an unusual jump in the number of investment inquiries about our property,” said Albury. “And that has resulted in additional sales.” But the big surprise is, according to Albury, that in addition to the traditional inquiries about buying for the purpose of owning a primary home, secondary home, or home after retirement, a lot of people are asking about availabilities from an investment perspective.

“We’ve always had people wanting to invest,” he said, “but lately it seems that the vast majority of those interested in buying a home or a condo want to go the non-traditional route, meaning they want to purchase the property as an investment in their future.”

Hacienda Matapalo, which is still in its pre-construction phase, has surpassed more than $60 million in sales and had previously been selected by the popular Web site Top Ten Real Estate Deals as one of the best real estate deals on the market.

“While we’d like to take all the credit for this newfound excitement, we can’t,” said Albury. “But part of the allure to invest with us in addition to our property’s configuration and unique architectural designs and our amenities, is how Costa Rica compares to its neighbors.”

On Wednesday, October 13, Albury will present a no-holds-barred look at Costa Rica, comparing it to neighbors Nicaragua, Guatemala, Panama, Mexico and other locations in order to see if it is really the best place for purchasing and investing in real estate.

The Web-based seminar, which is free and open to the public, will examine various locations throughout Latin America on a variety of topics ranging from political and financial structures to the quality of life and the people who live there.

Albury said the goal of the eSeminar will be to correct the misconceptions about the region and to provide people with information on the various countries that is both accurate and unbiased. “People need the correct information so they can make intelligent decisions that are in their own best interests,” he explained.

The free eSeminar is scheduled for a 6 p.m. Eastern Time start and may be registered for here.

To learn more about Costa Rica and Hacienda Matapalo, visit haciendamatapalo.com

Meanwhile, Costa Rica President Laura Chinchilla recently spoke with CNN's Rick Sanchez about the democratic and economic challenges facing her country. You can view the video here.

Costa Rica Real Estate Project’s Beach Club Location Named One of the World’s Best Eco-Friendly Beaches

Despite the huge number of people around the world who head to the beach each summer to escape the cities in which they live, not every sandy landscape they visit is beautiful and pristine. In fact, irrespective of the number of beachgoers, many shorelines on the planet are littered with garbage and suffer from polluted waters. Sad but true.

However, there are some beaches that are so magnificent, they not only offer true refuge for travelers, but provide a sanctuary for wildlife as well. Recently CNN Travel and the Mother Nature Network identified the most spectacular, eco-friendly shorelines after searching the planet and, to no surprise, most of their top choices were on protected land or nearly impossible to reach.

One of those beaches, Playa Matapalo, Costa Rica, happens to be the location of where Hacienda Matapalo’s beach club will be located.

“I fell in love with Playa Matapalo the minute I saw it,” said Hacienda Matapalo’s Executive Vice President Brian Albury. “When we chose our location, we knew how special it was. Now the rest of the world knows too.”

Playa Matapalo was named as the number two eco-friendly beach in the world, behind only Whitehaven Beach in Whitsunday Islands, Australia. Some of the beaches it ranked in front of include: Hanauma Bay Nature Preserve, Oahu, Hawaii; Koh Libong, Trang Province, Thailand; Las Islas Cies, Galicia, Spain; and Sancho Bay, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil.

Although their cartography was a little off, as the article referenced the Osa Peninsula which is actually about an hour and a half south of Playa Matapalo Beach by car, it did collectively describe the two areas beautifully.

“Known as the lungs of the Earth,” the article stated, “the Osa Peninsula is blessed with a dense forest and a conservation-minded government. Half of the 500,000 species of flora and fauna located in Costa Rica can be found here. The area is also home to beautiful Playa Matapalo, a gray-sand beach popular with surfers that leads into the Portalon National Wildlife Refuge complete with a marine turtle protection project.”

“We knew that Playa Matapalo was one of the best beaches on the planet,” Albury said. “It has been a recipient of the prestigious Blue Flag more than once.”

Modeled after the Blue Flag program developed in Europe to identify the world's best beaches based upon ecological quality and visitor conveniences, Costa Rica has created its own Blue Flag program with strict objective rating standards involving water and beach qualities of cleanliness. Only those beaches obtaining a water and beach quality score of 90 or more (out of 100) are certified as Blue Flag.

The Blue Flag designation is a badge of honor and distinction.

The program's overall goal is environmental excellence, not just getting by. The environmental excellence bar is intentionally set high through the establishment of objective criteria. It involves the communities, from businesses to schools to local governments. There is an economic incentive to attain Blue Flag status, community pride at stake and an increasing awareness of how sensitive the oceans are.

“That was one of the reasons we specifically chose Playa Matapalo as the location for Hacienda Matapalo’s beach club,” Albury beamed. “It really doesn’t get any better than this.”

To learn more about Playa Matapalo and the Hacienda Matapalo Beach Club, visit HaciendaMatapalo.com.

Costa Rica Real Estate Project Recognized as a Top Ten Best Home Deal

Hacienda Matapalo, the best selling property in Costa Rica with more than $60 million in pre-construction sales, recently had another accolade added to its growing number of compliments: it was selected by the popular Web site Top Ten Real Estate Deals as one of the best real estate deals on the market.

Ranked seventh, Hacienda Matapalo was selected as the only non-U.S.-based property for the week of June 21, 2010 and was only the second property chosen from Costa Rica since the site launched in 2009.

"This is a big honor for us," said David Matluck, chief executive officer of Pegasus Star Limitada, the developer of Hacienda Matapalo. "It illustrates that the industry is recognizing what we have believed all along – that we are offering consumers a quality, environmentally-responsible development, at an affordable price. This selection is an affirmation of the fact that all of our efforts have gone into delivering the best possible investment value for our future homeowners."

The Top Ten Real Estate Deals Web site has been featured on a number of media outlets including CNBC, Yahoo!, Aol Home and a variety of local news outlets including such markets as San Francisco and Denver.

Each week the editors select The Top Ten Real Estate Deals by researching thousands of properties both in the United States and internationally and weighing various criteria in order to identify and showcase the very best deals available.

To learn more about Hacienda Matapalo, visit their Web site at haciendamatapalo.com.

In other news, Hacienda Matapalo recently announced it will be adding a new holistic wellness center to its development and it will be located within the confines of its gated community.

Because Costa Rica has become a primary destination for the world's growing medical tourism industry and considering out-of-pocket expenses for health care in Costa Rica are as much as 50% less than what they are in the U.S., the option for both traditional and holistic care in Costa Rica is not only viable but desirable.

On Thursday, July 15 from 6 to 7 p.m. Eastern Time, Hacienda Matapalo's Executive Vice President Brian Albury will be joined by renowned holistic medical expert Dr. Rashmi Gulati, the medical director of New York City's Patients Medical, as she will be talking about the benefits of holistic medicine including wellness programs, anti-aging and hormonal therapy that can add years to one's life.

Interested parties can register here.

Costa Rica Real Estate Project Takes a Holistic Approach to Health Care

Pegasus Star Limitada, the developers of Hacienda Matapalo – a gated community on Costa Rica’s South Pacific coast – has announced it will partner with the New York based Patients Medical, PC to establish a holistic wellness center that will be dedicated to helping its residents discover health and rediscover vitality.

"Because Costa Rica has long been identified as a place where people and nature reconnect, we recognized that some of our residents may want to take a holistic approach to health care above and beyond traditional medical care," said Pegasus Star CEO David Matluck of the announcement. "So, unlike the traditional medical clinic that we have planned for our commercial center, the new holistic wellness center will actually be part of our gated community."

"We are excited about this opportunity," added Patients Medical's Medical Director Dr. Rashmi Gulati (pictured above). "Our physicians will bring their multidisciplinary perspective of health and healing to Costa Rica, which has a rich history of this kind of approach. Educated in conventional medicine, our doctors discovered the power of holistic medicine and now balance the two approaches to improve a patient’s quality of life.”

With U.S. medical costs continuing to rise while the health care debate between politicians rages on, many Americans have begun looking toward Costa Rica as a viable health care alternative. And considering Costa Rica's out-of-pocket costs for health care are as much as 50% less than what they are in the U.S., the option is not only viable but desirable. Because of this, in addition to already being seen as an environmentally conscious nation, Costa Rica has become a primary destination for the world’s growing medical tourism industry for both traditional and holistic care. According to Health-Tourism.com, close to 150,000 foreign patients annually seek health care in Costa Rica. In a July 2009 Tico Times article about medical tourism in Costa Rica, estimates put as many as 15-20% of those who vacation in the country being there for medical tourism.

Even Deepak Chopra, the world-renowned authority in the field of mind-body healing, best-selling author and founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, Calif., has been looking at Costa Rica as a potential location for a future facility.

Established in 1974, Patients Medical focuses on the root causes of secondary medical conditions, integrating modern medicine, holistic practices and natural supplements to spark healing and prevent disease. Recently they invested more than $1 million and will continue to invest in their state-of-the-art treatment and testing equipment. Their treatment protocols have been developed, tested and proven effective, many for more than 35 years. Their exclusive protocols include treatments for heart disease, stroke, Parkinson's disease, autism, Lyme disease, thyroid conditions, menopause and many other secondary medical conditions.

Dr. Gulati has been noted and featured in three books penned by actress and author Suzanne Sommers, including a personal recommendation in the book Ageless: the Naked Truth about Bioidentical Hormones.

On Thursday, July 15, from 6 to 7 p.m. Eastern Time, Dr. Gulati will join Hacienda Matapalo Executive Vice President Brian Albury for a complimentary eSeminar, as she will talk about the benefits of holistic medicine including wellness programs, anti-aging and hormonal therapy that can add years to one's life. Interested parties may register here.

To learn more about Dr. Gulati and Patients Medical, visit their Web site.

To learn more about Hacienda Matapalo, visit their Web site.