All systems go as Costa Rica Real Estate project moves forward on construction

Hacienda Matapalo, the most sought after gated community on Costa Rica’s South Pacific Coast, has everything in line to move forward with its project as it transitions from its pre-construction to construction phase.

When the master planned development announced in October it would resume its infrastructure construction as the rains subsided, it did so with the knowledge that all their documentation was in order.

“In addition to waiting for the seasonal rains to subside, we had to make sure all of our permits were in order,” explained Hacienda Matapalo Executive Vice President Brian Albury. “Now that the ground can support the weight of heavy equipment and our Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI) has been approved by the government, we can proceed as planned.”

Because of the strict environmental and ecological protections that are in place in Costa Rica, in order for any master planned development to begin construction, their ESI must be approved. Once approved, construction permits such as D-1s and D-2s are given. An ESI is a composite index that tracks 21 elements of environmental sustainability covering natural resource endowments, past and present pollution levels, environmental management efforts, contributions to protecting common environmental resources and a capacity to improve environmental performance over time.

For Hacienda Matapalo its D-1 and D-2 – environmental evaluations permits for individual construction projects inside a master plan – were approved after being submitted to SETENA (Secretaria Tecnica Nacional Ambiental) according to the procedures that are outlined in the Manual of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of Costa Rica.

“This is an exciting time for us,” Albury noted, as he reflected on the long and drawn out process to achieve government compliance on a project of this magnitude. “As the first of several large machines have already begun to appear on the property to work on the infrastructure, we can finally see the realization of our planning coming to fruition.”

To learn more about Hacienda Matapalo, which has been committed to ensuring the ecological impact it will have will be minimal, visit http://www.haciendamatapalo.com.

Environment Paramount to Costa Rica Property’s Development

With all the environmental issues that have been brought to the forefront in Costa Rica recently, at least one gated community there is committed to ensuring the ecological impact it will have will be minimal.

Hacienda Matapalo, the most sought after gated community on Costa Rica’s South Pacific Coast, has remained in complete compliance with all of the environmental laws and regulations that are designed to protect the environment from any semblance of abuse.

"The recent news out of Costa Rica puts an exclamation mark on everything we have done from the very beginning," explained Hacienda Matapalo’s Executive Vice President Brian Albury. "Our goal from day one was to support sustainable development that guarantees that the South and Central Pacific Coast of Costa Rica remain pristine and free from any man-made harm."

In recent weeks news has been flowing out of Costa Rica concerning a variety of environmental issues. On November 9th the country's legislative assembly voted unanimously to ban all new open pit metal mining projects in the country. There has been a major crack down on illegal shark finning as the Ministry of Agriculture (MAG) and the Costa Rican Fisheries Institute closed private docks in Puntarenas on December 1st to foreign fishing vessels. And Randall Arauz, a key Costa Rican environmentalist, won Sweden’s prestigious Göteborg Award for 2010 for sustainable development.

"We needed to lead by example," Albury said, explaining how Hacienda Matapalo tasked key members of its development team with the sole purpose of implementing and maintaining extensive environmental stewardship before, during and after construction.

"It was and IS our goal to utilize the latest 'green' technology wherever possible without jeopardizing our commitment to deliver the highest standards to our homeowners. We believe that a balance and harmony with nature and our immediate environment will make Hacienda Matapalo a truly unique place to live."

As the property ramps up to resume its infrastructure construction with key strategic partner Su Casa Desarrollos de Vivienda S.A., the leading company of the Tu Hogar S.A. Real Estate Group, the management team at Hacienda Matapalo has made every effort to illustrate their ongoing commitment to the planet from sponsoring sea turtle protection programs to leading beach cleanup efforts to helping to replant the all important Costa Rica rainforests.

"One of the factors that has helped drive our efforts from the beginning to be a 'green,' low-impact development, is that our development is surrounded by a natural, lush rainforest," said Albury, adding, "not to mention a 125-plus acre dedicated nature preserve and 90 acre nature conservancy parcel."

The environmentally-conscious development will include an equestrian center, nature trails for hiking and horseback riding and even announced it will add a 500-plus foot treetop suspension bridge to its development that will stretch across a ravine along the property's nature preserve.

Some of Hacienda Matapalo's ongoing efforts include:

• Minimized clearing of the present land (dense forest to remain throughout constructed areas)
  
• A percentage ratio of 70:30 natural land to developed land (based on a total area of 665 acres)
  
• For every tree that must be removed, up to three trees will be planted as replacement
  
• There will be an onsite nursery
  
• There will be an onsite wastewater treatment plant
  
• Landscaping will consist of native species (reducing the need for water and fertilizer)
  
• Subterranean power and electrical lines will be used where feasible and strict safeguards will be in place to ensure above ground lines pose no threat to wildlife
  
• Recycling receptacles will be in place throughout the property, including an intensive recycling program
  
• Energy saving air-conditioning systems will be used
  
• A water agreement has been put into place to supply the nearby town of Hatillo with fresh drinking water
  
• Onsite lakes will serve as recession ponds, natural habitats and home for many native fish
  
• A biologist/naturalist with extensive knowledge of local flora and fauna will be on staff
  
• There will be ongoing communication and involvement with the homeowners and community (i.e. community awareness and social responsibility)
  
• Exploratory use of cutting-edge “green” technology will constantly be considered throughout development and construction
  

Albury pointed out that Hacienda Matapalo will utilize environmentally friendly goods for many of its external building materials including: use of concrete which contains post-consumer materials, siding and external finishes that contain post-consumer materials, low or no volatile organic compounds (VOC) finishes/paints/adhesives, sustainable and locally farmed woods and materials, pervious or permeable pavers/materials for walkways and parking, recycled materials for roofing and materials that drain well and do not hold moisture or heat.

In a relatively short period of time, Hacienda Matapalo has become Costa Rica's premier planned gated community thanks to both the knowledge of its executive team and due diligence as performed by its strategic legal, engineering and ecological partners. Unlike their competition, this extraordinary attention to detail has enabled the Hacienda Matapalo team to protect both its investment and investors and rewrite the standards by which successful communities in Costa Rica are planned.

"Our CEO David Matluck chalks up a lot of our success to long-term planning, extensive due diligence and proper engineering," Albury said of an upcoming article Matluck wrote for the development’s latest community newsletter. "And when you have a commitment to the environment like we do, you can expect nothing less."

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

Expats on the move: Establishing residency in Costa Rica

While health care debates, social security reform and higher taxes take center stage in Washington, D.C., more and more Americans seem to be seeking residency elsewhere in the world and the number one destination appears to be Costa Rica.

“We’ve seen a lot of passive inquiries about moving to Costa Rica and establishing residency there since starting our project,” commented Hacienda Matapalo Executive Vice President Brian Albury (pictured), whose company is building a 665-acre master planned gated community on the country’s South Pacific Coast. “But lately we’ve seen a dramatic upswing in serious interest – more so than any other time during this phase of our development.”

According to Christopher Howard, an authoritarian on Costa Rica and author of the recently released book "The New Golden Door To Retirement and Living in Costa Rica," there are more Americans living in Costa Rica per capita than any other country in the world. In an article on the Web site Costa Rica Outdoors, Howard wrote that Americans tend to feel more at home in Costa Rica than other Latin American country citing several reasons including health care, business opportunities, high yielding investments, tax breaks, real estate costs and security concerns.

Because of the increased interest in establishing residence in the land of Pura Vida, on Tuesday, December 14th, Albury will host an in depth Web-based seminar on what it's actually like to live in Costa Rica and establish residency there. Scheduled to start at 6 p.m. ET, but also available On-Demand, not only will Albury go over all the nuances of living in the Central American country from housing, transportation, communications and medical, but he will provide a real sense of what expats can expect when they choose to make the move there – something thousands of Americans and Canadians have already done.

“There is so much to know about establishing residency it can boggle the mind,” said Albury. “For example, just like in the U.S. where there are several types of residency statuses, the same holds true for Costa Rica and whether we’re talking about a pensionado (retiree), rentista (legal resident), inversionista (investor), vinculo (relation to citizen) or any other classification, each has its own set of criteria.”

To register for the December 14th eSeminar click here or visit http://haciendamatapalo.com for more details.

Hacienda Matapalo is Costa Rica’s most sought after project with more than $63 million in pre-construction sales. It is located between the cities of Quepos and Dominical and adjacent to the new Costanera Highway. In October they announced they had awarded their infrastructure construction contract as well as a strategic partnership with Su Casa Desarrollos de Vivienda S.A, the leading company of the Tu Hogar S.A. Real Estate Group.

Hacienda Matapalo introduces eSeminars On-Demand

Hacienda Matapalo, the most sought after gated community on Costa Rica’s South Pacific Coast with more than $60 million in pre-construction sales, recently launched a new technology that will give those interested in Costa Rica, access to information at their convenience.

The company recently introduced its new eSeminars On-Demand, which enables those who register for their monthly online seminars to watch them at any time.

“This will give users the flexibility of participating in our Web-based seminars when they are able to without the constraints of having to abide by a clock,” said Albury. “Whether they join us live or at four in the morning, the result is going to be the same – they will get the same useful information 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.”

Those who register for the eSeminars will not only get an access link to the live presentation, but the next morning they will be emailed a special link that will enable them to view the presentation at any time.

“So far the technology is working perfectly,” Albury said, explaining that nearly 400 Costa Rica enthusiasts signed up to participate for the inaugural seminar that was presented in the on-demand format. “It really underscores that people want to participate in our seminars as long as they have the time available. Our new format allows them to decide when it’s feasible for them to do so.”

The next presentation will be on Tuesday, December 14th at 6 p.m. ET as Albury gives an in depth overview on what it's actually like to live in Costa Rica and establish residency there. Not only will he go over all the nuances from housing, transportation, communications and medical, but Albury will provide a real sense of what expats can expect should they choose to make the move there – something thousands of Americans and Canadians have already done.

To register for the December 14th eSeminar click here or visit http://haciendamatapalo.com for more details.

Hacienda Matapalo Announces Strategic Partnership with Top Real Estate Company

Hacienda Matapalo, the most sought after gated community on Costa Rica’s South Pacific Coast with more than $60 million in pre-construction sales, recently announced that their strategic partner would be Su Casa Desarrollos de Vivienda S.A., the leading company of the Tu Hogar S.A. Real Estate Group. In addition, the builder for Hacienda Matapalo’s infrastructure will be Jimenez y Chacon Constructores S.A. of Cartago.

“When the announcement was made last week that we had awarded the contract to build our infrastructure, there was a lot of speculation on what company that was,” said David Matluck, chief executive officer of Pegasus Star Limitada, the company that is developing Hacienda Matapalo. “Well, the speculation can end. Those who have been following our growth and development know that our company does things in a diligent manner in order to do what’s best for our homeowners and investors. Today’s announcement about our builder and strategic partnership underscores that commitment to excellence. It sends out a signal that says we do not settle for second best.”

Su Casa’s reputation as a major real estate force in Costa Rica is both unquestioned and unrivaled. The company has more than 20 years of experience in building and selling real estate throughout Costa Rica, having built more than 15,000 residential homes. Among their developments is Los Pelicanos Ocean Club, Costa Rica’s first and only deep water ocean access community where owners can take their boats from their own private docks to some of the best fishing spots in the world.

As members of the Costa Rican Chamber of Construction (C.C.C.), Su Casa is registered in the Federated School of Engineers and Architects of Costa Rica.

Managed by a group of professionals with extensive high quality real estate development experience, the company provides integral elements of design, legal advice, sales, construction, financing and formalization of bank loans, which make acquiring homes a pleasurable experience. Their name literally translates to "Your Home."

While the impact of the strategic partnership is far reaching, the agreement calls for the completion of Hacienda Matapalo’s entrance and the continuation of the infrastructure which connects the forest, streams and mountains which are part of the 655-acre master planned, gated community immediately following the rainy season. The company began putting in gravel roads earlier in the year and stopped when the rainy season began.

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

“We’ve been saying from the very beginning that when people step foot on Hacienda Matapalo land they say ‘this is where I want to live – this is where I want my home’ or as they say in Spanish ‘mi casa’,” Matluck said. “So I suppose it was meant to be that ‘My Home’ would partner with ‘Your Home’. After all, ‘Mi Casa es Su Casa’.”

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