What's not to love about the Costa Rica real estate for sale market! Located just a few hours from Miami and Houston, Americans are generally thrilled to learn they do not even need visas to visit or move to the country.

In addition to the easy mobility, there are ample investment opportunities. This is encouraged by the population growth, which has only risen by 1.5% in the last ten years. The cost of living and property taxes are so low that many retirees simply cannot imagine themselves residing elsewhere. Huge changes have taken place over the past few years, making the Costa Rica real estate for sale market one of the best kept international investment secrets!

There are full amenity condos and townhouses sprouting up all over, with the Costa Rican government setting aside over 600 acres of land for housing development. Following the completion of a new highway system in the spring of 2008, Costa Rica real estate agents expect the area to boom massively, attracting an influx of tourists.

With the guidance of a good Costa Rica real estate agent, investors will love the multitude of interesting opportunities that are available - for instance: a $700,000 Tilapia fish farm and restaurant (with liquor license included), a $1.1 million nine room hotel, 6.3 acres of subdivided land overlooking volcanoes and lakes for $200,000 and a 190 acre farm for just $550,000 (situated within walking distance to the town of Cabanga); or a $750,000 Lakeshore Road hotel or condo complex with lake views.

If they are lucky, buyers in the Costa Rica real estate for sale market can even wind up having monkeys and bright colored parrots in their backyards... or perhaps a waterfall or hot spring right next door, all for under $200,000. In fact, tropical acreage is offered at 50% to 75% less than an equivalent purchase elsewhere.

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, there is a lot to be proud of in Costa Rica, one of the most rapidly developing nations in the world. For instance, the United Nations Development Program ranked Costa Rica #42 out of 175 nations when it comes to human development, leading Chile, Mexico and Panama following close behind.

The average life expectancy in Costa Rica is 77.9 years, which exceeds the United States' 76.9 years expectancy. Naturally, the healthcare is excellent and reflects on the attention paid to medical attention and facilities which are relatively inexpensive. There is a large percent of American doctors - especially located in the Southern Puntarenas Province.

While Costa Rica may not be as advanced as the U.S. the Costa Ricans out-produce workers in Mexico, Brazil and Sierra Leone. Sixty-five percent of the population is under 34 years of age, making it one of the most youthful nations in the world. Their youthfulness, productivity and high literacy rate (96%) make Costa Ricans ideal workers, which may be why more and more medical facilities continue to open.

Businesses like Marriott, Four Seasons, St. Regis, Hilton, Regent, The Jack Parker Corporation, Westin, Miraval, Exclusive Resorts and Mandarin Oriental have all set up shop in this developing nation. People in the Costa Rica real estate market for sale enjoy many of the same amenities they had back home in America.

Costa Rica contains 5% of the World's flora and fauna, containing many forests in the high central plateaus. The country holds bountiful gold, salt and hydroelectric power resources, in addition to employing industry sectors in food processing, chemical products, beverages, paper products, textiles, plastic goods and electrical equipment.

People living in the Costa Rica real estate for sale market naturally have a wonderful selection of fresh bananas, coffee, sugar, cocoa, seafood, meat and tropical fruit (which are the country's main exports to the U.S.). They key to real estate, especially with regards to the Costa Rican real estate market, is to "strike while the iron's hot", as they say. With some of the whitest sand, tallest waterfalls and densest tropical jungles, Costa Rica beckons as a quintessential paradise... that is about to become a LOT more accessible!