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What a waste of money in my opinion. Go all the way to a foreign country to live among Gringos is just not worth it. I’ve been to Jaco 3 times for extended time periods and the place makes me sick. Yes, that is pretty strong language, I agree. Firstly, I think there are more Gringos in Jaco than Ticos and secondly for the most part the class of Gringos in Jaco is next to awful. They seem to either be living in Jaco off SSI (mental disability payments) or living or visiting Jaco off their generous parents (annoying teenagers).
I would advise anyone who is thinking about buying anywhere near Jaco to live there for at least 2 months in each season – dry and wet. Rent – don’t buy.
Regardless of the type of Gringos. Just consider that you’ll hardly feel that you’ve escaped the USA while in Jaco – too many Gringos there makes you feel like you’ve never left the USA. For me, the Costa Rican draw, is related to escaping the English language and so feeling like you are somewhere different. English is nearly the first language in Jaco and even in some of the restaurants your wait person will be a young American! How’s that for getting away?
If your justification for buying in Jaco is investing, I suggest you invest in a hot and humid place in the USA instead. Jaco is a long way to go to stay in your investment. It is a long place to go to deal with anything that might happen regarding your investment.
US$285K in Costa Rica for 2 bedrooms in a highrise? Yuck! US$140 for a 1 bedroom? What can anyone do with a 1 bedroom condo? That would be more a prison than a place to live.
From the article: “Instead of living in the dry Nevada desert, you would be within easy walking distance of Jaco beach with a vibrant
night life, good surfing and full of breathtakingly beautiful
bronzed bods.”There are 3 “night” clubs in Jaco: 1 is a place where all the females are hookers, 1 has no one over 21 years of age in it and you can’t hear yourself think and another is in the middle of town and is loud and about the size of a walkin closet.
Surfing: Who with US$140 in cash (what is needed to buy in CR) surfs?
Bronzed bods: The beach in Jaco is awful and big and long so you might see 10 people occupy every 100 square yards. Don’t get pictures of Rio, Brazil in your mind.
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Dixon,
I have spent a number of years in this area…and you are right on the money.But if all this development happens hopefully the salty gringos will move on at least. lol! If you live in the area though it is convenient to be near Jaco and the Mas x Menos is pretty awesome as well as the farmers market and pizza at wishbone. Even at Los Suenos no one uses the beach, but they have 7 pools, the marina and golf. That’s why I think there will be a lot of empty condos and these predictions of renting them out…to who? Surfers because 80% of those in Jaco are just that.
Jaco has changed, is changing rapidly and will continue to change. Some changes will be good and some will not…
The new Auto Mercado just outside of town is the most upscale supermarket chain in Costa Rica so people will not have to go without their favorite groceries soon.
I would not personally choose to live in Jaco either, I prefer the quieter and cooler mountains but many people love the beach areas and many people like the active nightlife which like all places (Las Vegas for example) has a dark side to it.
But we are forgetting that “we” are not everyone. We can not judge for others when it comes to their choice in real estate… We do try hard to educate but at the end of the day, the decision is theirs and CONCASA for example has already sold half of their apartments and they haven’t put a spade in the ground yet except to put up the billboard..
Scott Oliver
Ps. 10,000 baby boomers every DAY celebrate 50th birthday. Not all 10,000 have the same ideas about real estate as we do…
PSS. Dwayne, I removed the URL from your post, for some reason you included the URL of the log in page which will just confuse people (and me)
You are so funny! I was in Jaco on my last trip and I had all those same impressions, but my girlfriend who was with me kept saying, “Oh, I want to move to Jaco and be a beach bum!” I kept pointing out the strange mouth-breathing people and the trust fund babies and told her she was crazy as a loon. Jaco is fun to cruise through for an afternoon, go the the gelateria and get some coconut ice cream and then move on!
Right on BROTHER!!!!!
I have been ‘through’ Jaco several times, the last in October… We had lunch in a dive on the beach row and sadly (and embarrassingly) paid $11 for a small shrimp cocktail. I think the worst part for us was that when I was there (and white), the locals must have assumed I was just as class-less, clue-less, rude, and ugli-american as the other ‘tourists’ in the area. I was embarrassed to be associated in any way with them to say the least.
I always explain to my friends who ‘find’ Jaco on the internet that the delta for the river Tarcoles is right there… and then I tell them about the sewer system in San Jose – they quickly decide that Jaco beach is not exactly the greatest beach in CR.
Any beach up or down the coast is BETTER and CHEAPER to be near, and just as hot(88) and humid(88%) as FLORIDA… I like the mountains and the little towns in them.
I still tell the story of how Terry and I and her assistant (the best realtor in CR, BTW) ate an enourmous meal for lunch, (3 cosada platters, 1 each of beef, chicken, and fish) complete with 4 fruit smoothies for us, tip and tax, along with excellent homestyle friendly service for $11. Oh, and I forgot, it was only about 75 degrees, and comfortable that afternoon in ATENAS.It’s been said a couple different ways but the bottom line really is that everyone is different. If they weren’t it would be a pretty boring world. One of the things we like so much about CR is it offers an abundance of choices. Jaco is definitely not for everyone, and I’m glad that Esterillos isn’t for everyone either. Although the whole central Pacific ic changing. You can’t stop progress……what ever one’s definition of progress might be. Jaco reminds us of Santa Cruz California. It’s definitely a place where a variety of non traditional individuals choose to make their sanctuary. I’ve said before, I do think Jaco will change eventually to become an upscale resort town….that may be 5 to 10 years off. So long term it’s probably still a decent investment. From strictly an investment stand point, Los Suenos is about 10 years old. A 2 br condo at the front of the development sold for $125K. Those same condos are $1 million now. I’d rather invest down the road a ways and don’t like the idea of the highrises or gringo resorts and communities. By the way Scott….the new mercado is open now and I have heard nothing but good reports about it. We are going to stop in for the first time today or tomorrow.
You can not argue with the numbers(prices at Los Suenos, pre sales etc..) But even at Suenos I have never seen anyone on the beach? Where and who are these people paying a mil for a condo? And it is just a bit curious that they choose CR, when that kind of of money can buy you beach front condos just about anywhere in the U.S. or world for that matter even $500k will get you in most areas. Are they spending these big bucks to play golf or fish and drive by the ramshackle tico houses on the way in to Los Suenos? Even in west palm beach you can buy a very nice condo for $300-500k in an ultra luxury building. I am a beach person and have been surfing for 30 years thats what draws me to the central pacific…love the ocean!! But if I did not surf I think I would be up in the mountains a nice short hour trip to the beach.
Maravilla you just need to go about 3-7 km south of Jaco and you can beach bum around under much more pleasurable circumstances!!
This is not meant to be sarcastic…I am truly curious about what is driving this demand for beach property…when no one is on the beach? And specialy Jaco the sand is gray and hard…Sorry to let the word out dktu, but go to esterillo and you can sit on an idyllic beach with palm trees and scarlet macaws flying over head and you will be lucky to see 5 people pass by, not counting the little ticos ripping it up in the ocean! I’m not complaining it is still beautiful
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