YA GOTTA EAT

Wherever you live or vacation, one of life’s treats is “dining out”.  And boy, do we have an abundance of  choices for that in Jaco.  We have fine dining in restaurants like “Lemon Zest”, “Pili Pili”, “Wahoos” and “Graffiti”, where creative style is high and costs are reasonable.  Hotels like Poseidon, Amapola and Cocal offer wonderfully prepared food at much-less-than-normal hotel charges.  And a wide variety of tasty international cuisines await your palate.  From Italian (Paparazzi, Peccati di Gola), to Asian (Tsunami Sushi, The Wok, Los Amigos Thai, Arigato), to Mexican (Jaco Taco- open 24 hours), to Parrilla Argentina (Steak house).  We could use a good Chinese restaurant here, but with our growth in Jaco I can almost smell the wontons now.

There are plenty of easily recognized fast-food joints here in Jaco (KFC, Subway, Quiznos, Pizza Hut), but they’re mostly patronized by the native Costa Ricans.  Instead, choose a “soda” or local cuisine.  The food is super-fresh, the selection is broad and the prices are low (typical meal includes beverage – about $4.00).  My favorites are Soda Rustico and Marea Baja.

And in Jaco there’s every type of pizza, from Big Ron’s New York Style, to Rioasis Costa Rican Style, to Los Pibes Argentinean Style to good ‘ol Pizza Hut.

Whether you visit Jaco on vacation, or move here…..buen provecho.

YOUR MOST IMPORTANT QUESTIONS

I’ve been answering a lot of questions in my blog about Jaco, Costa Rica, but haven’t yet answered the most frequently asked question of all….”what’s the real estate market like in Jaco?”.  First of all, we’ve been blessed by not having a lot of “over-mortgaged” properties and foreclosures here in the Jaco Beach area.  Secondly, as buyers have come to realize, the global economic meltdown has had a lesser effect here in Costa Rica than in lots of other places.  They are buying now rather than waiting for the prices to rise.  Some sellers have priced their properties rather high, and they will wait for an unknowledgeable buyer with an unscrupulous real estate agent to pay “above market” prices.  They will probably be on the current market for a long while.

People walk into our REMAX office every day and ask “where are the hot buys?”, or “what are your fire sale deals?  When sellers are serious, their property usually attracts serious buyers and we schedule a closing date.

Currently, there are some “great buys” in the Jaco area…from beachfront condos to rainforest retreats to small ranches to typical housing.  We even have a gorgeous estate-like home, that features the most panoramic ocean views I’ve ever seen, and contains just about every amenity necessary for the discriminating buyer.  Bring your toothbrush and your fire extinguisher…this property is “fire sale” priced at $550,000 and comes fully furnished.

I’m supposed to be retired, but I love talking to people about this place called Jaco (pronounced hock-O), so contact me if you have additional questions.

What’s going on in Jaco, Costa Rica?

I am often asked the questions, “What’s going on in Jaco, Costa Rica?”, and “Why are Americans and Canadians buying real estate in Costa Rica?”.  So I’m now going to learn how to blog answers to these questions on a regular basis.  For those planning a visit to Costa Rica, I hope you’ll find some helpful tips on my blog.  For those wondering “what ever happened to Gary Aptaker?”, your question may be answered on my blog, too.  So, for those of you who believe that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks, I’m getting some technology tutoring from my younger friends and will be up to speed on Blogger.com real soon.  Oh, and I’m going to learn salsa and meringue dancing Saturday evening. 

Hasta luego from Jaco Beach, Costa Rica.

Gary Aptaker