Living in Costa Rica Retirement Relocation Tours.

Expert advice and guided tours on how to live, retire and invest in Costa Rica.

I Feel Very Flattered

Posted January 12th, 2009 by Christopher Howard

As most of the readers of my blog probably know by now, I have lived in Costa Rica almost 30 years and am considered to be the pioneer in the field of retirement and living in Costa Rica.

About 20 years ago the country and all it had to offer for retirees inspired me to write the first edition of my perennial bestselling guidebook, “The New Golden Door to Retirement and Living in Costa Rica.” Since that time I have written 15 more editions. Each one has been an improvement over the previous edition. Shortly after I published my first edition John Howells, a renowned travel writer, released the first edition of his book, “Choose Costa Rica.” Around 1995 another author published the “Official Guide to Costa Rica.” However, it was discontinued after four unsuccessful editions. It wasn’t until 2004 that Erin Van Reehen came to Costa Rica for a year to write the first edition of “Living Abroad in Costa Rica.” I had been approached a few years earlier by her publisher Moon Publications to discontinue my guidebook and write the first edition of “Living Abroad in Costa Rica.” When I looked at the numbers it just didn’t make sense and most of all I would lose creative control of the content of my book. Thus, I chose to keep writing and publishing my own book. Finally, in 2005 Tessa Borner published her book about living in Costa Rica entitled, “Potholes in Paradise.”

Around the year 2002 a new wave of gringo expatriates started to move to Costa Rica because of its popularity. Instead of being retirees this group consisted mainly of people in the thirties, forties and fifties who were looking for some way to make money here. Most went into real estate and tourism. While others tried their luck in the relocation retirement field where I had blazed the trail many years earlier.

By popular demand in 1997 I started monthly relocation/retirement tours. They were an immediate success. Since that time several other Americans from the new wave have copied my idea and formula and are offering similar tours. Other people have put up websites and made retirement videos trying to get their piece of the retirement market. However, since they don’t have my track record or experience none of them have ever really reached my level of success.

I really feel flattered and more successful than ever since almost all of these people have tried to adopt my time-tested formula. Needless to say there will be others who try to nudge their way into this niche market but with little success. I wish everyone the best of luck. Competition is good. It helps one perfect their product and become even more creative and successful.

Filed under:Living in Costa Rica