Located in the heart of Central America , Nicaragua is an exceptional country with its spectacular lakes, towering volcanoes, friendly people and legendary towns filled with cultural richness.  The country beckons foreigners to come and see what it has to offer.

At present, Nicaragua can perhaps be most seriously considered the land of opportunity of all the countries in Central America.  The country is ripe for investment because it is so underdeveloped.  The government, in particular, the Nicaraguan Tourism Institute, is luring investors with the most aggressive incentive-filled law in Latin America.  They realize the importance of the country's 300 days of sunshine per year and tourist attractions like the country's wide, unspoiled Pacific beaches, wildlife, lakes, rivers and volcanoes-which are virtually untapped.  They know what a potential impact tourism can give the country's economy and have witnessed what the tourism boom has meant for neighboring Costa Rica. 

Nicaragua's political climate has been improving steadily over the last 17 years. Many wealthy Nicaraguans who have been in exile in the U.S. since the early 1980's are moving to Managua to earn back their fortunes.  These entrepreneurs are placing demands on goods, services and housing, which can make savvy investors, with patience on the front-end and the available capital, fortunes.

When most people think about Central American real estate, visions of undiscovered beaches dominate.  While these are available in Nicaragua at a fraction of the cost of comparable properties in its neighboring countries, there is another opportunity that is unique to the region. 

Investors have been following the Central American land speculation boom since it began in Costa Rica in the early 70's, moved to Belize in the mid 80's, and landed in Honduras by the early 90's.  Other Central American countries are also realizing that policies, which encourage foreign investment and foreign retirement, can work. 

There is good news, however, for investors looking for the “next Costa Rica”: If history is a guide, it can take a decade or more for the amount of investment capital being sought by a foreign country to actually arrive.  Any blips in the home economy or political situation draw this time line out even longer.  Similarly, it takes time to attract future retirees.