by David Seiter

With plans in hand and everybody’s approval, you’ve got two options to make your blueprints reality: hire a builder/contractor or do it yourself with the help of a maestro de obras (foreman) and a consulting architect to stop by the workplace weekly to oversee the progress. Besides the obvious time and financial considerations, the decision depends on your understanding of the day-to-day machinations of contracting.

Many inexperienced people will opt to hire a contractor, but don’t make the mistake of being an absentee owner. The nightmarish tales of things being done completely wrong or not at all continue to pile up. The biggest single mistake people make is trying to manage the process from afar.

by David Seiter

Granada’s unique charm owes much to the city’s uncanny ability to hang on to its colonial beauty while its neighbors to the north —especially Managua, but even Masaya and León— have suffered the devastating effects of the earthquakes, hurricanes, and fires that are about as common in Nicaragua as lakes and volcanoes. This fact isn’t lost on city officials. If the conservative Granadan government is divided over the desirability of gringos in their town, at least they’re in accord over the preservation of its rich architectural heritage. If you’re considering purchasing a home for personal or investment purposes, you’d better be familiar with the ins-and-outs of local home renovation.

by Kathleen Peddicord

Nicaragua is an awfully nice place to call home, full-time or part of the year. And more and more people who come to visit decide they’d like to be able to return regularly and with their friends and families. They buy building lots…and then reality settles in. They’re faced with the proposition of erecting a house.

 Building in a foreign country can be a daunting proposition, especially if you’re operating long-distance in a place where you don’t speak the language.

My husband and I are in this position ourselves, making plans to begin construction of a house on Nicaragua’s glorious south Pacific coast at Los Perros. We have been traveling in the country for nearly a decade and have friends and business partners ready to lend a hand any way they can. Still, we’re nervous.

by Kathleen Peddicord

It doesn’t take much imagination to see where Nicaragua is headed…or to recognize the potential of an investment in real estate in this country right now. The situation is similar to that in Costa Rica and Belize in the late 1980s and in Honduras’ Bay Islands in the late 1990s when real estate prices increased by 500% or more in a very short time. And arguably, Nicaragua’s lakes, volcanoes, two oceans, waterways and pristine rainforests offer greater potential than its neighbors.

Consider Costa Rica…Back in the 1980s the country was an unpopular outpost, known only among backpackers. Then two things happened that would change things dramatically.

First, in 1987, former President Oscar Arian Sanchez earned the 1987 Nobel Peace Prize when he negotiated a cease-fire for the country’s neighbors, which put into place the groundwork for a unified Central American Parliament.

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by Joe Salamone
With so much talk about the real estate scene along the Pacific Coast or in Granada, sometimes the rate of development of the urban center, Managua, passes unnoticed. Besides being the governmental, commercial, educational, and entertainment capitol of Nicaragua, Managua offers most modern conveniences, accommodations, amenities, shopping opportunities and diversions as any great city of 1.5 million people. The business climate is conducive to expansion due to the upcoming CAFTA trade agreement and accords to forgive national debt. Many existing companies are expanding operations and more than a few international companies have plans to move in. Others are considering the advantages of doing business here for many reasons, one being a large, ready, and affordable work force. These factors and more fuel much optimism and are steps toward economic stability and sustainable growth.

by Mike Newton
The Nicaraguan presidential campaigns are upon us and the general feeling in the business community is that Nicaragua will move forward regardless of the outcome this November. This positive sentiment is no more evident than amongst real estate developers along the Nicaragua’s Pacific Coast.

The local real estate boom has attracted many forward thinking American, Canadian and European investors who are in the process of buying, building and developing and finally insuring their “creations”. I have had the good fortune to meet and work with many of them, and an obvious reoccurring theme in our discussions about Nicaraguan insurance is cost.

by Rebecca Love
Beautiful coastline for sale - $2 an acre. Give me $10,000 to invest and I’ll double it for you. Buy an Island for $3,000. Wow, real estate in Nicaragua is really cheap!!! And then, all of a sudden, “What’s his name just sold his house for $1 million.”

With so many stories and myths surrounding real estate in Nicaragua, it is often difficult to know what to believe. Here is what I found out.

Looking at the more mature property markets in Central America like Belize, Costa Rica, and the Bay Islands of Honduras, it certainly seems logical that Nicaragua’s market be equally as powerful. The coastline, cities, and flora and fauna are as, if not more beautiful than our neighbors. The commercial environment is still so young that surely a good deal must be up for grabs.

by Donn Wilson
I recall a vivid image from my childhood of Native Indian Chief Seattle crying over a dump somewhere in New Jersey. “We don’t inherit the earth from our fathers,” he said. “We borrow it from our grandchildren.” At 12 years old it was a powerful statement, but in your mid-40’s with children of your own, the image can really grab you.

I wonder why I never really reacted to that call of conservation, protection, and recycling when I was younger. Sure, I did my bit like most everyone, but why didn’t I get as passionate then as I feel now? Lack of knowledge, lack of opportunity, or just plain apathy?
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by Frank Kersloot
One of the most visited places in Nicaragua for years is, of course, the Mombacho Volcano, located only 15 minutes outside the city of Granada. Discovered early by tourists, part of this majestic formation that dominates ground-level views for miles around is a splendid nature reserve. The areas surrounding the reserve have recently been discovered by developers, investors, and retirees as well.

Fresh air, a cool climate, nice breezes, a magnificent view, and its proximity to Granada makes this place a new destination for foreign investment or settling down.

Mombacho in the former indigenous language means “Hill of the Inclined Walls.” It is 1345 meters high and has a cloud forest above the 800-meter line. Close to the top, you can find the Volcan Mombacho Natural Reserve.