Panama & Caribbean Investment: #3 the closest beachfront community in all of Panama
Bala Beach is located less the 45 minutes from Panama City’s Tocumen International Airport establishing Bala Beach as the closest beachfront community that Panama real estate has to offer.
(Tocumen International Airport)
What does this mean for the Panama Investor or a person just looking to live or retire in Panama?
Well first off, Panama’s fastest growing and most sustainable sector of the economy is tourism. Every year hundred of thousands of tourists make Panama their vacation destination and this number is increasing rapidly. A solid number of these tourists are searching for a tropical place to stay that is located close enough to the Panama City, so that they can drop into the city and see the sights and then bounce back to their beachfront rental. Thus, Bala Beach is best suited to satisfy this desire because of its 45 minute proximity to Panama City.
Panama is consistently ranked internationally as the best and cheapest place to retire in the world because it offers residents such a great value. With 13,000 baby boomers from the US retiring daily and even more internationally, this demographic is sizeable and will continue to grow. Similar to the vacationers, retirees are seeking a place that is out of the traffic congested streets of Panama City for a more laidback lifestyle. However, retirees want to be close to Panama City to conveniently drop into the city a couple times a week or month. They do not want to drive 2 plus hours or pay the high prices to fly there.
(Tropical living at Bala Beach)
Furthermore, retirees want to be located close to the Panama’s best medical facilities, most specifically the John Hopkins center in Punta Pacific. John Hopkins medical center is one of the biggest, if not the top selling point that retiring in Panama has to offer. Once again, being 2 plus hours or an expensive flight away is not ideal or desirable for timely medical services.
(Bala Beach is the closest beachfront community to John Hopkins medical center)
Before investing you must understand some of the deciding factors for people you are going to rent out or sell to. As I have explained above, being the closest beachfront community in all of Panama, Bala Beach is able to satisfy the location desires of both vacationers and retirees in Panama.
Panama & Caribbean Investment: #2 Coming cruise ships
In December of 2008, Royal Caribbean is deploying 2 of its “Enchantment of the Seas†cruise ships from Colon. These ships have the capacity to hold approximately 2500 passengers and 800 seamen. The ship is outfitted with 6 hot tubs, three swimming pools, spa, gym, casino, rock climbing, 11 bars, and anything you could not possibly spare without. The journey will last 8 days and encompass Cartagena & Santa Marta Colombia, Oranjestad Aruba, Willemstad Curacao, Kralendijk Bonaire.
(Royal Caribbean coming to Colon)
Royal Caribbean is beginning to switch their point of embarkation more and more to cruise liners to Colon, Panama for two main reasons.
First, Colon has a strategic location. 1. Colon has a deep enough water port able to accommodate a cruise ship the size of the “Enchantment of the Seaâ€. 2. Colon is situated on the Panama Canal, as a result, cruise ships have the possibility of traveling to both the Caribbean and the Pacific. 3. Colon is right next to the up-and-coming tourist destination of Colombia. Colombia is quickly shedding its violent reputation and places on the Caribbean like Cartagena and Santa Marta are becoming international destinations.
Second, Royal Caribbean is attempting to expand its business operations into the rapidly expanding middle classes of Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Peru, Colombia, etc… These Latin American countries represent the best opportunity to diversify out of the recession affected economy of the United States. But persuading Latinos to depart from Florida which requires a visa to enter is not an easy task. Panamalaw.org article offers great insight into the complications for a Latin citizen trying to obtain a US tourist visa.
“The visa process involves waking up early in the morning to go stand online at the USA Embassy waiting to go in for an interview. Numerous documents are required, reasons for the trip, why you are not a risk for overstaying the visa etc. There are fees involved, which are about $165 a person. Many people do not wish to go through this process. Many others are willing to go through the process but are unable to get the visa for various reasons. “
(long lines at US embassies)
These overburdensome requirements turn a vast majority of Latinos off from cruises. In addition to the difficulties acquiring a US visa, Latin American citizens do not want to endure the 10 plus flight to the north of Florida to take a trip to the southern Caribbean.
What does this mean for Bala Beach community? It will offer our Caribbean beachfront community some direct benefits:
First, 2500 passengers four times a month will be passing by Colon. Colon is not the most attractive of Panamanian cities and people will be looking for accommodations before their ship departs the following day. Bala Beach is less than 20 minutes from Royal Caribbean’s terminal and we are the closest beachfront community and hotel. Therefore, Bala Beach has the potential pool of 10,000 vacationers monthly seeking accommodations close to the Colon departure and a place to stay on their way back.
(beaches around Portobello)
In addition to wanting a place to stay, a large portion of these vacationers will be introduced for the first time to Panama’s beautiful and scenic Caribbean coast. In both cases, Bala Beach beachfront community is going to have direct exposure… Thanks to Royal Caribbean!!!
http://www.panamalaw.org/cruise_port_colon.html
Panama & Caribbean Investment: #1 Panama to Colon highway
I have compiled a 10 point list of why the Investor in Panama, or an individual just looking to have a high return on their money, should buy at Bala Beach. Bala Beach community has a number of unique features that sets itself from any other project here in Panama and here is why:
1. The new highway from Panama City to Colon.
Currently, Panama is constructing a new 4 lane highway from Panama City to Colon that will drastically reduce the commute to Bala Beach from 1 hour and 15 minutes to 45 minutes. This is not a just a slab of asphalt with 4 lines painted on it, the new highway will be a first world, center divided, with a state-of-the-art drainage system and will be complete April 2009.
Panama City-Colon Highway on youtube
What does this mean for Bala Beach? Well, if you were to look at property values worldwide you would notice that property values located in areas with a high quality infrastructure are worth A LOT more money, typically 2-10 times more. This trend is especially more pronounced in developing world countries because of the shortage of high quality infrastructure or infrastructure at all.
(usual developing world infrastructure)
To the Panama investor, there are a lot of articles and sales people touting their projects as located on the most beautiful beaches, in the most authentic towns, having the best views of the mountains or ocean, coolest climate, cleanest air etc… These are all great reasons and we all have an assortment of them because Panama is so well endowed with beautiful landscape and vibrant culture. However, when it comes to being less than 45 minutes away from Tocumen International Airport, no other project has it.
To reach these other projects, visitor and residents have two exhausting options to choice from. First, get in a car or bus from the Airport for another 2-10 hours. Second, wait in Tocumen to take another plane to a regional airport and take another car ride to the area. These might not sound appealing to someone who had just got off international flight.
With Bala Beach, these inconveniences do not exist. The new Colon-Panama City highway will make our beachfront community the closest such community that Panama Real Estate has to offer. Bala Beach will be 45 minutes from Panama City and International Airport. If the global trend continues pertaining to real estate values with high quality infrastructure, when the new highway is complete Bala Beach units will have gained and continue to gain a significant amount of property appreciation.
These infrastructure and location factors are one of the 10 reasons that Bala Beach community stands apart from any other residential project in Panama today. People who invest in Bala Beach are going to be making a very profitable decision.
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