Boomers
seek adventure . . . and a place in the sun
By
Tom Kelly
Ian
Richardson, a mortgage broker, was burned out. It
was time for more than a vacation - it was time
for a full-scale review of how, and where, he spent
his time.
"I
stood on a piece of property in Malibu that was
absolutely gorgeous,'' said 
Richardson, 52, a husband
and father of two teenage girls. "I thought
that maybe I could slide out of the pressure cooker
and work out on the deck of this place with my computer.
The trouble was, I would be creating more pressure
for myself just trying to pay for the property.''
Three
years ago, the millions that Richardson would have
borrowed, sweated and spent
on the Malibu piece turned into a $180,000 waterfront
lot in Costa Rica. Although he didn't have to pay
cash because the seller was willing to carry the
mortgage, Richardson had enough savings in the bank
by buy the parcel free and clear. He plans to build
a second home in a few months.
"At
first, there was no way I was going to put one nickel
into Central America real estate,'' Richardson said.
"I also didn't want to purchase in Mexico because
I didn't really understand the Mexican trust. If
I bought in another country, I thought I would fear
for my life everyday, the agents would try to take
me to the cleaners and all the governments would
be corrupt with standing armies.''
One
visit not only eliminated his anxiety and questions,
it rejuvenated his resolve to spend more time with
is family and telecommute as much as possible.
"I
wish I had done it five years sooner,'' Richardson
said. "Not only has the property appreciated
like crazy, but my family loves being there. Besides,
with an Internet connection, I can work from just
about anywhere.''
Tom Kelly, former real estate editor of The Seattle
Times, is a columnist and talk-show host specializing
in the second-home market. Copies of his latest
books - "Cashing In on a Second Home in Mexico"
and "Cashing In on a Second Home in Central
America," written with Mitch Creekmore, senior
vice president of Houston-based Stewart International
are available on his website, www.tomkelly.com.
