| While Europe has been a popular destination for U.S. | | | | flight boards at the Miami, Los Angeles and Houston |
| consumers to purchase second homes (were you | | | | airports? Cities such as Tegucigalpa (Honduras), Liberia |
| part of the group ready to jump on a plane after | | | | (Costa Rica), Belmopan (Belize) and Colon (Panama) . . |
| reading Under the Tuscan Sun?), the dollar has been | | | | . |
| weak against the euro for several years and air travel | | | | Once you learn where to place the countries on a |
| tends to be more costly and lengthy to European | | | | map, then you'll realize the geographic diversity that |
| destinations. Couple that with the number of | | | | these countries present. Striking and picturesque |
| first-generation Latino residents in the U.S. who have a | | | | volcanoes line El Salvador, Guatemala, and Costa Rica. |
| particular interest in staying connected to their | | | | Coastlines range from remarkable and mountainous |
| homeland and you have an entirely new category of | | | | (Costa Rica), to black volcanic (El Salvador and |
| potential second-home buyers. | | | | Guatemala) to low-lying Caribbean. Culturally, Central |
| But the wildcard in the boomer deck is adventure - it is | | | | America is extremely diverse. Guatemala has a strong |
| part of their hardwiring. Not only is this the largest, | | | | history of native American Mayan cultures where |
| healthiest and wealthiest group ever to come down | | | | much of the population is mixed or mestizo. Some |
| the U.S. pipeline, but boomers also seek the thrill of the | | | | countries such as Costa Rica have over 90 percent |
| exotic and are very willing to borrow to obtain that | | | | European ancestry with nearly no mestizo influence. |
| experience. | | | | The slave migration from Africa to the Americas |
| Central America is an absolute paradox. It may be all | | | | resulted in English-speaking areas of African ancestry |
| that you imagine, but surprisingly, it is much more than | | | | along the eastern coasts called garifunas. Panama is a |
| one could ever embrace. It is more than the long and | | | | true melting pot, with Asian, European, and Latin |
| winding territory that connects North and South | | | | American cultures meeting at a true crossroads of the |
| America. To the typical North American, the area | | | | world. |
| conjures up vivid and varied images. On the | | | | The economies also differ. Nearly every country has |
| geographical side, a mountainous area with volcanoes, | | | | its own currency (El Salvador and Panama utilize the |
| colonial cities, jungles, and, of course, bananas and | | | | dollar) and rely on agricultural exports such as coffee, |
| coffee. On the political front, turmoil, dictatorships and | | | | bananas and other natural resources. Others have |
| instability. On the economic front, rich versus poor, | | | | heavy manufacturing maquiladora bases (El Salvador |
| agriculture-based economies, and sweatshops where | | | | and Honduras) and other countries are discovering |
| United States garments are manufactured and | | | | tourism as a major source of income (Panama and |
| exported. It is a complex and fascinating place, home | | | | Costa Rica). Some countries have a stable middle |
| to 41 million people with a total gross domestic product | | | | class (Costa Rica and Panama) while others have |
| of about $88 billion. | | | | dramatic differences between rich and poor (nearly |
| How do you begin to categorize such a dramatic and | | | | every other country in the region). |
| extraordinary part of the world? For starters, this | | | | Once you can recognize differences between |
| region geographically encompasses seven countries: | | | | countries (if you can tell the difference between each |
| Belize, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, | | | | country's flags, currencies, and can point to the location |
| Nicaragua and Panama. These countries have many | | | | on a map, it's a good start!) then you need to sift |
| mysterious cities and fascinating destinations that you | | | | through these markets and make a decision. Where |
| could only hope to place them on the map in your | | | | would you buy a second home . . . and why? |
| mind. Where, exactly, are those exotic places on the | | | | |