New Website Helps Gays Relocate to Costa Rica
Gays and lesbians looking to relocate to Costa Rica have a new website to check out thanks to San Ramon-based ex-pat Terry Sharp.

Sharp describes Gays in Costa Rica Tours (GICRT) as the world's first investment/relocation/real estate tour specifically targeted at the gay & lesbian community.

GICRT chose Costa Rica as its launch country given the climate, access to a wide range of outdoor activities, friendly and welcoming people, cost of living and proximity to North America.

"For many years, most of the foreigners moving to Costa Rica permanently were those people from the U.S. or Canada who just wanted to invest/retire and live a simple, quiet life here," Sharp, co-founder of GICRT, said in a release.

"Now, however, we're finding that more and more younger people, particularly gays and lesbians want to escape the 'rat race' in North America and Europe and they're finding that Costa Rica is a nearly perfect environment in which to live, start a business or even continue their home-based businesses. Our tours cater to the growing number of foreigners, particularly gay Baby Boomers, considering moving here or investing here.”

GICRT's seven-day, seven-night, all-inclusive tour covers major towns in the Central Valley of Costa Rica along with well-known Pacific and Atlantic coast beach towns and focuses on providing detailed information on every aspect of living and investing here.

The tour provides an in-depth look at several developments and land investment opportunities where value-oriented real estate can still be found and also introduces clients to people who have already moved here, started businesses, or are just enjoying the good life. Contacts with reputable attorneys, architects and other professionals are also part of the tour.

According to Sharp, unlike other Costa Rica relocation tours, GICRT provides each client with a take-home CD full of information about moving to and living in Costa Rica and provides a number of gay- and gay-friendly contacts. GICRT also offers a follow-on relocation service, handling all aspects of starting a new life in Costa Rica after their clients move there. GICRT also can arrange custom tours for those people wanting to see areas outside of the standard tour, or for those people wanting to spend more time in particular areas.

Sharp, a former event planner/logistics manager from Washington D.C., left the states to pursue a different way of life in Costa Rica in July of 2006. Prior to event planning, he worked in finance for several gay owned companies both in the D.C. area and Southern California. Since arriving in Costa Rica he, along with his associates, have been researching living alternatives for the gay & lesbian community.

"I'm excited to be able to start this new venture," Sharp said. "It will be fun to show my fellow community members a country I have come to love. There are so many opportunities here—the sights, the sounds, the food, the people—and gay and lesbian people feel comfortable investing, living and retiring here."

For more about the company, go to www.gaysincostarica.com.