Its spectacular location, its breathtaking beaches and its heartwarming people all are embracing conditions encountered from the moment you enter this idyllic village, which seduces both foreign and local tourists, who don’t have to travel long distances to be able to enjoy what is considered to be one of the best places for really living our eternal summer.

Upon arrival in Loíza you’ll notice that more than a village you’ll be welcomed by a natural ‘’Spa resort’’. Local flora, with numerous flowers and trees, welcomes visitors arriving from every point of the country, at the airport or at the harbors, which attract thousands of tourists. Located at just a few minutes from the metropolitan area, the region is also known for its music, clearly influenced by the roots of African slaves, who once lived in this region; its art, reflects the “taínos”, Indian culture. Its cuisine, as “bacalaítos”, “alcapurrias” and “salmorejo de jueyes”; it’s irrefutable proof of a harmonious cultural mix between the various ‘’Loiceños’’ (inhabitants of Loíza).

The interest towards investment opportunities of real estate is growing

Thanks to the development of the expressway Route 66 (also known as ‘’el Corredor del Este’’), the inhabitants of Trujillo Alto, San Juan and Guaynabo will only take a 25 minutes drive to get to Loíza. Moreover, they have the alternative routes of Carretera 187, from Piñones, with its painteresque kiosks, and the traditional state road #3 or 65 Infantry Ave.

As part of the economical growth of the region, the construction industry in Loíza is keeping its steady growing rate. Responding to the interest shown by the public towards the beach apartments, many projects are under construction. Even if in the past months the financial and mortgage sectors haven’t been living their best moments, both locally and in the United States, most new projects in Loíza have met with high selling rates. In order to comply with buyers demand, the construction units of the types condominium or walk-ups are getting more sophisticated each time. The projects are provided with resort style amenities, still maintaining affordable prices, going from the low’s $100,000 up to more than $400,000.

All this makes your investment in Loíza a great buy, and its market value won’t stop growing in time. You can choose from an ample variety: Ocean Point, Malibú Beach, Costamar West, Villas del Mar and the more spectacular Aquátika.

At just two minutes of the new project Aquátika, a state of the art concept, including its many swimming pools, a river pool and an aquatic park, the first mall of Loíza will be built in 2007- named Ocean Blue Mall. Furthermore, in the near future, two hotels will be added: Hotel Berwind, to be developed by a Spanish firm by November 2007, and just beyond the bridge which divides the municipalities of Loíza and Río Grande, the Hotel St Regis and Residences is already being built. It will be the first 5 star hotel of the Caribbean region and will open its golf course and club house in the summer of 2007, and its St. Regis Residences will be completely enjoyable in 2008.

To think that these times are not an adequate moment to acquire real estate is like a myth. As we now are witnessing a buyers market with more real estate properties for sale than potential buyers, you can profit of this opportunity to buy your second home, where you can enjoy relaxing weekends and you can also rent. All this while your investment is growing on a steady basis and without even having to leave the Island.

Even more than an excellent investment, Loíza represents a great option for fun and relaxation

With a projected population of 35.896 in 2010 (based on the numbers by the Censo of 2000), Loíza is and will be a comfortable and welcoming village, where you will feel at home from the moment you arrive. Apart from the beaches of Piñones, Vacía Talega and the surroundings known as ‘’El Terraplén’’, this beautiful region is known for the Río Grande of Loíza, for the “Fiestas de Santiago Apóstol” and for the “alcapurrias” (a typical Puerto Rican dish which consists of a seasoned meat or crab filling wrapped in a seasoned dough of mashed yuca (Cassaba) or green banana mixed with taro root which is then deep fried) made by ‘’El Sazón de Sylvia’’, already having reached international fame.

Loíza is still improving and developing in every aspect. Its mayor, Eddie Manso, works close with a group of citizens, who founded the ‘’Asociación de Residentes de Fines de Semana de Loíza’’ (Association of Residents for Weekends of Loíza), in order to improve the benefits to the residents and visitors alike. This group of people, who can hardly hide their deep love for this stunning region, asked for Loíza to have its own decal (surely you will have noticed the ‘’Loíza 187- Paraíso de Playas’’). This group of dedicated people also makes efforts to identify areas in which to collaborate, and makes several recommendations as to improve things where needed. Only a few of their achievements are the placement of security buoys along the beach, going from Villas del Mar and Costamar West to as far as Aquátika, and the collection of taxes by the CRIM (“Centro de Recaudación de Ingresos Municipales”) on projects, which increases the available funds to develop and make more improvements.

Far from limiting himself to this endeavor mayor Manso also follows his own working plan, where tourism is one of the focal points. For this reason he already met with Terestella González, director of the Compañía de Turismo de Puerto Rico. The municipal executive plans to restore the Cuevas María La Cruz, where the Office of Tourism and a museum will be located. The museum will be part of a touristic route, which will include remarkable sites like the Church of San Patricio, the most ancient one still in use in Puerto Rico, and built in 1670.

Mayor Manso has also planned the return of the Ancón, one of the great symbols of the village, and the construction of a paved esplanade in the surroundings of the Julia de Burgos Park.

I’m convinced that Loíza, in three or four years, will become another Isla Verde. All along the Route 187, following the coastline boarded by beaches, apartment complexes with their access to the sea will develop and adorn Loíza, as did Dorado, Rincón and now also Isabela. The progress of this village, which didn’t see me be born, but which adopted me as its own daughter (till the point that they call me ‘’the Queen of Loíza’’), inspired me into writing ‘’El Momento de Loíza’’, a quarterly bulletin addresed to Loíza apartment owners who visit Loíza during weekends, aimed to inform them about everything that is happening here.

This is why Loíza has got my admiration. Maybe just being a little dot on a gigantic map compared to the big cities, it certainly has won a honorable place in the list of touristic destinations, even on a global level, a situation which not only grants rewards on a municipal scale, but also for Puerto Rico as a whole. For this reason Real Estate Companies like Loíza Real Estate and others came here to provide professional service to even foreign tourists who want to spend their holidays in Loíza. This is the case of Loíza Property Management, which has rented apartments to people coming from France, Holland, Hungary and Canada, apart from those from the United States.    

I invite you to come and see Loíza for yourself, or to dial (787)398-2715 in order to get personal assitance. Discover its magic and see with your own eyes the great potential of this marvelous town.

The author is a Real Estate Agent, author of various books, Sales Trainer and owner of Loíza Real Estate. She is the first puertorrican Realtor certified as Resort and Recreation Specialist (RRS). For more information, please access www.loízaestate.com , email to carmenchi@loízarealestate.com or dial 787-398-2715.