screw Cali

[jim c]

Hi guys it is 6:30 sunday night and I was walking the streets of Bocagrande. Here I am free. I am safe and the food is great. I must admit there is not the abundance of beautiful women like there is in Cali, but Cartagena is a wonderful place. I have spent five days looking at property with real estate agents. The deals are fantastic I have found a two floor house with eight bedrooms in the old city Gabriel Marquez will be my neighbor. His house is one block up the street. $150,000. Any takers? Great renovation for a guest house or maybe even an agency.

Will be home in three days with a trip report JIMC

[cancunhound]

... in response to screw Cali, posted by jim c on Aug 31, 2003

Ouch!  Screw Cali?  Cartagena for me was nice to visit but you'd really take it over Cali? - too expensive and the beach is polluted, and the damn hagglers!  Enjoy the rest of your trip, look forward to your report on return.
(PS  $150,000 sounds a bit steep unless you're talking "over the top" property)

[jim c]

... in response to Re: screw Cali, posted by cancunhound on Sep 1, 2003

Hey coonhound

   It is real interesting here. I have not taken the usual tourist route. I picked a taxi driver that spoke english the first day and have been using two real estate agents. Of course there are gringo prices. But here it is just like on the street, Make an offer!!. I have looked at high rise apartments in Bocagrande($55,000),georgeous arab houses in Manga (90,000). and old houses in the old city. The prices vary but you are always expected to counter offer. Of course they are higher than Cali, but you don´t need secuity on every block and you can walk around your neighborhood.
 
    I looked at an old hotel yesterday with 9 rooms. Each is about 15X15 with bath. It has a courtyard about 50x40 which was a restaurant. The first price was 7,000,000,000 or about $250,000 US. I burst out laughing and the price dropped immediately to 5,000,000,000. I was then asked to make an offer. It is the typical building in the old city the kind you look into from the street and it seems to go forever. The good thing is there is very little work to do and each room has a bath. The neighborhood is not as good as the other house (The Sofiteal Santa Clara is 80 feet away) but it is a good neighborhood. Both are in SanDiego. The barrio which may not be safe at night is Getsemani, but it is changing.

  Of course I am not going to buy immediately. A cynical old cop would never do that. I think for those who wish to be an expat this is the place to be. Less than three hours from Miami, costs are 25% of prices in the states and it is safe. And!!!!! I can always offer free vacations to Caleñas. As to tourist prices I have eaten in a few places and you have a choice, high class tourist restaurants or local restaurants for fresh fish. They are here. Hell they even have a crepes and waffles (same prices as Cali). SEE YA  JIMC

[cancunhound]

... in response to Re: Re: screw Cali, posted by jim c on Sep 2, 2003

Sounds like you've got your priorities straight!

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"And!!!!! I can always offer free vacations to Caleñas."

[Pete E]

... in response to Re: Re: Re: screw Cali, posted by cancunhound on Sep 2, 2003

I bet Jim thought of that before I mentioned it.I bet alot of ladies from Cali would like to visit Cartegena or live there.
Hmm,maybe he could do a special type agency,meet a Calena in Caretegena.Or just have lots of Cali laies on he books.
I think Jim is also looking for a business opportunity here.
Agency of maybe a place that rents rooms to gringos.
Hmm,maybe a single guys vacation package.Vacation in Cartegena with the opportunity to meet women.He could expand beyond the gringo that already knows about this in to the travel industry maybe.
Of course overseeing it all in luxury in a beautifull coastal city.

Pete

[Pete E]

... in response to screw Cali, posted by jim c on Aug 31, 2003

Jim,
Sounds good.I would take my time before buying or start out low balling them.I think they see a gringo coming a mile away.Probably best to rent for awhile untill you really understand the local market.
Also,I heard something to the extent there is a less safe part of the old city,but others said the old city was safe.Anywhere in Colombia you have to be a little careful I think.
Yes,I don't think anyplace quite compares with Cali for women.Maybe Medelin but its more dangerous than Cali I think.
Maybe you could set it up to have a succession of women from Cali to visit you in Cartegena.Like a little vacation for them and test drive for you.And if you live in Colombia I think it takes away most of the pressure to get married.You could start acting like a Colombiano.

Pete

[cancunhound]

... in response to Re: screw Cali, posted by Pete E on Aug 31, 2003

You got that right Pete - if at all possible, have a native Colombian handle all the negotiations, never a gringo in sight - gringo shows up only to sign the bank papers (the facial expressions then are priceless - Damn, we could of asked for twice the amount!)

[DavidMN]

... in response to screw Cali, posted by jim c on Aug 31, 2003

Jim,

There might be a little bit of real estate "puffery" on behalf of your agent. Garcia Marquez lives in Mexico City most of the time and is also sick, I believe. He did not even make it to Colombia for the release of his latest book in Sep/Oct 2002.

Will be curious to hear more about your visit. Are these cash deals, will banks write a mortgate with a gringo, etc?

David

[jim c]

... in response to Re: screw Cali, posted by DavidMN on Aug 31, 2003

Dont worry it is even on the map and the government even has a few soldiers around it.´ I am still invetigating and will know more about banks, financing etc later. JIM c