Have the US economic problems , hit Colombia yet?

Bill Turley says on Aug 28, 2007, 16:13:

I recieve a pension in Dollars so when the stock market falls my pension goes UP as the dollar buys more pesos

Mr. Bill Somondoco

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robi666 says on Aug 28, 2007, 16:28:

Few percent down the stock market, few percent down the peso, few percent better my lifestyle...
are they big signs?
jobs, housing, cars, Exito goods? Explain please. What do you expect to happen?

"And the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face as of a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle.
And the four living creatures, having each one of them six wings, are full of eyes round about and within: and they have no rest day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God, the Almighty, who was and who is and who is to come."
Those are BIG signs! Now, I see something like this and I'm outta here! :-)

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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RussianFred says on Aug 28, 2007, 16:32:

Condo prices are still high. I see no impact!

Annual Drug Deaths: Tobacco: 395,000, Alcohol: 125,000, 'Legal' Drugs: 38,000, Illegal Drug Overdoses: 5,200, Marijuana: 0. Considering government subsidies of tobacco, just what is our government protecting us from in the drug war?--Ralph Nader

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Tinto (Moderator) says on Aug 28, 2007, 16:39:

No downturn yet, but I just pulled up a Japanese candlestick chart of the COP vs. USD and after a long period of base building, we've got a pennant formation. That's a lot of pent up energy, today's a full moon and the 9 day moving average has crossed over the 14. Be careful boys and girls, this market is for professionals not pud pullers. The RSI is giving a buy signal but wait for an MCAD confirmation and use a tight trailing stop. If we break through resistance without forming a double top, then we won't retrace to the 62% Fibonacci level. At the upper Bollinger Band, if you see a cup, fill it with salt and toss it over the head and shoulders. Colombia will be fine.

This daily market wisdom has been brought to you by GringoinBogota. We now return to our regularly scheduled programming.

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goin_south says on Aug 28, 2007, 16:39:

Even government regulation will catch up to Colombia in the next 20 years.
And, then... where will ributo run to, when freedom's jus another word for nothing left to lose?

Where do we go from here?

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Gator says on Aug 28, 2007, 18:01:

Prices getting softer in our area (Rosales) starting to see lots of "arriendo" signs in some apartmento windows-can't sell so they are trying the next step.

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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robi666 says on Aug 28, 2007, 18:05:

Gator, do you have any perception about how softer? 10%, 30%, 50%?
The perception in Medellin is that the market is slowing down... but not to get prices any lower. More like a lower growth than the huge increase of price of 2005 and 2006.

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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Gator says on Aug 28, 2007, 19:45:

Around the corner-nice building, five floors, two bedrooms, three baths, first floor, security, I would say about 110 sq mtrs, started out at 430.000.000 pesos, would take an offer of 360.000.000 pesos and $150.000 USD in a heartbeat. Custom wood work throughout. BUT there are better deals in the area.

Not really into real estate but I would say 20% or -

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

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robi666 says on Aug 28, 2007, 19:51:

Wow... that was 4.000.000 per m2! We are far from that prices in Medellin...

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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goin_south says on Aug 28, 2007, 23:23:

Okay, Osama Bin-Ito
whatever ya say....
you probably jus moved above the radar... now,....I feel much better :)))



and His Name shall be Osama Bin-Ito

Where do we go from here?

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Frank Rizzo says on Aug 28, 2007, 23:48:

Well...4MM COP per M2 is definately not the highest priced property in the country.....that's for sure......the apto. below me in Med. is more than that....

Secondlly, I was at a meeting today at O'hare and i heard that the california mortgage default rate is at 200 per 1000.....does anyone know if this is so????

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robi666 says on Aug 29, 2007, 04:12:

Well, the highest prices are in Cartagena.
And Frank, I have visited more than 100 apartments in El Poblado and never seen or heard anything around that price... must be something super! Where is it? It would be nice to talk with you and exchange views... are you in Medellin right now?

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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robi666 says on Aug 29, 2007, 04:14:

PS Nice to see Medellin map upside down... :-)

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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jarhead says on Aug 29, 2007, 06:49:

Hey guys, is it me, or am I starting to see a lot "SE VENDE", "SE ARRIENDA" signs going up????? anyone here remember Bogota in 1995/1996..??????

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miamimike says on Aug 29, 2007, 07:03:

Jarhead, I remember all those Se Vende/Arrienda signs in that era. Rememebr the 800-900 CP to Dollar exchange also and the guys think they have it hard with 1950 CP to the Dollar. LOL

My Avatar-- Sarah Palin Says " "You know the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom?? Lipstick!" Now on a Short Verbal Tether by the Honorable John McCain

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jarhead says on Aug 29, 2007, 07:20:

yeah, I remember those days, I was stupid not buying property here back then, god you could pick up property for a "song" if you did your research, but, not to worry, the "cycle" is starting again, this time I'll be ready.....................I am renting a 600 square meter bodega right now in el Eduardo Santos, when I moved in here a year ago, the little prick who owns it, wanted to sell it to me for $300.000.000, last week he let me know that if I wanted to buy it, the price had gone up to $475.000.000......I told him to shove it up his culo..........a 150.000.000 peso increase in price in one year......I'll see where he is at(price wise) in 12 months, I have a feeling he will not be so cocky next time we speak.....(if he has not sold the property in the time being)

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Gomezman5 says on Aug 29, 2007, 08:34:

"Have the US economic problems , hit Colombia yet?"

You guys cannot be serious? Economic problems of the US? What economic problems? Are there any. Unemployment is very low. But for the last 6 weeks, the stock market has been spectacular for the last four years, which included record setting gains that were achieved only a couple of months ago. That said, you cannot judge the stock market based on how good or bad it has performed in the last month. Home prices have gone down, but that is expected. Homes should have never increased in value at 15-20% per year in the first place. Interest rates are STILL low and anyone who is buying a new home today, should not hesitate to lock in a very favorabe interest rate for 30 years......or 15 years if you can afford the payments.

The US census bureau just gave a report about the poverty level. Consider the following facts that can be derived from the findings of the US Census Bureau. (From Captain' Quarters Blog)

Poverty has always been a judgment call, relative to a standard of living that serves as a mean for comparative purposes. In America, the system most often used is the one Rector employs for his study -- a relative comparison naturally based on income. He takes the bottom quintile of households based on income and looks at the living conditions -- and finds that the Dickensian images evoked by the word poverty does not apply in the US, at least in most cases.

The poor in America live in the following conditions:

* 43% of the poor own their homes, and the average home is a three-bedroom house with a garage and 1.5 bathrooms

* Over two-thirds of households have two rooms per occupant, which belies the notion of overcrowding

* 80% of the poor have air conditioning

* Almost 75% own one car; 31% own two or more

* The average living space for the American poor is larger than the average space for all people in Paris, Vienna, and London, among other cities in Europe

Hence, it does not appear that living in poverty (by US standards) is not all that bad of an experience......the type of experience that most Colombians would be more than happy to experience if given the opportunity to do so. (That's why most Colombians would gladly live here)......Yes most. I know you dreamers have a hard time believing that.

So.......where are the problems? Colombia only wished they had these kind of problems.

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Simon says on Aug 29, 2007, 11:58:

More hate-filled dreck towards Colombia from everyone's favorite 'PBH Coconut'.

BTW Gomez, did you happen to catch last week just how superior Mexico is to Colombia in football?

"Tu vas a ver, llegaras a mi edad y veras que Colombia seguira igual"-----Simon Sr.

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john_stark says on Aug 29, 2007, 16:16:

Robi666, the map of Medellin is not upside down. Whoever did the labelling of the barrios has completely misplaced the locations of El Poblado and Laureles.

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john_stark says on Aug 29, 2007, 16:18:

These prices are ridiculous. Who pays these prices for apartments in a crime-ridden poverty-stricken Third World country? Cripes I can find condos in nice areas of San Antonio priced cheaper than this.

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Tinto (Moderator) says on Aug 29, 2007, 16:26:

I'm not trying to be a smart ass, and I have no connection to the industry, but unless you are visiting the farms or buying things labeled organic (and you know and trust the organic standards in Colombia) you are not eating very many foods that are/were free of chemicals all the way through the supply chain.

http://dupont-agricola.com.co/prod2.asp?codpais=1&nompais=Colombia

In case you want to stop and see your friends at Monsanto while you're in town (OK, I am being a little bit of a smart ass)

MONSANTO, doing business as:
Compania Agricola Colombiana Ltda
Avenida 100 # 7-33
Piso 19
Oficina 1901
Bogota, Colombia

That's just a sample. Here's a list of about 50 Colombian and foreign companies that produce or market agricultural chemicals in Colombia.

AGROQUIMICOS

ADN - A Desarrollos Nuevos S. A. www.adn.com.co
Agricense Ltda. www.agricense.com.co
Agro - Chem www.agrochem.netfirms.com
Agro S. A. www.agro.com.co
Agrocorp S. A. www.agrocorp.com.co
Agrofeed - Brenntag Latinoamerica www.agrofeed.net
Agroprocesos Organicos Pronagro S. A. www.pronagro.com
Agroquimicos Genericos S. A. - Agrogen www.agrogen.com.co
Agrostar de Colombia Ltda. www.agrostardecolombia.com
Agroz S. A. www.fedearroz.com.co/agroz.htm
AP Groupe - C. I. Agrocol S. A. www.apgroupe.com
Arysta Lifescience Colombia Ltda. ( Antes Coljap Industria Agroquimica S. A. ) www.arystalifescience.com
Asociación Nacional de Empresarios de Colombia - ANDI www.andi.org.co
Avila Quimica S. A. www.aquimica.com
BAM S. A. www.bam.com.co
Barpen International www.barpen.com
Basf Quimica Colombiana S. A. www.basf.com.co
Bayer www.bayerandina.com
Bayer CropScience S. A. www.bayercropscience.com.co
Compañía Colombiana de Inversiones Agricolas S. A. - Colinagro www.colinagro.com.co
Cosmoagro S. A. www.cosmoagro.com
Dow AgroSciences de Colombia S. A. www.dowagro.com
Dow Chemical Co. www.dow.com
DuPont Region Andina - Division Agricultura y Nutricion www.dupont-agricola.com.co
Empresa Colombiana de Productos Veterinarios - Vecol www.vecol.com.co
Evo Farms www.evofarms.com
Exro Ltda. www.exro.com.co
Exro Ltda. www.exroltda.com
Flor Integral Ltda. www.florintegral.com.co
GBM www.gbm.com
Grupo Quimico Andino Ltda. www.gqa.cc
Helm Andina Ltda. www.helmandina.com
Improagro Ltda. http://pwp.007mundo.com/improagro
Inferex S. A. www.inferex.com.co
Invesa S. A. www.invesa.com
Limor Agroproteccion S. A. www.limorcolombia.com
Monsanto www.monsanto.com
Point de Colombia Ltda. www.pointamericas.com
Proficol S. A. www.proficol.com.co
Propanil - Proficol S. A. www.propanil.com
Quimica Internacional www.quintal.com.co
Quimicos Oma Ltda. www.quimicosoma.com
Quimicos y Agroquimicos Chapinero www.paginasamarillas.com/quimicoschapinero.htm
Quimicos y Fertilizantes Salazar y Cia. S. en C. - Quimifer www.quimifer.com.co
Quimiganges Cia. Ltda. www.quimiganges.com
Rohm and Haas Colombia Ltda. www.rohmhaas.com
RomerAgro Ltda. http://romeragro.webcindario.com
Rotam Colombia S. A. www.rotam.com
RVF Representaciones www.rvfrepresentaciones.com
Saat Andina S. A. www.saat-ag.com
Sanicultivos Ltda. www.sanicultivos.com
Stoller Colombia S. A. - ( Ahora Agro S. A. ) www.colombiaexport.com/stoller/stollei.htm
Syngenta www.syngenta.com.co
Tecnoquimicas S. A. www.tecnoquimicas.com.co
Uniapel www.grupoapel.com
Unicor S. A. www.unicorsa.com

I don't want an eye growing out of the middle of my forehead any more than the next guy; what I'd be concerned about is "off label use" and whether the chemicals were applied at the right time, by the right method, and in the right quantities.

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robi666 says on Aug 29, 2007, 17:17:

Yes, I've seen it J_S... not upside down, just the label misplaced.

"I am a citizen of the most beautiful nation on earth. A nation whose laws are harsh yet simple, a nation that never cheats, which is immense and without borders, where life is lived in the present."

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john_stark says on Aug 29, 2007, 17:32:

Looking at it a little more, it seems like they should switch the labels for El Poblado and Laureles. I still can't believe these prices - what Colombian earns enough to afford them? Of course I could say that about California too.

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miamimike says on Aug 30, 2007, 02:24:

JS-some Medellin Colombians have some $$$$! I have a friend from Medellin who lives in Adventura(miami) part of the year; this lady drops $1700 monthly on Rent alone, has the latest Jeep Cherokee Surpreme. Cost of living like AC, car insurance, food,misc expenses ect drives her cost over $3000 monthly and she doesn't work to beat all. Some have money like this lady,,,,They have an Attitude to match I might add,,,

My Avatar-- Sarah Palin Says " "You know the difference between a pit bull and a hockey mom?? Lipstick!" Now on a Short Verbal Tether by the Honorable John McCain

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Greg444 says on Aug 30, 2007, 11:33:

This thread was not really about real estate, but if anyone noticed by anedotal experience, things are getting tougher in Colombia.

Like, a Colombia friend losing his job, rent going up, clothes going up, food going up, people sinking into debt in Colombia and now complaining, business going bankrupt or closing, articles in newspapars saying the party is over in Colombia, etc....

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Lowell says on Aug 30, 2007, 11:49:

Every week more stores closing in Cartago.

Alfred E. Newman. "What. Me Worry?"

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Greg444 says on Aug 30, 2007, 14:50:

People in the US , can move easily , one city to another, though the real estate drop, has put a snag on that in the US.

In Colombia, I think it is difficult for people to move. So who are, all these people that the ExPats are claiming are moving to Medellin?
(I guess horny middle aged gringos are causing the real estate boom, NOT.)

"A Colombian girl asked me , how come these middle aged gringos never walk the park with their American wife? , How come we never see them with an American wife? So when we see you , we think you are scooping for a girl."

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Lowell says on Aug 30, 2007, 15:37:

I used get more interest from the girls when I'm with my lady. I guess it gives you some creditability. Now that I've been here a while and am known in town it's the oposite. It's like they can't wait to see me alone. Go Figure

Alfred E. Newman. "What. Me Worry?"

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circusoflife says on Sep 4, 2007, 20:36:

http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/agr_pes_use-agriculture-pesticide-us...

let that graph kill the silly idea of no pesticides in Colombia!

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