Peter........how about a "Services Forum" for PBH?

gringoloid says on Jun 22, 2007, 12:55:

Amen to that. I was asking about this before as everyone thinks I'm Santa Claus here in Bogota. If we funneled our business to a select few businesses, we could get a good rate. Peter could also get his vig.

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scotty says on Jun 22, 2007, 15:09:

good idea Miguel_Clavo

Get Rhythm, when you got the blues. Johnny Cash

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Miguel_Clavo says on Jun 25, 2007, 16:40:

more information on this will be forthcoming....=)..keep your fingers crossed! jajajja...

"I would rather die living life, than to live a dying life."........ Oh, and my PM is always ON. Great Bumper Sticker: "Home of the Free, Because of the Brave"

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elmodefoque says on Jun 26, 2007, 06:42:

Miguel, that’s a brilliant, superb idea.
A list of reliable thrust worthy professionals to help in the transition from living in USA to retiring in Colombia.
I started to set forth the motion to retire in Colombia by buying a taxi. My next move is to buy an apartment or stabbin cabin for all my gringo friends to visit. All this paper work is completely foreign to me. My last business venture in Barranquilla was selling butiffaras up and down the streets of curramba, no paper work needed for that.
Now I’m having someone working my taxi and in the future, if all goes well, have couple more to supplement my meager SS check.
All I want is to have enough money for booze and hookers, that’s it! then DIE HAPPY! .

over 5 million colombianos in USA and only 27 barranquilleros, i'm one. CURRAMBA, EL MEJOR VIVIDERO DEL MUNDO!

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Miguel_Clavo says on Jun 26, 2007, 10:07:

Here is the body of the text which i sent to Peter in response to his request for more information about the possible Services Forum. It is provided to encourage posters to comment on, and was approved by Peter for posting here:

I understand that the Search, Rent, and Meet Up Forums fulfill the needs for those in search of things such as home/apartment rentals, temporary lodging, furniture for sale, and now Meet Up postings. It is very similar to a craigslist-style classified ads. I think that Forum has a very good “listing� function, but is not set up as a “dynamic information sharing� function.

I think it is fairly obvious to a lot of folks that the number of Retirees who are living in or are planning on retiring in Colombia will be raising at an increasing rate, as the Baby Boomer generation looks to settle down in a desirable setting. Many of those interested in Colombia as a retirement destination will be doing their research on Colombia (or I would at least hope so!), and will undoubtedly come across PBH. In fact, that is exactly how I stumbled across PBH a few years ago while conducting my retirement planning. But, as retirement planning and research is not the same as simple vacation planning, short term lodging, nor the purchase of furniture, a need exists to provide for consumer-tested, long term planning “services� factors in retirement such as lawyers, accountants, tax advisers, and even medical services contacts. As most are aware, a sharp and reliable CPA or lawyer is worth every penny they are paid. However, for most foreigners (both living within Colombia or within the planning stages to moving there), locating such qualified people in Colombia is a very difficult project in itself. (I am not saying they do not exist, but I am saying that they are difficult to locate) Most retirees are on a fixed income, and really can not afford to find reliable service professionals via a trial and error process.

If a PBH poster has encountered such a qualified individual in these above-mentioned Service areas, the Services forum would be utilized to provide the contact information and their personal experiences with this professional. PBH posters, with the necessary first hand experience with the professional, can post this information and hopefully prevent potentially disastrous contacts with other less than desirable or dishonest individuals. I, for one, would never recommend a CPA to anyone unless I have personally used their services, and was completely satisfied with their service, enough to refer others to this contact. I would not risk my reputation on a bad or risky contact to anyone.

Although I don’t know the actual number of PBH posters who fall within the retirement-interested people, but I know there are many active posters currently within that group. I believe that many of these folks are independently searching for information relative to retirement. The Services Forum would provide a location for the networking of like-minded PBHers, which quite possibly prevent a lot of duplicate effort while at the same time providing a very useful source of retirement information. And, of course, it would be a “useful reading� to younger folks with the wisdom to look ahead towards retirement, which will eventually be knocking at their door before they realize it.

If you don’t have any objections, I would like to post this document within the Services Forum thread I created for such a purpose, to solicit the comments and perspectives of other PBH posters. Thank you for your interest in this suggestion.

Miguel_Clavo

"I would rather die living life, than to live a dying life."........ Oh, and my PM is always ON. Great Bumper Sticker: "Home of the Free, Because of the Brave"

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Miguel_Clavo says on Jun 26, 2007, 10:08:

Peter responded that he would add this idea to his future ideas to look at list, but the website layout needed his attention first......

"I would rather die living life, than to live a dying life."........ Oh, and my PM is always ON. Great Bumper Sticker: "Home of the Free, Because of the Brave"

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pedro says on Jun 26, 2007, 10:16:

elmo - "Now I’m having someone working my taxi and in the future, if all goes well, have couple more to supplement my meager SS check."


Elmo and Jhon's taxi can easily be spotted on the streets of Barranquilla. It's the one with "Ser Vicio Publico" written on the back.

que nota!

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