When turmoil spells a property bargain

Here is a interesting report by the International Herald Tribune, I know for afact that in some areas in Ctg property prices have gone up by 300% in the last two years:

http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/06/02/news/retrouble.php

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Bargain hunters take note. There are lush beachfront lots available on a beautiful Caribbean bay for dirt-cheap prices.

There is only one catch: the property is in Haiti, the poorest and most violence-ridden country in the region.

But turmoil did not deter Gunter Holzner. A few years ago the retired Geneva chemist bought a 2,400-square-meter, or 25,800 square-foot, waterfront parcel in a walled community in Jacmel that is about 80 kilometers, or 50 miles, from Port-au-Prince. He paid about $30 a square meter and built a colonial-style estate with large patios and a swimming pool, which he rarely visits these days.

"I'm confident that in one or two years it will be good again", Holzner said of the situation in Haiti.

Throughout the world, in countries like Haiti, Nicaragua and Colombia, spectacular luxury properties are available, to those who are willing to assume incalculable risk. Regime change, massive currency devaluation and civil war can be dangers, and safety always uncertain.

Buying activity by foreigners is almost nonexistent in these troubled countries, agents say, but properties are still for sale, and at the right price.

A four-bedroom house with a swimming pool on a golf course in Zimbabwe can be purchased for less than £20,000 pounds, or $36,200, said Peter Caroe, a London-based partner in the global real estate firm Knight Frank. "But you'd have to be a brave man to buy now," he added.

Government land seizures and signs of economic collapse - Zimbabwe's currency traded on the black market at 120 to the dollar in April 2002, today a single U.S. dollar is worth 25,000 Zimbabwean dollars - make any thought of buying a vacation home in the lush country a dicey concept.

Caroe, who focuses on real estate in Africa, said buyers instead are looking in countries that appear to be recovering from unrest, like Mozambique and Botswana.

"Kenya is a lovely country and the politics have improved a little bit," Caroe said. "There's definitely more interest in the Kenyan coast than in the last 10 years."

A resurgence of attacks by leftist rebels and continuing battles with drug lords may keep Colombia off vacation lists, but "Colombia is making a significant comeback," said Jorge Hurtado, director of Latin America and Caribbean for CB-Richard Ellis, the real estate firm. As signs of stabilization appear, Hurtado said that European buyers are starting to look again at places like the old coastal city of Cartagena, famous for its historic walls and old cathedrals.

And real estate companies and investors are showing renewed interest in Argentina and Venezuela, two countries that have been plagued by economic and political problems, said Cesar Ruiz, senior managing director of Latin America for Grubb & Ellis.

"In both countries there are numerous commercial real estate opportunities for multinationals and individuals with a long-term strategic plan," Ruiz said. "Will you be able to find a good deal and flip it in six months? No. But both countries will come back."

Soaring prices in relatively stable countries like Costa Rica are sending buyers shopping for bargains, agents say. A half-acre, or 0.2-hectare, plot of waterfront land in Costa Rica costs about $250,000 - more than double what it would have cost three years ago, agents say. But a 2.5-acre island on Lake Granada in troubled Nicaragua is listed for $190,000 and a 1,800-square-foot lot on the waterfront in El Salvador can be purchased for $47,000.

But turmoil does not always spell bargains. Agents say, for example, that prices are holding strong in Lebanon, once considered the most cosmopolitan country in the Middle East. Even though it recently lived through the assassination of its former prime minister and the withdrawal of Syrian troops, apartments in fashionable districts of Beirut like the revitalized Central District command as much as $1 million.

Robert Haag is asking $800,000 for his family's four-bedroom, four-bathroom villa with sea views in the south Lebanese town of Tyrus. The market is "very quiet at the moment," Haag said.

He has received numerous inquiries on the villa, which features large terraces and rooms covered in Portuguese rose marble, "but they don't want to pay anything."

Haag is holding firm on the price though, believing the market will rebound soon. "People think they can get it very cheap and I say no," Haag said. "There is no reason to sell for dumping prices."

Even in Haiti, where violence is commonplace, buyers still covet certain properties. On the hillside above Port-au-Prince, "astonishingly," prices are going up, said Charles Fombrun, executive vice president of development for GF Construction, a Haitian-based firm that develops residential and commercial projects.

Just last week the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning for the island and sent some embassy staff members and their families home. Despite the efforts of UN peacekeepers and the police, 400 people have died in street violence since last September, when supporters of the ousted president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, vowed to effect his return.

Gueric Boucard, who owns the waterfront property in Jacmel where Holzner built his house, is familiar with fluctuations in the market. The Boucard family, which had been in the coffee, cocoa and cotton business in Haiti for generations, lost most of its land during the reign of François "Papa Doc" Duvalier in the 1960s. But they regained portions of their original holdings in the 1990s, including the land in Jacmel, when Aristide came to power.

Several years ago Boucard subdivided the parcel into 26 residential lots, ranging from 800 to 1,500 square meters. The plot is surrounded by a security wall and protected 24-hours a day by armed guards. Each lot has bay views and full utilities, and there is commuter plane service available from Port-au-Prince.

Boucard is asking $35 a square meter for the lots on the water; $30 a square meter off the water. So far he has sold eight parcels, but only two houses have been built: his own and Holzner's.

Holzner is not actively marketing the property right now, given the situation in Haiti. "It has to change," he said. "There is only a finite amount of wonderful property in the Caribbean." But he says he has no regrets about his purchase, even though he will probably stay in Europe this year. "One day it will be beautiful. I just don't know when," he said.

Bargain hunters take note. There are lush beachfront lots available on a beautiful Caribbean bay for dirt-cheap prices.

There is only one catch: the property is in Haiti, the poorest and most violence-ridden country in the region.

But turmoil did not deter Gunter Holzner. A few years ago the retired Geneva chemist bought a 2,400-square-meter, or 25,800 square-foot, waterfront parcel in a walled community in Jacmel that is about 80 kilometers, or 50 miles, from Port-au-Prince. He paid about $30 a square meter and built a colonial-style estate with large patios and a swimming pool, which he rarely visits these days.

"I'm confident that in one or two years it will be good again", Holzner said of the situation in Haiti.

Throughout the world, in countries like Haiti, Nicaragua and Colombia, spectacular luxury properties are available, to those who are willing to assume incalculable risk. Regime change, massive currency devaluation and civil war can be dangers, and safety always uncertain.

Buying activity by foreigners is almost nonexistent in these troubled countries, agents say, but properties are still for sale, and at the right price.

A four-bedroom house with a swimming pool on a golf course in Zimbabwe can be purchased for less than £20,000 pounds, or $36,200, said Peter Caroe, a London-based partner in the global real estate firm Knight Frank. "But you'd have to be a brave man to buy now," he added.

Government land seizures and signs of economic collapse - Zimbabwe's currency traded on the black market at 120 to the dollar in April 2002, today a single U.S. dollar is worth 25,000 Zimbabwean dollars - make any thought of buying a vacation home in the lush country a dicey concept.

Caroe, who focuses on real estate in Africa, said buyers instead are looking in countries that appear to be recovering from unrest, like Mozambique and Botswana.

"Kenya is a lovely country and the politics have improved a little bit," Caroe said. "There's definitely more interest in the Kenyan coast than in the last 10 years."

A resurgence of attacks by leftist rebels and continuing battles with drug lords may keep Colombia off vacation lists, but "Colombia is making a significant comeback," said Jorge Hurtado, director of Latin America and Caribbean for CB-Richard Ellis, the real estate firm. As signs of stabilization appear, Hurtado said that European buyers are starting to look again at places like the old coastal city of Cartagena, famous for its historic walls and old cathedrals.

And real estate companies and investors are showing renewed interest in Argentina and Venezuela, two countries that have been plagued by economic and political problems, said Cesar Ruiz, senior managing director of Latin America for Grubb & Ellis.

"In both countries there are numerous commercial real estate opportunities for multinationals and individuals with a long-term strategic plan," Ruiz said. "Will you be able to find a good deal and flip it in six months? No. But both countries will come back."

Soaring prices in relatively stable countries like Costa Rica are sending buyers shopping for bargains, agents say. A half-acre, or 0.2-hectare, plot of waterfront land in Costa Rica costs about $250,000 - more than double what it would have cost three years ago, agents say. But a 2.5-acre island on Lake Granada in troubled Nicaragua is listed for $190,000 and a 1,800-square-foot lot on the waterfront in El Salvador can be purchased for $47,000.

But turmoil does not always spell bargains. Agents say, for example, that prices are holding strong in Lebanon, once considered the most cosmopolitan country in the Middle East. Even though it recently lived through the assassination of its former prime minister and the withdrawal of Syrian troops, apartments in fashionable districts of Beirut like the revitalized Central District command as much as $1 million.

Robert Haag is asking $800,000 for his family's four-bedroom, four-bathroom villa with sea views in the south Lebanese town of Tyrus. The market is "very quiet at the moment," Haag said.

He has received numerous inquiries on the villa, which features large terraces and rooms covered in Portuguese rose marble, "but they don't want to pay anything."

Haag is holding firm on the price though, believing the market will rebound soon. "People think they can get it very cheap and I say no," Haag said. "There is no reason to sell for dumping prices."

Even in Haiti, where violence is commonplace, buyers still covet certain properties. On the hillside above Port-au-Prince, "astonishingly," prices are going up, said Charles Fombrun, executive vice president of development for GF Construction, a Haitian-based firm that develops residential and commercial projects.

Just last week the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning for the island and sent some embassy staff members and their families home. Despite the efforts of UN peacekeepers and the police, 400 people have died in street violence since last September, when supporters of the ousted president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, vowed to effect his return.

Gueric Boucard, who owns the waterfront property in Jacmel where Holzner built his house, is familiar with fluctuations in the market. The Boucard family, which had been in the coffee, cocoa and cotton business in Haiti for generations, lost most of its land during the reign of François "Papa Doc" Duvalier in the 1960s. But they regained portions of their original holdings in the 1990s, including the land in Jacmel, when Aristide came to power.

Several years ago Boucard subdivided the parcel into 26 residential lots, ranging from 800 to 1,500 square meters. The plot is surrounded by a security wall and protected 24-hours a day by armed guards. Each lot has bay views and full utilities, and there is commuter plane service available from Port-au-Prince.

Boucard is asking $35 a square meter for the lots on the water; $30 a square meter off the water. So far he has sold eight parcels, but only two houses have been built: his own and Holzner's.

Holzner is not actively marketing the property right now, given the situation in Haiti. "It has to change," he said. "There is only a finite amount of wonderful property in the Caribbean." But he says he has no regrets about his purchase, even though he will probably stay in Europe this year. "One day it will be beautiful. I just don't know when," he said.

Bargain hunters take note. There are lush beachfront lots available on a beautiful Caribbean bay for dirt-cheap prices.

There is only one catch: the property is in Haiti, the poorest and most violence-ridden country in the region.

But turmoil did not deter Gunter Holzner. A few years ago the retired Geneva chemist bought a 2,400-square-meter, or 25,800 square-foot, waterfront parcel in a walled community in Jacmel that is about 80 kilometers, or 50 miles, from Port-au-Prince. He paid about $30 a square meter and built a colonial-style estate with large patios and a swimming pool, which he rarely visits these days.

"I'm confident that in one or two years it will be good again", Holzner said of the situation in Haiti.

Throughout the world, in countries like Haiti, Nicaragua and Colombia, spectacular luxury properties are available, to those who are willing to assume incalculable risk. Regime change, massive currency devaluation and civil war can be dangers, and safety always uncertain.

Buying activity by foreigners is almost nonexistent in these troubled countries, agents say, but properties are still for sale, and at the right price.

A four-bedroom house with a swimming pool on a golf course in Zimbabwe can be purchased for less than £20,000 pounds, or $36,200, said Peter Caroe, a London-based partner in the global real estate firm Knight Frank. "But you'd have to be a brave man to buy now," he added.

Government land seizures and signs of economic collapse - Zimbabwe's currency traded on the black market at 120 to the dollar in April 2002, today a single U.S. dollar is worth 25,000 Zimbabwean dollars - make any thought of buying a vacation home in the lush country a dicey concept.

Caroe, who focuses on real estate in Africa, said buyers instead are looking in countries that appear to be
Bargain hunters take note. There are lush beachfront lots available on a beautiful Caribbean bay for dirt-cheap prices.

There is only one catch: the property is in Haiti, the poorest and most violence-ridden country in the region.

But turmoil did not deter Gunter Holzner. A few years ago the retired Geneva chemist bought a 2,400-square-meter, or 25,800 square-foot, waterfront parcel in a walled community in Jacmel that is about 80 kilometers, or 50 miles, from Port-au-Prince. He paid about $30 a square meter and built a colonial-style estate with large patios and a swimming pool, which he rarely visits these days.

"I'm confident that in one or two years it will be good again", Holzner said of the situation in Haiti.

Throughout the world, in countries like Haiti, Nicaragua and Colombia, spectacular luxury properties are available, to those who are willing to assume incalculable risk. Regime change, massive currency devaluation and civil war can be dangers, and safety always uncertain.

Buying activity by foreigners is almost nonexistent in these troubled countries, agents say, but properties are still for sale, and at the right price.

A four-bedroom house with a swimming pool on a golf course in Zimbabwe can be purchased for less than £20,000 pounds, or $36,200, said Peter Caroe, a London-based partner in the global real estate firm Knight Frank. "But you'd have to be a brave man to buy now," he added.

Government land seizures and signs of economic collapse - Zimbabwe's currency traded on the black market at 120 to the dollar in April 2002, today a single U.S. dollar is worth 25,000 Zimbabwean dollars - make any thought of buying a vacation home in the lush country a dicey concept.

Caroe, who focuses on real estate in Africa, said buyers instead are looking in countries that appear to be recovering from unrest, like Mozambique and Botswana.

"Kenya is a lovely country and the politics have improved a little bit," Caroe said. "There's definitely more interest in the Kenyan coast than in the last 10 years."

A resurgence of attacks by leftist rebels and continuing battles with drug lords may keep Colombia off vacation lists, but "Colombia is making a significant comeback," said Jorge Hurtado, director of Latin America and Caribbean for CB-Richard Ellis, the real estate firm. As signs of stabilization appear, Hurtado said that European buyers are starting to look again at places like the old coastal city of Cartagena, famous for its historic walls and old cathedrals.

And real estate companies and investors are showing renewed interest in Argentina and Venezuela, two countries that have been plagued by economic and political problems, said Cesar Ruiz, senior managing director of Latin America for Grubb & Ellis.

"In both countries there are numerous commercial real estate opportunities for multinationals and individuals with a long-term strategic plan," Ruiz said. "Will you be able to find a good deal and flip it in six months? No. But both countries will come back."

Soaring prices in relatively stable countries like Costa Rica are sending buyers shopping for bargains, agents say. A half-acre, or 0.2-hectare, plot of waterfront land in Costa Rica costs about $250,000 - more than double what it would have cost three years ago, agents say. But a 2.5-acre island on Lake Granada in troubled Nicaragua is listed for $190,000 and a 1,800-square-foot lot on the waterfront in El Salvador can be purchased for $47,000.

But turmoil does not always spell bargains. Agents say, for example, that prices are holding strong in Lebanon, once considered the most cosmopolitan country in the Middle East. Even though it recently lived through the assassination of its former prime minister and the withdrawal of Syrian troops, apartments in fashionable districts of Beirut like the revitalized Central District command as much as $1 million.

Robert Haag is asking $800,000 for his family's four-bedroom, four-bathroom villa with sea views in the south Lebanese town of Tyrus. The market is "very quiet at the moment," Haag said.

He has received numerous inquiries on the villa, which features large terraces and rooms covered in Portuguese rose marble, "but they don't want to pay anything."

Haag is holding firm on the price though, believing the market will rebound soon. "People think they can get it very cheap and I say no," Haag said. "There is no reason to sell for dumping prices."

Even in Haiti, where violence is commonplace, buyers still covet certain properties. On the hillside above Port-au-Prince, "astonishingly," prices are going up, said Charles Fombrun, executive vice president of development for GF Construction, a Haitian-based firm that develops residential and commercial projects.

Just last week the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning for the island and sent some embassy staff members and their families home. Despite the efforts of UN peacekeepers and the police, 400 people have died in street violence since last September, when supporters of the ousted president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, vowed to effect his return.

Gueric Boucard, who owns the waterfront property in Jacmel where Holzner built his house, is familiar with fluctuations in the market. The Boucard family, which had been in the coffee, cocoa and cotton business in Haiti for generations, lost most of its land during the reign of François "Papa Doc" Duvalier in the 1960s. But they regained portions of their original holdings in the 1990s, including the land in Jacmel, when Aristide came to power.

Several years ago Boucard subdivided the parcel into 26 residential lots, ranging from 800 to 1,500 square meters. The plot is surrounded by a security wall and protected 24-hours a day by armed guards. Each lot has bay views and full utilities, and there is commuter plane service available from Port-au-Prince.

Boucard is asking $35 a square meter for the lots on the water; $30 a square meter off the water. So far he has sold eight parcels, but only two houses have been built: his own and Holzner's.

Holzner is not actively marketing the property right now, given the situation in Haiti. "It has to change," he said. "There is only a finite amount of wonderful property in the Caribbean." But he says he has no regrets about his purchase, even though he will probably stay in Europe this year. "One day it will be beautiful. I just don't know when," he said.

Bargain hunters take note. There are lush beachfront lots available on a beautiful Caribbean bay for dirt-cheap prices.

There is only one catch: the property is in Haiti, the poorest and most violence-ridden country in the region.

But turmoil did not deter Gunter Holzner. A few years ago the retired Geneva chemist bought a 2,400-square-meter, or 25,800 square-foot, waterfront parcel in a walled community in Jacmel that is about 80 kilometers, or 50 miles, from Port-au-Prince. He paid about $30 a square meter and built a colonial-style estate with large patios and a swimming pool, which he rarely visits these days.

"I'm confident that in one or two years it will be good again", Holzner said of the situation in Haiti.

Throughout the world, in countries like Haiti, Nicaragua and Colombia, spectacular luxury properties are available, to those who are willing to assume incalculable risk. Regime change, massive currency devaluation and civil war can be dangers, and safety always uncertain.

Buying activity by foreigners is almost nonexistent in these troubled countries, agents say, but properties are still for sale, and at the right price.

A four-bedroom house with a swimming pool on a golf course in Zimbabwe can be purchased for less than £20,000 pounds, or $36,200, said Peter Caroe, a London-based partner in the global real estate firm Knight Frank. "But you'd have to be a brave man to buy now," he added.

Government land seizures and signs of economic collapse - Zimbabwe's currency traded on the black market at 120 to the dollar in April 2002, today a single U.S. dollar is worth 25,000 Zimbabwean dollars - make any thought of buying a vacation home in the lush country a dicey concept.

Caroe, who focuses on real estate in Africa, said buyers instead are looking in countries that appear to be recovering from unrest, like Mozambique and Botswana.

"Kenya is a lovely country and the politics have improved a little bit," Caroe said. "There's definitely more interest in the Kenyan coast than in the last 10 years."

A resurgence of attacks by leftist rebels and continuing battles with drug lords may keep Colombia off vacation lists, but "Colombia is making a significant comeback," said Jorge Hurtado, director of Latin America and Caribbean for CB-Richard Ellis, the real estate firm. As signs of stabilization appear, Hurtado said that European buyers are starting to look again at places like the old coastal city of Cartagena, famous for its historic walls and old cathedrals.

And real estate companies and investors are showing renewed interest in Argentina and Venezuela, two countries that have been plagued by economic and political problems, said Cesar Ruiz, senior managing director of Latin America for Grubb & Ellis.

"In both countries there are numerous commercial real estate opportunities for multinationals and individuals with a long-term strategic plan," Ruiz said. "Will you be able to find a good deal and flip it in six months? No. But both countries will come back."

Soaring prices in relatively stable countries like Costa Rica are sending buyers shopping for bargains, agents say. A half-acre, or 0.2-hectare, plot of waterfront land in Costa Rica costs about $250,000 - more than double what it would have cost three years ago, agents say. But a 2.5-acre island on Lake Granada in troubled Nicaragua is listed for $190,000 and a 1,800-square-foot lot on the waterfront in El Salvador can be purchased for $47,000.

But turmoil does not always spell bargains. Agents say, for example, that prices are holding strong in Lebanon, once considered the most cosmopolitan country in the Middle East. Even though it recently lived through the assassination of its former prime minister and the withdrawal of Syrian troops, apartments in fashionable districts of Beirut like the revitalized Central District command as much as $1 million.

Robert Haag is asking $800,000 for his family's four-bedroom, four-bathroom villa with sea views in the south Lebanese town of Tyrus. The market is "very quiet at the moment," Haag said.

He has received numerous inquiries on the villa, which features large terraces and rooms covered in Portuguese rose marble, "but they don't want to pay anything."

Haag is holding firm on the price though, believing the market will rebound soon. "People think they can get it very cheap and I say no," Haag said. "There is no reason to sell for dumping prices."

Even in Haiti, where violence is commonplace, buyers still covet certain properties. On the hillside above Port-au-Prince, "astonishingly," prices are going up, said Charles Fombrun, executive vice president of development for GF Construction, a Haitian-based firm that develops residential and commercial projects.

Just last week the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning for the island and sent some embassy staff members and their families home. Despite the efforts of UN peacekeepers and the police, 400 people have died in street violence since last September, when supporters of the ousted president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, vowed to effect his return.

Gueric Boucard, who owns the waterfront property in Jacmel where Holzner built his house, is familiar with fluctuations in the market. The Boucard family, which had been in the coffee, cocoa and cotton business in Haiti for generations, lost most of its land during the reign of François "Papa Doc" Duvalier in the 1960s. But they regained portions of their original holdings in the 1990s, including the land in Jacmel, when Aristide came to power.

Several years ago Boucard subdivided the parcel into 26 residential lots, ranging from 800 to 1,500 square meters. The plot is surrounded by a security wall and protected 24-hours a day by armed guards. Each lot has bay views and full utilities, and there is commuter plane service available from Port-au-Prince.

Boucard is asking $35 a square meter for the lots on the water; $30 a square meter off the water. So far he has sold eight parcels, but only two houses have been built: his own and Holzner's.

Holzner is not actively marketing the property right now, given the situation in Haiti. "It has to change," he said. "There is only a finite amount of wonderful property in the Caribbean." But he says he has no regrets about his purchase, even though he will probably stay in Europe this year. "One day it will be beautiful. I just don't know when," he said.

Bargain hunters take note. There are lush beachfront lots available on a beautiful Caribbean bay for dirt-cheap prices.

There is only one catch: the property is in Haiti, the poorest and most violence-ridden country in the region.

But turmoil did not deter Gunter Holzner. A few years ago the retired Geneva chemist bought a 2,400-square-meter, or 25,800 square-foot, waterfront parcel in a walled community in Jacmel that is about 80 kilometers, or 50 miles, from Port-au-Prince. He paid about $30 a square meter and built a colonial-style estate with large patios and a swimming pool, which he rarely visits these days.

"I'm confident that in one or two years it will be good again", Holzner said of the situation in Haiti.

Throughout the world, in countries like Haiti, Nicaragua and Colombia, spectacular luxury properties are available, to those who are willing to assume incalculable risk. Regime change, massive currency devaluation and civil war can be dangers, and safety always uncertain.

Buying activity by foreigners is almost nonexistent in these troubled countries, agents say, but properties are still for sale, and at the right price.

A four-bedroom house with a swimming pool on a golf course in Zimbabwe can be purchased for less than £20,000 pounds, or $36,200, said Peter Caroe, a London-based partner in the global real estate firm Knight Frank. "But you'd have to be a brave man to buy now," he added.

Government land seizures and signs of economic collapse - Zimbabwe's currency traded on the black market at 120 to the dollar in April 2002, today a single U.S. dollar is worth 25,000 Zimbabwean dollars - make any thought of buying a vacation home in the lush country a dicey concept.

Caroe, who focuses on real estate in Africa, said buyers instead are looking in countries that appear to be recovering from unrest, like Mozambique and Botswana.

"Kenya is a lovely country and the politics have improved a little bit," Caroe said. "There's definitely more interest in the Kenyan coast than in the last 10 years."

A resurgence of attacks by leftist rebels and continuing battles with drug lords may keep Colombia off vacation lists, but "Colombia is making a significant comeback," said Jorge Hurtado, director of Latin America and Caribbean for CB-Richard Ellis, the real estate firm. As signs of stabilization appear, Hurtado said that European buyers are starting to look again at places like the old coastal city of Cartagena, famous for its historic walls and old cathedrals.

And real estate companies and investors are showing renewed interest in Argentina and Venezuela, two countries that have been plagued by economic and political problems, said Cesar Ruiz, senior managing director of Latin America for Grubb & Ellis.

"In both countries there are numerous commercial real estate opportunities for multinationals and individuals with a long-term strategic plan," Ruiz said. "Will you be able to find a good deal and flip it in six months? No. But both countries will come back."

Soaring prices in relatively stable countries like Costa Rica are sending buyers shopping for bargains, agents say. A half-acre, or 0.2-hectare, plot of waterfront land in Costa Rica costs about $250,000 - more than double what it would have cost three years ago, agents say. But a 2.5-acre island on Lake Granada in troubled Nicaragua is listed for $190,000 and a 1,800-square-foot lot on the waterfront in El Salvador can be purchased for $47,000.

But turmoil does not always spell bargains. Agents say, for example, that prices are holding strong in Lebanon, once considered the most cosmopolitan country in the Middle East. Even though it recently lived through the assassination of its former prime minister and the withdrawal of Syrian troops, apartments in fashionable districts of Beirut like the revitalized Central District command as much as $1 million.

Robert Haag is asking $800,000 for his family's four-bedroom, four-bathroom villa with sea views in the south Lebanese town of Tyrus. The market is "very quiet at the moment," Haag said.

He has received numerous inquiries on the villa, which features large terraces and rooms covered in Portuguese rose marble, "but they don't want to pay anything."

Haag is holding firm on the price though, believing the market will rebound soon. "People think they can get it very cheap and I say no," Haag said. "There is no reason to sell for dumping prices."

Even in Haiti, where violence is commonplace, buyers still covet certain properties. On the hillside above Port-au-Prince, "astonishingly," prices are going up, said Charles Fombrun, executive vice president of development for GF Construction, a Haitian-based firm that develops residential and commercial projects.

Just last week the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning for the island and sent some embassy staff members and their families home. Despite the efforts of UN peacekeepers and the police, 400 people have died in street violence since last September, when supporters of the ousted president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, vowed to effect his return.

Gueric Boucard, who owns the waterfront property in Jacmel where Holzner built his house, is familiar with fluctuations in the market. The Boucard family, which had been in the coffee, cocoa and cotton business in Haiti for generations, lost most of its land during the reign of François "Papa Doc" Duvalier in the 1960s. But they regained portions of their original holdings in the 1990s, including the land in Jacmel, when Aristide came to power.

Several years ago Boucard subdivided the parcel into 26 residential lots, ranging from 800 to 1,500 square meters. The plot is surrounded by a security wall and protected 24-hours a day by armed guards. Each lot has bay views and full utilities, and there is commuter plane service available from Port-au-Prince.

Boucard is asking $35 a square meter for the lots on the water; $30 a square meter off the water. So far he has sold eight parcels, but only two houses have been built: his own and Holzner's.

Holzner is not actively marketing the property right now, given the situation in Haiti. "It has to change," he said. "There is only a finite amount of wonderful property in the Caribbean." But he says he has no regrets about his purchase, even though he will probably stay in Europe this year. "One day it will be beautiful. I just don't know when," he said.

Bargain hunters take note. There are lush beachfront lots available on a beautiful Caribbean bay for dirt-cheap prices.

There is only one catch: the property is in Haiti, the poorest and most violence-ridden country in the region.

But turmoil did not deter Gunter Holzner. A few years ago the retired Geneva chemist bought a 2,400-square-meter, or 25,800 square-foot, waterfront parcel in a walled community in Jacmel that is about 80 kilometers, or 50 miles, from Port-au-Prince. He paid about $30 a square meter and built a colonial-style estate with large patios and a swimming pool, which he rarely visits these days.

"I'm confident that in one or two years it will be good again", Holzner said of the situation in Haiti.

Throughout the world, in countries like Haiti, Nicaragua and Colombia, spectacular luxury properties are available, to those who are willing to assume incalculable risk. Regime change, massive currency devaluation and civil war can be dangers, and safety always uncertain.

Buying activity by foreigners is almost nonexistent in these troubled countries, agents say, but properties are still for sale, and at the right price.

A four-bedroom house with a swimming pool on a golf course in Zimbabwe can be purchased for less than £20,000 pounds, or $36,200, said Peter Caroe, a London-based partner in the global real estate firm Knight Frank. "But you'd have to be a brave man to buy now," he added.

Government land seizures and signs of economic collapse - Zimbabwe's currency traded on the black market at 120 to the dollar in April 2002, today a single U.S. dollar is worth 25,000 Zimbabwean dollars - make any thought of buying a vacation home in the lush country a dicey concept.

Caroe, who focuses on real estate in Africa, said buyers instead are looking in countries that appear to be recovering from unrest, like Mozambique and Botswana.

"Kenya is a lovely country and the politics have improved a little bit," Caroe said. "There's definitely more interest in the Kenyan coast than in the last 10 years."

A resurgence of attacks by leftist rebels and continuing battles with drug lords may keep Colombia off vacation lists, but "Colombia is making a significant comeback," said Jorge Hurtado, director of Latin America and Caribbean for CB-Richard Ellis, the real estate firm. As signs of stabilization appear, Hurtado said that European buyers are starting to look again at places like the old coastal city of Cartagena, famous for its historic walls and old cathedrals.

And real estate companies and investors are showing renewed interest in Argentina and Venezuela, two countries that have been plagued by economic and political problems, said Cesar Ruiz, senior managing director of Latin America for Grubb & Ellis.

"In both countries there are numerous commercial real estate opportunities for multinationals and individuals with a long-term strategic plan," Ruiz said. "Will you be able to find a good deal and flip it in six months? No. But both countries will come back."

Soaring prices in relatively stable countries like Costa Rica are sending buyers shopping for bargains, agents say. A half-acre, or 0.2-hectare, plot of waterfront land in Costa Rica costs about $250,000 - more than double what it would have cost three years ago, agents say. But a 2.5-acre island on Lake Granada in troubled Nicaragua is listed for $190,000 and a 1,800-square-foot lot on the waterfront in El Salvador can be purchased for $47,000.

But turmoil does not always spell bargains. Agents say, for example, that prices are holding strong in Lebanon, once considered the most cosmopolitan country in the Middle East. Even though it recently lived through the assassination of its former prime minister and the withdrawal of Syrian troops, apartments in fashionable districts of Beirut like the revitalized Central District command as much as $1 million.

Robert Haag is asking $800,000 for his family's four-bedroom, four-bathroom villa with sea views in the south Lebanese town of Tyrus. The market is "very quiet at the moment," Haag said.

He has received numerous inquiries on the villa, which features large terraces and rooms covered in Portuguese rose marble, "but they don't want to pay anything."

Haag is holding firm on the price though, believing the market will rebound soon. "People think they can get it very cheap and I say no," Haag said. "There is no reason to sell for dumping prices."

Even in Haiti, where violence is commonplace, buyers still covet certain properties. On the hillside above Port-au-Prince, "astonishingly," prices are going up, said Charles Fombrun, executive vice president of development for GF Construction, a Haitian-based firm that develops residential and commercial projects.

Just last week the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning for the island and sent some embassy staff members and their families home. Despite the efforts of UN peacekeepers and the police, 400 people have died in street violence since last September, when supporters of the ousted president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, vowed to effect his return.

Gueric Boucard, who owns the waterfront property in Jacmel where Holzner built his house, is familiar with fluctuations in the market. The Boucard family, which had been in the coffee, cocoa and cotton business in Haiti for generations, lost most of its land during the reign of François "Papa Doc" Duvalier in the 1960s. But they regained portions of their original holdings in the 1990s, including the land in Jacmel, when Aristide came to power.

Several years ago Boucard subdivided the parcel into 26 residential lots, ranging from 800 to 1,500 square meters. The plot is surrounded by a security wall and protected 24-hours a day by armed guards. Each lot has bay views and full utilities, and there is commuter plane service available from Port-au-Prince.

Boucard is asking $35 a square meter for the lots on the water; $30 a square meter off the water. So far he has sold eight parcels, but only two houses have been built: his own and Holzner's.

Holzner is not actively marketing the property right now, given the situation in Haiti. "It has to change," he said. "There is only a finite amount of wonderful property in the Caribbean." But he says he has no regrets about his purchase, even though he will probably stay in Europe this year. "One day it will be beautiful. I just don't know when," he said.

Bargain hunters take note. There are lush beachfront lots available on a beautiful Caribbean bay for dirt-cheap prices.

There is only one catch: the property is in Haiti, the poorest and most violence-ridden country in the region.

But turmoil did not deter Gunter Holzner. A few years ago the retired Geneva chemist bought a 2,400-square-meter, or 25,800 square-foot, waterfront parcel in a walled community in Jacmel that is about 80 kilometers, or 50 miles, from Port-au-Prince. He paid about $30 a square meter and built a colonial-style estate with large patios and a swimming pool, which he rarely visits these days.

"I'm confident that in one or two years it will be good again", Holzner said of the situation in Haiti.

Throughout the world, in countries like Haiti, Nicaragua and Colombia, spectacular luxury properties are available, to those who are willing to assume incalculable risk. Regime change, massive currency devaluation and civil war can be dangers, and safety always uncertain.

Buying activity by foreigners is almost nonexistent in these troubled countries, agents say, but properties are still for sale, and at the right price.

A four-bedroom house with a swimming pool on a golf course in Zimbabwe can be purchased for less than £20,000 pounds, or $36,200, said Peter Caroe, a London-based partner in the global real estate firm Knight Frank. "But you'd have to be a brave man to buy now," he added.

Government land seizures and signs of economic collapse - Zimbabwe's currency traded on the black market at 120 to the dollar in April 2002, today a single U.S. dollar is worth 25,000 Zimbabwean dollars - make any thought of buying a vacation home in the lush country a dicey concept.

Caroe, who focuses on real estate in Africa, said buyers instead are looking in countries that appear to be recovering from unrest, like Mozambique and Botswana.

"Kenya is a lovely country and the politics have improved a little bit," Caroe said. "There's definitely more interest in the Kenyan coast than in the last 10 years."

A resurgence of attacks by leftist rebels and continuing battles with drug lords may keep Colombia off vacation lists, but "Colombia is making a significant comeback," said Jorge Hurtado, director of Latin America and Caribbean for CB-Richard Ellis, the real estate firm. As signs of stabilization appear, Hurtado said that European buyers are starting to look again at places like the old coastal city of Cartagena, famous for its historic walls and old cathedrals.

And real estate companies and investors are showing renewed interest in Argentina and Venezuela, two countries that have been plagued by economic and political problems, said Cesar Ruiz, senior managing director of Latin America for Grubb & Ellis.

"In both countries there are numerous commercial real estate opportunities for multinationals and individuals with a long-term strategic plan," Ruiz said. "Will you be able to find a good deal and flip it in six months? No. But both countries will come back."

Soaring prices in relatively stable countries like Costa Rica are sending buyers shopping for bargains, agents say. A half-acre, or 0.2-hectare, plot of waterfront land in Costa Rica costs about $250,000 - more than double what it would have cost three years ago, agents say. But a 2.5-acre island on Lake Granada in troubled Nicaragua is listed for $190,000 and a 1,800-square-foot lot on the waterfront in El Salvador can be purchased for $47,000.

But turmoil does not always spell bargains. Agents say, for example, that prices are holding strong in Lebanon, once considered the most cosmopolitan country in the Middle East. Even though it recently lived through the assassination of its former prime minister and the withdrawal of Syrian troops, apartments in fashionable districts of Beirut like the revitalized Central District command as much as $1 million.

Robert Haag is asking $800,000 for his family's four-bedroom, four-bathroom villa with sea views in the south Lebanese town of Tyrus. The market is "very quiet at the moment," Haag said.

He has received numerous inquiries on the villa, which features large terraces and rooms covered in Portuguese rose marble, "but they don't want to pay anything."

Haag is holding firm on the price though, believing the market will rebound soon. "People think they can get it very cheap and I say no," Haag said. "There is no reason to sell for dumping prices."

Even in Haiti, where violence is commonplace, buyers still covet certain properties. On the hillside above Port-au-Prince, "astonishingly," prices are going up, said Charles Fombrun, executive vice president of development for GF Construction, a Haitian-based firm that develops residential and commercial projects.

Just last week the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning for the island and sent some embassy staff members and their families home. Despite the efforts of UN peacekeepers and the police, 400 people have died in street violence since last September, when supporters of the ousted president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, vowed to effect his return.

Gueric Boucard, who owns the waterfront property in Jacmel where Holzner built his house, is familiar with fluctuations in the market. The Boucard family, which had been in the coffee, cocoa and cotton business in Haiti for generations, lost most of its land during the reign of François "Papa Doc" Duvalier in the 1960s. But they regained portions of their original holdings in the 1990s, including the land in Jacmel, when Aristide came to power.

Several years ago Boucard subdivided the parcel into 26 residential lots, ranging from 800 to 1,500 square meters. The plot is surrounded by a security wall and protected 24-hours a day by armed guards. Each lot has bay views and full utilities, and there is commuter plane service available from Port-au-Prince.

Boucard is asking $35 a square meter for the lots on the water; $30 a square meter off the water. So far he has sold eight parcels, but only two houses have been built: his own and Holzner's.

Holzner is not actively marketing the property right now, given the situation in Haiti. "It has to change," he said. "There is only a finite amount of wonderful property in the Caribbean." But he says he has no regrets about his purchase, even though he will probably stay in Europe this year. "One day it will be beautiful. I just don't know when," he said.

Bargain hunters take note. There are lush beachfront lots available on a beautiful Caribbean bay for dirt-cheap prices.

There is only one catch: the property is in Haiti, the poorest and most violence-ridden country in the region.

But turmoil did not deter Gunter Holzner. A few years ago the retired Geneva chemist bought a 2,400-square-meter, or 25,800 square-foot, waterfront parcel in a walled community in Jacmel that is about 80 kilometers, or 50 miles, from Port-au-Prince. He paid about $30 a square meter and built a colonial-style estate with large patios and a swimming pool, which he rarely visits these days.

"I'm confident that in one or two years it will be good again", Holzner said of the situation in Haiti.

Throughout the world, in countries like Haiti, Nicaragua and Colombia, spectacular luxury properties are available, to those who are willing to assume incalculable risk. Regime change, massive currency devaluation and civil war can be dangers, and safety always uncertain.

Buying activity by foreigners is almost nonexistent in these troubled countries, agents say, but properties are still for sale, and at the right price.

A four-bedroom house with a swimming pool on a golf course in Zimbabwe can be purchased for less than £20,000 pounds, or $36,200, said Peter Caroe, a London-based partner in the global real estate firm Knight Frank. "But you'd have to be a brave man to buy now," he added.

Government land seizures and signs of economic collapse - Zimbabwe's currency traded on the black market at 120 to the dollar in April 2002, today a single U.S. dollar is worth 25,000 Zimbabwean dollars - make any thought of buying a vacation home in the lush country a dicey concept.

Caroe, who focuses on real estate in Africa, said buyers instead are looking in countries that appear to be recovering from unrest, like Mozambique and Botswana.

"Kenya is a lovely country and the politics have improved a little bit," Caroe said. "There's definitely more interest in the Kenyan coast than in the last 10 years."

A resurgence of attacks by leftist rebels and continuing battles with drug lords may keep Colombia off vacation lists, but "Colombia is making a significant comeback," said Jorge Hurtado, director of Latin America and Caribbean for CB-Richard Ellis, the real estate firm. As signs of stabilization appear, Hurtado said that European buyers are starting to look again at places like the old coastal city of Cartagena, famous for its historic walls and old cathedrals.

And real estate companies and investors are showing renewed interest in Argentina and Venezuela, two countries that have been plagued by economic and political problems, said Cesar Ruiz, senior managing director of Latin America for Grubb & Ellis.

"In both countries there are numerous commercial real estate opportunities for multinationals and individuals with a long-term strategic plan," Ruiz said. "Will you be able to find a good deal and flip it in six months? No. But both countries will come back."

Soaring prices in relatively stable countries like Costa Rica are sending buyers shopping for bargains, agents say. A half-acre, or 0.2-hectare, plot of waterfront land in Costa Rica costs about $250,000 - more than double what it would have cost three years ago, agents say. But a 2.5-acre island on Lake Granada in troubled Nicaragua is listed for $190,000 and a 1,800-square-foot lot on the waterfront in El Salvador can be purchased for $47,000.

But turmoil does not always spell bargains. Agents say, for example, that prices are holding strong in Lebanon, once considered the most cosmopolitan country in the Middle East. Even though it recently lived through the assassination of its former prime minister and the withdrawal of Syrian troops, apartments in fashionable districts of Beirut like the revitalized Central District command as much as $1 million.

Robert Haag is asking $800,000 for his family's four-bedroom, four-bathroom villa with sea views in the south Lebanese town of Tyrus. The market is "very quiet at the moment," Haag said.

He has received numerous inquiries on the villa, which features large terraces and rooms covered in Portuguese rose marble, "but they don't want to pay anything."

Haag is holding firm on the price though, believing the market will rebound soon. "People think they can get it very cheap and I say no," Haag said. "There is no reason to sell for dumping prices."

Even in Haiti, where violence is commonplace, buyers still covet certain properties. On the hillside above Port-au-Prince, "astonishingly," prices are going up, said Charles Fombrun, executive vice president of development for GF Construction, a Haitian-based firm that develops residential and commercial projects.

Just last week the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning for the island and sent some embassy staff members and their families home. Despite the efforts of UN peacekeepers and the police, 400 people have died in street violence since last September, when supporters of the ousted president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, vowed to effect his return.

Gueric Boucard, who owns the waterfront property in Jacmel where Holzner built his house, is familiar with fluctuations in the market. The Boucard family, which had been in the coffee, cocoa and cotton business in Haiti for generations, lost most of its land during the reign of François "Papa Doc" Duvalier in the 1960s. But they regained portions of their original holdings in the 1990s, including the land in Jacmel, when Aristide came to power.

Several years ago Boucard subdivided the parcel into 26 residential lots, ranging from 800 to 1,500 square meters. The plot is surrounded by a security wall and protected 24-hours a day by armed guards. Each lot has bay views and full utilities, and there is commuter plane service available from Port-au-Prince.

Boucard is asking $35 a square meter for the lots on the water; $30 a square meter off the water. So far he has sold eight parcels, but only two houses have been built: his own and Holzner's.

Holzner is not actively marketing the property right now, given the situation in Haiti. "It has to change," he said. "There is only a finite amount of wonderful property in the Caribbean." But he says he has no regrets about his purchase, even though he will probably stay in Europe this year. "One day it will be beautiful. I just don't know when," he said.

holdings in the 1990s, including the land in Jacmel, when Aristide came to power.

Several years ago Boucard subdivided the parcel into 26 residential lots, ranging from 800 to 1,500 square meters. The plot is surrounded by a security wall and protected 24-hours a day by armed guards. Each lot has bay views and full utilities, and there is commuter plane service available from Port-au-Prince.

Boucard is asking $35 a square meter for the lots on the water; $30 a square meter off the water. So far he has sold eight parcels, but only two houses have been built: his own and Holzner's.

Holzner is not actively marketing the property right now, given the situation in Haiti. "It has to change," he said. "There is only a finite amount of wonderful property in the Caribbean." But he says he has no regrets about his purchase, even though he will probably stay in Europe this year. "One day it will be beautiful. I just don't know when," he said.

Bargain hunters take note. There are lush beachfront lots available on a beautiful Caribbean bay for dirt-cheap prices.

There is only one catch: the property is in Haiti, the poorest and most violence-ridden country in the region.

But turmoil did not deter Gunter Holzner. A few years ago the retired Geneva chemist bought a 2,400-square-meter, or 25,800 square-foot, waterfront parcel in a walled community in Jacmel that is about 80 kilometers, or 50 miles, from Port-au-Prince. He paid about $30 a square meter and built a colonial-style estate with large patios and a swimming pool, which he rarely visits these days.

"I'm confident that in one or two years it will be good again", Holzner said of the situation in Haiti.

Throughout the world, in countries like Haiti, Nicaragua and Colombia, spectacular luxury properties are available, to those who are willing to assume incalculable risk. Regime change, massive currency devaluation and civil war can be dangers, and safety always uncertain.

Buying activity by foreigners is almost nonexistent in these troubled countries, agents say, but properties are still for sale, and at the right price.

A four-bedroom house with a swimming pool on a golf course in Zimbabwe can be purchased for less than £20,000 pounds, or $36,200, said Peter Caroe, a London-based partner in the global real estate firm Knight Frank. "But you'd have to be a brave man to buy now," he added.

Government land seizures and signs of economic collapse - Zimbabwe's currency traded on the black market at 120 to the dollar in April 2002, today a single U.S. dollar is worth 25,000 Zimbabwean dollars - make any thought of buying a vacation home in the lush country a dicey concept.

Caroe, who focuses on real estate in Africa, said buyers instead are looking in countries that appear to be recovering from unrest, like Mozambique and Botswana.

"Kenya is a lovely country and the politics have improved a little bit," Caroe said. "There's definitely more interest in the Kenyan coast than in the last 10 years."

A resurgence of attacks by leftist rebels and continuing battles with drug lords may keep Colombia off vacation lists, but "Colombia is making a significant comeback," said Jorge Hurtado, director of Latin America and Caribbean for CB-Richard Ellis, the real estate firm. As signs of stabilization appear, Hurtado said that European buyers are starting to look again at places like the old coastal city of Cartagena, famous for its historic walls and old cathedrals.

And real estate companies and investors are showing renewed interest in Argentina and Venezuela, two countries that have been plagued by economic and political problems, said Cesar Ruiz, senior managing director of Latin America for Grubb & Ellis.

"In both countries there are numerous commercial real estate opportunities for multinationals and individuals with a long-term strategic plan," Ruiz said. "Will you be able to find a good deal and flip it in six months? No. But both countries will come back."

Soaring prices in relatively stable countries like Costa Rica are sending buyers shopping for bargains, agents say. A half-acre, or 0.2-hectare, plot of waterfront land in Costa Rica costs about $250,000 - more than double what it would have cost three years ago, agents say. But a 2.5-acre island on Lake Granada in troubled Nicaragua is listed for $190,000 and a 1,800-square-foot lot on the waterfront in El Salvador can be purchased for $47,000.

But turmoil does not always spell bargains. Agents say, for example, that prices are holding strong in Lebanon, once considered the most cosmopolitan country in the Middle East. Even though it recently lived through the assassination of its former prime minister and the withdrawal of Syrian troops, apartments in fashionable districts of Beirut like the revitalized Central District command as much as $1 million.

Robert Haag is asking $800,000 for his family's four-bedroom, four-bathroom villa with sea views in the south Lebanese town of Tyrus. The market is "very quiet at the moment," Haag said.

He has received numerous inquiries on the villa, which features large terraces and rooms covered in Portuguese rose marble, "but they don't want to pay anything."

Haag is holding firm on the price though, believing the market will rebound soon. "People think they can get it very cheap and I say no," Haag said. "There is no reason to sell for dumping prices."

Even in Haiti, where violence is commonplace, buyers still covet certain properties. On the hillside above Port-au-Prince, "astonishingly," prices are going up, said Charles Fombrun, executive vice president of development for GF Construction, a Haitian-based firm that develops residential and commercial projects.

Just last week the U.S. State Department issued a travel warning for the island and sent some embassy staff members and their families home. Despite the efforts of UN peacekeepers and the police, 400 people have died in street violence since last September, when supporters of the ousted president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, vowed to effect his return.

Gueric Boucard, who owns the waterfront property in Jacmel where Holzner built his house, is familiar with fluctuations in the market. The Boucard family, which had been in the coffee, cocoa and cotton business in Haiti for generations, lost most of its land during the reign of François "Papa Doc" Duvalier in the 1960s. But they regained portions of their original holdings in the 1990s, including the land in Jacmel, when Aristide came to power.

Several years ago Boucard subdivided the parcel into 26 residential lots, ranging from 800 to 1,500 square meters. The plot is surrounded by a security wall and protected 24-hours a day by armed guards. Each lot has bay views and full utilities, and there is commuter plane service available from Port-au-Prince.

Boucard is asking $35 a square meter for the lots on the water; $30 a square meter off the water. So far he has sold eight parcels, but only two houses have been built: his own and Holzner's.

Holzner is not actively marketing the property right now, given the situation in Haiti. "It has to change," he said. "There is only a finite amount of wonderful property in the Caribbean." But he says he has no regrets about his purchase, even though he will probably stay in Europe this year. "One day it will be beautiful. I just don't know when," he said.

Bargain hunters take note. There are lush beachfront lots available on a beautiful Caribbean bay for dirt-cheap prices.

There is only one catch: the property is in Haiti, the poorest and most violence-ridden country in the region.

But turmoil did not deter Gunter Holzner. A few years ago the retired Geneva chemist bought a 2,400-square-meter, or 25,800 square-foot, waterfront parcel in a walled community in Jacmel that is about 80 kilometers, or 50 miles, from Port-au-Prince. He paid about $30 a square meter and built a colonial-style estate with large patios and a swimming pool, which he rarely visits these days.

"I'm confident that in one or two years it will be good again", Holzner said of the situation in Haiti.

Throughout the world, in countries like Haiti, Nicaragua and Colombia, spectacular luxury properties are available, to those who are willing to assume incalculable risk. Regime change, massive currency devaluation and

By Hunter on Jun 3, 2005, 05:31 in Friendly Talkzone.

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robotina says on Jun 3, 2005, 07:37: prices are going up, but not w/o a cost i am working in cartgena at this exact moment documenting the problems that are resulting from this incredible rise in property value. thousands and thousands of people who have lived in these areas for over 200 years are losing their ability to make a living, and are being forced to move off the land to make way for giant hotel complexes for tourists. as an american, i certainly appreciate luxury, but what is happening in cartagena right now is an environmental and social tradgedy of enormous proportions. AND these people have no one to speak for them in their national or regional government or in the media...until now. 0 funny, 0 helpful.

Hunter says on Jun 3, 2005, 07:56: robotina There is always a cost, I find parts of your post hard to believe. Ctg is a large area, only small parts of it are tourist related, how can people be losing their ability to earn a living when only a small percentage of Ctg is being developed. If they are the legal owners on prime tourist land and sell it they can move their business to a cheap area, probably with a lot of money left over. I wouldn't disagree that some of the developments will be an enviromental problem. You will need to add more detailed information about what you say. Hunter 0 funny, 0 helpful.

bufalo says on Jun 3, 2005, 09:59: I agree robatina, People, especially developers and the political people never really understand the impact of things like this. It´s always "what´s the big deal?", but they never take a good look around. Send any info about the doc you are doing. I think I saw a post of yours earlier and am not sure, is it a film? or gov´t project?.... "If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor 0 funny, 0 helpful.

Hunter says on Jun 3, 2005, 10:34: bufalo I guess from your comments that yours along with robotina will be a one sided view in your documentary/report, maybe I will be surprised but I doubt it. Funnily enough my company owns land with a fishing village on it near Ctg, some of the people there are fine, but most of them are a pain in the ass even though they have got it made, paying a rent of 5,000 pesos a month for each plot and never bothered by the company that owns the land, so for a yield of a hundred thousand pesos a month or so, on land that is worth several hundred thousand dollars, they have got it pretty well made, but I am sure they or others don't see it that way. Sooner or later the land will be sold on, I wonder if the next owners will be as genourse as the previouse several owners have been. Personnely I would never have bought the land, but because our company is a non-profit making company, mainly connected with re-forestation, it was given the land by a expat living in Colombia. Hunter 0 funny, 0 helpful.

bufalo says on Jun 3, 2005, 13:04: Hunter, you make a good point about the land and that the owners let them live there and such. What gets me is when a lot of US people show up in countries, especially where there is a lot of poverty with their business plans, develolpment plans, etc. and hide behind laws to drive the locals out. do you think that a lot of people there, especially the poor ones, understand to the full extent the housing market, financial market and all the other things that big businesses do? They´re poor, brought up in a country with a lot of poverty and fish for a living, can´t the suits just leave them alone? we killed off, some quicker, some slower, every native american nation that lived in what is now the US. what is left of them is quite sad to look at. But hey we had the law on our side, right? Why can´t americans go to a foreign land, see the scenery and just stop there? no, we have to build things to make it more accesible, then since it is more accesible, more people come (duh), things get more pricey, all the investment people show up and buy up everythign for cash, locals who don´t know the real deal sell and in the long run lose out because where are their kids going to live? Their kids end up working at the Walmart or Mcdonalds or some other stupid american chain and what? This is supposedly progress. My take is this: Go to the scenic paradise,have fun, LEAVE the scenic paradise, STAY home, or if you decide to move there, DO NOT TRY TO CHANGE the scenic paradise, YOU WILL NOT IMPROVE the scenic paradise, just make money for yourself 1 Mcdonalds hurts how many people every day with their fat-clogging burgers, monopolized fries (all potatoes used by MCD´s for french fries now comes from 1 company, it screwed over the small guys till they had to sell), and eye cathcing kids meals (they´ve done the psych tests 2-5 year old hooked willmake a customer for life, and while doiong so you also sell to the parents or grandparents that bringthem there to shut them up...ohh playground!). How many people get fat by this, who the hell knows, how many make any type of money off this? The ONE owner. PS I also think it´s really sad and quite F´d up that after Santa Claus/Papa Noel, that Ronald Fucking McDonald is the most recognized personality by kids in the entire world. "If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor 0 funny, 0 helpful.

bufalo says on Jun 3, 2005, 13:09: As far as the people not being able to provide for themselves... Is it because before the big boomin tourism in Cartagena they were the ones catering to the tourists ie. selling food on the street, giving tours, etc. And now since the tourist trade is up, and they are more wealthy ones coming, they want more luxuries so they eat more in restauraunts (upper class ones), get tours from the hotels, .....blah,balh blah.. Stuff like that? Any influence? Reason I ask is that I saw that in El Rodadero and am somewhat seeing it happen inArmenia, the boom is just starting there and I´m not sure how big or long it will be. "If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor 0 funny, 0 helpful.

Tinto (Moderator) says on Jun 3, 2005, 13:23: development Unless they are living in a dictatorship, the citizens elect legislators and the legislators make the laws. Why blame foreign investors/buyers/retirees? Why not fight to change the laws you feel are so bad? On a related note, maybe Cartagena DOES need to improve the situation with the beach vendors. From reading the posts on this site, this informal workforce might actually be driving away tourism. 0 funny, 0 helpful.

utopiacowboy says on Jun 3, 2005, 13:41: How about letting the Colombians decide if they want to f*ck up their "paradise"? I think a lot of them without jobs and living in poverty would gladly trade the "paradise" for something else. I don't think it's their job to keep their country in a certain state just so wealthy gringos can go there and enjoy the unspoiled "paradise". Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult. 0 funny, 0 helpful.

bufalo says on Jun 3, 2005, 14:36: But who will be making the money? The outsiders putting up all their development projects and fast food joints. Do you really believe that the local colombian people will amke the big cash? I agree, let the colombians f*ck up their own paradise if they want to, I´m against when outsiders try todo it for them. As far as the elections are concerned, please, you know how corruption is all over, especially in colombia. Do you think those fishermen really believe that they have a voice? Are any of the candidates really different? hey, I´m not saying Ihave a solution, not at all, but why cause more harm or increase it´s velocity? I understand that population will grow, people need places to live, etc. but us gringos tend to want to build realm everywhere we go instead of being satisfied with what we got. "If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor 0 funny, 0 helpful.

utopiacowboy says on Jun 3, 2005, 14:43: I am all in favor of leaving Colombia alone. What's the point of making it exactly like the place you just left? Disclaimer: any comment I make is inane and is not to be taken seriously, and is so patently ridiculous that no one should take it seriously, even as an insult. 0 funny, 0 helpful.

platano says on Jun 3, 2005, 15:19: Tinto, Unfortunately, although Colombia is not called a dictatorship, it is full of dark political forces who don't hesitate to assassinate people who are perceived as a threat to power or economic interests. Your call to "fight to change the laws" means becoming high profile and a target. Death has been the fate for so many journalists, ecologists, union organizers, (even artists who engage in social criticism, like Jaime Garzon), and others (2,000+ members of the UP political party) who have tried to use legal, nonviolent means to bring about civic change. I have been to several of their funerals. Plátano, el banano verde Oxigeno Verde ¡Libertad por Ingrid y los demás! plátano 0 funny, 0 helpful.

platano says on Jun 3, 2005, 15:36: Tinto, my friend... Today you are more of a dreamer than I... at least for today.... I am feeling a bit pessimistic about the possibilities for change. "Keep the FARC, ELN, and AUC out of it"? I am at a loss to know how to accomplish that. Maybe it's just Friday and my brain is fried and my creative juices have dried up. Maybe Monday there's hope for change? Plátano, el banano verde Oxigeno Verde ¡Libertad por Ingrid y los demás! plátano 0 funny, 0 helpful.

platano says on Jun 3, 2005, 15:58: Yes, there were massive peace marches... (non-electoral)..... I believe in the power of nonviolent direct action. Historically, national strikes have defeated both communist and fascist dictatorships and you mentioned some recent ones. But the peace march in Colombia, although admirable, was not aimed at removing anyone from power, and I think the Colombian people are a long way from having the sustained commitment needed for a national strike, and you can bet ELN and FARC would be right in the middle of it, provoking violent state response. Plátano, el banano verde Oxigeno Verde ¡Libertad por Ingrid y los demás! plátano 0 funny, 0 helpful.

bufalo says on Jun 4, 2005, 06:02: UTC!!!! So glad to see your last post, I was freaked out for a while there. "If you don't like it - lump it, take it down the road and dump it." - Archie Bunker played by Carroll O'Connor 0 funny, 0 helpful.

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