inspectorjavert has left 7 comments

inspectorjavert comments on Peso at 1955?......

Article in Businessweek This is a great article, not sure if it was already posted or made the rounds yet here:
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_22/b4036001.htm?campaign_id=rss_null

It pretty much spells out what is going on, and how it may pan out. As for me, I am a gringo who has been living in Pereira for the past 18 months. I bought an apartment Downtown, across from Andina University, and I have yet to hear anyone say I made a bad investment. Time will tell.
As much as I love Colombia, I can say I have been to Cali, and it could use some work. Now that they are installing the MIO bus transportation system throughout the city, something might take place, but of all the cities I have been to, I still have to say I like Pereira more than the others. I can only hope this strong peso stops its climb sometime soon. Contrary to what some are saying here, the casa de cambios as well as coffee exports, flower growers and a slew of other companies are indeed getting their asses handed to them. A strong peso is good for absolutely no one.

inspectorjavert comments on cosmetic surgery in colombia

Armenia I have a friend who recently got a boob job, they look fantastic, and the price came in at 4 million pesos, everything included. With the peso kicking the American $$'s ass, that may not seem like such a super deal anymore, but at about $1800 U.S. it's still alot cheaper than NYC costs. She researched it alot and this guy came out way above the rest. Let me know if you need more info, I can get the guys name and office address.

inspectorjavert comments on Apostilles, References, Translations and Cert. of Singleness - a Repost

Whilst I don't agree with Chester's angle on facts he's right. I know colombians who are married in Colombia and have again married an American for papers. The U.S. Gov't doesn't check to see or doesn't ask for paperwork to prove that person isn't married in Colombia already. In essence, that person can be married twice, as that marriage will not be recognized if the married person chooses not to reveal or disclose it. How do you prove a negative? And the bigger difference is that there aren't lines of people trying to get into Colombia, unlike the U.S. I live in Colombia and aside from a few cultural problems which take time to overcome, I enjoy it. But I do think that the nonsense the Colombian Gov't asks for is pretty much insane. Just my opinion.

inspectorjavert comments on Bloomberg's take on the appreciation of the COP

I think you're reading into it a bit much I find it to have been alot of uncertainty whether there would be a massive amount of violence during the election. It's a bit odd that right after the election, and I mean within a week or two, the dollar had fallen off by over 100 pesos or so. And it's been on a slide ever since. I'm sure a certain amount of it had to do with yields relative to the various U.S. markets, but over the past month, I know it had to do alot with A) The Dems taking over the house and senate (always a preview to a weaker U.S. dollar), but more importantly B) the currency markets finding themselves awash in U.S. Dollars from people sending money down this way. I have never heard of anybody sending money FROM Colombia to the U.S. It just doesn't happen. I have lived here for about a year now and can't recall anyone sending money TO the U.S. In addition, there are many negatives currently working against the Colombian market and economy, and I doubt Colombia is a major buyer of U.S. Gov't securities in good times or bad. But thanks for the angle.

inspectorjavert comments on Bloomberg's take on the appreciation of the COP

It's simple economics why the dollar sells off Many people get their Christmas and year end bonuses in December, and many people, even if they don't get those bonuses, will still send many, many dollars to their families down here for the holidays. So it becomes a supply and demand issue: Too many dollars and not enough pesos for sale. I agree, things will stabilize in the first few weeks in January (I hope so, being that all of my money is still in $$$), but I don't think we will see a return to the Colombian presidential election days a few months back when I exchanged $$ for 2625 at the highest before it plummetted. Those were some good days. I'd be happy with 2400 at this point. Good luck to all hoping for a better exchange rate.

inspectorjavert comments on Bloomberg's take on the appreciation of the COP

It's going to kill the Colombian economy mimamimike is absolutely right. During the first week in February, here in Zona Cafetera the ministry of commerce is holding EJEXPORTA 2007 (an exhibition of exporting companies) and the weakening US dollar is NOT good for Colombian exports, not by any means. I know many companies here looking to benefit from a free trade agreement with the US and other nations are sweating out the rise in the peso, and it's going to cost a pantload more to purchase exported goods out of Colombia if this trend happens to continue. Uribe is a smart man; he's not going to allow this to go on too much longer.

inspectorjavert comments on HELP...Girlfriend from Colombia does'nt want to go back!

I can check in Periera If the beauty salon happens to be in eje cafetero(Quindio, Riseralda, Caldas) I can check it out.