Brazil Owners: Introduce Yourselves!!

[JMBroad]

Hope you don't take this the wrong way but it's my honest opinion.

Invariably anywhere you go you will find people to rip you off. In fact you don't have to leave where you live. First time I heard of a property scam was when I was 8 years old and my best friends family had a plot of land they owned sold to an English couple. That was in Portugal.

One important fact about Brasil is that the population is so incredibly massive that anything you can think of, someone else has already had that thought, tried and tested it and possibly even refined it to an art. Unfortunately that includes scams and cons and due to financial limitations of the vast majority, more often than not scams and cons are the ones people have to focus on because they can't afford other ways of living.

I'm sorry to hear about your loss, but if you are moving to Brasil, you can't move there thinking 80% of the people there are out to get you otherwise what's the point of moving there?

Just my 2 cents

Mr. Broad -

you obvioulsy have something to gain by stating your comments, perhaps vested interest in Brazil? That said, I have nothing to gain or lose by posting on this Board, and I am only relating my own personal experiences in Brazil-eight years of traveling there and I know every major city and many small towns. I never said Brazil was a bad place, nor did I say they are all bad people. I am simply saying that Rookie Gringo Investors going to Brazil for the first time should be very careful. Brazil, like many countries in Latin America have no rules and if you get taken or scammed, there is no recourse or retaliation via a court judicial system. If you lose out on a deal, just cough it up as a Gringo Tax. I also own a Forum similar to this one, however, I am not here to promote that. I am here to learn and read about other's experiences investing in Brazil, and if I can add my two cents to save the next gringo from being scammed by savvy, crafty Brazilians, I will. Brazilians have great instincts. Brazil is also notorious for producing the best scams in the world. The notorious Nigerian Email Scam was based in Recife Brazil and they cheated and robbed millions of innocent people around the world. Brazilians already know all this and that is why they trust very few of their own people and not 100% like in first worlds like the US, Europe, Japan, Australia, etc. In the US, you have recourse, you can sue, get a judgement, etc. In Latin America, you got nothing and Gringos will be at a disadvantage as we are all seen as multi-millionairs thanks to the US media, Hollywood and MTV. Brazilians are highly intelligent and they can improvise in selling anything. In Brazil, you must have great instincts to measure people up quick or you will get taken, robbed, screwed, scammed, what-have-you, and I stand by my initial comment that 80% of of the people directly involved in real estate in Brazil (Brazilians) are unethical and dishonest. However, I think 20% are ethical and have sincere intentions in doing legit business with gringos.

This is my last post on the matter.

[robh]

Originally Posted by Raimundo

Mr. Broad -

you obvioulsy have something to gain by stating your comments, perhaps vested interest in Brazil? That said, I have nothing to gain or lose by posting on this Board, and I am only relating my own personal experiences in Brazil-eight years of traveling there and I know every major city and many small towns. I never said Brazil was a bad place, nor did I say they are all bad people. I am simply saying that Rookie Gringo Investors going to Brazil for the first time should be very careful. Brazil, like many countries in Latin America have no rules and if you get taken or scammed, there is no recourse or retaliation via a court judicial system. If you lose out on a deal, just cough it up as a Gringo Tax. I also own a Forum similar to this one however, I am not here to promote that. I am here to learn and read about other's experiences investing in Brazil, and if I can add my two cents to save the next gringo form getting taken advantage of, I will. I also stand by my comment that 80% of real estate people--Brazilians in Brazil are not ethical nor are they honest. However, I think 20% are.

Now, this is my last post on this matter.

I would still like to hear about the scam that happened to you.

[JMBroad]

Originally Posted by Raimundo

Mr. Broad -

you obvioulsy have something to gain by stating your comments, perhaps vested interest in Brazil? That said, I have nothing to gain or lose by posting on this Board, and I am only relating my own personal experiences in Brazil-eight years of traveling there and I know every major city and many small towns. I never said Brazil was a bad place, nor did I say they are all bad people. I am simply saying that Rookie Gringo Investors going to Brazil for the first time should be very careful. Brazil, like many countries in Latin America have no rules and if you get taken or scammed, there is no recourse or retaliation via a court judicial system. If you lose out on a deal, just cough it up as a Gringo Tax. I also own a Forum similar to this one however, I am not here to promote that. I am here to learn and read about other's experiences investing in Brazil, and if I can add my two cents to save the next gringo from being scammed by savvy, crafty Brazilians, I will. Brazilians have great instincts. Brazil is also notorious for producing the best scams in the world The Nigerian scam email was based in Recife Brazil and they cheated scammed millions of innocent people around the world. Brazilians are highly intelligent and they can improvise in selling anything. I also stand by my comment that 80% of real estate people--Brazilians in Brazil are not ethical nor are they honest. However, I think 20% are.

Now, this is my last post on this matter.

In that case I totally agree with you. Problem about forums is there is no tone of voice, so we can't judge how each others posts are meant, we can only take them at face value, I read your post as meaning 80% of all Brazilians are crooks, I missed the part where you meant 80% of Brazilian real estate agents. Seems we both have a similar idea about the country - we were just at crossed purposes there for a while.

Mr. Broad -

I love Brazil, and I have a select few (amgios) that I call great, close friendships. But like any third world country, you will have more people out to get you if you have something than a first world country. That is simply the dynamics of it all. Desperation breeds desperate actions and I don't blame them. If I were a poor Brazilian dude in Paraiba, had hungry kids to feed, a nagging skinny wife, etc.. and I saw a rookie gullible gringo, I might try and rob him, who knows what is going on in the mind of another human being?

It's a sad deal though... I didn't make the rules, I just play by them.

[deedee1]

Hi all,

I agrre that " Desperate lives- means desperate measures!!!

And 9 times out of ten people resort to crime due to this!!

Often because they feel that they have no other option or choice!!

Take care-D

[RalphJ]

Originally Posted by Raimundo

Mr. Broad -

I love Brazil, and I have a select few (amgios) that I call great, close friendships. But like any third world country, you will have more people out to get you if you have something than a first world country. That is simply the dynamics of it all. Desperation breeds desperate actions and I don't blame them. If I were a poor Brazilian dude in Paraiba, had hungry kids to feed, a nagging skinny wife, etc.. and I saw a rookie gullible gringo, I might try and rob him, who knows what is going on in the mind of another human being?

It's a sad deal though... I didn't make the rules, I just play by them.

Raimundo;

I agree with everything you have stated and have experience in this as well being a partner in a development company located in northeast brazil as well as helping literally dozens of foreigners that have been either completely scammed, or sold a bill of goods that was different than what they imagined and/or agreed to.

If someone sits in front of their computer outside of Brazil doing their research, doesn't obtain the help of an INDEPENDANT, qualified, reputable lawyer in the city where they're interested in investing, then they are only asking for problems....and here in Brazil they're in abundance.

It seems like nearly every other day lately I'm being contacted by foreigners that have gotten a raw deal here in Brazil. It certainly doesn't make my job, and the other legitimate, honest agents and developers, life any easier.

Mr. Mullins -

Honest response, and I respect you for that ....also, nice websites, it looks very professional and serious. Looks like you're based in Aracaju. Never been there but heard it's nice and virgin, very few gringos.

[RalphJ]

Originally Posted by Raimundo

Mr. Mullins -

Honest response, and I respect you for that ....also, nice websites, it looks very professional and serious. Looks like you're based in Aracaju. Never been there but heard it's nice and virgin, very few gringos.

Correct...very few gringos. And it is very nice and things are starting to explode here. Unlike other places that have already done so. Still yet, one must be very careful. There have already been numerous "gringos" that have invested here that have been "rooked".

[BussinessProspector]

Hi there,

I'm thinking to invest in Brasil, especially Aracaju... it's a very nice and peaceful city, with a major investment of Petrobras...

The city is awekening now for the tourism...

What do you think of it...

Thanks,

George