Episode Summary
In this episode of The Expat Files, Johnny Mueller dives into the challenges of buying real estate in Latin America, particularly in Nicaragua. He discusses the risks of relying on real estate agents, both local and gringo, and highlights how these agents often lead to inflated prices. Johnny emphasizes the importance of using alternative methods such as classified ads and direct contact with distressed sellers to find better deals. He also warns against misinformation from sources that lack on-the-ground experience, using an example of a recent real estate report on Nicaragua that he deems unreliable.
In another segment, Johnny critiques a real estate interview with a gringo real estate agent in Nicaragua, highlighting the agent's promotional tone and the potential for inflated prices and commissions. He questions the agent's claims about the affordability of living in Nicaragua and the friendliness of Nicaraguans, suggesting that the agent may be more focused on selling real estate than providing an honest assessment. Johnny also notes that similar issues exist with gringo real estate agents in other Central American countries like Belize, Panama, and Costa Rica, and he warns about the real estate bubble in Nicaragua.
Johnny further critiques the real estate agent's portrayal of Nicaragua as an attractive destination for expats, arguing that such claims are often misleading. He contrasts the local, fresh food available in Latin America with the processed, imported food found in places like Walmart and Costco, emphasizing the sustainability of the local food system. He also touches on the social class dynamics in Latin America, noting that while expats are tolerated for their eccentricities, locals who exhibit similar behaviors are often mocked with the term 'coriente,' meaning 'common.'
In another segment, Johnny critiques the real estate market in Nicaragua, particularly focusing on the Tola area and developments like Iguana and Ranchero Santana. He highlights the high prices for oceanfront lots, which he believes are inflated and not worth the cost due to the poor quality of the beaches and water. Johnny suggests that expats can find similar properties for significantly less, such as $50,000 or less, and even $15,000 to $25,000 for ocean view lots. He also criticizes the real estate agent's portrayal of the market as a 'low-cost bolt hole,' noting that the prices are too high for the average expat.
The segment also touches on other developments like Guacalito de la Isla, which are even more expensive and cater to a different, wealthier demographic. Johnny discusses the appeal and challenges of buying property in Nicaragua, particularly in areas like Guacalita La Isla and Rancho Santana. He critiques the idea of living in such locations, especially for those who are wealthy, and highlights the practical issues such as unpaved roads, lack of infrastructure, and the cost of living. He also addresses the real estate market, noting the influx of tech industry buyers and the potential for rising costs due to increased demand.
In the final segment, Johnny discusses real estate opportunities in Latin America, particularly in areas with beautiful views overlooking the bay. He mentions that properties can be purchased for as low as $50,000 for a lot and up to $200,000 for a two or three-bedroom home. Johnny shares his experience of building houses in Latin America, stating that hiring a general contractor can result in a first-world style house for $30 to $50 per square foot. He highlights the affordability of building a beach house or a larger home and suggests that the real estate agent might be inflating prices by at least 200%. Johnny then promotes his upcoming Expat Wisdom seminar, emphasizing its value and the potential end of future seminars due to increasing travel and privacy challenges.
Topics
Real estate in Latin America, Risks of relying on real estate agents, Finding distressed sellers, Misinformation in real estate reports, Real estate in Nicaragua, Expatriate life in Central America, Gringo real estate agents, Real estate bubbles, Cultural perceptions in Latin America, Local food system in Latin America, Social class dynamics in Latin America, Real estate market critique in Nicaragua
Chapters
00:00:00 Opening 00:00:49 Warning Against Buying Real Estate in Latin America 00:01:46 The Standard Commission and Distressed Sellers 00:04:00 Examples of Real Estate Misinformation for Gringos 00:05:49 Inflated Prices and Real Estate Commissions in Nicaragua 00:07:24 Gringos Flooding into Nicaragua from Costa Rica 00:09:13 Johnny's Critique of the Real Estate Agent's Claims 00:10:36 The Real Estate Agent's Claims About Nicaragua's Expat Community 00:11:02 Johnny's Agreement with the Real Estate Agent's Claim About Local Food 00:14:21 Johnny's Sarcasm About the Social Class Dynamics in Latin America 00:15:21 Real Estate Spiel Begins 00:16:23 Price Discrepancy and Critique 00:17:53 Bubble Prices and Expat Suitability 00:20:07 The Appeal of Wealthy Retreats in Nicaragua vs. Luxury Destinations 00:20:27 Infrastructure Concerns and Real Estate Development in Nicaragua 00:21:27 Johnny's Personal Experience with Unpaved Roads in Latin America 00:24:28 Johnny's Take on the Influx of Tech Buyers in Nicaragua 00:25:31 Real Estate Opportunities in Latin America 00:26:03 Affordable Home Building in Latin America 00:26:58 Travel and Privacy Challenges
Transcript
Automatically transcribed from the original recording; names and wording may contain errors.
[00:00] South of the border, down Mexico way That's where I fell in love when the stars above came out to play And now that I wonder Hello there all you expat wannabes I'm Johnny Mueller and you're listening to The Expat Files, living in Latin America The show that tells you just what it's like to live, work, play and or retire down here in Latin America It's a mix of the good, the bad, the ugly and the great And it's all right here so let's get started Now it seems even after all the blathering I do about the real estate bubble down here And about real estate in general, people just don't get it What do I mean by that? Well I still get emails from people asking me where's the best place to buy land
[00:46] Or housing or beach properties etc etc And I'm telling you right now, this is not a good time to buy Unless of course you happen to find some really distressed seller And let me clue you in on something If you hook up with a real estate agent Whether he or she's with a huge agency or just a neighborhood guy who tinkers with it as a hobby You are not going to get a deal, in fact you're going to buy right into that bubble Because even if someone approaches you and claims they've found a distressed seller You think they have an approach that doesn't corrupt politicians and narcos before they hit on you the gringo The fact is you will never find distressed sellers through real estate agents You're going to find them yourself in the newspaper on bulletin boards etc Because you see the fact is a distressed seller doesn't want to pay a commission
[01:36] He's lowered his price to absolute rock bottom already And does not want to give away 5% more as a commission By definition a distressed seller is selling below market anyway And by the way down here in Latin America the standard commission is around 5% Most distressed sellers will have factored that out of the equation completely already So how do you find those distressed sellers yourself? If you're a long time listener to this show you'll remember I explained that process quite a while ago So rule number one in looking for real estate is Don't go through a real estate broker and don't sign any exclusive deals That isn't to say you shouldn't hook up with one and have them show you around and give you a free tour and all that But after you've got the lay of the land You can drop them like a hot cow pie and hook up with a young college English major to act as your translator
[02:26] And again in a past show I showed how to find one of those too If you play your cards right you can hire one of those guys or girls for around 25 bucks a day Then just head out to the shopping center bulletin boards and pick up the local classified ads Etc etc as I detailed in one of my past shows That is assuming your Spanish sucks otherwise you can do it yourself And let me tell you if you hook up with a local real estate agent Whether the agent's a latin person or a gringo You're especially and they get screwed if you don't speak Spanish And you don't have a personal lawyer Oh and by the way here's a very important point If you happen to be in an area where you can find a real gringo real estate agent Then guess what buddy you're on the tourist trail Because when you're off the tourist trail those kind of folks just don't exist
[03:15] So right off the bat that's one quick and dirty way to figure out if you're gonna pay gringo prices or not Now for example take the second biggest city in Honduras San Pedro Sula It's got about a half million people or so Guess what they have tons of real estate flyers in the Sunday papers and all that And the usual monthly free glossy real estate magazines you can pick up at the grocery store And you know what not a single gringo realtor to be found Meaning way off the gringo tourist trail Same thing with Guatemala City A million to two million people in that metropolitan area And probably two or three hundred real estate people and guess what not a single gringo Now before you think I'm running off at the mouth here I'm gonna give you some really good examples of Latin American real estate misinformation for gringos 101
[04:06] So this is for all you armchair expat wannabes sitting up at your desks Surfing the internet up in Cleveland Boston and Chicago Thinking that you're getting the inside scoop on real estate and real estate deals and bargains down here in Latin America I mean let's face it we all want to get in on some ground floor opportunity here That is get in while the go one's good and the go one's cheap But look out there's a lot of misinformation out there And what might seem like a good deal to you now Is likely to give you a huge case of buyer's remorse somewhere down the line Anyway for all you expat gonna be in wannabes doing your information searches up there Certainly you have sources that you trust And it's not that they're trying to screw you or give you bad leads
[04:51] But you see they're not down here with the boots on the ground seeing what it's really like Now let me give you a little example of this Just the other day I received in my inbox a real estate report on Nicaragua And I'm gonna read a few little excerpts from this And then I'm gonna tell you why it's all screwed up and there's no way If you follow that so called late-breaking expert advice That you're gonna get in on some kind of insiders ground floor opportunity You're not And as good as it might sound to you sitting up in your easy chair in Cleveland or Boston I just have to laugh and shake my head when I hear the numbers they're spitting out So as these things go Some who listen to this interview are obviously gonna take the bait Especially if you've never had boots on the ground
[05:38] You're gonna think you're really missing out on something if you don't jump in right away But let me tell you I just can't see where these guys are coming from Or I should say I do see where they're coming from It's really all about highly inflated prices and big real estate commissions And you know I really can't blame the interviewer He's talking to a real estate guy in Nicaragua In fact a gringo real estate guy Which by now you know should set off red flags So let me get into it Then make my comments along the way The title of the article is real estate in Nicaragua A low cost bolt hole part one And like I said it's an interview with a gringo real estate agent living in Nicaragua And again I'll paraphrase this as usual to get it to fit my format here
[06:25] The interviewer starts out by saying Tell us why someone should consider Nicaragua instead of Panama Costa Rica or other Central American countries And the real estate guy says Well the quality of life and cost of living are amazing You can live a very good lifestyle on like a thousand bucks a month In fact you could probably spend less In places like Panama or Costa Rica it's much more Americanized A lot of that is now reflected in their American prices Because they've been able to charge higher prices for a longer time Now it's me talking Does that make sense? Because they've been able to charge higher prices for a longer time Is that some kind of double speak? Anyway he goes on to say Here in Nicaragua they haven't quite caught on to that yet
[07:12] Okay it's me now And I have to admit he's right about the thousand dollar a month thing anyway But I gotta say That situation is only temporary and things are creeping up already Why? Because the gringos are flooding in And surprisingly enough not so much from the states directly But from the adjacent country Costa Rica I'm talking about ripped off, disgusted, disgruntled gringos Who've just had it with the jaded people and being gouged at every turn In Pura Vida land, Costa Rica Though you've probably heard me talk about that on a previous show So anyway those handful of hot spots that gringos like to settle in In Nicaragua now like Granada And San Juan del Sur that surfing beach town on the pacific coast
[07:59] Are not your ground floor undiscovered paradises anymore Far from it Anyway this real estate guy goes on to say Nicaragua is probably one of the last places Where you can still mix with the locals a lot You'll never meet a nicer person than a Nicaraguan They're such a friendly people and no matter whether they have anything or not They've still got time to help you And I haven't felt that in many other places that I go to Ok it's me again Obviously this guy has never been to Honduras Guatemala Salvador Paraguay Bolivia Or any other latin country well off the gringo tourist trail Every well traveled long term gringo living down here in latin america will tell you The attitudes of latin folks change dramatically as soon as you get out of mexico
[08:46] In fact every gringo I know will tell you that As he passes through the mexican border to guatemala and onto Honduras Suddenly the people's faces come alive and they seem genuinely happy and happy to see you So this guy is totally limiting himself or he hasn't been around Or perhaps he's just sticking up for his own selfish interests When he says that Nicaragua is one of the last places you'll see where They have genuinely happy people who like gringos That's totally BS What that guy needs is to get a few more stamps on his passport My take on it is that's his spiel and he's sticking with it because he's there to sell real estate Nicaraguan real estate to clueless gringos Heaven forbid we talk about that bubble That would ruin everything right?
[09:32] But you know it's not just gringo real estate salesmen in Nicaragua It's true of gringo real estate salesmen in Belize too And gringo real estate salesmen in Panama and Costa Rica etc More on that in a few minutes Then he goes on to say regarding Nicaragua of course It makes a big difference for example if your car breaks down in the middle of nowhere These guys will all stop and help you fix it It's a real camaraderie There's no animosity between foreigners and locals here They embrace the people coming in Ok my comments again And yes he's right about Nicaragua But there are a dozen other Latin American countries Where the people are just as genuine and friendly Only I guess this guy's never been there or purposely leaving them out You know that's like saying the most genuinely nice
[10:19] Helpful and friendly Americans are in Nebraska See what I mean? That's totally wrong We all know they're in Cleveland right? Next he says something that I know Means he really hasn't been around Or else he's just priming the pump for a real estate sale Listen to this He says there's a really nice expat community that lives here And there's a well educated Nicaraguan community that's here as well So it's a really nice mix of people Also a lot of the products that you eat when you come down here Are tremendous fresh fruits, vegetables and fish You can eat everything that's been caught or grown within a mile or two Where you're eating it And there aren't many places like that in the world anymore Yeah and it's me again And I have to say that he's correct about that If you're talking about the first world
[11:06] But there are still tens of thousands of places in Latin America Where everything you eat has been caught or grown within a few miles of where you're eating it And that's why when I hear guys say things like this I know the spiel is geared specifically at first world gringos Who know that they're foods coming from some thousands of miles away And of course Tundi and gringos know there's something wrong with that picture But they're stuck with it if they're living up in the states And if you're up there and you want to buy locally You go to the farmer's market and pay two or three times as much for organic produce And still up there you're never going to get all your food and produce From within a couple of miles where you live Climate and logistics makes that impossible But you see if you live down here in Latin America
[11:53] No matter where you are There's nothing amazing or special about what he's saying at all I mean for example I could go to Walmart down here and buy a dozen eggs Of a perfect size, shape and texture that look like they're cloned Like up in the states But I can walk about three or four blocks from home And buy a dozen eggs in a little hole in a wall stand And by the way those natural eggs from driveway chickens you buy at those little markets Are always just a little bit cheaper Than the ping pong looking cardboard tasting eggs you get from Walmart and Costco And those eggs you buy at the hole in the wall corner store Are eggs that don't quite look uniform at all In fact some of them look pretty nice and others look kind of gnarly Which is a sure sign they're coming from driveway chickens
[12:40] Chickens that are not pumped up with hormones and chemicals Chickens that are able to walk around at will They look happy And have a pretty natural lifespan with low stress That is until they hit the pot Now I know you're almost never going to find that up in Cleveland or Chicago But down here in practically every little town and city throughout Latin America That's just the way it is Unless of course you insist on Costco or Walmart eggs Oh and by the way The upscale Latins and gringo wannabes They buy their eggs at Walmart and Costco Because well being gringo wannabes It's the fashionable thing to do Now I'll tell you You don't see late model SUVs pulling up in front of these little hole in the wall market stands What would the neighbors think if someone happened to drive by and see you shopping there?
[13:27] The gossip would get around and they'd call you that dreaded word Coriente which means common Which down here is considered a terrific insult Even though probably 80% of Latin Americans are average and therefore common Yes unfortunately deep down our fine happy Latin culture is a very classist one Oh and by the way that backhanded insult word Coriente common Never applies to gringos or expats Though we can do things all day long that are considered Coriente if a Latin were doing it But we are gringos after all So Latins allow us huge leeway in social areas like that In fact they more than tolerate our occasional eccentricities In fact they get a kick out of them and never hold them against us
[14:15] But if you're a Latin and you pull that stuff Well your friends and family will certainly dump on you for it Now I might sound sarcastic here but it's absolutely true Okay let's get back on point So anyway the interviewer then asks the gringo real estate guy in Nicaragua Why don't you briefly go over the main areas that would be of interest for expats To which the real estate guy says Well San Juan del Sur would be it The city has its roots in a small fishing village on the Pacific coast That's I think what a lot of people like about it It's not a town which has come from nothing Or not just foreigners who have come in and built it up Even without foreigners It's a functioning small fishing village and has grown around that
[15:02] It has beautiful cliffs and hills and beaches etc He says it's definitely where most of my clients tend to focus There are a lot of different bars and restaurants You can mix with lots of the locals So it's definitely the local culture side to it It's not just foreigners there Okay it's me again commenting Now here comes the real estate spiel so pay attention See if you can figure out what's wrong with this picture He says there's another main beach area that a lot of people focus on Which is called Tola About an hour north of San Juan del Sur Near Tola there are a couple of American owned property developments One called Iguana and one Ranchero Santana Now pay attention to this He says Iguana is one of the older original ones
[15:48] It has its own 9 hole golf course And one of the best if not the best waves in the country right in front So it has always been very popular with surfers There's a nice little bar restaurant situated there as well Rancho Santana doesn't have a golf course But they've got plenty of land There's horse riding, tennis, great beaches Then the interviewer asks him about the price of ocean front lots there To which the real estate guy said I'd say they're around $250,000 Maybe a little bit cheaper for one of those And then you could get a nice ocean view lot from around $75,000 to $150,000 Now I'm thinking What the hell is this guy talking about?
[16:35] You'd have to be an idiot to buy a lot at those prices I've been there, I've seen it Sure it's beach front but it's Pacific beach front That means it's not nice white white sand You've got a pretty big tide problem It's a very short stretch of beach from the water to the jungle Or where the trees and vegetation starts And in no way is the water crystal clear and blue like Caribbean water It's always murky and you can't see two feet into it Duh So what are you really getting for a couple of hundred thousand dollars just for the lot? And besides that There's almost nothing there Like he said They have a nice little bar and restaurant situated there as well
[17:21] As well as what? Now I'm telling you if you went down there alone And scouted around without a realtor By yourself or with an interpreter or with a long term expat like me It wouldn't take long, maybe a week or two And I'm sure you'd be able to pick up an ocean front lot right in the same vicinity For maybe $50,000 or less That's less than the price this guy says they're getting for ocean view properties That means a beautiful ocean view lot You could probably get for $15,000 to $25,000 And still believe me we're in the bubble so even that's too pricey So I basically believe that you gotta have rocks in your head or just a lot of money to throw around That you don't care about to buy anything for that price down here Anywhere in Latin America for that matter
[18:07] So by all means come down here and hook up with this guy Or any of the other real estate people and buy into the bubble Why not? Everybody else is Okay now this real estate guy started out with those great deals Now listen to what else he's got He says the other development we talk about is Guacalito de la Isla But that one is Nicaraguan owned It's also the most expensive What? Lots in there vary from a couple hundred thousand to a million apiece just for the land Oh, such a deal, huh? Now remember the title of this article and interview is Real Estate in Nicaragua A low-cost bolt hole
[18:52] Now maybe I'm living on another planet from you guys up in the States all you wannabes But I'm used to buying like half acres of land with beautiful views for like 20 grand And throughout Latin America I'm used to seeing oceanfront and ocean view properties from like 20 to 50 grand Even much less sometimes And here we got this Nicaraguan real estate guy saying Here is one of the greatest ground floor deals an expat can get And so it seems does this guy doing the interview and writing this article He's all excited about these great deals too, can't you tell? Anyway regarding these half a million and million dollar lots Our gringo real estate guy goes on to say
[19:39] These developments are for a different kind of person Someone looking for something easy A nice place in the sun on a beautiful beach One who doesn't necessarily want or need to come to Nicaragua for the culture Yeah and it's me again Boy did he evade that one If he'd have been honest he'd have said These lots are for a particular kind of person that has a couple of Ferraris in the garage Probably a plane and a helicopter So I'm asking where does the average expat or expat wannabe fit into this equation Try nowhere But you know if you're stinking rich and have that kind of money to burn Why would you ever want to live on a scruffy little off white beach in Nicaragua Why not get a place in Monaco or Antibes I don't get it, maybe you do but I don't
[20:24] Ok then the interviewer asks a pertinent question What about infrastructure like roads, electricity, water, internet and so forth And the real estate guy says Well Guacalita La Isla is the one with the big money backing so they're paving the road All the way out from the main highway to their development Well that's nice huh, I mean if you're paying 750 grand to a million just for the lot You really should have a paved road don't you think But now get this He says with Rancho Santana and Iguana Remember those are the developments that have lots that start at 75 grand and go to 250 Well he says you still have to drive about 20 to 30 minutes on an unpaved road
[21:10] But they do pack the dirt quite well he says Then he goes on to say but I find a lot of people who come down here don't necessarily mind that Then he says they quite like the fact that it doesn't feel like the US Well here's me again Obviously he's not talking about driving on an unpaved road in Latin America in the rainy season Now I don't think 1 in 10,000 people up in the states has ever done that I have And believe me you need a four wheel drive vehicle and sometimes that ain't enough Okay so let me ask all you guys and gals out there How would you feel about paying 75 to 250,000 bucks just for a lot And find out you had to buy a four wheel drive vehicle just to get there
[21:58] Well admittedly the first few times it would be a cool adventure but believe me it gets pretty old In fact a while back I had a beach house with similar crappy access And as it turned out in the daytime in the dry season it was no picnic either My advice when you're stuck like that on an unpaved road during the dry season Never never get behind another car You have to make sure the other guy in front of you is at least a half a mile ahead The car in front of you will kick up so much dry dust that you won't even be able to see 20 feet in front of you So think about driving in that crud for about a half an hour Not to mention if you do that drive frequently you'll have to clean or change your car's air and air conditioning filters about every two weeks
[22:46] Now I'll bet you never heard anyone tell you that before Why? It might just put you off signing on the dotted line for the sale Oh and you should know this too When you're on a long stretch of unpaved road like that You don't want to have anyone in front of you because you'll be in a constant dust cloud And you don't want to be the only one on the road for miles around either Because if something happens flat tire or otherwise you're screwed Note that way out in the lonely boonies like that Cell towers are very infrequent So just like Brad always seems to fall butter side down If you have a breakdown you probably won't have a phone signal So come on do you want to be thoroughly pissed off and aggravated when you visit your $200,000 lot? As if you won't be thoroughly pissed off at yourself already
[23:32] When you find out down the line you're overpaid by 50 or 70% Well here's my advice Don't buy property in Latin America anyway On a far out isolated piece of land That forces you to travel over an unpaved dirt road for more than a mile or two Believe me 10 minutes on an unpaved dirt road is about enough for anyone Then our real estate guy talks about the kind of buyers that are coming into Nicaragua He says there seems to have been a trend in New York based or California based buyers Or people in the tech industry coming to Nicaragua He adds quite a large portion of my clientele has been high tech industry guys So they're coming down and looking and spending a couple of months here while they work on a project
[24:18] So they need good internet and we have it There seems to be quite a young trendy crowd with money coming down Not just retirees Which is nice because it provides a good mix Now here's me with my take I admit at first that seems like a real plus for anyone considering on coming down and becoming part of the crowd Who wouldn't want a bunch of high tech nerds moving in the neighborhood? And it's me talking again But remember when the big money gringo crowd comes down Soon enough you can forget about cheap anything That's the kind of money people that came down to Panama and Costa Rica That drove everything to first world prices and beyond Just remember when I was in Costa Rica 25 years ago My maid was $10 a day And now they're up to 40 even $50 a day in Costa Rica
[25:06] Meanwhile off the gringo tourist trail Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Bolivia, Paraguay It's still around 10 bucks a day for a maid So then the interviewer says back to San Juan del Sur What kind of price ranges are we talking here? What do you think provides the best real estate value right now? And the real estate guy says Well, there's a number of developments which cater to any need and budget You can come down here with 50 grand and find a nice lot And a nice two or three bedroom place starts around 200 grand And these are nice neighborhoods or developments on hills With beautiful views overlooking the bay So that's part one of that interview And wow I can't wait for those great deals he's gonna mention in part two
[25:53] You know I find this also very interesting Since I've built maybe 12 or 13 houses in Latin America And I can tell you right now that if you hire your own general contractor You can get a beautiful first world style house built for about $30 to $50 a square foot complete Meaning a 1,000 square foot beach house for around 50 grand Or a 2,000 square foot job for 100 grand or less So it sounds to me like this real estate guy is talking up properties With at least a 200% markup Nice work if you can get it, huh? Okay, more on that later But now I'd like to mention again You can still get in on my July 2014 Expat Wisdom Latin American seminar Just go to www.expatwisdom.com
[26:41] Click on the seminar link at the top of the page for full details I guarantee you won't regret it And for those of you sending me emails asking when my next seminar will be The one after this one because you can't make it this time for this or that reason I have to caution you that these seminars will come to an end eventually What with the way things are going with TSA, passports, total loss of privacy, spying And just basically the hurdles and hassles you have to go through Just to take a trip out of the country for a couple of weeks Not to mention these seminars really do put me back on the first world treadmill again for a while I don't have to tell you guys about that Anyway, just to keep you in the loop The seminar that's coming up in July is number 6 So the question is, am I going to do any more seminars after this July 2014 one?
[27:29] I'd say maybe, maybe not South of the border Down Mexico way You've been listening to The Expat Files Living in Latin America Coming to you twice a week from somewhere south of the border Email me Theexpatfiles at gmail.com And don't forget to check out expatwisdom.com To sign up for your free reports on Latin America See you next time Nos vemos Ah, she was a picture