 Rio
de Janeiro! The plane lifted off from Sao Paulo in total darkness for its
final leg into Rio de Janeiro. We came up
out of the darkness into high morning sunlight and my spirits soared. Too
many years had passed since I'd last seen my favorite city. There
is much that I like about Rio; its people, their music, the exotic ambiance
of the place, the almost other worldly beauty, the beaches, the sharp mountains
and hills that loom up like concertos out of the landscape, the constant
ocean breezes, the California-like atmosphere, the royal imperial palms,
tree lined streets, restaurants strung along Avenita Atlantica, the women
who are like no other, Corcovado, the jazz clubs, samba, the style of the
Carioca, Jardim Botanico, Ipanema, Copacabana - more than I could ever
say in words, even though superlatives abound. The seaman Paul Guaguin
saw Rio de Janeiro from the deck of a ship and decided to become an artist.
We first saw Rio de Janeiro in 1981 and fell it in love with it. Time has
passed, but here we are again. The microphone clicks on, the flight attendant
tells us the time, it's 6 AM, June the 7th. We are to place all carry-on
bags under the seat or in the overhead compartment, we are to move our
chairs into an upright position and fasten our seat belts. We are informed
that we are about to land at Antonio Carlos Jobim International Airport,
where the temperature is 79 degrees, and that we are bid welcome
to Rio de Janeiro. |
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Property
Marketplace Real Estate Listings For Brazil - Current Listings - Bargains
- Estancias in Brazil, Apartments & Condos in Rio de Janeiro, Florianópolis
Oceanfront, Villas in Fortaleza, Island Property, Enclaves, Coast Property,
Beachfront in Costa Verde, Sale by Owner, Current Listings 24 hours a day,
7 days a week. -
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Estate In Brazil By Province |
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 Expats
Living in Brazil - Brazil
is South America’s economic powerhouse, fueled by immense agricultural,
mining, energy, and human resources and driven by muscular manufacturing
and service sectors. It was one of the first emerging markets to begin
its recovery from the global financial crisis of 2008, due to strong commodity
exports and sound macroeconomic planning. Now, Brazil has become a very
attractive destination for experienced professionals in areas such as finance
and engineering, with the government soliciting skilled information technology
professionals from around the globe. In the first half of 2010, the Brazilian
labor ministry administered more than 4300 work visas to US citizens. The
three largest cities in Brazil are Belo Horizonte (a metropolitan area
of 5.4 million inhabitants), Rio de Janeiro (11.5 mil), and the super megacity,
São Paulo, (20 million!). Like the fabulous foods of Brazil, each
has its distinctive flavors. And to get a taste of these flavors, expats
currently living in each of these vivacious cities have generously shared
some thoughts about how they have learned to join in the celebration of
life that is Brazil. |
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 A
Gringo’s Survival Guide to Brazil: Brazilian Bureaucracy
- The Brazilian banking system is one of the most complex and bureaucratic
in the civilized world. You cannot hold a bank account in this country
unless you have permanency (i.e. your RNE and CPF), you will need to produce
proof of residence, proof of income and other documents in order to open
an account. It is a frustrating process and may not be instantly successful.
It may take several tries to get it right. I personally recommend opening
an account with an international bank such as Citibank, HSBC or others
that may also operate in your home country. This may facilitate transfers
of funds you may have in your country of origin. If you are coming to Brazil
and can’t open an account here then your best bet is open an HSBC account
in your home country. If you have an HSBC account then you can perform
international ATM transactions at any HSBC or affiliated network machine
in the country. Otherwise, you can only perform international transactions
at Banco do Brasil’s main branches and only at specific ATMs at that location.
Trust me, this one is a real pain in the butt. |
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 Brazil’s
Tropical Northeast - Those
in search of a year round tropical climate should have a good look at Brazil’s
Northeast Region, which encompasses almost 20% of the country’s landmass,
and is home to approximately 55 million people, or 20% of the nation’s
population. The great majority live in the big cities of Recife, Fortaleza,
and Salvador, while about 15 million live in the “sertão,” the semi-arid
interior lower uplands, the home of the cashew nut. This area has been
thoroughly exploited by cattle ranching and cotton farming. However, the
area closer the Atlantic Ocean is well known in the region as well as in
Europe for the attractive climates that Northern Europeans prefer in the
winter. Visitors will also enjoy some of the finest beaches in all of South
America, a very rich cultural heritage famous for candombé, a Bantu-rooted
musical genre that is heavy on percussion, along with the famous yearly
carnival celebrations. |
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 Real
Estate in Fortaleza, Brazil - The property
you buy might not be deeded to the seller; it might belong to someone completely
different. It is very expensive in Brazil to register deeded property from
one owner to another so some people decide not to do that. They exchange
a Contract of Vendor, a piece of paper which they hold on to until they’re
ready to sell, then they use that paper do the same thing; sometimes this
paper can change hands four or five times without ever being registered.
The real owner may never get involved; however, there may come a time when
the deed holder will want to either sell the property or take ownership.
Since they own the land, they can legally confiscate or sell the property.
If you have just built a $250,000 house on the property, you have given
the property owner a nice beach residence free of costs. And, it’s perfectly
legal. ALWAYS GET THE DEED TO ANY PROPERTY YOU BUY, even if you have to
pay a little more; and no matter how good a deal it might appear, don’t
buy ANYTHING unless you do get the deed!!!! |
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 Real
Estate in Brazil – Investment Prospects Booming
- bounds and not a week goes by without yet another positive addition to
Brazil’s economic track record. This is all excellent news for those planning
investment in Brazil, particularly property investors who can rest assured
that their property investment in Brazil is one of the best. So-called
‘green shoots’ are sprouting worldwide on the global economic scene, but
in almost every country these shoots are small and there’s no confirmation
that they will actually see full growth. However, for those investing in
Brazil there are now so many green shoots that growth predictions for 2010
are upgraded on a weekly basis and it seems highly likely that Moody’s
will raise its credit rating for Brazil in early autumn. |
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 Walk
Like A Brazilian - Robin In Brazil -
by Robin Sparks - I'd been to every country on my list except for one,
Brazil. The Brazil in my head was passion, romance, the samba, fresh fruit,
tropical beaches, and the bossanova. When I heard that in Brazil it's rude
to show up on time for social engagements, I thought that this just might
be the place for me. How could I not love a country where I'd always be
on time? There was also the hope that in Brazil, I could blend in more
easily than in Bali, my other favorite place on the planet. There's no
way I'll ever be Balinese, but maybe I could be Brazilian. Brazil is a
colossal country with more beaches than all of California and Florida put
together, so where to begin? I started by emailing expatriates who lived
in Brazil. And that is how I came to meet Jim and Debbie, and how I came
to be not on a Brazilian beach, but in the mountains in Teresopolis, 3,000
feet above Rio. Jim and Debbie spent years trekking in Brazil before purchasing
a home last year in Teresopolis. For me, the opportunity to begin my exploration
of Brazil under the tutelage of American Brazilophiles, was ideal. I accepted
their invitation to visit. I was fascinated when Jim months earlier had
emailed me saying that he and his girlfriend Debbie had bought an estate
which included five buildings, a spring-fed swimming pool, vegetable garden
and enclosed tennis court for $30,000. Was he joking? This was something
I had to see. Turns out, if anything Jim was under-exaggerating. Thanks
to a tip from local friends, they were able to purchase what looks like
a Mediteranean compound for the price of a tool shed in the US. The
question everyone always asks me after one of these articles is "Hey, I
wanna do that. How?" |
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 Brazil:
Drinking Chope in Rio - Chope (pronounced
show-pee) is delicious. Chope is cold and refreshing on a hot Rio night.
Chope is… a bomba. It doesn’t take long for a visitor in Rio to start seeing
chope aka chopp all over town. What is it? Among brewmeisters, chope is
known as “fresh beer.” It was introduced in Brasil in 1808 with the arrival
of the Portuguese Royal Family. And in Rio, chope became cherished
by the Cariocas, who initially consumed wines and spirits. Rio serves more
chope than anywhere else in Brasil. And Cariocas (Rio natives)
take their chope seriously. And very cold (bem gelado). One of the
biggest differences between beer and chope is that beer is pasteurized.
Chope’s not. Beer can be stored warm, chope can’t. Beer’s shelf
life is about 4 months. Chope must be consumed within 10 days – 15
days for dark chope (oscuro). |
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 You
ask, we answer: What are the implications for expats in the event of a
global economic collapse? - Following on with
our series of question and answer articles we had a very interesting question
put to us recently from a reader who, quite understandably, is concerned
about the consequences for expats in the event of a worldwide economic
collapse. The question posed was:- “If we become expats and
then, in the future there is a worldwide economic collapse will we be able
to return to the US?” The editor and two regular writers for Escape
From America Magazine share their thoughts and opinions on this question.
- Julie R. Butler - As things currently stand, expatriating from the United
States does not mean that you will not be allowed to return, except in
a few circumstances. Expatriation does not require you to give up US citizenship.
Most expats keep their US citizenship for a wide variety of reasons, among
them being the fact that gaining citizenship in another country is not
an easy process, requiring time and patience, the taking of citizenship
exams, money to pay for all the fees, a pile of official documentation,
notaries, apostils, a lawyer… and don’t forget the US$450 you must pay
for the final privilege of handing over all of your rights and privileges
as a US citizen. |
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 More
About Making a Move to Fortaleza - Since I
wrote my last article over two years ago I have received over two hundred
replies: some asking for information about Fortaleza, some wanting to know
about Brazil, people wanting me to give them advice on how to buy property,
men wanting me to find them wives, as well as questions about the economy
and many other things. I’ve tried to answer each and every letter and give
sound advice though, sometimes I don’t say what some people would like
to hear. I’ll try to address a few more things in this article. At present
I’m sitting on the balcony of my apartment on the corner of Ana Bilhar
and Desembargador Moreira in Fortaleza; it’s in the center of Meireles,
a middle-class neighborhood where most of the Gringo’s live and hang out.
It’s ten o’clock in the evening; the clouds are beginning to drift over
land from the sea; the temperature is in the high seventies, there’s a
gentle breeze blowing onshore and it’s a beautiful night. |
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 A
Hidden Wonderland - Búzios, Brazil
- One hundred and five miles east of Rio de Janeiro, there is a small peninsula
home to roughly twenty-five beaches, each with its own particular flavor
of paradise. For a thousand years, these beaches were the home of the Tamoio
and Goitacás tribes, who competed to outdo each other at blissful
frolicking in their idyllic surroundings. They drank the sweet milk of
the tucum fruit, which is similar to a coconut, and flirted with members
of the opposite sex while swimming in the surf. In the sixteenth century,
as the European powers cast their greedy glances on the vast wilderness
of Brazil, Búzios remained relatively untouched by the legitimate
forces of military might. Pirates, however, knew a good thing when they
saw it. French, English and Dutch pirates were quite understandably lured
by the pleasures of life with scantily clad natives and gentle breezes.
Upon comparing their new hideout to their old homelands, where excessively
modest and ruffled clothing was in vogue, the rouges plopped themselves
down in Búzios and refused to budge. (If you do not believe they
have never left, visit the bar known as TakaTakaTaka on Rua das Pedras
and introduce yourself to Kaiser, the slightly imbalanced, ultimately benevolent
Dutch pirate who has survived on an elixir of youth all these long years
since). |
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 A
Marriage Map For Brazil - Getting Hitched In Brazil
- Horizonte (BH), mostly from those looking to marry or retire there. Here’s
how we got married in Minas Gerias: It's pretty easy. MG does not
seem to observe some of the new Brazil Federal laws but before you leave
the US, get all your USA docs "legalized" at your Brazilian consulate before
you come down. This is easy, just register your Notary with your Brazilian
Consulate. 1) Our marriage cert was issued by the "Cartorio Nougueira of
El Dorado" in Contagem, MG. We also had our civil marriage ceremony there.
2) Birth Cert, your and hers original or certified copy. Mine was
not legalized but the "Cartorio Nougueira of El Dorado" in Contagem took
it anyway. This was translated into Portuguese by a legal translator
in BH. After translation, this had to be Notarized by a Brazilian
"registros." This was only a couple blocks away from the "Cartorio
Nougueira of El Dorado" and was called "Cartorio Massote Registros". |
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 Brazil
for US Baby Boomers - It is no secret
to anyone that the largest segment of The United States population is about
to, trying to, considering, or thinking about their retirements. It is
also widely known and published in numerous articles that this group is
concerned about their prospects - their choices are dwindling and their
hopes and dreams going up in smoke right before their eyes due to things
such as safety, health, finances, cost of living, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes,
healthcare and yes, added to the list in the past few years, terrorism.
The facts are out there. Just recently ( January 11th, 2007), part of an
article in the latest McKinsey Report made the following statements: *McKinsey
research finds that US workers are far more likely to be forced into early
retirement than many of them expect and that many significantly underestimate
the costs they'll face in retirement. *Almost half of all pre-retirees
expect to work past age 65, yet only 13 percent of current retirees have
done so. |
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 Brazil
Or Bust ~ Making A Change - The story
really starts back in 1999, when I moved to San Diego, California to marry
a lady I had met who lived there. We both thought it would be forever.
It wasn’t. Having already moved 2000 miles, at least, from family and friends,
when the separation occurred it was not too much of a stretch to think
“outside the box”. I decided I wanted to live in a place that had the attributes
I considered most important…climate, proximity to the ocean, preferably
warm water, a low cost of living, good exchange rate and…for sure…a lower
stress level! While exploring on the net, I came across a couple of sites
that contributed much to my research. One was EscapeArtist.com. It appeals
to folks who, for one reason or another, are fed up with North America,
or wherever they live, and are ready to start making changes. While looking
through the site, I came across an article by John Mueller (read article
attached). He had actually traveled to Brazil after lusting to do so since
he was a child. |
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 The
Importance of Learning another Language as an Expat-
As a freelance journalist and writer, one of the ways I earn a crust is
to write reports and articles about the financial services industry. Which
is why I found myself at a conference in Vienna recently, writing for a
software company that provides technology to hedge funds, wealth managers
and the like. As a freelance journalist and writer, one of the ways I earn
a crust is to write reports and articles about the financial services industry.
Which is why I found myself at a conference in Vienna recently, writing
for a software company that provides technology to hedge funds, wealth
managers and the like. |
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 A
Month To Buy a House In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil ...and The Good Life In
Buzios - We flew into Rio de Janeiro-Galeão
Airport (GIG), This is my third trip to Brasil this year, (I came solo
the first two times and had so much fun I can’t talk about it) I’ve decided
to spend the month looking for a home near the beach in Barra de Tijuca,
the “newer” area of Rio de Janeiro and brought an assistant, Laura, to
help keep me focused. Previous times the days passed so quickly I felt
I wasn’t getting things done. I liked the fact she had never been in a
taxi before let alone legally ordered a drink at a bar. I happened to stay
in Barra on the prior trips and loved it so much I decided it to be the
area I would like to live. It’s directly on the beach (Praia), about the
only area where you can still live in a single family home. Most of Rio
seems to be condominiums. “On the Beach” in Rio mean across the street.
Buying
A House In Rio Part 2 - I joined the Smiles Program offered by
Varig Airlines since I was becoming a regular on the flight to Rio and
they now offer an unbelievably low price for the flight from Miami (MIA)
to Rio (GIG) $420 + taxes roundtrip and nonstop, except for the stop in
Sao Paulo, which I still don’t understand what the nonstop thing was all
about since we always stopped in Sao Paulo. |
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 More
Articles On Living & Investing In Brazil
- and thousands
of articles on living and investing overseas in countries around the world;
including numerous articles on international real estate - Most of our
articles start in our international relocation magazines; but we keep them
in an archive so that visitors can access them - - access is free,
and free is a very good prices - Click
here to visit our relocation reference library - This library is filled
with facts, contacts, suggestions, inside information & offshore information,
artist havens & tax havens .... We sincerely hope you make your
escape and that you find your Shangri La, or your Shangri Lil ... and that
special place in the world that sets your heart on fire... We're
willing to show you the routes |
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what makes Escape Dates different ?
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network of friends, now you can travel the world, and make money searching
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website in the world for international living and overseas jobs recently
launched EscapeDates and is well position to becoming a leader in the international
dating industry. - |
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 EscapeArtist
Asset Protection Newsletter -
Live & Invest Offshore - Get the real facts from the best; including
Doug Casey, Bobby Casey, Bob Matthews, Global Asset Advisors, Inc., Jeff
Schneider CPA, PassportIRA and more of the best international investment
advisors. |
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 How
To Buy A Vineyard Overseas
- 9 Artices About Owning, Managing & Living On
A Vineyard. Fractional Ownership, Vineyards in Argentina, Vineyards in
France, disappointments and successes. If you want to own a vineyard read
these articles and see how others have done it. |
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 Escape
From America Magazine Our Expat Magazine - is
filled with information about living oveseas, much of it written by expats
who have moved overseas. Our magazine provides real information on
what it takes to live abroad, including articles on international real
estate, asset protection, and a wide range of issues related to the international
lifestyle - In addition we have 1,000's of archived articles from
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 See
Yacht Broker for Boats & Yachts worldwide Yes, Boats, Barges
and Yachts for sale worldwide in the online Yacht Broker. - If it floats
on water it's in the Yacht Broker - Buy or sell a yacht, sportsfishing
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Immigrating
To Brazil
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societies grow decadent, the language grows decadent, too. Words are used
to disguise, not to illuminate, action: you liberate a city by destroying
it. Words are to confuse, so that at election time people will solemnly
vote against their own interests. - Gore Vidal |
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"There
won't be equality in the world until everyone gets to live in Copacabana."
- Antonio Carlos Jobim
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Claiming
the highest population density in the world, Copacabana is built on a narrow
strip of land between the mountains and the extensive beach.
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