Now you all know that no one has more nice things to say about Brazil then this gringo.  I still believe Brazil is the best choice for us to look for that retirement and or vacation property.  As I have always tried to be fair and opened minded and love all your responses to my articles I do feel the necessity to bring a few things to light that may be of dire importance to some if not interesting to others. As you know for the past two years I have been investigating as well as in negotiations for a few pieces of land in Brazil.  As an American I have always been thrilled with Beach front property and thought it was always valued for much more then other properties even Oceanview properties that were not directly on the Beach.  This is NOT always true and certainly not the case these days in Brazil as well as in many other countries I am sorry to report. Although we know the obvious reasons that Beach Property has always been more attractive in the past here in the States as well as elsewhere, in my endeavor to find the ideal property many new facts have come to light that are disturbing to say the least.  Many many folks simply do not understand or know what is going on around the world and Brazil is no exception. Through my many trips and endless meetings with Real Estate people , Property owners and Local government employees and officials I have learned much.  I have been blessed to have met some of the nicest most up front honest people any one person could hope to meet in Brazil.

Previous articles on Brazil: Brazil or Bust: Catching Up The upshot of the whole saga was that I bought a car on my own and was left several thousand Reals short by the crook! I didn’t realize just how big a crook until my lawyer ran his name on the police computer and found eight criminal charges and an almost equal number of civil cases against him. Two lessons can be learned from my experience...Don’t pay for any services up front, and make sure you get receipts. Tiradentes: A Colonial Gem Don't think Brazil is only good for beaches and the Amazon. Nestled in the rural foothills of the Serra do São José is Tiradentes; a sophisticated, rustic, original gold rush town in the countryside of Minas Gerais Real Estate In Brazil - Imobiliária Em Brasil Yes, you can make money writing eBooks and reports for us, good money. In fact you can make enough money to live on overseas. We are now seeking eBook reports on almost any subject; not just on expatriate issues. We have had so much success with our eBooks that we have decided to expand our library to include more subjects - - subjects that are important even if they are not directly related to expatriate issues. Have no doubt, it's a wonderful country We take it one step at a time until we're there

Many sellers will promise you the world - fill you with lots of false information and many a buyer has realized this unfortunately when it was too late, and they found they could not do what they had dreamed of doing with their newly bought beach front properties.  Be Careful Please !!

Aside from this there is a little thing going on these days called " Global Warming ".  Now as an American I have seen and know that most Americans do not take to much heed of such warnings but in other countries including Brazil,  they are taken very seriously indeed.  As a matter of fact you will hear the term " Erosion Area " being used more and more by City Hall employees, and avoided by Real Estate people when dealing with Beachfront properties !!

It is a known fact that sea levels are rising and beach areas are eroding and there is little you can do about this when and if it happens to your property.  Insurance companies in Brazil ?  Forget it, you don't have a chance. As a result of these obvious occurrences pricing has changed and oceanview properties are becoming much more desirable than beach front.  We in fact,  have abandoned all thoughts of a beachfront property there now and for good reasons too.  We did our research and we have found that not only have seas risen but beaches have also decreased,  not only in Brazil but here in the United States as well.

As a matter of fact take special precautions with beach areas in Brazil that are quite a distance from a city - say 45 minutes or more.  These areas for some reason seem to be especially prone to these problems which I have seen first hand in Brazil.  This is probably partly why they are still remote areas and have never been developed as much as other areas?  I do not know this to be a true fact but I cannot help but consider it as a reason.

So what I am trying to say here is be cautious of these people trying to sell you a Dream Property in Brazil in areas like Natal and Forteleza especially where there have been serious reports of sea levels rising in the recent past.  I have not heard of serious problems in other areas yet but people still are cautious of such properties in their areas as well and the term " Erosion Area " continues to pop up more and more these days at City Hall and you should contact an honest person there who can advise you of such a connection with any property you may be considering.  To say the least it can very well not be listed as such yet but surely may be listed as such in the near future as no one seems to know exactly what an impact " Global Warming " will have and when.  I for one am not willing to chance my future on such a thing and I am sure Real Estate people and Sellers are not at all concerned about the future especially yours, once they have your money.

Be Cautious of who you deal with . Question all that they tell you and above all " Let The Buyer Beware!"  Check and Double Check Please !! Leave No Stone Unturned !! 
 

. Driving the Pan-American Highway to Mexico and Central America  - Complete Guide for Do-It-Yourself Planning and Driving Through Mexico and Central America  Mark McMahon, drove a four wheel drive from Tucson, Arizona all the way to the tip of South America. He's not the first to do it, but his reports of the trip are extremely inspiring and were featured on the website EscapeArtist.com.  He took his time, stopped where he wanted, and sometimes spent months exploring and photographing just one nation before proceeding to another.  In short, he made driving the Pan American Highway the adventure of a lifetime, and took him almost four very exciting and adventure-filled years to complete his journey.The purpose of this guidebook is to assist those wishing to drive to areas of Mexico and Central America. The United States was a sleeping giant in the l9th century. The railroads that were built across the country were the instrumental forces in its development. Mexico and Central America are being awakened from their slumber by the building of the Pan-American Highway.  .