First American Realty Medellin<\/p>\n
Many people who are familiar with First American Realty<\/strong> in Medellin, know that they are the number one Expat Real Estate consultants for Medellin Colombia real estate listings<\/a>.\u00a0 Rich Holman, the founder, has had his story told many times but the other partners have ”languished” in obscurity.<\/p>\n Joe Greco’s entrance into the company brought about a number of dynamic changes. Joe is an intuitive, creative, street smart guy. He has an excellent eye for good value and a great vision for project development. Here is his story.<\/p>\n The Volkswagen Diaries<\/em> by Joe Greco<\/p>\n Still recovering from the downturn in the US economy in 2009, I knew that I needed to leave Bellingham, Washington and conquer a new world. When I made up my mind that the plan was to head to South America, I started letting friends and family know.\u00a0 It would be about six months until I was organized enough to hit the road, so I figured I would take the time to say my goodbyes while preparing for the upcoming adventure.\u00a0\u00a0 I was amazed as to how many people told me that they had the same dream trip in mind, and hopefully, one day, they would get the opportunity to pursue it as well.\u00a0 My plan was pretty open.\u00a0 I only had three goals in mind. 1. Experience living in another country.\u00a0 2. Live on the ocean. 3. Continue my passion for investing in real estate (only this time, with an International twist – Medellin real estate).<\/p>\n With that decided, I organized most of my personal matters, and headed South with the essentials in tow; a 1987 Volkswagen van (equipped with a bed) and plenty of camping gear, a six-month-old Chihuahua (aka \u2013 my version of a van security alarm system) and what was left of my personal belongings (as the rest had been liquidated or given away).<\/p>\n My brother and his family had just spent the summer in Buenos Aires (BA) visiting some old friends, and BA came with high recommendations, as it offered a large city with a lot of real estate potential, a rich history and culture and an ideal setting with great access to the Atlantic coast.<\/p>\n With no specific timeline in mind, I stopped in various locations, connecting with friends and family who joined me for various legs of the journey along the way.\u00a0 When I hit a city or town that caught my attention, I would pause and do some basic research.\u00a0 I would check in with local real estate agents to see what the pulse of the market was and their version of the future potential.\u00a0 The question that was always in the back of my mind, \u2018Could I make a long-term, viable life here?\u2019.<\/p>\n Having been to Mexico many times prior to this trip, it was a top contender as it offers a big, beautiful coastline, a laid-back culture and some of my favourite cuisines.\u00a0 Since Mexico was the first of many countries to come (and with Buenos Aires such a long way off and still calling me), I was content to just take notes and then decide if it made sense to return after my full trip was completed.\u00a0 For me, one of the bigger turn-offs of Mexico was that in some ways, it felt like it had already been picked over by the many years of intense exposure to Gringo travellers and the close proximity with the USA border.\u00a0 For me, I wanted to be a bit more of a pioneer and locate a soon to come, or emerging market on the verge of discovery.\u00a0 My highlights in Mexico were Todos Santos (for its amazing beauty), Manzanillo (for its upcoming investment potential) and Morelia (for its charm and ease of living).<\/p>\n