When you begin to search for real estate in North America, generally you go to your computer and search the local Multiple Listing Service. Whether it is for curiousity, looking for comps or initiating research on a pending purchase, virtually all of the information can be found on the web. If the municipality is fully integrated you may be able to find tax records as well. In many foreign lands, ... »
Article 202 of Decree 19 of 2012 states that in Colombia, once your vehicle reaches 6 years old (dated according to its matricula/registration), you must take it yearly for a technical revision. There are locations designated by the government as official sites to have the tests completed. If your vehicle does not pass all of the tests, you are given 15 calendar days in which to repair the defici... »
Since 1908 Hollywood has been romanticizing and idolizing the pirate – http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pirate_films. With stars such as Gary Cooper, Douglas Fairbanks, Errol Flynn, Jean Harlow, Olivia de Havilland and of course Johnny Depp and his Pirates of the Caribbean, it is difficult to remember that many were cut-throat murderous thieves . Nonetheless these privateers played an im... »
The Volkswagen Diaries – Part 2 Expat stories are a popular item. It is fascinating for the readers to see how or what it took for someone else to take the leap to live, work, play, invest or retire in a foreign land. Many people who are familiar with First American Realty in Medellin, know that they are the number one Expat Real Estate consultants in Colombia. Rich Holman, the founder, has... »
by David Steckenreiter and Rich Holman Any visa application takes time and preparation. The least expensive Colombian visa in the terms of an investment would be a student visa (qualified that you have to pay your tuition and be prepared to study), a spousal visa or a pensioner’s visa if you can show a guaranteed income of 3 x the current Colombian minimum wage (at the time of this writing &... »
……and what you can do about it. Corruption still exists, ´´big time´´ in Colombia but to be entirely fair to this country, corruption is truly rampant in other parts of the world. The amount of well intended First World money that has siphoned into hidden bank accounts of African leaders probably dwarfs anything that the Latin Americans might have made off with. Not only that the Fir... »
It just seems to be human nature that we leave things until the last minute – especially when it comes to taxes ! If you are American then the tax deadline – remember April 15 – is looming !! As an American citizen your have to report your income from all sources domestic or foreign whether you live in the great U.S. of A. or abroad. The same basic rules apply regardless of your ... »
The Volkswagen Diaries Many people who are familiar with First American Realty in Medellin, know that they are the number one Expat Real Estate consultants in Colombia. Rich Holman, the founder, has had his story told many times but the other partners have ”languished” in obscurity. Joe Greco’s entrance into the company brought about a number of dynamic changes. Joe is an intuit... »
Thinking of Living, Working, Playing or Retiring in Colombia ? Colombia – what to do ? This is a common question posed to me by people thinking about living, working, playing or retiring in Colombia. Frankly, devoting yourself to knowing Cali, Bogota, Medellin and Cartagena could provide you a lifetime of exploration. In our article ”Why Colombia” we suggested an additional 34 wo... »
We have chatted about the importance of using a Real Estate Professional. Nowhere is it more important than in a foreign country especially if you do not speak the language, understand the culture or have a familiarity with the law. Colombia presents even more challenges as there is no national MLS system and the local systems are feeble at best. To address foreign buyers concerns and interest, St... »
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