Las Olas

mugtech wrote:

Perhaps we are comparing apples and oranges here.  CCC expected his apartment to be an investment, collecting rent and seeing the property appreciate, his investment to secure his visa.  Others, especially those going for a retirement visa, are probably not interested in paying rent while waiting for a house they paid for to be built.  CCC was fortunate in his timing, having to move from one paradise, Bethlehem, PA, to another.  He could have paid less rent for a one bedroom in Christmas City, but he never contacted me.  He was willing to give up Musikfest, Coca Cola Park and the Iron Pigs, and now Phantoms hockey just started in Allentown.

He must of also been willing to give up the wonderful Bethlehem winters as well. The sacrifices some people make.

I just got this private message: 

34 minutes ago
Hi,

I would like to inform you that you have been reported concerning the topic Las Olas for the following reason:

You are always negative and you don't bring any value to this topic.

I would like to inform you that this is a mutual aid forum. Of course you can share you experience and give your opinion but should also give advise, useful information and please avoid controversial comment.

Thank you,
Best regards.
Christine
Expat.com team

I believe I bring value to this conversation. People need to think about these things before they invest their life savings into anything. Are we all supposed to be cheerleaders about everything? IF I SAVE JUST ONE PERSON FROM LOSING ALL THEIR MONEY I WILL HAVE DONE SOMETHING BENEFICIAL. I bet someone from Las Olas reported me because they don't want anyone thinking about what is really happening down there.

livinginbahia wrote:

I believe I bring value to this conversation. People need to think about these things before they invest their life savings into anything. Are we all supposed to be cheerleaders about everything? IF I SAVE JUST ONE PERSON FROM LOSING ALL THEIR MONEY I WILL HAVE DONE SOMETHING BENEFICIAL. I bet someone from Las Olas reported me because they don't want anyone thinking about what is really happening down there.

Your rebuke by Christine seems way too harsh.  Is this the International Living Magazine Blog?

I believe someone from Las Olas complained about me to the administrators of this blog because I am asking all the right questions. If I am booted out of this group, then the administrators are obviously in  on this too. Las Olas doesn't want anyone asking any questions.

It's too bad that some people feel some of the latest posts seem to result from a "stirred up hornet's nest", to approximately quote cccmedia.  I certainly don't intend to ever be negative with my comments. If I come across that way, I apologize.  I have said before and will restate here, I hope Las Olas succeeds and the owner/developers can achieve their goals.  By posting my comments, I suppose my desire is to spur them on so I can retire there and play golf til my hands bleed.  That may be irrational, but then golfers are prone to irrational thought.

Seriously, I believe the developers are lacking some key backing to pull this off.  I only hope they can see that and can muster the help they need to do it right.  Honestly, their approach puts investors at risk.  I would hate for this to blow up and leave people holding worthless investments.  The early purchasers are being asked to take way too much risk.  That is the point I was trying to make with cccmedia.  To the extent that I can add my voice to the chorus of well-intentioned advisers who comment here, I will happily do so.  I intend no malice.

Christine wrote:

"You are always negative...give your opinion but should also give advice, useful information and please avoid controversial comment.
Christine
Expat.com team"

controversial: giving rise or likely to give rise to public disagreement.
(google.com)

The Home Office in Mauritius is attempting to do the right thing by trying to steer us away from uber-negativity and towards useful information.

However, public disagreement -- absent any personal attacks -- allows the presentation of different points of view and makes for a livelier discussion than the thread about how the EC visa procedures are always changing.

From what I see the comment they moderated was setting like "bla,bla,bla" or similar.

I do think it falls into the useless / zero value category don't you think?

I'm currently in Montreal waiting for my plane for Miami and then Guayaquil.  I'm looking forward to share my thoughts here next week. 

If someone put all their life savings in a project like LasOlas at the current stage, they are exposing themselves to a huge risk, that's for sure.  But there wouldn't be any real estate development, nor any kind of business project if some people (usually the successful ones) weren't taking any kind of risk.

I think our comments should be negative or positive in a constructive manner, not laughing or celebrating about people who decides to invest, but just objectively share information about the LasOlas development that will help people take a decision.

My 2 cents...

Once again, my "jajajaja" was in reference to the Las Olas website changing their projected date of initial construction from November, 2014 to "six months." I don't think anyone else was laughing at anyone either. No disrespect was intended. In fact, I admire ccc's comments.

livinginbahia wrote:

I believe someone from Las Olas complained about me to the administrators of this blog because I am asking all the right questions. If I am booted out of this group, then the administrators are obviously in  on this too. Las Olas doesn't want anyone asking any questions.

Yes, we all love conspiracy theories.  This one is just speculation, no facts.  Then again, so is Las Olas at this point.  Guess we all be tuning back  in "in six months".

livinginbahia wrote:

I believe someone from Las Olas complained about me to the administrators of this blog because I am asking all the right questions. If I am booted out of this group, then the administrators are obviously in  on this too. Las Olas doesn't want anyone asking any questions.

I don't think there is any conspiracy.

However, I also don't see any point in continuing this thread. Just my personal opinion, but I think everything that can be said, has.

If/when more facts are in (e.g., if they start actually building houses at Las Olas, or if six months go by without them doing so) that would be an appropriate time to resurrect this.

But for now, I can't see that there's anything to be accomplished by going on, and I'd hate to lose a valued asset like Livinginbahia.

BobH wrote:

livinginbahia wrote:

I believe someone from Las Olas complained about me to the administrators of this blog because I am asking all the right questions. If I am booted out of this group, then the administrators are obviously in  on this too. Las Olas doesn't want anyone asking any questions.

I don't think there is any conspiracy.

However, I also don't see any point in continuing this thread. Just my personal opinion, but I think everything that can be said, has.

If/when more facts are in (e.g., if they start actually building houses at Las Olas, or if six months go by without them doing so) that would be an appropriate time to resurrect this.

But for now, I can't see that there's anything to be accomplished by going on, and I'd hate to lose a valued asset like Livinginbahia.

Agreed, marking my calendar to check back in April, 2015.

suefrankdahl wrote:

He wanted to move to Ecuador. Guess CCC wasn't worried about how to spend or invest his money. Wish I were living rent free for the rest of my life in my dream location.

[

cccmedia wrote:

sleepmaster wrote:

So you paid pre-construction prices for your condo and then waited 8 to 9 years to move in?  And that's a formula you're comfortable with?...Have you considered that you probably would have doubled your money, but instead the developers/new owners had use of your money for all that time.

I'm not sure why LivinginBahia ("Jajajaja") and SueFD ("ditto") are laughing.  But it is clear to me why j600 prefaced his latest post with the statement, "Don't shoot the messenger": this thread is like a hornet's nest, and understandably so, ready to erupt at any point.

Your implication that I was comfortable with a formula of paying pre-construction pricing and then waiting eight years is to misunderstand what I was trying to do.  The formula or plan was to obtain access and use of the unit in a reasonable time, have it rented out to Centro Historico visitors (I had an experienced rental agency standing by from the start) and eventually have it for part- or full-time personal use many years down the road.

The point I was trying to make -- and I think a re-reading of my last paragraph in the earlier post makes it clear -- is that the likelihood of long delays and headaches must be considered by potential pre-construction investors.

No "formula" could have predicted that I would need the condo unit in the summer of 2013 because my U.S. doctor was ordering me to take early retirement and recover my failing health in a more favorable climate...and that the condo would finally close at just that time.

By the way, the unit HAS appreciated considerably since "el principio,"
according to other property owners here in Centro -- not doubled, but probably around 60 percent higher.

As recently as two years ago, I was paying $1,025 a month to rent my one-bedroom apartment in Bethlehem, PA, plus a couple hundred more for utilities and cable TV.

Now my association fee is $29 a month, water-electricity-heating usually totals about $15 a month, taxes average about two dollars a month, and of course, it's rent-free.

I have absolutely no problem with folks venting on this thread (although my preference would be that it's not directed at yours truly).  In fact, I think venting is probably a healthier path than what I was doing waiting around for years and occasionally trying to push my attorney into getting things moving.

Nobody said this has to be the most civil thread on Expat.com.

cccmedia, Centro Historico, Quito

Thanks for sharing that. Am happy it worked out for you. Health, for sure, more important than money.

BobH wrote:

livinginbahia wrote:

I believe someone from Las Olas complained about me to the administrators of this blog because I am asking all the right questions. If I am booted out of this group, then the administrators are obviously in  on this too. Las Olas doesn't want anyone asking any questions.

I don't think there is any conspiracy.

If/when more facts are in (e.g., if they start actually building houses at Las Olas, or if six months go by without them dHowever, I also don't see any point in continuing this thread. Just my personal opinion, but I think everything that can be said, has.

oing so) that would be an appropriate time to resurrect this.

But for now, I can't see that there's anything to be accomplished by going on, and I'd hate to lose a valued asset like Livinginbahia.

Indeed, someone on the ground with facts and apparently no axe to grind or vested interest. Controversy, conspiracy, negativity, warnings to potential investors. They can be PM'd. .It's been going on for at least two years. There are three threads. I agree with Bob H. Why are we fueling this fire ad infinitum?