Real Estate Bargains In Northeast Brazil
The Best Of Brazil You’ve Never Heard Of
Sept. 29, 2009
Aracaju, Brazil
PLUS:
- Own At The Beach For US$48,900...
- How To Use Your Credit Cards Overseas (Maybe)...
- Snakes, Skype, And Other Tips For The Roving Retiree...
- When You Need To Register Your Presence As An American Abroad...
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Dear Live and Invest Overseas Reader,
"Broad, sandy beaches, calm waters, and great bars and restaurants," writes Brazil Correspondent Will Davis. "As I drove along the clean, wide avenue entering the city, these were the first things that impressed me about the seaside city of Aracaju, in Northeast Brazil.
"When it comes to Brazil, everyone's heard of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo...those 'in the know' have also heard of places like Fortaleza or Recife. But almost no one outside Brazil has heard of Aracaju. It's as off the beaten track as a town of almost 500,000 can be.
"Aracaju is the capital of Sergipe, Brazil's smallest state. Located 217 miles (350 kilometers) north of Salvador, it's tucked into the junction of Rio Sergipe at the point where it flows into the South Atlantic Ocean. It's a clean, safe, and cheerful city.
"Aracaju's attractive town center is actually on the river rather than the ocean. But the attraction for anyone visiting the area from North America or Europe will be the beaches, which lie just to the south.
"The most popular beaches are Coroa do Meio, Jardim Atlântico, and Atalaia, as you travel north to south. Most of the nightlife, good restaurants, and nice seafront hotels are in this area, known locally as the orla, which means 'waterfront.' When I mentioned 'wide beaches' earlier, I wasn't exaggerating. At many points along the stretch, the beaches are between 200 and 500 yards wide...some
wider.
"But size of the beach wasn't the biggest surprise for me when I returned to this spot recently; it was the super job they've done developing the beachfront (that is, the area between the beachfront road and the waterline) over the last few years. From one end of the orla to the other are attractive beachfront parks, restaurants, and artisan markets. They've even built nice courts where you can play beach volleyball and soccer and play areas for kids. And along the entire distance is a newly constructed 'boardwalk,' complete with a mosaic walkway, where you can stroll the beachfront safely day or night.
"This modern, attractive beachside park is the key to why I think Aracaju is worth keeping an eye on.
"As you drive from north to south, you'll notice that most of the high-end hotels, seafood restaurants, sushi bars, and clubs are at the north end. These offerings get sparser as you move south, as the neighborhood changes from a modern resort to an older, less-developed area. By the time you get to the south end of Atalaia, you'll see a few empty lots, neighborhood bars, and abandoned buildings...yet the beautiful beach and beachfront park are already completed for the entire distance.
"In other words, the infrastructure that attracts the high-end development is already in place...just waiting for the last of the area's development to reach it.
"Properties in Aracaju are reasonable by Northeast Brazil's beach standards. (Note that the prices I'm quoting here are based on today's exchange rate of R$1.80 reals per US$1.)
"At the bottom end of the market, I found a one-bedroom apartment, in a decent building with basic amenities, back from the beach, for an asking price of US$48,900. Write to sr.leocorretor@gmail.com for more information.
"Just up the price scale was a nice beachfront project under construction, scheduled for delivery in August 2011. It offers lots of high-spec amenities, including a parking garage. With 14 floors, the apartments go from 700 to 900 square feet, starting at US$115,600. You can call +51(79)3043-3852 for more information. I found this project to be a typical example of beachfront and near-beachfront new construction.
"At the high end, there's a four-bedroom, four-bath apartment (three suites), with three verandas and a panoramic view. It's 50 meters from the beach and offered with 80% financing. The asking price is US$250,000. Reach the agent at +51(79)3041-8493.
"I've been to Aracaju twice in the past four months, and I plan to keep a close watch to see how things develop here. But if you're interested in getting in on the action now, I'd head to the yet-undeveloped south end of Atalaia and try to get a good deal on the little remaining beachfront here."
Kathleen Peddicord
P.S. Google Earth users can see Aracaju's beach areas at 10° 58' 50.80" S by 37° 2' 16.24" W. Note, though, that the satellite photos were taken in 2004, before the beachfront redevelopment that Will describes was carried out.
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"I spent last weekend sampling the delights of the Pyrenees Atlantique department in the Aquitaine region of western France," writes Correspondent from that country Lucy Culpepper. "As the name suggests, this region includes the Pyrenees and the Atlantic coast. It's an area of huge contrasts, from the surf culture of Biarritz to the towering peaks of the Pyrenees...from the Basque language (Euskara) to Gascon (a dialect of Occitan similar to Catalan)...and from the rolling Béarnaise farmland in the northeast to the densely wooded river valleys in the south.
"Saturday we visited a classic French farmer's market to stock up on provisions for a beach picnic at Biarritz, the famed chic surf spot. The sea was warm, the surfers were hot, and, because it was the end of September, the beach and the town were wonderfully quiet.
"Then, Sunday, we drove up into the mountains to take the last ride of the season on the Petit Train d'Artouste. This is the highest narrow-gauge train in Europe. To reach it, we rode in a ski telecabin up to 6,300 feet, where we climbed on board the tiny little train. The journey starts with a squeeze through the smallest tunnel ever, just tall enough for the 6-foot-high train, popping out on the other side to a jaw-dropping view of the Pyrenees. At times, the track was barely two feet from a vertiginous ledge and a drop of some 2,000 feet down to the bottom of the Ossau Valley.
"Halfway along the 50-minute ride, a young shepherd jumped on board to join his sheep farther up the valley. This is the time of year for the 'Transhumance,' the moving of sheep from summer to winter pastures. These same sheep produce milk to make the famous Ossau-Iraty Brebis. Apparently, Aristae, son of Apollo, was Brebis' creator, making it one of the first cheeses ever made.
"In just one weekend, with just six hours driving, we experienced some of the best surf and turf France has to offer! This is a region I will be reporting from more often. We loved it so much we decided to make it our home."
"Kathleen, just a note to add to Crazy Question #20 in yesterday's issue.
"Before going overseas tell your credit card company that you will be making charges from country X or Y. I had my card blocked by my Spanish bank when I was traveling in Mexico. They assumed it had been stolen, so, when I came to pay for a cart full of shopping, I had that awful, embarrassing moment of having my card declined."
-- France Correspondent Lucy Culpepper
Good point, Lucy. Trouble is, even calling in to alert your credit card company to your travel plans doesn't always save you from those embarrassing moments. I've held the same credit cards for more than a dozen years. I contact them regularly to explain that I'll be using my card outside the States. The helpful customer service representatives I speak with assure me, every time I call, that my file has been flagged. "We've indicated in your record that you travel continuously and use your card overseas regularly." Somehow, though, these flags don't seem to stick.
I've come to take the awkward, "I'm sorry, ma'am, your credit card has been declined" from waiters in restaurants, desk staff in hotels, and shop clerks in stride. It's a great big hassle, but, as credit cards become more and more aggressive in their anti-identity theft efforts, it's a fact of life for the perpetual traveler.
"Kathleen, in your Q&A yesterday, you correctly answered the following question, 'If I move overseas, could I ever return home?' to explain that, yes, of course, living overseas, even full-time, even as a legal resident of another country, affects your ability to spend time in your home country not at all. You're still an American (or British or Australian, etc.) citizen. You can come and go as you please.
"However, there are circumstances when this may not be the case. If an American formally expatriates for tax purposes, a federal law prohibits you from entering the country ever again.
"Also, you answered the question, 'Do I need to let my home government know that I'm leaving the country?' to explain that, no, it's not necessary for an American, for example, to register his presence in his new country with the local U.S. embassy.
"To be accurate, however, it's worth pointing out that, while you are not obligated by the U.S. government to register, the country where you're taking up residence may, in fact, require foreign nationals to register with their respective embassies or consulates. This is the case in Costa Rica, where the new immigration law requires foreign residents to do just that. No mention of what those foreigners with no consulate in the country (for example, Taiwan) are supposed to do..."
-- Costa Rica Correspondent David Stubbs
"Kathleen, your article yesterday suggested that every state in the union has snakes; not true. FYI, Hawaii, where I lived for a couple of years, has no snakes.
"As for concerns about keeping in touch with friends and family while living abroad, I highly recommend telling people about Skype. I used it extensively while in Hawaii to communicate with the mainland and elsewhere in the world by voice and video. Note that even CNN and other news orgs are getting many of their in-country reports via Skype. I now use it with family and colleagues around the United States.
"Thanks for your interesting reports. Keep 'em coming."
-- Karl B., United States |
