Medellin Travel Guide Portal

The original design concept for Medellin Travel Guide was to make it into a portal, a gateway if you will, to finding information about visiting or traveling to Medellin Colombia.  Inclusive of our rental apartments, penthouses and realestate for sale listings we have with our clients, the portal is now well over 180 pages in length.  Too big and too cumbersome for many surfers although our unique visitors continues to grow at a 20% month over month rate.

We tracked some data points, for the past 4 months, of which topics were of the greatest interest to our site visitors and decided to publish an easier to navigate more user friendly website with short snippets of information and links back to individual pages on MTG is there was interest in more detail on a particular subject.

 

It had a natural selection of about 5 main topics;

Accommodations;

Getting Here;

Realestate;

Things to do;

and, Services

 

From those broad categories, we took the top 33 most frequently visited pages/topics and created www.medellinvisitorsguide.com  In some cases, you will be taken to a specific page on Medellin Travel Guide but will never leave the Medellin Visitors Guide Site.  We used the KISS approach in determining if less intensive information would meet your needs for Medellin Information and just created new pages or whether the information on MTG was succint enough to just link you to that specific topic.

A splash or landing page was created about a month ago and we have been periodically working to complete the site.

 

Today, we have re-launched www.medellinvisitorsguide for your perusal.  We hope it meets your needs for information about traveling to or visiting Medellin Colombia.  You can always find more detail on many more topics on Medellin Travel Guide but you may just find what you need on Medellin Visitors Guide as well.

 

Thanks for visiting and helping to make Medellin Travel Guide the #1 English web site about Medellin Colombia on the internet.

 

Regards,

 

MTG

Medellin Travel Guide Launches Affiliate Web Sites

At a 180+ pages and growing, the Medellin Travel Guide portal has become somewhat daunting for many that are not skilled browsers on the internet.

 

In an effort to make finding information about Medellin Colombia a little easier, we have launched several new web sites specifically focused on topics people are interested in finding about Medellin.

 

www.medellinpenthouses.com is dedicated to furnished Penthouses and apartments for sale and short or long term rentals;

www.medellinrealestatguide.com is dedicated to Medellin Property, sales of homes, condos, apartments, penthouses and fincas

www.medellinfincas.com is dedicated to finca sales and rentals as well as finca hotels for visits;

www.medellinadventuretours.com is dedicated to providing you with information about things to see and do in Medellin ranging from museum and finca tours to paragliding and whitewater rafting.

www.medellinvisitorsguide.com is a scaled down version of the Medellin Travel Guide with quick links to many favorite topics like Medellin Accommodations, Medellin Restaurants, Medellin Attractions and of course, Parque Lleras

 

www.medellinhealthtourism.com is dedicated to helping people find Medellin Doctors, Medellin Dentists and Medellin Hospitals that need health related assistance.

 

There are about 8 other web sites related to Medellin Realestate, Medellin Apartments and visiting Medellin that we have also launched.  Hopefully, you will discover that finding information on specific topics about Medellin Colombia a little easier to find now.

 

Regards,

 

Medellin Travel Guide

Medellin Rental Properties

One of the most frustrating things about owning rental investment property is having it sit vacant.  Expenses continue like monthly condo fees, taxes, utilities, placing ads in papers and on the internet etc.

 

In Medellin, you can drive around and see literally hundreds of “arrienda” signs in windows and if you pay attention, they stay there month after month after month. Many are listed with multiple agencies and yet, they still stay empty.

There are several reasons this phenomenon exists:

1) They are asking too much money for rent (but refuse to lower it).  It is an interesting part of the culture here.  They would rather sit on it, vacant, paying the monthly services, taxes and utilities than take 1 dollar less than they think it is worth per month??

2)  Most owners here will not fix up a place until it is rented so many do not show very well.  If they only realized a little sprucing, cleaning and painting would help their place show better, they would have money coming in each month instead of money going out!

3) One of the biggest hurdles is the infamous “Feador” system that is in place. To rent an apartment, you must have 2 Colombian residents…with good credit….to guarantee your rent should you fail to pay or; you may be required to pay up to 6 months in advance plus a security deposit!  Probably out of the reach of the average person in Colombia and foreigners wishing to rent do not have Colombians that will co-sign for them.

4) Lastly, many building administrations will not allow foreigners to rent in their buildings!  Yes, you heard that right.  No discrimination laws here preventing them from doing so either!

 

There is an evergrowing presence of ex-pats moving to Medellin Colombia that are buying up property and converting them to furnished and unfurnished rentals.  They are targeting their offers to visitors who want short term Medellin Accommodations as well as long term furnished and unfurnished apartments.  They are clever enought to use all the free and low cost vehicles for advertising and marketing their properties including having their own web sites, pages on other peoples web sites, free ads on Craigs List and more.  They know how to use Poor But Happy, WordPress and other Blog sites to get their property noticed and keep it occupied.

 

On Medellin Travel Guide, we have over 15 furnished Apartments and Penthouses listed.  Some are private owners while the lions share of them are listed by realtors. These properties have had over 90% occupancy for the past 90 days.  Several are currently leased on long term agreements. To say the rental market here is brisk would be an understatement.

But what about those of you that have properties that are sitting vacant.  Are you frustrated?  Thinking of throwing in the towel and selling?  Finding it difficult to manage the property from a long distance?

 

If you want to see some action on your property and increase your occupancy levels, you should place it in the hands of a competent local property management company who will advertise it, show it, collect rents, keep it maintained, meet and greet tenants attend to cleaning after departure and get it ready for your next guest.

Medellin Travel Guide highly recommends First American Realty Medellin for these services.  A trusted and reliable American owned operation that really does give “First Rate” service.

 

Secondly, if you already have someone that is performing these services for you but you just want a little more exposure to boost your occupancy performance, then you should consider placing your property on the Medellin Travel Guide Apartments listing page and having your own separate page on the site.  It is inexpensive and provides you coverage from the largest English Language portal about Medellin Colombia in existence.  You get your own page, your own photos, links from 22 other MTG pages and 14 other Medellin property,  Medellin realestate, Medellin apartments and Medellin Penhtouses related web sites that all drive traffic to your individual page.

 

Worth a look, wouldn’t you say? How much more profit would you make with a 5-10-20% or more increase in your occupancy? Even moreso now that we are offering special pricing for property listings and pages on the site. Check it out at www.medellintravelguide.com/medellin_advertising.html

Moving to Medellin- Working Virtual

A very good friend that I had known when I lived in Rio made a visit to Medellin last September to see if it might be a place he wanted to move.  He returned to his native Ft. Lauderdale determined to make a permanent move here and began a long arduous convincing effort with the owner of his company.  He was able to demonstrate his ability to perform his job virtually, even better than in his office.  His boss finally agreed but put a few stipulations to the agreement.

 

My friend called me and told me he wanted a really nice place to live in Medellin and maybe even a furnished Medellin Penthouse apartment.  When he saw this one he told me to book it for him for 3 months with an option to extend longer.  The only other thing he required was a really fast internet connection because his job involves uploading and downloading a lot of large graphics files.  We settled on a 4Mb ADSL service from EPM/UNE in Medellin.  He also needed a desk immediately, wanted provisions in his fridge when he arrived and needed everything completed over a weekend so he did not miss a beat at work and would be fully up and operational by Monday morning.

 

He arrived on a Thursday and after a scary Friday internet instalation that was not successful, he was up and working Saturday morning.  We bought his desk and office supplies, added to the meager yet basic provisions I had acquired, got maids in to clean (yes, maids as in plural; 2 for two full days at a total cost of just over $60 US!!)

 

It was a mad dash to the finish but he was up and working first thing Monday morning and it was business as usual.  Not to say it was an easy accomplishment in this sometime “manana” mentality environment but with a lot of planning and a little advanced research we pulled it off.

I think his boss was pleasantly surprised and has seen an actual improvement in my friends sales results.  My friend is beside himself with his first completed week in Medellin. Now, a few rugs, some plants and a little art work and he will be living in a truly spectacular 4 Bedroom Medellin Penthouse apartment with million dollar views for little more than his 3 bedroom apartment in Ft. Lauderdale.

 

I think he is here to stay!

Medellin Fincas

Going to your finca (country home) for the weekend is a Paisa way of life.  Many times it is just family, sometimes family and friends and often a whole group of friends to party. There are some very elaborate fincas in Medellin Antioquia but most are more like weekend lake or mountain homes in the US.  Somewhat rustic and more of a lodge typ of structure.

Well, Medellin Travel Guide began asking around about fincas that were available for rentals, either by the room or the entire finca.  Afterall, why should the Paisas have all the fun.  We were very surprised at what we found.

 

Many of the fincas in the surrounding area around Medellin (Copacabana, El Penol, Andes, Santa Fe de Antioquia, Rio Negro and other small communities are actually finca hotels, bed and breakfast types of places. We became intrigued and decided to visit one close to Jose Maria Cordoba Airport in Rio Negro  with the aid of a local AgroTourist company.  What we found was not only a pleasant surprise but it turne out to be a very worthwhile use of our time.

 

We visited Siete Cueros (it means seven skins…more later).  The main house is like a big hostel. It has 4 rooms but only two of them would really be usable.  The other two are equipped with bunkbeds for families with children.  Then, there were 4 cabanas.  Cabana del Agucate (avocado), Cabana Siete Cueros, and Cabana de Paja (Straw Roof)  These were all former care takers residences that have been converted to rooms. They are all very rustic, especially Cabana de Paja but you are only going to be sleeping in them. They all have hot water, double beds, small kitchens, living rooms and dining areas (well, Paja is more of an outdoor balcony dining area).

What became even more interesting was meeting the owner. He used to live in the US for almost 15 years and spoke very good English.  I asked about the history of the place (and about the name…Promise, I’ll get to it).  He was the original owner of 35 years ago and built the first house on the property.  It consisted of…get this….20,000 Cuadras (blocks) of property.  They mainly raised agricultural products and some cattle.  He began subdiving the estate and selling large tracts to friends, neighbors and people from Medellin that wanted to build fincas. Much of the progress came to an end during the Pablo Escobar era when the owner and his family moved to the US.  They were delighted to return and resume their Paisa country lifestyle. The owners wife is a very pleasant lady and the staff of the finca hotel were quite delightful as well.  We had a simple dinner of “Carne en el Trapo” which is like a filet mignon wrapped is a cheese cloth that has been rubbed down with salt and other spices.  They throw it right into the flames of a fireplace and let it cook until all the cloth has been burned away.  They then slice off the burned outer layer of meat to get to the juicy and succulent inside of the filet.  Interestingly enough, there was an ample supply of well done, medium, medium rare and rare pieces to go around to suit everyones taste.  Also inclued were salted potatoes, salad and green beans.  No one went hungry.

 

The owner offered to show me around some more and I found a very large outside patio where one could throw a huge party.  ” Wouldn’t it bother the neighbors?” I asked.  He smiled and said, ‘There is only one and they don’t mind”! Also discovered a huge steam room that could easily accommodate 15-20 people, lush grounds that are actually used for raising avocados and ferns for use in flower arrangements. The are also two very small but stocked lakes (he plans to do some additional work on these)

 

So, I finally got around to asking him about the name.  You see, Cuero is Spanish for leather or hides.  I asked, “Why did you name the place 7 hides?”   He smiled and said, “It also means 7 skins”.  I was almost afraid to ask but he volunteered. Seems there are 7 very unique trees on the place. Flowering trees that rival a bogainvillea  in colors but is much larger. It’s bark resembles a birch tree and does in fact look like thin layers of skin.  I think he realized my relief and just chuckled.

It was a wonderful experience and hopefully I will be able to return with a group of friends for a weekend fiesta at our very own Medellin Finca Hotel.  We now have a large list of finca available for rent and have posted our first three on the web site at www.medellintravelguide.com/medellin_fincarentals.html  We will be adding more frequently (there are about 50 to choose from).

 

MTG 

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Medellin Apartments

There are an evergrowing number of Gringos (US and Europeans) that are buying apartments in Medellin.  Some are buying them to live in, some to use as second homes and some as investments for rental purposes.  Most will rent short term or long term, a few rent out rooms and live in them too.

Gone are the days when a Medellin Visitor is relegate to staying in a hotel or any of the bed and breakfast establishments that have been so popular over the past few years.

You can rent anything from a 1 bedroom to 5 bedroom penthouses.  Most are well furnished, have fully equipped kitchens, large plasma screen TV’s, Wi-Fi and internet, IP phones for making long distance calls back home, 24 hour security, pools, jacuzzis and more.

 You can get an idea of what is available for rent and their price ranges.  If you are curious about investing, you can get an idea of what units are selling for. 

A couple of friends or a family can stay in a furnished apartment for less than the cost of 2-3 hotel rooms and enjoy the privacy and amenities that an apartment has to offer.

Medellin Fincas

Websters translates the Spanish word; finca:  Farm; Ranch; Country Home.

Well yes, there are many working fincas that are farms.  Coffee, bananas, fruits, vegetables and many other agricultural products are raised on working fincas.  Many companies offer tours of coffee fincas where you can pick your own coffee beans and taste the freshest roasted coffee you have ever had.

Then there are the Cattle Fincas.  Usually these are large ranches where cattel are bred, raised and ultimately shipped to market.  Colombia boasts some of the finest beef in all the Americas and is famous for it’s Angus Brangus brand of beef.

Now, let’s get to the “Country Home” finca.  You probably won’t find a lot of fruits or vegetables growing unless the owner has a small garden or orchard.  You probably won’t find any cattle grazing in pastures although a goose, peacock, duck and a few dogs may be seen wandering around. What you will probably find are rather large homes built on even larger plots of land sometimes hundreds of acres.  These “Country Home” fincas are where the Paisas escape to on weekends, long holidays and vacations.  They go with friends and family usually taking huge qualtities of food and beverages.  They go to relax, play and have some serious big time parties (many all weekend long).

It is like a badge of honor to be able to say, “we are going to our finca for the weekend”.  It is like bragging rights to say, “I am going to my friends finca for the long weekend holiday.  It is not much different than an american saying they are going to their lake or mountain home for a vacation with one very big difference. 

 Many times their fincas are larger, more elegant, better furinshed with more amenities than the homes in which they live.  And it is not only the wealthy that own them.  Often times fincas belong to an entire family and everybody pays their fair share of upkeep.

Be that as it may, there are some incredibly spectacular fincas in and around Medellin.  Here is one for you to get an idea of what we mean when we say “spectacular”

There are quite a few of these fincas that can be rented by the weekend, week or a month at a time if you wish.  Not surprisingly, quite a few foreigners are beginning to invest in fincas as rental properties.  They usually come fully equipped including a maid and groundskeeper that live on site while you are there and take care of everything. Cooking, cleaning, repairing anything required.

Perhaps someday soon I will be able to say, “I am going to my finca for the weekend”….and just smile.

Medellin Travel Guide

Medellin Realestate Guide

To begin with, there really is no such thing as consistency in prices for Medellin Realestate.  There are no MLS listings, realtors cannot pull comparables (comps), the property sizes are generally in square meters instead of square feet (1 Sq meter=10.763911 Sq. Ft) and except for new construction which generally has prices listed, re-sales are generally whatever the buyer will pay.  Furthermore, like in many US cities or cities around the world, it really depends upon the location of the property.  In nicer neighborhoods a 2,000 Sq. Ft. property will sell for more than in other neighborhoods.

Now, Medellin realtors are notorious for asking you, “how much do you have to spend?”, or “what price range are you considering?”.  In the US, that equates to what properties a realtor has available in the Multiple Listing Service (MLS) to show you.  Naturally, they want you to spend as much as you can because it means more commision for them. (Note: Medellin Realtors are not required to have any kind of license)

In Medellin, you may find every property you are shown will be the maximum of the price range you have volunteered.  Never answer the question in the first place unless you have seen a listing price published on a property in which you are interested.

I had one realtor show me properties in a volunteered price range.  every property was at the maximum of my range irrespective of size, age or location. It almost became preposterous on some of the real shabby properties he was showing me.  I feigned illness and called a quick halt to our search.  He bugged me daily, for weeks, to resume our search until I told him I had found something on my own.

What was funny, I had another realtor show me one of the same properties this guy had shown me.  He showed me the listing information with the listing price clearly written.  Ahem….50,000,000 pesos (about $25,000) lower than what the first guy had quoted me.  He was planning to put $25,000 above the list price in his pocket.  Local friends tell me they try it all the time.

The same thing can be said if you are rental apartment hunting.  When they ask you how much you can afford monthly just respond by saying it depends on the apartment and the location.  Ask to see their listing agreement with rental costs per month and narrow it down from there. Again, I had one agency showing me apartments.  I told the guy I wanted to spend between 1.0 million and 1.3 million pesos per month (about $500-$650..yeah, they can be that inexpensive here).  Suddenly, everything in all parts of the city he was showing me was $1.3 million pesos per month. I asked to see the listing sheets and he conveniently did not have them.  Some of the places were tiny, some were large, some were old, some were new, some were in the nicest neighborhoods some were so far out I would have to spend a fortune in taxis to get anywhere.  After about 4 hours of seeing places with this yahoo, he suddenly got the hook as well.  Now, wanna hear the real rub.  He only had a motorcycle.  I wasn’t about to put my life at risk so I suggested we just hire a taxi for a couple of hours.  I wound up paying for the taxi.  He only had about 5,000 pesos in his pocket.  Think an American realtor would make their client pay to see properties?  Wouldn’t be in business very long would they?

Fresh air on the horizon.  Medellin is becoming a very popular place for expats, people wanting to move here or retire here.  Many have purchased second homes or investment properties.  Well, as in most cases, when there is a demand, someone steps forward and fills the need. There are a couple of english speaking real estate offices opening here and they practice US business ethics when dealing with their clients. A couple of new web sites or splash pages are beginning to post rental apartments, condos, standalone homes and fincas for sale.

Medellin Travel Guide is beginning to accept listings for rental apartments, condos, homes and fincas on it’s web site complete with amenities, prices, locations and photos.

Do the Paisas like it?  Probably not but a few of the local agencies have started to adopt listing prices and amenities along with photos of their available properties.  One even has all of their listings computerized so when you enter their office, you can see everything they have available, prices, photos, amenities, location etc. Unfortunately, they do not speak a lot of English but they certainly are professional and seem legit. (Yes, I did some business with them and was very pleased).

If you visit www.firstamericanrealtymedellin.com , they have several pages of articles about investing in Colombia, Medellin, Medellin Property and general information about the economic outlook for this area. Several are worth the read.

If you are thinking about buying, renting or investing in realestate in Medellin, do your homework, do not be in a hurry, never give a price range unless you have seen listing prices first, never accept that an agent does not have listing sheets for each property and most importantly, look at several places in any building.  You may find a very wide range of prices for essentially the exact same floor plan on a different floor.  How do you find out if other properties in a particular building are for sale?  Go back the next day and ask the portiero (security).  They all know when a unit is for sale in their building.

In Medellin, as it does everywhere, it pays to shop.

Medellin Travel Guide