Hacienda Matapalo’s “Paradise Lost” featured on CBS Miami

[Andrew]

Costa Rica: Paradise Lost

“Retirement, vacation and investment dreams of a home in Costa Rica have been shattered and millions of dollars have disappeared. CBS4’s Jim DeFede investigates the local developers who appear to have lost paradise for hundreds of investors around the world.”

[url=http://miami.cbslocal.com/video/7532151-costa-rica-paradise-lost/]CLICK HERE TO SEE THE VIDEO[/url]

Note from Scott: I don’t agree with the statement that David Matluck is a “marketing genius” but what do I know?

When you’re spending $40,000 per month on Google advertising you’re going to rake in a a LOT of prospective buyers…

[maravilla]

I wish i felt sorry for these people, but i don’t. they should’ve done more research and they should’ve gotten the stars out of their eyes before the handed over the money. a little bit of research would’ve revealed that there are dozens of such uncompleted projects in costa rica. where’s the $21 million?? in some offshore account somewhere financing the crooks lavish lifestyle.

[crhomebuilder]

It’s hard to believe that during the past few years, with all of the other land development failures published, that these investors weren’t able to hear or see reality. It’s the same scenario in US politics, where the average voter is blind to the manipulation of the media and the less than honest political representatives of the citizens.

[sprite]

This is a good argument for staying away from the herd. Buying into “gated communities” or multi home projects apparently has at least as much risk as buying a single property on your own. To expect a safer investment just because others have bought into it (safety in numbers) ignores the possibility that those who did their due diligence simply stayed out leaving only those who did no investigation on board holding a big stinking sack of pooh. It is never a good idea to leave things up to others.

[agarcia]

[quote=”sprite”]This is a good argument for staying away from the herd. Buying into “gated communities” or multi home projects apparently has at least as much risk as buying a single property on your own.[/quote]
You are so wise sprite. Time to walk the walk and actually move to CR instead of just talking about your vast experience. Pura vida Mae.

[sprite]

[quote=”agarcia”][quote=”sprite”]This is a good argument for staying away from the herd. Buying into “gated communities” or multi home projects apparently has at least as much risk as buying a single property on your own.[/quote]
You are so wise sprite. Time to walk the walk and actually move to CR instead of just talking about your vast experience. Pura vida Mae.[/quote]
I sense that my posts irritate you since you feel that one should be living full time here in order to have any opinion of value. Sometimes that is the case. Sometimes that is not the case.

[davidd]

WAIT A SECOND

You mean to tell me with all of sprites diatribe… that he does not even live here???? :shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock:

then shame on you sprite..

with all your remarks… [size=][size=200][/size][/size] your still sitting back home in the U.S.

typical american

:?:?:?:?:?

sprite

question: who is worse

[size=200][b]a person that cannot read… or the person that can read but does NOT read at all???[/b][/size]

[quote=”sprite”][quote=”agarcia”][quote=”sprite”]This is a good argument for staying away from the herd. Buying into “gated communities” or multi home projects apparently has at least as much risk as buying a single property on your own.[/quote]
You are so wise sprite. Time to walk the walk and actually move to CR instead of just talking about your vast experience. Pura vida Mae.[/quote]
I sense that my posts irritate you since you feel that one should be living full time here in order to have any opinion of value. Sometimes that is the case. Sometimes that is not the case.[/quote]

[sprite]

[quote=”davidd”]WAIT A SECOND

You mean to tell me with all of sprites diatribe… that he does not even live here???? :shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock::shock:

then shame on you sprite..

with all your remarks… [size=][size=200][/size][/size] your still sitting back home in the U.S.

typical american
question: who is worse

[size=200][b]a person that cannot read… or the person that can read but does NOT read at all???[/b][/size][/quote]

I am an American but i may not be the best judge as how typical I am. I don’t know what you mean by “typical American” anyway.

I spend quite a lot of time in CR. I have also spent time in Cuba and Puerto Rico over the last 40 years. My day to day life experiences living with and among Latinos for the last 30 years in Miami may not be as extensive as my experiences in Costa Rica over the last six years, but we aren’t talking about brain surgery here anyway, are we?

If you find something I have written that is patently incorrect, offensive or just irritating, respond specifically. Show me where I am wrong. Let my inaccuracies serve as a springboard for you to show and share your wisdom with me and the rest of uson all things Costa Rican .

[*Lotus]

Or at least if you do prefer a gated environment; purchase one that has been completed with homes built. I have seen many completed communities sitting with no homes built. Not a great situation to be in.

[maravilla]

http://news.co.cr/increasing-amounts-of-real-estate-development-trouble-in-costa-rica/11926/

just another example of why you should NEVER EVER EVER buy something that hasn’t been completed. and even then. . .

[2bncr]

Bottom line – people are too cheap to pay for thorough property investigation. Yeah they spend $200 K on PROPERTY BUT THEY WONT SPEND $500 or so to see if a a property in a foreign land is problem free. Go figure. It’s just amazing.

So I agree with Maravilla (heaven forbid) in that I don’t feel sorry for them. Stupidity is not illegal in Costa Rica or the US or anywhere else for that matter.

People! This is an under developed country with no disclosure laws!!!!!!!!!! Wake up!

People walk around here calling themselves “Realtors” and have never gone to real estate school! That’s like calling yourself a doctor and never going to medical school..:twisted:

[Author]

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