Hello Turtletooned, Congrats on keeping at it after being well educated on how horrible most ALL of Brazil is and most ALL Brazilians so you should really just stay home and work to create "safe zones" for you to hide in when any life challenges come your way.

Tons of great people don't bother to communicate on forums anymore because of this, people with less than successful attitudes that project their failures as being caused by everything around them and having nothing to do with them are more abundant than the opposite.

Millions of foreigners living in Brazil from all over the world having successful and fulfilling lives just tune out and don't waste their time debating the multidao. A brilliant American Success coach Les Brown said it succinctly: " You don't get in life what you want, you get who you are".

Winners understand this, the rest to varying degrees do not. An aspiring Olympic champion seeks out who for advice? Look for those with success attitudes living their dreams and ask them for help deciding if where they are (anywhere in the world) may fit for you.

You are on the right track, good luck and best wishes from the many who would say Brazil is awesome man, we have decided to have our challenges here rather than X!

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00abuse

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Hello!

At last a coherent, resentment-free post. It is exactly that. There are lots of foreign winners in Brazil. I hate it when people try to convince others that the country is not good just because things went wrong for them. There is no perfect country. There is no perfect nothing really. In order to be successful in another country you must be good "emigrating material". If you choose to leave your own country, you must have very good reasons to do so whatever they are and this is an extremely personal factor. When you leave a place you must know that the next place will not be the same. None is. The worst enemy of an immigrant is comparing everything in the new place to what things were like in the old place. There are good and bad thing everywhere. We must choose the place that suits us best. There is no place on earth where everything is good or everything is bad. This is very subjective and personal. The most important thing is to do your homework thoroughly, see the place for yourself and decide. And as BrazilD says, talk to the winners. The losers never got anywhere and want to drag you down with them, Brazil is a great country that offers opportunities for everyone. Are there problems? Yes, like anywhere else. Choose your destination right and you will be fine. Mingle with the right people. A good professional (and especially and most probably, one of a kind here) is welcome everywhere.

You will be fine!

Margaret Arlington
Lic. Real Estate Broker
CRECI-SC 15839

Settling-in Services: everything you need for a safe, stress-free start,
from the minute you set foot in Florianopolis

Multilingual Services
Translation & Interpreting
International Communication
ENGLISH – SPANISH – PORTUGUESE

Florianopolis – Island of Santa Catarina
Santa Catarina – Brazil

Landline: +55 48 3234 7848
Mobile: +55 48 9 9957 9982 (TIM) (Cel. & Whatsapp)
Mobile: + 55 48 9 8844 2169 (Claro)

arlingtn@terra.com.br
Skype & ooVoo: marlington

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00abuse

Thank you Margaret for your obvious advertisement for your immigration business. Think your comments reflect your need to find new business ? I think so. Every single post you do is pushing your business and your fellow associates. Business a little down these days ? I bet it is.

My point exactly is that Brasil is a mess right now, no jobs, in a bad recession and the usual high crime.
The other point is that some foreigners think they are geniuses that have something Brasil needs.
Like I stated before, Brasilians may be arrogant and dishonest BUT they are excellent mechanics, technicians and don't need some gringo to show them how to wire a car. They would just laugh before they ignored him.
Not to mention that this guy doesn't speak a word of Portuguese. Recipe for total failure.

Anybody who thinks moving to Brasil under the current conditions have NO clue to living in a foreign country and will be running home within a year broke and disappointed.

I didn't expect Brasil to be like the US but I did expect not to be robbed, cheated nor to encounter the most arrogant and ignorant people anywhere. Most honest people who have been to Brasil will tell you this is the truth about the country.
Ever wonder why there are few foreigners in Brasil these days ? DUH>>>>> Figure it out.

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@Florida guy ... Nice to read your comments about Brazil. I am in confusion if you are Brazilian or US citizen as you know perfectly Brazil from my point of view. I have had the experiences similar to yours about Brazil. Well, in South Brazil I may say that the Brazilians are the same as you did mention here but not so much ARROGANT when about stupidty so it is at a extreme point. I may say this as ignorancy -arrogancy cannot be matched or I may be wrong. To live in Brazil one must bring with himself a lot of money and must be aware of cheat-fraud-bandit of Brazil. I will say Brazil is not so bad but the Brazilian reality is very hard and some times it turns into a misery.The people should not take the Brazilian immigration option seriously. I do agree with you that Brazil has the qualified people to run the country but most of them are always in some point a bit stupid and terribly ignorant.

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FloridaGuyinBrasil, I am not entirely sure why you keep coming back and making nasty comments towards me and frankly I do not have time to give it too much thought. You are clearly not in a good place in your life and I would appreciate it if you keep your unfounded remarks to yourself. The only reason I am responding to this is because I want to set the record straight for the sake of any person or persons who would think that your comments regarding myself have some foundation, when truly they do not. Yes, I run a relocation/settling-in service for people who come live in Florianópolis therefore it is my duty to give advice to those who request it because they obviously need it. I give them my opinion whether they should come to Florianopolis or not. Not everybody can make a living here. This is a place for people who have a profession that can either be exercised as a self-employed person or remotely. It is not a place for people who need employment unless they sign a contract with some company before getting here. Maybe if you had had someone like me when you considered living in Brazil you would not have ended up in this horrible country that has caused you so much distress. Why do you assume I reply to posts on this website because business is slow? And what is it to you anyway? I thought giving advice to potential expats was the whole point of this website, is it not? FYI, business is never slow for me. I have a good reputation, I am an honest person doing a very pleasant job and making friends in the process. And, yes, I have managed to put an excellent team of professionals together. These professionals help me provide the best error-free service possible to foreigners who need all the help they can get in order to have a stress-free start in Florianópolis. I honestly hope your life improves and wish you all the luck in the world. You obviously need it. Bye for now!

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00abuse

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Understand ... I should have separated Nordeste (so called real Brasil) from the SUL (European Brasil).

I lived in the south SC for 3 years and had many intelligent and trustful friends, got screwed by a few crooks. In general it was a nice experience. Liked the change of seasons and European culture.
Even though these people had money and were upper middle class, they didn't brag about it.
Same goes for Porto Alegre to Curitiba.

Then I moved to the Nordeste - Joao Pessoa - Recife - again had a couple great friends but mostly the Nuevo rich (in their minds) who would not give you the time of day or even talk to you, They were the first to defraud or cheat you. MOST arrogant people I have ever met, and I've been to 45 different countries all over the world ! On the other hand, the poor people I knew in JP were some of the finest people anywhere. One was our porteiro. First class honest and friendly people.

Left in 2008 but have been back in 2014, before the political mess.
I would NOT return there to live as long as it's dangerous (robbers with guns / drugs) as it is now.
Not willing to tie my safety to some thug with a gun who doesn't care if I live or die., to support his drug habit.
Like playing Russian roulette with my life when I am totally safe and happy here in Florida. Life is easy and cheaper here than Brasil.
IT'S NOT WORTH IT.

Some people have a fantasy of living in BR and making it big. It's unrealistic unless you are highly educated or a professional person. To go to Brasil to teach English or work on cars is just a fantasy. Reality is something else.
Don't mean to slam Americans but it's an attitude of those who think they are smarter or more experienced than Brasilians in the same field. They think they can go to Brasil and show them how to do it ! They are just not knowledgeable about BR culture or the people there.
There are some subtle things about Brasil that are ahead of the way things are in the US. Out numbered by the things they are light years behind.

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And you are the person who claims 15-20% appreciation in real estate these days. WHO ARE YOU KIDDING ?
You're not a person I'd trust dealing with.

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00abuse

There you go again, putting out a full paragraph ADVERTISEMENT claiming to do 'Stress Free' transactions for foreigners with you and your wonderful associates.
I didn't need to work in Brasil because I was making $15,000 a MONTH in the US. I was on vacation. So now you at telling me you could have found me a job ?
Enough BS please.
NO, I could never recommend using you for anything.

And, thank you very much but I don't need anyone like you to help me buy real estate, I've done it on my own many times with zero problems.

All I am trying to do is to tell people about the REAL Brasil. Plenty of people who have really lived there agree with me.

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Ok..... Lets not get off track here. My previous business used forums as a survival. A way to make money and educate others. So all of my responses will be in hope that someone searching for a answer in the future can be found.

Unfortunately this forum from what I can tell is pretty dead and quite outdated. It lacks sponsors, active moderators and information. Moving on I can't stress how the information given thus far, negative and positive is of use and may be to others in the future.

@FloridaGuyinBrasil, your home team as far as I'm concerned. We literally grew up 10 minutes from each other. I value your thoughts regardless of the keyboard battling. I think that anyone I try to explain what I do for a living is confusing.

"Like I stated before, Brasilians may be arrogant and dishonest BUT they are excellent mechanics, technicians and don't need some gringo to show them how to wire a car. They would just laugh before they ignored him."

1: First off my business currently generates about 25% of its income doing remote work. This means that I can be anywhere in the world doing this portion of my job. Its only 25% because I do not advertise currently at all, what so ever. Reason being is I can not accept more work as life stands currently.

2: 25% of my income is approximately 2x what a "highly skilled" Brazilian makes per http://www.tradingeconomics.com/brazil/wages. Whether this information posted is correct or not isn't to be argued. No matter what its close enough to paint a picture.

3: Making the same 25% if I don't market myself at all will actually put more in my pocket than the 100% I am currently left with due to where I live and its cost of living in comparison to Floripa or inland SC.

4: I am not a mechanic and I have no interest in showing anyone how to wire a car lol. I am one of approximately 1000 people in my field. Half of those people have given in to corporate jobs in the majority of our fields sales seeking security from companies that have grown large and became the Walmart of my world. This type of life just isn't for me. This leaves approximately 500 individuals for people to seek for our talents.

I target the absolute smallest percentage of automotive enthusiasts there is. About 1%. The extremists. The ones that can never get enough, they are never satisfied. Its like a addiction to them and I'm their drug dealer.

I have had not one or two, but several world records. If it was broken and I cared about whatever the record that was taken, I assure you I would not only take it back but I would crush it just to laugh at the struggles someone would have to go through to regain the status.

Currently I have 2 customers in Brazil. One that still has the same car and only gets revisions when things are changed. The other has returned to me 3 times over the last 5 years buying my solutions and services remotely regardless of the fact I billed more for the excessive inconvenience it is for me to deal with him.

Why did they buy the product and pay a premium to have it? Because in the entire country of Brazil there are only 2 options for them. Fueltec (made in Brazil) which although is popular in many countries including here is total junk. They have quite a bit of notoriety in the high hp community and the reason is simple. What wins on Sunday sells on Monday. My field is full of "me toos". Everyone wants what whatever the winner has. Last year it happened to Fueltec in a few fields. This year there are more Fueltec powered cars in those fields than any other manufacturer. This identical scenario took place 3 years ago with a american brand called BigStuff. The other is call Motec. Although this is a extremely high quality product it not only is already very very expensive before the import tax, it is quite costly to support as well. And the support is for it is far and few between in Brazil. On a good note I am certified in both.

Both of these brands in most are not designed to operate a streetable car as well. Giving me a even greater advantage on modern and older vehicles.

Brazil couldn't give a viable solution to their application and they reached out to me. I certainly didn't market myself to them. This was just one car built from 01-06 that is very popular there. Funny thing is, its the car I do the least work with. That being said the one I do the most with will have the highest sales of any manufacturer sold in Brazil this year despite the recession.

4: To touch on recession. About 70% of my business in the US is with middle class people and 30% with higher class. Funny thing is 70% of my income comes from the high class and only 30 from the middle. As well as any losses I have are 100% from the middle. Now why would this be? The middle generally wants what they really can't afford. Sometimes they get in over their head and have to jump ship, sometimes they get lucky and are Ok. I can tell you its more of the prior than the latter. To my knowledge at least, Brazil has very little separating the wealthy from the poor. For me I see this as a bonus, the country just weeded out the tire kickers for me. Ones that eventually will end up a waste of time. Please do not confuse my statements with arrogance. Myself and best friends are all middle and lower. But business is business. It is what it is. There is no room for weakness in business. Since I plan on only catering to the wealthy I see all this as a positive. And people are very competitive in my lonesome 1% of market share.

5: I have no intention of, at least I do not plan on wiring cars in Brazil. I plan on taking full advantage of the low labor costs there. Building wire harnesses there and shipping to here will yield extreme profits compared to how I am doing business here. The materials are already manufactured here and although import tax will increase with our upcoming government office changes it will hardly effect me one bit. Luckily in a country that wants little to come in from the outside they appear to love companies that send out. Therefor Brazil has in many cases a 0!! export tax percentage being its encouraging trade outbound.

6: My interest in marine applications on site in Brazil is quite basic in thought as well as simply just another thought/idea to pursue. The technique and materials employed in what I have to offer are very similar to the small amount of people that do what I do with cars. The information just flat out doesn't exist. And in marine applications is rarely used at all. Although the materials I use are made in Brazil there is hardly any sales numbers at all. The education for these techniques and knowledge flat out doesn't exist. Unless you know someone or are extremely determined and don't mind failing again and again you will never learn this trade. I think I may be able to create a new market for this in marine applications in Brazil. Currently to my knowledge only a few countries military use these techniques and procedures.

A boats factory wiring is so sub-par to keep cost down that it begins requiring replacement within 3 years of a salt water boats life. In fact the biggest reason boats are sold and replaced is wiring issues. What I will be offering albeit a expensive solution is wiring that will out live the craft. I think although small, there is a market for this. I may be wrong but it can't hurt to test the waters and find out.





To address a few of your concerns in our PM's I would like to respond publicly. I hope you don't mind. As previously stated I am a firm believer in the power of forums for education to those that seek it. I am not saying at all that I want to discuss all things publicly. I just think that somehow the responses may possibly help someone else. I hope you don't mind.

You mentioned in your PM that doing what i am trying to do is doomed to fail due to the recession. I find that recession not only doesn't effect my market but also unfortunately when there is a recession, the rich get richer while the poor get poorer. At least this has been what I noticed in the US when I began having a panic attack during our recession time.

6: You also inquired in your PM as to how having my car here will yield income. Its simply a rolling advertisement that's all. There are many similar private events in Brazil to attend and having it there will simply showcase that's all. I would plan on keeping one car just long enough to market that application then either send it back or sell to a neighboring country. Which ever makes the most sense financially.
Therefor I am looking for advise to get around the sh@tty laws that will make this difficult. Where there is a will there is a way.

Ok. So I am looking for the positive and the negative points from all that will take the time to share. If anyone thinks that what FloridaGuyinBrasil posts is a waste, you are far from correct. It is very valuable information to me and to all. There are clearly things to learn from his posts and information. This doesn't mean that it is this way for everyone, but I feel that his experiences are probably more of the norm than the other possible outcomes. At least that is what seems to be true. However that being said how many busy successful people would actually go out of their way to post on a forum to help and educate others. Very few would be my guess. I could be wrong. Its happened before.

A few days ago after beginning to be concerned about this move, I asked my wife if I made only 350$ Rio a day would we be able to live comfortably. Her response was yes. That would mean that I would have to drop ship a part in the US remotely from the manufacturer to the end user averaging a 100$ US profit per day. If this is all it takes to get out of working 90-100 hours a week to live comfortably in the US I'll take it. I do have aspirations of more, however my real life goal is to live life. Not let life live me. This is my sole expectation from Brazil. If it can't offer it to me then I will have to move on. Unfortunately I do not have the luxury of getting written a nice paycheck in the US and simple 9-5 job. I have to work quite a bit harder to overcome the overhead incurred here and have reasonable life when I do find it ok not to work.

Hopefully this paints a better picture of what I have in mind. As well as why I post what I post in this forum. I however fear that the forum is rather dead. So hopefully some people answer the questions asked to help me understand what my best options are. I am currently choosing Floripa as a final destination not because I feel my business would flourish there, but because of the supposed lifestyle it has to offer at reasonable expenses. I understand I belong in Sau Paulo, however the flight is only about 500$ Real. I'm already used to traveling quite a bit and would rather have a home in whats said to be the best place I can find to live in Brazil.

Again thank you to everyone involved in my quest for information and to those that may contribute in the future.

TurtleTooned

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00abuse

Amen to that, indeed!

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00abuse

Well-stated.

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Hey Dude, I agree with you 100% about Brazil. I had dreamed of retiring to "Bossa Nova" BR, and settling-up on Corcovado Mountain for more than 40 years. I grew-up on the southside of Chicago, believing myself to be fairly "street-savvy". Then I went to Rio, and stayed one month. My BR dream quickly became a nightmare. Chicago street-thugs don't hold a candle to what I saw in both Rio and Sao Paulo.

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00abuse

I wouldn't trust anyone, as verbose as you are. Whew!

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00abuse

Indeed, Americans, same as the British, have a penchant for displaying "arrogant" stupidity, on a global scale.

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00abuse