Should you trust a Costa Rican Realtor?
11 years ago
Hello all--Cluck, Cluck--Here I am putting my neck on the chopping block! Just kidding--actually I think that in general this forum is much more civil than many and the recent posts had some very valid and intelligent comments--thanks for that! As a matter of fact the above cluck cluck remark would have brought a tirade about eating meat and mauling animals on another forum I used to read!
Point #1
Bias-means a strong inclination of the mind or a preconceived opinion about something or someone. A bias may be favorable or unfavorable: bias in favor of or against an idea.
Folks, please. If we limit this forum to unbiased opinions we may as well shut it down! Every single person in the world is biased! We have all grown up and been raised differently and each of us is unique. Every single thought that rolls around our mind and every word from our our tongue is colored by our own personal filters and biases!
So--what I hear (through my personal filter of course!) is not really that our opinions are biased--as to not be would be impossible--but that as Realtors what we write and what we say is a lie--that we can't be trusted!
Why? Because we make a living at selling Real Estate so somehow that means we are going to lie to you and mislead you because we want to take you hard earned dollars.
That thought is totally absurd! Track the thought--
Tax guys--can't trust them, they advertise--they make a living from doing taxes so we can't trust their opinion.
Movers--we better get an opinion from the local grocery clerk. After all the movers advertise and make a living moving our stuff so they will surely tell us they do a good job and can be trusted--but how can we really trust they won't overcharge us and steal our stuff?? After all they make money doing that job.
Lawyers---never mind(LOL)
Folks--can you be trusted?? If you sell furniture--if you design websites, if you are an accountant--did you study your field, did you put money into starting your business? Good Lord I LOVE to find a good salesperson who knows how to take care of me!! If I want the best furniture or cabinets I will HUNT DOWN the most experienced, dedicated, honest and hardworking cabinet maker. I WANT to see a nice website done with care and
professionalism! That is the guy who I want an opinion from!
I WANT to give him my hard earned money! I WANT him to have gas in his car, his home to be comfortable and his family fed!
What --I am supposed to write off the opinion of these kinds of people?? Makes no sense to me at all to push aside the opinions of the people with all the best accreditation.
Sales people have been bashed forever. But think of it this way--I sell you a lot or a home, I make a few thousand commission. How long does that last me? Well maybe a month or three then what you have given me is gone. What did you get? A home that you and your family will be using every day of your life--maybe for decades! Your home is appreciating every year (Talking Costa Rica now) so in ten or twenty years that 150k may be worth a whole lot more. Now--who got the best part of that deal? You or the sales person?
I have my life and a lot of money invested here in Costa Rica. Our new neighbors trusted me with a huge responsibility and I do not take that lightly. My wife translates, helps with bank accounts, helps with residency, helps with moving advice, helps with moving pets advice, helps with contacts in the local area--on and on I can assure you.
Now I ask you--you want to ignore that expertise? I think finding folks with our biases may be one of the best things that can happen to you if you are considering a move to Costa Rica!
Folks keep putting to much responsibility on everyone else and not taking it themselves. For goodness sake with the internet etc. if you are thinking of a Realtor and can't find out in a short period of time by google searching if this person has a healthy background or not your doing something wrong. I can give you lots of personal references as well so between those two items I suggest going ahead and do your homework---then you can deal with an experienced Realtor with no reservations whatsoever.
Point #2
This forum. Folks--you see those little banner ads and boxes full of advertising?
It is those very same boxes that we pay for that makes this forum possible! And you suggest that we should be spending thousands of dollars to pay for this website and forum but yet should not give our opinions?
It is BECAUSE of us not despite us that this forum exists. I am reminded of when Ronald Reagan was paying for a debate and they were trying to tell him what to do. His comeback was a classic. He basically told them to remember that HE was the one paying for the microphone.
Makes no sense to me either to be looking to move to another country and not want input from Realtors?? Your going to move to Costa Rica and do what? Not many people I know live under a car so I would think we Realtors had an intrinsic value in your search for a life overseas?
Again--the burden is on you. DO YOUR HOMEWORK AND DUE DILIGENCE! Then when it is done you can avail yourself of the in depth and hard won experience of the many honest and hardworking Realtors here in Costa Rica.
Point #3-
Most of us can determine from a post if the person we are hearing from is valid or just venting and ranting or just unhappy with life. My training manual teaches me to be content in all situations--life is too short to focus on the negatives while goodness and grace still abound. We are what we think and I try hard to keep the good things and blessings in the forefront instead of complaining about every little thing that may not be the way THE GREAT I wants it.
Lately I have been reading lots of history. What astounds me is the intelligence and writing ability of people a couple hundred years ago as compared to today.
Point?? You know the ranting and raving and obvious discontent is one thing--but it is the total lack of common respect for the readers that bothers me.
Please!!!!!! Stop the text gibberish. Stop being too lazy to capitalize and punctuate. Of course we are all going to make mistakes but don't bring us down to what passes for normal communications today. Do yourself and the readers a favor by writing FULL words. Believe me, maybe even some ranting and raving would be less annoying if we were to be able to read an intelligent thought in a well written sentence. Please -if all you have is a phone wait till you get home and use the keyboard.
Compare the recent quote from Augusto to the other text-gibberish and you will see what I mean. What makes you think more? Who do you think may win that debate??
There have been a lot of good discussion points brought up and as the world is ever changing some updates to common topics are appropriate.
May be best to list some points of discussion to one at time as too many points in a post tends to water down the issue at hand.
So please be gentle-I have just shared my very biased and prejudiced opinions--but that is all I have!
Now for an unabashed and self serving signature:
Gill Phelan
www.gvecr.com
[email protected]
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