Hi there!
Paul, Michael and Derek have left Fortaleza and are now enjoying Rio.
Fortaleza Adventure’s 3 clients had an amazing week here, partly because, even though it’s the beginning of the rainy season, their visit was free of showers or really cloudy days.
After 6 days in Rio, they will jet home to England, but before leaving Fortaleza, Derek vowed to come back, maybe next year.
Hi there!
Paul and two of his friends will be arriving in Fortaleza on the 29th of December. They’ll only be here a week but that will be long enough to enjoy the biggest party of the year. That’s the “Blast on the Beach” on New Year’s Eve, or Revillion as it’s called here.
Last year the little bash drew around 1 million people!!!
We’ll see if we can’t do better this year!
It’s a little late to think about joining us this year, but why not start planning on being here next year…the beach will still be here…but plan early because accommodations become very difficult to find for New year’s, even in August.
Keep in touch!
Hi there!
As a word of warning to those wishing to come here for a time during High Season (December through the first week in March this year!), you had better hurry as the best deals are already very hard to find.
Hotel managers and rental agents all tell me that most hotels are already booked solid and apartments and flats are exceedingly hard to find even at the inflated High Season prices.
So book soon for High Season 2010-2011.
Hi there!
Our latest client, Sam, from Toronto, is headed back to North America even as I write this post!
Fortaleza Adventure worked hard with Sam for well over 2 weeks to furnish his newly acquired Fortaleza apartment, with the prospect of getting it ready to rent when he is not here.
Maybe even when he IS here, because he’s looking at rentals for from 6 months to a year.
It’s a great apartment and I’ll be able to post photos soon.
It has 2 suites and a great balcony with ocean views in both directions up and down the coast from the city.
The apartment is furnished with greatr care and has all the amenities, including washing machine and microwave as well as a big screen TV.
The balcony is particularly comfortable with great cushioned wicker furniture…just the thing for watching fabulous sunsets.
We are now looking forward to our next clients, who could either be a couple from Denmark or an American wanting to relocate from Columbia!
Please drop us a line and let us know when you plan to be in Fortaleza and Fortaleza Adventure can help!
Till next time!
Hi there!
In order to help travellers have ALL the information available, I thought it would be good to repeat an article by Janice Hough from Consumer Traveler.
She is a widely read travel write and certainly knows whereof she writes!
I remind you that Fortaleza Adventure is your “Personal Concierge” for Fortaleza, Brazil on the beautiful Northeast coast.
Either visit the link of email andy@andyneill.com for more information.
by Janice Hough on September 23, 2010 – Consumer Traveler Lately it seems like many in the media are urging travelers to book holiday travel now, especially for the end of the year. A story was on our local news last night in the San Francisco area, and it’s a headline article on CNN.com. From a travel agent perspective, the media is actually both too early and too late. Here’s my alternative views. (And apologies to anyone who celebrates any holiday other than Christmas, but it’s easier to explain things using Christmas and New Year’s dates.) First, if you are going anywhere warm, now is probably too late, especially for the best fares. Many travelers return to places like Brazil, Hawaii or the Caribbean every year. If you really have your heart set on such a trip, the ideal time to book is eleven months out, as soon as the flights become available. (in fact flights returning January 1 and 2 are already basically sold out.) If you do want a beach vacation, however, the best advice now is to try to work your schedule around off-peak dates, either midweek or returning a few days later in January. Or consider a cruise, where you only need to fly to a U.S. port. Wherever you are going, if you must travel on weekends, book as soon as you can. (Again, earlier may have been better.) Many corporations close the week between Christmas and New Years, which means a whole lot of people will try to fly Dec 26 and return Jan 1 or 2, to any destination. For that matter, many people going “home for the holidays” are likely to leave the weekend before, December 18 or 19. This also means that a day or two either direction may make a significant difference, traveling on a Monday or Tuesday for example. If you really really are flexible, waiting might not be a bad option. Usually at some point in the fall airlines decide which are their off-peak holiday travel dates and have sales. Now, the point of these sales is to fill flights on dates when most people don’t want to fly, again, perhaps midweek or Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, or later than first week in January. Thus, travelers who aren’t heading for a beach destination, and just have to get to their destination at some point during late December thus may get lucky. Ditto anyone who has the flexibility to return after the crowds, which domestically usually thin out by the middle of the first week in January, later for international flight. One regular client I had some years back even worked out a different solution. Frustrated by high fares and crowded planes around the holidays, he started making his annual trip home in mid January. When I asked if his family minded, he said, “Not since I’ve been spending some of the money I save on nicer presents.” For travelers who can’t celebrate Christmas in January, however, one way or by Janice Hough on September 23, 2010 – Consumer Traveler Lately it seems like many in the media are urging travelers to book holiday travel now, especially for the end of the year. A story was on our local news last night in the San Francisco area, and it’s a headline article on CNN.com. From a travel agent perspective, the media is actually both too early and too late. Here’s my alternative views. (And apologies to anyone who celebrates any holiday other than Christmas, but it’s easier to explain things using Christmas and New Year’s dates.) First, if you are going anywhere warm, now is probably too late, especially for the best fares. Many travelers return to places like Brazil, Hawaii or the Caribbean every year. If you really have your heart set on such a trip, the ideal time to book is eleven months out, as soon as the flights become available. (in fact flights returning January 1 and 2 are already basically sold out.) If you do want a beach vacation, however, the best advice now is to try to work your schedule around off-peak dates, either midweek or returning a few days later in January. Or consider a cruise, where you only need to fly to a U.S. port. Wherever you are going, if you must travel on weekends, book as soon as you can. (Again, earlier may have been better.) Many corporations close the week between Christmas and New Years, which means a whole lot of people will try to fly Dec 26 and return Jan 1 or 2, to any destination. For that matter, many people going “home for the holidays” are likely to leave the weekend before, December 18 or 19. This also means that a day or two either direction may make a significant difference, traveling on a Monday or Tuesday for example. If you really really are flexible, waiting might not be a bad option. Usually at some point in the fall airlines decide which are their off-peak holiday travel dates and have sales. Now, the point of these sales is to fill flights on dates when most people don’t want to fly, again, perhaps midweek or Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, or later than first week in January. Thus, travelers who aren’t heading for a beach destination, and just have to get to their destination at some point during late December thus may get lucky. Ditto anyone who has the flexibility to return after the crowds, which domestically usually thin out by the middle of the first week in January, later for international flight. One regular client I had some years back even worked out a different solution. Frustrated by high fares and crowded planes around the holidays, he started making his annual trip home in mid January. When I asked if his family minded, he said, “Not since I’ve been spending some of the money I save on nicer presents.” For travelers who can’t celebrate Christmas in January, however, one way or another, the airlines WILL eventually fill all their planes those weeks. So along with any presents, pack plenty of patience. by Janice Hough on September 23, 2010 – Consumer Traveler Lately it seems like many in the media are urging travelers to book holiday travel now, especially for the end of the year. A story was on our local news last night in the San Francisco area, and it’s a headline article on CNN.com. From a travel agent perspective, the media is actually both too early and too late. Here’s my alternative views. (And apologies to anyone who celebrates any holiday other than Christmas, but it’s easier to explain things using Christmas and New Year’s dates.) First, if you are going anywhere warm, now is probably too late, especially for the best fares. Many travelers return to places like Brazil, Hawaii or the Caribbean every year. If you really have your heart set on such a trip, the ideal time to book is eleven months out, as soon as the flights become available. (in fact flights returning January 1 and 2 are already basically sold out.) If you do want a beach vacation, however, the best advice now is to try to work your schedule around off-peak dates, either midweek or returning a few days later in January. Or consider a cruise, where you only need to fly to a U.S. port. Wherever you are going, if you must travel on weekends, book as soon as you can. (Again, earlier may have been better.) Many corporations close the week between Christmas and New Years, which means a whole lot of people will try to fly Dec 26 and return Jan 1 or 2, to any destination. For that matter, many people going “home for the holidays” are likely to leave the weekend before, December 18 or 19. This also means that a day or two either direction may make a significant difference, traveling on a Monday or Tuesday for example. If you really really are flexible, waiting might not be a bad option. Usually at some point in the fall airlines decide which are their off-peak holiday travel dates and have sales. Now, the point of these sales is to fill flights on dates when most people don’t want to fly, again, perhaps midweek or Christmas Eve or Christmas Day, or later than first week in January. Thus, travelers who aren’t heading for a beach destination, and just have to get to their destination at some point during late December thus may get lucky. Ditto anyone who has the flexibility to return after the crowds, which domestically usually thin out by the middle of the first week in January, later for international flight. One regular client I had some years back even worked out a different solution. Frustrated by high fares and crowded planes around the holidays, he started making his annual trip home in mid January. When I asked if his family minded, he said, “Not since I’ve been spending some of the money I save on nicer presents.” For travelers who can’t celebrate Christmas in January, however, one way or another, the airlines WILL eventually fill all their planes those weeks. So along with any presents, pack plenty of patience. another, the airlines WILL eventually fill all their planes those weeks. So along with any presents, pack plenty of patience.
Please contact Fortaleza Adventure soon if you plan to visit during High Season of 2010-2011 as accommodations disappear quickly at this time of year.
Hi there!
Fortaleza Adventure’s recent clients, a great couple from Phoenix in the US named Jim and Angie, are back home after an “adventure in real estate”! Briefly, after a couple of days here, Jim became entranced with a major real estate development on Beira Mar and the couple decided that, because there was no downpayment required and the payments were spread out over 101 months, that it would be ideal for them. They were looking at the unit as an investment, not somewhere to live. Jim figured that he could get in…make payments for a couple of years until the building was finished, and then sell for a profit. I told him buying off-plan was dangerous but he wanted to continue with the process. Even though the developer has their own lawyers, I took Jim and Angie to meet my own independent lawyer (now Jim’s lawyer as well). He took a look at a copy of the developers contract and said “No Way!” As is usual in Brazil real estate, the contract was written entirely in favor of the seller.
After a hastily scheduled meeting at my lawyer’s office with the developers attorney plus the agent involved produced nothing more in the way of protection for my clients, Jim and Angie, who had returned to Phoenix by this time, finally said, no.
They are planning to visit Belize next year on the search for a retirement place. They have time, both being in their late 40s.
Just last night, I talked with a lady agent we have used, and she told us she was out R$4,000 after missing a payment date by one day on a property purchase. Apparently she gave the money to her son to make the payment and he was a day late!
Fortaleza Adventure is a small service designed to act as a “Personal Concierge” for visitors to Fortaleza.
One of the areas we get involved with is real estate, particularly since Fortaleza is much more on the “radar” for investors in North America since the “Great Recession” began.
If you would like to know more about Fortaleza or the services Fortaleza Adventure provides, please follow the link or email andy@andyneill.com.
Hi there!
The questions we get most often at Fortaleza Adventure concern real estate…how to find it and then how to buy it.
First of all, finding the right property is not as easy or cut and dried as it is in North America.
First of all, there is no MLS!
What we suggest is that, if you are really interested in looking into the property market here in Fortaleza or the area around the city, your first step should probably be to hop on a jet and come and take a look.
When you put “boots on the ground” as they say in the army, you get a chance to experience not only the properties but how they fit into their surroundings, the ambiance of the area and the costs of similar properties.
Also, when you come and visit, you will get to meet a VIP, a very important person in your search for the right property…a respected, honest and…importantly, an English-speaking lawyer!
The reason the legal help is so important is that he is the one who makes sure you are the one and only ower of whatever you buy. He/she does the title search.
In a city as old as Fortaleza, this is very important. In the past it has been the case that people have bought houses or land and then months or even years later, had another person show up with papers saying THEY not you, are the rightful owners!
This is because ownership is not always easy to determine, but if you have a qualified real estate lawyer do a title search, you can put your mind at rest that YOU are the ONLY owner of the property.
Fortaleza Adventure was set up to help visitors to the city and one of the key things we get to help with is in the area of real estate. Many visitors, even though it might be their first time in the city, either had in mind looking for a property here, or they simply fall in love with the way of life here and want a piece for themselves.
If you decide to take a look for yourself, contact Fortaleza Adventure and we can eliminate much of the stress from your visit.
We pick you up at Pinto Martins International Airport, get you to your accommodation which we have arranged in advance, then give you an orientation to the city, perhaps meeting other expats already here either just living the good life or working as well.
Then, at your convenience, we can assist in finding areas and properties of interest to you, and make an introduction to good legal help, as well.
Then, at the end of your visit, we get you back to the airport in time to catch your flight back home…hopefully with enough information to start on the next chapter of your Fortaleza Adventure!
Hi there!
Welcome to Fortaleza Adventure update number…I dunno!!!
It looks like a busy fall season as the increased visibility of the web page is having an effect on the number of people contacting us about their dream trip to Fortaleza, Brazil.
You can look forward to more improvements in the next couple of months as we re-vamp the page in our search to find ALL the travelers ready for a Fortaleza Adventure!
Please don’t be afraid to add comments to this blog and tell us what you would like us to feature or questions you would like to ask.
We are waiting to hear.
REgards,
Andy Neill
Fortaleza Adventure
Hi there!
The foto shows Thieny and I at one of our favorite spots…Guaramiranga, about 80km from Fortaleza and about 1000ft up!
It’s like a rain forest…much cooler than the city, and the reson why many city residents with enough money have purchased country estates there over the years.
It’s too bad because now prices are well beyond what “normal people” can afford!
Anyhow, just after Christmas 6 new clients arrived in town and I spent a lot of time making them feel welcome. Five were from California, including a group of friends from the LA area. There was also another client from Mississippi and then finally, another Calirfornian, this time from Palm desert.
David has become a really good friend and also a convert to the Fortaleza way of life. He and his Brazilian girlfriend have just announced their engagement and are planning a Brazilian wedding in the fall in Brasilia.
After that the couple will be back by the ocean here in the beautiful Northeast to see about permanent residence.
It appears that there will be more clients in June, July and August as the holiday season unrolls in both North america and Europe as well as Brazil.
Fortaleza Adventure is planning an expansion of it’s services, hopefully beginning later this year, into property management.
To be sure, there are people already doing this at the moment, mostly tied in with real estate services.
Fortaleza Adventure does not buy or sell real estate but DOES facilitate buying or selling by providing orientation to the city for newcomers and also excellent legal service, which anyone buying here WILL NEED.
If you are aware of anyone who could make use of our services please pass the word!
My good friend John (and one of the originals) will be back here for something like the 11th time since 2001, in June. David makes his return later in the year but hopes to become a vital part of the organization. He is someone you will enjoy meeeting.
Meanwhile, I can tell you that prices here are going up…in my mind a reaction to the increased interest stemming from the coming of the Confederations Cup in 2013 and then the World Cup in 2014.
It will be interesting to see what effect the Rio Olympics in 2016 have on the Northeast coast. I have a feeling that with the increased scrutiny the area will receive the whole coast will be more…shall we say…visible.
More later!
