Paraguay V Argentina, Lifestyle And Taxes

[mmoon]

I haven't been on this site for a few days but when I just checked in, I was stunned to see how much energy and effort people have put into helping this new member. I agree that some more thanks are in order, even if he doesn't agree with what people are saying. What I hear and know is that you cannot know if Argentina is right for you by doing a bunch of online research and plugging numbers into a budget. Prices change constantly, the politics are volatile, and the quality of life is up and down.

Personally, the sole focus on finances with little thought for the three children is shocking to me. I'm sorry, but school has value beyond the social, and health care and neighborhood quality are important for kids (beyond restaurants). I understand it needs to be financially feasible, but so little concern for the other significant factors that will affect these kids (who are moving across the planet by the way) really bothers me.

Also, in defense of other responders being characterized by this brand new member as arrogant or ignorant, they are not. They are simply very experienced regarding actually living in Argentina and they are trying to help him make a huge decision. Listen.

 

[Patagone]

I am not sure what the goal is of all the ignored and repeated replies. Is everybody trying to feed the troll so much hoping that he will explode?

 

[bobsnowpuppy]

PatagoneToday, 04:35 PM

I am not sure what the goal is of all the ignored and repeated replies. Is everybody trying to feed the troll so much hoping that he will explode?

And there you have it!

 

[toongeorges]

Tres Pico wrote, "Do exchange rates between currencies on average track the inflation in their respective countries?"

When there is no government interference, they do. Here there is massive government interference on the official and formerly the blue.

Example: last 12 months. Inflation at something like 40% or 50% annual and the USD to ARS has barely budged. For a year. It has been like this do r multiple years.

During the Kirchner years, the blue peso rate followed more or less the inflation. Last year, the exchange rate did not change much, but inflation did not stop.

As long as the exchange rate devalues in line with inflation, the situation can continue. If the current exchange rate holds, eventually it will crash.

 

[steveinbsas]

Would be looking for house with attributes:
- security
- privacy
- within 1 hour of major city
- semi-rural without giving up security
- simple, well-built design
- 4 bedrooms but small floor area of less than 150 sqm
- large lot size of 700+ sqm (this does not seem to be a problem in Argentina!).

Actually, Steve's house looks perfect.

Buenos Aires

http://www.remax.com...r_420241041-140
http://www.remax.com...ilar_361105-176

Mar Del Plata
http://www.zonaprop....e-41453067.html

Mendoza
http://www.inmoclick...a-en-Venta.html

I looked at all four properties, keeping your list of attributes in mind

The houses in Pilar and Del Viso are far from being semi-rural and well within the zone of chaos in the event of an economic crisis.

The house in Del Viso is the only one of the five that is less than 150 mtr2 and if you "drive" around Del Viso in Google you will see it is not a particularly attractive area. I don't see how you could consider it secure.

The house in Sierra de los Padres (a barrio cerrado) is also larger than you specify and you would have to drive some distance to buy groceries and supplies as well as seek medical and dental services.

Also something to consider in all for locations: how would the kids get to and from school, especially when you are out of the country for months at a time?

Do you know if the house in Mendoza is in a barrio cerrado? It looks like a spec house to me and the lot is just a strip of ground.

If you want to live in a semi-rural barrio cerrado close to a major city I suggest you look at Pago Chico near Bahia Blanca. I recently looked at prices for two and three bedroom houses there and found a couple in the $180,000-$200,000 price range. I wouldn't want to live there. I wanted to get an idea of current prices in case I decide to sell the house in which I am now living.

Pago Chico is less than 20 minutes form the Bahia Blanca airport and flight to BA take 75 minutes. My house is about 20 minutes from the airport. Pago Chico has 24 hour security. Land prices are $30-$40 per mtr2 but most of the lots for sale look like the lot of the house in Mendoza.

Houses (decent enough to live in) in Punta Alta and Bahia Blanca start at $180,000 but only have two or three bedrooms and no front or side yards. A nice three bedroom house with a yard in the better neighborhoods of Bahia Blanca are well over $300,000. Quintas similar to mine are more expensive the closer you get to Bahia Blanca. I recently found one I like more than mine, but it's $600,000 USD.

My house is close enough for kids to walk to school (2 KM) and there are more than a half dozen despensas selling groceries and supplies in the same area. There's also a great auto mechanic and 3 carnecerias (one of them is in a grocery store). Most importantly, there is a public clinic with a doctor, dentist, and nurses at one corner of the plaza and the comiseria (police station) is on the opposite corner of the plaza.

The school here is great and the people are very proud of it. The three children of the previous owners of my house all attended it through high school. The youngest received his university degree in engineering last year and already has a great job in his field, so he apparently got an education here: he wasn't just socialized.

 

[Ceviche]

Why would anyone want to live in the most depressing city of argentina - Bahia Blanca.

 

[steveinbsas]

Why would anyone want to live in the most depressing city of argentina - Bahia Blanca.

I would never live there or recommend that anyone live in the city of Bahia Blanca, but I'm happy that it's so close and I'm grateful that the three hundred thousand people who live there provide so many goods and services I have access to by driving there about once a month.

I'm also grateful there is an airport twenty minutes from my house with direct flights to Buenos Aires.

I would probably be depressed if it wasn't there.

PS: Anyone who finds Bahia Blanca the most depressing city in Argentina might have been there when they were already in a depressing situation...like being alone there on Christmas Day,

PS2: I think living in Pago Chico would be even more depressing than living in Bahia Blanca.

 

[Bajo_cero2]

I'm talking about 2% in real returns, i.e. after inflation.

After 40% per year in usd?

 

[Bajo_cero2]

Why would anyone want to live in the most depressing city of argentina - Bahia Blanca.

Because of Stella Maris bodegon at the port. Only port workers and sailors eat there, the french menu is all about fish and seafood. Mc Donals is more expensive.

Steve's house and land is super cool. However, if you think that BB is depressing, you should know Punta Alta...

 

[steveinbsas]

Tres Picos, on 21 March 2017 - 04:22 PM, said:

I'm talking about 2% in real returns, i.e. after inflation.

After 40% per year in usd?

Please explain the cause and effect relationship, if any, between the US dollar and price increases of 30%-40% per year on goods made and sold in Argentina...in Argentine pesos.