I'm a Black Expat AMA
- Thread starter Wiseborn
- Start date
Getting an apartment in LATAM There´s a couple of ways of doing this one is by calling People who have signs in the window usually real estate agents handle this for people who own apartments in Buildings and the Real estate also collects Rent and a commission if you get a rental by owner you can save the commission fees.
There´s also a website manly for Medellin but for Colombia as a whole called El Liberator.com
www.ellibertador.co
Or you can get a Fiador and usually they charge a fee but they want a bank account with at least three times the rent for three months.
You can also get a CDT ( what we call a CD) in a local bank. The money is yours but it goes to the home owner if you don´t pay rent.
The other way is to pay a deposit which if paid to a real estate agent is hard to get back legally unless if the place is not wrecked you pay a small amount to repaint the place ( like 25 to 50 bucks).
Or you can pay up to six months rent upfront in advance.
There´s also a website manly for Medellin but for Colombia as a whole called El Liberator.com
Productos y servicios para las inmobiliarias Colombianas
Estudiamos, analizamos y ayudamos a la inmobiliarias desarrollando productos y servicios que demuestran la solvencia de los arrendatarios
Or you can get a Fiador and usually they charge a fee but they want a bank account with at least three times the rent for three months.
You can also get a CDT ( what we call a CD) in a local bank. The money is yours but it goes to the home owner if you don´t pay rent.
The other way is to pay a deposit which if paid to a real estate agent is hard to get back legally unless if the place is not wrecked you pay a small amount to repaint the place ( like 25 to 50 bucks).
Or you can pay up to six months rent upfront in advance.
Building vs Buying in Colombia
Building a house in Colombia is generally more cost-effective than buying an existing one, especially if you're looking for a custom design and are willing to work with reliable local builders.
Building a house in Colombia is generally more cost-effective than buying an existing one, especially if you're looking for a custom design and are willing to work with reliable local builders.
- Construction costs in Colombia average $335 USD per square meter (~$31 USD per square foot), according to recent estimates from expat forums. This includes materials and labor, but quality and finishes will affect the final price.
- Buying an existing home in Pereira varies significantly by location and condition:
- Median price for a house is COP 364,133 per square foot (~$90 USD per sq ft).
- Median price for an apartment is COP 419,850 per square foot (~$104 USD per sq ft).
- Additional costs when buying include 2.5% to 4.5% in fees and taxes, plus 5% to 20% if renovations are needed—adding up to roughly 10%–20% above the purchase price.
- Building allows customization and avoids outdated features (e.g., kitchens without ovens, poor insulation), which are common in older homes.
- Key advice: Use a trusted local architect or builder (like G.E.T. Global Constructions) to avoid costly mistakes. Language barriers and inconsistent construction quality can lead to budget overruns if not managed properly.
Money plays. Again I stress I´m a nikka on the internet but if you´re determined to live overseas and you ain´t got a decent 401k . I can say that sticking all your money into even a high yield money market account is wrong.
Literally the only reason to have 4.5K in Navy federal is because of their low cost credit cards I walked dudes through Coast fire so look at that again.
If you can buy a turnkey house which you generally can get in most non g-7 countries in a major mid sized city for around 70K or so a little less for a fixer upper so if you´re at the coast fire or 4% withdrawal rate expect to live on around 12k a year You do that and you´re good in most countries
My point is you need to invest more right now I put 10% of my investments in Bitcoin.
half of the 10% I dollar cost average into an Bitcoin ETF
I use Ishares Bitcoin trust ETF
again this is what I do you need to do your research but if you´re underresourced you need to remedy that.
Literally the only reason to have 4.5K in Navy federal is because of their low cost credit cards I walked dudes through Coast fire so look at that again.
If you can buy a turnkey house which you generally can get in most non g-7 countries in a major mid sized city for around 70K or so a little less for a fixer upper so if you´re at the coast fire or 4% withdrawal rate expect to live on around 12k a year You do that and you´re good in most countries
My point is you need to invest more right now I put 10% of my investments in Bitcoin.
half of the 10% I dollar cost average into an Bitcoin ETF
I use Ishares Bitcoin trust ETF
again this is what I do you need to do your research but if you´re underresourced you need to remedy that.
I didn´t want to get into the weeds of the downsides but yes a Bitcoin ETF is not actual bitcoin perse it´s shares of pieces of Bitcoin owned by Blackrock and Coinbase
But here´s where super Orange Pill people get goofy stocks are like dollars and not going anywhere for a while. I´d never put all my money in Crypto the volitity is great when buying the dip terrible if having to see ( for Dollars) when the Dollar is up.
If I had a custom house with an excellent security system and heirs I´d put maybe up to 50% of my assets in Bitcoin so I split the risk of me losing access to my wallet by having some into ETF´s. I mean I just left a large umbrella in a Grocery store I´d be beside myself if I had my entire lifesavings in Bitcoin and lost my wallet.
But here´s where super Orange Pill people get goofy stocks are like dollars and not going anywhere for a while. I´d never put all my money in Crypto the volitity is great when buying the dip terrible if having to see ( for Dollars) when the Dollar is up.
If I had a custom house with an excellent security system and heirs I´d put maybe up to 50% of my assets in Bitcoin so I split the risk of me losing access to my wallet by having some into ETF´s. I mean I just left a large umbrella in a Grocery store I´d be beside myself if I had my entire lifesavings in Bitcoin and lost my wallet.
Getting health Insurance in Colombia
Your Health Insurance goes off your declared income so if you tell the Colombian Government that you make say 1000 a month then your Insurance could be like 50 bucks a month here´s the break down:
The monthly premium for EPS is 12.5% of 40% of your declared monthly gross income. This means you're effectively paying 5% of your gross income (since 40% × 12.5% = 5%).
Your Health Insurance goes off your declared income so if you tell the Colombian Government that you make say 1000 a month then your Insurance could be like 50 bucks a month here´s the break down:
The monthly premium for EPS is 12.5% of 40% of your declared monthly gross income. This means you're effectively paying 5% of your gross income (since 40% × 12.5% = 5%).
Formula:
Example Calculations:
- If you declare $1,000 USD/month:
$1,000 × 0.40 × 0.125 = $50 USD/month - If you declare $2,000 USD/month:
$2,000 × 0.40 × 0.125 = $100 USD/month
Stay in Pocket.
Colombian banks are weird they have corriente accounts ( checking) and Ahorros accounts (savings). and CDT´s (CD´s) but they also have pocket accounts those are high interest savings accounts. That´s where you put the bulk of your emergency money in.
Colombian banks are weird they have corriente accounts ( checking) and Ahorros accounts (savings). and CDT´s (CD´s) but they also have pocket accounts those are high interest savings accounts. That´s where you put the bulk of your emergency money in.
For the brehs heading to Nairobi. If I was going on a first trip I´d say in Parklands close to the Sarit Center or as close to Woodvale Grove as a could Not too far from Brew Bistro Fortis and decent airbnbs and shopping nearby
The Sarit Center has several great restaurants and places to people watch.
The Sarit Center has several great restaurants and places to people watch.
even I have a hard time believing this
The Wonders of Passport Pokemon: Female Travelers Who Use Sex to Finance Their Journeys Abroad
A decade ago, when social media was still a teen, I’d often come across a number of blogs written by female travelers. Some rhyme spitters became award-winning bloggers, while others made me wonder.
I distinctly remember a female blogger who shared a post about her journey—she had traveled through South America over several years as a writer and photographer. Problem for me, her writing and photos were very mid.
I wasn't hating, but I wondered how the h*ll this so-called travel influencer made her way through several countries while surfing the waves of mediocrity.
Months later, still bewildered by travel princesses with b*llsh** content, I stumbled upon a truth about some female travelers: how they are getting by on their t*ts.
https://x.com/homeboypyramids/article/2017418357981557067/media/2017396975654612992
The Wonders of Passport Pokemon: Female Travelers Who Use Sex to Finance Their Journeys Abroad
A decade ago, when social media was still a teen, I’d often come across a number of blogs written by female travelers. Some rhyme spitters became award-winning bloggers, while others made me wonder.
I distinctly remember a female blogger who shared a post about her journey—she had traveled through South America over several years as a writer and photographer. Problem for me, her writing and photos were very mid.
I wasn't hating, but I wondered how the h*ll this so-called travel influencer made her way through several countries while surfing the waves of mediocrity.
Months later, still bewildered by travel princesses with b*llsh** content, I stumbled upon a truth about some female travelers: how they are getting by on their t*ts.
https://x.com/homeboypyramids/article/2017418357981557067/media/2017396975654612992
If you´re planning to move a large amount of money from the states to another country the easiest way to do this is to do it through a stablecoin like USDT or Tether which is backed by US Dollars. If you want to get sightly sexy and you don´t need the money immediately then Use a Limit order on Kraken Pro buy USDT and send it to Binance Not Binance.us using a foreign ID like a Colombian cedula you can even use someone else´s if you trust them with your life and send it to a foriegn Bank account a voila almost no fees or know your customer laws.
calculate your fees.
With money it´s not about what you cop it´s what you keep so you could save bread and only see it get eaten up by fees
Here´s a 401K calculator for Vanguard but you can find fee calculators for any of the companies that hold 401K.
It´s your money keep as much of it as you can.
www.employeefiduciary.com
With money it´s not about what you cop it´s what you keep so you could save bread and only see it get eaten up by fees
Here´s a 401K calculator for Vanguard but you can find fee calculators for any of the companies that hold 401K.
It´s your money keep as much of it as you can.
How to Find & Calculate Vanguard 401(k) Fees
Finding Vanguard's 401k fees isn't easy. In this guide, we'll show you average Vanguard fees, then how to find & calculate them in your plan.
www.employeefiduciary.com
To the brehs who want to do what I do. I invest 12.5% in Schwab US REIT EFT´s
You should know what you´re investing in but the returns outside of COVID have been good and diversified
This isn´t get rich quick it´s a long term play for your eventual retirement.
You should know what you´re investing in but the returns outside of COVID have been good and diversified
This isn´t get rich quick it´s a long term play for your eventual retirement.
If you´re looking to buy or build in Colombia in theory you could do it without having a cedula (long term visa) If you have an RUT/NIT Tax ID which you could get at a DIAN Tax office and if you could get a loan at a bank. The easiest way to do this is to find a new complex that´s a pre build and put at least 30% down again you´d have to ask around but this could be done.
here´s current Colombian Banking rates
www.larepublica.co
Why am I posting this? To get brehs to see the possible. If you can get a Colombian Bank account with or without a cedula ( Colombian ID) You can see how you can really run it up out here, The best play is still in US stocks but emerging market stocks have been on a tear of this writting You could drop some stacks in Colombian Banks get interest and repatriate that money to the states if you wanted to.
Pibank, Av Villas y Banco Popular, las de mayor rentabilidad en bolsillos de ahorro
Pibank se destaca por tener tasas competitivas, mientras que Av Villas y Finandina están compitiendo con bolsillos con rentabilidades que van entre 10,5% y...
www.larepublica.co
Why am I posting this? To get brehs to see the possible. If you can get a Colombian Bank account with or without a cedula ( Colombian ID) You can see how you can really run it up out here, The best play is still in US stocks but emerging market stocks have been on a tear of this writting You could drop some stacks in Colombian Banks get interest and repatriate that money to the states if you wanted to.
One other thing if you´re the kind of breh that vacations is the same place or country each year you could throw some bread in a local bank fund it through a stable coin for free take advantage of the interest and exchange rates and if you really wanted to get sexy get an apartment that you but on Airbnb and you´re making money when you´re not there. Just doing the bank thing the interest alone might pay for a majority of your trips.