My budget grew by $300 in the first week thanks to quick, wise and lucky investments on airline companies; which are still recovering from the pandemic. Most of the tourism sector is... Most other sectors are either lucky to be online platforms, necessary to normal consumer comfort levels, or indispensable. Others are experiencing inflation due to overhead production, public hype (or mass hysteria) or demand bubbles in order to fill the gap for the last two years of a crushing economic stand still.
My mother sent me an extra $500 and I was able to muster $2,000 by over drafting my old college bank account. I still count on 4 brand new smartphones, sealed in their boxes, which I managed to acquiere cheaply with what was left of my credit before leaving Miami, each retailing for $1,000 brand new, and a few gadgets that I can afford to sell. These operations will take care of what is left of my credit score in the U.S. which at this point is almost non-existent. Two years of quarantine without work, unpaid and delinquent credit cards, bills and unexpected expenses made my perfect credit score and credit/lending history nothing but a useless 3 digit number that won't even get me a consolidation loan to rescue it.
I decided to rent a semi-permanent place to live and since last week I have been searching all over Google. I came across some issues like creating a new account on the local online retailer mercadolibre.com, where they ask me for a Colombian ID card; meaning I am not able to contact renters, post an ad or buy/sell used goods. I'm sure I can attempt to, or resolve it over the phone. Either way most places have signs on the windows advertising their sale or rent, accompanied by owner's phone number or realtor contact information. All you need to do is walk around an area you like and call the number on the sign or take pictures. Getting a cellphone plan was easy, I used my passport and subscribed to an unlimited talk/text plan with 30GB of 4G data for $55,000 pesos a month, or $15 USD.
It's still a very small world, meaning Google returns few serious sites containing the content and style I am accustomed to or comfortabe with. I am also in Latin America, where things used to be and still are much more personal. Tourists can find an overly generous selection of places to stay, with prices ranging from $15 dollars a night in a comfortable area to the millions of pesos per night. My strategy however demands a comfortable habitat for me and Anuket, high speed internet and infrastructure, room for stretching, privacy, a sense of ownership and the feeling of a brand new HQ in which I am 100% in charge. My computer equipment takes up space, broadband, storage and I like exercising creativity without inhibition. I am also a 30 year old man of 6'3" who occasionally dances to salsa while brainstorming, likes premium appliances and building materials, open spaces, and a feeling of adventure even within four walls. And as a matter of fact I was thinking of utilizing one of the rooms as a personal movie theater and design/music studio.
To my surprise, the price boundaries I set are perfect, and a 100m² home with three levels, four rooms and a balcony in a middle class neighborhood will cost me $300-$400 dollars a month. I also researched listings in other cities like Barranquilla where I found new properties for the same price which match my lifestyle and exceed my expectations. I was able to locate homes in all cities on the site metroscuadrado.com without the need of an ID to create an account. Most inner city homes within my budget I found to be comfortably small but small nonetheless and renting a communal house with my dog is out of the question. For reference, a modern apartment with a worthy view and ample space for both would cost me $1000 dollars a month. I have spoken to a few realtors or 'inmobiliarias' and they accept my U.S. passport as an ID; I also need proof of income (twice the monthly rate) and due to my lack of co-signers, some ask for a deposit of differing amounts.
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