The beautiful Mar del Plata Golf Club is one of several courses along the Tango Coast.

The beautiful Mar del Plata Golf Club is one of several courses awaiting visitors to the Tango Coast.

With only three weeks before the first day of summer, La Nación surveys hotel owners and real estate brokers regarding bookings and optimism for the upcoming tourist season in Mar del Plata, Pinamar and Cariló. Reservations are up and optimism is high according to the article, thanks in part to the relative strength of the Brazilian real making Argentina’s beaches more affordable destinations for Argentines and Brazilians alike. The City of Mar del Plata is planning over 100 concerts and cultural events during the upcoming summer season, many of them free to the public. Just up the coast in Pinamar, a popular destination for the upper-middle class, hoteliers and property owners are trying to keep prices around the same level as 2008, and in Cariló, a destination La Nación describes as “untouched” by the recent economic slowdown, the trend among visitors is moving away from short-term rentals and toward “the purchase of homes, as well as new condos along the coastline.” And over in Punta del Este, Uruguay’s premier destination for the rich and famous, La Nación says confidence is high with brokers recommending property owners hold prices at 2008 levels to offset the 17% drop in the dollar’s value versus the Uruguayan Peso in 2009.

CCTV tells one billion viewers in mainland China about the upcoming Tango Party in Buenos Aires.

CCTV tells one billion viewers in mainland China about the upcoming Tango Party in Buenos Aires.

“The world speaks many languages.” That quote from Paulo Coelho’s spiritual classic The Alchemist is gaining additional validity with each successive post here on InvestBA.

Yesterday we had a front page story from a Dubai newspaper praising Buenos Aires as an “Electric City,” and now China’s CCTV gets in on the BA lovefest by giving 1 billion viewers in mainland China a sneak peak at next week’s “Huge Tango Party” here in BA.

Watching the 90-second clip reinforces two key themes: 1.) Tango elicits international intermingling as convoluted as the dance itself, and 2.) Tango is an addiction. The first takeaway is evident just from watching the video: Native Chinese broadcasters promoting a dance with African and European influences and translating Argentine Castellano into English for a global audience online.

The addiction theme is best understood by connecting with actual tango dancers in the blogosphere like Fishnets & Fedoras or Well-Heeled who summarizes “The Price of Addiction to Argentine Tango” here beautifully. “In an episode of House Hunters International,” W-H writes, “a Californian couple bought a $200,000 pied-a-terre in Buenos Aires just so they can focus on tango! The lady insisted on an apartment with enough open space that she can turn into a salon for her tango parties. Now that is dedication.” That episode and others featuring foreign tango addicts relocating to Buenos Aires can be seen here on HGTV.

For more information about Buenos Aires events, visit our archives and download the new issue of InvestBA Privada.

Aerial view of debt-laden Dubai stands in stark contrast to the natural beauty of developments like this one in Carilo, Argentina

Aerial view of Dubai in stark contrast to the natural beauty of developments like this one in coastal BA.

World financial markets were rocked yesterday when news surfaced that Dubai World, the Dubai corporation responsible for some of the UAE’s most lavish developments, was unable to meet interest payments on the over $80 billion in debt it holds.

According to The Times, “Dubai World began the panic on Wednesday by demanding a standstill on its interest payments (and) worsened the mood when it postponed a teleconference for its bond holders, saying the phone lines were overwhelmed.”

So what would you expect to find today on the front page of the UAE’s leading English-language newspaper? A probing analysis of Dubai World’s leverage? A soul-searching essay questioning why anyone would want to live in overpriced, garish desert casino castles like this? No on both. How about a glowing review of Buenos Aires?

“With its beautiful buildings, lively social life and colourful history, it is no wonder that Buenos Aires is fast becoming South America’s favourite capital,” writes Julianna Barnaby in today’s Khaleej Times and, she concludes,one visit to Buenos Aires is definitely not enough.”

Of course Dubai will be fine, because Abu Dhabi won’t allow it to fail, but the case for investing in waterfront real estate is much more compelling in Argentina than Dubai in terms of pricing, natural surroundings, building design and cultural similarities.

For more information on coastal opportunities in Argentina and Uruguay, download the new issue of InvestBA Privada.

Members of the La Aguada Polo Team relax at their training facility in Buenos Aires province.

Members of the La Aguada Polo Team relax at their training facility in Buenos Aires province.

In yesterday’s post, we learned why one global investor believes Argentina offers some of the best real estate values in South America. Today, the Financial Times’ Oliver Balch explains why the mega-rich, ”especially those with a passion for polo,” are riding out the recession in Argentina. (Full article)

InvestBA readers know October to December is polo prime time in Argentina, but Balch explains that interest remains strong year-round given Argentina’s plentiful and inexpensive prairies…the world-class quality of its bloodlines…(and) its crop of exceptional players (Of the 12 best-ranked players in the world, 11 are Argentine). Cutting-edge breeding and affordable embryonic transfer facilities are also cited as competitive advantages for Argentina’s polo industry.

“Death and bankruptcy are the only reasons to quit polo,” says Balch, “As long as the country’s mega-rich patrons remain healthy and wealthy, its polo industry should as well.” And thanks to Argentina’s relative affordability, it’s not just the mega-rich who can enjoy the polo lifestyle. Polo tourism has grown exponentially in Buenos Aires province thanks to the number of estancias offering polo clinics like La Aguada, El Venado and La Araucaria. So, as long as you’re going to ride out the recession, why not create your own polo uniform and ride it out in style?

For more information about real estate opportunities in Buenos Aires, Argentina and Uruguay, download the new issue of InvestBA Privada.

InvestBA Privada

Doug Casey picks Argentina, Uruguay and Chile as the places to be. We've got the first two covered in Privada.

International Speculator sits down with global investor Doug Casey for a candid assessment of the global real estate market status quo and prospects for future growth and appreciation. The U.S. is definitely not high on Casey’s list, where he predicts the average American’s standard of living “will drop significantly” in the coming years…if it hasn’t already.

And while he has personally had good timing with investments in Spain and Hong Kong, he’s not very bullish on Europe, Central Asia, Africa or the Middle East for reasons ranging from overvaluation to “voracious” governments to shifting demographics.

So what options does that leave a real estate investing globetrotter in today’s environment? “South America,” says Casey, “I think it’s going to have its day in the sun. I think Argentina, Chile, and Uruguay are the places to be in South America. Brazil has gotten too expensive. Bolivia and Paraguay are too screwed up.

I like the Southern Cone countries, and among them, for reasons we have discussed at length in the International Speculator, I think Argentina offers the best speculative opportunities. And Casey finishes the interview with a more targeted plug for Argentina and Uruguay based on his own observations: “I see a lot of European immigration headed to Argentina. Europeans that come to Argentina, or Uruguay, for that matter, are going to realize that real estate costs a tenth of what it does in Europe. They will realize that this is the place to be for real estate, and lifestyle in general.”

For more information about real estate and other investment opportunities in Argentina and Uruguay, download the new issue of InvestBA Privada.

 

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