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South America’s Most Livable Cities: Buenos Aires & Montevideo

On May 31, 2010, In competitiveness, foreign investment, lifestyle, us companies, by InvestBA
Buenos Aires and Montevideo quality of living index from Mercer

No Surprises: Buenos Aires and Montevideo were the highest ranked cities in South America.

While global mergers and acquisitions are based largely on perceived synergies and potential bottom line impact, a very human-oriented discussion typically emerges once the deal is done. Who do we send from the Home Office to manage the new foreign subsidiary? How is the quality of life there vis-a -vis the U.S.? And, of course, what is an appropriate compensation package for our soon-to-be expats?

Fortunately Mercer, a global leader in HR consulting, has the answers in their just-released 2010 Quality of Living Survey. Unlike the International Living index which focuses on variables important to retirees, the Mercer survey is designed to help multinationals fairly compensate their employees working abroad, and New York with a score of 100 is used as the base city.

The La Nacion headline came as no surprise to InvestBA readers: Buenos Aires, the best city to live in South America. In fact, out of 221 cities, Buenos Aires and our other local favorite,  Montevideo, were ranked back-to-back at #78 and #79, the two highest ranking metros in South America, followed by Santiago (#90), Brasilia (#104), Rio (#116), and Sao Paulo (#117).

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

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There Are Better Places to Live

On April 19, 2010, In culture, foreign investment, lifestyle, uruguay, by InvestBA
More Americans and Canadians discovering the quality of life in Argentina and Uruguay

Rethinking country risk can change the way you view investing and living abroad.

With volcanic ash cascading earthward, half of all flights grounded in Europe and U.S. housing prices nursing an “epic hangover,” it’s a good morning to reflect on quality of life and other advantages of living here in Argentina and Uruguay.

Granted, both countries rank consistently as the #1 and #2 destinations in Latin America for Quality of Life, but sometimes anecdotal evidence speaks louder than quantitative rankings. In an analysis of country risk, investor and best-selling author Bill Bonner shares a lunch conversation with a friend who moved to Argentina “because (he) felt (his) children would have a better future here than in Britain.”

After ticking off a litany of BA advantages (e.g., lower population density, more affordable housing, shorter commute times), the friend dug deeper: “If you want to give your children the best combination of lifestyle and economic opportunity, there are better places to live.”

Does that mean you should renounce your citizenship and hop the next flight to BA, Montevideo or Sao Paulo? Of course not. Like Bonner’s article, it’s simply an open invitation for us to rethink country risk, growth opportunities and lifestyle advantages of living abroad.

Whether you’re bothered by the status quo or anticipating greater changes on the horizon, use online tools to start planning an exit strategy now. Not familiar with the local terrain? Open a Google map. Still struggling with the language? Join LiveMocha. Wondering what your net worth is in pesos? Go to XE.com. With an open mind and enough due diligence, you just might find a better place to live.

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

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Carpe Pasaporte: Living the Dream in Buenos Aires

On March 26, 2010, In lifestyle, tourism, wine & vineyards, by InvestBA
More Americans and Canadians discovering the quality of Life in Buenos Aires and Argentina

"Just livin' the dream": When the economy has everyone around you down, BA might make sense.

While some of our home countries are drowning in debt, others lack optimism regarding job prospects and the economic outlook. It’s times like this when many begin to re-prioritize and ponder quality of life, a common narrative thread here on InvestBA.

Whether it’s the annual International Living ranking or a wine expert lauding the “wonderfulness” of BA, or a foreign investor branding Argentina “the best place in the world,” these sources bring added credibility considering they have all scoured the planet looking for the best of whatever it is they are searching for: places to retire, food & wine, or prime real estate.

For the uninitiated, these articles fuel the imagination but don’t necessarily show you how to connect the dots and make the leap. Shelter Offshore to the rescue. The expat resource which touts Wealthier Living Abroad, fills in the dream-to-reality canvas for readers with some back-of-the-envelope calculations and a carpe pasaporte-inducing headline, “Live Your Dream Life Abroad for Less than £1,000 a Month.” ($1,300 USD).

Argentina is one of four Latin American countries mentioned in the article and Buenos Aires neighborhoods like Palermo SoHo are singled out for their abundance of dining, educational and cultural offerings. Once you’ve made the leap, Shelter Offshore recommends a minimum six-month commitment at whatever “wealthier” destination readers may choose. (Full article)

For more information about investment opportunities in Buenos Aires, download IncomeBA and the new issue of InvestBA Privada.

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Argentina: The Best Place in the World

On March 17, 2010, In foreign investment, real estate, tourism, by InvestBA
More Americans and Canadians Discover Argentina Quality of Life

Freedom Lovers: Argentina's gauchos still roam the country's wide open spaces. (Photo: Luis Marden)

Whiskey & Gunpowder, one of the best online resources for freedom-loving individual investors, starts the morning off with this quality of life superlative from author Doug Casey of Casey Research: Argentina is the Best Place in the World. Back in November, Casey talked about Argentina’s bargains; now he’s expanding on the country’s value proposition.

The advantages for globetrotters and real estate investors are compelling including cheap land, relative ease of entry and exit, and no artificially-inflated real estate prices, given the scarcity of mortgages in Argentina and preponderance of all cash transactions. In contrast, the author feels the U.S. and Europe have both lost some of their speculative sheen due to growing state intervention and shifting demographics.

Granted, Argentina’s government and immigration policies are less than Utopian but, Casey says, the federal government is more incompetent than evil, while the immigration policies in both Argentina and Uruguay benefit tourists, real estate investors and income shifters alike. And while Casey describes Buenos Aires as “one of the great cities of the world,” it’s the lure of speculative opportunities amid Argentina’s wide-open spaces that increasingly resonates with free-market seeking Americans, Canadians and Europeans.  (Whiskey & Gunpowder)

For more information about retirement and investment opportunities in Argentina, download the new issue of InvestBA Privada.

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The Word Is Out on the “Wonderfulness” of Buenos Aires

On February 17, 2010, In lifestyle, tourism, wine & vineyards, by InvestBA
Wine critic Matt Kramer writes of the "wonderfulness" of BA. (Pictured: Soberbia 22 in Palermo)

Wine critic Matt Kramer writes of the "wonderfulness" of Buenos Aires. (Pictured: Soberbia 22 in Palermo)

American wine critic and Wine Spectator contributing editor Matt Kramer arrives in Buenos Aires for a three-month stay and wastes little time getting to know the food & wine delights of his newly adopted barrio of Palermo Soho. Kramer authored several Making Sense of Wine books and coined a term “somewhereness” in describing a wine’s character.

Prior to his departure, Kramer says none of his friends or family members ever asked him,Why Argentina? “Apparently, the word is out on the wonderfulness of Argentina as a place and the Argentines as a people,” Kramer surmises, “And, let’s be honest, the word is also out about how wonderfully inexpensive Argentina is for those of us trading woebegone American bucks for even more economically bedraggled Argentine pesos.”

In describing what makes BA unique, Kramer points to the “intactness” of the city and a true feeling of identity in the city’s many diverse neighborhoods. In his own neighborhood of Palermo Soho, Kramer praises the diversity of culinary offerings: “Around the corner from us is a Moroccan restaurant. Italian restaurants abound. And, surprisingly, there are a fair number of sushi places.”

So for at least one veteran critic in Buenos Aires, it seems “somewhereness” has truly given way to “wonderfulness.” Buen provecho! (Full Wine Spectator article)

For more information about Buenos Aires events and investment opportunities, download IncomeBA and the new issue of InvestBA Privada.

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