Cape Verde

[Fionita]

I happen to sell property in Cape Verde. Or should I say, I have it to sell, but I dont endorse it. Why?

Its a dump. Lethal sand storms for months on end, serious water problems and electricity is like something from the dark ages - actually it may as well be for all the times its actually working. The islands are soooo small and as clients who said to me it was a waste of time, hassle and money hiring a car as they had the whole island covered in 25 mins.

The price of property has actually doubled since last summer, but you are not getting nowhere the value for money you once were. If anyone has bought in the last year or 2, now is the time to sell. Resales don't exist out there.

Flights are a nightmare and very expensive and you try finding a tour operator who will organise a decent trip for you. There is no established tourism market there, no matter what you are told. Up until recently, you had to fly from dublin to either paris or amsterdam to get a flight down and sometimes with a change in Spain too. You can fly direct from UK now - but does the moon have to be pink or something to get one - not sure about that.

If a client wants it, then who am I to judge them. But be careful. It will never turn into a tourist destination - what is there to tour????

 

[mollser]

Thats a very interesting and frank opinion Fionita! Good to cut through the guff once in a while - nice one!

 

[Carlos]

Fionita, with you being an overseas property selling agent could you please give your official sources, (weather reports, news storys, etc) to your statments, of Lethal sandstorms for months on end,drought conditions,and the distinct lack of a working electric system.
I have not been to Sal, like you have, so i have to rely on personal research and info gathered from various sources including friends who have visited the island. Carlos

 

[Wilkes]

Just back from a visit. Fionita is telling porkies, duuno why. Sao Vincente is spectacular and its capital Mindelo much like Havana in terms of energy warmth of the people and music, population 70,000. Its full of volcanic majesty ans fantastic sandy beaches. Sao Antonio is lush green mountainous and very spectacular. Sal is flat by comparison but has sandy beaches that go on for miles and already has Five Star hotels like RIU. Sal's capital Santa Maria is vibrant and modernising rapidly.

Cape Verde is windy but the wind is vital in keeping the heat at bay. Its also a latent natural resource and replacement for imported oil when the time comes. There is no electricity problems or water problems but obviously these need careful husbandry and development to meet the intended expansion. This is a real issue for Govt planners / engineers and developers alike and probably the biggest challenge.

Verdict; CP is either a glass half full or half empty depending on your disposition. Developers and investors see it half full, skeptics half empty but so long as big money is on the move in CP it should become a virtuous circle. Two years ago skeptics would not have predicted a halving in unemployment or an exponential growth in visitors. I suspect that skeptics will continue to knock CP until it becomes as acceptable as The Canaries which in its time was written off by the skeptics as a wind blown volcanic nowhere with water shortages, little electricity and no natural resources.

What's ignored is location, location, location and the ever growing wealth in Europe and the USA seeking new destinations.

 

[DonKing]

Its full of volcanic majesty

Did you come up with this rubbish yourself of take it from a brochure/agent's spiel?

.

What's ignored is location, location, location

I totally agree, it's all about location, but isn't CP in the middle of nowhere half way around the world?

 

[gearoidmm]

I totally agree, it's all about location, but isn't CP in the middle of nowhere half way around the world?

I have no beef about CV but isn't that also true of the Maldives, Hawaii, Mautirius.... etc, etc. Distance isn't the hurdle that it once was. people will pay a lot and go a long way for the sake of isolation and luxury. That said, it might be too far for the mass-market week in majorca crowd. It's hard to know at this stage how it will turn out

 

[Persius]

Good point. I was over in the UK last week and browsing through the prooperty supplement of their "Independant" newspaper. They were marketing CV as an alternative to Caribean islands. I.e. a shorter flight than to the caribean, and approximatly the same time zone as the UK, so no jet lag.

So hard to know if you should be comparing with Balearics, Canaries or Caribean...

 

[Shellies]

i have heard nothing but negative remarks from people i know that have actually been to Sal. one person was there for 6 weeks, after 3 weeks he had been robbed 3 times. After that he could not leave the resort. It is becoming known as a place of 'robbers'. The island has absolutely nothing to offer, no tourism market yet and the locals are so poor. when they see rich foreigners coming onto their island for the first time really in large numbers, they see the dollar signs. Remember that this is really Africa!! only advise i can give to anyone who wants to invest there is simply 'take the trip over' if it is 'so easy' to access now with direct flights and see for yourself.

 

[Shellies]

p.s there is no comparison between the carribean and cv. Culture, music, gastronomy, lifestyle, religion, locals, language, tourism market, real estate market. The absolute only thing that CV has in common with caribbean is that the sun also shines there throughout the year. i think its rediculous that it is being compared to the tropical, sexy and well established CAribbean market. it is a joke!!

 

[Wilkes]

I don't see CV through rose tinted glasses, its undeveloped and while its the 4th most economically advanced country in Africa it is nonetheless an African destination but some comments have to be questioned. Firstly having been to three Islands it is reasonable to say that two of those, with the volcanic mountain ranges are spectacular, you would need to have a wooden soul not to say so. If you haven't been check out the photos earlier.

Secondly the culture is rich. CV music and art is pretty good, especially the music which is a damn sight more joyfull and sexier than our own go bronach stuff. Thirdly I saw no petty crime and if your friend was indeed robbed three times I can only speculate that it was in the wee hours of the morning, after too much hooch and in someones elses bedroom - a universally common possibility. I have walked Santa Maria by day and night and it is very safe, far safer than lots of streets in our cities and towns. Crime is not a problem on CV and any suggestion to the contrary is misleading.

 

[Afuera]

Thirdly I saw no petty crime and if your friend was indeed robbed three times I can only speculate that it was in the wee hours of the morning, after too much hooch and in someones elses bedroom - a universally common possibility. I have walked Santa Maria by day and night and it is very safe, far safer than lots of streets in our cities and towns. Crime is not a problem on CV and any suggestion to the contrary is misleading.

You sound very defensive Wilkes. Besides your own anecdotal evidence, do you have any statistics or reports to calm peoples fears about crime in C.V.?

With such a high unemployment rate (20%), I think that it's only to be expected that some people will be forced to resort to crime. Rich foreigners would obviously be more of a target than the poorer locals.

 

[Wilkes]

C'mon at least I've been there. Where is the evidence of crime. why should I prove a negative.

 

[Afuera]

C'mon at least I've been there. Where is the evidence of crime. why should I prove a negative.

The following is taken from the U.S. Department of State.
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_1083.html

CRIME: Petty thievery and burglary are common in Cape Verde, especially in crowds, such as market places, festivals, and celebrations. Criminals do not necessarily target Americans, but rather affluent foreigners. Local police statistics reflect an increase in crime in Cape Verde, particularly in the cities of Praia and Mindelo. Often the perpetrators of these crimes are gangs of street children, so visitors should avoid groups of children who appear to have no adult supervision.
Muggings occur more often than previously, particularly at night and in more isolated areas, and occasionally violence is associated with them. Crime associated with drugs and drug-use is also on the rise. Due to lack of lighting in many public areas and periodic blackouts, people are encouraged to carry small flashlights, travel with others, keep vehicle doors and windows locked, avoid dark and isolated places, and be especially vigilant in the evenings.
Violent crime is also increasing in Cape Verde. There have been several murders and attempted murders in the pas year, mostly reported in the urban centers of Praia and Mindelo, although Sal and other islands have not been immune. Murders and violent assaults have not targeted American citizens specifically. As reported in the Department of State’s Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, domestic abuse against women, including wife beating, is a deep-rooted social problem. The report also mentions that “child abuse and mistreatment, sexual violence against children, and juvenile prostitution were problems” in 2004. Domestic and child abusers do not specifically target American women or children. For information related to crime statistics in Cape Verde, see the Public Order Police’s web site at http://www.pop.cv/conteudo.asp?cod_conteudo=52 .

Sounds like tourists have to stick to the resorts or foreign compounds to stay safe and shouldn't wander around with the locals.

Does not really sound like my cup of tea - I think part of the reason for buying a home abroad is to be able to enjoy the local culture too, but then whatever floats your boat!

 

[Wilkes]

Ah c'mon we can all play that game. I didn't say there was no crime but I didn't see or sense the same threat as at home for example. Crime in CV is low by African standards;

INCIDENCE OF CRIME
Cape Verde has not provided data for any United Nations surveys of crime or for INTERPOL; however, an estimate of crime is given in the United States State Department's Consular Information Sheet. According to this source, petty thievery (especially in market areas) and burglary are common. Violent crime is rising, but it is low by regional standards.

It is also falling....
As in any African country, petty thievery and burglary are quite common, but crime rates in Cape Verde are relatively low. Visitors are advised to take normal precautions and avoid large crowds, any political gatherings, and street demonstrations.
Interestingly, the crime rate in the city of Praia in July was considerably lower than that registered in the same month last year, according to a source from the Ministry of Internal Administration. Crimes against goods and property went down by 42% in comparison to July 2005, while crimes against people were down by 22%. This is due to improved policing.



Here's what the USA Embassy says about tourists in Dublin. This of course ignores our murder rate steeply rising due to our drug and gun culture. Maybe tourists shouldn't come to Ireland too?

Each year some 200 Americans report their passports stolen or lost in Dublin. Many are the victims of pickpockets operating in areas frequented by tourists, particularly museums or crowded bus and train stations. In the center of town, the area along the banks of the Liffey river is popular with pickpockets. Well-dressed pickpockets also stalk their prey in hotel restaurants and lobbies and in pubs.

Pickpockets assume that American tourists carry large amounts of cash and are sufficiently preoccupied with their unfamiliar surroundings to be easy targets. They are confident that most American tourists are off their guard while in Ireland, believing that this sort of thing does not happen in Ireland.

Heres more comment. Definitely unsafe for tourists???

[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Vandalism and robbery in some parts of Dublin is so common that many people don't bother reporting minor thefts - garden furniture, kids bikes left outside for a few minutes and the like. [/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Gang related drug-turf fights probably make up the majority of murders. These are getting more vicious as the gangs acquire more guns. My advice is don't choose drug dealing as a career path.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]Rape crisis experts report that they're dealing with more victims than ever. But, fewer are reporting such crimes to the police. The same goes for minor burglaries which are common enough in the towns to not be worth notifying the Garda/Police.[/FONT]
[FONT=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]All told there were more than 100,000 serious crimes reported in a recent year. That's a big number even if it does undercount some crimes. And 4,000 assaults causing harm is hardly cause for rejoicing. [/FONT]

 

[Ancutza]

Would you like to declare, Wilkes, if your visit was purely for relaxation reasons or were you there on a viewing trip with a 'view' to becoming an agent?

 

[auto320]

C V may be fine if you want to buy a home and spend lots of time there (don't laugh, lots of people might like that), but this thread is about property investment. If anyone thinks that buying property in that market equals investment, they probably deserve what they get!

 

[mollser]

they did their piece on newstalk the other night. Interesting, pure gamble investing, it may or may not be the new carribean, only time will tell, as in 10 years +. I do find it interesting about the amount of money being pumped in by big hitters, Ernie Els golf courses etc. Of course, he isn't the most high profile golf designer, but...

still looked like a dump on the tele show all the same.

 

[Afuera]

Crime in CV is low by African standards;

This says it all, I think.

Violent crime is rising, but it is low by regional standards. It is also falling....

Not from the stats I've been looking at. Would you care to divulge where you lifted your text from? The general trend of reported crime, as far as I can see, is upwards:
[broken link removed]

Here's what the USA Embassy says about tourists in Dublin. This of course ignores our murder rate steeply rising due to our drug and gun culture. Maybe tourists shouldn't come to Ireland too?

Yes, I'm hearing it more and more from visitors how they didn't feel safe walking around parts of the city centre and I'd agree with them. It's unfortunate but parts of Dublin really are no-go areas. Would you recommend visitors to wander around Pearce St. late at night?

 

[almo]

Out of interest, what are the Embassies and US themselves saying about tourists in the States? What with Homeland Security, gangbangers, carjackings, natural disasters, mad muslims, mad rednecks and so on so on, it would appear that CV would be infinitely safer to visit!

 

[sunrock]

I know nothing about cape verde.
We really need to hear more from people who`ve been there on holiday.
It really is so hard to judge.
Dublin is clearly ...lots of crime..but if you go about your business minding your own buisness then it`s not so bad.
However there are places where tourists are targetted, and if tourists stick out then thats worse..i.e. different complexion.
In peru ,one may be the victim of childish robbery.....distracted by kids ...one squirts toothpaste on you...another offers to help...a third robs you...
In jamaica many tourists stay inside the resort complex. afraid of the drug crazed violence that might await them outside.
Personally i wouln`t buy in c.v.,without visiting the place many times
Also it`s so hard to get to.