Property. A Seller's Opinion

REASONS TO SELL

(1) There are as many reasons to sell as there are sellers. My personal favorite is to guarantee your neighbors. Sell part, build next door. However, once sold you've lost control over what is eventually built. But there's a way to select your neighbors, in advance, and make sure they don't build kitsch castles, etc. Ceate a well designed condominium- then turn it over to them once a % of lots have been sold. A condominium synchronizes well with local environmental and development laws. And, because of the process involved, it's more likely to protect both environment and land values. However, it'smore complicated than simply selling pieces and getting out of the way.

The Beachfront: A prime second home condominium location. The place we want to live and share.

The Fazenda-Port on the Bay: This 21 hectares was acquired as a complement, primarily for small boat access to the continent across Camamú Bay. Rare, for many reasons: The shallowness of Camamu Bay. Rigorous government shoreline protection policies. And, as a result, of both, scarcity of deep water access to the Bay.

If not by boat, access to the Peninsula is by air or "the highway we love to hate"- the poor condition of which a blessing. Larger landowners consider an unimproved highway the single best way to protect the Peninsula from mass tourism, the inevitable land rush. And eventually stagnant property values. The result of easy access and overdevelopment is crime and inadequate infrastructure, Like modern camp followers, bandits, prostitutes and drug dealers inevitably seek out development along a newly paved highway. This was the fate of Porto Seguro and many other Brazilian beach communities once paved highways arrived.

Access to the Peninsula is either via fast boat (R$25/head/30 minutes) from Camamu on the continent; air taxi from Salvador (R$330 one way); or private plane or helicopter from Salvador or Ilheus. Cost in money and time (which equals money) is a deterrent to mass tourism and an effective filter of all but high end travelers and future residents.

Socio-economic levels of visitor and intended residents dramatically influences the type of development. Larger landowners on the Peninsula are thrilled the road is this bad. Those with money and influence in Brasilia are in a position to insist it remain that way. The story goes that Lula's previous Chief of Staff was taken back when asked about paving the BR 030 highway: "You mean.... you DON'T want the highway improved? Nothing could be easier!"

Mass tourism means mass production, factory like hotels supplied by tour bus after tour bus. However, none of this is possible with a highway like this, or marginally improved. The goal of most larrge, often environmentally conscious landowners here is large properties in the hands of those with resources enough to protect the environment and avoid the temptation to over develop. This needs to happen quickly, since pressure will eventually become overwhelming, constrained only by access. But from the transfer of land to those with the resources and interest to saveguard it, the goal seems possible.

A major ally are the numerous government agencies dedicated to protecting the environment- espeically one like the the pristine Pneinsula which has such a pronounced media profile. Notable among them are IBAMA (federal) and CRA (state). This in addition to the first and only Municipal APA in Brazil, now absorbed by the State APA. It's a comprehensive series of environmental restrictions and guidelines to maintain the area inviolate as an area of 'permanent protection'.

(2) To finance construction of our home is the second reason to sell part of our land. In Brazil it is difficult if not impossible to finance other than 'popular' homes at one end of the spectrum- or mega projects at the other. I cannot depend on a fixed income, pension, so selling a piece of a large area we do not need for privacy, etc is the obvious choice, despite rising land values.

AN IDEAL BUYER

It is hard to control development following purchase of one's land. But the choice of an ideal buyer, a future neighbor- is relatively easy. A landowner with plans to remain might prefer the kind of buyer, in order of preference, who will....

* Build a primary residence on a large piece of land.
* Build a vacation residence " " " " " "
* Either one, on smaller pieces. 50 linear meters seems close to minimum. But it all depends on implementation.
* High end, low impact, low volume eco retreat, pousada or other environmentally oriented business.
* High end, medium size tourist accommodation. (Ex: www.kiaroa.com for KIAROA resort, c. R$1000 up/night)
* Medium end, medium size (etc)
* Land speculator (last)