Chief Information Officer Blog

Florianopolis, the capital city of the Brazilian state of Santa Catarina, is located on the beautiful island of Santa Catarina, which is itself widely referred to as Florianopolis.

This throbbing city has the best standard of living of any in Brazil, and the inhabitants know how to enjoy themselves.

The island is famous for its long stretches of sugar-soft sandy beaches, succulent seafood and traditional Azorean hospitality. The tropical climate, exotic landscapes and lay back way of life make the island a firm favourite with holidaying Brazilians, but it is also becoming more and more popular with international visitors.

The majority the population lives on the north end of the land mass. Although originally settled by the Portuguese who came from the Azores, the city has strong German and Italian influences.

In the high season, from December to February, the population of the city trebles and the beaches closest to the city centre, Canasvieiras, Jurure and Praia dos Ingleses, are packed with tanning bodies. But there are plenty more not far away.

To the east the lush green hills give way to the wide, sandy beaches of Galheta, Mole and Joaquina. Here the big, exciting waves attract surfers looking for that perfect ride. In the south-east of the island looking out into the Atlantic are the rugged, deserted beaches of Campeche, Armacao, Lagoinha do Leste and Naufragios, which can only be reached by walking track.

Ribeirao da Ilha, on the west side of the island, bears testament to Azorean immigration. The beautifully maintained Azorean and Portuguese fishing villages boast colourful buildings and friendly inhabitants. The historic centre, in Frequesia, has a beautiful plaza with the Igreja Nossa Senhora, da Lapa do Ribeirao church, and an interesting cultural Museum. The area is accessible only via a narrow, winding and picturesque seaside track affording scenic vistas of Baia Sul and the lush hills of the mainland across the water body.

The Lagoa da Conceicao is a famous natural attraction in the centre of the island. The large lagoon is partially surrounded by sand dunes and its shallow waters and high winds make it perfect for wind-surfing. Here are also some of the best eating places and nightlife on the island.

It doesn’t matter if your in the market for holiday deals to Brazil, domestic flights within Australia, or you want to stay at home and have Gold Coast Holidays, talk to Escape Travel.

So you’re interested in getting started in real estate investing? You’ve heard pundit after pundit tell you things like “46% of American millionaires own investment real estate.” Maybe you’ve seen the late night infomercial pundits telling you how you can get rich on other people’s money with no credit, no assets, no job and no experience. If you believe those folks, you may be in trouble. Yes, you do need something going for you besides the $99.95 for their course if you want to succeed as a real estate investor, but with the right information, a drive to succeed and a willingness to be realistic about what it takes, real estate can help you build a nice nest egg for retirement or a business with a great cash flow now.

One of the things you need to have going for you is good information and the place to get that is from an experienced real estate agent. Yes, real estate agents cost money, but in the long run they more than pay for themselves. In 10 years in real estate, I’ve seen real estate investors who were hostile to agents come and go and I’ve seen dozens of investors who worked with a good agent retire wealthy. Picking an agent who is knowledgeable, experienced and willing to work for you like the money was his own is the most important single decision you’ll make as a real estate investor.

You may be thinking, “Real estate? Now?” Yes, now. “Isn’t it a down market?” Yes and no. First, you need to understand that there’s no such thing as “the real estate market” - there are many kinds of real estate and many local markets and they’re all different. Most US housing markets are down right now, but some are up and the commercial real estate market is doing very well in many places. Second, even in a down market there are opportunities. In fact, I know investors who’d say the best opportunities are in a down market, after all the slogan “buy low, sell high” applies in real estate the same as any investment.

One such opportunity is in foreclosed properties, known in the industry as bank and mortgage company “REO” which is short for “real estate owned.” If you do decide to get involved in REO investing, getting the right advice is really important as the typical rules of real estate simply don’t apply. You’ll need an experienced REO agent to give you the answers to real estate questions.

In this complex and rapidly changing part of the real estate industry, it’s even more important to work with an agent who keeps up with all the latest real estate news, from the basics like mortgage rates to new government regulations, the local market statistics and the latest technology. Picking an agent on the cutting edge can literally save you thousands.