BUSINESS IN BRASIL: IT TOOK 3 MINUTES TO SELL TRUMP ON BRAZIL

This piece contains two stories.  One is obviously about the potential investing in South America, in particular in Brasil.  The other shows how persaverance and believing in yourself can pay off big time.  Business in Brasil is booming and everyone wants a piece of the action.

Much like Brazilian girls, Brazilian property is steaming hot and has been for some time now.  Brasil has definitely become the hottest emerging property market in Latin America, having just received what during the boom came to be known as the emerging market seal-of-approval, investment by Donald Trump and the well known Trump Organization.


An example of this seal of approval is Panama, during the boom Panama’s construction boom was the hottest in Latin America, and the world, at which point Trump graced it with a Trump Tower, a massive multi-purpose (commercial, luxury-residential, hotel, condos, casino(s)) sky-scraper in Panama City, which we have all no-doubt heard about.

BRAZILIAN BIKINIS GETTING BIGGER TO FIT GROWING WAISTLINES

In this photo Elisangela Inez Soares rinses off at a shower in Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  According to Soares "not everyone is built like a model."

RIO DE JANEIRO (AP) — Tall and tan and young and ... chunky?

The Girl From Ipanema has put on a few pounds, and for many sunbathers on Brazil's beaches the country's iconic itsy-bitsy, teeny-weeny bikini just doesn't suffice anymore.

A growing number of bikini manufacturers have woken up to Brazil's thickening waistline and are reaching out to the ever-expanding ranks of heavy women with new plus-size lines.

That's nothing short of a revolution in this most body-conscious of nations, where overweight ladies long had little choice but to hit the beach in comely ensembles of oversized T-shirts and biker shorts.

Barbara Monteiro, Miss Brazil Plus Size 2011

"It used to be bikinis were only in tiny sizes that only skinny girls could fit into. But not everyone is built like a model," said Elisangela Inez Soares as she sunbathed on Copacabana beach, her oiled-up curves packed into a black size 12 bikini.

"Finally, it seems like people are beginning to realize that we're not all Gisele," said the 38-year-old mother of four, referring to willowy Brazilian supermodel Gisele Bundchen.

Clothing designer Clarice Rebelatto said her own swimwear-hunting travails prompted her to found Lehona, an exclusively plus-size beachwear line.

"Honestly, the problem went way beyond just bikinis. In Brazil, it used to be that if you were even a little chunky, finding any kind of clothes in the right size was a real problem," said Rebelatto, herself a size 10.

BUSINESS IN BRASIL: NEW INVESTMENT VISA LAW CHANGES

Important update for anyone looking to conduct business in Brasil.

By Jose Santiago
September 13, 2011

The new Normative Resolution number 95 amends the Investment Visa Rules as follows: Resolution number 95 of 10th of August 2011, changes the rules for concession and renewal of certain investment visa types.

Below are the most important changes:

Kind of visa: Permanent visa for administrators

THE SECRET'S OUT. WHO WOULDN'T WANT TO LIVE HERE?

Thanks to Doug over at Brazil Beach Living for sharing this article with me.

An absolutely stunning Saturday here, still a bit more breezy than normal but an azure blue sky prevails and the crispy clean air is alive with the sentiments of summer approaching.  NE Brazil has the cleanest air on the planet according to NASA.  In JP you still need to stay near the beach to avoid pollution but it is still tiny compared to all the other NEast Capitals. 

As much as I adored living in Laguna Beach south of Los Angeles, CA the brown haze out over the ocean took it's toll on the benefits. 

International Living just sent out this Pathfinder article on JP. We already know why this area is special so this is kind of a warning as much as anything else! This is the last bastion, the last still relatively "undiscovered" sweet spot in Tropical Beach Brazil living. 

We couldn't hide for long.

Onward and magic, 

Douglas and fam

__________

Who Wouldn't Want to Live Here?

Saturday, September 17, 2011

Dear Reader,

Looks nice, doesn't it? If you're picturing yourself spending time here ...relaxing on the sand, soaking up some rays, enjoying life...you're not alone. This Brazilian city is a retirement and relocation hotspot. And there's a way for you to profit from its popularity.

NEW RICH CLASS: BRAZILIAN YACHT MARKET ON THE RISE

This Aug. 10 photo shows Marcio Christiansen, CEO of Ferretti Group Brazil, at the company's show room in Sao Paulo.

If the rising wealthy class in any indication, business is doing good in Brasil.
By BRADLEY BROOKS

SAO PAULO — Marcio Christiansen reeled off tales of the growing ranks of rich Brazilians who visit his luxury Ferretti yacht showroom, where clients sip espressos on an oversized sable sofa and electronic music bubbles in the air.

One man paid $2 million for a ship, Christiansen said, after succumbing within 30 minutes to his kids' pleas of "Buy it, daddy, buy it!" Another toured the sparkling 53-foot yacht on the showroom floor, then asked to discuss it over lunch.

"The waiter comes over to take our order and the client asks to borrow a piece of paper from his pad," said Christiansen, CEO of Ferretti's Brazil group. "He starts working out a contract on it and we've agreed to it before I've asked for a sandwich."

BRAZIL BOOM DRAWS AMERICANS EAGER TO PROFIT

Foreigners Follow Money to Booming Brazil, Land of $35 Martini

Daniel Kfouri for The New York Times

Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro. Prices for prime office space in Rio became the highest for any city in the Americas this year.

By SIMON ROMERO

Published: August 12, 2011

RIO DE JANEIRO — Pondering the financial storms lashing Europe and the United States, Seth Zalkin, a casually dressed American banker, sipped a demitasse and seemed content with his decision to move here in March with his wife and son.

BRAZIL'S STILL SPENDING! NO SLOWDOWN IN SIGHT

No Major Slowdown As Brazil Consumers Still Happily Spending

 As consumer confidence dwindles in the U.S. , farther south in Brazil the local consumers are still happily spending and not even double digit interest rates are enough to truly scare them away. That’s because Brazilians on balance are fast moving into the middle class. More than half of the population is now solidly middle class compared to well less than that five years ago.  When looked at month over month, consumer spending rose a meager 0.2% in June as the government’s macroprudential measures to slow inflation by raising interest rates all year showed their strength.