Twice Shy from Realtors in Panama

From November:

A few weeks ago I bought a tub of frosting with the sole intention of eating it with a spoon. No cake was intended, not a brownie or a cookie. I made no excuses or justifications. Hardcore chocolate frosting on a spoon.

Of course I felt sick to my stomach after the first indulgence. But did that stop me from polishing off the frosting over the next few days? Course not. I’d say that was the height of my pandemic slump.

Here in the Chiriqui Highlands, we had devastating mudslides from the heavy rains from hurricane Eta. Lives were lost, homes and businesses buried under mud. Even hope seemed to be hard to find. It’s all been too much, hasn’t it? Before the mudslides, there was a palpable energy in the air; the Panamanian national holidays and the reopening of the country to tourism gave people hope that things were on the upswing. The rainy season would be coming to an end, yielding to clear skies and much-missed sunshine.

Thankfully, hurricane Iota didn’t flood us with more rain. The community acted quickly to serve the needs of those who were displaced from the floods and donations piled up from all over the country; canned foods, kilos of rice and dried beans, baby formula and diapers, masks, soap, mattresses and more than enough clothing.

I’ve helped in ways I could, which seem rather insignificant but I realized something about myself during this crisis; I’m not the kind of person who can be on the front lines in a disaster. It affects me too much emotionally. But, I can help stitch quilts together, bake muffins, donate money and buy directly from the farmers.

So that’s what I’m doing.

Cerropunta, Panama - Chriqui Province

March 13, 2021:

And that’s what I did until December 31st when I flew back to the United States to deal with my house that had been in escrow the previous year but fell out and never got back in. A mobile home has space rent and mine was on the higher side because the park management can raise the rates when a sale occurs. I had someone come and sublease but she broke the lease early, at least she notified me two months ahead of time.

But traveling and selling a mobile home in the pandemic? How was all of that going to go?

Surprisingly, it all went quite smoothly.

Here’s what I’ve learned so clearly:

Things happen for our growth. They don’t happen on our schedule, they may not even be the things we claim to want or need to happen. A few reflections on my experience of deciding to move to Panama will give you an example. I moved due to my self-employment income not being enough to live the quality of life that’s important to me after my alimony ceased.

If I’d been flush with money, I never would have left the US and created a new life in Panama. And being here in Panama has not only been an amazing growth opportunity but has also given me the type of life I’ve yearned for; simple (unless dealing with banks, Internet and electricity providers), slow (except on Fridays and Sundays when people speed) and happy (even with the speeders and bureaucracies).

I was in a high-stress state when my house wasn’t selling and I was under contract for TWO real estate deals here in Panama. I’ve mentioned that I’m gullible? I managed to place my trust in a realtor who told me one of his tactics was to show people a good time and get them to drink the kool aid. Then he served me the kool aid. And I gulped it down. It’s easy to do. Palm trees, oceanfront restaurants serving ceviche and savory fried Corvina; music pulsing, people smiling, balmy breezes and empanadas - yeah, I washed it down with that kool aid.

Here’s what the kool aid sounds like, “It’s the best time to buy, prices are at an all time low, they’re only going to go up from here.“ “You can work for me managing property and you’ll get a split of the commission on any sales - no, you don’t need a license if you work under mine.” “I listen to people and know what they want and find it for them.”

What that translates into is this:

I’m lying. I’m lying. I’m lying.

This realtor is currently under investigation for various forms of fraud here in Panama. And, years ago in the United States, he was accused of rape by a woman he was having an affair with which resulted in a pregnancy. The baby was then found deceased. He claims the relationship was consensual, and maybe it was. But a man doesn’t get into that position if he doesn’t have affairs in the first place.

That story was in print from the newspaper where this person lived in the states. I’m not one to give 100% buy-in to hearsay stories because we all have our personal filters and you know how quickly facts can deteriorate. But seeing a video of the guy threatening, you wanna’ get killed, to his girlfriend here in Panama, that’s hard to deny.

And here I am, once again starting a slow search to possibly buy real estate here in Panama. What am I, crazy?

My very first interaction with a realtor on my first visit to Panama didn’t go well, either. I’d found a house online that was located in Altos del Maria, a gated residential community in the beautiful mountains inland from Coronado. It was hard to get the realtor to commit to a telephone conversation but when I did get him on the phone I strongly stated that the only reason I was coming to Panama was to see that house; was he sure it was available, and at the price listed?

Yes, yes, of course.

No. Not of course, actually.

What happened was that on the morning I was ready to go see the property with his colleague (another piece of work known for threatening her neighbors and scamming homeowners), he showed up at the Air bnb where I was staying, sat me down and said the seller changed his mind and decided not to sell the house.

Was this a scam to get me to the country where he could show me alternative houses? Did the owner really change his mind during the time I was flying at 25,000 feet? Who knows.

Again, it turned out to be a blessing not to rush into buying anything - which is now my mantra that I often yell in ALL CAPS on FaceBook posts from naive people just like I was who are looking to buy a house in Panama.

You can imagine that these experiences make me cautious about buying property. But I have this idea . . .

(pauses to sigh)

And what I’m hoping, counting on in fact, is that the lessons I’ve learned from the past have embedded themselves as wisdom as I move forward, feeling a bit more grounded and less like Squirrel!

I think it’s natural to have the squirrel mind when you move to a new country. You’ve uprooted your entire life to go live in an unfamiliar place where you may not know anyone and your need to feel grounded has you looking to settle into a home as fast as possible.

Patience truly is a virtue and one that is essential when you move to a foreign country.

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