Monday, June 9, 2014

Brazil---your time has come, but are you ready?

Brazil is about to take centre stage as the World Cup for the ‘beautiful game’ takes hold of ----everything. It has been a difficult run-up to the opening and there are still issues re the readiness of some of the stadiums. There are also many political problems; around crime, housing and transport and the overall safety of the tourists who are descending upon this giant in South America.
 No doubt most Brazilians are very proud of the efforts their country has made to host this momentous event, but there are those who are feeling left out and ignored; namely the poor and the underpaid who have taken action ns to improve their lot. Whether this will impact on the smooth running of the games, and not cause embarrassment or even endanger aspects of the Cup, is yet to be seen. For sure there have been heavy actions on the part of the police as they try to minimise any actions various groups may take, to get their point across. There is no doubt that Brazil is an emerging giant and economic powerhouse, but it has still to achieve an answer to the old problem that many countries have---addressing the gap between the rich and powerless.
I wish Brazil well and hope that they can enjoy and celebrate the games; working towards a more equal society. But, those in power, not just political, are not known for giving up their privileged positions.  Who’s going to win? Hopefully everyone!

Haunted house? What to do if you buy a home and then find someone has suicided there.

Often life throws a curve ball at us and sometimes in quite unexpected ways. Take for example, the case of the couple who brought a house in good faith, only to find the home to be depressing and ‘dark,’ once they moved in. They became depressed and put the home on the market again and at the time of sale were told by a neighbour that there had been a suicide before they had brought it. The new owners found out and were upset and also sold the home on. The agents were subsequently taken to account and although they paid no compensation, it was found that they should have made prospective buyers aware of the ‘issues.
This is a hard one. Fault seems to be the wrong word and divulging information may well have had an effect on the price or even contribute to a non-sale for many buyers, however for some, it may have been down to some sort of ‘spiritual cleansing,’ and that may have been enough. I can only say that for myself, I would like to have been made aware and then taken things from there. Whether that would have translated into a lower price, I do not know.
This issue must arise a great deal in markets where the homes are hundreds of years old; take in Europe for example. How do they deal with the situation? Is a ‘blessing’ by a priest or other spiritual leader, enough? For sure, as New Zealand comes ‘of age,’ this vexing issue will arise again. Given that, maybe we need to have the discussion and find a way forward that satisfies all eventualities. To be given the choice as to what to do, very much depends on having the correct information about a property. After all, if a property is flood-prone, we are at least aware and can adjust our actions accordingly. Te be warned is to be prepared and be able to make appropriate decisions.