Hello From Honduras!
Date: 08/23/2005The following is an update from this weekend’s Live and Invest in Honduras Conference in La Ceiba.
Dear International Living Reader,
Good afternoon from our first Live and Invest in Honduras conference. We are spending time with 38 attendees who have traveled here from diverse locations--Hawaii, Tennessee, Colorado, France, and even South Korea--to hear from an impressive group of business-people and expats from different parts of Honduras. As the speakers introduced themselves to the group, the proceedings were recorded by Channel 7 television and one of the local radio stations.
Tuey Murdock, from First American Title Insurance, kickstarted the conference with valuable information about the importance of title insurance, and the questions flowed: Why is title insurance necessary?...how much does it add to the purchase of a property?…what happens if someone makes a claim on my property?… Tuey answered each one with her usual poise and expertise.
Next up was Lloyd Davison, owner of a tropical bird park in Copan, a coffee plantation, a fishing business, and a freighter. Lloyd really stole the show! Holding the group captive with his native Tennessee drawl, he talked about starting "the wrong business at the wrong time,"…and how it all worked out in the end. His story of how he transported his birds from the first park on Roatan to their new home in the forest outside Copan was hilarious--picture a twin-prop, 24-passenger plane sitting on the runway with a parrot, macaw, or tucan looking out of each window!
Gio Tugliani, of Tugliani & Tugliani law offices briefed us on the legal requirements and possible pitfalls of buying property in Honduras. Gio answered questions on ownership rights, powers of attorney, banking, and capital gains reporting, among others. One man told us that the information he got from Tuey and Gio alone was well worth the cost of the conference!
The first day rounded out with a bus trip into the cloud forest to the weekend retreat of Kent Ownbey, our realtor contact for the north coast of mainland Honduras. This extraordinary home is tiered into the hillside overlooking the Rio Cangrejal, a favorite destination for river rafters and kayakers. The landscaping and abundance of orchids brought sighs and smiles as our guests wandered down pathways to the river, pausing to see the native parrots at one of several terraces. Kent and his wife served refreshments as he gave a talk about property on the north coast.
"It’s been a great first day," one lady told us. "A stunning day" was the report from another, who started her day early that morning with a horseback ride and a soak in the nearby thermal mineral pools.
Ron and Janine Goben
For International Living in Honduras
Important Note: In the interest of full disclosure, we want you to know that International Living receives commissions from About Roatan Real Estate, Roatan Realty, Roatan Life Realty, Central American Real Estate Brokers, Keyhole Bay, Villa Elena, Honduras Shores Plantation, Palma Real Villas, Tugliani & Tugliani, and Garcia & Bodan.
Editor’s Note: To find out more about living in Honduras, sign up for IL’s newest free e-letter, Postcards from Honduras, here.
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