Why Colombians Want (Some) Foreigners to Leave...

A few months back, sign saying "GO HOME GRINGO" went up all over the tourist zones of Medellin telling foreigners to pack up and go home.
This negative attitude towards foreigners has some people worried as tourism to Medellin, Colombia reaches all time highs and the rise of rental prices has no end in sight.
But who's to blame?
In this video I meet with Medellin local, Carolina, to find out what she thinks about this situation and if we as foreigners should be worried.
***
G'day, my name's AK and on this channel I explore expat life in Medellin, Colombia. Whether you're considering moving to Medellin or just visiting Colombia, I've got you covered. Join me as I show you exactly what living in Medellin and Colombia as an expat is really like.
#medellin #colombia #medellín #visitcolombia #airbnbcolombia #gentrification

[@AKJoel]

🤔How can we as foreigners help minimize these issue? 1. Do your research, don't blindly pay inflated prices for rentals. 2. Respect the culture and the locals.

[@ELmasDuroChamp]

Easy answer it’s not the foreigners fault blame the owner of the property’s they are the ones that have control of changing the prices so be mad at them , that’s like Americans saying don’t come to the United States when it’s only the racist people saying that , life is changing people are moving around left and right , there’s country’s using the American dollar and they aren’t even American that destroys the economy even worst , picture Colombia using the American dollar and it can happen we never know what can happen in life , of course prices are going to go up they never going to go down its all business to make the most you can on each property, the market is at its worst not just in Colombia in United States as well , that’s why we see many people leaving and I don’t blame them at all who wouldn’t want to live a better life in Colombia or any where else , Colombia is a beautiful place to live you get peace of mind but with that it’s going to come with a price no matter where you want to live, inflation is going to happen it’s at its worst because giving property’s for cheap is not happening in today’s economy unless you have a married couple getting a divorce and want to sell quick and cheap those are the best property’s yo buy , back in the days it was the best time to buy not now , nobody knows what can happen, people aren’t going to buy or rent expensive places and that’s when owners are going to be stuck with property’s you’ll see same thing happening in the states

[@AlexA-cn5ip]

Your point about the gentrification being blamed all on foreigners is really true, it's like Americans that rage about illegal immigrants taking jobs or bringing down wages, forgetting that if American business owners weren't intentionally hiring illegal immigrants in order to pay them less and make more money, the problem wouldn't exist. Also, if workers were compensated more fairly by greedy business owners in the USA and Colombia that pay the bare minimum to survive, neither gentrification nor illegal immigration would be nearly as much of an issue for the common person

[@stephensedgmen9165]

U know it's the same here🦘 How can any young peoples buy a house in Sydney or Melbourne. The rich out price the everyday folks... Such is life 🇦🇺

[@patienceobongo]

An Indian with an Aussie accent in South America. Globalism overload.

[@burtonknows9201]

It's called rent control!!

[@elonmusk9869]

I live in a city - Austin Texas - where for the past 15 years there has been a huge problem of Californians moving in and inflating the real estate prices and all other prices subsequently. This occurs everywhere, it’s not unique to Medellin.

[@AKJoel]

True, this happens all over the world.

[@sd6458]

Love how you blame Californians. Guess what it's inflation.

[@goodone5590]

​@@sd6458 They bring their voting ways, its a democrap shithole bud..

[@bhutchin1996]

I've seen this for the past 25+ years. Austin has always been more expensive than the rest of Texas, and a part of that has been because of outsiders moving in and paying more, thinking it's a good deal as compared to where they're from.

[@tx6723]

that's not people from another country

[@travisho76]

It is part of the culture to blame others for their issues. The root of their problems that they complain about is greed. If they don't like higher prices, then regulate the greedy. Don't like sex tourism, make prostitution illegal for all with jail time. However that will effect their sons, brothers, cousins, dads, and grandfathers; as Colombians are the largest users of the services. They have the solutions, but complaining and blaming others is easier. My grandmother used to have a saying that went something like this......throw the rock and hide the hand.

[@AKJoel]

Well said - I've heard this 100s of times from Colombians themselves who say that (some) Colombians always seem to blame others and never take ownership of their own problems. This type of attitude is never gonna get you far...

[@robertowhyte2836]

Perfectly said my friend. That is the culture to do something then complain and blame when it doesn’t work out for you. I can tell you’re Latino by that saying “ tira la piedra y esconde la mano”

[@ChineduOpara]

It's an LDFG country. "Blaming others and never taking responsibility" is basically "baked into" their culture. I have multiple stories about this... from the staff at Claro stores/kiosks, to staff at big box department stores, to random dates (women), to empleadas and day laborers. Not ONCE has any of them said, _"I don't know, let's find out"_ , or _"Sorry, my fault, let me make it right"_ Full disclosure: I live in Barranquilla, been here 15 months so far. My understanding and experience is that this behavior is noticeably worse here than in places like Bogota or even Medellin.

[@LouieManza]

Yes, exactly! The same way Americans blame other countries for thier drug overdose problems.

[@Mbmediadesign]

@@ChineduOpara i’m dating a girl from there. How has your experience been? I’m trying to communicate in a way that doesn’t hurt her feelings that she’s broken a lot of promises. do you guys have a language barrier at all? It doesn’t help that I am mostly English and she’s mostly Spanish. 😅

[@theoficialarmvni]

I watched a video from Life with David and he said foreigners need to start thinking in pesos instead if USD or whatever currency you use so you have a more local approach when buying things and so you have knowledge of what prices are supposed to be and I kinda agree.

[@AKJoel]

That's true - I made a video while back about the 5 biggest mistakes foreigners make when living in Medellin and one of those was thinking in dollars, not pesos.

[@mwnemo]

As a Floridian and also lived in Colombia it is a problem in both places. I think it’s worldwide.

[@johnp2184]

High levels of tourism usually damage, transform, or can even destroy, what the tourists seek.

[@AKJoel]

No place worth visiting can maintain low levels of tourism forever - especially in this age of social media.

[@Repomex01]

Gentrification happened in the US, but don't worry the worldwide recession and dollar devaluation will clear out most of these complaints. I still remember when the usd was pegged 1750 cop to 1 usd back in 2011. If that happens most if not all gringos will be like "dueces".

[@ChineduOpara]

Yeah I know for sure I'll have to head to Thailand if that happens

[@davidpristupa1629]

My base is Bogotá specifically Soacha. It's blue collar damp raw cloudy like autumn It's much more cozier here.

[@generallytso1077]

Prices should definitely be regulated. Costa Rica was ruined by gentrification. If you really want to turn Medellin into Florida keep driving out locals and just let prices run up

[@AKJoel]

Yeah Costa Rica is destroyed - but not just housing prices are inflated - the cost of EVERYTHING there is crazy for Latin America.

[@tomreider9622]

In some places in the US they have Rent Control to limit the greed of the landlords and keep people housed.

[@AKJoel]

Yeah I've just been reading about the rental controls in NYC, however it seems these regulations don't apply to Airbnb rentals over 30 days.

[@good2go619]

@@AKJoel NYC went a different route in regards to Airbnb. Look up "local law 18".

[@courtenaymckee7491]

Prices are going way up all over the world… In Toronto my apartment is almost triple the price it was 10 years ago. I live in Medellin now.

[@edwardmellett555]

I love Colombia and Colombians. But I also note that the people in Medellin complain about everyone. They complain about gringos. But they also complain about Venezuelans. They complain about everyone who isn’t from Medellin. The price inflation that is happening isn’t just because of tourism, it’s a global problem. In just about every city in the world no one can afford to buy a house.

[@AKJoel]

You are 100% correct. There's a huge complaining culture too and nothing is their fault

[@4evahodlingdoge226]

The government could ban airbnbs and all short term rentals in the city of Medellin which would drop rental and sale prices of real estate for locals just like they did in New York.

[@AKJoel]

Yeah I heard that the Airbnb market is destroyed in New York now - that's crazy! So many people would've lost their businesses though so that's a bit sad

[@jefferyburch9877]

Great video. I am a real estate investor and yes there are many places in the world where rental increases are controlled but this usually involves long term rental prices.

[@AKJoel]

So they put a cap on what prices can be charged per m2? Or how does that work?

[@good2go619]

Colombia has law 820 from 2003 that deals with long term rental. Two snippets from the law are: Each year of execution of the contract under the same price , the lessor may increase the fee up to a proportion that is not greater than 100 percent of the increase in the consumer price index of the previous year. The monthly price may not exceed 1 percent of the commercial value of the property or the part that is being rented. If the landlord insisted on a larger increase, the tenant could sue him or her.

[@good2go619]

@@AKJoel Research "LEY 820 DEL 2003"

[@AKJoel]

Great comment, thanks. I'll look into this!

[@AKJoel]

I just read about the 1% rental price cap - but does that apply to short term Airbnb rentals under 30 days?

[@aaroncain4452]

The government here in the US, at the state level, steps in from time to time in order to regulate the rent that landlords can charge. NYC being the most obvious example but there's been temporary measures passed in various states. Things are all over the place. People will survive if they can and others won't if they can't.

[@thxrfinn4787]

Really interesting video! I’m thinking about doing an exchange semester at the EAFIT in Medellin. By the way in Switzerland we have pretty strict regulations your girlfriend talks about, owners of real estate can’t just charge whatever they want. I understand that it’s frustrating when you can’t pay for an apartment in your own city…

[@AKJoel]

Glad you enjoyed the video! How do the regulations in Switzerland work?

[@Ryan-ul7dy]

The thing is.. most real estate owners don't just charge whatever arbitrary they want but rather the free market value.

[@thomashilmersen711]

This is not news. Foreigners have had a bad rep in Medellin for a decade.

[@JDQBMIC]

This is an interesting topic. Thank you Joel for discussing it. After listening to your novia speak I feel more informed about the situation from a Colombian point of view. Basic economics dictate that when more money comes into an environment the prices will go up. This gentrification displaces long term residents on occasion. As I believe you mentioned it also makes the local land owners richer. So that is not a bad thing for Colombians in general as it will pump more money into their economy.

[@johnsmith-fk7fw]

it doesnt just make the landowners richer, when so much tourism is coming in it creates new business opportunities for the locals and just overall higher income for people as restaurants, bars, taxis, etc get more customers.

[@4evahodlingdoge226]

Sometimes the cons outweigh the pros, if only the 1% benefit at the expense of the 99% it should not be welcomed. Airbnb is not good for locals.

[@elvdell5582]

So, everyone thinks people that want to move there or that want to stay part time actually WANTs to pay higher prices! And also, everyone that wants to come there has the local connections to do all that research before arriving. Oh wait, before we come, we can find out the local prices, and hold out (forever) for said local prices to appear to US, foreigners. Better yet we should get the even MORE local prices staying safe and sound as foreigners in the local communities. And we can all negotiate our AirBNB prices apparently. I didn't get that memo. Does anyone ever say anything to the people that are actually RAISING the prices? I don't think tourists are doing this, it's locals that are doing this to locals. Tongue in cheek but I like how Joel approached it. I don't think any tourist anywhere EVER said I "WANT" to pay more. And this cycle occurs pretty much everywhere tourism becomes an industry. Locals might be shocked to know that even foreigners that travel to Colombia are being priced out of it. How's THAT for irony? Good video though.

[@curmudgeoncapitalist]

No, I think the point was the dumb tourist just comes and pays whatever because it appears cheaper here than it was at home. I'm not talking about negotiating for an apple, but when an Airbnb after seeing my questions were asked in English, the price went from 414 USD to 1,038 USD. That's still inexpensive for me but I refuse to be stiffed like that

[@ChineduOpara]

Fun fact: My rent in Barranquilla is going up rapidly, so by June I'll have to go somewhere else more affordable. Imagine. I'm an expat on a fixed income... Gentrification affects EVERYone.

[@johnsmith-fk7fw]

damn, up here people blamed south americans for coming in and destroying the labor market, now they blame us for the inflation 😅 what you said about regulation, in las vegas airbnbs are regulated (mostly due to pressure from hotels that run the city) where you need a permit, certain features of your airbnb like a manager that can respond on-site within 30 mins, and only 1 airbnb per residential housing block. i dont think its overall a good system, and while low regulation airbnbs bring some issues it also brings massive benefits. regulation almost always starts appearing to be well-intended and ends in a bureaucratic mess plagued with favoritism

[@thomasricardo9833]

Fact is that without the heavy influx of foreigners the prices wouldn’t have increased that much. If this goes on, I wouldn’t be surprised if regulations will put an end to some business schemes of real estate speculators.

[@nymarine215]

Gentrification is an issue in terms of rising cost of rent or simply buying property in terms of locals. However, Petro’s policies has also tainted the pool in costs as well.

[@AKJoel]

What are his policies?

[@SepulchreBrit]

Rental price controls do not work. Berlin and Scotland are examples of this

[@KerryBuchanan]

Her accent is amazing

[@alcibadesgarcia9475]

Yes, New York has regulations.

[@cac3343]

The easy solution to the rent problem would be for the government to add a large percentage surcharge for foreigners to rent in Medellin, while the locals get the cheaper rates. This only seems fair, especially since people from the US have the power of the dollar behind them.

[@AKJoel]

Interesting idea!

[@JuanGArangoTV]

Again, keep in mind... that the same thing many expats (hate the word) are in Colombia because they can't live in their own country because of cost of living. Now the same thing is happening here. It is a sad part of the consequences of lack of regulation.

[@hugrad95]

What's funny is the same thing is happening in reverse with immigrants coming to the US

[@AKJoel]

Yeah, some form of regulation would be great for the locals - I'm not sure how that would look and how the Airbnb owners would feel about that though!

[@JuanGArangoTV]

@@AKJoel well they are prohibiting it in certain areas because of the excesses

[@johny9685]

As an AK follower: Medellin deserves high prices. The climate, the vibe, the neighbors: unfortunately it comes with a price tag. Not everyone must or can live in Monte Carlo. It is the same with Medellin: demand generates supply and prices. Let the Colombians be happy to have more and more rich neighbors. They can only get richer! I lived in Cucuta for almost 3 years (with breaks) what a shithole! Of course, I spent a lot of time in other parts of Colombia: but Medellin.... next level! For foreigners: stop crying over prices: just earn more - or live in Arauca. There are attractions there too ;)

[@Nicobs2k6]

Berlin was faced with the same problem, and the city decided the amount of days an apartment can be rented on AirBnb, and it has to be the main residence of the owner too. I don't think caping the price is the right way to go.

[@AKJoel]

That's a good idea - I've seen people use Berlin as an good example a few times in these comments actually!

[@dirkleroy]

Very interesting and balanced video! Congratulations to your girlfriend, her english is very good! :-) The phenomenon about rising prices is called gentrification and in Europe it is regulated by state intervention, e.g. limiting the number of Air B&B licenses so that common people still can rent for affordable prices. In Berlin, a % of housing needs to be reserved for people with lower income, rent depends on your income. This system exists in most European countries and is called 'social housing'. Government or local authorities can definitely regulate housing market! I agree with your remark that sometimes Colombia and Medellín are represented by other KZbinrs as a destination to avoid because they did not avoid the 99 % of things! Like everywhere else in the world, you should respect local culture and people! Wish you a lot of success!

[@AKJoel]

Thanks for your comment Dirk, I'm glad you're enjoying the videos! :)

[@TheDurtyDeed]

Ya rent control is a very common tool by lots of societies. It's a form a regulation but I'm not sure the bureaucracy of the city is setup to enforce it, but that's one way to discourage the rent issue. Plus I bet the rent increase is probably only in the Strata 5-6 areas, you can still get housing in lower areas for well under $800k COP / month.

[@user-rw311]

Medellin wouldnt be the city it is today without the foreigner economic investment. Thise high rise apartment buildings are being built for international investors. Those high end restaurants are being opened for international visitors ect. ect. Talk to an uber or indriver worker do they like tourist they will smile ear to ear and say we love tourist ask the builders and the restaurant owns do they like tourist of course the do. The only people who unfortunately dont like tourist are the people with economic hardships and they dont understand how important tourism is to each and every country

[@AKJoel]

Very well said!

[@GDBMedellin]

Quick fix. Sorry what you guys are getting at missed the point of the requirements for an American to rent an appartment. IF the rules or requirements were relaxed a bit then Airbnb prices would go down as well as the price to rent an apartment. which would more than likely lower the prices of day to day expenses.

[@AKJoel]

Great point, there's a lot of loopholes foreigners need to jump through to rent the local way - hence why they usually have to pay inflated prices on Airbnb.

[@GDBMedellin]

So in a sense, Colombians are gouging gringos and then wondering why prices are going up. They are the ones causing the microinflation.@@AKJoel

[@AKJoel]

Not in a sense, Colombians are HUGELY to blame for this problem. They own the majority of Airbnbs in Medellin and are setting the inflated prices.

[@dolfysgospursgo580]

the only way i see its cutting off 180 days turist visa to 30 days, too many overstay and no been tax

[@4evahodlingdoge226]

Nah, people are still going to use airbnb and most tourist aren't staying over 30 days anyways. The government should ban airbnb and all short term rentals, airbnb is a net negative for the people.

[@Heyitsphilfromcanada]

This i absolutely understand. I am Canadian, and the massive inflated prices come from external purchasers. A couple of examples are Vancouver and Toronto, which are the highest property inflation in Canada, so I absolutely understand the people coming in and raising rent and housing.

[@AKJoel]

Where are the external purchasers coming from?

[@Heyitsphilfromcanada]

@AKJoel Germany, China, Russia, UK, to name a few, and these aren't your regular people. These are people who are really well off. This has caused property to get out of reach for the average person. These, of course, are just general examples. I could spend a lot of time going into depth, but I'd prefer to keep it short.

[@goodone5590]

​@@Heyitsphilfromcanada are you aware of Honghouver?

[@curmudgeoncapitalist]

I need to apologize for voice recognition misspelling the country of Colombia. It usually just types Columbia. My girlfriend who is Colombian always calls me out when voice recognition misspells it. So FYI, I know it's Colombia. Well, I'm not sure if what I'm about to say hasn't already been mentioned here, but let's give it a go... I was going to mention rent control in New York City, but there is also rent control in Boston, and Chicago. Most large cities in the rules and laws usually favor the landlords. But there is a core cause in this case and it's just not normal inflation. It is the tourist trap. I have been to Columbia six times now and my plan is to retire here. I'm currently staying in a city just outside of Bogota and rented an Airbnb my first time. 3 bedroom apartment in a new complex on the 6th floor. Yes, there's elevators for $577 a month. Now in the US you'd be lucky to get a studio in the middle of Nebraska for 577 a month. But it was the least expensive of all the other airbnbs in the city. The difference is the service that the landlord gave. It was outstanding, truly accommodating. Gated 24-hour security and they paid attention to who came and left the complex. I give some detail because there are many other non-furnished apartments for rent in the same complex that rent for 600 mil pesos. But of course then you'd have to go out and buy at least $1,000 worth of furnishings and then What do you do with him at the end? And the other apartments were in the 800 to $1,000 range and they didn't have nearly the service or security as the one I rented. So just like anywhere else tourists need to be good shoppers and learn about the area where they're staying. It's now my second month here this trip and I picked it more rural town to go to and found a nice three bedroom home for 414 a month. It was right across from the social club in a good neighborhood in the town. But the owner took 48 hours to answer my questions and then magically when she knew I was an English speaker. Magically the Rent went from 414 for the month to $1,038 USD for the month. If I was thinking in dollars I would have been dar papaya. And think I had gotten the bargain. Instead. I politely told her no. Thank you. I don't understand why the price magically went up. I ended up finding a country house, about 20 minutes from Bogota, three bedrooms fully furnished that I will rent from the owner for 900 mil a month That's about $315 per month. Plus services. I'm still under 500 a month. The moral to this long winded story is if you really want to capitalize on what Columbia has to offer, think like a local. And start thinking in pesos instead of dollars or euros. Some people are being taken for a ride and they don't even realize it

[@sd6458]

It's called inflation it's hitting everywhere don't blame the people trying to help your country

[@AKJoel]

Well said, global phenomenon and the 1% of foreigner property ownership in the city isn't the issue.

[@warrenkener]

Some places like NYC for example do have rent control

[@AKJoel]

How does that work Warren? I'm pretty sure the RGB (Rental Guidelines Board) regulations only apply for long term rentals outside of platforms like Airbnb. If the property is on Airbnb, I believe the tenant can still charge whatever they want.

[@warrenkener]

@@AKJoel I don't know the specifics but if you've lived in your apartment there for a long time I think the city puts strong limits on how much your landlord can raise your rent

[@travisho76]

I believe in Medellin the rent is not supposed to be more than 10% of the value of the property. I might be wrong, but I was told that by a local. The problem here is also the property managers. One October we were notified that our rent was going up 15%. We talked to the owner and he was confused, so essentially the "real estate" company was taking advantage of us. It is greed at multi-levels.

[@user-qh9qu9pr4q]

NY half the people receiving welfare

[@lled23]

I am in Bogota right now now. All I see is constant harassment, ripped off, no effort to communicate and no appreciation the business we bring into the country. If you all want a good time with out these problems I would recommend Pattaya or Angeles city over any place in Colombia

[@davidcruise4978]

All Colombians are complaining. In Mannizales they blame the government not tourism. They have no concept that world events affect the prices!

[@AKJoel]

Colombians love to blame others lol

[@Thailova]

The inflation in colombia is not caused by foreigners. The inflation is worldwide and is caused by 🇺🇸 printing usd during the pandemic

[@hernanruiz6683]

Es ridiculo, echarle la culpa a los extranjeros por los precios altos en todo, el costo de vida ha subido en todo el mundo. 🙄

[@RandyRoth-mo3lz]

Inflation is one country affects the other countries. The US dollar is collapsing.... that affects all the Latin American countries that use the dollar.... which affects their neighboring countries. Columbia is surrounded by countries that use the dollar... Panama, Equator and Venezuela. This collapse is destroying the middle class.... as it is designed to do. Blame it on the foreigners all you want, but inflation is a world wide issue at the present time.

[@Brians_World81]

I'm actually in favor of regulating the price of airbnb as a foreigner. Why should i get rip off simply because i travel there. The whole point of going to colombia is to enjoy its culture at its low price. Its a win/win for local and foreigner if we have a maximum price for airbnb. Only property owner loses.

[@iounothing4urtime]

The same thing is happening in Texas. People sell their million dollar homes in California and move to Texas and see a house for $800k and are like, “This house would be $2,000,000 in California,” so they scoop it up. The only problem is before they started coming to Texas and jacking the prices up, that home was $300k! I understand their frustration because I have the same issue but instead of being angry with the foreigners they should enlist people like yourself to educate them and make more efforts to assist them themselves so they don’t get caught in the trap. I have my visa and would like to move to Colombia but I don’t want to pay “gringo” prices!

[@user-sz5jm8by2b]

I find it very interesting how Medellin social media seems to think that the price of living increase is isolated to Medellin and only because of foreigners coming. Price of living in my home country has skyrocketed in comparison and hardly anybody that I know has an affordable living cost but that isn’t due to foreign travel, it’s due to economic factors like government policy, inflation, taxes etc. Very weird that people here forgo those factors and jump to “Nope, it’s the 10 thousand foreigners living here that are doing I’m this”

[@AKJoel]

If you speak to any educated Colombian, they'll tell you different. It seems like they don't want to accept that it's really a governance issue, so it's much easier to create an "us vs them" dynamic and blame external forces rather than internal.

[@SepulchreBrit]

Okay that was tense to watch

[@BudoReflex]

Perth Western Australia here; property has more than doubled in the past 5 years. It’s a function of there being of 8 billion people on the planet. Anywhere desirable is going to keep getting more expensive. The only countries that are maintaining cheap pricing are those that ban foreign ownership. The downside is they are remaining 3rd world. Indonesia & Philippines come to mind. Australians would love to own property and live in the tropics, but those governments have banned ownership. So the money mostly is tourism, with only a trickle of investment.

[@AKJoel]

DOUBLED - wow... that's rough!

[@redlionthedon]

The price increase problem sounds exactly whats going on in America and im not so sure its because of tourism.

[@AKJoel]

Yeah I've seen the price increases in the US lately - yikes!!

[@luismadrid3380]

its not about regulations, Medellin has a problem with land scarcity and not allowing cheap buildings to be built due to enormous taxes and permits, most cities have the same problem. mortgage rates in Colombia are among the highest in Latam so few people are able to buy a home

[@AKJoel]

Very interesting take - I heard from another subscriber that they're thinking of clearing the small airport in Medellin (due to the land scarcity you mention) to make way for more Estrato 3/4 housing.

[@luismadrid3380]

@@AKJoel one of the biggest medellin developers called Lucas cuartas, he has a youtube channel in spanish about businnes and real estate in medellin, is proposing to the major of medellin to transform that airport into a park like the central park in NY . you should take a look on the opinions of this guy he has developed most of provenza and the big hotels in Medellin

[@AL-rf2fr]

Majority live on income below 1000 dollars a month it’s almost impossible to purchase a property with that kind of income .

[@AKJoel]

Some still find a way though and I'm very impressed by them!

[@isaacrodriguez3500]

The same is happeming in Puerto Rico but its how it works!

[@AKJoel]

Such is life hey!!

[@olavthewiking3700]

colombia is very expencive. turists going to asia, which are fraction of the price level here.

[@AKJoel]

Asia is big continent with varying costs of living. But you're probably right - if you're a budget traveler, there's probably cheaper places than Medellin.

[@oceanearth2243]

Gentrification is way way higher in the west than in Medellin! Colombians aren’t considering that the exact same thing has happened in every single country

[@AKJoel]

It's very easy to cast blame without thinking first lol

[@skylarabbott8392]

In California there are regulations in terms of how much money you can raise the rent per year... I believe it is capped at about 8%. Capitalism does have checks and balances in most major economies. If you look at how many Colombian immigrants the USA receives compared to how many "expats" Colombia receives from the USA it's a huge disparity. Americans should also be allowed to search for their "American Dream" just as tens of thousands of Colombian immigrants are granted that opportunity in the USA.

[@AKJoel]

You're 100% correct - it seems Colombians are quick to cast blame at the hundreds of foreigners that live here, only to forget about the hundreds of thousands of Colombians who have moved overseas seeking a better life lol

[@imperfectillustration6261]

Are you saying here that Colombian women aren’t submissive 5:50? I get that one can’t generalize an entire population of women because the population is made up of a wide cross section of people and backgrounds. But it has been my experience and that of many other people who have not only lived in Colombia but have also visited long term that one can find a more traditional wife in that country than say in the US.

[@DrDlane]

It sounded to me like she was only referring to the women in her city, not the entire country. That was my takeaway on that point, at least.

[@DiscreteNature]

@@DrDlane Yup. Been to Medellin. Worst women in the country in terms of personality.

[@chrisgood2go]

rent stabilized housing is a thing in nyc. many people would not be able to live here if not for government assistance. It is not sustainable with out the high taxes in the city and the rich population.

[@AKJoel]

Yeah have a similar setup here - the higher estrato you are, the more you pay for your services and this helps subsidize the services for those in lower income areas.

[@user-rw311]

Manhattan has jad rent control on apartment from 100 years ago. Theres people paying 500$ a month on park avenue that the apartments fear market value is 8000$ a month. Those landlords are trying so hard to change those laws. I agree its not fair property owners should be able to charge whatever people are willing to pay.

[@AKJoel]

Where are these $500 apartments on Park Avenue? I wanna stay there haha

[@user-rw311]

@@AKJoel google rent controlled apartments in Manhattan. there actually isn't any for rent but people are grandfathered in to the old laws once they die the landlord can charge the new tenants. I'm definitely assuming there's many landlords in nyc counting the days down for people to actually die so they can get fair market value.

[@Wildbot34]

I've seen reddit posts hating on you specifically lol. Being empathetic goes a long way

[@AKJoel]

If you do anything worthwhile in this life you'll have haters. I'm okay with it lol I do more for the community and locals than probably anybody posting on Reddit so I don't think empathy has anything to do with it either.

[@patrolman13]

@AKJoel It's called rent control my friend

[@toblue7451]

Sir: We back here are hearing about CRIME, Crime, crime every ware in Columbia ! This Is why I have not come there yet ! Ol west

[@AKJoel]

This video doesn't say anything about crime? The only thing I said is that 99% of all crimes can be avoided by making smarter choices.

[@toblue7451]

True Sir ! However, Im just saying what we are hearing these days ! FYI ! I appreciate UR information videos and rely on them for news ! Thank You ! Ol West@@AKJoel

[@jameskoehler6038]

And your president jacked up income taxes for non-Colombian tax residents....I know many expat investors who sold and moved on....I am a tax resident of Colombia and I do not live in Medellin....I prefer to live more like a Colombian in a small town

[@ktrkradio]

Its everywhere. The inflation and crime even here in Canada,, Thinking about heading your way. Pensioned off. I think you folks are beautiful people. Culture oozes out of you. i have a bad leg so I walk funny. Im a little hesitant because of that.

[@AKJoel]

A friend of mine has a bad back and walks with a cane. He has an amazing life here and nobody treats him differently. So you have nothing to worry about 🙂👍🏾

[@talk2s5061X]

Its a problem everywhere

[@AKJoel]

Absolutely right

[@maze-nc1ut]

Business owners are not 50% of the population, bro. This affects most people, I like capitalism, but there’s a lot of greed out there. Another thing I wanted to mention was how funny it is when the word “gentrification” comes up around foreigners, the room gets real quiet lol. You seem like a nice guy man don’t make excuses for poor capitalism practices , the government is at fault as well here for not finding a middle ground .

[@rogerfleck5387]

I hate when anericzns screw up prices because there so stupud to oay any price

[@AKJoel]

It's true that many people don't seem to do any research on what a fair price is. They just pay the first price they see on Airbnb lol

[@edbabine]

what do you mean?? Usually, the price tends to be fair for the era. You dont think that these local businessmen dont look at what's being charged in the area. If someone is not happy with the prices there is always a foreigner willing to pay more. Those people booking an Airbnb tend to talk with the owner to have a discount when they decide to stay way longer like 3-6 months. If you are a foreigner you pretty much get gringo taxe or some blenty try to scam you.

[@zhangtrain]

Imagine if there were no youtube channels devoted to talking about Medellin (especially ones about dating in Medellin and digital nomad lifestyle)...I think there would be a lot less tourist build up in Medellin (especially the sex tourism). I don't think it would have completely prevented it, but it wouldn't be the gasoline on fire that it is right now.

[@AKJoel]

I don't think you can group the s*x tourists in with the digital nomads though haha usually nomads are great, I meet a lot of them at volunteering events and cultural things like salsa and language classes.

[@user-qh9qu9pr4q]

Let the tourists come in ,but don't give people welfare it just doesn't work, diffence between US is that half the people, immigrants get welfare to help pay their rents good for corporations

[@AKJoel]

I'm not sure of many things in life but I'm 100% sure that the Colombian government isn't gonna start giving us foreigners any form of welfare LOL

[@Derouz]

The resolution appears straightforward: Entrepreneurs could explore more affordable regions and establish venues akin to Lleras Park. As prices inevitably ascend in these areas, a pattern of relocation could ensue, fostering development across the nation and ultimately enhancing the populace's living standards.

[@ArmyguyTravelsColombia]

Women do it to themselves here though, nobody does it to them

[@hernanruiz6683]

This is ridiculous to blame foreigners for it, prices are high every where these days.🙄

[@rogerfleck5387]

2:57 3:00

[@kayele]

When capitalism strikes... Should you be upset at the successful people, or at the greedy owners the raise the prices? Honestly, the whole monetary system will collapse upon itself.

[@AKJoel]

Yeah I can't see any logical solution to this issue

[@jeremykyle9352]

You've never heard of section 8?

[@gidduup424]

Thats economics it happens world wide not just colombia lol

[@good2go619]

..and that's xenophobia, it happens world wide not just Colombia lol

[@series9193]

90% of Colombian property is owned by Colombians

[@AKJoel]

Exactly. But yet according to some, it's the foreigners that are rising prices lol

[@SkipinlLA]

lets pass an equal law colombians are banned in USA and no gringos in Colombia : )

[@luzecheverri9161]

Love that! Because the vast majority of gringos who come here… are looking for sex sometimes with women and other times with children… you better stay in your country and commit your felonies there… we don’t want sex offenders here…

[@squishyplums2415]

If prices go up then make more money.

[@ChineduOpara]

Dumbass 😂

[@vonshayne5316]

Jobs are not that easy to come by there obviously smh

[@user-ov9eu4gx3z]

They have rent control here in LA. Right now the minimum wage in California is 16 dollars but if there was no rent control, it would be higher. Rent controls are implemented to prevent wage inflation and price inflation.

[@AKJoel]

Interesting, thanks for your comment!

[@user-ov9eu4gx3z]

I'm pretty sure that prices will go down when people stop coming to Colombia because every day there's another video about someone getting drugged and robbed. There will cone a time when Medellin gets too expensive to justify the risks and getting on a plane.

[@AKJoel]

I think you might be right. Most of the guys coming for women are short stay rentals and stay in Airbnb and it's getting increasingly safe for those types of tourists (still safe for everyone else) - so I guess if they stop coming, the demand for Airbnb won't be so high.