Hi,

My first post...guested for a long long time and have plucked up the courage to join in!

Just wondered if anybody else feels the same as me? We all now know that the property situation in Goa has gone beyond a joke, we all feel pretty helpless, frustrated etc. etc....too much emotion to describe properly!!

What I find slightly amusing or alternatively slightly scary (especially after a few drinks) is the amount of information stored in my head, given to me by people who have asked me to promise that I won't tell anyone else.

Obviously we all have our secrets...For instance I would never name my developer who has somehow over the last five years had a radical personality transplant and is now positively dangerous. No joke here. I am certain that if I named and shamed him my life and that of my family would be in danger. I find myself pussyfooting around him in order to keep him happy. He knows I know how much I need him so we both play the same game. I don't even feel comfortable typing this paragraph!! Paranoia is another trait I have developed!

What I do find is that so so many people in Goa have given me their version of how situations relating to their property worked or didnt work , and a lot of it, I know would be useful to this forum. Every single one of them have told me to be certain to keep it to myself and I know that if I tell, they might know it was me who grassed (if you know what I mean!!).

My partner now briefs me before we leave the house on what I have to remember to forget. My nerves are sometimes in bits and I always now try to think before I speak. If I slip up or show signs of doing so, we have perfected a quirky kind of cough to warn me, and if it fails I get kicked under the table! This is worse when you are sat having a meal and the next table is talking about their situation and quite often getting it all wrong (in my opinion ) I have a irresistable urge to interupt and tell them all I know (and not supposed to tell !!)

The last time my neighbour started the conversation with "I've got something to tell but would prefer it kept confidential" I replied "Don't tell me then, I really really would rather not know" resulted in a very startled look from him and I can't imagine what he though of me after.

I wonder if it is a situation unique to the current situation in Goa. Everybody wants to keep their heads down and not bring attention to themselves. Is it because we are all scared of not getting a visa or attracting an investigation from the DOE. It can't always be broken down into catagories as I have noticed that some that are being investigated are quite willing to tell all without fear of consequence whilst others would never admit that they are on the 'list'. Almost as if it is something to be ashamed of...which of course it isnt.

It would be wonderfull if we could all tell all without fear and shame!! Does anyone else feel the same or is it just me?

I for one do not understand why people keep secrets, ( only when the thing you are trying to do dosent work out) but i can quite see why people do on this forum, if you try to give some relevent information that has been given to you and pass it on to the forum, the disbelievers try to challange it all the time, if the information you pass on has been given to you by a higher authority and can help why diss it???? if it dosent work out you havent lost anything.
To be honest I think there's to many skeletons in some people's closets and they are frightened to say anything, if you have done nothing wrong what the hell is there to hide.
If someone advised you wrongly, according to the GG you are in the wrong, but are you, most of us knew what we were doing when we purchased these properties, ok some of us didnt do our homework and look at the rules of the country, but you expected an advocate to put you striaght, yeh!! they did that all right.
personally i think people should take a stand and start legal proceeding against the advocates, builders etc as was said in an article in the paper, start joining forces and hopefully you will beat the b.......ds or get the satisfaction of making them go what you've been going through all these months sleepness nights and more!!!!!

Hi Halfsky, know how you feel, the developer may be your only escape. Have you been offered a refund, or have you asked him to re purchase your property.
it is worrying when you hear that people do not get visa's - and no reason is given.

Perhaps the Advocates, developers are now starting to worry that legal proceeding will be taken against them, if things get worse for the Fn's

Hi HalfSky, I do agree with what you are saying - I'm sure we all know things that we'd like to share but for fear of identifying ourselves or another person/developer/company/advocate etc that has told us/said something, we feel it safer to say nothing because 'it's a small world where these things are concerned' - for example, on another forum I found it easy to identify a small development in South Goa just from what a 'purchaser' quoted about it & the location - so it does happen & when I sent a private message to the 'poster' he was very surprised to say the least.

Regards

Hemingway

Hi Hemingway,
Thats the problem with Goa, for a reasonably large state, it is actually very small in rumour and gossip terms. Everyone knows or wants to know all whats going on and you are likely to be found out very quickly if you give too much away. It always amazes me how quickly news (especially bad and usually about visa's) travels so quickly
regards

And what they don't know, they make up. North Goa knows more about you than you know yourself.

And what starts off in Baga as a ripple becomes a tidal wave when it gets to Candolim.
If it is told in the beach shacks it must be true because that is where it came from.
I have never heard so much rubbish spoken as it is in Goa regarding buying property, buying jewellery, best restaurants etc etc but just keep my head down and listen and smile.

Don't mean real conversations about property as in these forums but the c*** that you hear on the beach and in bars etc.

I'm hardly a Goa 'old hand' having only been there twice (back again late on this year) and I've never stayed in the North, only in the South - from reading the posts on here, I think thats why I feel 'happy' with the place - because I haven't stayed in the Calangute/Candolim/Baga belt and therefore don't feel that I've (yet!) been caught up in 'rip off' pricing & 'bul**hit' - our friends who have been ten to twelve times (& stayed in the C/C/B belt, probably once?) are also perfectly happy with the place - must be a 'North/South' divide thing. I don't agree with the 'It's grim up North' statement applied in England, but perhaps it does apply in Goa?

Regards

Hemingway.

I think you will find as I have that everyone you meet in Goa is a 'Goa expert'.
The truth is usually that people know small snippets' of knowledge and sometimes make up the rest.
As they say 'a little knowledge (or learning ) is dangerous.
Sometimes 2 week holidaymakers find out information and discover places ,which is/are unknown to people who have lived there for ages.
This is simply because they are more adventurous and curious in asking and visiting .
As everywhere one becomes comfortable with one's lot i.e keeps the same company,visits the same bars and restaurants etc.
That it why forums like this are so valuable for the interchange of normally reliable information.
As regards the North v South divide, I usually find that 'wherever you lay your hat that's your home'.by that I mean if you first visit the North on a package or own steam you tend to become a 'Northener' and vice versa.
this is not always true ,but as a general rule it is.
I have spent quite a lot of time in South Goa (sometimes 20 + visits per season) altough we live in the North.I prefer the North as it is more lively,has more varied and better restaurants,and has better facilities e.g shops,markets etc. No way do I dislike the South,but being a 'City Kid' it is the North for me.
What makes me smile is people from either camp who condemn one or the other,and when questioned on their experiences say 'we once went to Palolem for the day.or we've only been to Anjuna'.
Not really much to base an opinion of a whole area and way of life on ,but each to their own.
'Oh no I've said too much ' just like R.E.M.!

That's why 'everyone' is different - I spend my working week in towns & cities, going home to a 'semi-rural' area. When I go away, I want to get away from 'towns & cities' - though I like a trip into Margao by motorbike - it really does make me smile to myself about what a 'manic thronging mass' that I've let myself in for!

The other factor in relation to the number of negative posts about Goa (completely excluding the property situation) particularly on this forum, is that all 'residents/long stayers/old hands' etc seem to be based in the North. On this forum I don't recall one regular poster in South Goa who is a 'resident/long stayer/old hand' ??

Regards

Hemingway

I have to agree re the negative posts.It does seem to me ,that they all originate from people staying in the North.We live south and have done for 2 years and have had no problems whatsoever.Because most of the areas in South Goa are a lot quieter, you get to know more locals so we do not find any animosity towards us.We also have excellent contacts here so we can virtualy sort any problems we encounter immediately with one phone call.

jc

Hello jc - back to the 'small world' theme of this post - are you in Bogmalo, set up or setting travel business there? (only from memory of other posts on this or another forum - not a 'stalker')

Regards

Hemingway.

Yes that's me.Still in the process of setting it up,got the premises sorted now it's just the Indian red tape to get through.But it will be up and running by the beginning of October.

jc

I don't really consider Bogmalo to be South Goa.Nor can it ever be construed as being North.
It is really very central ala Dabolim and the rest of Tiswadi.
A bit like Northampton or Peterborough in relation to England!!

Ok,the Midlands..........

jc