Buyer Beware on Panama Construction!

When we first went to Panama, over seven years ago now, our goal was to explore and analyze Panama and investigate the possibility to eventually have a home for retirement later on. Boy have we come a one way since then! As many of you already know we learned much from our ventures in Panama.

Because we were experienced in the construction industry ourselves, we were of course analytical in our endeavours to explore new developments. In other words we wanted to make sure that what we may be interested in investing in would live up to our expectations in the area of construction. We therefore checked up on several developers and went to various worksites to view the projects under construction. We actually would sneak on construction sites after hours to get a view of the quality of construction.

We all know that once the finished product is complete it can look pretty good! We wanted to see the raw product before all the finishes were done so we could evaluate for ourselves what kind of quality went into the finished product. We were horrified. People were actually purchasing these homes and condos and the construction was terrible. We found the block work was inferior, to say the least. Sometimes we found that the workers would start to lay the blocks right on the ground without even pouring a foundation. The ground was not even levelled off first and the blocks would be all helter skelter. Once the walls were all installed the floor would be poured inside and the walls would be parged and no one would know the difference. We could not believe it!

One site that we were on we noticed that they built the four walls independently of each other. They were not tied in at the corners and at the end they just stuffed the corners with garbage and newspapers and then parged over it. As you can see in the picture, the blocks are helter skelter with large holes and garbage in the gaps. Notice the corner as I mentioned. This particular picture was taken on a site that is actually a popular destination for many vacationers and North Americans who have purchased in here. Once we saw this quality of construction we decided to oversee developments ourselves to make sure other North Americans , such as yourself, were not getting ripped off.

You really need to be careful about what you are purchasing in Panama. If you want a home that is going to last and one where you are not going to have constant problems because of the initial quality of the construction please do your homework. We have done the legwork for you on this and so if you are looking for something to purchase in Panama feel free to email us to find out the background on the builder you are working with. We know many of the construction companies that are good and who to stay away from. The old adage stays true you usually get what you pay for so if it sounds to good to be true it probably is!

Check out our website and send us an email at http://www.connectiontopanama.com If you are looking to book your next vacation check out our rentals at http://www.panama-vacation-rentals.com

Deep Sea Fishing in Panama

A few times we have gone out deep sea fishing in Panama. I loved watching the wake from the back of the boat.

It was exciting when we landed "the big one". By the end of the day we were exhausted.

Here are some pictures I took on one of our ventures out. This day we caught a Wahoo, some sierra adn some amberjack

Pioneers in Panama

We consider ourselves to be Pioneers in Panama. We have been here six years now and have been through so much with the cultural differences... the waiting... various different aspects of the business world... the waiting... learning the language... the waiting... the bureaucratic paperwork that is needed for absolutely everything that needs to be done here and ...the waiting....well you get my drift.

A lot of people don't realize how much you really have to go through to get anything done in Panama until they actually try to do anything. We have a lot of people that come to us looking for help in various aspects of their journey because they know that we have been there and done that.

We don't mind helping people out because we know how difficult and frustrating it can be trying to get things done, especially if you do not know the language.

The definition of a Pioneer is "One who ventures into unknown or unclaimed territory to settle." We feel that we are bulldozing the way for others to follow.

We have always been entrepreneurs and have therefore embarked upon many different journeys, most of which are in unchartered territories, so to speak.

For those of you who don't know us well we are overseers of developments in Panama and manage a small resort which is continuing to grow. We also oversee a couple of projects in the highlands in which we are in the process of supervising  the development into residential projects. Most of our properties are geared towards the North American and European peoples who expect more quality in the workmanship, which we are provided to give for a reasonable price.

Here is a video of us bulldozing the way for others to follow:

When We First Came to Panama

The first few trips to Panama we stayed mostly at the Decameron and so it became our home away from home. Once we decided to supervise the development of the resort in Punta Chame, for the first while we decided to stay on site. That was four years ago. We had built the shell of the first duplex and we lived in the one side while the other side was being built.

Wanting to have all the comforts of home we purchased a beautiful bed and a 42" plasma TV. Of course the interior had a little to be desired, but it was our home, even thought we did end up sharing our quarters from time to time with a bat, a nest of bees, a scorpion, mosquitoes etc. I kept a flashlight by my bedside to use at night if I had to get up to go to the bathroom as I would never know when I might encounter some creature.

Of course we have come a long way from those days and so we do not have any problems on this beautiful resort with these creatures now, as they have moved on, but of course in those days the area was quite raw and undeveloped.

There was no such thing as a hot shower. It was always cold, and so I kind of chuckle now whenever I hear a client complain if they have no hot water, because it reminds me of those days, and I always think to myself "You have no idea..."

Another thing I don't miss from those days was the sound of the morning gong which was made from a piece of a steel beam that hung on a tree outside our window. We had sixty workers working on the resort and the gong was rung every morning at 7:00 am to call all the men to work.

It's Always An Adventure In Panama

Well we have been in Panama for six years now and with all of our travels and adventures, I decided to start a blog. We manage Punta Chame Club and Resort. We are also supervisors over the development for projects in the highlands in Cerro Chame. Because of our involvement in Panama we have experienced many adventures. I always tell my clients that "It's always an adventure in Panama".

What you will see here will be some of our past and present experiences here in Panama. Enjoy the journey!