The Samoa Files

A land of contrasts By: Dennis A Smith, 25 March 2010-20:59:18

Samoa is a land of contrasts. One minute you'll be accosted in the street and begged for a buck or two. The next minute you're sitting in a village with people who have nothing who are giving you all they have. One minute you'll be ripped off and abused and the next you're dealing with the kindest most generous and helpful person on earth.

As a Palagi, you've got to be patient, gracious, adaptable and again, even more patient to live and work here! It certainly takes a lot of time to get to each base compared to New Zealand.

I've been dealing with a few real estate agents over the last month or two, just looking around at property; getting a feel for what's out there; who's who and sussing things out. I'm a serious punter, cashed up and able to make decisions, so I'll buy if the land is what I want and is what I consider a fair price.

But I had trouble with an Agent last week - certainly one of my lesser enjoyable experiences here.

We'd been looking at a property up on the hill in Letogo (pronounced Leh-tong'-oh). It has a pretty good view; certainly one of the better views around the Apia area. The agent suggested that the vendor was keen to sell as they "had some issues and needed cash" - no further details supplied. The vendor was asking $250,000.00 which was basically a reasonable price - a bank valuation could probably be around $290,000.00.

Due diligence revealed the owner to be a company Eagle Holdings Ltd, which was gifted the property in late December 2009 by a Maxine and Taito Philip Fields. One of the company Directors was Maxine Fields and shareholders were obviously relatives and probably siblings. Most of us in New Zealand knew their situation of course and I could understand the reason for recent transactions perfectly well and didn't have a problem with the offering.

With ownership questions answered and the legitimacy of the sale verified (you've got to be very careful around here over land ownership issues), I assessed the value in the current market between $220,000.00 and $230,000.00 and that's what it was worth to me too. Having told the real estate agent that I wanted the property, I returned the next day and made a firm offer of $225,000.00 and a firm settlement date. She said that she was confident that the vendors would accept the offer as it was very close to their pre-approved minimum selling price.

The next day I returned to see whether they had accepted the offer or not. Ummm, she had not contacted them yet. Hmmm. So I again made the offer - a firm settlement date and price, and a second later settlement date at the slightly higher price that we all knew that they would accept. "Surely the hilltop view would be ours very shortly" methinks for the next 24 hours.

The following day I arranged for my architect to fly up and start planning; obtained colour prints of the property from the Mapping department and my cell phone went. The call went like this:

"Ah Dennis, you know how I told you there was another person interested in the property?" . . . "Mmmmm" . . . "well they're going pay $250,000.00 and they are going to organise the deposit today" . . . "Hmmm, OK so you are telling me that I now have to pay $250,000.00?" . . . "Well if you do that I'd have to go back to the other buyer and then . . . "

Hold on! So we have now gone from an firm offer that would be acceptable to the vendor that hasn't even been put to them to a potential bidding war? No thank you! I don't do business this way - even if Samoa does!

So her solution . . . "I think that it's only fair that the first person who brings in the deposit should get the property! That's what I'll do"

So let's get this straight I'm thinking . . . I'm in a foreign country, made a firm offer of a price we all know that would be acceptable to the vendor, that hasn't even been presented to the vendor in two whole days, someone else is going to the bank as we speak to get their deposit and the first one who brings the deposit in has the land!

Nope, that's an even more obnoxious situation! I definintely don't want to do business on these terms! Gracefully, I just told her to let the other people have the property. At the end of the day, it only cost a few hundred tala and a bit of time - but some big lessons learned!

I contrast this experience with another guy I met by chance. He's an MP although I didn't know it at the time. He's got no reason to bother with me, except he has. "Sure, I'll help you!" he says. "Come on round and let's talk. I'll show you some freehold land. Have a look at it and see what you think." Hours in the car travelling to the other side of the island - chatting away merrily with his wife and daughter and enjoying many great times. "Need help with something from the government, or your residency application, or customs clearance? Sure, don't you worry. I'll come with you and help you sort it out. I might be able to make things a little easier for you."

I have no idea if we'll ever do business with this guy - we could easily sometime, but nothing is a touble for him. He just wants to help an interesting Palagi guy that's landed on his shores and wants to do business here! Talk about chalk and cheese! A real land of contrasts.

The land of contrasts doesn't just affect me and they way they treat Palagi either. Their living circumstances are very strange to a Palagi. In the Western world you have rich and poor, but the difference is quite subtle. Rich areas are geographically located so you can have whole suburbs for example that are higher socio economic groups. New developments often put a minimum standard of construction on land so that everybody's land retains its value. And of course the same in reverse with the poorer, less "desirable" suburbs.

In Samoa, rich and poor are side by side. You can literally have a million dollar mansion right beside a thatched hut. This is just the way it is!

In terms of tourism experiences it is the same. One minute you can be served by the most delightful of Samoans with that gorgeous Samoan smile, where nothing is too much trouble, and the next you are dealing with someone whose body language from tip to toe screams "I just don't give too hoots!".

It's a common complaint from tourists here. Sometimes attributed to low pay rates ($2.50 - $3.00 WST per hour is common) the issue is actually more than this. Samoa is a very laid-back culture that has a large percentage of those remaining in their homelands who have a very low motivation to better themselves. Many of the motivated ones have left for greener pastures in New Zealand, Australia, USA and further abroad.

At Aggie Grey's resort and Hotel, they have gorillas (My name for big burly scary dark guys that wield a machete and make sure you're all OK all the time) clipping the grass and sweeping the grounds and picking up the slightest whisp of dust or dirt, for what seems like 24 hours a day! But less than 100 metres down the road, well actually even the property next door just over the fence, there is rubbish and trash just lying there untouched month upon month and probably year upon year!

So the land of contrasts it is. The heat is constant but the life and culture can be a roller coaster from "He's no good!" to "He's OK" and a lot of my role here is meeting people, working with them and hopefully working out ways to do business with the ones who can maintain relationship. The essence of any successful venture in any country or culture.

Tagwords:

The Samoa Files:

Latest Gossip:

Recent Blog Posts: