Originally posted by @Brett S.:
For context, I also feel bad negotiating down a Southeast Asian street vendor for $0.50 when I know I make as much money in a day as they do in half a year. "Take my $0.50 - you need it more than me."
I'm sure other people are going to address the real estate side of your post (essentially it's about helping people.. if they aren't grateful for what you've done, you probably are doing it wrong), so as a big advocate for international travel, I want to address the above quote.
You are ruining their economy with this attitude.
You need to get over the hangup you have of this. I know you come from a place of love and compassion. But you're also coming from a place of not understanding what you are doing when you do this.
By overpaying relative to the value there, because the worth to you is so much less, you trap people into tourism jobs instead of jobs that will help their economy. If I can make so much more selling trinkets to tourists who feel bad haggling, why should I go to college, encourage my kids to educate themselves, etc?
It's clear you care about them from your quote, otherwise you'd just try to get the cheapest deal possible. But it hurts them.
Please read these articles:
http://www.theprofessionalhobo.com/2014/07/how-tou...
http://journeywonders.com/the-tourist-price/
Donate money where it helps in that country, for sure. But don't overpay for goods there, because it just hurts.
