The Process of Transferring Property Titles in Colombia: A Street-Level Guide for Expats
From a Balcony in Medellín: The Day the Deed Finally Arrived I still remember the afternoon sun spilling over the red-brick rooftops of Laureles, Medellín, while I balanced a cold Club Colombia beer on the balcony rail. My lawyer called to say the “título de propiedad” (property title) for my two-bedroom apartment had been registered […]
Buying Beachfront Property in the Dominican Republic: Costs & Pitfalls
One sultry Tuesday afternoon in Cabarete, I parked my weather-beaten Suzuki Jimny on a sandy shoulder and kicked off my flip-flops. A Canadian kite-surfer waved as I tip-toed across warm coral sand toward a two-bedroom condo I had my eye on. The owner, a semi-retired New Yorker, handed me a plastic cup of Presidente beer […]
Understanding Condo Fees in Colombian Apartment Buildings: The Expat’s Guide
How a Broken Elevator in Medellín Taught Me About Hidden Costs It was a humid Friday evening in Medellín when the building’s lone elevator shuddered, groaned, and finally surrendered to gravity right between the seventh and sixth floors. I had just come back from a day trip to Guatapé, arms loaded with souvenirs and coffee […]
Gated Communities in Santo Domingo vs. Medellín: Pros and Cons for the Globetrotting Investor
Arriving Behind the Guardhouse: A Quick Story From the Caribbean I still remember the first time a guachimán, the night-stick-wielding security guard at a gated community in Santo Domingo, lifted the striped barrier so my rattling 2004 Suzuki Vitara could roll inside. It was 2013, and I had only been in the Dominican Republic for […]
Financing Your First Property as an Expat in the Dominican Republic
That First Sunrise Over Las Terrenas — A Personal Anecdote I still remember the moment the soft, amber sun climbed over the palm-studded hills of Las Terrenas. I had rolled out of bed in a rented studio, opened the balcony doors, and let the salty breeze sweep in. Only three weeks earlier, I had been […]
How Foreigners Can Buy Agricultural Land in Brazil: A Field-Level Guide from an Expat Investor
They say good decisions start over a cup of strong coffee. For me, that morning brew happened on a humid Tuesday in the hills above Jarabacoa in the Dominican Republic, back when I was still teaching English for beer money and trying to figure out why my bank back home kept dinging me with international […]
Can Foreigners Own Land Near the Coastline in the DR? The Candid Truth From an Expat Investor
Surfboards, Signatures, and Sunrise Coffee: My First Coastal Property Temptation I still remember the sting of salt on my face as I jogged the dawn-soaked sands of Cabarete. A local surf instructor, Julio, waved me over and pointed to a weathered “Se Vende” sign planted in the dunes. “Beachfront lot, mi hermano. Perfect for a […]
Hidden Costs When Buying Real Estate in Brazil: What Every Expat Needs to Know
Landing in Rio and Learning the Hard Way I still remember the muggy Tuesday afternoon when I signed my first promessa de compra e venda (purchase and sale agreement) in Rio de Janeiro. The notary—o cartório—sat in a colonial building that smelled faintly of eucalyptus and bureaucracy. I’d already closed on condos in Santo Domingo […]
Airbnb Laws and Short-Term Rentals for Expats in Rio de Janeiro
I still remember the first time I realized that my landlord in Medellín was secretly Airbnb-ing my spare room. One Friday night I came home from salsa class to find a confused German backpacker sitting on my couch, phone in hand, whisper-yelling “¿Este es el apartamento 402?” while Google Translate butchered his Spanish. That incident […]
Why I’m Betting on Pre-Construction Apartments in Medellín: An Expat’s Playbook
Opening Anecdote: A Rooftop Revelation in Santo Domingo I still remember a muggy Thursday night in Santo Domingo. I was twenty-five, fresh off an American college degree, and standing on my cousin’s rooftop watching the city’s neon glow flicker against the Caribbean Sea. My Dominican friend Carlos pointed toward a half-finished high-rise and joked, “Buy […]