Monday, October 29, 2012

Central American Real Estate Horror Stories


I received another such phone call today. Today the offending country was Panama, but sometimes it is Costa Rica. I asked, “Did you get legal representation before you purchased the land?” The answer was “I didn’t know how to find an attorney down there, so I just went with the one recommended by the seller..” I asked, “Did you get title insurance?” The answer was “No. The title company thought it was a scam.” I’m short on time today, so let me just present 3 “musts” for investing in foreign real estate:

1. Get title insurance. It has become available in many countries where it did not exist before. If the title insurer won’t insure, that is Red Flag no. 1.

Get to know this "scent" before investing in Latin American real estate














2. Get independent legal representation. This means never use an attorney recommended by the seller. That is Red Flag no. 2.

3. Keep your property secure from squatters. If you do not plan to occupy your property, make sure that someone is there to keep the squatters off. Whether it is Latin America or Africa, once they’re living there, you will have a hard time removing them. Recall my previous post linking to a YouTube video of a desperate British investor who has fought for 14 years to remove squatters from his property in Costa Rica. My advice: If you’re just buying a vacation home, buy in a gated community.


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