Hi everyone, I am planning to buy an apartment in Colombia and was wondering if anyone knows of good resources I can read or tips so I can understand the process.
I have a permanent residence visa and bank account already so hopefully this will make the process easier although I am currently remote, so will need to fly in when required.
The plan is to use it for a base/address and also potentially rental.
Anyone recently bought?. Was it easier or harder than you thought?.
@Zooldrool
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@Zooldrool My wife has a house in Funza, roughly 10 miles from Bogota that is for sale. I will have to ask her about all the details. Funza is a suburb of Bogota.
Dear Zooldrool,
As an obvious newbie to real estate in the region
and someone not clued into the realities of
the politics and realities of Colombia, you are
not exempt from the number one rule for
arriving Expats...
Do not buy a home or property in South America
until you have lived in the target area for at least
one year.
@JEANLUBAR WOW 160 K Canadian wish I had money to buy other than renting : ((
@cccmedia
Good rule!!. My first choice is to buy in the neighborhood we previously lived. So that would satisfy your rule, but I am also looking elsewhere.
@loaferln
Hi thanks. We are only looking for a small apartment in a city (estrato 5/6).
@JEANLUBAR Hi Jean can I ask roughly what the market is like in Santa Marta are buyers generally offering asking prices advertised or are they negotiating?.
Zool:
You'll find Colombians will keep their apartments/condos on the market, empty, for years instead of accepting a reasonable offer.
Very little negotiating, although it's advised to do some. In an Apartment/Condo building, it's harder to do...but you'll find the same layout can be $100-150k peso different depending on the side of the building and which floor.
@Zooldrool
Have you been to Santa Marta? It's miserably hot and humid, the beaches not so great with oil tankers constant on the horizon.
Yes I've been a few times and loved the heat but agree for 365 days it might be a lot. I guess you would recommend Medellin for the weather?.
Yes I've been a few times and loved the heat but agree for 365 days it might be a lot. I guess you would recommend Medellin for the weather?.
-@Zooldrool
Haven't spent much time in Medellin, so can't really comment. They call it the city of eternal spring.
Many complain of pollution though...so you'll have to check it out yourself.
The coffee triangle's three cities work well for many as well: Armenia, Manizales, and Perieira.
Within or near Medellin you have a wide variety of microclimates. I personally find Laureles (think floor of the valley) hotter and more polluted than I like. The further up the mountain the cooler and cleaner the air. San Felix has much cleaner air; but, is cooler than I like. Bear in mind that these two locations are probably 5 miles as the crow flies and 15 miles apart. I spend much time in Doce de Octubre and find the climate and level of pollution a good compromise. However, that area is probably not secure enough for your tastes I would guess. Shop around and take your time.
lpd
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