Hi guys, I am potentially (not 100% sure yet) interested in buying a property in Chile within the next one or two years. I posted my question on a Chile expat forum but they were not helpful so I will post the specifics of my question here:
I have been to Colombia and Peru and spent one day on the way back from Peru in Santiago (due to transit). I was impressed by how modern and clean Santiago was and how good the public transport was, how many young people speak English and how friendly the locals were (not too mention how beautiful the young women were). I have never been to a place where people were as friendly to me as Santiago (Bogota came close though). Just FYI I speak a small amount of Spanish.
I am interested in eventually having a property in South or Central America. Given that Chile is known for being the most developed and stable Latin American country, and given the natural beauty of Chile and the friendliness of the locals I am interested in potentially making that future purchase in Chile. Within the next year or two I will make a 6 to 8 week trip to travel around Chile and see the country properly before I make any decision to buy anything. The property would be a holiday house/investment with the possibility of converting it into a full time residence down the track (if this does not happen I am still happy to keep it as a holiday/part-time residence).
I have looked a bit on the internet but noticed that the selection of properties on the internet in Chile is limited.
I just want some pointers from forum members on what towns/cities (and what areas within those towns and cities) I should look at so I can put them on my list to investigate/visit when I finally get round to visiting Chile, because obviously in 6 or 8 weeks I cannot see every town and city in the country.
My criteria are as follows:
-I would prefer to buy a land or house instead of an apartment.
-I want to spend no more than $110,000 USD including transaction costs.
-The size of the property does not necessarily have to be big (although it can be) and the house does not have to be luxurious. A good location is more important.
-I prefer a location that has reasonable market liquidity so I can sell the property within a few months if necessary.
-I want a location that has good capital growth (price appreciation) prospects over the long-term.
-I prefer a location with at least some level of basic infrastructure (i.e. not too remote) such as some roads, restaurants, buses, etc.
-I want a property/location with good rental demand so I can rent out the property easily if need be.
-I prefer a location that is not too cold (at least the daytime temperature) in winter, in case I decide to live their in winter (I do not like overly cold weather)
-I prefer to be near (up to 3km away is fine) a very nice and beautiful beach with warm water. I live close to some fabulous beaches in Sydney, Australia so I am not impressed by any old beach. It must be a nice beach!! Also from what I read a lot of beaches in Chile have cold water due to the Humboldt current. The beaches way up north seem to have decent summer water temperatures. I strongly prefer a beautiful beach with warm water (around 20 degrees Celsius water temperature in summer is sufficient). If not then my second choice would be to be close to or in a another beautiful natural environment such as a hot spring, waterfall, lake, mountains, national park, lagoon, etc As a third option I would also consider being in a relatively (within 30 minutes commute by public transport) central location in Santiago or in another major city.
So if you all have any ideas which towns/cities I should focus on/explore please list them along with a brief explanation of why they are worthy of consideration. Also if what I am asking is unrealistic let me know.
Thanks, everyone
I have been to Colombia and Peru and spent one day on the way back from Peru in Santiago (due to transit). I was impressed by how modern and clean Santiago was and how good the public transport was, how many young people speak English and how friendly the locals were (not too mention how beautiful the young women were). I have never been to a place where people were as friendly to me as Santiago (Bogota came close though). Just FYI I speak a small amount of Spanish.
I am interested in eventually having a property in South or Central America. Given that Chile is known for being the most developed and stable Latin American country, and given the natural beauty of Chile and the friendliness of the locals I am interested in potentially making that future purchase in Chile. Within the next year or two I will make a 6 to 8 week trip to travel around Chile and see the country properly before I make any decision to buy anything. The property would be a holiday house/investment with the possibility of converting it into a full time residence down the track (if this does not happen I am still happy to keep it as a holiday/part-time residence).
I have looked a bit on the internet but noticed that the selection of properties on the internet in Chile is limited.
I just want some pointers from forum members on what towns/cities (and what areas within those towns and cities) I should look at so I can put them on my list to investigate/visit when I finally get round to visiting Chile, because obviously in 6 or 8 weeks I cannot see every town and city in the country.
My criteria are as follows:
-I would prefer to buy a land or house instead of an apartment.
-I want to spend no more than $110,000 USD including transaction costs.
-The size of the property does not necessarily have to be big (although it can be) and the house does not have to be luxurious. A good location is more important.
-I prefer a location that has reasonable market liquidity so I can sell the property within a few months if necessary.
-I want a location that has good capital growth (price appreciation) prospects over the long-term.
-I prefer a location with at least some level of basic infrastructure (i.e. not too remote) such as some roads, restaurants, buses, etc.
-I want a property/location with good rental demand so I can rent out the property easily if need be.
-I prefer a location that is not too cold (at least the daytime temperature) in winter, in case I decide to live their in winter (I do not like overly cold weather)
-I prefer to be near (up to 3km away is fine) a very nice and beautiful beach with warm water. I live close to some fabulous beaches in Sydney, Australia so I am not impressed by any old beach. It must be a nice beach!! Also from what I read a lot of beaches in Chile have cold water due to the Humboldt current. The beaches way up north seem to have decent summer water temperatures. I strongly prefer a beautiful beach with warm water (around 20 degrees Celsius water temperature in summer is sufficient). If not then my second choice would be to be close to or in a another beautiful natural environment such as a hot spring, waterfall, lake, mountains, national park, lagoon, etc As a third option I would also consider being in a relatively (within 30 minutes commute by public transport) central location in Santiago or in another major city.
So if you all have any ideas which towns/cities I should focus on/explore please list them along with a brief explanation of why they are worthy of consideration. Also if what I am asking is unrealistic let me know.
Thanks, everyone