In stark contrast with other more high profile Latin American countries, such as Costa Rica and Panama, that attract lots o f expats looking for a second home or ways to stretch their dollar in retirement, Equator is relatively overlooked. The both adds to the country’s charm and makes it a great opportunity to own land and live in a country with one of the lowest costs of living in the world. This is despite an incredibly beautiful landscape, miles of tropical coastline, and a great climate.

You won’t find large gated communities that keep wealthier expats separated from the surrounding community here, but you will find a unique experience that you can get only a few places in the world. (more…)

Why do land boundaries sometimes conflict? Most often, boundary disputes arise after confusing legal descriptions cause two landowners to lay claim to the same tract of land. The deeds in question may actually describe the same area of land, or a confusing description may simply cause two landowners without an adequate background in reading such descriptions to believe that the land is theirs. Faulty legal descriptions may have been written and recorded by people lacking proper qualifications, such as laypeople without surveying experience.

Many such cases arose in the history of the United States, particularly when land was granted by European government officials who had not actually visited North America and were relying on inaccurate maps. In addition, historical methods of land surveying, such as the metes and bounds system, relied on monuments likely to change over time, such as trees. Such descriptions of the land may be difficult or impossible to decipher based on today’s geographical realities. (more…)

Up until 2006, it had been 30 years since the Florida Supreme Court was faced with a case about eminent domain for private development. It had never been an issue until development firm “Viking Inlet Harbor Properties” combined forces with the now former, Riviera Beach, Mayor Michael Brown to exploit and capitalize on this century old property law.

The Viking group had already sunk $50 million into the acquisition of property, engineering and planning fees for a proposed $2.4 billion project that would reface the marina district with luxury condominiums, single-family homes, hotels, offices, shops and yachting facilities. This undertaking would transform 400 acres of waterfront property in one of the poorest cities in Palm Beach County into a veritable country club, but not without a price. In order to complete the project about 1,700 homes had to be removed, and about 5,100 residents would be forced to sell their homes and relocate. Mayor Brown assured Viking that the city could use eminent domain to acquire the additional properties. (more…)

The average real estate investor uses real estate to establish a solid foundation for future riches. By “future” I mean decades down the road, in most cases. So, why do some investors opt for purchasing land as opposed to rentals or multiple family dwellings? Well, the answer may entice to you use this exact tactic in setting up your future financial plans.

Purchasing a small acreage that is already incorporated in the municipality is a great way to create money in your purchase. By doing this, you are basically acquiring a piece of ground that you can subdivide and sell lots from, multiplying the opportunity to make money from the same parcel over and over again. Usually these types of parcels are surrounded by lighter density urban development, know as urban sprawl. Municipalities are eager to fill them in to increase their tax base, so they are generally more likely to approve your subdivision request. (more…)

Few if any assets can give a true sense of American pride as that of land ownership. The responsibility to know what to ask and to whom rests squarely on the buyer. In some states, sellers are required to give a disclosure of what they know about the land, but these disclosures typically are not guarantees of condition. Here are a few of the questions a buyer might ask:

1. What is the legal description and does the parcel have a survey of record, are the survey pins available to witness

2. What are the legal accesses, if at all, and whose land must you cross to access the land, called easements. Do not rely on the fact that a road is to or through the property. It may not a have a legal right to use the road, (more…)

When you hear stories like those of Bernie Madoff or Enron, it really makes you wonder who you can trust. Time after time, Wall Street criminals take money from the unsuspecting and make them go broke while lining their own pockets. These days, it’s almost impossible to find a solid COD or money market account that will give you any discernible amount of interest. Stagnation in the financial market has caused people to seek refuge in tangible assets in commodities like gold, oil and other precious metals. Some of the markets can be extremely volatile due to issues surrounding supply and scarcity.

The question nowadays is where can I invest my money that is safe and offers a chance of a large return? The answer to the question is something that many may not be familiar with. Investing in land is one of the most historically safe and best ways to realize gains on your money. With the economic climate the way it is, bargains abound in the market for land purchasing. (more…)

It is very important to consult the land records before investing in any piece of land. These are parts of public records that are available unrestricted for public access.The real estate world is full of scrupulous people and scams and one need to be careful while buying property. Buying property is an exciting thing. But do not let your happiness and excitement be marred by a bad deal. You can be saved from making bad deals by the land records. Research them well before buying property.

Land records contain a number of valuable information that comes to great use when buying land. They can save you from con men. Always consult the land records before buying any piece of land. You can find the land records in the office of the Recorder of Deeds or the office of the Registrar of Titles. You can make an application with the address of the property you want to buy. The process takes some time as the information needs to be sorted out and 100 per cent accurate. (more…)

The term ’smallholding’ is often surrounded by a bit of confusion. The line between an allotment, a smallholding and a farm is pretty ill defined. Added confusion is caused by some people using hobby farm to describe what we in Britain would usually call a smallholding.

A smallholding is generally anything from a few acres up to 50 or more. The most important factor when deciding if a holding is a farm or smallholding is the land use. My understanding of it is that generally a farm is generated their income solely from the land by one means or another. This is usually through various forms of monoculture. A smallholding on the other hand had a much more diverse us of land. On a smallholding you would find a large number of different animals, crops and land uses. There will always be confusion as to whether some holdings are farms or smallholdings but these are the basic differences. (more…)

A lot of individuals who plan to buy a land have one common reason and that is to have a place for their dream house in the long run. But aside from the said intention, they are also buying simply because they want to make a worthwhile investment after working for so many years. Maybe they can construct buildings for commercial use. In most cases, land buying is a better investment than acquiring a property since you are free from going through the tedious buying process like home inspection, scrutinizing the construction materials used and even having the property renovated. Regardless of what your reasons for buying, it will still need your patience and determination all throughout the entire process. And you have to identify the factors that you must consider before making your final decision.

The very first thing you look into when buying a land is the location. If you will use this for residential purpose, it should be located in a well developed community that has high class facilities and peaceful environment. It is best to choose an area where there will be no traffic and no crime rate at all. Of course, it will be an advantage on your part if it is accessible to almost all types of business centers since you no longer have to go out of your way just to go on shopping or have your annual physical check up. (more…)