What to be careful about when buying a house?

Hi Brazil14,

Most of what you should need to know is explained here:

https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=125131

Other things to be careful about when buying a home is to make sure that you obtain from the seller ALL the paid utility bills OR a declaration from the utility company that there are no outstanding debts regarding the account for that address. This is very important since here in Brazil the debt is tied to the address and not to the individual, so you could get stuck paying for someone else's consumption if you're not careful. This goes for electricity, gas, water, telephone, etc., etc.

Also you want to make absolutely certain to verify that there is nobody presently occupying the place before you take possession. There is a "squatter's rights" law here called Lei de Usucapião that imparts ownership rights through peaceful occupation of property of others. It can be almost impossible to evict people who've simply invaded and occupied property if they've been there for a while. It's wise to make certain that the purchase agreement provides for a substantial portion of the payment to be liberated ONLY once you've taken possession.

If you're buying a vacant lot, do your homework. Go to the municipality, Registry, etc., and research lots in the area you're interested in. Sometimes you will run across a piece of land that has not been occupied for many years, the registered owners have died leaving no heirs and the property has accumulated taxes that have gone unpaid. In many cases you can obtain that land and title simply by paying up those unpaid taxes. I sold a house in Belo Horizonte - MG and my realtor was able to pick up the lot beside it, and another behind it in exactly this way, using ONLY the commission I paid on the sale of my house. Had I know about this I would probably have bought both those lots myself.

Cheers,
James     Expat-blog Experts Team

Hi James, thanks a lot for the guidance, just moved to the new apartment, everything went well.

So very glad to hear that. Congratulations both on the new baby and on the new home!!! I'm glad that I have played a part in both your permanency process and now finding your home... does an old guy's heart real good to know.

Cheers,
James