How & Why Buy Real Estate in Panama

Overseas property investors in search of the next big thing
should take a close look at Panama. Famous for its Canal
this region has a lot offer international real estate
investors.

Panama is an emerging market for international real estate
investors and has much to offer, including a tropical
climate and low prices. Foreigners may buy and sell land in
Panama freely and there are no restrictions. There are a
few things that should be understood about the purchase
process in Panama, though, before jumping in.

Panama has the highest per-capita income, the largest
foreign investment and the most highly developed economic
infrastructure in Central America. Economic growth was 6.3%
in 2006, continuing a strong five-year upward trend, and
the International Monetary Fund (IMF) predicts Panama's
economy is set to grow more than any other Latin American
country this year.

Panama has for some time now been in a privileged position,
not just in Central America, but in the western hemisphere.
The Panama Canal, built at the start of the 20th century,
turned this tiny tropical haven into a major shipping hub
for the world's ocean trade. With the Canal came foreign
business and residents, infusing the sleepy paradise with a
new energy and bringing the momentum of modernization to
Latin America.

The Panama Tourism Master Plan includes incentives to
encourage investment in Panama which include no income or
capital gains taxes for twenty years and the importation of
a wide variety of goods duty free

A lawyer or solicitor is very important in order to do the
proper title and deed searches, and the fees will usually
run from 1.5%-3% of the purchase price. Often, investors
will purchase and sell property through a Panama
corporation, which can be set up by a lawyer.

There are two types of property that investors will usually
look at in Panama, freehold and right of possession, or
ROP. Most of the properties for sale are freehold and you
should not have any problems as long as the proper due
diligence is done. Right of possession land or property is
much like squatter's rights though. There is no official
title to the property and it can not be used as collateral
for a mortgage. It is perfectly legitimate to buy and sell
this property as long as the legal claims are clear, but be
aware of it before doing so.

Once the Promise to buy has been signed, the investor's
lawyer will carry out due diligence and title searches.
Panama has a Public Registry for titles and is pretty
reliable, but a good lawyer will look further than that to
make sure everything is okay. If the title search is okay
and all conditions have been met, then the final contract
is drawn up and closing takes place.

Consider Title insurance a protection against loss arising
from problems connected to the title to your property.
Properties typically go through several ownership changes,
and the land on which it stands went through many more.
There may be a weak link at any point in that chain that
could emerge to cause trouble.There may be unpaid real
estate taxes or someone that feels that has a right to the
land. Title insurance covers the insured party for any
claims and legal fees that arise out of such problems.

The final contract must be in Spanish to be legal in Panama
– contracts in other languages are unenforceable. The 2%
transfer tax is usually paid by the vendor, and once the
property has been closed the title is registered at the
Public Registry. ROP property is not registered with the
Public Registry and does not qualify for a residency visa.

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Nicholas Marr is a lifetime overseas property investor and
CEO of Marr International Ltd a UK based property marketing
company that is responsible for international real estate
web site at http://www.homesgofast.com