Building or Buying Property in Jardin, Colombia

Canadians in Colombia

Live | Work | Grow  Coffee

Living in Jardin Colombia

Jan 2020

  • Tip #1 – Trust
  • Tip #2 – Be generous 
  • Tip #3 – Verify + do your homework
  • Tip #4 – Do we have to speak Spanish?
The central square of Jardin, Antioquia, Colombia
The central square of Jardin, Antioquia, Colombia

Building or Buying Real Estate in Colombia Tips and Insights 

If you’ve visited Colombia and have a passion for the country or maybe you’ve researched the Top 5 Places to Retire in the world then you might be asking yourself – “how do we pull this off, how can we “safely” buy a property in Colombia and who has experience doing this?”

We’ve done it! So, let us share some of the tips and insights we’ve gathered in 3 years  completing our dream home in Jardin, Colombia. As envisioned it is now more than covering it’s own costs and providing us with an amazing home away from home.

Tip #1 – Trust

The world over it’s no different. Relationships are built on trust and credibilty. Colombia is no different. Your success will depend on you networking and befriending locals, listening to their advice and getting to know them as people. This will take an investment of time. If you are buying in rural Colombia it will take even more time because things move more slowly in the mountains and the patience of campesionos (farmers) is fathomless. But it’s worth it. Once you’re trusted and you have reciprocated trust then the people will openly support you in everything do.

Tip#2 Be generous with resources and spirit

Trust also means pay your bills on time – especially with the building trades and suppliers. They can make your life easy or trecherous. Be generous. Give as much as you get or more. Be humble and genuinely respectful. And don’t for a minute think that these country “folks” aren’t sharp or savvy.

 

View of the town of Jardin and the many of the coffee plantations around the hills of this coffee region

Raw land, undeveloped, our first peak at paradise!

Today, a beautiful Finca, surrounded by coffee, banana, avocado and fruits of all kinds!

Building in Jardin, Colombia

Flowers blooming in Jardin - one of the best places to go in Colombia
Waterfalls near Finca Mariposa Jardin
Front of Finca Mariposa Jardin Coffee farm stay
Living room area of Finca Mariposa in Jardin

Tip #3 Verification + Do Your Homework

Again, like anywhere in the world, you need to build genuine trust and you need to track and verify. For instance, when building the house we transferred funds directly to the buiding supply company who provided us with price lists and receipts. We only paid for what we received and tracked labor costs by matching estimates with actual work completed before transferring money (daily photos and video). You can quickly transfer funds through banks and Western Union for smaller amounts. 

Another BIG TIP that might save you years of regret. A Compra y venta (a “buy and sell contract”) is not a deed. Real estate in Colombia is no different than anywhere else – you need a deed for full ownership. There are many stories of foreigners notorizing a “buy and sell contract”, transferring funds, and thinking they now own the land. They don’t. YOU NEED A DEED!

So, soon as you target a house or land, ask about the presence of a deed. If they dodge the question or say a compra y vente is the same, walk away. This is where having a good lawyer on your team is crucial to finalize and verify all the details. There are many competent multi-lingual lawyers in Colombia. Do your research! 

 

 

You can do this!

The hammock at Finca Mariposa Colombian Coffee farm
The front patio at Finca Mariposa in Jardin Colombia
Sunset view at Finca Mariposa
Bananas growing at a Colombian Coffee Farm - Finca Mariposa

 

Tip #4 Can we pull it off if we don’t speak Spanish?

Is speaking Spanish absolutely necessary? No. But, lets not be naive.  Things will take more time and you’ll have to find more allies as your proceed. Showing that you are learning Spanish as you get to know people will, of course, go a long way in building credibility. Whether you speak Spanish or not you’ll need to take your time putting infrastructure in place – banks and lawyers, etc. 

This was lot of information compressed and summarized. Don’t hesitate to contact us at the website below. 

www.fincamariposajardin.com

For now, listen to our story in the Life with David youtube channel.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdrL2tOPREQ

front gate of Finca Mariposa in Jardin Colombia
front gate of Finca Mariposa in Jardin Colombia

Would you like more information on our Finca?

Accommodation, Coffee Tours, Eco-tourism

www.fincamariposajardin.com

Exploring Jardin Colombia

Canadians in Colombia

Live | Work | Building a Coffee Farm

Exploring Jardin

Jan 2020

  • What Makes Jardin Special
  • History of Jardin Colombia
  • Our Coffee Farm in Jardin 
The central square of Jardin, Antioquia, Colombia

What Makes
Jardin, Colombia Special?

The first thing you discover when you visit Jardin, Colombia is that much of the life of the pueblo centers on the plaza – what locals call the “living room”. This is where you come to meet friends, conduct business, eat yummy salted mango, sip a café tinto, people watch and absorb the daily news and gossip. As we built Finca Mariposa from 2017-2019 this became our second home. 

It’s no surprise the main square of Jardin was declared a national monument by the Colombia Minister of Tourism in 1985. It instantly pulls you into it’s special feeling of community as each café adorns the plaza with different color tables and chairs and draws in it’s regulars.

The pueblo is famous throughout Colombia for its traditional colonial appearance, its lush mountain views, ecotourism and cultural authenticty.  The neo gothic styled Basilica Menor de la Inmaculada Conception with its dark brick facade provides an extraordinary focal point for worship, art and community.

View of the town of Jardin and the many of the coffee plantations around the hills of this coffee region

The proclaimed it the Garden of Antioquia!

Today, surrounded by coffee, banana, avocado and fruits of all kinds the town remains a garden! 

History of Jardin

Flowers blooming in Jardin - one of the best places to go in Colombia
Waterfalls near Finca Mariposa Jardin

Well before the Spanish conquest evidence reveals that the area around what is now Jardin was inhabited by the indigenous people of the region, including the Catíos de la etnia de los Chamíes.

Indalecio Peláez was the official founder of the township and area in 1863.

Like many stories in Colombia the naming of this pueblo is steeped in imagination born in fragments of reality.

The legend speaks of the founders cresting the ridge surrounding the valley and awestruck by the beauty and its enchanting river systems they proclaimed it to be the garden of Antioquia.

Today, it seems little has changed. The excitement of arrival never diminshes. As we journey from Canada to Medellin and venture up the mountain to Jardin we feel the landscape magically change as we “crest the ridge” and feel the lushness explode all around us.

 

Our Coffee Farm
in Jardin

Owners of Finca Mariposa in Jardin, Colombia
The hammock at Finca Mariposa Colombian Coffee farm
Our coffee plantation - traditional and modern home in Jardin
The front patio at Finca Mariposa in Jardin Colombia
Sunset view at Finca Mariposa
Bananas growing at a Colombian Coffee Farm - Finca Mariposa
Coffee cherries ready to be picked from Finca Mariposa

People always ask us to tell our story; “why did you come to Jardin and what inspired
possessed?- you to build a Finca and start a coffee farm?”

It’s both simple and complicated. Mimi, smiling in the hammock, grew up in Bogotá and Medellin but has lived in Canada most of her life. After an absence of 25 years (yes she wasn’t “home” for 25 years!) we came Medellin in 2017 for Mimi to reconnect with her roots and share that history with me. Doing our pre-trip research (we wanted time in the Andes Mountains)  we learned about “the most beautiful pueblo in all of Colombia” – Jardin! Intending to stay for 2 nights, we stayed for 5 and were so enchanted we started looking for land.

Two trips later we settled on what has become Finca Mariposa. A 5 acre, 2.5 hectare piece of paradise and the adventure began!

In the next blog we’ll walk you through the process of the buying and building experience. The challenges, the hazards and the keys to making it happen.

www.fincamariposajardin.com

For now, listen to our story in the Life with David youtube channel.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdrL2tOPREQ

Would you like more information on our Finca?

Accommodation, Coffee Tours, Eco-tourism

www.fincamariposajardin.com