Mi “Suegra” (mom-in-law) had just said she was willing to sell everything and move to a country where they didn’t even speak English. My wife Brandi and I had come to this place knowing we could fall in love with the beautiful scenery, hoping everything else would be good as well. But Donna, my “Suegra” hadn’t even looked at the pictures on the internet. She had come with us to see some place new, (probably wishing in her heart we had wanted to go to Italy instead). But we had found a “Sistine Chapel” done a little more directly by God and we will never be the same. The odd thing about beauty is, that it is impossible to describe, photograph, paint or fake. You can only experience it.

I have always had a problem, I call it: "everyone likes to go the circus, but everyone also likes to go home after the circus". But not me. I was looking for an impossible combination of agendas, wants and needs. Some things are aesthetics - like the sunset by Lago Nahuel Huapi. Other things are necessities like edible food, potable water, and acceptance by the people of the new world you want to enter. I had been in Bariloche for a couple of hours and had fallen completely in love with a vista, unless there were human sacrifices taking place here, I was going to stay. So now it was time to check out the ‘locals’... The first hurdle to getting to know the people of Argentina, of course is Spanish.

Days later people - no longer strangers - would smile and wave. What was going on here?

We rode the cable car to the top of ‘Cerro Otto’ and ate a bad lunch in the rotating restaurant. We walked off lunch looking at Michaelangelo art in a striking showroom, complete with a full sized “David”. We sampled chocolate liquor and exchanged taking photos with Argentine tourists. But the 800 pound gorilla - the view - is so distracting, conversations fade in mid-sentence. You find yourself staring... and try to keep your mouth closed. The boat trip to Isla Victoria takes you a little further from your routine and provides a new perspective on the magnificent Andes. As folks often do we compared this experience with others we had had but after a few moments we realized there were no “comparables”. Bariloche has Sequoias - something I miss from California - I guess I am a ‘tree-hugger’.

There are hundreds of day trips you can take within a hundred miles of Bariloche.  All of them look like a great way to spend the day. We ran out of time. We were beginning to look for property. We were talking to immigration. This had moved past being ‘puppy-love’ and we were getting serious. We took quick trips to El Bolson, to Lago Puelo, then North to San Martin de Los Andes. We had found the area where we wanted to live, now we were looking to make sure that Bariloche was the place we were going to buy a home. We loved Cabanas Nosotros just south of El Bolson in the community of Lago Puelo. San Martin was great also, but the energy and shocking Beauty of Bariloche was going to be our new home.

Real Estate In The San Carlos de Bariloche Region

There are at least 13 Inmobiliarias (Real Estate Companies) listed  in SISTEMA INMOBILIARIO which is a multiple listing type organization.

A foreigner trying to buy property through any one of these companies is probably safe from fraud. At least this was the opinion of the bankers and lawyers we spoke to. Spend some time getting to know people and someone will recommend an agency. Hire a lawyer to check every detail. There is no “escrow” type service. A Notary called an “Escribano” will do the checking and verification of true title, back taxes, exact boundaries etc. I had two Escribanos highly recommended to me and there doesn’t seem to be a problem having the final paperwork double-checked. The Escribano is a government functionary that finalizes the deal. When they say the deal is done your name is recorded on the deed and you no longer need to worry about ‘silent partners’ or ‘hidden liens’. This being said “Exercise every bit of due diligence” you can. Check Every Corner and make sure your house is on the lot you are buying. Some beautiful 2-3-4 bedroom houses come on undivided lots - this means two (or more) houses on one lot. If you don’t speak Spanish, it is not too difficult to find someone (a third party) who can translate for you, so that you understand what and where you are buying. You can always (after May 10, 05) call us - we have legal resources and real estate professionals that can assure your peace of mind.

The system is different from the States but you are still dealing with licensed professionals in a ‘first world country’. And the deals will make your mouth water. Exposed beams, huge windows with tremendous views of the lake and or the mountains, two floors, beautiful landscaping, for less than a $100,000, and many for less than 50,000. Bariloche is a World Class skiing capital. The months of June, July, August and into September, hotel rooms are difficult to get. Hotels for a hundred miles around are booked solid. The tourist bureau is calling private homes for rooms to rent. This means that if you don’t like winter you can arrange to rent out your home during those months and make a substantial income. December through February is national camping season and rooms are jammed once again. Since you are likely to have 1-3 extra bedrooms because your dollars buy so much space, renting the unused bedrooms can make you a tidy income for very little bother. As the main part of the tourist horde are either Argentineans or Europeans, you make look forward to these seasons every year when you will meet new friends or see the same guests year after year. $60,000 can buy you a marvelous 2-3-4 bedroom house that can generate income. $150-350,000 can buy a small hotel, hosteria, or apartment complex that caters to tourists that want either day-rentals or weekly-rentals. There are larger places, of course, ranging into the millions of dollars, but someone selling their home in the USA can find in Argentina a place that is very comfortable, with a great view, and income potential, with money left over.

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