Can foreigners own property in Brazil?
There are no restrictions on foreign citizens owning property or businesses in Brazil. The only requirement to own property in Brazil is that you have a "C.P.F. number", which is the Brazillian equivalent of a Social Security Number. This number is required in order to legally identify you for tax and title purposes. This number is issued by the "Work Ministry" and requires that you be present at the time of application. Normally, a CPF number is issued within 2-3 days, and a permanent identification card will be mailed to you in 2-3 weeks.
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Do you actually "own" the property, or is it "leased" from the government, like in Mexico.
In Brazil, you OWN the property and it cannot simply be taken from you, like in Mexico. You will have an actual title of "ownership" authenticated and recorded by the Brazillian Federal Government. Brazil has a constitution based on our own U.S. Constitution as well as laws which guarantee the same property rights as our own government. In addition, Brazil is quickly becoming the world-leader in attracting foreign investment and immigration. Many of the world's largest corporations (U.S. Company's as well) have invested millions of dollars in purchasing property and setting up business in Brazil. There are literally millions of foreign nationals in Brazil who own property and businesses.
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Is Brazil "American Friendly"?
Unlike much of the world today, Brazil is very "American friendly". You will see more American influence on Brazillian culture than most any other foreign culture. Everything from Music, Movies, Restraunts, Fashion and Business...America is a large part of today's Brazil. I personally have never felt so welcome, adored and respected as I have in Brazil, even here in my own country.
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How long is the trip to Rio? How much is plane fare?
Well it really depends on where you are flying from and what route you take. Normal flight time from Miami or Houston is around 9-10 hours. Some carriers offer special "discounted" fares, but include lay-overs in Sao Paulo, etc and that can add 2-4 hours onto your flight time. Your plane fare will vary greatly, depending on the airline, class of service, city of origin and time of year. Generally, you should expect to pay between $600-$800 for a coach seat on most major Airlines.
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What is the climate like in Rio? Do they suffer from severe weather (ie. hurricanes, flooding, etc)
Rio benefits from a sub-tropical climate, year round. During the summer months the temperature will reach the high 90's and in the middle of winter you will see daytime lows in the mid to high 70's. The temperature and weather is excellent, year-round, for outdoor activities and water sports. In addition, Brazil's summer months are Dec.-Feb., which makes it the perfect winter vacation spot when there's snow on the ground here!
Of course, Brazil is an extremely large country and experiences the full range of climates. The northern part of Brazil is hot-year round and has a Carribean feel to it, while the southern most tip see's snowfall in the winter and has a distinctly European feel to it. However, Brazil is a total stranger to severe weather and hurricanes, flooding and tornados are just not a part of life in Brazil. The only areas that receive severe weather of any sort are the jungle regions of the Amazon, where rainfall is extremely heavy.
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What is required for me, as an American, to visit Brazil?
Brazil requires Americans to have at minimum a "Tourist Visa" prior to entering the country. This requirement is in reciprocation for the requirement of Brazillian citizens to have a Visa to enter the U.S. The cost of the visa is approx $110.00 per person (identical to the U.S. fee charged to Brazillian citizens). Your visa is valid for 5 years from date of issue and will allow you to remain up to 180 days continuous in Brazil. Additionally, resident visas are available for those who meet the requirements, allowing unlimited stays in the country. Normally these visas are aquired by persons working in Brazil, retired foreigners who wish to live in Brazil, students who are studying in Brazil, etc.
To apply for a Brazillian Visa, you will need to contact the Consulate General of Brazil or a Passport/Visa Expediting Service.
There are several Consulates in the U.S., each servicing particular "jurisdictions". To find which Consulate services your State, click here:
Brazillian Consulates (U.S. Jurisdictions)
The advantage to using an "expediting service" is two-fold. First, they take care of all the leg-work and go to the consulate for you, saving you a potentially long and costly trip. Second, an expediting service can normally have a passport or visa processed and back to you within 1-2 days. For help finding an expediting service, click here:
Passport
and Visa Expediting Services
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Do I need special vaccinations to enter Brazil? Is the food and water safe?
Much of Brazil is either underdeveloped or completely devoid of development, including modern medicine. When visiting these areas of Brazil, you may need to be vaccinated. However, Brazil, in general, is not considered a third-world nation and has all of the modern technology, health care and infrastructure that you would expect in the U.S, or any European country. The cities of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Curitiba, Porto Alegre, and Manaus are expansive and thriving tourist and business centers, home to some of the world's most technologically advanced manufacturing facilities, hospitals and transit systems. Nearly all of the cities in Brazil, (including Rio) can be visited without vaccinations. The requirements for vaccination are for your own protection and are based on the probability that you will contract an illness while trekking through the Amazon or other remote locations.
Brazillian food is one of the things I love most in life and you will see it sold at small bars along the beach, at stands along busy sidewalks, from peddlers in the middle of rush-hour traffic and in some of the most exquisite restraunts in the world. Brazillians eat a great deal of meat and fresh seafood and they understand the importance of proper preparation. In addition, the public utilities, including municiple water systems are in excellent condition in most areas. Brazillian cuisine is not overly "exotic" and should sit well with most everyone. If you like barbeque, steak, seafood and plenty of fresh fruit, you will LOVE Brazil's dining opportunities!
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Is there much crime? Is the neighborhood where this house is located a safe area?
Like any major city in any country around the world, crime does exist in Rio. Of course, just like in any other city, it is mostly restricted to certain areas, which are easily avoided. These areas are called "favelas" and are populated by the poor, working-class of Brazil and are isolated from the rest of the city. The business and tourist districts of Rio are heavily patrolled and rarely see anything more dangerous than a drunk wandering through traffic. The atmosphere is relaxed and easy-going and I can honestly say that I have never once had a problem during my time in Rio, even walking alone in the wee hours of the morning.
The area where these homes are located is an entirely different story. I have left my own house unattended for months at a time and have never had so much as a window broken or a strange footprint on the patio. These homes are located in the town of Marica, approx 45min to an hour outside of downtown Rio. It's in an area called the "Lake and Ocean Regions", so called because of the many surrounding lakes and it's proximity to the ocean. This "suburb" of Rio, is where many of those who live in the city, come to spend their weekends, to find peace and tranquility. It is a beautiful place, lush and green, surrounded by water and completely devoid of the big city hustle and bustle. This small town is home to approx 60,000 people and is a sanctuary from the cares of the world. Just past the center of town you will enter an area that is almost exclusively residential and populated by a majority of vacation and weekend homes. There you will find that the only sound you hear is the ocean crashing against the shore and never will you need to worry about whether your door is locked. If, for some reason you needed the police, their station is at the end of the street, but most of their time is spent chatting with the locals about the weather or the fishing.
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What are the costs of owning a home in Brazil? (Taxes, maintenance, utilities, etc)
The cost of property ownership in Brazil is a fraction of what we are use to here in the U.S. Typical property taxes for a home in the State of Rio de Janeiro will run between $150-$350 annually, depending on the declared value of the property. Residential insurance to cover everything from fire to theft, with the maximum coverage and minimum deductibles will run between $55-$100 annually. Total utilities, including electric, water, gas, etc should run an average of $45-$80 a month for a family of 4-5 persons living in the home year-round. Obviously the cost would be much lower for a vacation home.
Maintenance cost will depend on the level of maintenance required on the home and what level of attention you prefer to devote to your home when you are away. A full-time housekeeper (5 days a week/8 hours a day) will run you between $75-$150 per month, and to have someone simply check on the home weekly, cut the grass, etc, you will probably spend between $25-$75 per month. However, should you so choose, it is a simple matter to find groundskeepers that will live on the property (most every house has a servant's quarters) and you can factor their lack of monthly rent into their salary. These property managers will maintain the house, safeguard it and insure that it is ready for your arrival. In addition, they can perform helpful tasks while you are at the home, like grocery shopping and help arrange for pick-up and drop-off at the airport.
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Can the property be rented or leased?
Yes! There are no restrictions on leasing or renting your property out. In fact, many of the homes in this area are rented out during the year for a week or month at a stretch. This is actually an excellent opportunity to recoup the cost of the property, or at very least cover the overhead cost of maintaining the property.
If you check on weekly or monthly rental property in Rio or timeshare costs, you will see that properties in this area generate between $2000-$5000 USD / month. The rates, of course, increase depending on the location (OCEAN FRONT OR LAKE FRONT PROPERTY) and the time of year (Carnival is typically in late January or February). However, the climate in Rio is sufficient to generate interest year-round.
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Are there paved roads and utilities in the neighborhood?
The municipal government maintains the roadways throughout the area, including the paved road that runs through our neighborhood. There is a new highway that runs from Rio into the lake region at Marica and all utilities and services are maintained by the local or state governments.
In addition, Direct TV operates in the area, as do several high speed internet providers. Direct TV offers the full range of American Programming, including HBO, CNN and WB television, so you won't be totally without something to watch on rainy days. I have high-speed satellite internet and it works great, averaging download speeds of about 400-600kbps. The combined costs for both of these services are about $60 USD/ month.
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What is the economy and exchange rate like in Brazil?
The economy is stable and steadily growing. Brazil is now one of the largest exporters in the world for raw materials, such as oil, precious minerals, textiles, etc. In addition, Brazil is in the process of aquiring "preferred trade status" with the United States, which will not only link Brazil's economy directly with our own, but open it's markets for a thriving trade economy.
The current exchange rate between Brazillian currency (The "Real") and our U.S. Dollar is approx. 3 to 1. This rate changes slightly daily, but has maintained it's value for some time now. To see the current "Official Rate" given by the Brazillian Central Bank, click here:
http://www.bancodobrasil.com.br
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Are there building codes or restrictions?
There are, in fact, building codes and an inspector will approve plans and construction to insure that the structure is safe and meets the municiple building codes. Restrictions depend largely on the area in which you are building and what type of structure you wish to build. (For example: The Federal Government actually owns the Beach (the access area where the ocean meets the land, normally 20-40 feet in from the low tide mark) and you must aquire special permits to construct access ramps, stairs, etc on the beach) For the most part, no restrictions exist beyond standard safety code violations and any special permits that are required are typically easily obtained.
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What closing costs should be expected on a typical home purchase? What is the standard time-frame for a closing?
For property thaThere are, in fact, building codes and an inspector will approve plans and construction to insure that the structure is safe and meets the municiple building codes. Restrictions depend largely on the area in which you are building and what type of structure you wish to build. (For example: The Federal Government actually owns the Beach (the access area where the ocean meets the land, normally 20-40 feet in from the low tide mark) and you must aquire special permits to construct access ramps, stairs, etc on the beach) For the most part, no restrictions exist beyond standard safety code violations and any special permits that are required are typically easily obtained.t is not ocean-front, closing costs typically run between $600-$800 USD and require approximately one (1) week to complete. For property that has an unobstructed access to the ocean, the cost is higher (additional $650-$750 USD) and requires additional time to complete the paperwork. The additional cost and time requirements are due to the fact that these properties must be recorded with the Brazillian Federal Government since they sit on the border of the country. There are no restrictions to ownership, but the government requires a fee for this recording and approx 2 weeks to process each property.
As the buyer, you will not need to stay in Brazil for the duration of this process, the final paperwork can be FedEx'd directly to you upon it's completion. However, you will have, prior to departure, copies of all necessary documents and the sale contract for the property. The original document must remain in Brazil until it has been recorded (1-2 weeks) and will then be sent to you directly.
The basic proceedure for closing in Brazil is as follows:
- Buyer and Seller agree on purchase price and deposit is sent to Seller.
- U.S. based sales contract and reciept for deposit is FedEx'd to buyer with terms of purchase.
- Buyer/s arrive in Brazil to complete paperwork and obtain necessary documentation.
- Buyer aquires a Brazillian C.P.F. number (2 days) required for process.
- Buyer and Seller enter "Cartorio" (Brazillian Title Company) to complete Brazil based sales contract. Title paperwork is initiated and a legal "copy" of all documentation is given to each party. (1-2 days) At this point the title is legally transferred and the seller now has no further control over the property. Buyer's can, if they wish, return home now. The original documents and title will be FedEx'd directly to the new owners.
- If the property is ocean-front, it must now be sent to the appropriate Federal Bureau for recording (1 week) and then returned to "Cartorio" for recording. If the property is NOT ocean-front, the title transfer is immediately submitted for recording (1-2 weeks).
- Title is recorded and final documentation is FedEx'd to new owners
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Can an Escrow company be employed to hold the funds until title has been transferred?
Funds may be held by a Brazillian Escrow company or by Rio Wild Properties (acting as a third-party escrow agent). The reason being that transfer from personal U.S. based bank accounts can sometimes become overly complicated and time-consuming due to the tight regulations on monetary transfers entering the country. However, arrangements can be made to hold your funds based on proof of title transfer.
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