Can a U.S. citizen own land in Bolivia

Can a U.S. Citizen own land in Bolivia

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Sep 20, 2010
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carachipampa is near cochabamba
by: Anonymous

Carachipampa is the only English-speaking boarding school that I know of in Bolivia. It is a school primarily for the children of missionaries, but usually has a few spaces for non-missionary kids. It is located near Cochabamba. You would have to ask if it still functions as a boarding school or not.

http://www.carachipampa.org/

Sep 20, 2010
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Boarding School In Bolivia
by: Anonymous

Need to find a boarding school for girls in Bolivia. My daughter is fourteen and in eighth grade in the US. She has learning disabilities and is working more on a fifth-grade level. Is there any such place?

Sep 20, 2010
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Can a U.S. citizen own land in Bolivia
by: Anonymous

Yes. Foreigners can purchase land in Bolivia. However, there are four major land-ownership problems or "situations" foreigners should take into considerations before purchasing.

First, prior to purchasing land it is wise to hire a trusted attorney to completely research the land title to ensure it is free from prior liens and that there are no ownership disputes regarding the land you are interested in. There are frequent cases where two or more people claim ownership of land and some cases where one alleged owner sells the land even when this dispute has not been resolved. The land titling and registration system is not well organized in Bolivia yet and lends itself to this type of problem/confusion.

A second problem with land in Bolivia involves the illegal settling or "taking over" of land, which lately has become a more frequent problem. Land owners often find their land has suddenly (usually overnight) been settled on by large communities of people who build small shacks initially, and over time more permanent dwellings. Land owners then find themselves in long legal disputes and obliged to prove they own it. This often also ends in the forceful removal of said settlers who frequently resist with violence. This usually happens when someone owns land, but doesn't build on it. So if you were to purchase land, you'd maybe want to be sure to do so somewhat near to the time you plan to actually build and live on it.

Third, you'd want to take into consideration not only the land you purchase, but also the land surrounding it, who owns it and would be your neighbors, what the future plans for the surrounding land are, etc. so as to have a good idea about whether your land will increase or decrease in value over time.

Fourth, you'd also need to research very well if the land you are going to purchase is near utilities such as water, electricity, sewage, trash pick-up, internet, cable TV, cellphone towers, etc. There are many places in Bolivia, even in certain neighborhoods of major cities, that have not been "urbanizado" yet. This means utilities and basic services have not yet reached or been installed in the area (or some have and some have not) and you would want to know which will be available to you and which won't, and for those utilities not yet installed, how long it will be before they are, and/or whether you as the new landowner would have to pay to install them yourself, etc.

So it is extremely important, if you are considering owning land in Bolivia, that you do so with help from a lawyer or at the very least a very very trusted friend.

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