““We were afraid of ending up like my cousin. This time everything was in writing and we went over it together on video calls.” — Carmen and José (example)”
Carmen and José have lived in the Bronx for more than 20 years (example data). He is from Santiago, she is from Moca, and they always talked about retiring near family. The problem was fear: one of José's cousins had paid for a plot of land that turned out to have two owners.
What worried them most
- Paying for something that did not exist or did not belong to the seller.
- Not being able to take several trips because of work.
- Not understanding the paperwork.
How they did it from New York
First they set a budget and an area: an apartment in Villa Olga, close to Carmen's sister. An agent showed them three options over video call, and the sister visited their favorite in person.
Before paying any deposit they hired their own lawyer — not the seller's. She requested the Certificate of Legal Status, a Title Registry document showing who owns the property and whether there are any debts or liens. Everything checked out.
To avoid the trip, they signed a power of attorney in New York, had it apostilled and sent it to the lawyer. Payment went by bank transfer to the seller's own account — never cash, never a third party.
The result
In about 3 months (example data) the title was in their name. Today the apartment is rented to a couple of doctors while Carmen and José finish working, and they spend Christmas there. "What gave us peace of mind was understanding every step," Carmen says.
If you are in the same situation, start with our guide to verifying a property title.
Fictitious story created as an example.