I believe it is a good moment to buy, it is true that prices can go down a bit more (however INMO this will not change considerably, I'd rather focus in other aspects if you are interested in buying Argentinean real estates, I believe buying real estates in Argentina is a smart decision in the long term since prices are not high internationally right now. I believe Argentina sooner or later will get much better than now). Today you can get convenient opportunities in the best BA zones, if I were you I would mainly focus in the quality of the real estate, and how to perform a safe transaction. Convenient does not mean you will pay 20% less of the market value. In the best of cases you can get a 10% less of what market offers, if you can offer without giving money by advance. (agency will say "we do not accept offers if you don't give us $ by advance, if offer is not accepted by the owner then we will return the $", just leave your personal card
if they are interested in a few days you will receive a phone call from the agency ..., you can do this in many agencies, and then wait for a month ... and see if somebody calls and see how the market is.
Many times real estates are sold and the papers might not be OK because one of the owners is dead and relatives are waiting for a legal process to end, but they try to sell saying everything is OK, buyer pays for advance and then buyer needs to wait. (Don't trust in agencies) .
I recommend buying a Real Estate directly from the owner if you have the chance, (also you can save a lot if you do not pay high commissions to the agency). It is not obligatory to contact a real estate agency by law, but it is always obligatory to contact an "escribano" (notary); escribano is usually chosen by the buyer since it is the buyer who will carry with the legal responsibility after transaction.
Most important: Choose an "escribano" with a high reputation that will not perform the transaction if there is something wrong with the "escritura", and a decent escribano will not accept bribes from the seller if there are irregularities, do not take risks there. Do not forget that the real estate agencies will charge a high commission just to show you how the apartment is and will not be responsible after the transaction is done, is more the risk you take with the agencies, than what it helps at the end. In most of the cases you will not have issues with the "escribano", it is very improbable however keep one eye there too since you are buying something expensive
, regarding with the agency, the most probable is that you have at least one small issue because of something and they will try to get more $ than agreed. What is frequent is that agencies sometimes try to lure potential clients before the in-heritage legal process if finished, and buyer can be delayed with the transaction when some money is given by advance to the agency (this is frequent since persons die, avoid this scenario to happen).
Other thing: In past transactions were done through a bank, and transactions were much safer, but now most likely the owners will want the $ in cash (be careful with this, it is important to know how the transaction will be done, in some cases transactions are done in a bank and owner owns a safe-box inside the bank), also the owner will check every dollar note since it could be fake and opening an account in dollars is unsafe for the owner (you know why), you might be required a photocopy with dollars printed and your sign, etc. I think legally this is not worthwhile for the owner, but at least it is something for him if there is a fake dollar. So basically, my advise do not care about the $ much, you will find more or less nice opportunities (not miracles but good enough), do not care about 1% lower or higher, but care about what you buy (if the taps work OK, if the building is OK, etc), and the legal process. (in most of the cases nothing wrong happens, everything is pretty safe, but... always keep one eye just in case. Everything I said before is an exaggeration but something to consider since you are not buying something cheap).
Other thing: if something is very cheap do not trust, the very cheap opportunities (20% less or more) are soon detected by agencies, friends, real estate professionals, and are very infrequent. (most of the times it happens after long in-heritage processes that take many years and there are many new are owners who are not willing to wait) so then if a very cheap opportunity is offered to you take care, it might be scam.
It is true that real estates can go down very much (I don't think it will happen) but there is no way to know when the prices are on the floor, of course if you just buy when everything is on the floor you will make a good business
but you need to be very lucky for this. In the long term buying Argentinean real estates is always a good business if you are patience and wait.
