Looking For A Flat To Buy

[shoush]

This guy Mariano should buy in Durban if it thinks its it such a great city !!!! . Buenos Aires with all its faults has some of the most beautiful architecture in the world and if you look carefully there are some bargains out there at just US $ 2.000 a metre .

Agreed! its a beautiful city!

 

[mariano-BCN]

I'm still looking for a place to buy IN GOOD CONDITION, I'm not interested in flats or PH with lots of things to repair or ugly and old kitchens and toilets.

 

[SarahAnn]

I am buying a PH (sort of semi-detached little house) near Parque Chacabuco, after looking for about 6 months around CABA. As with all real estate, price very much depends a lot on location. We wanted to spend no more than $200K all up and needed at least 2br plus terraza, so fairly quickly focused on Caballito and Parque Chacabuco.
One issue that I had not understood before starting the process concerns money, specifically bank accounts. To the best of my knowledge, without a DNI you can´t open a bank account in Argentina. I know, no-one wants a bank account here but, without one, it is a bit difficult to get a house buying sum of money into the country. I mean, you can do it, but it is a pain in the a-s, involving bank account in Uruguay or various other manoevres. When the purchase goes through, you need to be able to justify where your money came from - I don´t know if the AFIP bothers much with foreigners but this is a legal requirement and the escribano should mention it. They write down the sale a fair bit (ie they write a lower price in the legal documentation) but there is also the government valuation of the property (the VIR), which sets a sort of lower limit on the price.
The easiest way to avoid these hassles is to buy from an expat or other person with a $ bank account overseas. In that case, the $ never come into the country - problem largely solved! However, the average Argentine in the street doesn´t have a foreign bank account (even in Uruguay). That puts you in the expat/expensive end of the market, but if you want to live in Palermo and those areas, it doesn´t matter - that´s where the expats live!
The other thing you need to do is to register yourself with the AFIP. I forget what that particular registration is called, but you need it in order to be a property owner. Again, the escribano should mention that.
We finished up paying US$135,000 for a 114 m2 with 2 1/2 br, patio and terraza and a brilliant quincho. [But it needs some work..!]
Final comment: I have owned flats or houses in many countries. Apart from the hassles with the $, which are an aggravation, the process is no worse here than some countries and probably better than many (eg Italy). Make sure you get a decent escribano..maybe get a recommendation from someone...
Good luck!

 

[mariano-BCN]

135K for 114m2 is okkidokki!

 

[lamarque]

I am buying a PH (sort of semi-detached little house) near Parque Chacabuco, after looking for about 6 months around CABA. As with all real estate, price very much depends a lot on location. We wanted to spend no more than $200K all up and needed at least 2br plus terraza, so fairly quickly focused on Caballito and Parque Chacabuco.
One issue that I had not understood before starting the process concerns money, specifically bank accounts. To the best of my knowledge, without a DNI you can´t open a bank account in Argentina. I know, no-one wants a bank account here but, without one, it is a bit difficult to get a house buying sum of money into the country. I mean, you can do it, but it is a pain in the a-s, involving bank account in Uruguay or various other manoevres. When the purchase goes through, you need to be able to justify where your money came from - I don´t know if the AFIP bothers much with foreigners but this is a legal requirement and the escribano should mention it. They write down the sale a fair bit (ie they write a lower price in the legal documentation) but there is also the government valuation of the property (the VIR), which sets a sort of lower limit on the price.
The easiest way to avoid these hassles is to buy from an expat or other person with a $ bank account overseas. In that case, the $ never come into the country - problem largely solved! However, the average Argentine in the street doesn´t have a foreign bank account (even in Uruguay). That puts you in the expat/expensive end of the market, but if you want to live in Palermo and those areas, it doesn´t matter - that´s where the expats live!
The other thing you need to do is to register yourself with the AFIP. I forget what that particular registration is called, but you need it in order to be a property owner. Again, the escribano should mention that.
We finished up paying US$135,000 for a 114 m2 with 2 1/2 br, patio and terraza and a brilliant quincho. [But it needs some work..!]
Final comment: I have owned flats or houses in many countries. Apart from the hassles with the $, which are an aggravation, the process is no worse here than some countries and probably better than many (eg Italy). Make sure you get a decent escribano..maybe get a recommendation from someone...
Good luck!

Ahh really 135 for 114 m2 where did you get that bargain?

 

[robwerwe]

Agreed! its a beautiful city!

Hahahahah

 

[robwerwe]

Buenos Aires with all its faults has some of the most beautiful architecture in the world

This makes me laugh so much. BA has some copycat French architecture a handful of colonial style buildings but most of it is horrible 60s & 70s tower blocks.
But I can see how some north americans can see it as beautiful compared to their cities.

 

[robwerwe]

So beautiful....

 

[French jurist]

Being a Parisian myself, I don't think Bs As is that beautiful.
Another thing I don't like is those "blocks" which look like an US city, with streets in a straight line.
Too much anarchy too, too many high buildings, it's hard to see the horizon.
The sculptures is public places often are wrong too (disproportionate according to their immediate surrounding).

I find Cordoba older but much nicer.

 

[robwerwe]

Another thing I don't like is those "blocks" which look like an US city, with streets in a straight line.

I find Cordoba older but much nicer.

I find it a lot more US in style than European, yellow traffic lights, grid-like street layout, poor attention to pedestrians.
There are a handful of nice buildings, some of the leafier barrios are ok but I would never say BA is beautiful.