Nicaragua Real Estate Market 🇳🇮 How It Works

Edit: As if to prove how bad the agents OFTEN (not always) are here, an agency actually reported this video to the government and threatened me with slander for exposing this information. And believe it or not, it was the person I had hinted at in the video that I said I'd probably trust. I'm not 100% clear that he, at least, is not someone I would trust. Just trying to help people understand how to approach home ownership is seen as an existential threat to the way that the agencies are making their money, apparently. Be warned, it's worse than I let on when I made the video.
Buying a house in Nicaragua can be a challenge, but a good one. Houses are very affordable and there are a lot of options. Nicaragua is a wonderful, safe country with many beautiful areas and options. But the real estate market here is very different from almost anywhere else in the world and you really have to change your expectations of how you will interact with the market or you will be at risk of being taken advantage of.
In today's episode we are going to talk about the market and help you understand how you can approach this wonderful country in the hopes of becoming a home owner.
#nicaragua #realestate #nicaraguarealestate
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🇳🇮

[@patriciamiller9317]

I cannot thank you enough for this. I'm a native who lives in the USA and I didn't know all the things you shared. Thank you!!!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

You are so welcome! Hopefully this is helpful for a lot of people.

[@dirtydingus5465]

After owning in Ecuador, Panama, Colombia, Mexico, and now Costa Rica I cannot tell you all how spot on this video is. Please Please, the best advice I give friends and folks I have helped over the last 35 years is the spend the time and visit, rent, rent and then rent again. Their is so many things that cannot be explained or even understood unless you have lived it. The scams are incredible, the “Gringo Pricing” is insane. I cannot count how many people I have seen take a vacation or visit and fall in love and then lose their Azz and move back to the USA! I could rent 10 books on things I have personally learned and seen. This video is very well done and extremely important! He covers many things and STILL doesn’t touch it all! Dingus✌

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

thanks!!

[@RussWildCat]

Thank you so much. The video is really informative and it gave me a chance to see some of the "underwater rocks". Well, I was living in three countries. Originally I am from Russia, Siberia. Then I moved to South Africa as after I travel to South Africa and Zimbabwe I fall in love with origins of these countries but I did not pay attention to origin of the people and it was awful as I am a white lady and it is truly dangerous places for a white person to live in. I will not describe all these terrible situation I've got through. Then I moved to the US and I blessed God for this move as I really had successful living in Florida till now. I still love Florida but I want earlier retirement and I begin thinking that It will not be possible to live on low social security unless I will work and work, and work... I begin searching places to move again as I do not want to see my future as endless working and last year I travel back to South Africa as my family still lives there and they are pretty well doing. I took travel to the Western Cape which is the most safe area in RSA but the Universe show me that I should not back there as I already lost ability to be in such dangerous place as SA. I was robbed but three black men and it was a good luck as I was not killed. I do not want to get back to such situation again. I need to find a good place for me to move and to take my daughter with her little son from SA ASAP. As I am a single lady I'd like to find someone who I can trust in this new turn.

[@iomtilt]

Wow!! Thanks for the "Red pill" on Nicaragua property, by far best advice yet👍🌴

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Thanks! Glad that it is helpful.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

If you went by what the "real estate agents" claim, the market is hot, houses cost a premium and they can't keep an inventory. Spend some time here in person... nothing is selling, everything is available, prices are rock bottom. Hmmm... how could that be?

[@dirtydingus5465]

Yes. Always a hot market, “Fire Sale” sick and have to return the states, other offers are pending so on and so on!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

@@dirtydingus5465 jaja. so true. somehow every house has that story.

[@EdwinGLindo]

Very interesting. I would offer our purchasing experience as one that was exceptional with a Real Estate agent. Without them we wouldn’t have been able to get through the process. And received a very reasonable price, arguably below what it would go for considering the area (El Guayabo, outside of Granada) I think your recommendation to be weary is completely on point. Never rush the process, make sure you are thorough and be diligent. And yes, always have an attorney involved. Keep up the videos!

[@JuniMandala]

Great info! I appreciate your channel so much. Thank you for explaining everything in such detail. It really helps to get a grasp of how/why things work the way they do in Nicaragua!

[@petermarchiafava7976]

Scott Alan Miller, thank you! You ripped the veil off of the native and foreign "real estate agent" pretenders and posers that have wasted months of my time, seemingly unwilling or incapable of maintaining correspondence or producing a listing agreement. You are clearly a master guide of the real estate morass that is Nicaragua.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Thank you very much!

[@randyparton5451]

Love this!! Thanks! Your info is great…..appreciate

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Thanks so much, it really means a lot.

[@jillianfreyman6325]

You rock! I am so glad I chanced upon your channel. You are really helping. Thank you

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

You are so welcome!

[@jackmahones3855]

Much gratitude for your valuable ande informative iinformation. Glad to see there are still some real people out there. Best to you and your family.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I appreciate that! I'm very glad that people are finding the information useful. We love living here and love the country and want to see more genuine people discover and fall in love with Nicaragua too.

[@victoriaman117]

Your videos are so informative. Currently binging them. Makes me realize it may be in my best interest to let an agent realize a cash bonus is tied to how LOW they can get the price (the lower the price, the higher the bonus) lol!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Right? The percentage of sale price thing ONLY makes sense for the seller's agent. The buyer's agent, even in the US, is totally PAID to not do a good job. The whole system of "I'll pay you more the worse job you do" is really bizarre where you just trust them to not act in their self interest and not to act in accordance with how you offered to compensate them. Logically the worst to sell a high cost property and a low cost are roughly the same. That agents are paid based on commission at all isn't logical with how the market works.

[@RussWildCat]

Blessings for you Scott for being that real man who can explain some situations anyone can get. Appreciate.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Many thanks!

[@oscarespinosa810]

Great information Scott ... I am Planning to go to Nicaragua, I don't know when... But, I will contact you ok... Perhaps you team might help me out... If I decide to buy a House

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

We'd love to help out!

[@BillBlyleven]

Thank you for breaking the Skittles, unicorn. and rainbows narrative on Nicaragua real estate..

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Skittle busting. That’s my jam.

[@BillBlyleven]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog Sorry about the reporting happening - The one thing in your favour is that the radar is focused on other "items" in the administration these days.

[@lloydelliott8737]

Thanks, Scott, as soon as I am ready, I will personally get there, great job, thank you

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Thanks! And good luck! Keep us all up to date on your process of getting down here!

[@lawrencemcnally2064]

Very imformative and on point as to the current "real estate" market in Nicaragua.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Thanks!!

[@rolandcuadra]

All I can say is.... THANK YOU! this video alone was worth a subscribe.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Awesome, thank you!

[@La-huh]

U r 100% right this this is in all over the South America , there is no way you can find the market value of house that doesn’t exist….😂

[@Khanfuzed1]

Just found you and this has been very eye opening. I have been seeing tons of beautiful properties in Nica, but hearing a lot of stories that makes it seem like it’s not safe…

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Yeah, anything but. Safest place around. Mind blowingly safe, at least from a violence and legal perspective. Loads and loads of con artists out to make a quick buck on unsuspecting foreigners (but don't worry, they are easy to spot, because they are nearly all foreigners, too, jaja.) But definitely watch a lot of my real estate episodes, ANY property you see online is going to be 1) easily fake and 2) price inflated by HUNDREDS of percents most likely. The good deals, the real "at market" prices are only done in person, on the ground, in country. Anything online is super premium (if it is even real) just to dupe unsuspecting foreigners who hope to shop sight unseen without doing the ground work themselves. Don't even look at those sites, for real.

[@nedascreation23]

Thank you Scott, very informative.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Very welcome

[@theange100]

Thanks for your helpful advice!!!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

You are so welcome!

[@adwee7519]

Thanks so much for sharing! Could you do a video and touch on renting? What company to even look at to rent a home? If any at all? Or should we just show up with all our stuff and hope for the best 😂 We are moving down in the end of May and want to live in different areas before we find a place to buy. Mostly in SJDS area and dont want to be duped by the same “realtors” 😅 🙏🏽thanks again!!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Sure, I'll definitely do that. No company. That's easy. Rent from the owners. Showing up with your stuff is generally best. There are hotels and AirBnB kind of things that make going a week or two pretty easy and then you can look around and decide on a neighborhood before you commit to an apartment.

[@brettsouza6650]

Like Scott says, rent a hotel or AirBnB for a week or two. Hire a driver and drive the areas you like. There are for rent signs everywhere.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

@@brettsouza6650 and tons of places that agents won’t or can’t show you because either they don’t know either or don’t get commission.

[@adwee7519]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog I understand thanks for the response! I guess im just concerned that doing this and then approaching the owners they will say oh white folks???awesome!! lets charge them 3 times the price or more! Do you have any ideas for us to avoid this?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Yup. Always have a local that handles the interface with potentials sellers or renters. That’s a reason you always want to be in country first. Time to establish a relationship with a representative. You don’t want to give away that you are foreign as you are right and often the prices will change a lot.

[@andrewtuzzolino589]

Thanks for the great content!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

My pleasure!

[@davidwelch5186]

I have lived in nica for over 5 years, I now have a nica partner that I trust. I bought a tiny lot on the beach north of San Juan del sur. In a development with water and power. 21,000. My partner is handy, he will buid with 40,000. So, a nice new cabin on the beach for 61,000 I see a lot of places not as nice going for twice 61.

[@davidwelch5186]

I like the way things are done in nica,, like my dad 70 years ago the septic is dug by hand. All I do is buy the bricks and concrete. It will cost less than $1000

[@davidgringoes785]

Great information

[@ajusa2024]

Awesome video Scott! Thanks! As always.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

My pleasure!

[@bananapatch9118]

Hey Scott ! A comment you made on another video made me curious…you mentioned ranges of home prices, but then said you have friends that purchased small houses well under that range. Was there some strategy they used to get a house well under that range ? I would guess in Jinotega, typical homes must range from maybe $25,000-$80,000 ? The low priced homes would be farther away from downtown ? Thanks for all you do ! Scott n Lidia

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Typically downtown or "centro" is going to be one of your premium price areas. In Jinotega the effect is likely lessened because downtown is so minor. My friend who got super duper cheap bought when times were good and built himself. He did so in a semi-Nica style (cinder block and unsealed roof.) And he's in the barrio (when we say THE barrio, we don't mean A barrio.) He's actually next door to one of my houses, so I guess I'm in the same barrio, in that sense, lol. Very small place, basically a house that is a studio apartment. But he was WAY under $20K. If you are willing to live in the barrio and willing to live with Nica construction style (open air, can't be sealed) you can certainly be below $20K almost anywhere. If you truly can give up any semblance of North American expectations, the prices CAN be SO low. But you really don't meet people who are happy with that very often, so you don't mention it.

[@bananapatch9118]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog Lidia’s family all live in the typical Nica construction. I might be ok with it if the temps were low enough, but visiting Corinto…no way. I’d have to have a/c. But Jinotega…I’m not sure yet. Thx, just curious.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

@@bananapatch9118 for me, Jinotega is plenty cool. Honestly even Managua I don't need AC and that's much warmer than Jinotega. If you are in an open area in Managua, like in Ciudad Sandino, I think open air is fine once you acclimate.

[@brettsouza6650]

Spot on!

[@abidnessman]

Very revealing. Thank you.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

thanks!

[@bpw3465]

thanks for all youre posts on Leon and Nicaragua! its really helpful for those of us seriously considering/on the path towards moving. q: is the best way to find a rental apartment in Leon just to get there, walk around and look for signs? I'm thinking thats what Ill do, but any additional resources or info greatly appreciated! hey now....youve answered this below. ignore the q, keep the compliment

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Yes, walking around is super valuable because then you know the neighborhoods. Pretty much any good place that I've ever looked at I could have walked by and there is a sign posted with a number to call. So that method actually works really well.

[@markusschellenberg4684]

Reminds me of the way it works here, in Switzerland!

[@jorgeluislagunachavarria838]

Sustancial content and useful...

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Thanks! Glad that it was useful.

[@marcellosapienza1755]

Great videos Allen , safe to walk around with 2 thousand dollars in your pocket

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I mean I wouldn't do that anywhere. Of course I say that and I've done it in the last week. But I wouldn't do it for fun, lol. No reason to have that kind of money on your person here. That's too much to worry about just dropping! But yeah, super safe.

[@dennysgarcia8418]

Nice scott

[@Juliette1969]

Just watched this and it answered my question on your other video. Guess I should stop looking at real estate videos on here!

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Jaja, perfect timing! :) Look at pictures of houses, but not real estate videos. Villages, barrios, cities... get to know WHERE a house might be good. But not specific houses and, most importantly, not prices. I've got some more recent videos that really drive home the "don't look at anything online because of confirmation bias; but do get here and rent right away." I have two videos in the last month... one is "what not to do" with buying a house here and then a few days later "what to do and what I did" video on the same.

[@Juliette1969]

Thanks for the prompt reply! ❤

[@user-nd9re8vr6l]

I heard getting an attorney that works in real state is the best way to go to prevent scams from real state agents but I’m concerned about becoming a victim of one of those attorneys

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Attorneys represent you and work for you, it's a very different arrangement. They are not paid on a commission based on how much they get you to pay for the house. You always use an attorney in a real estate deal anywhere with or without a real estate agent. Even in the US, you'd never want to do a real estate deal without an attorney. The idea that Nicaraguans are going to scam you isn't really much of a thing. There are gringo prices, but not gringo scams very often. Almost all of the scams come from foreigners scamming other foreigners by reaching out and engaging them outside of normal Nicaraguan processes (or even outside of the country.) If someone is advertising to you on a website in English, or in an expat forum or other "isolates foreigners" channel, their biggest money and their mechanism is one just for you, as someone from abroad. An attorney should be a normal, every day attorney who works for Nicaraguans and has a reputation to worry about. Avoid anything marketed only to foreigners, that's always going to be at minimum super expensive, at worse an all out scam, and often just somewhere in the middle. If you choose an attorney through an appropriate path, there's really nothing to be concerned about. And an attorney will never be blocking you from having contact with all of the parties. That's a big piece of how the scams are often run... by keeping the parties separate so that one person making all of the money is negotiating with all of the parties and only they know how much is being offered, accepted, etc. and could potentially pocket the difference.

[@BillBlyleven]

An interesting draft legislation is floating through la Asemblea national. It would compel "Brokers to license" for $400 (Equiv cordoba ) - whether per year or one time fee is not stated in the summaries I have read. It also has penalties for transacting a real-estate deal without a license (Fine $350) and a penalty for not keeping proper records of transactions also $300 - The text is on the national assembly web site but the two sources I have found do not work, have to search manually through the day today.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Interesting. The fee isn't a big deal, but will it require some sort of oversight?

[@davidwelch5186]

Bare and development are totally different.. It's ok to list or view bare property. For one simple reason.. jungle. Got to be able to see it before you can buy it. . Any parcel off the main roads, you're not going to see it. Craigs is great.

[@hillaryreeves5107]

Hi Scott thank you for all this information My Daughter is coming down there so great to know. She is trying to find an air freight company to bring some creats of belongings do you know any that could be used from Canada. We have contacted quite a few with no success.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Crates of stuff? That's going to be really hard. It's possible, but insanely hard. Does she really need that stuff? Personally, if you need to crate it, I'd reconsider the planning process if possible. We know people who struggled to find a shipper. When they finally did, the shipper shipped their stuff and never paid the port to receive it and ran off with the money. Their stuff is impounded with the ship and could be tied up for years if they ever see it. The risks of shipping are super high. If you want to ship some small Amazon items with Nicabox, that's fine. It costs a little extra, takes a little more time. It's predictable overhead and no big deal. Once you are shipping stuff for real, it is likely going to be a problem.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Paul says that he attempted to post the following and that I deleted it which I most certainly have never done. In reality, it appears that he violated the KZbin posting policies and they blocked the post for containing contact info. So I'm posting what he says he attempted twice on his behalf so that a public discussion can be had and so that he can not make any claim that I have deleted it. From Paul: Scott, you started the video with excellent points on MLS, and other comments on training, but you went completely off the rails starting around 16 minutes. You made a tough comments about all real estate agents beings scammers and that there is a large group of real estate agents, especially from US and Canada scamming people, and that is how we do business. There is a legal real estate framework in Nicaragua called law 602. Canibir is the responsible party, I agree there are some bad apples in our business but the same issue is found in Canada and USA. I am proud of our involvement in this industry in Nicaragua for the past 7 years, and If you think we have done anything wrong please give me a call at ------ or email ------ or my US line ------. We have never met and never done business together, so I am not sure how you can qualify all agents. BTW some of us in Nicaragua have over 20 years in the real estate experience and have many years of US real estate training, in fact, I am a licensed US broker and a proud realtor member of NAR since 2001. I am also a NAR instructor for various real estate courses, and I teach this both in US and internationally, next month I will be in Costa Rica to teach. How we do business is important for me since my US / Kansas license requires me to follow strict real state regulations, even outside of the USA, from disclosures, no dual agency allowed, ethics transparency, accounting of money. Feel free to call me or visit my Leon office on Tuesday, my number is -----

[@BillBlyleven]

Wow - Am I a bad man for having that specific Paul (and some of his cohorts) come to mind when I watched this video the first time?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

@@BillBlyleven that's awesome that you instantly know who is like this without them needing to be mentioned. :) And glad to hear that their reputation precedes them and that it isn't only me (you aren't the first to tell me that, though ;)

[@RussWildCat]

Thank you so much, Scott. The video is really informative and it gave me a chance to see some "underwater rocks". Well, I was living in three countries. Originally I am from Russia, Siberia. Then I moved to South Africa as after I travel to South Africa and Zimbabwe I fall in love with origins of these countries but I did not pay attention to origin of the people and it was awful as I am a white lady and it is truly dangerous places for a white person to live in. I will not describe all these terrible situation I've got through. Then I moved to the US and I blessed God for this move as I really had successful living in Florida till now. I still love Florida but I want earlier retirement and I begin thinking that It will not be possible to live on low social security unless I will work and work, and work... I begin searching places to move again as I do not want to see my future as endless working and last year I travel back to South Africa as my family still lives there and they are pretty well doing. I took travel to the Western Cape which is the most safe area in RSA but the Universe show me that I should not back there as I already lost ability to be in such dangerous place as SA. I was robbed by three black men and it was a good luck as I was not killed. I do not want to get back to such situation again. I need to find a good place for me to move and to take my daughter with her little son from SA ASAP. As I am a single lady I'd like to find someone who I can trust in this new turn.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Nicaragua offers low cost of living with a high degree of safety (especially safety from violence - petty crimes like someone stealing something off of a table when you aren't looking, is relatively high). Russians tend to get positive attention here, within expat groups, so that is highly beneficial as well. Being white makes you a target for high prices at the market, not a target for violence here. I moved here with my family and young children. The safety and freedom here, and healthy food and living, are major factors in us choosing Nicaragua over many other good options in the region.

[@RussWildCat]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog Thank you, Scott. I more and more think moving to Nicaragua in nearest future.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

@@RussWildCat we lived here in 2015 and loved it, but had to move away for family reasons, but we came back two years ago to make this our permanent home and we are continuously thrilled with the decision.

[@UshaKumariUppal]

Hello Scott, interesting video. We will arrive in Nicaragua on Sunday, and we are starting in the South. We are looking for a place to settle down, and the region Leon / coast near Leon seems fitting to us. I think we will be there around June. Is there any way that I can get in touch with you? I searched on FB but to no avail. Thanks.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Preemptive WELCOME TO NICARAGUA! I'm not on FB. I'm on Instagram, though... instagram.com/ziffedtraveler/

[@UshaKumariUppal]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog thank you.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

@@UshaKumariUppal Con gusto!

[@user-nd9re8vr6l]

Can a national get a home loan? What’s the interest rate for nationals? What if that national never lived in nicaragua but is coming to retire there?

[@flordelis9649]

Hola Scott So you said in person is better to inform yourself about the properties..I was born in Nicaragua. I would love to take a trip and do this. How should I go about this. Thanks in advance

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Tell me more about your goals. When were you last here? Do you just want to buy a place? or potentially move?

[@flordelis9649]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog 1. Who should or how should I reach out regarding properties? 2. Is it better if I am a citizen of Nicaragua? I can apply 3. I plan on buying and moving at least 6 months out of the year there? Work in the states 6 months. I was thinking Playa Popoyo? I was born in Diriamba and my family's plots are there.

[@alejandromendieta5486]

Amazing information! So all of these companies like Discover Nicaragua, Trinity or Aurora that exist, are false? Or most of those listings are just overpriced? Or could it be that managua could be a more unique market?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

The COMPANIES are real, obviously, but they aren't real estate agencies as you would assume being from other markets. They don't have the same resources and control of the market or really much access that you don't have yourelf. The listings are generally a combination of real houses that aren't for sale, houses that are somewhere else, houses that are for sale but the prices are fake, etc. And universally the prices listed are absurdly above market value (I know that I said that there are no comps or general market BUT....) If you were to truly find a house or lot on the sites for sale, it would end up selling for much less than listed. Which is generally true in the US or Canada too, but the variance is more. Like it might well for half, not 90% like in the US.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

The place with the biggest problem is San Juan del Sur. Scam real estate is an entire industry there. There are so many people looking to buy and sell there, and it is all foreigners, that running these scams is highly lucrative. Whereas in other towns, like Matagalpa, you couldn't scam enough people to pay the bills. There just aren't any foreigners to scam there. Another scam that happened in San Juan del Sur... selling houses to foreigners and then reselling the same house to other foreigners and doing so over and over again. Because so many people buy, but never move in full time, it turns out to be pretty plausible that you can get away for a few years reselling the same house, controlling the housekeeping staff to keep it spotless, and making several different people believe that they are all the owners of the house since none of them use it more than a few weeks of the year. A house that costs $50K to build, could be (and I'm told HAS BEEN) sold for $100K or more, as many as ten times. So bringing in a million dollars, on a $50K build, and leaving no one as a clear owner of it in the end! And the scam was run on a lot of houses, not just one. So we are talking big dollars.

[@alejandromendieta5486]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog My brother and are thinking in buying a home in Nicaragua, either somewhere in Santo Domingo, Villa Fontana, Las Colinas in Managua or on the beach in San Juan del Sur. Since homes in Seattle are just so expensive! That’s it’s almost impossible to buy one here at our age! So even though some homes in Nicaragua are above and we were looking at neighborhoods that feel like we are in the United States, but with the Nica flavor.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

So here is a funny story.... from you posting this list and me confirming that SOME of those companies I've had run ins with, one of their competitors figured out, I assume based on the description of the scam, and forgot that I never said who was running scams and claimed that I was slandering them... to the national real estate board. So another agency that you didn't mention tipped their hand that it appears that they are very aware of the scams, could identify the agents based on the scams, and threatened me with legal action if I didn't stop disclosing this information. So while it isn't proof of anything, it's is HIGHLY suspect that how else could they have been able to identify the agencies if they didn't know who behaved this way. And that they did so to try to silence me to protect them is really telling. The market is even worse, it appears, than I suggested.

[@alejandromendieta5486]

Thank you! That was very helpful!

[@marcellosapienza1755]

Where do you do laundry, in Cuba there's very few laundry machines

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

We've always had a laundry machine. But you just hire someone normally. If you don't want to buy a machine and don't want to hire someone, I'm sure you can send it out to be done. Or just do it by hand.

[@alanjames670]

Jesus! So glad I watched this video

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Glad it was useful :)

[@chrismoshier8313]

Thanks for this! You mentioned a friend of a friend working real estate in San Juan Del Sur. Would it be possible for you to give me the name of that person? Thanks

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Thats the guy that threatened to sue me for exposing the way things work. So I'm thinking he's not the best to use, lol. I thought he was being more honest, and I still think he is than most, but he tipped his hand that he's protecting people he knows are not acting ethically.

[@stavrosvrahnos5834]

Looking for 1 Manzana in Ometepe with. View of, any ballpark figures as far as the cost ?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

It's a giant island. The range would be astronomic from "almost free" to "six figures" depending on where you want to be and who owns it already.

[@treasurethetime2463]

No problem. There is 1 for sale for 10k American dollars. Problem is it’s owned by a Nigerian prince who has political enemies holding up his inheritance, so he needs money to release his fortune…😂😂.

[@mohameddarwish7739]

Who's the person you know in an jean del Sur do you trust to buy a property there?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

In every video I say the same thing.... trust no one to buy property for you in Nicaragua. Everything thinks that I'm kidding and that there is an exception. There is not. You do your own footwork and close the deal with a lawyer. Zero exceptions to this process. The more you think you have thought of an exception, the more I guarantee you are dealing exactly the people, companies and situations we are specifically warning against. Don't try to work around the general rule: no real estate buyer's agents. None. That's not how the system works here. Just thinking of using one flags you as an expat that is trying to force a north american mindset because conceptually we don't have them here (and why would you want one? They don't make sense.)

[@davidgringoes785]

Can you help finding land..? Only a plot of land ...ill build my own house.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

For sure, we'd love to help. I've got people for just that sort of thing. :) On newer vidoes our email address appears. Either hit my instagram or email... info at relocate nicaragua dot com or instagram.com/ziffedtraveler/

[@Urineil]

Is this still the case almost a year later, friend?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Very much so.

[@theange100]

Who’s the friend of a friend in SJDS?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

I try not to call anyone out. There's no need because you don't want to work with any buyer's agent so which one I specifically have had run ins with (it's a lot) isn't actually material. Just avoid paying someone to do something against your interest and you'll be safe :)

[@katrinamac853]

Who is the realtor you ‘trust’ in SJDS?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Sadly, it turns out that the one I mentioned showed their real colours and threatened us with a lawsuit for exposing how real estate tends to work in the country and went out of their way to not only try to defend the practices as a whole, but to specifically defend the very places that we knew had tried it with us. So it ends up that the friend of a friend agent that I knew of is one of the last people I could recommend to anyway. I think the real takeaway is.... the risk of using an agent is huge, the benefits don't exist. It might seem like house shopping from a distance makes sense. I tried it myself, so I totally understand the thought process. But it's a bad idea. So much to go wrong. A little patience and shopping while in country will make all the difference.

[@katrinamac853]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog I actually said to my fiancé “I bet he gets attacked for this”. Very sad that I was right! We are coming back this year and will look in person

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

@@katrinamac853 You definitely called it. And it was so much more vicious than I ever would have guessed. Really showed me how close to the mark I must be. And I had ex-agents reach out and say that they had worked in the field and it was totally true and they had felt that they could not continue to work in that way because it was so unethical and so left the market. I do have some nice agents that I work with in Leon now and you can see them in some videos. But importantly, these are sellers agents, not buyers agents like we talk about in these videos (and they are local Nicas that don't speak English and their agencies aren't accessible to English speakers either.)

[@scottalanmiller]

That's some hard core GoPro glitching.

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Indeed it is!

[@user-nd9re8vr6l]

Can a national get a home loan? What’s the interest rate for nationals? What if that national never lived in nicaragua but is coming to retire there?

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Yes, home loans exist. The rate is super high. High enough that people consider it not to be an option. Like 18% or something crazy like that.

[@user-nd9re8vr6l]

@@ScottAlanMillerVlog holy smokes 18%? 😬

[@ScottAlanMillerVlog]

Yeah. You just treat it like it doesn’t exist.