Buying property in Guatemala

Hi Christine,
Foreigners have the same rights as Guatemalan in buying land, houses or business.
In Guatemala there is different kind of ownership, the best ownership title you can have is a "deed' called here titulo de propriedad that is registered in the Registry of the properties. A state institution which garantee the ownership. But few properties in Guatemala have these kind of paper. If you get across a title of property you can have it investigated (search title). If not you might have what is called a document proving rights of possetion. Which means you are recognized the rights of ownership because you excerce the possetion. By having the property fenced, an electrical meter, a house or improvments. In some areas this kind of title can be transformed in a real deed.
If you are interested in land on the beach, waterfront on lake or river you will have to deal with the government office in charge of these areas, as 3 kms from the ocean line, 200 mts from the lake level on lake, 100 mts on both side of navigable rivers it is state land. And you can ask for a lease to the goverment. Right now they are extending 30 years lease and the rent is Q 1 per m2...
As you can see it is quiet feasable to own land here and I do that as a job atitlanrealestate.blogspot.com/2010/08/purchase-real-estate-in-guatemala.html - check some valuable information on my blog