Buying property abroad sounds like yield, sun and freedom. The reality often looks different. Since I started reviewing projects worldwide as an independent civil engineer, I have recognised patterns that repeat across countries - with astonishing precision.
Here are three real cases from my practice. No theory, no statistics - only what I actually found during the review.
Case 1: Bali - the yield illusion
An investor wanted to buy a villa in Bali. The presentation was professional: 12 percent yield per year through Airbnb rental, turnkey management, supposedly 85 percent occupancy. Investment: 180,000 USD for a leasehold plot with a 25-year term.
What my check found: the promised yield was based on gross income without deducting management fees, maintenance, taxes and vacancy. The realistic net yield was under 4 percent. On top of this: as a foreigner you cannot own land in Bali - only leasehold. After 25 years nothing is yours. The villa was built on a plot whose owner was a local nominee. No individual title, no extension guarantee.
Result: NO-GO. The investor did not buy. The 250 euros for the check saved him 180,000 USD.
Case 2: Rwanda - what a professional project looks like
An off-plan apartment project in Kigali. 31 units, 8 floors plus penthouse, the diplomatic quarter. Investment: 356,000 to 713,000 USD depending on the unit. At first glance: expensive for Africa. At second glance: one of the most professional developers I have ever reviewed.
What my check found: the developer had three completed projects, all finished on time or ahead of schedule. 30 engineers and architects in-house. Vertical integration from engineering through construction to property management. The building permit was in place, complete and legally valid. A land-register extract was available. A purchase contract with 23 articles, detailed and professional. A milestone-based payment plan: 30/30/30/10 tied to construction progress. Floor plans of all storeys with dimensions. A specification list including fitted kitchen, air-conditioning, solar, smart key.
The ownership model: emphyteutic lease, 49 years - not freehold. That is standard in Rwanda because land belongs to the state. The condominium ownership of the building is nonetheless full and transferable. You have to know this, but it is not an obstacle.
What sets this project apart from most others: complete documentation, verifiable references, milestone-based payment, a clear legal structure. The developer offered me, on the phone, a viewing of his existing projects. That is confidence based on substance.
Result: GO. Professional, transparent, traceable. With the caveat: a 20% penalty on buyer withdrawal and 18% default interest are hard terms. Have the contract reviewed by a local lawyer.
Case 3: Paraguay - when marketing and contract do not match
A project in southern Paraguay: a barrio privado on 40 hectares, advertised as a gated community with clubhouse, pool, security and a nature park. The presentation was professional, the location fundamentally attractive, a reference project existed.
What my check found: the marketing spoke of over 100 hectares of total project - only 40 hectares were secured in the contract. The plots had not yet been transferred to the developer company. The purchase contract demanded 100 percent payment within 30 days - before construction started, without a milestone plan. The payment account was not in Paraguay but in Germany. The contract contained a yield guarantee: double the price in three years. No serious developer guarantees yields. And the individual land-register entry was only possible after completing an administrative procedure for which there was no fixed timeline.
The company was real, the people behind it identifiable, the reference project confirmed. But the contractual preparation had considerable flaws.
Result: CAUTION - considerable risks in the contract structure. No purchase without renegotiation.
What these three cases show
Three projects, three continents, three completely different outcomes. Bali: no-go. Rwanda: go. Paraguay: caution. The common thread: in every case the project looked professional at first glance. The differences only showed in the documents - in contract clauses, in missing or present paperwork, in discrepancies between marketing and reality.
The difference between the Rwanda project and the other two? Complete documentation, verifiable references and a payment plan tied to real construction progress. Those are the three features by which you recognise a serious project - no matter the country.
How my property check works
You send me the project documents - purchase contract, listing, everything you have. Within 48 hours you get a structured report with a traffic-light rating for every relevant checkpoint: developer, plot, contract, construction method, location, price.
No sales pitch. No hidden costs. No interest of mine in the deal going through. I am the only one at the table who does not earn from you buying.
250 Euro. 48 Stunden. Klarheit.
Ready for clarity?
→ JETZT IMMOBILIEN-CHECK ANFRAGENBenjamin Fercher reviews foreign property independently and without commission. His reports are confidential and exclusively in the buyer’s interest.