Mexico, Chile, Argentina or elsewhere in Latin America for an independent farming life?

Hey there, I'll keep it simple. Right now I'm living in the southwest US on small acreage, eventually (sooner rather than later) I would like to uproot to another country, somewhere where I can live off grid and do my own thing with minimal interference, where I can purchase a small piece of land affordably (1.5-3 hectares of undeveloped land is what I want and I don't want to spend more than US$20k) and where my land will be secure, I don't have to worry about it being seized or having to deal with angry locals etc. The sort of life that I want to live, the way that I would like to raise my family, just isn't feasible in America. I'm not looking to have a business or take a local job, just live a sustainable off grid life. I'm especially interested in Argentina and Chile, but also Mexico, where do you recommend?

Since you mention "elsewhere" in Latin América, would you considering Brasil? If so, I can help you with hints on how to avoid buying land that could be sized hier.  We call it "conflito de terra" or land conflict.  It occurs in minor parts of Brasil,  but certainly it does occur.
A few regions hier are infamous for "conflito de terra" but as I said, it  is a minor part of the country.
But first let me know if you're considering Brasil, then I can give you some hints.

Sergio Cunha wrote:Since you mention "elsewhere" in Latin América, would you considering Brasil? If so, I can help you with hints on how to avoid buying land that could be sized hier.  We call it "conflito de terra" or land conflict.  It occurs in minor parts of Brasil,  but certainly it does occur.
A few regions hier are infamous for "conflito de terra" but as I said, it  is a minor part of the country.
But first let me know if you're considering Brasil, then I can give you some hints.

I am definitely interested in Brazil, specifically the south and southeast of the country, thanks in advance for any help you may give.

Hi Markus,
I sent you a PM.

Sergio,
I have similar thoughts, sentiments and aspirations as Markus. Can you share any details as to location(s), price range, and any other relevant information for future purchase? Derej

We have 7 years of experience in Chile and bought land because of the property rights, political stability, network of Americans and potential appreciation. It is an extremely beautiful and clean country, and although has bureaucracy, it is there to protect the foreign buyer and is navigable - much, much easier than Brazil and safer than the other South American countries.

Our problem has been we don't live there yet! We're in the final years of a long career outside of Chile, and have been frustrated trying to find the right people - who want to invest in development and thus have skin in the game - to make ecological and structural improvements to the large property. Plenty of locals (citizens and resident foreigners) are very willing to take money to perform jobs, but no one has been willing to invest even a little money and share the risk of developing a homestead, while we continue working outside of Chile. The large flat "parcela" has Class I acreage and plenty of water and is located in the main growing area, near Talca. We have now subdivided it into 22 lots, but is still bare land with cover crops and soil improvements being the only things done to it for the past 3 years.

We abandoned a mono-cultural hazelnut farm last year after learning that the required chemical applications were intense and included neonicotoids, even though the project was entirely planned, funded and offered very lucrative returns.

We have land to sell, grant, lease-option or share with the right kind of young family looking to homestead, while also bringing skills that will help develop the water, soil, sustainability and infrastructure. Spanish proficiency would be very helpful, as would construction/farming/project management experience. We've been burned once already, and know that finding the right individual is not easy......but this thread was exactly the one I was looking for as I came back here to Permies for the first time in a year..

Please Reply!

If Argentina is still an option I highly recommend visiting Chacra Millalen in El Bolson. Here is a great write up on it: https://gogreentravelgreen.com/volunteering-at-chacra-millalen-the-argentina-organic-farm-experience/

It's been 20 years since I was there, at that time it was one of the best places on Earth.

Hey I'm from Mexico and I think I can help you, that is if Mexico is what you want. Will send you a pm with my info in case you have more questions.

Hi. I'm from Argentina.

I don't think that you could buy anything decent here with 20k. You'll need at least 50 for the kind of property that
you are looking.

Markus Meszaros wrote:live off grid // do my own thing with minimal interference // where I can purchase a small piece of land affordably (1.5-3 hectares) // US$20k // land will be secure // angry locals etc.

Hi Markus,

As for Chile I can tell you the following:

Off-grid living is perfectly possible, there are enough spots where solar energy and streamwater are abundant.
You will find a plot of land of this size (be aware of scams that sell you land which does not belong to them), but for your budget it will be well remote. If you are looking to be within 1h of a decent town, then you look at 3-5x your budget, i.e. 10-50k for half a hectare. Building code is very liberal and in the countryside it is rarely enforced. Many locals live in illegal houses for generations.
The land will be legally secure, except if you buy in an area where land ownership is contested by indigenous tribes, mainly in La Araucania. Locals can get angry at any point, anyhwere in South America. Which is why many people try to live in condos where somebody guarantees their safety. Break-ins and robberys do happen, even in places where people do not have valuable belongings. It is standard to put high walls, acacia fences, electric fences etc around your property, and aditionally have a full-time dedicated housekeeper who lives there and is aware 24/7.

[Disclaimer: these are personal observations from 12+ years living in Chile, having a plot of land with a house but in a controlled setting close to Santiago. The above described might or might not apply to your situation ...]

Take into account that Chile is one of the worst affected countrys worldwide by climate change. I suggest you go south in order to make sure you have abundant rain for the coming decades.
Cheers
Lukas

Hi Markus.
How are you doing with this?
I am in the process of acquiring a 12-hectare plot in central Chile. It's located in the suburbs of Olmue; 1:30 hours from Santiago and 1 hour from Viña del Mar, where I live. I may bring more details later.

Hello, I just bought 1.5 acres in the South of Chile, Los Lagos region. I did the entire transaction from the US, and a couple of weeks ago I received all the final papers of the property. Even though I'm originally from Chile, but living almost 40 years in the US,  I was uneasy buying land without seeing it before, but I hired a local attorney to help me clear the documents and titles before buying. I'm a happy owner of lots of trees and wild life.  I'm planning to retire in a couple of years and go live there. What I like about this area is that is not close to the cities and most of the forest is made out of protected forest, so people cannot just destroy everything. I'm not very skillful, so I'm hiring an architect to help me plan the installation of a tiny house. There is no electricity, or running water, but I can dig a well and find a way to power the house.    You can probably negotiate the price, half an acre is between 10 to 13K.

I you would like to get more information, let me know. I'm not selling anything, I'm just very happy with this little piece of land.

Good luck with your search and I hope you find what your are looking for.

Cheers,
Lou

Hi all,

@Lou that sounds great, congrats!

I've been researching acquiring land in Chile. It seems to be incredibly cheap in the Maule region, around $4000-8000 per acre. This is high-quality farmland, either flat or slightly hilly.

If anyone has further information or arguments for/against buying in this region, I'm all ears.