Property in Natal, Brazil - All You Need to Know When Choosing to Invest

Natal is located at the extreme northeastern tip of Brazil and as it has one of the best climates in the country, it is aptly named the 'City of Sun'. Natal is both charming and welcoming offering the best of both worlds - beautiful beaches and the convenience of a modern city with a wide range of amenities.

The 410km coastline is the area's star attraction with its semi-deserted beaches, big sand dunes, palm trees, tropical lagoons and charming coastal villages. Natal has received a considerable amount of investment to boost tourism and therefore Natal already boasts a good infrastructure for those visiting the area. It has long been a popular destination for domestic tourists and in the 1990s, the Portuguese, Spanish and Scandinavians were the first foreign charter tourists to arrive. In fact, the destination is becoming so popular, Natal has one of the highest rates of residency applications for any Brazilian city. Natal is also one of the four cities in north eastern Brazil to host the FIFA world cup in 2014. To cope with this influx, a new airport is planned which will be the largest in Latin America.

This internal and external interest in Natal is likely to be great news for property investors and there are a wide range of property types on the market to meet the demand. City centre dwellings are mainly apartments in tower blocks. However the real interest tends to be in property developments for sale on the coastline which range from low-rise apartments to large villas. Some of the coastal villages such as Pipa are already well known and are good examples of how simple fishing villages can completely transform themselves to much sought-after upmarket destinations. There are already plans afoot for large and prestigious beach and golf resorts in the area so make sure you do your research dependent on whether you do or don't want to be near these types of facilities.

Any buyer interested in purchasing property in Natal should put aside roughly 7.5% of the purchase price for expenses which include ITIV (Brazilian version of VAT), solicitors fees, registration of the deeds, admin expenses and legal fees.

Upkeep on a property also needs to be considered before buying: there is an annual real estate tax on properties in Brazil which ranges from 0.5% - 1% of the property price. In addition there may be maintenance fees payable on the property, particularly if it is a community style dwelling. Prices range from £40-£200.

Submitted by Alexander Wasastjerna at Brazilian Homes, - one of the leading Brazilian estate agents. Brazilian Homes carefully selects properties after rigorously assessing each area, developer and project to ensure it meets the company's strict criteria and high standards.

To find out more about property in Natal visit this link.