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Luxury Lake Front Home For Sale in Yacht Club Atitlan, Solola Guatemala Lakefront Home In Exclusive Atitlan Lakefront Development Asking Price: $550,000 - $850,000 USD (Financing Available) New Listing as of 7/14/08 with Newly Revised Price Offering as of 8/3/08
We are offering for sale a very beautiful lakefront home in Lake Atitlan's most exclusive lakefront development......... Yacht Club Atitlan.
This home has the rare benefit of being a Lake Atitlan lakefront property with sovereign registered title (explained below).
We are lowering the price of our home due to an urgent and immediate investment need (explained below).
About Guatemala........
As of late Guatemala has become one of the most sought after Central American and International locales. With scenery and climate that is simply second to none, and with locations such as the colonial city of Antigua, the Caribbean resort area of Rio Dulce, the “second Amazon” rain forest of Peten, and the mountain volcanic lake region of Lake Atitlan, it is no wonder that Guatemala is so highly prized by foreigners seeking a unique way of life. Having a government and culture that is very friendly to foreign investment, a stable and growing economy that is the largest in Central America, freedom to live a peaceful and family-friendly life; coupled with some of the world’s most picturesque scenery and temperate climate, it is no wonder why many expatriates and investors alike are excited about this special Central American locale. Travel into Guatemala is further improved with the new Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City...... Central America’s newest and finest International Airport.
Foreigners in Guatemala have the constitutionally-protected right to sovereign ownership of land, without any Guatemalan residency requirements. Also, foreigners can easily set up bank accounts and business entities in Guatemala without having Guatemalan residency.
Guatemala is becoming very popular with foreign expatriates and retirees as they can live very comfortably on $500-$700 USD every 30 days. Health and dental care is modern and very economical.
Guatemala has a population of approximately fourteen million, with about 20% of its population living in the major metropolitan area of Guatemala City. The other 80% live throughout the beautiful coastal and inland rural areas spread throughout the country.
Guatemala is located in northern Central America, bordering Belize, Mexico, Honduras, and El Salvador. It is about 1,500 miles from the United States via the newly renovated Pan-American Highway, or a 2-3 hour direct flight from Houston, Atlanta, or Miami. The currency, the “quetzal” is currently trading at approx 7.6 quetzales per U.S. dollar.
About Lake Atitlan........
Lake Atitlan is renowned as one of the most beautiful lakes in the world, and the famous English novelist Aldous Huxley famously wrote of it: "Lake Como, it seems to me, touches on the limit of permissibly picturesque, but Atitlan is Como with additional embellishments of several immense volcanoes. It really is too much of a fine thing."
It is a large freshwater lake in the Guatemalan mountain highlands at an elevation of 1,562 meters (5,148 feet) above sea level. While Atitlan is recognized to be the deepest lake in Central America, its bottom has not been completely sounded. Estimates of its maximum depth range up to 340 meters. The lake is shaped by deep, vegetation covered mountainous escarpments which surround it and by three volcanoes on its southern flank.
Lake Atitlan is further characterized by quaint, colorful towns and villages of the local indigenous mayan people, blended with carefully designed and landscaped estates. This makes for a locale that is quite peaceful and serene, yet colorful in its vitality and ambiance.
The lake basin supports extensive highland coffee growth of the finest quality and a variety of farm crops, most notably corn. Other significant agricultural products include onions, beans, squash, tomatoes, cucumbers, garlic, peppers, strawberries, avocados, lemons and other fruits. The lake itself is rich in animal life which provides a significant food source for the largely Mayan population.
The climate of Atitlan is simply wonderful with its constant Mediterranean-like 70-75 degree days and 55-60 degree nights. No wonder Lake Atitlan is considered the "Guatemalan Riviera" for its authentic ethnicity, beauty, intimacy, and elegance. The lake is surrounded by an environment of natural beauty that is unique in the world and is a must see for foreign expatriates, foreign travelers, and Guatemalan vacationers.
No crime and stress problems here...... just a beautiful, clean lifestyle.
About Yacht Club Atitlan........
Yacht Club Atitlan (YCA) is an exclusive lakefront master-planned community that was completed in 1988. The original design of YCA was to be a waterfront gated community that appealed to Guatemalan and foreign familes of the upper income brackets that wanted to build vacation homes in a carefully designed yacht club development. The developers of Yacht Club Atitlan certainly accomplished that goal. The lots at YCA quickly sold out soon after the development was offered for sale.
YCA was carefully designed to capitalize on its location on a lakeside penninsula. The property previously was a coffee farm that belonged to a Guatemalan family who owns large tracts of land in the Lake Atitlan region. The developer of YCA, Rodrigo Diaz, envisioned a community that was nestled in a development with meticulously landscaped common areas that utilyzed the natural beauty of the local volcanic stone, abundant flora, and crystalline water.
The roads and retention walls in YCA are made of hand shaped and laid volcanic stone that took two and one half years to build. YCA's common area parks and recreation areas utilyze a blend of native fruit trees and other native trees, colorful flora, and volcanic rock............ all of which create a striking setting that is a must see.
Yacht Club Atitlan consists of a land area of 20 acres with only 55 homes. It has gated access, 24 hour security, a common area boat ramp, various common area boat docks, a swimming area, a grass volleyball court, a basketball court, outdoor barbecue areas and various other parks.......... all in a wonderfully landscaped setting for the exclusive use of YCA homeowners. Of the 55 homes in YCA, only 6 are waterfront............... one of which is the house we are offering for sale.
Yacht Club Atitlan has a private water and drainage system of the highest quality that is maintained by the YCA Homeowner's Association.
In summary, Yacht Club Atitlan is Lake Atitlan's finest lakefront residential development.
About Our Home for Sale........
Our home was designed and constructed by Ing. Manuel Gonzalez, the owner and founder of one of Central America's premier construction companies. Mr. Gonzalez built this house as his family's Lake Atilan vacation home. Construction was completed in the year 1998.
The house has 5,500 square feet of construction and is constructed of the finest quality materials.
The structure of the home is made of specially designed 14" thick walls made of concrete, rebar, and volcanic stone. Due to this construction the home maintains an ideal 68-70 degree internal temperature without the need of artificial A/C or heat.
Various internal and external walls also have a fachade of carefully selected and hand-tooled volcanic stone. All windows and sliding glass doors are custom built and vinyl framed with tinted glass. The roof is made of Italian mediterranean cement tile that a service life of hundreds of years.
The ceilings and woodwork are made of tongue and groove cypress wood with a natural colored finish. All floors are spanish ceramic tile with no carpet utilyzed in the house.
All kitchen appliances are new and of stainless steel design. There is a fireplace in the second floor "great room" (living room).
There are six bedrooms and five bedrooms in the main house with five of the bedrooms facing the lake with excellent lake views. The house also has an attached one bedroom guest quarters/maid's quarters with a full bath. There is a large great room on the second floor that has a living room, dining area, and kitchen in an open air lodge-style design. The second floor also has the master bedroom and bath as well as a second bedroom with adjoining full bath that can serve as a guest bath.
The first floor has a second family room/game room that is an open design also. There are three other large bedrooms on the first floor with spectacular lake views. There is a fourth smaller bedroom on the first floor also. There are three bathrooms on the first floor.
One of the first floor bedrooms is currently being used as an office and study with beautiful lakefront views.
Both the first and second floor have a large and spacious attached veranda with beautiful wood and iron hand railing and are surrounded by beautifully landscaped flower boxes.
From the first floor veranda there are two landscaped stairways that lead to a large sundeck and barbecue area. Leading down the stairs from the sundeck is a small pool that can be used as a children's pool or for a beautiful Japanese Koi pool. Leading down from the pool there are volcanic stairs that lead to a outdoor sitting area and further down to the boat house and the lakefront.
Since we no longer utilyze the boat house as we are constructing a 130 foot long floating pier, the plan is to convert the boathouse to a recreational area complete with a sauna, bar, indoor barbecue, and game room.
The house comes with 73 feet of lakefront with registered title. Since the house is located on a cove, the afternoon winds that regularly affect Lake Atitlan do not affect our cove.
We have a newly installed upgraded satellite internet system from Hughes Net (same system that is used locally for internet cafes) with 1mb/sec download speeds with up to 15 IP's. The monthly access cost for this speed is $99. The system is privately owned by us and is not the property of Hughes Net. The house also has a satellite television system from Direct TV. There is phone service also. The house has an oversized water heater system to support this size of house. There is a back up generator system for the house which is wired into the house's electrical grid.
The house also has a large storage area on the first floor.
The house has an attached laundry and maid's service area.
The house has abundant landscaping that is breathtaking.
There are homeowner's association fees of $55 USD per month which include the payment for water, trash pick up, and common area maintenance.
The Association is nearly twenty years old and is well established and very well administered.
About the Title to the Property........
By Guatemalan law all lands that are within 200 linear meters (650 feet) of major waterways (major rivers, lakes, and the ocean), are under the control of the Guatemlan National Office of OCRET and cannot be registered with sovereign landowner's titles. The property is public domain or the property can be LEASED from OCRET with a 100 year lease, but the resident living on the property only has rights of possession and access and not rights of sovereign ownership. The constitutional EXCEPTION to this law is property that had a registered title prior to the year 1956 and properties that are in declared urban (metropolitan) areas.
Because Lake Atitlan is not an urban area, and because most of the property on the lake was not registered prior to 1956 (most lands at that time in the rural areas were used as farm areas by Mayans who did not have registered titles), most of the houses bordering Lake Atitlan are not titled and only have rights of access/possession.
Yacht Club Atitlan was previously registered as a titled property prior to 1956 by the original owners who are a wealthy Guatemalan family. As such, all lakefront properties within YCA are fully titled and registered properties with constitutionally protected sovereign ownership rights.
This alone can increase the value of the lakefront properties threefold.
For example there is a small 2,000 square foot lot without house for sale in the Yacht Club right now that is non-lakefront (but is within 200 meters of the lake) and it is being sold for $185,000.
Other Information.......
In Guatemala there are three types of land ownership. First is a “private document or deed” (some are centuries old), which can be legally disputed. The second is a registered “private title or deed” (many have this), which the government can technically exercise eminent domain on like in the U.S...... third is the “Escritura Publica” (sovereign registered document), which is an absolutely sovereign title. This document can be difficult to acquire at times because land owners have “legally” stripped their land (trees) bare to the dismay of the government. Land prices commonly triple with this type of title as opposed to non-registered properties.
Our Home in YCA comes with a detailed survey and is titled with a registered title that is an escritura publica with easily transferable, totally sovereign ownership rights.
The are no property taxes.
This property is ideal as an investment, and as an offshore investment all profits are non-taxed for foreigners.
Lakefront homes in the area of this size and quality run from 1-2 million dollars without registered title. There is a house on Viviun (in San Lucas Toiman) near our home that is currently listed for 1.8 million dollars.
We are selling our house for $850,000 and are willing to owner finance with a 25% down payment with a 8% fixed rate APR (Guatemala APR average is much higher).
Simply put, at the price we are offering our home at is an excellent investment opportunity.......... either as a private estate, for development, or for financial investment.
As of 8/3/08 we will also sell the house for an all cash price of only $550,000. This is a special offer that will only remain as long as we need to sell the house to meet an immediate investment need
Showing is by appointment and on a first come basis.
Thanks for your time and interest,
Shimone & Ribkah
 | | About This Property | |
| Category: | | Single Family Homes | | Address: | | Yacht Club Atitlan
Solola
Guatemala | | For Sale By: | | Owner | | Construction Year: | | n/a | | Area: | | 5,500 Sq. Ft | | | Bedrooms: | | 7 | | Bathrooms: | | 6 | | Sleeps: | | n/a | | Stories: | | 2 | | Parking Spaces: | | 5 | |
| | Features - Amenities | |
| - Appliances
- Pet Friendly
- Maid's Quarters
- Maid's Bathroom
- Laundry Room
- Pool
- Balcony
- Terrace
- Patio
| | - Cable TV
- Lake View
- Mountain View
- Lake Waterfront
- Rare Atitlan Lakefront Property With Sovereign Registered Title
- Large Lakefront Home
- In Lake Atitlan's Most Exclusive Lake Front Development
- 24 Hour Security
- High-Speed Internet
| | - Gated Community
- Yacht Club
- Volleyball Court
- Heliport
- Basketball Court
- Boat Dock For 6 Boats
- Boat Ramp
- Landscaped Picnic Areas
- Lakeside Swimming Area
| | | Pictures (click to view a larger image) | |
| | Contact - More Information | |
| | Shimone (Owner) | | | | Phone: | | Guat 502-7823-8018 (8am-8pm Central America Time)
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