House/Business Opportunity for Sale in Cerro Alegre, Valparaiso, Chile

19th Century"Casona"( Mansion)Overlooking the Ocean

Tired of the rat-race? Cold winters getting you down? Time for a change in life? Ready to take your capital gains and run? Consider Chile. I am selling a one-of-a-kind, grand old house in Valparaiso, Chile – a UNESCO World Heritage site. The house, Located in the heart of the historic, redevelopment district (Cerro Alegre), was built in the 1850’s and was enlarged and made more opulent when it became, in 1914, the residence of a wealthy Croatian immigrant who had made his fortune in nitrates, railroads, and banking. I bought the house in the late 1980’s and have partially restored it to its former grandeur – with some significant improvements (new wiring, plumbing, steel-beam reinforced ceiling, etc). The house has many nice architectural features – 3ft-thick adobe/tabique walls, high ceilings, arched doorways/breezeways, classical columns, marble staircase, a traditional “galeria Chilena”, 19th century traditional tiles, etc. It is approximately 7300 sq. ft. (680 sq. mts.) in two stories plus an additional 3,665 sq. ft (380 sq. mts.) of gardens and terraces. As currently configured with a 350sq. mt. or 3750 sq. ft. owners apartment (three bedrooms, three baths, two kitchens, upstairs terrace, salon, etc.) and three rental apartments, there are seven bedrooms, a grand salon (750 sq. ft. or 70 sq. mts. with marble staircase entry, decorative columns, and a 19th century tile floor), six bathrooms, five kitchens, off street parking, two interior gardens, one exterior garden, and a second floor, 1500 sq ft. (140 sq. mts.) terrace which overlooks the bay of Valparaiso (a wonderful harbor-scape) with views of Mt. Aconcagua and the spectacularly lit cerros of Valparaiso – including the Valparaiso home of Pablo Neruda.
The house has been totally rewired and replumbed with the highest grade materials. Importantly, the house has stood the test of time in what is one of the world’s most seismically active zones – it has weathered, unscathed, a dozen major earthquakes including the most recent in 2010.
In the historic residential district, the house is located within a block of three luxury hotels, the fine arts museum, major but quiet commercial streets with numerous shops, bars, and restaurants, and an historic 19th century funicular which conveys passengers to/from the city’s main plaza. Valparaiso is the main port city of Chile and enjoys a wonderful, Mediterranean-like climate (dry summers and short, mild winters – think southern California). It is one hour 15 minutes from the international airport in Santiago, 45 minutes from the Valle de Casa Blanca (a major Chilean wine district), two hours from world class skiing in Portillo or Valle Nevado, 15 minutes from beaches and Vina del Mar (Chile’s favorite coastal resort), and the port of call and destination for scores of cruise ships – over 200,000 tourists arrived or departed from Valparaiso in the 2011-2012 season. The house is on a hill only a few blocks from the cruise ship dock and located on the most traveled walking tour in the city – 100s of tourists, both foreign and domestic, pass by the house every year. The property has business potential (bed and Breakfast, restaurant, professional/business offices, English Language school, wine tastings/sales, art gallery, elder care, day-care, etc.) or just a hell of nice place to hang out from October to April – think great weather, beaches, seafood, and wine. The house is large enough to house a business/es and a comfortable owner’s residence. There is a large expat community in Vina/Valparaiso which makes for an active expat social scene.
Caution: Valparaiso is not for everybody. It is funky and bohemian – lots of artists, students, and other creative types prefer Valpo to other more staid Chilean cities. It is a bit grubby – think left-bank Paris in the 1960’s or Naples – but improving rapidly owing to a major new urban improvement project financed by the Inter-American Development Bank. Also, the house will need some work-- the amount depending on buyer’s tastes and the final intended new use.
Chile is booming economically on the back of increased world demand for metals and other commodities. It has free trade agreements with the United States and most other free trading countries/blocks. Foreign private property rights are rigorously respected. Property taxes are exceedingly low. Garbage collection, utilities and other services are reliable. Price: US$1,250,000 Price includes all furniture (some antiques and a small antique clock collection) appliances, kitchen ware, linen, and a low mileage, 2006 Daihatsu (Toyota) Terios SUV. Also, an experienced, on-site manager/administrator and handy-man can be hired if desired. I am offering a turnkey opportunity for the right investor at a reasonable price. Seller will pay all reasonable legal and closing costs in Chile and is willing to carry-back part of the final sale price.
The house can be seen on Google Maps/satellite view. Enter Cerro Alegre, Valparaiso, Chile in the search box. Expand the view and look for the the block ending at Paseo Leighton between calles Miramar and Monte Alegre. The large terrace is clearly visible – and a good overview of the neighborhood.

Temporarily unable to add pictures to posting -- please email me for fotos.