Title deeds and legal checks
What a definitive title is and what your lawyer should check before you pay.
Definitive title (título definitivo)
The safest homes have a certificate of title for exactly that home or unit, based on an approved survey (deslinde). Older documents such as a constancia anotada only show a share of a larger parcel; buying with one is possible but takes more checks and time. Casariba shows the title status when the agent has filled it in.
What your lawyer checks
- The certificate of the legal status of the property (certificación del estado jurídico) from the Registro de Títulos: owner, mortgages and other charges.
- That the seller is really the owner, or has a valid power of attorney.
- That property tax (IPI) has been paid, with a certificate from the DGII.
- A letter from the building or community that there is no unpaid maintenance fee (carta de no deuda).
- For land and new builds: the survey, permits and that the land use allows what you plan.
Warning signs
Be careful with a price far below the area, pressure to pay quickly, payments to a personal account, or a seller who does not want your own lawyer to check the papers. On Casariba you can report a listing that looks wrong.
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules and amounts can change; always have your own lawyer check your purchase. Most prices are in US dollars; amounts in other currencies are indicative and depend on the exchange rate on the day you pay.