Key takeaways
- Count the days a week you need to be in Medellín.
- Long-term rentals have yielded 5 to 9 percent gross a year and short-term 8 to 15 percent gross, before management, furnishings, utilities, vacancy and tax.
- About 2 percent in buyer closing costs.
- A purchase closes in 30 to 45 days once terms are agreed; do the searches inside that window.
- The concession reverts on July 31, 2026, the financing trust is expected in 2027 and handover to Invías in 2028, so major works would not begin before late 2027.
Most house hunters around Medellín end up choosing between a city property and land an hour east in Oriente Antioqueño. Across Antioquia a country house starts near US$153,000 and typically asks around US$502,000. In Guatapé and El Peñol the same category starts near US$143,000, typically asking about US$315,000.
Checklist · Before you sign a promesa
The 12 documents I check on every deal
Tick them off as you collect them. Saved on this device.
Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro, online; valid 30 days
The notaría where it was signed; ask for a certified copy
The municipality's tesorería or hacienda office
The building's or gated community's administración
From the seller; the RUT downloads from the DIAN site
Granted at a notaría, or at a consulate if the seller is abroad
Printed on the predial bill, or from the municipal catastro
In the deed and on the cadastral record
Latest paid bills from EPM or the local operator
Declared before the notary in the deed itself
Drafted by your lawyer or agent; never sign the seller's version unread
Curaduría urbana or the municipal planning office
The full list shows once you add Mike Zapata Real Estate as a preferred source on Google. One click, no email, no call.
Where each document comes from
- Certificado de tradición y libertad: Superintendencia de Notariado y Registro, online; valid 30 days
- Prior deed: The notaría where it was signed; ask for a certified copy
- Property-tax good standing: The municipality's tesorería or hacienda office
- HOA good standing, if applicable: The building's or gated community's administración
- Seller's ID / RUT: From the seller; the RUT downloads from the DIAN site
- Power of attorney, if the seller is represented: Granted at a notaría, or at a consulate if the seller is abroad
- Cadastral appraisal: Printed on the predial bill, or from the municipal catastro
- Survey and boundaries: In the deed and on the cadastral record
- Utilities up to date: Latest paid bills from EPM or the local operator
- Family-home protection certificate: Declared before the notary in the deed itself
- Promesa de compraventa draft: Drafted by your lawyer or agent; never sign the seller's version unread
- Building permit, if applicable: Curaduría urbana or the municipal planning office
Google · Preferred source
The full checklist is ready.
Add Mike Zapata Real Estate as a preferred source on Google and all 12 documents show here, with where to get each one and a printable version. One click, no email, no call.
What does a house actually cost around Medellín?
- Country house (a built home on a defined plot): Antioquia from roughly US$153,000, typically about US$502,000; Guatapé and El Peñol from close to US$143,000, typically near US$315,000.
- Finca (land first, house second): Antioquia from around US$285,000, typically near US$603,000; Guatapé and El Peñol from near US$175,000, typically around US$493,000.
- Apartment: Antioquia from near US$95,000, typically around US$197,000; Guatapé and El Peñol from near US$91,000, typically about US$162,000.
- Lot: Antioquia from near US$114,000, typically about US$275,000; Guatapé and El Peñol from near US$130,000, typically roughly US$703,000, because much of it is lakefront or view land sold by position.
City house or country house: which one fits your life?
Count the days a week you need to be in Medellín. Four or five: buy where the commute does not eat your evenings; a city house is also easier to rent long term. One or two: the same money that buys a townhouse in the city buys land, a garden and clean air in the Rionegro, Marinilla, El Peñol and Guatapé belt. Families weigh school routes and hospital distance; remote workers weigh internet, road access in rain, and whether the property can earn while they are away.
What do houses near Medellín earn as rentals?
Long-term rentals have yielded 5 to 9 percent gross a year and short-term 8 to 15 percent gross, before management, furnishings, utilities, vacancy and tax. Appreciation has historically run 7 to 8 percent a year: a record, not a promise. Short-term letting depends on municipal rules and the reglamento, and a house that only works short-term is a narrower asset.
What are the real costs on top of the purchase price?
About 2 percent in buyer closing costs. Annual predial runs 0.3 to 1.2 percent of the cadastral value, so ask for the latest receipt. Capital gains (ganancia ocasional) are 15 percent if held two years or more. Add running costs: administración in a gated parcelación, water and septic, garden and pool maintenance, a caretaker. Ask the seller for twelve months of bills.
How do you check a house is clean before you sign?
Request the certificate of tradition and freedom with the registry number (registered owner, mortgages, liens, encumbrances); if the name does not match the seller, stop. Check land use: the territorial plan determines whether a parcel allows country housing, subdivision, or agricultural use only, which matters in Oriente where a hillside may be zoned agriculture and nothing else. Confirm paz y salvo for predial and administración, water rights and permit, septic or connection, and whether construction was licensed. A purchase closes in 30 to 45 days once terms are agreed; do the searches inside that window.
Does the Devimed highway change where you should buy?
Not yet. The concession reverts on July 31, 2026, the financing trust is expected in 2027 and handover to Invías in 2028, so major works would not begin before late 2027. Drive the route on a weekday morning and a Sunday afternoon before you offer.
Can a foreigner buy a house here?
Yes. A passport is enough and no residency is required. Funds must arrive through the formal banking channel with the foreign investment registration recorded, so they are documented when you sell and repatriate. The rest matches a Colombian buyer's process: promesa de compraventa, searches, escritura pública, registration.
For the market these numbers sit inside, what actually moves Colombian property prices covers the national picture.
How we knowFigures as of October 13, 2026. Prices: active listings we verified ourselves; USD rate: TRM 3,194.44 COP per US$1, valid October 10, 2026 (Banco de la República, via datos.gov.co).
Frequently asked questions
Is a country house cheaper in Guatapé and El Peñol than in the rest of Antioquia?
Yes. It starts around US$143,000 with a typical ask near US$315,000, against near US$153,000 and about US$502,000 across Antioquia.
How long does it take to buy a house in Colombia?
30 to 45 days once terms are agreed.
What do buyer closing costs add to the price?
About 2 percent, then annual property tax of 0.3 to 1.2 percent of the cadastral value.
What document proves who owns a property in Colombia?
The certificate of tradition and freedom, requested with the registry number.
Can I subdivide land I buy in Oriente Antioqueño?
Only if the municipality's territorial plan allows it; confirm the zoning for that parcel before signing.
Keep reading
The full guideMedellín vs Bogotá: Which City for Real Estate Investment 2026?Medellín vs Bogotá 2026: prices, yields (5-6% vs 4-5%), safety, visas. Which Colombian city wins for investment?Guatapé: prices and inventory·Medellín: prices and inventory