Don't get burned: the Panama property due-diligence checklist

Title and ownership (6 checks)

The single biggest source of lost money in Panama is buying something that isn't what the listing says it is.

• Confirm the land is titled, not "rights of possession"DossierTitled land is registered at the Registro Público with a finca number. Rights of possession (ROP) is an occupancy claim on state land.
• If it's ROP, price in what you can't getDossierNo bank financing, no title insurance, harder resale; converting to titled takes years and may never succeed. Common in Bocas del Toro.
• Pull a current Registro Público certificatePracticeCheck the registered owner, and any mortgage, lien or encumbrance, before any money moves.
• If a company owns the property, confirm who can signPracticeAsk your attorney to verify the company's registered officers and that the signer is authorised to sell.
• Check it's outside the restricted zonesDossierForeigners own with the same rights as citizens, except within 10 km of the Costa Rica or Colombia borders and inside indigenous comarcas.
• Beachfront: know which strip you're buyingDossierThe first 22 m from the high-tide line is public domain and can't be titled. The titleable band runs 22–200 m inland; beyond that is concession or rights of possession.