I address this comment to those who may be attracted to Paraguay because of it's extremely low cost of living. [The Mercer consulting group of the U.K. has rated Asuncion, Paraguay as one of the world's cheapest cities to live for quite a few years.] Please come prepared. READ the innumerable State Dept. fact sheets on Paraguay. Paraguay is one the world's most corrupt countries. Do NOT take any Paraguayan's word for anything. Get it in writing. That being said: you will find that a signed contract offers you little to no protection. The courts are notoriously corrupt. If you are cheated you may wait years for a favorable decision.[If any judge would decide in favor of a foreigner over a Paraguayan national.] And, you cannot be certain to collect damages even then.
What to do ?
You must be able to read, write and speak Spanish.
You would be wise to learn Guarani, the native indian language, which Paraguayans inevitably jabber in when they are in cohoots.
Always get more than one opinion. In everything !
If you are buying property: look at many houses, lots etc.
Go to more than one agent. Read the classifieds and look at a few houses on your own.
Write the best contract you can. Do not be bashful about asking to include an addendum. I.e. an additional clause or clauses. Just remember that BOTH parties must sign and initial any changes. Let's say you are buying or building a house. If there are several things that must be built/finished/fixed - LIST each and every thing that has to be done. You should always set aside a certain percent of the contract price to be "payable upon completion of contract". At least 10% of the total. [I personally recommend 15%-20%]. Always personally inspect whatever you plan to buy or pay for - immediately prior to paying. [That lovely house that you saw last week may now be a shell with no windows, door or fixtures of any kind.]
REMEMBER with regard to contracts; written receipts etc. BOTH parties should be clearly identified. The other person should provide you with their full name; address, phone number and most important CEDULA NUMBER. You should ask for a photocopy of the cedula. And, you should always look and make certain that the other person's signature is IDENTICAL to the signature on his/her cedula. If you are dealing with a large sum of money, there is a credit and legal history service in Paraguay called "INFORCONF".
If you need to hire an attorney or "escribana": go to more than one. Tell each what you need to do and ask for a written price quote for their services. NEVER sign a "Power of Attorney" without capping the maximum of total authorized charges.
Medical. There are a handful of American boarded physicians in Paraguay. Your best bets are the Baptist Hospital and physicians on the US Embassy "approved" list. Here again: get more than one opinion. Lab tests: you would be wise to have duplicate lab work done: i.e. use two different lbs. It is common for problems to be invented to sell you solutions.
Go to the Palacio de Justicia in the Sajonia section of Asuncion. Buy law and code books on civil, criminal, labor, traffic law etc. Go to the Minsiterio de Trabajo and get their pamphlets on domestic employees.
Remember you can never be too careful !
