In the jungles of Brazil or the mountains of Peru, anthropologist spend years getting to know and document the cultural habits of the natives. There are few techniques they use to earn the trust of the natives, and ultimately learn their cultural secrets. Hunting for real estate in South America, and specifically southern Chile is not all that different.

The reason they are so similar is because when you buy a piece of property, you too are asking the natives to let you in to their culture. Perhaps from a buyer's perspective, just as important is that you want as close as is reasonably possible a native price on a piece of property, not the price an outsider or foreigner gets offered.

1. Get to know the Natives in the area you want to buy property. We assume you already speak sufficient Spanish to get by, or at least have a trusted friend who can translate for you. Without establishing basic communication, you will not go very far. Find the area you are interested in buying, and spend some time there. Don't go running in to a town asking to buy property. Make some friends first. Get to know the town, the people, and the politics as much as possible. Renting a place for a month or so would be ideal.

2. Don't judge a book by its cover when looking for real estate in Chile. When someone initially offers you a property or tells you about a property, don't just say no. What that typically means is that this is their dream price, but are aware that it is unrealistic. Sellers attitudes often change dramatically once you are standing on the property. Again, much depends on how much trust you have built.

3. Patience is a virtue in negotiating real estate in Chile. In southern Chile, and in particular the Patagonia of southern Chile, time tends to slow down. Expect when you go out to look at a property to spend the entire day, and perhaps make several trips back. As important as seeing a property is, accepting an invitation to lunch, coffee, or perhaps mate ( very very strong Argentina tea ) with the property owner can mean more to negotiating a property than actually seeing the property.

4. Leave your own culture of buying real estate behind. Don't try to apply hardball negotiation tactics. What you will get is a nothing in the end. If you do this, chances are they will shut down. At best, the price of the property will not move.

This by no means covers all the methods involved in finding a property in Southern Chile, but are the basics that all others will be built around. Remember, these are wide generalizations and each community will have its own culture.

5. Get help from People close to the community. A quick word about real estate agents. If you are inclined to use a real estate agent in Southern Chile, they should be an agent that can do the above and is already fairly integrated and knows the community where you wish to buy.

For example, don't bother hiring a real estate agent in Santiago to buy property in Region X of the Chilean Patagonia. Chances are their lack of knowledge of the local communities will result in much higher prices than even if you had simply gone all by yourself with no Spanish. There are many communities in the South where the people are more inclined to sell to a foreigner than to a Chilean from Santiago. We have been told by people in certain communities that they are actively working to keep the central region Chileans out of their economy. They view people from Santiago with a great deal of suspicion and as a source of many of their problems.

The closer the agent is to the community, local natives being ideal, the better your chances of finding out through the Chilean grapevine where the best deals are at. All of the above tips will also go a long way to helping you solve problems, and find help, after you buy a property.

Always remember, you need the local people more than the local people need you.