PR is a community property jurisdiction, much like New Mexico, Texas, or Wisconsin. That means ANY real estate you purchase while married, including condos in Puerto Rico, becomes the joint property of both spouses. If you are a PR resident, you simply cannot own one piece of land completely, and your spouse another. It is different if you owned the land before marriage, of course. So plan ahead. 

Its inheritance laws can be unfamiliar as well, and you should take them into account when looking for condos for sale in Puerto Rico. PR has “forced inheritance laws,” which require that a specific portion of your property must be left to “blood relatives” – children, grandchildren, even parents, before your own spouse can inherit your estate. Of course, there are ways around most inheritance laws, such as by moving your estate through a Trust. But then, you’re dealing with PR lawyers, and as we mentioned, that can be unduly expensive too. 

Wills drafted in the rest of the US are generally unenforceable in PR. Yeah, that’s a shocker to many. So consider where any investment you make in Puerto Rican condos might go when you die. If you die with property that exists in Puerto Rico, you’ll need to have a will draw up in PR that covers it.

Puerto Rico consists of several islands, but they are very close to each other and have very similar types of terrain. Their climates are similar as well, usually that of a  tropical rainforest. In the lowlands where most of the cities are, temperatures tend to be in the mid-80s. Up in the mountains, they rarely fall below the 70s for long. However, all of the PR islands are prone to hurricanes. This means insurance is a big factor for anyone seeking condos in Puerto Rico. 

One of the many good reasons to buy a condo in Puerto Rico is to attend one of its world-class schools. The schools do tend to cluster around the largest cities and towns, so of course, condos for sale in Puerto Rico can be found near the schools. If one of the reasons you are considering condos in Puerto Rico is for school, read on.

The San Juan’s University of Puerto Rico is just one of 11 UPR campuses throughout the territory. This campus is on the coast, drawing in students looking for both urban style and access to world-class water sports. Note that a student visa will be required for international students, but not for US students.

One thing people looking for condos in Puerto Rico like is a bit of local culture, but a distance from the wildest student hot spots. As a result, there are plenty of Puerto Rico condos for sale far from the “spring break” school crowds. 

For example, Albonito’s Universidad InterAmericana de Puerto Rico is a private, non-profit university with cultural roots in both Latin America and North America. This school is perhaps best known for its social sciences, humanitarian, and hard science degree programs.