Why Guatemala?
Abundant natural resources
Strong Mayan culture
Locals know how to farm, build, repair, construct, and are already quite ‘self-sufficient’
Low barriers to entry and foreigners can buy land easily
Low cost of labor
VISA free from most countries
Crypto-friendly payments (BTC ATM nearby at the lake and in the city)
Why this land?
Fresh mountain spring water in abundance
Hydro electric plant neighbors give us extremely cheap electricity
Small hydro electric on the farm that we plan to renovate to make our own electricity again
6+ waterfalls on the land, swimmable and drinkable
Great elevation, and good temperature all year round
Extremely fertile soil
10+ coconut trees already here that produce consistently (rare for this elevation)
50+ year old fruit trees all over the land, referenced in the “Food Forest Basics” section
Strategic location nestled under the south side of the mountains around Lake Atitlan
1 hour ride from Santiago at Lake Atitlan
3 hours from the pacific beaches
2.5 hours from Antigua
3 hours from Guatemala City
Intentional Community Homestead design
Private location: “dead-end” we are the last farm on the road that leads up the mountain.
Who currently owns the land?
The farm is 100% legally owned by one person, who currently wishes to sell the land to whoever pays first.
We have two 'philanthropic investors' who want to see Tierra Fresca succeed, but we are accepting applications and conducting interviews for plot owners to ensure we have enough suitable people before signing contracts and purchasing the land completely.
Once we reach 8 confirmed owners, we will gather the initial funds in escrow and work directly with the current owner to finance the land purchase with the help of these 'philanthropic investors' during the first two years.
What guarantees are there?
Property Titles: The current owner is willing to grant individual titles to each buyer once we reach a confirmed total of $300,000 in funds. This requires 8 people to buy lots initially.
Payment Terms: After reaching this initial goal, we will have a two-year period to complete the total payment of $800,000, which means selling 20 lots in total.
Current Status: We have 7 confirmed buyers, but no payments have been accepted until securing the eighth participant.
There is interest from two investors:
The "Philanthropic Investor" Proposal: If one of these investors covers the total cost of the farm entirely, they will receive a 10% return on their initial investment within two years.
If this happens, the project can already begin as is immediately with the 7 already confirmed buyers.
The first 20 lots sold will fund the development phase, and the investor will recover their investment with interest from the purchase of the remaining 28 lots.
This approach provides security for both buyers and the project, ensuring development begins right away.
What happens if the project is not successful?
Scenarios and Commitments: In case the goal is not reached, each buyer will receive their property title and maintain rights to communal areas.
If full payment is made but the project is not successful, the farm will be co-owned by all buyers.
If the project were to fail after the planned 48 lots are sold, owners can decide to sell the land, in which case the sale price would be divided equally among the buyers of the 48 lots, each lot receiving a share. If sold at the farm's initial nominal value of $800,000, for example, then each lot would receive $16,666 per lot.
Alternatively, the farm could remain as a 155-hectare shared property, with the decision made collectively between project members and lot owners.
Real Guarantee?
The true strength of the project lies in the team and shared dream of the core group. With an initial investment of $40,000 per person, each participant will be part of a project valued at approximately $2 million, representing nearly 50 times capitalization of the initial investment.
Additionally, the location benefits include:
Pure spring water.
Clean air and fertile soil.
Virgin jungle with unmatched biodiversity.
Community, organic food, and food security.
Risks and Mitigation?
We are aware of the risks involved, and after years of experience in these combined fields, our team is focused on designing solid strategies to minimize them and ensure the project's success.
For acceptance, each potential lot owner must complete an application, meet with the executive team in person or virtually via Zoom, and be approved to be able to purchase the lot and join the community.
In this way, we are protecting the project and conducting sincere background checks on people, as the entire Tierra Fresca team plans to live here as well, we are equally committed to the success of the project and the development of the farm.
How To Deal with Problematic People/ Situations?
We have in place a set of systems designed to alchemize conflict into valuable learning opportunities. We use practices similar to the ‘talking circle’ from ancient cultures, and incorporate modern practices like “Non-Violent Communication”, “Heart Circles” and “The Clearing Model” to create cohesion within our groups and community, as described below:
“Creative Tensions” Process:
If all steps of the process and have been followed, and someone is issued a warning or strike, they are all recorded on a transparent ledger that can be seen by all members and residents.
The Warnings & Strikes system and process is outlined in the “House Agreement” referenced in the Homestead Handbook the Project Basics page.
“Heart Circle” Process
