Paraguay real-estate glossary

Usufructo (lifetime use right)

A real right that lets a non-owner use and enjoy property they don't own, while the owner keeps the "bare ownership" (nuda propiedad).

Full ownership (dominio pleno)

The most complete form of property ownership: the holder can use, enjoy, and freely dispose of the property without partial-rights carveouts like usufruct or anticresis.

Right of habitation

A strictly personal, indivisible real right that lets a person occupy someone else's home for themselves and their family — but they cannot rent it out or transfer the right.

Anticresis

A contract whereby the debtor hands over an income-producing property to the creditor so the creditor collects the property's income against interest and/or principal of a debt.

Boleto de compraventa (preliminary sale agreement)

A preliminary sale contract signed between buyer and seller before the public deed, setting price, conditions, and deadline for executing the deed.

Public deed (escritura pública)

A formal document authorized by a notary public that records the sale, gift, or transfer of real estate and perfects the transmission of ownership.

Derechera (possessory rights)

Paraguayan colloquial term for possessory rights over a property without registered title: what is bought is the possession and improvements, not ownership.

Usucapión (adverse possession)

A way of acquiring ownership of real estate through continuous, uninterrupted possession: 20 years with no need for title or good faith, or 10 years with just title and good faith.

Che Róga Porã

Paraguay state-subsidized housing loan program backed by AFD, with a fixed 6.5% annual rate and up to 30-year term, for primary residence.

AFD (Development Finance Agency)

Paraguay's second-tier public bank that funds private banks and cooperatives so they can lend in strategic sectors — including housing.

Primera Vivienda AFD

AFD program for buying a first residential property at an estimated 10.4% annual rate, with property value capped at Gs. 791,440,000 (260 minimum salaries).

Mi Casa AFD

AFD housing program with loan amounts up to Gs. 1,500,000,000, no first-home requirement, with estimated rates of 11.5% in PYG or 9.5% in USD.

Mortgage

A real guarantee right over a property that secures an obligation; lets the creditor foreclose if the debtor defaults.

Property tax (impuesto inmobiliario)

An annual municipal tax on property ownership, calculated on the fiscal value assigned by Paraguay's National Cadastre Service.

Real-estate transfer tax

A 1.5% tax on the property's value applied at sale; historically quoted as ~2.8% when bundled with related deed-execution charges.

Real-estate commission

Fees charged by the brokerage or agent who facilitates a sale or rental — typically 5% of the sale price, or one month's rent for rentals.

Expensas (common fees)

The recurring fee paid by unit owners in buildings, gated communities, and countries to cover security, maintenance, and administration of common areas.

Matrícula inmobiliaria (real-estate registry number)

A unique number assigned by the Dirección General de los Registros Públicos to each property, identifying the parcel and consolidating its legal history.

Cadastral account (cuenta corriente catastral)

A unique cadastral and fiscal ID assigned by Paraguay's National Cadastre Service to each property, linked to property-tax calculation.

Notary public (escribano público)

A legal professional with public authority empowered to authenticate signatures, attest legal acts, and execute public deeds in Paraguay.

Country house (casa quinta)

A home on a large plot, typically outside the urban core, with garden, pool, and trees — used as a weekend retreat or full-time residence.

Country (gated subdivision)

A private gated subdivision with own security and shared amenities, where lots are sold for owners to build homes following internal rules.

Gated community

A residential community with access restricted by a security barrier, private internal streets, and shared services managed by an owners' association.

Townhouse-style apartment (departamento tipo casa)

A standalone residential unit with no apartments above it, usually part of a horizontal-property complex, with its own entrance and sometimes a yard.

Studio apartment (monoambiente)

A single-room apartment integrating bedroom, living area, and kitchen in one space with a separate bathroom; typical area 25–40 m².

Duplex

A residential unit spanning two floors connected internally by stairs, typically with bedrooms upstairs and living areas downstairs.

Pre-sale / off-plan (preventa, "en pozo")

Sale of units in a development before construction is complete, usually with payments scheduled through the build phase and at prices lower than at delivery.

Capital appreciation / plusvalía

The increase in a property's value between purchase and a later moment, attributable to improvements, neighborhood development, or market trends.