Families from Chile and Mexico buy houses in Croatian town for 13 cents

(Illustration)

KOPRIVNICA, 6 December 2024 (Hina) – The Municipality of Legrad’s programme offering properties to young families for just 13 cents appears to be gaining traction.

Two families, one from Chile and another from Mexico, are set to finalise contracts for purchasing properties in the small Croatian municipality, which is located north of Koprivnica and east of Ludbreg in northern Croatia.

Legrad’s mayor, Ivan Sabolić, told Hina that their most recent tender listed four properties for sale, two of which caught the interest of returnee families—one from Chile and the other from Mexico.

The properties include houses that are in such poor condition they need to be demolished. However, the prospective buyers have visited the area and are reportedly very pleased with their future surroundings, Sabolić noted.

Although neither family has ancestral ties to Legrad, they were drawn to the public tender and subsequently fell in love with the locality itself.

Joshua Grozdanic Ormazabal, whose father is originally from Croatia and mother from Chile, explained that he returned to Croatia two years ago and has since been looking for a housing solution.

The Legrad property sale programme sparked his interest in relocating from Velika Gorica to the small municipality near Koprivnica, a move he is now set to complete.

Joshua, who works as a flight attendant, stated that the quality of life in Croatia is better than in Chile, which was a key factor in his decision to return.

Ana Raquel Figueroa Ávila, originally from Mexico, is married to a man whose grandfather hails from Lika, Croatia.

The couple had long wanted to leave Mexico, and with her husband’s Croatian roots, returning to this part of Europe became a compelling option.

After a brief stay in Croatia, they discovered Legrad’s unique programme through media reports.

The offer of nearly free land, contingent on establishing permanent residency in Legrad, was enough to convince them to settle in the Drava River municipality. Both families will soon become neighbours.

Thanks to this innovative programme, Legrad has already sold 13 properties.

At present, no further properties are available, but the municipality plans to continue the initiative as soon as it inherits or receives donations of land or houses.

The aim is to improve the municipality’s demographic profile. The town has been trying to improve its demographic profile since 2018 through its “house for a kuna” policy and other incentives to address housing issues for young families.

In order to be eligible to buy a house at that price under the initiative, applicants must be under 45 years old, be in a marital or extramarital partnership, and must not have a criminal record or own any property.

Couples receive additional points if they have children and are engaged in a profession facing a labor shortage.