Relationships, Trust, and Real Estate in a Foreign Country
Navigating Uruguay with Discernment Before Dollar Signs
By Eric Greene
There’s a moment in every cross-border investment conversation where spreadsheets stop mattering. Usually, it comes down to a simple question: Do you trust the person across the table?
In my 30+ years advising clients, I’ve learned that it’s not always about the property, the yield, or the price per square meter. Those things can look great on paper — especially in a place like Uruguay, where the scenery is pristine, the people warm, and the lifestyle seductive. But the real decision comes down to trust. And that only comes from relationships.
My La Barra Litmus Test
When I first explored La Barra, I wasn’t thinking about closing deals. I was thinking about finding rhythm — a pace, a mood, a sense of alignment. The beach roads, the cafes, the friendliness. Then I found the build.
It wasn’t flashy. But it was intentional. A small condo project tucked into a hillside near the beach, just steps from everything. I met the builder, talked with the architect, and asked hard questions. Then I walked the neighborhood and felt the air.
There was no broker in a suit. There was a guy in boots who builds what he believes in.
I didn’t buy a condo in La Barra just because it was modern, walkable, and five minutes from the beach. I bought it because I knew who was behind it. I knew the network. I knew the tone of the place — not just the architecture, but the people connected to it. In countries where the real estate system doesn’t operate the same way you’re used to — fewer legal guardrails — who you know isn’t a bonus. It’s the foundation.
A Trusted Ally — And a Project Worth Watching Just up the road, a trusted friend and professional ally is building something that deserves your attention. He’s one of Uruguay’s most respected legal minds — the person who personally oversaw the legal side of my own La Barra condo purchase. But more than that, he’s deeply embedded in the country’s next chapter. Not only advising on major real estate and farmland purchases, but actively shaping what gets built, and where. One of those projects is called
El Nido, a collection of modern villas rising in Manantiales, the next town northeast of Punta and La Barra. It’s a stretch of beautiful, pristine coastline — unspoiled and underdeveloped — known for its upper-class chill. A little younger and flashier than José Ignacio to the north, but still grounded in good taste. Think elegant beach cafés, prestigious restaurants, and fashion boutiques — and now, a wave pool that attracts surfers and architects alike. With Federico at the center of it, El Nido isn’t just a real estate play. It’s a curated lifestyle project with long-term value — and the team behind it reflects that.
Lifestyle Lens: From O’Farrell Kitchen to Sunset Silence
There’s a restaurant in Manantiales called O’Farrell Kitchen. Just a block from the beach, it’s the kind of place that serves food from the heart — run by the chef himself, who brings a casual intensity to his plates the same way a musician brings it to a song. And then pairs it perfectly with the local vineyards that rival any from Argentina’s Mendoza region.
Walk a few minutes up the road and you’ll find Baby Gouda, a café and wine bar where the locals grab coffee during the day and share a bottle at night. It’s this blend of comfort, simplicity, and high taste that defines this part of Uruguay. You can spend the afternoon gallery-hopping, tasting olive oils, or doing absolutely nothing except watching the light shift toward sunset. And when that sunset comes, there’s a sense of hush — as if everyone, regardless of wealth or origin, stops to say: 'This is the life.'
Closing Reflection: Belonging, Safety, Artful Life
It may just be one of the last truly unspoiled places in the world. You run the numbers, check the comps, and factor in the appreciation curve before the builder breaks ground — but what seals it is the feeling that you can actually live here. Not just invest here.
Teaser: Expat Perks Coming Next In the next piece, I’ll walk through why Uruguay’s financial and legal system makes this not just a beautiful country — but a serious contender for business-minded expats.