Medellín is a big and growing city with a very good offer for normal and luxury property. But there are many scammers also and the investment you are going to make needs to be protected. Maybe you heard of your realtor that you do not need a lawyer to buy the property because it is cheaper. This is correct, but you could lose your whole investment. Is this risk worth it? There are many traps you can fall into. Starting with the wire transfer. You should use a escrow account from a company like Alianza. Only with this way you are legalizing the money and are able to apply for the visa later. Also you do not want to explain yourself to the IRS why you are wireing several hundred thousands to Colombia. Also the right contract for buying the property are essential to protect your investment. Many sellers also say tha tyou should put a lower price in the contract to save on taxes. This is common practice in Colombia, but not necesaarily recomemnded. It depends on your situation.