One of the most important things to pay attention to when buying a property is whether the seller owns the property and whether the property has any encumbrances. It is important to know that encumbrances are not automatically removed with the sale. They continue to exist and therefore action needs to be taken to clear these encumbrances before proceeding with the purchase. Secondly, it is advisable to pay attention about property location, whether it is well settled, whether there is established infrastructure, communications, etc. Third, but not least, it is good to be sure that the preliminary contract /if any/ is legally written and sound.