Planned communities

V-Farms doesn't curate or promote planned communities: the developments that sell lots, shares or memberships in a farm community that's still being built. This page explains why, and what to check if you're considering one anyway.

Why we stay out

A planned community sells promises along with land: roads, water, titles and neighbours that don't exist yet. When the promises fail, buyers can be left with land they can't live on, can't sell, or don't legally own. People in this world know two of these stories well.

• Galt's Gulch Chile. In 2014, reporting by Vice and others found that lots had been sold before the land was zoned for them. The project fell apart with buyers and investors out millions of dollars.
• El Paraíso Verde, Paraguay. In December 2025, prosecutors in Villarrica charged the founders with fraud over the project, and settlers and investors have filed claims of at least $30 million (summary and sources).

We also take no money from developers, so we can't be paid to change our minds.

What to check before you buy into one

• Title to your own lot, registered in your name, surveyed and insurable, not a share of a promise.
• Subdivision approval from the local authority, so the lots can legally be sold and built on one by one.
• Water for the whole community, in writing, with enough for every lot.
• What's built today, compared with what's promised: roads, power, water, and a timeline for each.
• Escrow, so your money waits with a third party until the title is yours.
• The developer's record: other projects, finished or not, lawsuits, and who actually owns the company.
• The rules and fees: who decides, what the dues are, and what happens if the developer leaves.
• The way out: who has resold, and for what.

If we ever name one

It would have to clear the same bar as a farm on the list: the title, the approvals and the water checked, and a visit. Never for money. If you know a community that should be looked at, write to farms@venturopoly.com.