“Direct Foreign Investment” is often a political buzz term used to describe large international institutions pumping money in to the hands of other large international institutions. In Southern Chile, and especially the Patagonia, “direct foreign investment” has a totally different meaning. It comes in the form of foreigners buying property to retire in Chile, building houses in Chile, or simply paying their housekeeper. Money that often comes out of an ATM from a foreign bank and directly in to the pockets of people that live in the communities. This is international trade that often happens in just a few seconds. We want to take a brief look at how communities benefit from these foreign investors in Chile, and how direct foreign investment in Chile works in the South.