Newbie w/Question about Chapala Haciendas and crime?

I have been in Casa Leone many times and have known the owner since before she bought the lot. The owner is diligent about upkeep and care and she put in good quality finishings. The house has had gentle care with one owner/resident.

Hi, Husband of Barbi here. If you want peace/quiet, except for dogs (which are everywhere) Chapala Haciendas is for you. If you live in close proximity to downtown Ajijic, be prepared for a lot of loud noise during the holidays, which are many!! If you go You Tube and type in Chapala Haciendas, you can get a tour of our neighborhood

signalfire wrote:Hi everybody; I want to thank you for this amazing resource for those of us too far away (and poor!) to travel down there and do our beginning research.


I found this property quite a while ago and I'm amazed it's still available, I'm quite in love with it:  http://www.ajijic.com/listings/leone/listing.htm

Hopefully the link will work; two questions: Can anyone give me a distinct location for this so I can 'drive' through the neighborhood using Google maps (I'm not ready yet to deal with a RE agent and it'd be wasting their time) and can you comment on the threads from a few years ago discussing armed robberies in this area?  I can't seem to find any mention of it since 2011 or so.  

Is 'Chapala Haciendas' a gated community like it implies, or simply an area of town?  

Thanks so much, and I'll keep reading; so much to consider and research..

signaflire

That's a great house!  It doesn't have a view and needs better security but that's all it lacks from what I know about it.  The lot is a little smaller but it has a very pretty yard, nice neighbors.  You'd want to come down and get familiar with all the lakeside area to see what would personally fit your needs.  Chapala Haciendas has a country feel...larger lots, some with views, some with no views, horses and cows roam around and other wildlife.  We've seen anything from huge tarantulas the first year but not seen one in 2 years, armadillo, foxes, bunnies and beautiful birds.  It depends on what you like.  Personally, I really love it here, content as can be.  Home sweet home...We have a really good email neighborhood watch group and several that will call the police if they see anything suspicious.  It's a BIG place.  Obviously, times have changed since it was started and there's literally 100's of homes in Chapala Haciendas with very little security.  No matter where you choose to live, make sure that you aren't the house with the least amount of security and know that there's a very good reason why the other homes in the area have gone to the security measures that they have.   I've driven by a dozen homes in the lake area that had a break in and could easily spot a major security problem.  Some were simple fixes such as a super secure door lock.   Even though people will write that such and such home has high walls...if they're only 6 ft high, they aren't high enough.   I think ours are 10 ft plus razor wire and vines.   We live on a slope so my wall from the street is below my living room floor and you can't see our home from the street.

If I lived in that house you're interested in, I'd have a couple of trained Rottweilers...if I lived anywhere I'd have a couple of trained guard dogs...ok, I do have a couple of trained guard dogs  As one long timer, who lives with his backyard against the highway, told me, he's always had 2-4 Rottweilers and never had a problem...well, I learned from him.  You can't see his house from the road and there are security cameras visible from the street.   The darling house that you love so much is very visible from the street and that's it's biggest problem.  Too easy to get in.  

Chapala Haciendas has it's charm with it's old Mexico feel.  Tall pine trees in the valley, gorgeous Chapala "mountain" views or lakeviews if you prefer.  There's another nice home without a view for 109K but it's 2 story, no view.  

If you want a bigger place with a pool and view, Jim's house has had no security problems when there were crime waves.  

There's predictable times when people know to especially NOT let their guard down living here.   When there are fiestas/parties in the pueblos/towns.  It brings in trouble from out of town.  Holidays.  And when it's really warm and people leave open their windows all night.  We'll start hearing that things are happening in various areas.  I just don't want to mess with it, "learned the ropes" so our home is secure year round.  This is another reason why house sitting is so popular.  People don't want to leave their homes empty, that's a general rule of thumb for life in Mexico.

The armed robbery deal was scary and fortunately no one was hurt and from last I heard 3 of the 4 were put in jail and identified by some of the victims.  Hasn't happened since, thank goodness.  Also, a lot of people put up security cameras, including the Chapala Haciendas Fracc. to deter that sort of thing from happening again.

In general, one of the reasons why there are so many properties for sale is because it's a bit more economical to build here.  But if you don't want to mess with that hassle, some have been terribly taken advantage of, than it's better to buy a pre existing home.  Plenty of people still building their dream home and then it sits for a very long time when they want to sell.   A lot of expats only come down to live here till they get the 4-5 year itchy feet to move back or relocate.   This is also considered a resort/vacation area for Mexicans and there's a lot of vacation homes here.  Climate is just too wonderful.

It's a buyers market so come on down an have a look. Make an offer.

Wow, the thread that keeps on giving! :)

Ummmm, frac fees? Fractional... something... fees? Is that in addition to the HOA fees?

And I'm wondering how different the area looks now compared to the dated google images, but I realize I'd have to come down there to really see everything. I've gotten an offer from a friend who lives halfway between Guadelahara (sp?) and Mexico City to come down, stay for free as long as I want and get the full tour, so when I can arrange it, I may very well do that. :)

And thanks for the info about 'quietness', etc. I live in a rural area now and really cherish the peacefulness of it after living everywhere from a big city with constant traffic to suburbia and now middle of Oregon BLM land. And I think if there was a rooster within earshot, it'd be Me or Him. Maybe I'd get used to it, but my sanity might go first...

It doesn't look much different from the latest google. lol Google just went through here last year jaja

Another reason why I love the security cameras is to be able to see what the heck the dogs are barking at. When it's dark, it's nice to know it's cow or horse. Sometimes they get going and I'm like SHUT UP already! Then you smell it...yup, mr. skunk came to visit. I sleep with earplugs, the crickets are nice but am a light sleeper. Believe me, it's much quieter here than in the village. The fire-rockets they light off during fiestas give me a heart attack.

People keep their yards immaculate...outside it's a jungle/forest...i like it that way...reminds me of the days when you could do what you wanted.

yes, fracc fees are a cheap monthly that covers trash, water, street lights and road maintenance, hehe It's cobblestone. At least the streets are wide. Water is drinkable. This area is not for everyone. I'm not really too worried about what the next guy is doing as long as he isn't cutting down the jacaranda tree in front of MY house. Go cut down your own tree. lol (crazy Mexican)

Regarding back fees, that's not a big deal...go to the office and ask. You can't close on a house until it's been paid...that's enough to make current a back payer...I believe that's what happened with our lot when we bought it 5 years ago..it'd been in their family for eons...the grandfather passed it to the son who passed it to his children...the previous owner went to the office and paid up to current so we could close. The seller is the one who has to settle up before being able to sell or they'd lose the deal. The notario has to check all that stuff, taxes/liens, out before closing.

Before it became a fracc they didn't have dues...therefore, many of the previous owners refuse to pay or pay when they come to visit because they don't have any water. lol

Pleeeeze - even the residents of Chapala Haciendas are now stretching the truth! Please get your facts or what you claim to be the facts straight before spouting off. If you wish to challenge, I will warn you that we were friends of the Magana family back in the late 90's and forward from there, so we do know the Chapala Haciendas story/history.

Play nice Neil.

Neil, I do not understand your accusations nor to whom they are aimed. You are not being helpful to anyone by saying "someone" is lying about "something" and that you know the "truth" but are not telling. You are a smart man with a great memory who knows a lot of local history. That post was beneath you.

I don't know what he's rambling about either nor who or what the Magana.  We weren't here in the 90's, what's the history we need to know about? Do tell!

All this cloak and dagger....do share Neil.

i know a magana but he lives in brisas. is there a connection between brisas and haciendas other than,that they are across the road from each other?

Not that i know of but maybe back in the 90's. Neil will know....waiting for the bomb lol

Chapalagringa wrote:I don't know what he's rambling about either nor who or what the Magana.  We weren't here in the 90's,  what's the history we need to know about?   Do tell!  

Leopoldo has long been deceased, Sergio is retired, their last real estate office in Riberas is now a pizza parlor, don't know their or their progeny(ies) net worth,....so can't add much more.

Nothing cloak and dagger or scandalous involved! I had just reached my boiling point with the innuendo, false speculations and outright misinformation being spread on various forums through the years. Just prior to my post, I had watched a two part YouTube video prepared by a Chapala Haciendas resident "buyer's agent" which contained some other falsehoods. Not only did we consider the Leopoldo Magana family (son of the original developer) close personal friends but he proved over and over to be one of the most ethical people we have ever had the pleasure to have known. We often discussed the mistakes that he felt he and his father made with Chapala Haciendas and the regrets he had with some of the results.

Tragically, Leopoldo died of a massive heart attack almost 10 years ago while training for a half marathon. We will always remember he and his family!

Thanks for sharing Neil. A lot of short term history surrounds Lakeside, like the golf course that was turned into Brisas, and how the golf course may have affected Frac development here. Just Wunderin?

Sorry Jim, I know absolutely nada about Brisas or the golf course since it never came up in any of our conversations.

Brisas de Chapala was a golf course, not sure when, but was converted to a frac prior to 2000, maybe even the 80's, I'll research and post more.

There was talk about putting a golf course in near Brisas since we've been in the area. I thought it was being promoted by a female pro player...there's a road even(so i thought)...it started washing out into Chapala Haciendas 2 area after the initial construction and then construction stopped...I was really glad when those median dividers were installed as it helped to divert the water down the carratera...the first rain, 4 years ago, mud came across the highway and water into the fracc and ran down in front of our place even. I thought well, I guess if I die in a mud slide, at least i know where i'm going. lol

There was talk of Lorena Ochoa building a golf course near Jocotopec about 5 years ago.
Brisas was a golf course at one time. You can still locate a few remnants of fairways and greens if you walk the frac.

oh...interesting...wonder what that poorly thought out road is for across the highway??? lol

Which Highway? It was intended to be In Brisas.......can you imagine though, Brisas Golf course extended to 18 holes.....yuppies buying up property and building homes on the hillside, paying a premium for view lots! While the poor people lived in the village below!
What a twist! Now the perceived rich, live in the village, no view, paying premium prices! CRACKS ME UP! Funny how LOCATION, LOCATION , changes on a dime!

I can't criticize about where the next guy wants to live, it's their life and they'll live and do what they want.  It's quiet up here and I like the space.  Listening to crickets now...After the first 6 years of living in Mexico and not quite able to put my finger on why I aways felt a little nervous, it made sense after waking up the first morning in our home in CH.  I'm not a city girl.  Even though we had an amazing panoramic view in SAT, loved the bike path etc. I just didn't realize it was the lack of private space that was making me so nervous.  It's so easy to get to Guad or the villages from here...takes 2 min in the car to get to Soriana and 5 min over the libramiento to SAT yet some people think we live too far out. lol  ya, that's funny.   When we lived in "topelandia" in Guadalajara for 4 years, there was always so much traffic congestion, it took 10-15 min to get through the maze to Soriana.

I've been in love with the Leone house as well. I've been watching it for about a year now, even reached out to the realtor about it. I think they even dropped the price, but living in such an exposed house without better security as a single woman and all the advice about renting for a while before buying has me thinking differently now. Still I do love the layout of the house and the character it has. Its very sweet looking but with crime of robberies and not having a dog that would scare someone off I don't think it would be wise for me.

Where's a link to the Leone house?

  Check out the OP.