The Rumor Mill

yuri wrote:John:

Admittedly year 6 was kind of a short one and then you rapidly drifted into year 7. Now it appears that years 8 and 9 were passed by because 10 years sounded better. How many times does the Mexican Physical Therapist credibility have to be shot down?

I don't understand your year 6, 7 and 10 thingy. Maybe you could explain. Are you really a newbie or just hiding behind another name? Your post is ridiculous to say the least! Only an idiot would shoot down a professional Mexican PT or a Doctor who lives here and knows what's going on.

I find some of the comments made on these web boards by some of the NOB types who hide behind their keyboards downright stupid.

You're correct John. Speaking of stupid comments, please remind us of the year you moved here. It wasn't 2001 was it?

Meeooww! Catty, catty. Tsk, tsk. L

David wrote:You're correct John. Speaking of stupid comments, please remind us of the year you moved here. It wasn't 2001 was it?

David, you guessed it. It was March 2001.

I didn't think you'd been here that long. I'm probably thinking of when your house was completed.

David wrote:I didn't think you'd been here that long. I'm probably thinking of when your house was completed.

We moved here in March 2001 and the house was completed in August 2001. We moved in mid August. We were the second home to be built here out of 19 homes. RE was very slow back then when everyone thought the Lake would dry up.

John, was the real estate about 50% cheaper in those days? Or more?

Now, ain't that somethin'... you are referring to 2001 as "in those days?" :16:Ah, youth... Sigh. Lizzy

Well it was a decade ago.

CanuckBob wrote:John, was the real estate about 50% cheaper in those days? Or more?

Yes, there were 1100 homes on the market in 2001 compared to about 550 (not sure of EXACT number) now. A $ 250 K house then is worth about $ 450 - $ 500 K now, especially when RE in the States turns around. Baby boomers will be flocking here in 3 - 4 years.

There are 521 residential listings on the Lake Chapala MLS right now and probably a few more that are sole agency and FSBO so 550 is probably at the lower end of the "guesstimate". I have some friends from Vancouver that just picked up a 4 bd, 4 bth executive home in Phoenix complete with pool, 3 car garage and maids quarters for $170,000 USD. Prices like that are ridiculous however it makes me think the market in the US is going to take quite a while to recover and keep Americans buying in their own sun-belts for some time to come. I hear cities like Miami and Vegas are in the same situation still.

Not that we would ever move to the US though. The Latin American culture is a big draw for us.

Man, the housing market in the states is going to take a long while to turn around. Older, Boomers will be able to suck up houses all over Arizona, California, Nevada and Florida for years to come at bargain basement prices. We researched all of them as alternatives to Chapala, but each of them have their own set of issues. CA, NV, & AZ all have potential water issues in future years and they are hot. FL has hurricanes and is humid. I agree that MX will be a refuge for the many ill-prepared boomers who aren't financially prepared for retirement, especially when the drug wars settle down, and that's just a matter of time. Columbia and Nicaragua were both as bad as MX in the past, and look at them now. Real Estate at the lake will increase over time in my opinion, and now seems a good time to make the trip and get established.

Good analysis, IMO. Some of those "sunbelt states" were options for the Devil. He chose Hell.

The initial price isn't everything. Another consideration is that if you're living in a place like AZ or NEV, you're going to need central air conditioning running 24/7 a lot of the year. This isn't cheap. In the winter it gets very chilly.

Here in Lakeside, you can get by with fans if you're tough, or you can be a wuss like me and have an A/C in your bedroom to retreat to. A friend who lived in FL said it was a three shower a day kind of place because of the humidity.

Lakeside has golden weather. Even right now.

gringal wrote:Good analysis, IMO. Some of those "sunbelt states" were options for the Devil. He chose Hell.

The initial price isn't everything. Another consideration is that if you're living in a place like AZ or NEV, you're going to need central air conditioning running 24/7 a lot of the year. This isn't cheap. In the winter it gets very chilly.

Here in Lakeside, you can get by with fans if you're tough, or you can be a wuss like me and have an A/C in your bedroom to retreat to. A friend who lived in FL said it was a three shower a day kind of place because of the humidity.

Lakeside has golden weather. Even right now.

Good luck to people who buy in AZ where it's hot, hot, hot. My neighbors who moved here from Phoenix/Scottsdale 10 years ago told me they paid $ 1,000. a month for electricity every month. They are not consumers. That will soon make up for the great housing prices.

By the same token you need A/C only 3 months in Southern CA, mostly part of July, Aug and Sept. I have been investigating So. Calif.

John, this is just a heads up from someone who grew up in So. California. How hot it is depends entirely on where you live . There is a vast difference between the coastal areas and even 5 or 10 miles inland.

Even so, San Clemente on the coast is very warm much of the year, and as you go north as far as Newport, it's a lot cooler. Inland areas such as Temecula (where there are some super bargains now) requires A/C more than three months, but is bitterly cold in the winter.
If you're checking it out........be sure to check the location/ temperature year around.

gringal wrote:John, this is just a heads up from someone who grew up in So. California. How hot it is depends entirely on where you live . There is a vast difference between the coastal areas and even 5 or 10 miles inland.

Even so, San Clemente on the coast is very warm much of the year, and as you go north as far as Newport, it's a lot cooler. Inland areas such as Temecula (where there are some super bargains now) requires A/C more than three months, but is bitterly cold in the winter.
If you're checking it out........be sure to check the location/ temperature year around.

Last week we were on vacation checking out Temecula and Fallbrook. I was told 2 months of heat at 90 - 100 where A/C is necessary although I figure it's more. Electric in CA if one hell of a lot cheaper than in MX who has the HIGHEST rates anywhere. The lowest temps in winter are 40 - 45 degrees. We looked at newer homes built in 2000 - 2007 where insulation is better. I see new homes from developers showing an EPG rating on a 2,200 sq ft house at $ 100 - $ 120 a month for electric and gas!!! In MX we pay $ 4,800. - $ 5,000. pesos every 2 month for electric or $ 214. - $ 233. USD a month. I have checked average monthly temps in all of So. CA.

What parts of So. CA did you live in?

Glendale, Laguna Beach, Lake Forest, and..........Temecula, for about a year. Lots of new tracts were springing up. This would have been in the late nineties.

I don't enjoy heat, or living in A/C when it's over 100 outdoors. Otherwise, it's a rather pleasant area. I liked Fallbrook better......a bit older and more established as a community.

I will grant you that there are some great bargains to be had in that area right now. Riverside county was one of the worst hit in this recession.

johninajijic wrote:

gringal wrote:John, this is just a heads up from someone who grew up in So. California. How hot it is depends entirely on where you live . There is a vast difference between the coastal areas and even 5 or 10 miles inland.

Even so, San Clemente on the coast is very warm much of the year, and as you go north as far as Newport, it's a lot cooler. Inland areas such as Temecula (where there are some super bargains now) requires A/C more than three months, but is bitterly cold in the winter.
If you're checking it out........be sure to check the location/ temperature year around.

Last week we were on vacation checking out Temecula and Fallbrook. I was told 2 months of heat at 90 - 100 where A/C is necessary although I figure it's more. Electric in CA if one hell of a lot cheaper than in MX who has the HIGHEST rates anywhere. The lowest temps in winter are 40 - 45 degrees. We looked at newer homes built in 2000 - 2007 where insulation is better. I see new homes from developers showing an EPG rating on a 2,200 sq ft house at $ 100 - $ 120 a month for electric and gas!!! In MX we pay $ 4,800. - $ 5,000. pesos every 2 month for electric or $ 214. - $ 233. USD a month. I have checked average monthly temps in all of So. CA.

What parts of So. CA did you live in?

John, my curiosity is why you would even consider living elsewhere? Or was this just for fun?

Really and seriously John; have you considered the efficacy of movng back to what you call So Cal? Dawg is a big fan of Southern California so don´t get me wrong. This is a nice place but I don´t think you understand it. How can you possibly compare Laguna Beach with Glendale or Riverside County? Have you actually experienced these areas with their diverse climates? I have lived all over Southern and Central and Northern California and I´ll tell you you don´t seem to be familiar with that state´s diverse climate just based on your remarks unless I´m misreading your comments. Nothing personal, but keep your comments on mark, amigo.

Parker wrote:

johninajijic wrote:

gringal wrote:John, this is just a heads up from someone who grew up in So. California. How hot it is depends entirely on where you live . There is a vast difference between the coastal areas and even 5 or 10 miles inland.

Even so, San Clemente on the coast is very warm much of the year, and as you go north as far as Newport, it's a lot cooler. Inland areas such as Temecula (where there are some super bargains now) requires A/C more than three months, but is bitterly cold in the winter.
If you're checking it out........be sure to check the location/ temperature year around.

Last week we were on vacation checking out Temecula and Fallbrook. I was told 2 months of heat at 90 - 100 where A/C is necessary although I figure it's more. Electric in CA if one hell of a lot cheaper than in MX who has the HIGHEST rates anywhere. The lowest temps in winter are 40 - 45 degrees. We looked at newer homes built in 2000 - 2007 where insulation is better. I see new homes from developers showing an EPG rating on a 2,200 sq ft house at $ 100 - $ 120 a month for electric and gas!!! In MX we pay $ 4,800. - $ 5,000. pesos every 2 month for electric or $ 214. - $ 233. USD a month. I have checked average monthly temps in all of So. CA.

What parts of So. CA did you live in?

John, my curiosity is why you would even consider living elsewhere? Or was this just for fun?

Here's a simple thought on the subject of why John might consider a place like, say, Temecula: The difference between what he could sell his house in Arroyos Sur for and what he could buy a very impressive house for there....... is considerable. He may be doing the considering.

Yo Johninajijic, if you are considering moving to southern California check out the Hillcrest area in San Diego. Very hip neighborhood, great restaurants, arts, culture and possibly the most temperate climate in CA. Seriously John, you will want to check this place out.

First I have to consider temperature. Temecula and Fallbrook look good to me as far as average temps, summer and winter. I would never consider living in San Diego or near there, esp. Riverside that still gets smog. I'm not interested in large cities or overly large towns. Temecula is 85,000 people way large enough for me. Falbrook pop. 30,000 +. Homes are more expensive as you get near the city, you get less for your $$$.

I was born in the city of Quincy, MA, population 90,000, then moved to Weymouth, MA, population 56,500 for 6 years, then farther south of Boston to a town called Pembroke, population 18,000, nice area with large lots for 15 years. My house was on a builders acre of 40,000 + sq ft.

Ajijic is still nice although too much traffic and too much building which will go on and on. Has anyone heard that a developer is to build 1,000 new homes on the Libriamento or that Omar O'Rourke plans to build another high rise on Independencia diagonally across from Pedro's old restaurant and in the lot that Jeffrey owned from the Animal Shelter? I understand Jeffrey now lives in one of the Penthouse condos at El Dorado.

johninajijic wrote: I understand Jeffrey now lives in one of the Penthouse condos at El Dorado.

Really, John? So why would a person of Jeffrey´s obvious means move from his palatial estate on the lakefront to a commoner´s digs in a penthouse apartment among other riffraff? Clearly there were compelling reasons for such an indignity that do not readily meet the eye.

hound dog wrote:

johninajijic wrote: I understand Jeffrey now lives in one of the Penthouse condos at El Dorado.

Really, John? So why would a person of Jeffrey´s obvious means move from his palatial estate on the lakefront to a commoner´s digs in a penthouse apartment among other riffraff? Clearly there were compelling reasons for such an indignity that do not readily meet the eye.

Why don't you call him and ask? Maybe he got fed up with the maintenance of these homes which require 10 times the maintenance of any quality US built home.

If I can remember, I will ask my friends who know him and live on Independencia near him when I see them on Friday night.

I see you're really thinking of this seriously, John.

So....be sure to check out the budget busters of CA, to wit: PROPERTY TAXES. Compared to here, they are brutally high. ASSOCIATION FEES. Many neighborhoods have large grassy areas in the midst of an essentially desert climate, so each development assesses the fees to have watering and gardening done. Water costs more there than it does here. So do the gardeners. If you're in a gated community, there are even higher fees to maintain amenities like pools and clubhouses.

The state of CA is broke right now. They partied with the taxpayers' money while the good times rolled, and now......they're looking to hit whoever they can with any taxes they can dream up.

Sometimes, it's the accumulation of matters extraneous to the purchase price that will add up to a big chunk of your income.
CA is a nice place to live. I spent my life there until 2004, but...........