Re: Home Purchase Raquet Club - Mud Slides? Insurance? Safety?

by Rosa Venus Fri Apr 27, 2018 11:00 pm

slainte39, I'm so glad you replied. I was writing something and thought...

tbeck3579: Hire secondary counsel if it gives you assurance and peace of mind. The Raquet Club is fine if you're happy with the location. Good luck!

by tbeck3579 Fri Apr 27, 2018 11:02 pm

slainte39 wrote:
tbeck3579 wrote:
slainte39 wrote:I would say the local Notarios Publicos are not influenced by realty firms. They have a significant, and hard earned position, that they will not jeopardize to facilitate some real estate transaction that doesn't past muster.

That/they......... should be the least of your concerns.

I would trust most, or all notaries, over most attorneys......for both competency and honesty.

You are good and trusting soul and I envy you. Life would be much easier for me if I wore a pair of those rose colored glasses every now and then :)

You don't know me and anybody that does.......well, those would be the last words they would use to describe me.
I'm a Mexican, lived in this area nearly 40 years (when the Raquet Club was hillside pasture and not even a dream/fantasy in Lou Werthheimer's (the developer) imagination, and meaner than junkyard dog when it comes to business, especially real estate.

You are right, I don't know you. Let me rephrase; you appear to be a good and trusting soul, and/or your words reflect such a person ;)

by tbeck3579 Fri Apr 27, 2018 11:14 pm

Rosa Venus wrote:slainte39, I'm so glad you replied. I was writing something and thought...

tbeck3579: Hire secondary counsel if it gives you assurance and peace of mind. The Raquet Club is fine if you're happy with the location. Good luck!

Thank you so much! Yes, the location fits my personality and lifestyle, as well as my husband's and father's. My mom was the social butterfly. She liked city life and the constant "on-the-go" lifestyle. I'm into peace and quiet, and a great view. I have so many hobbies and enjoy the serenity of my home. I was a globe trotter; lived in Berlin for few years before the wall came down, England a few years... etc. For the past 20 years I've lived on my husband's family farm; 20 miles to the nearest stop light. I love it! Zero whining neighbors, hehehe.

by tbeck3579 Fri Apr 27, 2018 11:28 pm

brigitte wrote:The mud slides that did damaged were due to a specific phenomenon , some downpour that slammed into the mountains and not everyone was affected so I would not generalize..about the mud slides.. It is not difficult to get flood or earthquake insurrance as there has been little damage from either one over the years in the area. I cancelled the earthquake insurrance in Jalisco but I have it in Chiapas and I have flood ins because the lake was rising and you never know.. I live near the lake but I probably would not have it if I were higher in the village.. Do not think you can clain every little things.. I had some 15000 pesos worth of damage on the last quake in Chiapas and the agent told me the ins was for major damage so here you go.

Yes, I did read that there was a tremendous amount rain that fell in a very short period of time. I also read that, as expected, the mud took the path of least resistance. It gained momentum on the mountain, followed natures path, but at the end of the path they had build homes... So down the road it came, taking the homes in its path with it.

Thank you for the information on home insurance. I usually carry a high deductible with low premiums so never have a claim. It's for a catastrophic event like fire. In the U.S. both earthquake and flood insurance is expensive and the insurance agency isn't the one you purchase it from. That reminds of me of a funny insurance commercial I saw recently... The guy says to the insurance company: "so you'll cover a zombie apocalypse but you won't cover this?" Funny, but that's close to the truth.

by tbeck3579 Fri Apr 27, 2018 11:48 pm

lakeside7 wrote:The Raquet Club is one of the largest fraccs in the area with appro 400 lotes , about 325 homes built.
Its sports facilities are extensive and as the name suggests has the best hard and clay courts in the area. Also the largest heated swim pool, but if you have visited then you know this already.
Like ALL the locations at Lakeside it has had its share of B&E , statistics are hard to come by.
Frankly my opinion for whats its worth, as a general statement....in this area, B&E are higher than for a similar, like location NOB. The high walls electric fence, bars and razar wires are not for decoration!!
In the RC ,If your potential purchase is on a East to West street there is less chances of being affected by the freak weather that the RC experienced in 2007? but there are lotes that do "Move".
I would suggest you buy as much or as little insurance as makes you comfortable.
Interestingly insurance at Lakeside is "relatively new". As is for example the fire department!!!! I am not sure what folks did in days past, but every one seemed to get by OK.
If you want a better insight into how the Fraccs work, maybe pay a visit to their AGM which is being held this Sunday at 11.30am.
Have you checked the various Fracc fees and how many people are not paying. Go into the respective offices and see what reception you get, warm and friendly or hostile...try it with the City Hall in Chapala!!!!
Most Board meetings are chaotic and develop into shouting matches. Do not be dismayed by the Pro board members and Anti board members exchange barbs. This experience may decide you to live "outside" a development, and be totally dependant on the City Fathers for your services etc. There again we seem to go from one crisis to another. The most recent, no garbage pick up for weeks
Regardless on you decision, in or out of a Fracc or Coto, is internet speed etc important to you, is there a telephone available.
Lastly what ever your choice, beware your life can be hell when some crazy, inconsiderate Gringo decides she/he what to save all the stray dogs regardless of what the effects are to the neighbours.
Welcome to Lakeside

I giggled when I read your post. What made me giggle is thinking of the very same situations I've dealt with in my small farming town, and the big gated 55+ community (3,000 homes) my dad is living in here, in CA. I'll take my farm any day of the week. If the door is open in this community the neighbors can hear your conversation. Give me a little space please; get out of my bubble, hehehe. Re: Garbage Pick-up. We still use a burn barrel on the farm. Any laws against that in Jalisco? Garbage is fine if you have hogs and chickens because they will eat anything. Living in the city and garbage without a burn barrel is entirely different, and scary thought (rats for sure).

by tbeck3579 Sat Apr 28, 2018 12:23 am

jubob2 wrote:I have lived in the Raquet Club for almost 20 years and love it. I was here for the only big mudslide we've had and the only homes that had damage were ones located on the arroyos. I was a block away from two different arroyos.. one on each side.. and my house was untouched. During the rainy season, water does run down the deep ditches and sometimes down the streets, but that has never been a problem any other year. If you live with your back to the mountain or undeveloped land, security can be a problem as it is easier for people to enter your property undetected. Security is good in the Raquet Club, however, with 24 hour security vehicles patrolling. Two different times when I've left my garage door open, they have come and alerted me to this fact and once when a visiting friend left their car window open with their car parked on the street, a security guard in a patrol car parked behind it until I could be awakened to roll up the window. I also recommend good home security , however, wherever you live. Mexicans, too, put bars on windows and doors as have I. Security is a problem anywhere where there are very poor people living in proximity to richer ones and by comparison, all Anglos appear rich. I don't feel that living in a gated community isolates me from Mexicans. There are more Mexican people with homes in the Raquet Club than Anglos, although many use the houses as weekend or vacation homes. And Anglos here are very involved with Operation Feed and other programs of aid to the Mexican community. There is an active social life here as well as aquafit classes. I love living here.

Thank you so much for the great information! You are wonderful. It's good to hear from someone who has lived there for awhile and seen all that goes on. The security sounds much like my dads community in that they keep an eye on things. You confirmed my thoughts regarding the mud slide and the security. I do like my dads gated community but the homes are much too close to one another. In CA land comes at a premium and no one has much of it with newer homes. I did go onto the Raquet Clubs fracc page and read about some of the events. It looks like a very quiet and peaceful place; close to others, but not so close that you have to close your door to have a private conversation. Thanks again for taking the time to post. It is very much appreciated.

by tbeck3579 Sat Apr 28, 2018 12:28 am

SunshineyDay wrote:Lakeside you forgot to mention the salitre.

Saltpeter? I know what that is but I'm not quite sure how that enters into Lakeside's post, hehehe

by gringal Sat Apr 28, 2018 8:33 am

tbeck3579 wrote:
tbeck3579 wrote:
Trailrunner wrote:You have received some REALLY good advice from some very smart people with a lot of years experience living in this country.

My advice to you is - RENT the first year.

I want to thank everyone for the advice, I do appreciate it. Just wondering if anyone can speak to the original post?

Sorry, I missed the RENT advice. I have no desire to pay a strangers mortgage, tyvm :) I understand there are people who cannot afford a home. I also understand there are people living on the profit from the sale of their home out of necessity -- although I can't imagine paying the initial taxes if you don't buy another home... OUCH! I feel for them because I may be in their shoes some day. Everyone seems to think I'm very old because my husband and dad are dying; I'm not that old. I have my retirement and end of life care to consider and paying rent, OUCH, too painful to think about. I'm back where I started when I left my parents home??? Thanks but I'll let someone else make the land owners payment. To all the renters, imagine not having to pay rent... all that cash in your pocket... not feeling the pain of that monthly bill.... I worked and sacrificed my entire life for this freedom :) RENT, argh... My stomach just did a flip flop.

It's pretty clear from this post that you are a very new, newbie. Welcome to Mexico. I didn't know much of anything when I arrived well over a decade ago, but quickly learned that it's very different from the U.S. or Canada. I'll share some things I've learned here "playing it forward".

Lawyers are lawyers, as always. Most expats in this area feel comfortable, when they need one, with a Chapala attorney from the U.S.: Spencer McMullin. Notarios are not lawyers, and are for drawing up wills and handling the final paperwork in real estate transactions, which they take care of filing with the government.

There are some very fine, non-rat infested small nursing homes in the area where people go for either assisted living, recovery from hospitalization and finally, for end of life care. The cost is very low, compared to the U.S. People have made glowing reports about some of them, and it might be productive for you to take a tour. It's another possibility.

People here rarely use mortgages to buy their homes. For one thing, the terms are very user-unfriendly and costly. Most pay for homes in cash. If they own other property which they rent to others, it's strictly to generate income and rents are traditionally about a wash over the cost of maintaining one's own home. The reason people suggest renting for a while before committing to buying is about learning which area suits you best: there are big differences in the various communities re facilities, entertainment and availability of medical care on short notice.
Another consideration: Houses sell slowly here, especially since most require a cash buyer. You don't want to find yourself in a position of wishing you were elsewhere and waiting out the selling process.

Re the Racquet Club: I considered it when my husband and I first started looking for real estate. We looked at every local community and finally bought a house on a residential street in Ajijic Centro because it was within walking distance to town, to restaurants, and was only a block and a half from Lake Chapala and the walking "Malecon" beside the lake with its lovely park. There was an occasion where a bad home accident resulted in the kind of bleeding that made us glad the Ajijic Clinic was open at night and was only 5 minutes away by car.

Here's wishing you the best of luck finding a place that suits your needs and may you have many good nights' sleep. You deserve it for being the family heroine. Hope this helps.

by doc holiday Sat Apr 28, 2018 9:22 am

One of the problems at Raq Club is Waterspouts. A right combination of hot and cold and water temperatures and cloud formations tend to form a tornado-like spout of water. This travel at 50 t0 150 mph and caries very destructive winds inside in addition to a lot of water. When it hits land it dissipates and the combination of the high winds and the dumping of lots of water over land is very destructive. Recorded history shows that 17 have occurred at the Raq Club area. The topography of the land seems to attract the landfall of waterspouts. They are rare at high altitude but we have them here. A lot of fish cane down too.

The last one I remember here caused a lot of damage. As mentioned earlier, don't count on insurance to cover or losses.

by tbeck3579 Sat Apr 28, 2018 12:22 pm

gringal wrote:
tbeck3579 wrote:
tbeck3579 wrote:
Trailrunner wrote:You have received some REALLY good advice from some very smart people with a lot of years experience living in this country.

My advice to you is - RENT the first year.

I want to thank everyone for the advice, I do appreciate it. Just wondering if anyone can speak to the original post?

Sorry, I missed the RENT advice. I have no desire to pay a strangers mortgage, tyvm :) I understand there are people who cannot afford a home. I also understand there are people living on the profit from the sale of their home out of necessity -- although I can't imagine paying the initial taxes if you don't buy another home... OUCH! I feel for them because I may be in their shoes some day. Everyone seems to think I'm very old because my husband and dad are dying; I'm not that old. I have my retirement and end of life care to consider and paying rent, OUCH, too painful to think about. I'm back where I started when I left my parents home??? Thanks but I'll let someone else make the land owners payment. To all the renters, imagine not having to pay rent... all that cash in your pocket... not feeling the pain of that monthly bill.... I worked and sacrificed my entire life for this freedom :) RENT, argh... My stomach just did a flip flop.

It's pretty clear from this post that you are a very new, newbie. Welcome to Mexico. I didn't know much of anything when I arrived well over a decade ago, but quickly learned that it's very different from the U.S. or Canada. I'll share some things I've learned here "playing it forward".

Lawyers are lawyers, as always. Most expats in this area feel comfortable, when they need one, with a Chapala attorney from the U.S.: Spencer McMullin. Notarios are not lawyers, and are for drawing up wills and handling the final paperwork in real estate transactions, which they take care of filing with the government.

There are some very fine, non-rat infested small nursing homes in the area where people go for either assisted living, recovery from hospitalization and finally, for end of life care. The cost is very low, compared to the U.S. People have made glowing reports about some of them, and it might be productive for you to take a tour. It's another possibility.

People here rarely use mortgages to buy their homes. For one thing, the terms are very user-unfriendly and costly. Most pay for homes in cash. If they own other property which they rent to others, it's strictly to generate income and rents are traditionally about a wash over the cost of maintaining one's own home. The reason people suggest renting for a while before committing to buying is about learning which area suits you best: there are big differences in the various communities re facilities, entertainment and availability of medical care on short notice.
Another consideration: Houses sell slowly here, especially since most require a cash buyer. You don't want to find yourself in a position of wishing you were elsewhere and waiting out the selling process.

Re the Racquet Club: I considered it when my husband and I first started looking for real estate. We looked at every local community and finally bought a house on a residential street in Ajijic Centro because it was within walking distance to town, to restaurants, and was only a block and a half from Lake Chapala and the walking "Malecon" beside the lake with its lovely park. There was an occasion where a bad home accident resulted in the kind of bleeding that made us glad the Ajijic Clinic was open at night and was only 5 minutes away by car.

Here's wishing you the best of luck finding a place that suits your needs and may you have many good nights' sleep. You deserve it for being the family heroine. Hope this helps.

Thank you. I appreciate your information, you are very helpful. I'm glad you like it there, and you like the community you chose. I'm quite sure it is perfect for your needs. I have one home to look at in your area but I prefer an area like the Raquet Club. I'm not the "walk to everything" social butterfly; that's not my personality type. I enjoy home cooked meals, home delivery as opposed to shopping, and I hope to find full-time help to do things like grocery shopping. My mom was the polar opposite. Yes, I'm a "newbie", green horn, wet behind the ears, hahaha.

Yes, I do believe using my own attorney is preferable over using a Notario ONLY because I have several needs, not just a home. I do understand that homes take awhile to sell, especially homes in the upper price brackets. It feels odd to call anything over $300,000 "upper" price bracket when you're in CA. Re: Cash. Fortunately both my father and I own our homes, they are not mortgaged. Re: Hospital/Clinic. It's my understanding there is a new 24 hour clinic/hospital (opened in 2015 I think) within 20 minutes of the Raquet Club, in Jocotepec, and there is a quasi 911; 066. I'm not positive but I believe someone posted here there is a husband and wife who speak English working there??? That is from memory so take that with the grain of salt. I don't remember where I read that or how old the post/article was. Re: Renting. There are many reasons for owning property and renting it out. IMHO, owning land is a good investment; land prices go up in value (unless you have a crash/depression). For those who have tangible assets, like land, a crash doesn't effect them like, say, stocks and bonds.... Anyway, that is my opinion (and all of us have one) on being old and owning your own home. A "crash" is something I have first hand experience with... I didn't lose my home like both of my brothers did; that's what happens when you borrow on the equity. Your home is not yours, its the banks.

And finally, Re: assisted living/nursing homes/end of life care. Fortunately my husband and father have me and they can "age in place" so to speak. The only problem is I NEED HELP. That is the single biggest reason for relocating; aging in place and staying at home. Unless you have first hand experience with nursing homes (my husband does) you really can't understand. His mother is 100 years old, has been in a nursing home for 15 years, and loves it. Would you like to know how much that "private pay" nursing home costs per year? Well, I'll tell you, $70,000 annually. Multiply that... Unfortunately, both my mother-in-law and my husband have been in nursing homes that are not "private pay". It is a sad scenario... I wouldn't wish that on anyone. Give me a morphine drip at home and let me pass gently into the next phase.

by tbeck3579 Sat Apr 28, 2018 12:50 pm

doc holiday wrote:One of the problems at Raq Club is Waterspouts. A right combination of hot and cold and water temperatures and cloud formations tend to form a tornado-like spout of water. This travel at 50 t0 150 mph and caries very destructive winds inside in addition to a lot of water. When it hits land it dissipates and the combination of the high winds and the dumping of lots of water over land is very destructive. Recorded history shows that 17 have occurred at the Raq Club area. The topography of the land seems to attract the landfall of waterspouts. They are rare at high altitude but we have them here. A lot of fish cane down too.

The last one I remember here caused a lot of damage. As mentioned earlier, don't count on insurance to cover or losses.

Hmmm, I need to look back through the posts because I thought I could purchase home insurance should disaster strike. That was one reason for the post. My farm is located in an area of tornado's so I know what "spouts" look like, and high winds, and the damage they can do. I've lost trees, and part of the roof, hail has damaged cars, but nothing more in the past 200 years since my husband's ancestors homesteaded the farm. Insurance always covered it.

Gosh, anyone here ever use their home insurance to cover damage by storms? Yeeesshhh. That puts a wrench in the matter.

by gringal Sat Apr 28, 2018 1:43 pm

Just curious where you got the connection between walking to everything, including a walking path and "social butterfly"? Many people like the "walk to everything" situation since parking is a real bear and getting worse.

Re cost of nursing homes: I know about costs in the states, since members of husband's family spent their last years in them and it ran over $8000 monthly for a couple over fifteen years ago.

We know about home prices in California: that's where we're from. It's nice that one can get a lot more house for the money in Mexico.

About hiring help: several ways to go: There is place that sells medical supplies on the west end of Ajijic (lake side) and can recommended a nursing company if you need to hire one.

For household help, you can either hire a maid or use a contract company that will send out maids for however amount of time you want them, for fixed hourly fees. No long term commitment is required. I prefer that, but others prefer having their own maid.

Insurance: There is a locally staffed insurance company across the street from the gringo friendly Superlake, in San Antonio. Bellon Insurance. It would be a good place to get information.

Finally, if you are referring to the newer hospital near Jocotepec, it is run by Seguro Popular insurance, primarily publicly funded and is probably similar to the County hospitals in the States. Minimalist. The private hospitals are nearly all in Guadalajara. When you are asking about home insurance, you can ask about private insurance plans available. Usually, the policies exclude pre-existing conditions, but it might be right for you, personally. The other family members with such conditions would be eligible for Seguro Popular insurance at low cost.

A Notario does not dispense legal "advice" except for informing you what is or is not legal.

When dealing with real estate agents, be aware that there are no "disclosure" laws re property in Mexico. You're on your own. It's advisable to hire a professional home inspector before commitment.
Again, best of luck.

mariachi

by tbeck3579 Sat Apr 28, 2018 2:58 pm

gringal wrote:Just curious where you got the connection between walking to everything, including a walking path and "social butterfly"? Many people like the "walk to everything" situation since parking is a real bear and getting worse.

Re cost of nursing homes: I know about costs in the states, since members of husband's family spent their last years in them and it ran over $8000 monthly for a couple over fifteen years ago.

We know about home prices in California: that's where we're from. It's nice that one can get a lot more house for the money in Mexico.

About hiring help: several ways to go: There is place that sells medical supplies on the west end of Ajijic (lake side) and can recommended a nursing company if you need to hire one.

For household help, you can either hire a maid or use a contract company that will send out maids for however amount of time you want them, for fixed hourly fees. No long term commitment is required. I prefer that, but others prefer having their own maid.

Insurance: There is a locally staffed insurance company across the street from the gringo friendly Superlake, in San Antonio. Bellon Insurance. It would be a good place to get information.

Finally, if you are referring to the newer hospital near Jocotepec, it is run by Seguro Popular insurance, primarily publicly funded and is probably similar to the County hospitals in the States. Minimalist. The private hospitals are nearly all in Guadalajara. When you are asking about home insurance, you can ask about private insurance plans available. Usually, the policies exclude pre-existing conditions, but it might be right for you, personally. The other family members with such conditions would be eligible for Seguro Popular insurance at low cost.

A Notario does not dispense legal "advice" except for informing you what is or is not legal.

When dealing with real estate agents, be aware that there are no "disclosure" laws re property in Mexico. You're on your own. It's advisable to hire a professional home inspector before commitment.
Again, best of luck.

Thank you! I appreciate the information. My next posts were going to be about in-home help! You must be reading my mind :) It is my understanding that the new hospital will not turn anyone away if it is an emergency and I was responding to a post about emergency care. Typically, end-of-life care doesn't involve a lot of emergency room visits, but it's good to know how to get emergency care if you need it. I'll check into that more. Yes, I have read that both men should qualify Seguro Popular which will help with prescription costs. Re: Walking and it's relation to socializing. I can walk in the Raquet Club. Walking to shop... hmmm, well I wouldn't be shopping for much if I need to carry it back. Walking to eat... Okay, if your primary objective is to eat and not socialize and you want to walk; not really my cup of tea. Different strokes for different folks :) Everyone enjoys doing different things and everyone should do whatever makes them happy and not what other people think will make you happy. Re: Walking for exercise. If you can keep up with my day you are in excellent physical shape. If you choose to spend your "down time" walking, go for it. My down time ultimate goal is not exercise. I prefer "zen" time during my down time, hehehe. Re: nursing homes. I won't get into what $8,000 a month, $96,000 annually, means to each individual as you already seem to have first hand knowledge. IMHO it's sad! Some people have the money, like my mother-in-law, and she likes it. She will be 100 in a few months and has been doing it for 15 years. Again, different strokes for different folks, and it makes her happy. That's not what I want; nor does my husband or father. Having worked as an administrator in a institutionalized environment I'll sum up my feelings by saying: we are warehousing human beings. Regarding home insurance, I do want to discuss it with an agent, as well as others "in the know". The more information I have, the better my decisions will be. Re: home inspections. I have an appointment with someone... university educated and licensed in construction/architecture. Let's face it, if your livelihood is entwined with making a sale, you will tend to be biased. You may think your motives are pure, but the motivation to put a roof over your head and food on your table are strong motivators, whether we realize it or not. Yes, I suspected Notorio's have a very specific, narrowly defined, role. I need someone whose got my back.

by doc holiday Sat Apr 28, 2018 3:11 pm

I'll sum up my feelings by saying: we are warehousing human beings.

I have to agree.....it is so sad. My wife of 22 years died here at home. She had dementia. I hired a helper. It would be a rainy day in you know where before I warehoused a loved one

Good for you, and may God bless you and your efforts. You will be rewarded.

by brigitte Sat Apr 28, 2018 3:24 pm

You have to read the policies very carefully, our home insurance covers o
ur neighbors if one of our large tree falls on their property but one of our tree fell on our car it was not covered...

by tbeck3579 Sat Apr 28, 2018 3:35 pm

doc holiday wrote: I'll sum up my feelings by saying: we are warehousing human beings.

I have to agree.....it is so sad. My wife of 22 years died here at home. She had dementia. I hired a helper. It would be a rainy day in you know where before I warehoused a loved one

Good for you, and may God bless you and your efforts. You will be rewarded.

Thank you, and God bless you for taking care of your loved one! Most people do not understand how hard caregiving is (it literally killed my mom), and how much you give-up. My dad has vascular dementia (mild to moderate), and a form of sundowners (it's not a pure, Alzheimer, sundowners). I have my days, don't get me wrong, but my love for my dad and husband supersedes my exhaustion and the negative feelings that accompany being overextended. They mean everything to me and I can't imagine abandoning them during their time of need.

by Flamingo Sat Apr 28, 2018 3:37 pm

I have a number of friends who live in the Racquet Club and very much like it.

A few thoughts. The only grocery delivery service I know about is the Costco delivery service, Lakeside Shopping Service, but they do a super job. Not a lot of restaurant delivery but there may be some. Ask your neighbors once you've moved in. Hiring help is reasonably priced and it sounds like you will need it for your own well being.

Welcome to Lakeside.

by tbeck3579 Sat Apr 28, 2018 3:38 pm

brigitte wrote:You have to read the policies very carefully, our home insurance covers o
ur neighbors if one of our large tree falls on their property but one of our tree fell on our car it was not covered...

Thank you for that information! It will make reading the "fine print" a little easier.

by tbeck3579 Sat Apr 28, 2018 3:44 pm

Flamingo wrote:I have a number of friends who live in the Racquet Club and very much like it.

A few thoughts. The only grocery delivery service I know about is the Costco delivery service, Lakeside Shopping Service, but they do a super job. Not a lot of restaurant delivery but there may be some. Ask your neighbors once you've moved in. Hiring help is reasonably priced and it sounds like you will need it for your own well being.

Welcome to Lakeside.

Thank you Flamingo! That is very kind of you! I have read about Costco delivery. I let my mom's Costco membership expire because I live extremely close to Walmart. My mom was a shopper and Costco was her favorite store... It took quite awhile to rid the pantry of items that had expired :) When we cremated mom we bought the urn at Costco... Too funny but it would have been her wish. When her sister passed away she referred my cousin to Costco for the casket :) My cousin is still grateful, too funny. She lived and died with Costco. The Walmart here recently started an online ordering, and pick-up in your car. I suspect the population base here is well served. I know it's popular. When they first started it, during the holidays, I could schedule pick-up on the same day. Now typically the next day, and suspect as it catches on it will be a few days.

by doc holiday Sat Apr 28, 2018 4:07 pm

You know, one of the great values of this site is that it provides vital information to folks like you.

You have a lot of people behind you.

I know you have received a lot of really good information-

I do not know where else ou would have gotten it.

by tbeck3579 Sat Apr 28, 2018 4:12 pm

doc holiday wrote: You know, one of the great values of this site is that it provides vital information to folks like you.

You have a lot of people behind you.

I know you have received a lot of really good information-

I do not know where else ou would have gotten it.

Yes, I agree. There are forums for Lake Chapala, but the information seems to be motivated by... well nev er mind. Okay, twist my arm (ouch!) I'll finish my thought; money :) I'm not surprised that it took a Tor browser, a VPN, and clean computer to get it to come up on search results. Money determines what Google will provide in terms of search results. I'm glad I found all of you. I'm very grateful for all the folks here.

by CanuckBob Sat Apr 28, 2018 5:47 pm

The Racquet Club has some incredible views and very nice houses. In the current market you will get a far better bang for your buck there than you will in Ajijic or Chapala centro's. If staying home is your thing then it will be perfect otherwise driving to Ajijic is 25 minutes and 75 topes (speedbumps) each way which wears thin very quickly.

Good luck with your move.

by cypress Sat Apr 28, 2018 9:10 pm

[quote="doc holiday"]One of the problems at Raq Club is Waterspouts. A right combination of hot and cold and water temperatures and cloud formations tend to form a tornado-like spout of water. This travel at 50 t0 150 mph and caries very destructive winds inside in addition to a lot of water. When it hits land it dissipates and the combination of the high winds and the dumping of lots of water over land is very destructive. Recorded history shows that 17 have occurred at the Raq Club area. The topography of the land seems to attract the landfall of waterspouts. They are rare at high altitude but we have them here. A lot of fish cane down too.

The last one I remember here caused a lot of damage. As mentioned earlier, don't count on insurance to cover or losses.[/quote

A lot of nonsense here.

by cypress Sat Apr 28, 2018 9:15 pm

doc holiday wrote:There is a history of 17 mud...rock etc slides over the years. Would not buy there on a bet

Nonsense

by brigitte Sat Apr 28, 2018 10:30 pm

There was a lot of damage especially in the village of San Juan that is for sure, the toad going up the hill was a mess..how many houses were lost or really badly damaged in the racquet club? That I do not remember.. The village was a bad mess in some areas-
Why wouldn't the insurance work if you have one?

by gringal Sun Apr 29, 2018 5:15 am

brigitte wrote:There was a lot of damage especially in the village of San Juan that is for sure, the toad going up the hill was a mess..how many houses were lost or really badly damaged in the racquet club? That I do not remember.. The village was a bad mess in some areas-
Why wouldn't the insurance work if you have one?

That is one of the important questions to address with the insurance agent, with direct reference to the waterspouts (which everyone who's been here a while remembers).

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