My opening round of questions concerning moving to the area

Questions...someone said ask questions. What questions? There are many things that you take for granted when you live NOB. The questions are very important because most realtors (even the good ones) and/or rentors will NOT divulge information unless it is asked directly and specifically...and, even then, I would want it in writing before I went a step further.
Water...from where, how often, storage facility, gravity fed, pressure fed, if pressure fed is the pump submersible or above ground, purified???????
That's just a few aspects of ONE subject.
Please ask questions about what questions to ask...it's important.

ferret wrote:Questions...someone said ask questions. What questions? There are many things that you take for granted when you live NOB. The questions are very important because most realtors (even the good ones) and/or rentors will NOT divulge information unless it is asked directly and specifically...and, even then, I would want it in writing before I went a step further.
Water...from where, how often, storage facility, gravity fed, pressure fed, if pressure fed is the pump submersible or above ground, purified???????
That's just a few aspects of ONE subject.
Please ask questions about what questions to ask...it's important.

Very well said Ferret. It's important to know exactly what questions to ask.

David wrote:

ferret wrote:Questions...someone said ask questions. What questions? There are many things that you take for granted when you live NOB. The questions are very important because most realtors (even the good ones) and/or rentors will NOT divulge information unless it is asked directly and specifically...and, even then, I would want it in writing before I went a step further.
Water...from where, how often, storage facility, gravity fed, pressure fed, if pressure fed is the pump submersible or above ground, purified???????
That's just a few aspects of ONE subject.
Please ask questions about what questions to ask...it's important.

Very well said Ferret. It's important to know exactly what questions to ask.

So why didn't you just say that instead of some horseshit alluding to your favorite 5 Realtors... Agencies.... Broker...?

They were looking for Info....not some slanderous crap... generalizing realtors as inept...

just say'n is all

Hockables,
Having lived in Mexico for sixteen years now, I am in agreement with David. There is NO licensing or course or set of credentials that they must have/take to become a realtor here. Anyone can hang out a shingle and be a realtor. That doesn't take away from the GOOD ones...it's just that there aren't very many good ones...not in San Miguel, not in San Pancho, not in Puerto Vallarta and not here in Ajijic.
How long have you lived here that you are so knowledgeable about the realtors in the area?

ferret wrote:Hockables,
Having lived in Mexico for sixteen years now, I am in agreement with David. There is NO licensing or course or set of credentials that they must have/take to become a realtor here. Anyone can hang out a shingle and be a realtor. That doesn't take away from the GOOD ones...it's just that there aren't very many good ones...not in San Miguel, not in San Pancho, not in Puerto Vallarta and not here in Ajijic.
How long have you lived here that you are so knowledgeable about the realtors in the area?

I'm sorry to hear that... I hoped for better...

There exists an industry in Lake Chapala Area... servicing potential Buyers...

Some laughingly say there are fewer than 10... correction 5 capable people....

U sure U wanna join that Circus Ferret?

I try not to Over Generalize and when I do... I try not to Slander the whole lot of them....

Some try very hard... I know mine did!!...... As I said.... I wonder if She made it on the Approved List

Instead of slandering those you don't know.... you might better spend your time protecting folks from those you do know!!


Whatever

Nevermind who's naughty or nice.

I had a great buyers' agent who showed me around with great patience and even pointed out potential problems in various areas.
The seller and the sellers' agent were another story. That is the problem with buying real estate in Mexico. NO DISCLOSURE LAWS.
if you deal with that awareness.......you'll be saved a lot of grief.

Also, be aware that zoning laws (?) are of no great significance. Look around the neighborhood. If there's a restaurant that has music in the evening, bear in mind that this can be blasting all over the neighborhood until very late. Welding shop? Carpenter? Auto repair? And so on. The loud music problem, for one, has affected a number of people I know.

Thanks again to all....I certainly would have not known to ask so much about the water supply. Noise would certainly be something I'd be weary of, but my hope is to be a little more residential...10-15 min walk to Ajijic, and hopefully out of the range . But, I'm first to admit I have a lot to learn, and look forward to meeting and hopefully befriending so many here that have been helpful, and then, one day, being able to contribute myself.

2011 Expenses
MONTHLY EXP
FIXED EXP-----------10000
CONDO FEE-----------1101
MAID------------------605
POOL------------------585
SUBTOTALS----------12291
ELECTRICITY----------2628
TELEPHONE-------------262
PROPANE---------------517
GASOLINE--------------552
GROCERIES------------2142
COSTCO/WAL----------1881
MEDICATION-----------2601
DINING OUT-------------702
GARDENER---------------324
MISC-------------------2108
TOTAL-----------------26008

FIXED EXPENSES ABOVE INCLUDE 2 Private Health Ins Policies, Homeowner Ins policy, Car Ins policy, Water Bill, Property Tax, DISH Satellite (Total movie package), FM Doc's, Internet Service.

Miscellaneos includes everything else. My medication is expensive because I have Epilepsy. You may not have high Medical Expenses.

Markoya,
What other countries have you lived in? Your answer might help us understand your perspective and possible surprises.
Lu

Give yourself at least a year or two of renting to find the perfect place. Prices will continue to come down for at least that long. There is much information to absorb about which subdivisions have water problems, electric problems, phone or internet, and which will be assessed whopping fees to fix those problems; which are built on fault lines or not up to earthquake standards or in mudslide areas, in ejido or "communally owned" areas, or in bad areas in general which are not evident like they are back home. Make friends, get over your homesickness. "It is easier to love Mexico than to understand it."

Merry

Hello Louis,
I took the Focus on Mexico program, and thought it worth the money. They give you a very good overview of all the concerns you have. I also made good friends with the other participants; several have, like me, relocated to Ajijic.
As for the rent vs. buy issue, I agree you should be cautious. I did find a house and bought it, but there was extensive information on a blog by the sellers, showing the plans for the casita they built to live in while they remodeled the house from top to bottom. I also stayed at a B&B (Estrellita's--highly recommended), met a number of people who knew the sellers and the quality of work and amount of money they put into the house. It was an unusual situation, and I was lucky to be able to take advantage of it. The house is completely up to US standards in water, plumbing, electrical--you name it.
People here are remarkably friendly and informative, as you can tell from the answers to your questions. I volunteer at the Lake Chapala Society, and suggest you get a membership there. They have many activities, and an excellent English language library, plus offering Spanish lessons.
After a year, I wake up every morning, grateful to have landed in paradise. Welcome to a very special place. It has problems, of course, but also many good people working to solve them.

Louis, we live in an older house in an Ajijic neighborhood. We do not live in a gated community. We would not choose to live in a group setting regardless of country. We just wouldn't fit in. Our house is eccentric and came with the Mexican qualities that I had imagined--old iron gates, stone walls, lots of arches, fountains. It was pretty much a mess when we bought it, but we spent a year renovating. (We kept the gates, stone, arches, and fountains, of course.) We thought we'd buy in the village but instead fell in love with a view of the lake and village.

We don't really socialize with any of our neighbors, but have a friendly relationship--both with expat neighbors and Mexican neighbors. We get lots of noise--especially when the cows are giving birth. I like being able to hear children every day. I'm okay with the dogs. I like music and celebrations. I'm happy.

We didn't attend any orientation or sales programs and we're just not LCS candidates. I made contact with our agent over several months of emails. I picked an agent who represented the kinds of houses we were looking for. We didn't want a new house, we didn't want a gated community. We didn't want any developments. We wanted a Mexican house in a Mexican or mixed neighborhood.

merry wrote:Give yourself at least a year or two of renting to find the perfect place. Prices will continue to come down for at least that long. There is much information to absorb about which subdivisions have water problems, electric problems, phone or internet, and which will be assessed whopping fees to fix those problems; which are built on fault lines or not up to earthquake standards or in mudslide areas, in ejido or "communally owned" areas, or in bad areas in general which are not evident like they are back home. Make friends, get over your homesickness. "It is easier to love Mexico than to understand it."

Merry

You do NOT need a year or two to decide if you want to live here. If you can't decide in 6 months, then you're not right for the area. The reason I say that is because you can learn an awful lot from those who have lived here for 10 years. We came down, looked around with our Realtor for 1 1/2 weeks and signed a contract with a good builder and never looked back.

Water problems, what comes to mind first is Villa Nova. Some of the "older area" will have electric problems, but electric can go out anywhere. I'm not aware of phone or internet problems, but some areas are wire for Telmex DSL high speed.

Fault lines run thru LaFloresta, both upper and lower, Chula Vista lower and upper (not Chula Vista Norte). Some areas are built on clay soil which has very poor drainage and gets "greasy" when wet. The libriamento area is like that.

Always have a competent structural engineer look at the house: common problems here are salitre (although some houses have none), older houses have electrical problems (wiring in the walls is lamp cord) and plumbing problems (no traps in showers and toilets).

johninajijic wrote:

merry wrote:Give yourself at least a year or two of renting to find the perfect place. Prices will continue to come down for at least that long. There is much information to absorb about which subdivisions have water problems, electric problems, phone or internet, and which will be assessed whopping fees to fix those problems; which are built on fault lines or not up to earthquake standards or in mudslide areas, in ejido or "communally owned" areas, or in bad areas in general which are not evident like they are back home. Make friends, get over your homesickness. "It is easier to love Mexico than to understand it."

Merry

You do NOT need a year or two to decide if you want to live here. If you can't decide in 6 months, then you're not right for the area. The reason I say that is because you can learn an awful lot from those who have lived here for 10 years. We came down, looked around with our Realtor for 1 1/2 weeks and signed a contract with a good builder and never looked back.

Water problems, what comes to mind first is Villa Nova. Some of the "older area" will have electric problems, but electric can go out anywhere. I'm not aware of phone or internet problems, but some areas are wire for Telmex DSL high speed.

Fault lines run thru LaFloresta, both upper and lower, Chula Vista lower and upper (not Chula Vista Norte). Some areas are built on clay soil which has very poor drainage and gets "greasy" when wet. The libriamento area is like that.

Always have a competent structural engineer look at the house: common problems here are salitre (although some houses have none), older houses have electrical problems (wiring in the walls is lamp cord) and plumbing problems (no traps in showers and toilets).

Always appreciate your constructive comments John, Thank you.
You are right...a year or two is not needed...we will be back, and will rent before buying, keeping your neighborhood tips in mind....but we do want to be walking distance to the village, so that in itself will rule out several places

Louis

LMarkoya wrote:

johninajijic wrote:

merry wrote:Give yourself at least a year or two of renting to find the perfect place. Prices will continue to come down for at least that long. ...
Merry

You do NOT need a year or two to decide if you want to live here. If you can't decide in 6 months, then you're not right for the area.....

Always appreciate your constructive comments John, Thank you. You are right...a year or two is not needed...we will be back, and will rent before buying... Louis

John took my quote out of context... I never said you need a year or two to DECIDE - I said rent a year or two because PRICES will continue to go down for that long. Another way of saying BUY LOW SELL HIGH.

Merry

Should I try to find a rental thru individual or real estate company?

Start by putting your post in the "Wanted" section.

When I get there I want to rent a larger home and use some of the rooms to rent to tourists. Is that ok?

That seems to be a fixture of this board. New members ask questions and are quickly suspected of being trolls. Not the best way to encourage new membership.

I'm 'confused' to keep it clean. Odd responses to a serious question.

See, pennyjean, some members of this board have had experience with people who amuse themselves by trolling. There are certain signs that this is happening. The signs do not always end up being a troll but it happens often enough to raise suspicions. So far, we have you asking about bringing down your 18-year-old pregnant granddaughter and now wanting to rent a large house and rent rooms out to tourists. I think Cheena finds these worth asking about.
Reading this board is a perfect way to learn not to take anything personal. It is not YOU. It is just the way things are. So ask your questions. Less suspicious folks will answer you and little by little the picture of who you really are and what you want from the board will take shape. You and Cheena could end up being good friends.

pennyjean1 wrote:When I get there I want to rent a larger home and use some of the rooms to rent to tourists.  Is that ok?

Yes, but to be legal you'll need to register with Hacienda, report your income, and pay taxes.

My bad. Thought this was a site to share and find out about life there. I don't know what trolling is. I just want to move down there - larger home renting out rooms I thought might supplement my budget. I raised my granddaughter and would love to have her come with me. I didn't know ya'll had garage sales - I don't know a lot and am trying to learn. I hope Cheena and I can be friends - don't know who that is.

You and learn a lot here and most folks are nice. Ask away. BTW, Cheena is a good guy and very knowledgeable about MX.

pennyjean1 wrote:When I get there I want to rent a larger home and use some of the rooms to rent to tourists.  Is that ok?

Yes, it's more than o.k and can be very profitable. Getting legal and paying taxes is easy and cheap. Just remember the old adage, location-location-location for highest returns.