Forums > Areas > Jalisco's Lake Chapala Region

jengland

Sep 12, 2010, 6:45 PM

Post #1 of 18 (6473 views)

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OK So the weather is great!

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OK so the weather is great. I'm still contemplating if that is sufficient to justify the inflated real estate prices. I guess it's worth something. But how much? I'd like some opinions on this and I know you all have them. LOL.

jengland

Sep 12, 2010, 7:36 PM

Post #2 of 18 (6457 views)

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Re: [jengland] OK So the weather is great!

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10 views and no replies. Was my post too snotty or sarcastic? I apologize. I didn't mean it to be. I'm serious with the question.

How do you factor the great weather into the price of the homes?

Peter

Sep 12, 2010, 7:55 PM

Post #3 of 18 (6446 views)

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Re: [jengland] OK So the weather is great!

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The weather is good all over the highlands. You're paying to be in the company of your paisanos. That has both its up and down sides.

johanson

Sep 12, 2010, 8:13 PM

Post #4 of 18 (6442 views)

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Re: [jengland] OK So the weather is great!

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Considering the prices of real estate in Seattle, I think the prices along the shores of Lake Chapala are quite low. Also, I sold a smaller house I lived in while I remodeled my older, larger home. I thought that I could have the smaller one built and then sell it and make a profit, several years later.

I sold it alright, but for less than I paid to have it built. The sale date was early this year. So from my very limited experience, the prices are quite low here, lakeside. But an expert about residential real estate in Mexico, "I am not".

DavidHF

Sep 13, 2010, 6:40 AM

Post #5 of 18 (6386 views)

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Re: [johanson] OK So the weather is great!

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I agree with Pete. Look jengland, you're getting reponses from folks that live here. There is no "justification: for real estate prices anywhere. It's the old, "location, location,location." Here, like everywhere, the prices are what the market will bear.

Gringal

Sep 13, 2010, 7:57 AM

Post #6 of 18 (6368 views)

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Re: [DavidHF] OK So the weather is great!

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So right. Location is always the prime factor. The "justification" is quite simply what it is in all things: How much is someone willing to pay to have..........(home, car, anything)? That sets the price. The market is the market.

You can buy for much less somewhere else, so what's the problem?

And yes, this is a terrific climate. You need neither whole house heating or air conditioning. Life is good.

I dunno about living near my paisanos. That, I could mostly live without, though we have found some very fine friends here.

tashby

Sep 13, 2010, 8:20 AM

Post #7 of 18 (6357 views)

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Re: [jengland] OK So the weather is great!

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There are tons of places in Mexico that enjoy great weather and have lower real estate prices than the north shore of Lake Chapala. Starting with the other side of the Lake. Whether or not it's worth paying a premium to live in this area is a question only you can answer, isn't it?

That said, I hope you have more reasons for moving to Mexico than just great weather and a lower cost of living. I've noticed a lot of people who move here for those two reasons alone are very unhappy.

Good luck.

Vichil

Sep 13, 2010, 8:29 AM

Post #8 of 18 (6352 views)

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Re: [jengland] OK So the weather is great!

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Realestate prices are not inflated here, they are what they are. Guadalajara is growing and we are near the second largest city in Mexico.
As people are pointing out the prices reflect the location and what people are willing to pay for it.
Each location has its plus and minuses and you have to live here to know what the pluses and minuses are for you.
Living here is where the savings come from.
I could show you some real cheap places in Chiapas, but are you willing to go and walk 2 km to get water and live with one light bulb or no electricity? If you are you can get a hell of a deal in the country, until some group fancies your lot and takes it over...
Internet searching gives you an idea of the prices, you do not get the feel for the communities so it is pretty useless. Once you find a nice house you have to evaluate its location which you cannot do until you get here.

Our life here is very different from our life in the US and in the 10 years we have been here our likes and dislikes also have changed.
I first looked at houses in location I would not dream of living right now, this is why people say rent! Forget moving because realestate is cheaper than in the US, in many cases it is not any longer.

Peter

Sep 13, 2010, 9:12 AM

Post #9 of 18 (6344 views)

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Re: [jengland] OK So the weather is great!

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On the coast the weather often sux but you pay for having the beach. Lakeside is not the most expensive are you can live in but it does have the highest concentration of English-speakers. For that reason it may be your best first-stop for taking the retirement plunge into Mexico if your language skills and knowledge of the culture are yet under-developed. There is also enough there that it may be where you wish to remain for the duration, but maybe not, so for that reason and many others you are encouraged to rent first and discover your own truths about a place's suitability.

The reason for going to Lakeside to start the journey (your paisanos and the ease of adjusting to the change) can become the most compelling reason to move on. Let's face it, the snotty and demanding attitude of many Americans, et. al., may cause you to blush or want to hide your head. While standing in line at the supermarket checkout and witnessing an unpleasant event involving an ill-mannered English-speaker, upon your turn in line you will use your best and most polite Spanish with the checker and maybe even throw in an odd word or two of Dutch to try to distance yourself from that conduct. You may decide then and there you would rather live in a more "Mexican" area and try your damndest to integrate into the Mexican community.

It is almost guaranteed you will find some truly wonderful friends and neighbors at Lakeside and almost equally guaranteed you will find others that will embarrass you. It's not Lakeside that does that but it's the game of numbers. If economics is your sole reason for moving to Mexico then that may never bother you. If you are just a little fed-up with American games then you are well-advised to not root in too deeply for awhile.

Yeah, they have great weather there and many find a whole new wonderous world in Mexico they never before imagined.

Peter

Sep 13, 2010, 9:25 AM

Post #10 of 18 (6340 views)

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Re: [Vichil] OK So the weather is great!

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Forget moving because realestate is cheaper than in the US, in many cases it is not any longer.

Correct, Vichil. Since the housing crash in the US there are some wonderful bargains there. You could maybe afford to live in areas you only dreamed of before. Mexican prices stay much more level so in contrast it seems very expensive here. Good luck in trying to sell a home in Mexico for what you think it may be worth though.

I am doing extensive remodelling right now and construction costs are low. I am paying about $1,400mx for a thousand bricks and my albañiles, a father and son team, cost me about $2,700mx a week for the both.

Vichil

Sep 13, 2010, 11:04 AM

Post #11 of 18 (6317 views)

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Re: [Peter] OK So the weather is great!

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I totally agree with you, I know I could not sell the house for what the realestate agents tell me it is worth but I am confident I would not loose money on the house either and we have not intention of selling anyways so wether the house would sell or not is irrelevant to us.

Peter

Sep 13, 2010, 11:42 AM

Post #12 of 18 (6311 views)

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Re: [jengland] OK So the weather is great!

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Just one more little note on the weather. In case you were checking the temperatures here in Summer to get an idea of worst-case heat you missed that by about 3 or 4 months or more. The hot weather in the highlands occurs in the Spring.

The Summer is the rainy season which usually consists of a 20 - 30 minute downpour some time in the late afternoon or early evening, typically. The rain seems just about done for the season and the temperatures are creeping up a bit while a little of Summer remains but it will not get consistently up to Spring temperatures.

Just so you know.

DavidHF

Sep 13, 2010, 4:22 PM

Post #13 of 18 (6288 views)

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Re: [Peter] OK So the weather is great!

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Peter, the rain at Lakeside is most often during the night or early morning. Our rainy season typically ends the 2nd week of October. Concerning the temperature, our hottest months are April and May. It actually hit 90F two or three days this year!

Peter

Sep 13, 2010, 4:59 PM

Post #14 of 18 (6279 views)

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Re: [DavidHF] OK So the weather is great!

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Sorry. Our weather is much the same just usually a little earlier in the evening. Still, my point was that the hottest time is spring, April and May in particular.

It seems we got a good rainfall this year but the season is ending a bit sooner than usual. I was in Ajijic less than three weeks ago and didn't see a drop of rain for the several days we were there.

jengland

Sep 13, 2010, 5:24 PM

Post #15 of 18 (6265 views)

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Re: [Peter] OK So the weather is great!

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Some great posts. Thanks for all the info. I have been following the weather on Chapala Weather Net. I received the feedback I wanted. The market is the market. So we will visit this November for a few days and try to get a feel for the area. Sounds like it takes months however. I appreciate all the input and advice.

Jim

arbon

Sep 14, 2010, 5:22 PM

Post #16 of 18 (6197 views)

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Re: [jengland] OK So the weather is great!

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"The market is the market. So we will visit this November for a few days and try to get a feel for the area. Sounds like it takes months however>"

If you do decide to buy or rent in a Lakeside area, just figure out on the all inclusive price you can afford and ask for BIDS to find the best offer.

(In this buyers market)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

right click

Sep 21, 2010, 2:27 PM

Post #17 of 18 (5985 views)

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Re: [jengland] OK So the weather is great!

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It's not just the weather. Other factors play into this area's desirability:

The Lake itself....the views and now, using it. More and more boats, kayaks, jet skies, water skiing, especially on weekends with the Tapatio crowd.

Location....25 minutes from GDL airport. Easy access from/to US/CDN, as well as to distant places within Mexico.

Location....with good cuotas (toll roads), you are a day's drive from such diverse places as Guanajuato, Puerto Vallarta, Manzanillo, San Miguel, Patzcuaro, Sayulita, Morelia, Tapalpa, Matzamitla, Zacatecas and many small interesting towns in between.

Location....you are an hour from Mexico's 2nd largest city. Museums, shopping, plazas, concerts, restaurants....

(This post was edited by right click on Sep 21, 2010, 2:41 PM)

johninajijic

Sep 23, 2010, 7:57 AM

Post #18 of 18 (5878 views)

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Re: [jengland] OK So the weather is great!

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Not only do we have temperate weather all year, but International Living ranked Ajijic as the # 1 place to retire in the world last year.

There are more than 30 restaurants here of different cuisines at relatively low prices. Dinners from $ 80 - $ 140 pesos or about $ 6.50 USD - $ 11.25 USD. Lunches are cheaper.

Low cost of living, eg: Car Insurance, Property taxes, Medical insurance, Doctor's and Dentist fees, Maid, Gardener, General Labor, etc, etc.

Rentals are reasonable.

Two 24 hour Medical clinics in Ajijic. X Ray facilities and many Blood Labs. 24 hour on call Red Cross ambulance.

Some of the best, modern Hospitals only one hour away, eg: San Javier, Del Carmen, St Bernadettes, Puerto de Hierro and San Jose and many, many more.

(This post was edited by johninajijic on Sep 23, 2010, 8:00 AM)