How much are you paying for electricity?
After studying many homes here at Lake Chapala, it is interesting to learn to how much electricity each home uses and, more interesting, how much the home owner is paying for their electricity.
Electr...
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The impact of currency exchange rates on your Mexican property
There is a way to protect yourself from currency fluctuations that may increase the cost of your property.
The worldwide foreign exchange market is huge, with average daily turnover totaling approxima...
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The Impact of Currency Exchange Rates on Your Mexican Property: What to look out for and how to protect yourself
There is a way to protect yourself from currency fluctuations that may increase the cost of your property.
The worldwide foreign exchange market is huge, with average daily turnover totaling approx...
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Gringos In Paradise
If you live in the states and are thinking about living in Mexico, read this book. If you are thinking about building a house in Mexico, read this book. If you are thinking about retiring, read this book. If you already live in Mexico, read this book.
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Home construction methods in Mexico
My wife and I are hoping to build a small (600-900 sq ft) house just north of Zihuatanejo this winter.
(If we can sell our townhouse here.)I've been learning a bit about construction methods that involve
building a house with "Lego-like" pieces that are made of styrofoam or polystyrene.
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Mexico real estate: where there's a will there's a way
What's the Plan Man?
We all have a "Plan" that distributes the property we own when we pass away. The difference is that some of us are familiar with our plan, others are not. Those with foresight hav...
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U.S. tax obligations related to the sale of Mexican real estate
"How can I obtain a capital gains, or homestead, tax exemption on the sale of my Mexican real estate?" is one of the most frequently asked questions by expatriate residents of San Miguel when they cont...
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Uncle Sam has something to say about your Mexican home
Like many a traveller, you've come to Puerto Vallarta, let's say from from Portland, Oregon, looking for an escape from the cold and the office. A little romance in a tropical paradise would be nice to...
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Renovating our Morelia house
We passed through the Mexican customs station just south of the Laredo border crossing at 5:30 a.m. It was still dark. The car was crammed with things we were going to need before our major shipment of...
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A real estate overview of Puerto Vallarta
- around the Bay of Banderas
The real estate market can be divided into five distinct zones. The most northern zone, in the STATE OF NAYARIT, is approximately 45 minutes from central downt...
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The Insider's Guide: Mexico's Lake Chapala and Ajijic
I'm filled with admiration and respect for The Insider's Guide. Its 368 pages are so complete and comprehensive and so well thought out and so well organized. Teresa Kendrick and her colleagues have done a wonderful job of providing and packaging a full authoritative range of information, not only for long and short-term residents of the Lake Chapala area but also for those many people who seem to be contemplating coming here either to live as permanent retiree-residents or as snowbirds.
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Head for Mexico: The Renegade Guide by Don Adams
Don Adams and his collaborators have produced a guide that's aimed directly at those people up north who are contemplating coming here, either permanently or for lengthy annual visits. The resulting volume is, in my opinion, a real winner. The various chapters are divided into topics such as putting your financial affairs in order and arranging for transfers of money....
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Buying a home in Mexico
Who would have thought that buying a house in Mexico would be such a scandal? Maybe it should have occurred to me beforehand that I would encounter some very unusual problems while trying to acquire pr...
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Linking up with the Chapala Lakeside: to rent or buy?
Once upon a time, in the previous century, an old journalist and his still-beautiful bride were pondering retirement and escape from Washington, D.C.
They had roots and land on the original TVA lake i...
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Fndinf and remodeling a "fixer-upper" home in Mexico
"Inventory of housing" were words I didn't understand very well - until a friend from the U.S. asked me to find him an inexpensive old "fixer-upper" in this colonial city. He's an environmentalist so I...
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House Hunting In Aguascalientes
Mary and I went to Aguascalientes on the last day of September to look for a house to rent. Harry and Alejandro had left the previous day, traveling by bus. We offered them a ride in the White Bullet (...
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Buying a new condo in Mexico
On April 1st, I bought a new condo as a rental. That should have been a warning. Fool! If you've been reading my columns you know what I went through to gut out my own house and rebuild it, and you've ...
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Building a House In Mexico
As some of you know, Glenna and I bought a building lot just north of Zihuatanejo. We were thinking we wanted to build a little house (600 - 900 sq ft) in a few years. But with the peso appearing to stabilize,inflation projected at 20-30% for the next year, and the recognition that if we don't build, we'll still be paying to stay in a hotel, we're thinking of building this winter.
read moreA ten year retrospective of Puerto Vallarta real estate
*Statistics from Multi List Vallarta
The last decade of the millennium has brought a multitude of changes to the real estate market of Puerto Vallarta. The effects of this can be seen by the expansion...
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Mexico real estate: property appraisals
(Disclaimer: All prices quoted in this article are accurate as of February, 2000. In addition, there are ALWAYS exceptions!)
It is helpful for newcomers to Mexico to review the basics of property eval...
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Buying property in Mexico: Watch out for landmines
Anyone interested in purchasing land Lakeside has watched the prices skyrocket over the last two years. It's next to impossible to find single lots because the contractors are buying open land, subdivi...
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How foreigners can purchase real estate in Mexico's restricted areas
Foreigners can buy or invest in real estate in Mexico without any restriction, except in the coastal and border areas. There, foreign individuals and branches of foreign corporations can have 100% cont...
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Architecture of Mexico: coastal architecture
From the book "CASA MEXICANA" ©1989 Tim Street-Porter,
published by Stewart, Tabori & Chang, New York.
Reproduced by special permission of the publisher and author.
The c...
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Building costs in the Chapala area
My wife and I have just returned from Ajijic. While there we toured real
estate with a very competent man. We are currently negotiating for a
property which is a walled lot with all utilities installed, a basic
foundation, cistern, etc. for a small home. What we are trying to
determine now is what the cost per square foot will be for average
construction. We realize that costs can very greatly due to luxury
ammenities. That's why I indicated average or middle of the road
construction costs. Any help you can offer will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks.
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Your home in Mexico: to rent, buy or build?
Updated May, 2009
Are you renting in Mexico or did you buy? Why? Can you own your house outright? These are questions I’m frequently asked. Generally, my recommendation is to rent for at least six...
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