Adventures of an American couple moving to Mexico. Selling Real Estate in the Yucatan Peninsula, understanding the local culture, hanging out on the beaches, bars and local attractions here in Mahahual.
I wanted to take a minute and thank all of my friends for all that they have done for me since being home. I was talking to my mother this morning and she said, "you didn't have friends like that back in Delaware." And, it is so true, back in the US people are so driven and so busy that while they try to help out they just don't have time. Here in Chelem we move at a slower pace, people care more and show it. Our community is small and tightly woven. Since I have been home I have had dinner brought to me every single day, last night my beach buddy Star came over with fresh fish, hush puppies and french fries. Cotting another great friend has made me 3 batches of soup, chicken salad, fresh fruit salad, fiber cookies (gotta keep everything moving ya know) and delicious little baby plums. Patrick and Robert from the Bull Pen have sent me flowers and funny emails, possibly a little shy about visiting someone with a woman thing going on! My friends Neil and Mary came down with 2 sets of 400 count sheets, clothes, fresh shrimp salad and of course wine. I could get used to this pampering! My Mexican family has come to visit a couple of times, all dressed up as if they were going to church, perching shyly on the bed and talking nonstop Spanish. Kurt and Casey keep stopping by wanting to do something. Barbara and Jack came by yesterday to water my flowers and change my sheets. Dan, Deronda and Rene brought fresh donuts, and all of this is from people that are here. Don and Jody back in Florida have sent emails, ecards and called to keep updated. Linda in Washington emails and sends me little funnies. I am so lucky to have so many dear friends, thanks to all of you, if I haven't mentioned you, remember that I am taking pain meds and a bit fuzzy.........
Regardless of the Swine Flu scare, real estate clients are still calling and inquiring about property. The city, Merida, has seemed to slow down but the beach is still hopping! Doug just sold a cute little house this week to a lovely lady from Canada. While some folks are scared others just want their own little piece of paradise, a respite from the fast lane and a higher quality, slower lifestyle. I am not offering anyone any advice about coming to Mexico it is totally a personal decision. One of my very favorite bloggers Canuck in Cancun does a wonderful job of keeping people abreast of what is going on in the Yucatan Penisula. Please take a moment to read her recent blog and the comments if you want to know what is going on.
Star and I
Chrissy and Keith, this one is for you!
So until next time, warm breezes and cold beers coming at you from Chelem!
Well all of us expats living in Chelem breathed a sigh of relief on Monday when Semana Santa(Mexican Easter Celebration) was finally over. It has been going on since the 4th of April and our sleepy little fishing village has been teeming with visitors to the beach, carnivals and rodeos. Now life is back to normal. We have alot of former Mayan Living Real Estate clients coming in over the weekend, Steve and Mary from Kansas are coming back for their first stay in their new home. The paperwork is completed and closing is on Friday, they will be here Friday night. Dan and Deronda are also coming in from Florida Friday afternoon to take a peek at their new home here in paradise and enjoy the sun and a few cerveza's. Our adopted son, Curt is flying in from Atlanta and will be staying a few months in his beautiful beach home. So this will be a fun week, seeing old and new friends and helping them all get set up in their homes.
This is a picture taken from my upstairs deck, we live on a dead end piece of sand and normally have no traffic at all, but this is what the past few weekends have looked like. I am so glad that all have gone home and Doug, my dogs and I are able to walk the beach and have it all to ourselves again.
The town square has been full of vendors selling all kinds of rafts, floats and beach things..... Hats anyone? The town square has all kinds of rides for the kiddies and grownups. This area doesn't get active until after dark,during the day, everyone is at the beach or at the bars and restaurants, eating freshly caught fish and have cold drinks.
Saturday night is the rodeo and bullfight, I have never been to a bullfight, thought that it was cruel, but this one was fun, nothing was killed or stabbed, no blood, no guts, just pretty horses, matadors and some big bulls. This is outside waiting to get a seat, hotdogs and french fries must be traditional fair food the world over. And then there are always the vendors selling the usual junk....... In the background with the blue tarps is.......you got it right, the seats for the rodeo, it is made of sticks tied together with rope. Oh wait just a minute, Doug and Eduardo need to get a couple of cold brews before we sit down! Can you see how this thing is constructed? Only in Mexico! This is where we sat, we looked out at the bull ring thru sticks woven together and tied with string. I felt very secure, not!
Our view
Our own personal bull fighter!
The bull in action Traffic leaving town
Ahhhh, back to the quiet paradise of the Yucatan, where even the dogs smile!
Doug and I left the US a little over six years ago, off on the great adventure! We lived in Playa Del Carmen for 3 1/2 years and it was wonderful! The ocean is gorgeous, 5th Avenue was always exciting and fun with lots of shopping, restaurants and bars. However it grew faster than we did, we loved it when it was smaller and had a more close knit community, but being of the baby boomer generation we were looking for something slower, with a strong expat community, great medical care and a more laid back atmosphere. So.....we thought we would try out Cozumel. When we moved there I remember saying, "I'm living the American dream, everybody wants to live on an island." Sounds good doesn't it? Well believe me after awhile I had island fever, I wanted to be able to get in my car and drive, and not just in a circle, so back to Playa. But when we moved back we remembered why we had left, there were condos springing up on every corner, the rent was twice what it was when we left and driving into town and parking was a thing of the past. The cost of living was comparable to what we had left behind in the states, Playa had gotten too big, too fast. So while sitting around having a few cocktails we decided to try another country, how about Belize? It was still close to Mexico which we loved, they spoke English, and it's beautiful. We took a couple trips across the border and discovered Ambergris Caye, another island. Our first few months there were idyllic, no cars, only golf carts on the island. No problem with communication, wide beaches with swaying palm trees and magnificent rum. However we were still in the "honeymoon" stage. Soon we realized that when it rains, and it rains alot, golf carts get stuck, they throw mud all over you, every article of clothing I had was mud stained. The crime was much worse than Mexico, people were getting stabbed, robbed and raped on a regular basis. By the time we left I wouldn't even walk around after dark by myself.
Thats when we grew older and wiser, we had bought a house in Chelem years ago. Why keep paying rent and moving around? Lets put down roots, fix up our home and live a peaceful safe life. I want to give you a list of all the reasons why this is now my permanent home. I wish that I had someone that would have done this for me originally, I could have saved alot of time and money......So here goes:
It is safe here! The state of Yucatan has one of the lowest crime rates per capita in Mexico. Violent crime a rarity almost nonexistant. A sense of tranquility and safety pervades the community. I haven't seen or don't know anyone that owns a gun, except the police. Neighbors watch out for each other here, just as we used to do back home when I was growing up. There are nights that we forget and leave the keys in the car and the back door unlocked. We have never had a problem, nor have any of my friends.
The people- The Yucatean people embrace foreigners, they aren't like many of the locals in tourist areas that have learned to prey on Americans and Canadians. They are fascinated by us and want to learn our culture and want us to experience theirs.The Yucatan is that it is primarily a family and community oriented society and there is very little juvenile crime and delinquency. For example: on weekends, instead of the youth driving around, drinking and looking for trouble; they go to the town square with their parents and family. In Merida, you can see teenagers escorting their Grandparents and even dancing with them in the Zocolo.
There is a huge expat community here in Chelem and Chuburna, we have all moved here because it is a warm and welcoming place to call home.
Health Care- Merida is only 30 - 35 minutes from the beach,
DOES MERIDA HAVE GOOD MEDICAL AND DENTAL FACILITIES?
YES! Merida has numerous hospitals that are staffed by well trained physicians, most of whom were trained in the United States. The hospitals in MeridaMexico. Wonderful, inexpensive dental work is also available in Merida. Many Americans and Canadians have been taking advantage of this for years. Also within the past five years, a growing number of Americans and Canadians have been coming to Merida for plastic surgery. We would be more than happy to refer you to competent doctors, dentists and plastic surgeons in Merida. Also Progreso, just 10 minutes from us has a hospital, Centro Americana, as well as many doctors and dentists.
Culture - If you need to get away from the beach, go to Merida! It boasts of many malls and stores that you are familiar with, Sams Club, Home Depot, Costco, Bennigans, TGIFridays etc.
Merida today has about 950,000 residents and is a very cosmopolitan city with Mayan and Spanish descendants and is an extremely cultural city with many museums, libraries, theaters, numerous universities, etc. The economy that was once based on the henequen industry is now based on tourism, agriculture and fishing plus Merida´s export business is increasing every day. Some of the items exported are honey, sisal rope, petroleum products, hammocks, fine jewelry, concentrated orange juice, fish etc.
Residents call Merida "the Paris of the West" because of it´s tree lined boulevards, colonial mansions and estates of the henequen barons of the 1800¨s. There are many things to see in and around Merida. It is an easy drive from Merida to beaches, Mayan ruins, haciendas, etc. One of the nicest things about Merida is its people. The Yucatecan people are hospitable, honest, easygoing, hard working and make wonderful neighbors.
About 2 hours from the beach is one of the new 7 wonders of the world, Chichen Itza, there are many Mayan Ruins even closer.
Properties - buying a home here along the beaches of the Gulf of Mexico is much less expensive than buying back home. There is an increasing demand for beach living, baby boomers are moving to the area, whether to the beaches or to Merida "the Paris of the west." Americans are being priced out of US markets and are losing money on their homes, here the property value has gone up approximately 30% in the past year, but are still priced within reason. There is tremendous untapped potential in Mexico. Prices are very low compared to inflated US home prices. Even the heavily developed markets have areas with opportunity for strong appreciation. It is easy to buy here, we work with English speaking attorneys and walk you through every step of the process. We have a US phone line installed in our home, you can call us directly with any questions or concerns. If you are seriously interested in making a move give us a call, 302-200-0461. Check out our website: www.mayanliving.com . Take advantage of your opportunity to live in paradise before the prices get any higher.
Check out this blue beauty, located in Chelem, along the shores of the Yucatan, Mexico.
Are you looking for a nice beachfront vacation home that is ready to move in to? This may be just the one for you! This nice Canadian owned house sits on a deep 76 by 8 meter lot that goes all the way from the road to the beach. It has a great 12' seawall that not only protects you from any storm surge but also keeps the sand from blowing into your house. This 2 bedroom, 2 bath home is loaded with features: a large partially covered ocean front terrace, heated and filtered 9 by 18 pool (beachfront), full size appliances (1 year old), hot water, new tinted aluminum windows, mini split ac in the master bedroom, laundry room, internet and phone services, satellite TV, modern wiring w/100 amp sevice, city and well water, a new tinaco and new roof in 2008. This home is ready and waiting for you to come and enjoy the beach life in the Yucatan. No shoes, no shirt, no problems! This great home is listed at $165,000 USD. It is just one of the many great properties that we have listed on our website: www.mayanliving.com .For more information feel free to call my husband, Doug or myself on our US direct phone number: 302-200-0461
Come on down and enjoy the good life south of the border!
Doug and I have been so busy with real estate lately that we almost forgot to take some time for ourselves and enjoy paradise! So....Thursday we got up early and headed to Ticul. Ticul is village about an hour away from Merida, the capitol of the Yucatan. It is known for it's handmade pottery and shoes. Now since I've moved to Mexico I don't have much use for shoes anymore, flip flops are normally on my feet, but pottery, I can never have enough of that. It took us a couple of hours to get there, we didn't really know where we were going and Mexican maps leave a little to be desired. But it was a great trip, didn't get lost at all and saw alot of the Mexican countryside instead of the beach which is the norm for us. When we arrived, of course we didn't know where to go and I had forgotten to look up how to say "pottery" in Spanish. So we ended up at the market, very cool, lots of fresh fruit, vegetables and delicious blender drinks but no pottery! Then I decide in my infinite wisdom that they must be selling the pottery in the town centre, good idea, but no pottery. Finally we had a young Mexican man take pity on us, he jumped in our truck and took us to the street that had all the pottery shops on it. There was shop after shop, filled to the limit with handcrafted pots, figures, and everything imaginable that could be made of clay. We stayed as long as we could, our truck wouldn't hold another pot and then headed back to the beaches of Chelem. Hope you enjoy the pictures of our trip and all the goodies that Ticul offers!
think that I've mentioned that my husband and I sell real estate here in Mexico. We work for a company called www.mayanliving.com. It is owned by an American and has been in business for the past 8 1/2 years, mainly selling homes in Merida However in the past two years the place has started to explode. Merida and the beaches of the Yucatan have been voted "Retirement Haven of the World" by International Living. This is due to many factors, the excellent health care in Merida, the beautiful beaches, and cost of living. Unlike our neighbors to the south in Central and South America the Yucatan has virtually no crime. Here it is still possible to buy your dream home at a reasonable price. The economic uncertainity world wide has in no way slowed down the market here, in fact more and more people are turning to Mexico to stretch their retirement dollars. Over and over we hear people say, " We wish we had bought 10 years ago in Playa Del Carmen"......fill in the blank with whatever place, we all have one! Well now is the time to buy here, the secret is a secret no longer. Invest in the Yucatan while it is still affordable! Check out todays featured listing! Only $225,000 USD
So until next time, warm breezes and cold beers coming at you from Chelem!
