Writing from the garden of our real estate office in Ajijic (a village on the shores of Lake Chapala) on a lovely Friday afternoon in August, temperature about 83 degrees, a cold Corona in my hand.
I live in work in Lake Chapala, the largest lake in Mexico. We have the largest population of Americans anywhere outside of the US and we expect many more of the baby boomers to make their way down here. Some of the main reasons that people move here are:
* The Climate: The average year round mean temperature is 75 degrees. It never gets too hot, and certainly not too cold. National Geographic once rated it as the 2nd best climate in the world (behind a place in Africa).
* Cost of Living: Homes cost from $70,000 US to $1,000,000+ US. Property taxes are MINIMAL, usually around $100-$400 US dollars PER YEAR. Utilities are very cheap, as heating and air conditioning are not necessary. High speed internet is available for low rates. Food and entertainment are very cheap. Health care is amazing and affordable. Men in their 70s can get really good health insurance for $300 a month or even less. Electronics, cars, and clothes are more expensive so most folks bring them from home.
* Location: Lake Chapala is about 700 miles from the US border, a 14 hour drive. It is 30 min from the Guadalajara International Airport, 5 hours from Puerto Vallarta, 1 hour to Guadalajara which is a huge modern metropolitan area boasting fancy malls (Costco, Sams, Home Depot, etc), fascinating museums, great restaurants, etc.
* The Locals and the Local Culture: Mexican people are very friendly and generous with the expats. This area is also the origin of most things we think of as Mexican: Tequila, Mariachi, and many of the most famous Mexican culinary delights. Pyramids, while not as flashy as those in Chiapas or the Yucatan, are close by.
* The English Speaking Community: Because of the large group of Americans and Canadians already in place, one is not required to be fluent in Spanish. Many clubs and organizations are here, including Rotary, Shriners, and many others, including the Lake Chapala Society that boasts 5,000 members and has the largest English language library in Mexico. Bankers, dentists, doctors, mechanics, etc all speak English here.
* Healthcare: I'm already mentioned the cheap cost, the quality is also excellent. Guadalajara is home to various world class hospitals, with many more coming online soon, specifically designed to meet or exceed American and other international standards of care at a fraction of the cost. In a severe case, medivac is available to the US, you can be in Houston in just over 2 hours, Los Angeles in 3.
We pay 25% of commissions received for any referrals. We have a vibrant MLS system with over 700 listings. The average commission is 7%, split between the buying and selling offices. I and my office intently focus on our clients and their needs and you can be assured that any of your clients would be very well taken care of. We are members of AMPI (Mexico's version of NAR) and GIL (our local real estate group) and follow very similar codes of ethics (almost word for word with NAR's) and also have strong continuing education and arbitration programs. Title insurance is available from Stewart Title and First American Title.
And it is certainly possible that we could send referrals your way as well--most people moving to Mexico choose to sell their US real estate prior to buying here and also, lots of people end up moving back home at some point and need to buy a home.
Please feel free to call me if you have any further doubts or questions and I look forward to working with you in the future!
Best Regards,
Thomas