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The Playa del Carmen real estate market has had some of the world's most interesting growth rates and fascinating samples of regional trends During the 1990's the little village was known as the pier town where you grabbed the ferry to get to Cozumel

Playa del Carmen real estate It was not the destination, but more the community on the road towards the destination This soon changed though, people began to notice its beaches and the community.European backpackers began frequenting the area and the 5th avenue began to make a name for itself. Hotels and investors began to notice quite quickly the potential of the area Hotel room inventories grew from 10,000 units up to 15,000 – 20,000 Today, the Riviera Maya hotels have more rooms than Cancun With the tremendous growth in various Playa del Carmen industries, the populaton boom began and the real estate market began taking off

Playa del Carmen over the past five years, has been some of Mexico's strongest appreciation markets with returns in the double digits Many investors would purchase Mexico pre construction condo units and sell them 8 or 12 months later with 30% or more appreciation It was a boom all over the coast being witnessed during the first years of the 2000 decade.In the middle of this decade, the comments “I should have bought that property 2 years ago” were quite common These observations from the buying market in 2006-2008 were also accompanied by a decline on the appreciation rates Each year, as the price per square meter crept upwards, the rate of appreciation began losing some steam

2008 and summer of 2009 brought a unique occurence to this regional marketplace.The world economic recession has brought its effects onto the Playa del Carmen real estate market and in the Mexico real estate industry The appreciation rates have flattened and have begun to drop Large amounts NO,but very interesting amounts Some people see this as a half empty glass of water but the current scenario does bring about some fantastic opportunities for the smart investor In fact, there are some quite interesting investment alternatives that could be reviewed as an even healthier market for investment purposes than than the investment environment originally witnessed during the beginning of the years 2000 Let me explain

At the beginning of the Great Appreciation Boom of Playa del Carmen, there were still many risks in the market, there was the risk of new developers, risk of the reaction of the buying market, risk of unknown area development. Today, investors have first hand, regional history data The market absorption and projections are based more on history facts rather than the guessing game or correlating future results based on similar marketplaces in other regions Risks within investments, if purchasing finished products,have been reduced by the knowledge of purchasing a finished product versus the unknown results investing within a new construction Reduction of risks by knowing which neighborhoods were successfully developed and which neighborhoods have not been accepted by the buyers Also, the investor is able to measure how continuous of a demand the Playa del Carmen has reacted over several years of construction and absorption cycles These first hand facts give you and your consultant better data to manage your investments and increase your probabilities of strong returns

The probabilities of continued long term growth are strong in favor of the real estate investor when purchasing properties in the region of Playa del Carmen Obviously there is a short term downturn But that is what this entire article is discussing This fall of 2009 is presenting some incredible and unique real estate opportunities that are not common and which allows many people the “Second Chance ” to buy into the market and ride the wave of appreciation. Contact us here at Lloyd's Real Estate to learn more on how to buy real estate in Mexico and how to apply some strategies when acquiring land in Mexico

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate Thomas Lloyd Graduate from Purdue University Business School with a degree in Management/Financial Option Investment. He has been living, investing, and working in Mexico for over 15 years. A Mexican certified & licensed realtor, he is the current president of TOPMexicorealestate NETWORK "Our experience at work protecting your interests" (512) 879-6546.

The Cozumel real estate market is effected by several factors which include amongst many others, hotel occupancy rates, the ecological environment of the island, and the cruise boats that visit the piers from this Mexican Caribbean islandBelow are short updates on activities this past month that are effecting the island but also the Mexico real estate market as a whole.

Cozumel Real Estate During the Easter vacations, the hotel occupancy rates arrived to nearly 80% Currently the island has approximately 3,522 units in inventory for the hotel industry People comment that the world economic situation has reduced the normal rates but also pointed out that with the gain of the dollar against the peso, this has regained opportunities given the fact that tourists have more pesos to spend It is estimated that each hotel room guest spends approximately $100 usd while a cruise ship tourist spends nearly $80 usd

Another update is in regards to the project of the recuperation of the beaches in Cancun, Playa del Carmen and the Cozumel Island The mayor of the municipality met withthe governor this month to advise that the island is not against the project of restoration of the beaches, but is searching for an alternative area where they plan to extract the sands The current project outlines an area on the norther part of Cozumel where they plan to dig up fresh sand The project calls for the restoration of 7 million cubic meters of sand to be sucked up from the ocean floor off of the island and blown back to the beaches throughout the cities of Quintana Roo

The news that is on front page throughout many parts of the world is the virus outbreak called the swine flu Here on the island, and in the entire state of Quintana Roo, there have been no reports of anyone having been infected The federal government has been aggressive on their response and their actions to prevent further spread of this flu and have closed all schools throughout the entire country until May 6th Cruise ships coming to Cozumel have also been postponed for the immediate future until the federal Secretary of Health gives the green flag They expect the ports to be open if all goes well within 7 – 14 days At the same time, as the government has taken correct steps in the prevention of the spread of the virus, the local, state, and federal government are already preparing action plans and marketing campaigns to be initiated to support the re surge of the important tourist industries

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Not quite ready for that Mexico retirement But if you re planning your future in a sunny place, now is the time to get the ball rolling. Join the multitude of buyers doing just that.

Mexico Condo & Pre-construction Opportunities

Mexico Condo In the last few years the variety of options for second homes and retirement homes in the Cancun real estate region and the Riviera Maya area has increased to enormous proportions. This boom in the Cancun condo market and the pre-construction opportunities provides options for different lifestyles and tastes. And with more options available, developers are becoming more competitive, offering more amenities and better finishings.

This competitive market has also opened the door for more flexible payment plans. Over the past few years, most developers throughtout the Mexico real estate industry required an initial down payment, maybe 25-30% and then the balance paid in equal installments over the construction period. This scenario made it difficult (and undesirable) for most buyers.

Finally some savvy developers are offering more accessible plans, with an initial down payment and the balance upon delivery and title. With this type of payment plan, buyers can apply for long term financing. There are now many banks and Mexico mortgage companies offering financing for US and Canadian citizens.

And now with the credit problems in the US, many developers are rolling back prices to spur sales. Since there are lots of options available for buyers, they are starting to realize they need to be competitive with pricing. Because of the devaluation of the peso, many are switching their pricing schedules to pesos, making it even more attractive for US buyers. With the currently high Mexico exchange rates, buyers can get more for their dollars in this market.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Find out how to protect your good faith deposit and Mexico Earnest Money.

Mexico Earnest Money Your ready to buy your piece of paradise, but handing money over to someone you don t know in a foreign country is a scary proposition. So how do you protect yourself from a fraudulent situation

Purchasing property in the Cancun real estate market and even in all regions of the Mexico real estate market is a quite different process than in many other countries. And when it comes to handing over deposit money, many buyers make the mistake of leaving their good judgment at home; thinking this is Mexico and this is how business is done here.

Most of those trustworthy buyers have purchased without problem, but there is always a risk. It is not necessary to have a Mexico Real Estate license to sell propeties So it is important to know who you are dealing with and how to protect your interests.

Mexico Escrow Services

Although not widely used in Mexico, escrow services are available through well know US companies and should be your first choice. There is a fee, but the protection it offers is well worth the extra expense.

Escrow is mostly used for re-sales but the property owner must be in agreement This can sometimes be an obstacle as some Mexican owners do not understand the concept of escrow. In most cases the listing broker can convince the owner if it is properly presented.

Mexico Broker

This would be the next option only if the property owner will not accept escrow deposit. Either the listing broker or the buyer s broker holds the deposit. This is more of a risk, so ask for references and DO CHECK THEM.

Mexico Developer

Most developers will not accept escrow deposits as they use incoming funds for construction. Deposits may be refundable or non-refundable (before the contract is signed) so do ask. It is important to work with a broker that you trust to present you with projects by developers with a proven track record.

The Mexico Property owner

It is customary for the initial deposit to go directly to the owner in the case of a re-sale. This is very risky and I do not recommend this situation. If unavoidable, do so in conjunction with your OWN Mexico real estate lawyer, following his advice so he can make sure you are legally protected.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

This summer I have been seeing news stories and large amount of articles of the dangers and risks of coming to Mexico to visit or to vacation The majority of the stories have spoken of the entire country of Mexico in general, and unfortunately did not speak of regions or neighborhoods where the incidences were occurring whether it was some neighborhood of Mexico City, or some region of the state of Baja California

Mexico tourism I also noted the misfortuneate timing of these news events being in the summer time which is basicallyeffecting Mexico's tourist high season and which is also effecting my area of work, the Mexico real estate industryLately though, I have starting to notice some articles that are becoming aware of the spilling over effects and have started to correct or attempt to report the data with a little more investigation and detail My question, “Is this too little too late”

This morning as I read through various articles I came across one that caught my attention inside of the Wall Street JournalThis article reported that many of the Mexican resort cities that are more than 1,300 miles away from the violent clashes, are witnessing cancellations and having their businesses effectedThe article is more complete by reporting more details so travellers are not making travelling and cancellation decisions based on partial informationThe link to this article http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123931839488506787.html#articleTabs=article

One of the quotes which I found interesting,

” Despite the travel alert, “we are not advising people not to go to Mexico,” says Heide Bronke Fulton, a State Department spokeswoman. She adds that the main areas of concern are cities and towns near the U.S. border. Travel alerts, which can caution against everything from cyclone season to terrorism threats, are far less severe than the State Department's “warnings,” in place for countries like Iraq and Sudan, which essentially advise against traveling to a country altogether. ”

After speaking with several visitors down here in Mexico this past week I realized the importance of passing this information and these types of articles and updates through channels such as Mexico real estate blogs and other mediums on the Internet The visitors from up north advised that the news being heard on the television and many news sources is quite harsh “Very bad and negative People and my family have come to me and asked me to cancel my trips down to Mexico I had to pull out a map and show them where I was going and where the problem areas were occurring” Even the Mexico tourism department has become very alarmed at the generalization of the reports up north and their effect on their economy They have published a map on the internet to help visitors understand the locations http://mexico-update.com/index.jsp

Unfortunately, the messages of pinpointing locations and distances may have missed the high season period The Mexico tourist department is rushing trying to correct this mishap It is April, a good portion of the high season has already been incorrectly effectedThe year for tourism in Mexico was starting strong, but now several hotels and businesses are now concerned in the cancellations that have occurredLets hope that this other message continues to be transmitted effectively to help recover some of the drop in reservations and travel plans for the rest of the year.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Many new Landlords with Mexico Real Estate rentals are unsure what their lease agreement (Contrato de Arrendamiento) really says and if they are truly protected. As with any Mexico legal document, the lease agreement is binding and should be reviewed by all parties carefully.

Mexico real estate rental You will see from my other posts written about rental properties, click here Mexico Real Estate blog, it is important to get correct Mexican legal counsel when working with agreements and contracts Executed leases should be in Spanish with a complimetary English version available.

Key Points on a Mexico Lease Agreement:

Names of all parties to the lease
Lease dates
Rental amount
Location in which rent is to be paid
Rent due date
Late charges
Security deposit amount
How maintenance and repairs are to be handled
Move out notice requirements
Details about Landlord access to the property
Utilities and Services
Condition of the property
Rules and regulations
Pets
Landlord remedies

Although many Mexico Managment Companies use different leases, some are drafted by an Attorney or Notario. Whatever version you or your Property Manager uses, make sure that you have a complete understanding of the document and how it will legally affect you and your Tenant.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Yucat n has been the attention of many international real estate investor in recent years With the many Haciendas, the old colonial architecture, and the increasing amounts of non-Mexican buyers, where can people begin their process into buying property here in paradise We asked Mitch Keenan, a Yucatan Real Estate broker, very well known throughout the entire Yucatan Peninsula, and with many years of on hand experience in Mexico Real Estate to help us out with this post and blog.

Yucatan Real Estate This post is about real estate in the states of Yucat n and Quintana Roo The author, Mitchell Jay Keenan,CRS is the general director and the operating broker for Mexico International Real Estate.

Keenan has been living and selling real estate in Yucat n for over 10 years. He has been a licensed broker in the USA since the 1980's. He holds a GRI (Graduate Realtor Institute) and a CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) certifications from The National Association of Realtors (NAR). He currently lives on his Quinta between M rida and Progreso with his partner and their four companions; Wazer, Lover, Lucky and Miri.

Yucatan Real Estate Brief History

Understanding the dynamics of the real estate market in Mexico requires a reflection on the socio-economic conditions that have developed in Mexico over the last several decades. The large middle class that has emerged in the last 30 years has provided for a more robust market. Additionally, with the growing foreign interest in living and investing in Mexico, the market is becoming more dynamic and secure for investment and ownership.

Historically, Mexico was a country of basically two large economic groups; the rich and the poor. The poor rarely owned real estate and the rich tended to subdivide what real estate they had and pass it on to their heirs.

The current real estate market (where two previously unknown parties come together to buy/sell real estate) is still a relatively new business in many regions of Mexico. This is the reason why, in most of Mexico, there is no MLS, no real estate licensing requirements for agents, no governmental oversight, limited institutional financing, and few large, organized real estate companies or real estate professional organizations.

The exceptions to this current scenario are Mexico City, Monterrey, Guadalajara, and many of the coastal resort areas, where there are limited MLS's, large brokerage firms, and functional professional organizations like AMPI.

It is important to remember that Yucat n has been like an “anonymous region” separated from Mexico for decades. Yucatecos tend to think of themselves as Yucatecans first and Mexicans second. Rules, regulations and new businesses practices have tended to evolve here more slowly than in other regions of Mexico.

Mexico Real Estate Purchasing Process

Mexico Real Estate purchasing process Historically, in Yucat n, when two individuals come together in an agreement to buy/sell real estate, the parties have utilized a “promise to buy/sell” real estate agreement. The agreement is typically drawn up by the Buyer's notario.

Note: the buyer is responsible for paying the notario and closing costs. The seller is responsible for paying their capital gains taxes.

Upon signing, the buyer gives the seller a deposit to hold as earnest money to seal the deal. In return, the seller provides the notario with current and notarized escrituras (title documents), cedulas (tax statements), planos (lot plan), personal data, and corresponding information.

This “promesa de compra/venta” is a vehicle still popularly used in Yucat n, and it is not unusual for a seller that is not represented by a real estate agent to require this contract with the understanding that the seller will hold the earnest money deposit.

Should the buyer fail to buy, at no fault of the seller, the buyer will forfeit the deposit. Should the seller for no fault of the buyer, refuse to sell, there is a penalty clause in the contract penalizing the seller to return the amount of the original deposit and pay a penalty equal to the amount of the deposit. If the seller does not return the deposit and pay the penalty, the buyer will have a very strong case for filing a lien against the property and pursuing legal action against the seller.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

By now you should have determined if you are hiring a Property Manager for your Mexico Real Estate rental. You've interviewed and have chosen a Property Manager that you are confident with. The Mexico Property Manager that you've chosen has sent you the Property Management Agreement (PMA) and you notice a clause that states that you must deposit funds into a Trust Account with the Property Manager and you wonder

Mexico Property Management what this sum of money is for…

Many Property Management Companies require a specific amount of money deposited into what's referred to as a Trust Account. This amount can be as little as $100 or $1000 and will vary by Management Companies. Most companies I've had experience with require $250-$500.

Mexico Property Management Trust Accounts

Trust accounts can be complicated but the primary details that you should know are:

Funds are the property of someone other than the Property Manager
Funds in a trust account cannot be comingled with personal funds of a Property Manager
Funds in a trust account are used for property repairs, taxes, insurance, utilities, etc.
Funds in a trust account can earn interest which can sometimes be kept by the Property Manager
When a Property Manager pays expenses from an Owner's trust account, there must be enough funds in the account to cover the expenses.
The Property Management Company will/should provide a detailed accounting report outlining how funds have been disbursed.

Trust accounting is not difficult and experienced Mexico Property Management Companies know how to handle other people's money with care and consideration. However, it is your responsibility to insure you check your statements carefully and ask questions if you notice anything that you are unsure about.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Article 27 of the Constitution of the Republic of Mexico prohibits foreign ownership of real property located within 30 miles of any coastline or 60 miles of either border This is referred to as the Mexico restricted zone

Owning within the Mexico Restricted Zone

Mexico Restricted Zone

In 1973, recognizing that many Americans would enjoy the rights of ownership, and bring needed dollars to the country, President Echeverria approved the bank trust, Mexico fideicomiso, form of ownership which is available to non-Mexicans This regulation was further expanded in the Foreign Investment Law of 1989.

Mexico Properties located within the restricted zone, which includes the entire Baja Peninsula, may be acquired by a foreigner through a Mexican bank trust naming the buyer of the property as the beneficiary of the trust Naked title is placed in the name of the bank selected by the buyer, as his trustee The bank administers the property according to the instructions of the buyer/beneficiary The buyer/beneficiary has full ownership rights: he may build on the property, tear down existing buildings, modify them, rent, lease or sell at anytime conforming only to the general laws of the country established for all persons

Term of a Mexico Bank Trust

The term of the trust is fifty years and can be renewed for additional fifty year periods, after which it must be transferred to “one entitled to hold property” in Mexico In other words, title to the property may rest in one beneficiary indefinitely, provided that it is renewed within the terms established by the law

Procedure and Costs

The procedure for establishing the fideicomiso, the bank trust, is as follows: a permit must be obtained from the Secretary of Foreign Relations which includes a description of the property to be placed in trust, the use for which it is intended, and personal data on each of the beneficiaries Once granted the bank draws up the trust document which is recorded in the municipality where the property is located.

The costs for the permit to establish and register the trust are currently about $1,700 US and Mexico bank trust annual fees are generally $400.00 to $700.00 per annum there are additional closing costs in Mexico Real Estate, however, an it is wise to request a written estimate prior to beginning the transfer process.

* The costs mentioned above may require updating given the date of writing of this article

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

All too often citizens of the United States, Canada and other countries ASSUME that property purchases are carried out automatically in Mexico in a manner similar to that of their native countries The first law of property purchase in Mexico is DON`T ASSUME anything! Purchasing property is NOT the same as in other parts of the world

Would You Purchase a Property in Your Hometown Which Is Not Registered in the Local Public Registry or Land Titles Office

Mexico Public Registry

Would you hand a complete stranger, without an office or an established business entity, a check for perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars to pay for a property Why do so many foreigners do this when they purchase in Mexico Many do not realize that Mexico has a complex and complete legal system and a court system that is as well organized as any that exists in the United States, Canada or Europe It is essential that you have an idea of how the system works and what to expect when considering a purchase of property in Mexico

Don't Leave Your Brain at the Border!

Article 27 of the Mexican Constitution prohibits ownership by a foreign individual or business entity of real property (real estate) within the “restricted” zone which is an strip of approximately 30 miles from any coastline and 60 miles from any border Recognizing the demand by foreigners for ownership of property and recognizing the importance of making desirable properties available to foreigners for potential positive impact on the economy, the Mexican government implemented a series of Foreign Investment Laws beginning in 1973 The law was modified in 1989 and again in December 1993, to incorporate the provisions of the NAFTA treaty passed in late 1993

For those who are acquiring property for residential usage, the law requires that title to the property in the restricted zone be transferred to a Mexican bank, as trustee, in the establishment of a trust (fideicomiso) in which the foreigner is the beneficiary The bank is the titleholder of the real property and the foreigner is the owner of the rights of usage of the property The bank owns the real property rights and the beneficiary owns the personal rights of usage Ownership of these personal rights is evidenced through a deed prepared by a Mexican Notary Public and signed by a representative of the trustee bank

Currently the term for a trust is fifty years The Foreign Investment Law of 1989 provides for renewal by filing an application Multiple renewals are permitted under the law By requesting extensions every fifty years, a property may be controlled by a family or business entity for generations For those foreign individuals or companies buying property in the interior of the country, not in the restricted zone, no bank trust is required but authorization from the Secretary of Foreign Relations must be obtained and ownership must be registered in the National Foreign Investment Registry located in Mexico City, as well as in the municipality where the property is located

Avoid Mexico Taxes and Extra Costs. Leave the Mexico Deed in the Seller's Name: This is Wrong!

Mexico Notary Public

Until the buyer is formally named as the owner in fee simple or in the bank trust in a public document before a Mexican Notary Public, title to the rights in the property remain with the persons named in the previous property deed Their signatures are required to transfer title If the buyer fails to obtain his or her own deed he/she will be required to obtain the titleholder's signature before a sale and transfer to another buyer This can be costly, frustrating, dangerous and time consuming

The Importance of Mexico Registration of the Deed for Beneficial Rights.

Mexico Deed Registration The Mexico purchase/sale document signed by buyer and seller is generally legally valid between the parties to a transaction It most likely contains the description of the property, the price to be paid to the seller, and any other special terms and conditions It WILL NOT, however, provide valid notice to third parties unless it is recorded in the Public Registry Office of the municipality in which the property is located Mexico's land registry system functions in much the same manner as the Public Registry offices in Podunk, North Dakota, Los Angeles, California, Ottawa, Canada or places in between

many foreigners purchasing property in Mexico do not understand the importance of registration of their interest in property They believe that it should be left in the name of the property developer, in the Master Trust, or in the name of the previous holder of title What if the developer goes bankrupt What if the corporation and its principals, disappear Who can sign as the representative of the property Who then owns the property What happens if an unscrupulous seller sells the property to someone else While title is in the name of the seller, it is HIS/HER asset; she may mortgage it, he may sell it again, it may be attached in satisfaction of a judgment, she may die without a will

Unless the Deed for the rights of the Beneficiary has been Recorded, there may not be a remedy for the purchaser who neglected to obtain a registered deed…his or her interest and investment, may be lost

To obtain the deed an appraisal, a property tax certificate, and a no-liens certificate must be obtained Notarized bank instructions must also be obtained if property is in the “restricted” zone Seller's capital gains tax and Buyer's acquisition tax must be paid The deed transferring rights to the buyer must be registered and stamped by both the tax office and the public registry If this process is not complete, the buyer is not fully protected The buyer's ultimate protection is registration in the Public Registry office record, NOT the Notary Public or the trustee bank!

Financed Properties in Mexico

When property is sold with a down payment and the balance to be paid over a term of years, many sellers prefer to hold title to the rights in their name and transfer title to their rights only upon receipt of payment in full Meanwhile, however, the seller may die, may disappear, may bo bankrupt…again risky situations for the buyer the prudent buyer will insist upon a transfer of title and registration of a mortgage or pledge in which he gives his rights in the property as security for payment of the remaining purchase price

In the event of default by the buyer, the seller must conduct a proceeding similar to a judicial foreclosure in the United States and Canada It is as troublesome as a foreclosure in any country in the world but notably more problematical The registered title and recorded pledge or mortgage provides the buyer a greater comfort level in his investment The lender also enjoys protection in having his loan recorded and will have an established legal proceeding to follow in the event of default by the buyer.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

f you own a Mexico Real Estate Rental, you will need to learn how to administer the security deposits.The security deposit is any advance of money, other than a rental application deposit or an advance payment of rent that is intended primarily to secure performance under a lease of a dwelling that has been entered into by a landlord and a tenant.

Rawson Vault .com In Mexico, there are no limits on how much you can charge for a security deposit. For long-term rentals, many Mexican Landlords charge an amount equal to one month s rent and this amount is standard practice.

MEXICO SECURITY DEPOSIT

The security deposit is held by the Landlord, sometimes in an interest-bearing account, until the Tenant fulfills the obligations of the lease agreement. Some areas of Mexico require that you pay the Tenant the interest earned on the deposit and some areas do not. However, the security deposit does not belong to the Landlord it belongs to the Tenant. I always recommend that the Property manager in Mexico hold onto the security deposit in a trust account so that there is no confusion on disbursement of this deposit when the Tenant vacates.

When the Tenant vacates, do an inspection of the property. Some landlords prefer to do this inspection with the Tenant and some prefer to do it without the Tenant present. The choice is yours. To avoid potential disputes, make sure that if you are going to deduct any charges for property damages from the Tenant s security deposit, you take pictures of that damage for future record. Do not deduct for normal wear and tear or if the damage were there prior to move in. You can deduct for unpaid rent, late charges, etc.

Send a full itemized report to the Tenant outlining charges and deductions within 30-days of move out.

If you hire a property manager in Mexico, they will handle all aspects of the security deposit for you. If you choose to manage property yourself, familiarize yourself with the Mexico Real Estate laws for the local region so that you know what can and cannot deduct from a security deposit.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Akumal Beach Real Estate Akumal Mexico is a quiet, Mexican Caribbean beachside village located between Playa de Carmen Real Estate and Tulum Real Estate Akumal has a rich history and a local mix of residents mainly from Mexico, United States, and from Canada. The people choose to buy property here in Akumal mainly because of its amazing beaches These Mexico Beach properties are probably some of the finest in the entire country.When people first arrive in Akumal, they will notice a statue of the Mayan warrior, Gonzalo Guerrero and his family.

Akumal Gonzalo Guerrero The Founder of Akumal was Gonzalo Guerrero(also known as Gonzalo Marinero, Gonzalo de Aroca and Gonzalo de Aroza), a sailor from Palos, Spain who had shipwrecked along the Yucatan Peninsula and was enslaved by the local Mayans Luckily, the Mayan chief of his captors had a daughter so intrigued by this strange prisoner she chose to marry Guerrero rather than sacrifice him to the gods The daughter of the Mayan chief became Guerrero s wife and the mother of today s modern Mayan Their children were the first mingling of Spanish and Mayan blood.

The modern history of Akumal Mexico begins around 1959 when its' founder Don Pablo Bush Romero, a Mexican adventurer, business man, and archaeologist found this topical paradise.Akumal then was a pristine beach with coconut plantations With no roads leading to this primitive area, it was virtually undisturbed by man. This worldly traveler was so taken with the beautiful bay that he purchased it from a coconut plantation owner and founded a city consisting of a small resort catering to scuba divers.

Akumal City

Don Pablo Bush was also a pioneer in underwater exploration. He united with other distinguished divers and formed CEDAM (Club of Exploration and Water Sports of Mexico) In 1972, Akumal was established as the world headquarters for CEDAM International and CEDAM of Mexico.

Although CEDAM s headquarters has relocated to the United States, the diving exploration organization left behind an innovative underwater museum that is in Akumal bay today. The museum consists of cannons and anchors that once adorned doomed ships of the past.

Akumal an Example of Ecological Sustainability

Today Akumal is the home of CEAKUMAL an organization concerned in the preservation of regional ecosystems and culture Directed by Paul Sanchez Navarro, the CEAKUMAL contributes in the harmonic development of the area and promotes the conservation of the ecology sustainability by promoting among developers the usage of wetland systems to prevent waste water to contaminate the underground water systems that make the Yucatan Peninsula the Mecca for cave diving and a unique place in the world.

Akumal Urban Development Plan The Urban Development Plan for the city of Akumal was approved last year Akumal developers and investors are aware and conscious of the great responsibility that rests with those attempting to preserve and protect the natural resources on and around these properties Promoting eco friendly developments should be a major concern and respecting densities and zoning allotments a common practice.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Playa del Carmen Beach This past Sunday, we took a family “Sunday drive” to relax from our past week of work in Mexico Real Estate, and to prepare for the coming week of work The difference of our normal Sunday drive was that it was on a boat and we went cruising along in my search for the best beach of Playa del Carmen Real Estate My husband said he had a craving for Ceviche, so his search was to find the best tasting fish in Playa del Carmen to make his best ceviche.

Playa del Carmen Beache3

Playa del Carmen Beach 2 Off in the distance, we saw a beach that appeared to fit my description Solitaire with no other people except our party, soft white sand, and blue blue transparent water Our two kids were playing with their Canadian friend who was explaining or showing them how he would play in the snow back north Sledding and sliding down hillsHere in the Mexico Caribbean, the kids had to imagine snow, but they got the idea of what it is to slide on a small slope This is living in Mexico, this is living on a Mexico Beach side community!

Playa del Carmen fishing My husband in the meanwhile, was trying his hand at net fishing on the shore After an hour or so, he got pretty good and was able to catch a small variety of fish for some sample ceviche and for bait for larger fish on the ride back to port After walking, exploring, some snorkeling on the nearby reef, it was time to head home

Playa del Carmen Fishing

The small fish that my husband caught turned out to be pretty good lure As they were trolling, they hit two barracudas and reeled them both in which would be enough fish meat for a small family for a week

Playa del Carmen Barracuda

Playa del Carmen Ceviche

We made it back around 5:00 pm, cleaned the fish, washed the salt off of the equipment and off of us And we could not wait to see how the barracuda would turn out for the ceviche. Hmmmmmm good Yes, what they say about small fish for ceviche is correct And, we also recommend barracuda very highly for this dish too.Whether your living in Mexico, thinking of retiring to Mexico, or just coming down to get out of the cold, the beaches and fishing are fantastic.

Mexico Beaches

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As I review the real estate market reports for various US regions from my friend`s blog Joe Manausa I am placing close attention on the Real Estate Market activities occurring here in Playa del Carmen Real Estate I will be compiling a report at the end of the month but I can share with you that one developer has just sold approximately 5 units from 3 of their different projects.

Playa del Carmen City Hall In another interesting topic, the theme of this post, Playa del Carmen Real Estate will soon be introducing a new museum This fishing village, well at least 7 years ago, today this city continues to grow every quarter If you remember several days ago, we did a short post on the new avenues that were being constructed to bypass the downtown 307 route Today you will find an extra stop light as you pull into Playa driving in from the north.

Playa del Carmen City Hall

Playa del Carmen New City Hall Once the new City Hall building is completed, which will be located on the west side of the highway 307. Some of you may not have even visited this side of Playa del Carmen but it is growing and is amazing at the velocity I remind you that Playa del Carmen Real Estate has been registered as the fastest growing community in LATIN AMERICA! So the growth is expanding westward In the neighborhood called “Cruz de Servicios”, near to the recently opened shopping center of Las Americas, you will find the new location of the Playa del Carmen city hall

The construction is planned to occur in three phases with a total investment estimated at $5,000,000 usd The timeline is projected to be realized in 10 months for the first phase The funds for this Playa del Carmen project will be sourced from the local government including some support from the private as well as state organizations

PLAYA DEL CARMEN MUSEUM

Playa del Carmen Museum Once the city has moved their offices from the old city hall, the city will convert the remaining structure into a new museum for Playa del Carmen The theme of the museum is presently focused on “THE CITY HISTORY OF PLAYA DEL CARMEN” Located on the corners of 20th avenue, 25th avenue and between the streets of 8th street and 10th street, it has a very centralized location Only 3 blocks from the world famous 5th avenue, and next to a large park and outdoor auditorium, the museum is projected to be a central tourist point for the city.

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Mexico Rental Property To Do List I just wrote a post on Where you can advertise your Mexico Property to obtain rentals. As I stated in this previous post, regardless of what avenue you choose to take, whether one or all, there are a few key elements that you should always consider placing within the advertising (adapted from the National Association of Realtors).

1. Start with a strong opening statement about the Mexico home as 80% of the value of the ad is in the headline.

2. Mention the key one or two benefits that will attract the buyers’ attention and spark their interest in the first 10 words of the ad.

3. Include the salient facts about your Mexico property, such as the number of bedrooms and bathrooms and the asking price.

4. Include your name, your telephone number, your e-mail address, and your Web site.

5. Use words that appeal to the emotions and senses (e.g., feel, see, enjoy).

6. Avoid abbreviations and real estate jargon that the average consumer won’t understand.

7. Be accurate. Prospective buyers in Mexico Real Estate are bound to feel disappointed or manipulated if the home doesn’t match your description.

8. Focus on the Mexico home’s strongest selling points, instead of packing your ad with too many details.

9. Close with a statement encouraging the prospect to contact you (e.g., “Call today.”).

10. Keep a notebook of attractive home descriptions from remodeling magazines and other property ads so you’ll have a ready reference for writing your own blurbs.

Once you have adopted this plan of action, your phone should start ringing with prospective Tenant inquiries. However, all advertising efforts are wasted if you do not follow up with those that call or email you for information. Remember time kills all deals so the faster that you can respond to someone, the less likely that they will call on the next ad.

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Advertising your Mexico Rental Property is a very important step in working toward your goal of securing a rent-paying Tenant. Before you begin advertising you will need to start with an effective advertising plan.

There are several viable sources in which to announce to the public that you have a property for rent in Mexico Real Estate.

Mexico For Rent Signs

placed at the property with a phone #, email address, a brief description of the property such as number of bedrooms, bathrooms and rent amount. This source works best if you are in a location that a lot of people walk or drive by and is not as effective if you are located in more of a remote area.

Mexico Online Avertising

is typically the best source as most people go online first when searching for anything. There are countless other online resources but my personal favorite is Craigslist.com. More and more people are turning to this website for real estate rentals and it’s free! Online advertising also allows you to post pictures and detailed descriptions of your property.

Mexico Real Estate for Rent Flyers

distributed throughout the community, neighborhood, or surrounding area. This is generally a great source of advertising, especially in the small town of Playa del Carmen Real Estate but it requires a little more work. There are many local restaurants and retail shops that will allow you to post flyers on their bulletin boards. However, in an effort to make the most out of this type of advertising, you want to make sure that you include the address, phone #, email address, rental price and a very descriptive outline of the property. You will also need to check on your posted flyers about once per week to insure that they are still there. This is where it would be advantageous to pay someone to post these for you if you are not always in the area in which the property is located.

Mexico Real Estate Online Forums

There are many local forums online that typically only pertain to a specific area and some have classified sections that you can advertise on. have members that have a love for Playa del Carmen, are locals to the area or are people that are looking to make their move to the Playa del Carmen area and seeking information. This is a great online source and I highly recommend this site.

Mexico Real Estate Offices

are a great way to advertise your property, especially if you are willing to offer compensation to the Broker for bringing you a Tenant. Be careful with compensation as local, state and federal laws may limit how much you can pay someone, especially if you are not a licensed Broker.

Word of Mouth.

Everyone knows someone that rents a home, apartment, or condo. What better way to advertise than to ask your neighbors to pick their neighbor!

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The Mexico Real Estate market is going through an exciting transition to improve the processes of buying properties here in this country. The national realtor association called AMPI, sister association with the NAR association of the United States, has been working for various years on a project to regulate or to license the people practicing in the industry of Mexico Real Estate.

Mexic Real Estate License Fernando Gonzaez Salazar and Laura Flores Araiza of the national offices of AMPI have been coordinating these activities in conjunction with the federal educational organization called CENEVAL (Centro Nacional de Evaluacion Para la Educacion Superior = National Center for the Evaluation of Superior Education). This organization is authorized and recognized by the FEDERL EDUCATION SECRETARY and Academic Schools and Institutions of the Mexico country for their evaluations and exams.

MEXICO REAL ESTATE PROFESSIONAL LICENSE

With the federal regulation 286 (Acuerdo 286) and published in the (Mexican Diaro Oficial) equivalent to the United States Federal Register , this official document outlines and regulates the process for individuals to obtain a new federally issued license and degree for the profession in the Mexico Real Estate industry.

There are two methods available to obtain this degree: the traditional method which is going to an Academic Institution public or private. There are now several universities throughout the country of Mexico offering this college degree. The second method of obtaining the official license and degree is through the process regulated and outlined according to REGULATION 286 mentioned above. This includes applying and taking a nationally applied exam and then if passing exam, presenting a portfolio of documentation demonstrating years of experience and knowledge in the industry.

MEXICO REAL ESTATE LICENSE BACKGROUND

AMPI was first introduced to the Mexico Real Estate industry in 1956. The organization is a national association of real estate professionals who have been gathering under laws and a code of ethics to establish a reliable and trustworthy environment within this industry. Today, AMPI is made up of more than 4,000 afiliates and associates, and over 25 separate and autonomous sections. Each section has their own board of directors who decide for their areas, and is governed by the national board of directors who elects a national president for two year terms. The state of Sonora was the first state government to introduce a process of regulating and licensing the real estate industry in Mexico in 2004. Although no exams were applied, the Sonora state sponsored an extensive 110 hour course of in depth real estate studies. The themes covered in the licensing process included taxation issues, city development, bank trusts, appraisals, marketing & sales, and issues regarding ethics pertaining to the real estate industry. The course and licensing process has been applied during the past several years with close observation and analyzation by the AMPI organization, state and federal government officials, and the federal educational boards in order to expand and introduce a similar process on a nationwide level. In September of 2008, the first national exam was applied in Mexico.

MEXICO REALTOR LICENSE FIRST EXAM

Last year, in September of 2008, the first national exam regulated and outlined by the ACUERDO 286 was applied. The exam was applied in several cities throughout the country under close scrutiny of the CENEVAL officials. The exam was applied nationwide precisely at 8:00 am on the 28th of September in all the participating institutions. The exam was a historical event as this was the first exam for licensing in the Mexico Real Estate industry. Aspiring Mexican realtors prepared many months and years in order to partake in the strenuous 5 hour long test. The Mexico Realtor exam was only the first step and process required by the CENEVAL organization. Those who passed the first process were then required to deliver extensive files, and documentations to deomonstrate education, experience, knowledge amongst other requirements in the real estate industry.

One important note to make, it is NOT a requirement by any regulation to have a Mexican real estate degree in order to practice in the Mexico Real Estate industry. The ultimate goal and the steps that AMPI is embracing and promoting is to have a guideline, such as the regulations in the United States and Canada requiring realtors to be licensed and brokers to have licenses in order to practice such professions, but today the license is a voluntary procedure and documentation. The licensing and obtaining a degree as a Mexico Realtor is being introduced and educated to the industry with the succesful efforts of people such as Fernando Gonzaez and Laura Flores and their departments at the Mexico national AMPI offices.

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THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF QUINTANA ROO AND THE DIRECTORS OF SECTUR AND SEMARNAT ANNONCED THAT IN THE FIRST STAGE, $80 MILLION WILL BE INVESTED

Mexico Beach The governor of the state of Quintana Roo, Felix Gonzalez, along with the secretary of tourism and the secretary of ecological conservation announced today that after several months of meetings and studies, in the first weeks of January, the licitation of the project for the recovery and maintenance of the beaches for Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, and Cancun will be realized.

The announcement was made in conjunction with the three levels of the government(federal, state, and municipality), representatives of the tourist industries, and representatives of the business sectors of Quintana Roo. The governor made special emphasis on the fact that this project was approved after intensive studies were realized by experts and various groups, as well that several proposals were evaluated before selecting the most viable project based on the environmental impact as well as the economic factors.

The secretary of federal tourism, Rodolfo Elizando Torres, assured that “without the support of the State Government, the project would not have been consolidated.” Apart from making the Mexican Caribbean beaches more attractive for Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, and Cancun, it will have a positive affect upon the tourist traffic and new private investments. It has been estimated that nearly $80 million will be invested in the project, of which it is projected that Banobras will deliver a financial package loan to the three municipalities.

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Tulum, as a new Municipality is trying to gather as many funds as possible in the shortest time period possible. With this goal in mind, the Tulum Real Estate authorities have extended the Tulum property tax discount, which is a deduction of 25% off of the total fiscal amount due.

Tulum Real Estate Property Taxes

The new Tulum administration is trying its best to collect tax money and correct previous year´s involuntary mistakes. The procedure of paying the property taxes is by taking the last property tax receipt from Solidaridad (this is the municipality of Playa del Carmen where taxes were previously paid) presenting this document to the Authorities, they will make the proper adjustments onto the record of the new Tulum municipality, and capture your payment.

Once paid, the authorities will deliver a receipt. This property tax receipt should be organized and filed with all of your other Mexico property documentation. A digital copy is useful and wise as well. Keeping these copies and backups gives you peace of mind and avoids unnecessary stress. Remember that your payments are best valid if you can prove with proper documentation and receipts.

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There are several articles about the Mexico Bank Trust “Fideicomiso” and how Mexican foreigners can acquire Mexican Oceanfront Real Estate. My post below is an attempt to explain some of these TIPS ON ITEMS TO REVIEW IN YOUR MEXICO BANK TRUST.

MEXICO REAL ESTATE BANK TRUST

If you are unfamiliar with the Mexican Bank Trust, click to this link for an in depth presentation of “The Fideicomiso” .

When Americans, Canadians or Europeans wish to invest or purchase waterfront property in Mexico, they have basically two options on how they plan to hold the asset; Either by setting up a Mexican Corporation or by forming a Mexico Bank Trust. If you plan to set up a Bank Trust please review these tips:

MEXICO REAL ESTATE TIPS

1) Study, review, and learn a little more of the bank you choose as the holder of the Bank Trust. What is the name of the bank and is it in the “Asociacion de Bancos de Mexico”? Do they have offices or a branch in the Mexican town where you plan to purchase your property? For various reasons you will need to be in contact with your bank for payment of annual fees, for questions or interviews, notifications and having the bank in the same city is quite convenient for any of these unplanned visits.

2) If you purchase property within a condominium regimen, review and ensure that the deed establishes that you the beneficiary will have the power to vote at the condominium assemblies. This subject is quite important and many times it may even slip pass the lawyers when they prepare your Mexico Real Estate purchase sales contracts. When you are buying a property through a Bank Trust, and such property is part of a condominium association, the voting rights need to be established and identified. By Mexican law the domain of the property remains with the financial institution, and you the Mexican foreigner have the beneficiary rights. The bank therefore is the legal representative of the property. In such case, meetings and voting rights at the condominium association should be realized by the Bank. In order to resolve this legal conflict, the deed or the purchase sales contract should include a simple clause establishing that such voting rights are to remain with the beneficiary. For those of you who have already purchased your Mexico property, and have a deed that does not state this clause, you should visit with your bank and ask them to prepare legal documentation to forward these rights to you the beneficiary. Such documentation will need to be signed and notarized before a Mexico notary public.

It can also be quite common that this clause does not exist, and the non-Mexican property owner has been attending condominium association meetings and voting without any problems. There may not be any harm if the issues that have been voted upon involve minor issues that do not require legal actions. But if your vote is determining major decisions such as “taking legal action to collect past condominium fees” your vote can be null if the clause mentioned above does not exist upon your purchase sales contract.

3) Before choosing a bank to act as your Trust, study if the bank has any package deals that might include insurance, bank trust services, and other services offered.

There are some banks such as the Spanish bank, Bancomer that can help you with an entire package: Loan, bank trust, closing services and regular assistance on setting up your Mexican Checking or Savings account. In package deals, discounts might be obtainable. And of course, dealing with one institution one representative to administer various services might be convenient for your needs.

4) Finally, don’t forget to review and compare set up fees and annual service fees that the bank will charge for holding your trust. If you don’t need a full package, then ask your lawyer if he can get a better rate with a particular bank; sometimes for the volume of clients the lawyer sends to the bank he can obtain special discounts that you as an individual would not qualify. These small discounts add up.

There are many details surrounding the theme of Bank Trusts and their contracts, so please feel free to contact me if you have any further questions.

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I have several Canadian clients who are in the process of closing upon some Mexico Real Estate Properties here in the Quintana Roo area. Over the past 60 days, “the foreign currency markets have been extemely volatile” goes without saying. Several Mexico home buyers from Canada and US have written asking how this will be affecting their Closing and final payment obligations. So, how does the Canadian dollar fluctuations affect the purchase process down in the Cancun Real Estate Market or even a property up in Baja California?

Mexico Peso Exchange Rate To be brief in the explaination. Prices of Mexico properties listed within markets with a high concentration of international buyers are normally quoted in United States Dollars. Why is this? The reason is that normally the USD gains in strength against the Mexican peso. Although the gains in the past 8 years have been quite stable, most Mexico home owners feel safer in quoting in the more affluent American currency. So, Canadians buying here in Mexico, when Making Deposits (See Blog), must pay the equivalent of a price quoted in USD. Now a little history: A few two years in the fall of 2007, the Canadian dollar had gained important strength against the United States dollar to a record level. Where as before, the exchange rate was hovering around $1.00 Canadian dollar per every $.65 - $.70 USD, within a short time span of several weeks $1.00 Canadian Dollar could then buy $1.05 usd. This was an increase of nearly 30% which many people of this country took advantage and investd into Mexican Oceanfront properties or similar assets. Recently though, within the past 30 days, the Candians lost a good percentage of this gain as it returned to near $.75USD. In the past day, the Canadian dollar began gaining back ground when a surge from $.7680 upto $.8100 against the green back was registered. Nathan Barcic, senior business development at HiFx Inc. stated “this move alone of 7% can save Canadians nearly $6750 CAD per every $100,000 CAD investment” HiFX Inc. has several tools that are quite interesting for people investing into latin american or even international countries such as “lock in rates” for upto 60 days or so. Feel free to call me if you want to discuss this topic further or if you have any other questions regarding How to buy Real Estate in Mexico.

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The Mexico Real Estate market has become a favorite territory for many investors over the past several years. It`s proximity to the United States / Canada, natural beauty, and economic growth have been several factors for this high interest. Sam Zell is one of those pioneer investors who has been increasing his stake in this emerging country. Areas such as the Cancun real estate market, Puerto Vallarta region, Tulum real estate, San Miguel de Allende are a few regions poised for interesting growth.

Mexico Real Estate Zell wsj image I have been following Sam Zell`s news clips lightly over the past two years. For those who are not familiar with this person, he is an old real estate investor who has clawed his way up to become one of the most experienced, steady handed real estate investor in US history. What is interesting, he made a good amount of his money on downturn economic conditions.

I spotted a project if you recall, here in the Cancun real estate market about a year ago. I have been guiding and introducing people looking for investments in this direction. If you are thinking of living in Mexico, or for a Mexio Retirement in the near future, this may not be a project for you. But if you are planning for a 2 year time line, a place that can accumulate some appreciation until you are ready to retire full time, this may be an ideal project. By the way, Sam Zell is listed in Forbes as one of America`s top 100 wealthiest men. He sold his American invested real estate firm over a year and a half ago for over 30 billion dollars. He has been re-diverting much of this capital where? Mexico and Brazil real estate. Quite interesting.

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The amount of people moving down to Mexico from other countries is growing at a good clip. The Mexico Real Estate market had been receiving a great quantity of buyers looking to invest into rental properties over the past 4 or 5 years, but this profile seems to be shifting towards non-Mexican buyers who are looking to make a permanent move. If you are looking to move here full time and get a job, you will be required to get a Mexican Visa in order to work. The resident professional fm3 visa and the resident executive fm3 visa are widely used for these non-Mexican people looking to continue working. As the requirements require for the other visas listed out in my previous posts, the Inmigration Offices will request:

Resident Professional Visa

Mexico Visa Application Form a) The application form filled in

b) Your official ID and your FMT card

c) A letter to the Inmigration Offices stating the reasons you wish to live in Mexico full time

d) If you plan to work professionaly and independently, you will need to include a signed, sworned statement atesting to this fact outlining where you plan to work and what you plan to do.

e) A letter from your employer on a letterhead document. This document will specify the nature of the work, your renumeration, and where you plan to work.

f) Documents from your employer including: Articles of Incorporation, last taxes paid, and proof of registration into the National Registry of Foreign Investment

Mexico Resident Executive

If you are planning on working for a Mexican Entity, then the following docs will be required:

items A thru C listed above, a copy of your job offer (this should list out the position and the name of the entity.) A letterhead document will be required listing out position and location of the employer. The same documents requested by the Government for the Resident Professional listed in section F, will also be required for the Resident Executive visa.

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In a few previous posts, I wrote about the various options available for non-Mexicans to obtain residence status here in Mexico. In my line of business, Mexico Real Estate industry, I meet many Mexican foreigners who are estabishing a new life concept, moving from their native country to set up a business in various regions of this emerging country. I have also met a tremendous amount of people with a life plan of purchasing their retirment getaway here in distinct parts of Mexico, whether it be in Cancun, Merida, Puerto Vallarta, San Miguel de Allende or even in Oaxaca. No matter the case, when you invest into a real estate here in this country, one of the frequently asked questions heard from the ex pat communities is

“How do I Establish Legal Residency in Mexico, and Do I need to Give up My Native Country Citizenship?”

The answer to the question of needing to give up Native Country Citizenship is , NO. When obtaining legal residency status in Mexico you are not required to forfeit your home country citizenship. I will write a future post on obtaining Mexican Citizenship and how this affects your native citizenship. But, you can hold onto 2 citizenships in the majority of the cases except for a handful of countries in the world which restrict duo citizenship status. As mentioned in the previous posts, there exists several visa classifications outlined in VISA CLASSIFICATIONS. In this post we are outlining Resident Investor visas. The main criteria of qualifying for this VISA is an investment into a Mexican corporation, a Mexican industry, Service, Commerce for an amount greater than $150,000 usd. Such investment may include the purchase of Real Estate. The requirements for application inlcude:

a) official identification such as your passport

b) FMT or current Mexican visa

c) A letter addressed to the Mexican Institution of Migration outlining the reasons why you are asking for residency. In this letter you should address in what industry you are investing, the type of investment such as stock shares, equity certificates, or trust beneficiary rights in the case of buying a Mexico Real Estate through a bank trust. This letter must be written in spanish.

d) Accompanying these documents you will also be required to show proof of this investments such as the documentation with the Mexico National Registry of Foreign Investment offices of Mexico City. Or, in the case of investment into Mexico real estate, proof of acquistion via copy of deed or copy of the bank trust if purchasing within the restricted zone here in Mexico.

As I mention before, our team has much experience in assisting people just arriving to Mexico in establishing themselves and starting the process of obtaining legal residency. We do recommend that you retain the services of a professional lawyer expert in residency and citizenship laws to guide you in selecting the most convenient visa and to coordinate the activities during the process of registration.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

One of the most common permits obtained by Mexican Foreigners is the Resident Pensioner visa (FM3 or FM2). On a previous post the classification of the differences between non-resident, temporary resident, and permanent residents was outlined (See Post). The Resident Pensioner permit (temporary resident) is described as those foreigners who want to live in Retirement in México, subsisting on funds, interest – bearing securities or pensions generated from any country other than Mexico.

Retiring in Mexico Applications for FM-3 and FM-2 can be realized at any Mexican Immigration Office within Mexico, or at any Mexican Consulate. It is also a good note to point out that depending on the office or consulate that you contact, the requirements of documentation for application may vary. But below I have put a list that I consider as … a general starting point.

To obtain a Mexico Resident Pensioner Permit you must submit:

a) an application filled out of your request to change of migration status to Resident Pensioner

b) an official identification (passport) and your FMT visa

c) a letter made out to the National Institute of Migration, outlining your reasons for your request to establish residency in Mexico. (letter must be written in Spanish)

d) a letter from your financial institution or trust demonstrating your income generated from abroad with a yield above $12,500 pesos monthly.

*(some offices may only require bank statements, or monthly statements for 3 consecutive months demonstrating these incomes)

** (for each family member that is dependent, the amount of income will increase by $750 usd per member)

*** (if the non-Mexican has purchased Real Estate in Mexico for residential purposes, the National Institute of Migration may reduce the required monthly income by as much as 50%)

As mentioned above, some requirements may vary depending on the migration or consulate office that you insert your application. Below is an estimated cost to obtain these permits quoted from Quintana Roo and on this date.

$444.00 pesos for the application

$1,172.00 pesos once the applicant has been approved and processed

service fees for the coordination of this document again varies depending on the location and the company offering such services. The service fees may run as low as $250 usd upto $900 usd.

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A few days ago by the night, we took our kids to the Beach. Not during the day, but we arrived during the evening. A Mexico Real Estate Beach somewhere between Tulum and Playa del Carmen. A beautiful beach not well known, hardly any tourists know of its existence, but it is one of the most important beaches of Quintana Roo in regards to the Mexico Sea Turtles. During these dates, Turtle eggs begin hatching and a delicate life cycle begins.

Mexico Sea Turtle Presentation

The initiation of this period is celebrated by the people of Playa del Carmen, Tulum and the people from Xcaret ecological parks. They invite the children of the region, to participte, to witness, and most important to learn and educate others of the fragile life that exists and shares this planet with us. What better way to educate a child…and an adult… than with an outdoor theatre on the Mexican Caribbean Ocean!

Mexico Beach

We parked the car alongside the highway and walked towards a dirtroad hidden in the jungle and mangroves. Soon the lights of a bus started to near us arriving from the beach. Full of excited young staff of the Xcaret park. They invited us into their bus, and began an explanation to the kids that we would be going down onto the beach to witness a magical event that occurs once a year. Today was a party to celebrate this occurence. But, as what we should always do with mother nature, try to leave as little evidence as possible that you or your family were present. Leave as little of an ecological footprint as possible.

Mexico Beach Mother Natue

One Flower was given to each person as they entered onto the beach. We sat on a beach towel, a dark night as the clouds hid the Moon and most of the stars yet it made a nice dark backdrop for the event. Zen music began lightly in the background against the waves pounding of the Mexican Caribbean Ocean. Suddenly, 50 yards down the beach, Mother Nature appeared, dancing, slowly, and nearing to the invited witnesses. She was the host, speaking to the children, she was the story teller.

“Nature has Guardians that live amongst us humans. They are here to help the balance, to help the probabilities of survival and reproduction for the weak creatures that live on this planet. Guardians such as Earth, the Guardian of the Winds, the Water Guardian, and the Guardian of the Fire.”

Mexico Beach guardians

The actors appeared during her explanation with magnificant costumes and on stilts. The interesting fact was how these wonderful actors were able to dance on the beach and on their stilts. After the 4 Guardians danced, Mother Nature went on to introduce the sacred Mexico Sea Turtle. 50 yards down the beach, again with the assistance of the dark shade cover from the clouds, appearing out of nowhere, a large SEA TURTLE the size of a Suburban Truck was crawling slowly towards the audience. The gasps came from all the kids (and many adults) at the beautifully designed costume. The Mexico Sea Turtle was lit up underneath and the light transparented through the fabrics, making a magical theatrical representation of this creature. We later learned that it took approximately 7 actors to move this micro float around the stage.

“I am so exhausted, I have swam from so far away over 100s of miles, I feel as if my interior is about to explode, I can`t go on much more” the voice of the female turtle whispered. “Yet, something draws me to this place. It feels like…home, I have been here before.” The children then witnessed how the dirt started flying as the huge turle begins digging a hole to bear her eggs. With the music playing, the turtle then finishes laying, and then crawls towards the Caribbean water. Mother nature says that the turtle is sad to leave her babies, because she knows that many will not survive their long journey, will not survive all the predators, and will not survive the dangerous waters. But, when she gets to the water, she rejoices and has hope. A beautiful message and our kids abosorbed it like sponges. Back on the stage, the beach, about 12 eggs lit up in greenish colors the size of huge pillows were left glowing on the sand. Little actors, the ages of 6 and 8 picked up the eggs which were dangling at the end of sticks, started dancing on the beach with Caribbean music. After this dance, the lights on the eggs slowly flickered off one by one. But as they flickered off, the lights of small turles began flickering on, also on the end of sticks. Again the music very festive as the small actors ran around the dark beach with only the figures of small turtles bouncing in the darkness. Soon the music began to slow down, and a adult actor dressed as a mix of a wild dog, wolf, lioncat appeared and started to chase the turtles. Soon it was joined by another adult actor representing birds with large vicious claws and beak. Finally, as mother nature explained “the worst enemy to the turtle that does most harm…Man” An actor in a over sized human puppet appeared on the beach to join the other two predators chasing the turtles. Our kids… wide eyed and sitting on my lap by then grabbing a hold of my hand.

Mexico Beach guardian of fire

To the rescue, the four guardians who were standing in the four corners during the entire show, came back to the center stage. The music picked up, and they began their dance amongst the turtles and the predators. They saved the day as all three predators were chased off back into the jungle with the cheers of the children. The small turtle lights than began moving towards the shore, their lights slowly flickered off representing their arrival to the beautiful and magical Caribbean Ocean. Mother Nature finished her story by inviting all the children and adults to throw the flower that was given to them at the entrance, into the ocean in rememberence of the bravery of the small turtles who survive.

Mexico Beach dance

The kids were then invited to see actual live baby turtles as the biologists had various eggs that were just hatched over the past week. Many ready for this first stage of their beautiful, adventurous life in the Ocean Waters and shores of Mexico. To become part of this society and to get involved in helping the education and communication of saving these and other species, please contact this wonderful Mexico organization (See link).

Mexico Beach Sea Turtle eggs *There are seven living species of sea turtles in the world.

*Some of the largest sea turtles, measure upto six or seven feet (2 m) in length at maturity, and three to five feet (1 to 1.5 m) in width, weighing up to 1300 pounds (650 kg).

*The fact that most species return to nest at the locations where they were born seems to indicate an imprint of that location’s magnetic features with the turtles.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Last week I received several questions regarding the availability or the types of windows that are available here in Mexico for residential homes. Ten years ago and more, the options for glass types were quite reduced. Today, the variety and combinations of glass here in Mexico may reach near 100.

Mexico Windo The glass that is now available in Mexico Real Estate, in its combinations, is used for energy savings, protection, design to name a few. For example some people may choose a dense thickness of glass that will help reduce the noise if living near highly transited roads or near restaurant and bars. Low E glass has to do with the technology used on the glass to decrease the amout of sun that enters into a room, or decreases the amount of heat that escapes a room. Tempered glass helps increase the resistence from impact, flying objects. UV blocking glass does exactly as the name says, reducing upto 99% of these UV rays. Glass staying after breakage helps reduce little pieces of glass from scattering if the glass does break on impact. Laminated glass is basically 2 sheets of glass with a thin plastic covering sandwiched between these two panes. The strength increases exponentially giving a window that can resist several blows of objects before shattering.

The window combination that the user chooses are molded together in a 5 step process. First the glass is washed thoroughly. The next step involves bending the spacer to mold around the glass. Third step is filling the spacer with desicant to absorb the humidity within the space vacuum of the two windows. In step four, Butil is applied as a vapor barrier and as a sealant. Fifth step involves joining the two panes of glass. A secondary sealant is then applied to give further structural properties for the final process.

Laminated glass features two layers of glass with a special plastic sheet or film in the middle. When impacted, the tiny pieces of shattered glass adhere to the inner layer, eliminating the chance of flying glass and, most important for coastal areas, keeping the opening intact.

Of course, the main deterrent of having or selecting a wide variety of windows and their combinations are the costs. We will talk about this in a later post.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

As we approach the fall season (in September or October), a new cost per kilowatt for electricity goes into affect here in Mexico. Now this is a normal procedure as the CFE (Comision Federal de Electricidad) has two tariff rates depending on the time of the year. Many new owners of second homes down here in Mexico are unaware of such changes, and it is a good fact to know. This may only occur in the state of Quintana Roo, I will research further which other states follow this tariff structure. When you purchase Mexico Real Estate, you should always review your monthly operating or maintenance expenses. One of the important monthly expenses you will incur will be the electric bills. I have written several posts regarding electric themes, you can see one of these at MEXICO ELECTRIC UTILITIES involving some activities with a client setting up an acocunt in Tulum Real Estate. Mexico Cost of Living

In the hotter period, the CFE charges less money than in the winter season. This is due logically to the fact that in the summer, air conditioning is operated or needed much more than in the cooler fall and winter months. The periods are from April to September for the less expensive rates per kilowatt, and then from October to March a higher rate is charged. So from October to March, new rates will go into affect but only for domestic useage.

In the past several years, we have seen much greater attention placed on new technology and materials to make homes and buildings here in Mexico more efficient to operate. Thicker walls, windows that reduce the radiation, higher ceilings, new solar powered water heaters and a great variety of new processes and products being introduced to the Mexican building market. All very good and very interesting items which I will research further for a future post.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

A few weeks ago I assisted a presentation where the Playa del Carmen City Development offices presented some future plans for the urban growth of this Mexico Oceanfront city. If you recall, Playa del Carmen is the fastest growing city in Mexico and many people quote it as the fastest growing metropolitan area of Latin America. Along with population growth, comes the urban development, and the affects of rapid growth can be seen on the Playa del Carmen Real Estate prices.

Playa del Carmen City Development Map The growth of this city is evident when you drive into town off of the highway. The city limits hav been creeping in leaps and bounds further north along highway 307. Before, the first traffic light was found on Av. Constituyentes, then another appeared 4 blocks further north, soon another appeared on Av. Colosio. Today the first traffic light is off of the first pedestrian bridge. At the City Office presentation, we got a peek at what is going on in Playa del Carmen in regards to the roads, avenues, and the new by-pass planned for development on the western half of the city. They city officials are planning to turn the current highway of 307 going through town into a city boulevard. Quite near to the Mayakoba Golf courses, the by-pass will veer off towards the west into the jungle and will lead all through-traffic out and around the metropolitan areas of Playa del Carmen. The highway will return the drivers to the present day 307 out near Xcaret water park. This can be seen on the map highlighted in color BLUE. Along with this dramatic change, expect soon another two main avenues again to be built on the western half of the city designed to loop and connect the northern half of Playa del Carmen to the southern half.

Playa del Carmen Streets Two of these avenues on the books for future development include the middle loop highlighted in red in the map above. This avenue is starting near the LaSalle high school and the Tech University in the northern part of the city and reconnecting to the old Hwy 307 near the taxi union building. The inner loop, highlighted in purple above, starts about a kilometer further south of the universities, swings near to the new Americas Shopping Mall and reconnects to hwy 307 quite near to the Soriana Shopping Mall.

The development plans for the downtown of Playa del Carmen Real Estate, around 5th avenue, on the oceanside of hwy 307 continues to be designed guided towards the high tourist market and traffic from the out-of-country visitors which is estimated to continue growing drastically over the next 5 - 10 years. Playa del Carmen`s lure and attractions for these repeat visitors and tourists have been the little things, such as the palapa roofs, the swings instead of bar stools, and the architectural mixture of small commercial shops on the ground floor with their little departments overlooking the streets on the second and third floors.

Playa del Carmen Bicycles

Along with these memorable Playa characteristics, there exists the lighthouse icon off of 10th street and of course…. the three wheeling bicycles. I have been a fan of these three wheelers ever since moving to Playa. You can buy tamales, snow cones, sharpen you kitchen knives, buy mangos all from the convenience of a moving three wheeler bicylce and his peddler. Down on the docks that ferry you between Playa del Carmen over to Cozumel, the three wheelers are busy picking up tourists with their luggage and picking up locals with their goods to taxi them back and forth from the ships to 10th avenue and from the streets down to the ships. You see all styles of these tricycles so when the Urban Development offices had a section of their presentation dedicted to some projects involving these…Icons… I thought it was a great idea. We definitely will write more about this subject of the Playa tricycles in a later post.

If you have any further questions on what else is being planned on the tourist side of highway 307 and how this affects your real estate investment or you are planning to do some investing in Playa del Carmen, give us a call and we can discuss in depth these and other issues along with their opportunities.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

A couple of weeks ago, my family and I went out on a Sunday drive and we thought we would visit nearby Coba. Coba is a small town west of Tulum Real Estate (Tulum is a small oceanfront village on the Mexican Caribbean Ocean that has been attracting many international real estate investors), but it is also an important pyramid site of the ancient Mayan Civilization here from the Yucatan region. A few months ago, we had visited some amazing sites in the southern part of the state, so we thought the kids would enjoy this visit too. Oxtankah Pyramids.

Coba Pyramid 2 One of the on site pyramids is recorded as the tallest being at 42 meters of height. The picture to the left is not this pyramid but you can see a video of this high structure by clicking here MEXICO REAL ESTATE COBA SITES. Coba, apart from the fascinating Mayan history, has also accumulated an interesting archeological exploration history. Our local bicycle guide had informed us that the site was not discovered until about 15 years ago. Given the fact that our guide was only about 20 years of age, he probably meant to say that he did not first recall knowing of the sites until he was about 5 years of age. But as I read in a little further, it was first mentioned by archeologists in the middle 1800`s. Not visited nor recorded but there were western explorers who mentioned hearing of its existence but due to the extremely thick jungles, were unable to visit. In the 1920`s there was the first visit by a westerner, but again no pictures nor drawings were recorded to any full extent. In the 1970`s, when Cancun was just starting to appear on the map for development, then the Mexico National Institute of Anthropology begin a further in depth excavation and recording of the site. In 1980`s, it appears much advancement had occurred in properly registering and filing of this important Mayan settlement called COBA.

Our Sunday drive took us from the busy developing town of Playa del Carmen Real Estate, on a journey south for about 40 minutes till we hit Tulum. From Tulum we drove west into the jungle for another 45 minutes till we arrived to the village of Coba. The road was new and well kept. Two lanes with wide shoulders so the drive was pleasent and comfortable.

Tulum Real Estate Crocodiles We passed about 3 or 4 little villages with their speed bumps all along the center of these communities. When we arrived to the village of Coba, a stop at the ABARROTES store was needed to fill up the energy of our little kids. This is a good word to know when living or visiting Mexico. We did not notice till we came out of the store, but a small dock out onto a decent size lake had attracted a small crowd of about 7 people. When we arrived we saw a nice size wild crocodile floating around looking for some food. We also noticed that no one was swimming nor sailing nor any type of water sports were being played out on the water. I guess the reason was that these animals had not been fed recently. So we hung around to see what they ate.

Tulum REal Estate feeding the tourists Chicken! Enough wild life education for the kids and enough potential night mare material!…. we drove ahead to the archaeological site. Inside the park, we found the first ruin structure immediately coming in from the entrance. The famous mesoamerican ballgame had a court right within the entrance. The ring and structure were in excellent shape, although it did seem narrower than others I had seen before. I am not sure if the Mayans had an official court size or if they just laid out the court in approximations.

Tulum Real Estate

After visiting the first set of structures, we looked at the map and noticed several other buildings at a walking distance. But we also noticed bicycle taxi services. My husband wanted to walk but knowing my kids, I knew that I would be carrying them half way down the path. So we hired a bicylce taxi. I suggest if going with a family that you use the taxi as the heat can be very strong and it is a very enjoyable ride through the jungle having someone peddling you. As we came around a curve in the path, a lone pyramid caught our attention. The observatory. Beautiful structure, pyramid. Rounded corners and sitting in its own small wooded area gave the ruin a unique and beautiful “look” for photos. You can see this ruin in the video. TULUM REAL ESTATE COBA VIDEO.

Returning to our bikeman tour guide, he continued even further into the jungle where we could see an amazing structure towering over the tree tops. Thin steps, many steps, rocky steps with a thin rope to guide all the tourists to the top. I recommend strongly that you take tennis shoes when visiting Coba or any other pyramids here in Mexico as there is always much walking, and many times on slippery surfaces.

Tulum Real Estate coba photos Well, we came this far, why not go up and see what the view looks like. It was well worth the climb. Amazingly beautiful. I was very pleasantly surprised at this site. I know that Chichenitza and the Tulum pyramids are quite popular with the visiting tourists and visitors, but after visiting these sites, I would also rank them as some of the most interesting places to visit here in the Yucatan Peninsula. Later I will write and share some pictures of the CENOTES we visited to cool down.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

I visited to Casa del Mar condos located in Coco beach Playa del Carmen Condo which is in the quickly developing north end of Playa del Carmen.

These condos have many wonderful perks, obviously being practically oceanfront is one of them. Another thing we feel comfortable with, this developer has had incredible experience (10 years) in Playa, and has constructed several impressive condos in different levels of quality and price ranges. If you compare with other condos in the area, these stack up very well. To see and compare other condo options click to this web page Mexico Real EState and click onto the region of the map where you wish to do your comparison.

There are 42 units in 3 levels with a common area rooftop pool and there are 5 units on each level that are facing the ocean, with a public street access to the beach which means that nothing can be constructed in front. Of these there are 2 choice options still available: WE HAVE TWO PREMIUM UNITS LEFT, UNIT 311 (PENTHOUSE) OCEANVIEW AT 515,500 USD AND ANOTHER GROUNDFLOOR OCEANVEIW RIGHT INFRONT OF THE BEACH ACCESS NO OBSTRUCTION TO THE VIEW AT 523,500 USD. These are quite amazing prices for being this close to the beach. Check with us and we can give you comparisons to other beachfront / view projects in the zone.

The showroom is completed and has some pretty amazing views looking south at Coco beach.

Playa del Carmen Condo 2

Here’s the list of amenites for this project:

· 2 BEDROOM

· 2 & 2 ½ Bathrooms

· Wood closets

· Crema Maya Marble floors

· Air Conditioning

· Ceiling fans with lighting

· Electric water heater

· Pneumatic hydro system

Playa del Carmen Condo 3

KITCHEN:

· Italian design kitchen
· Granite counter tops
· Refrigerator
· Electric Stove
· Washer
· Dryer
· Reverse Osmosis Water Purifier
· Laundry Room

SOLARIUM (private for penthouse units):
· Aticato floors or synthetic grass
· Pergola
· Jacuzzi

With all the great features, the developer is also quoted very low maintenance fees at an estimated $1 / m2

Reservations are just $10,000 and of course, fully refundable. Contact us for more information the pricing and details of this fantastic property before they are all sold out!

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

The director of the Riviera Maya fedeicomiso, David Ruiz Cuevas gave a few words during a breakfast meeting in Playa del Carmen. Tourism is one of the strongest and most rapidly growing business sectors here in Mexico.

Playa del Carmen Real Estate Occupancy Rates It is projected that within 5 years it will become Mexico`s number one revenue source for jobs and incomes, for the country, not just for this state. Here in Quintana Roo, the government is poised and preparing for this continued boom in the Mexican Caribbean. The Playa del Carmen real estate market, investors, developers, and many Mexican foreign business people are also closely monitoring the indicators within this industry.

The director of the Riviera Maya fedeicomiso mentioned that Quintana Roo has created approximately 5 trusts or organization dedicated to the promotion and implusing the tourist activities in the region. Such a trust exists for Chetumal, Cancun, Isla Mujeres, Cozumel and the Riviera Maya.

The Riviera Maya fedeicomiso started in 1996 whose funds are captured from taxes paid by the hotel rooms. A portion of the monies are designated for the administration but the majority of the monies go towards the promotion and advertising of this world known tourist destination. If you are one of the tens of thousands of Mexican foreigners who have invested in Playa del Carmen real estate, this organization and their functions are very important and quite interesting. Rentals can jump 15 - 25 percentage points or more annually with a succesful marketing campaign from this organization which also plays positively with Playa del Carmen real estate appreciation, if the trends can continue on a constant basis.

The Riviera Maya trust basically promotes the Playa del Carmen market to USA and Canada, to Europe and Asia, and to Mexico and Latin America. These are the division of the markets which the trust administers. The organization is in charge of administering and promoting annual events such as the Jazz Festival.

Because of the incredible and beautiful natural attractions such as the Caribbean beaches and cenotes, and the strong projected growths of visitors to this area in the 10 years, multi national companies have been investing in record quantities money and construction of mega resorts.

This brings up a few questions. What are the Playa del Carmen trends for the occupany rates and trends for Playa del carmen tourist volumes given this boom in hotel room inventories? For example, in the year 2007 the volume of tourists visiting the Riviera Maya zone was 2,800,000 people!in the year 2008, the volume of tourist visiting record was 3,000,000 visitor record! Projection is for the zone to reach 4,000,000 per year within 5 years.

Will the Cancun airport have the capacity to support such strong projections? This is why the government is closely supporting and initiating the introduction of a new international airport to the region designated for the Tulum region. As well, the Cancun airport is also gearing up for all of these visitors by expanding their operations. In my opinion these are some of the main factors that has made the Real Estate market here in the region some of the hottest in the Americas and maybe even some of the strongest markets of the world. Yet, a few factors that we need to watch closely and which are hampering the growth, US economy and the oil prices. Which, opens up opportunities as well, WRITE TO ME to discuss and learn more of investment potentials during the world downturn and how this has created some opportunities in the Riviera Maya region.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

The Presentation of azulea condo project in Playa del Carmen has some truly amazing features to offer in comparison to others in town. coming soon in october 2009 it will be completely finished.

Playa del Carmen Preconstruction Condo Azulea

Unlike some of the surrounding condo complexes, it is not being promoted as a condo hotel. Azulea is presented as a comfortable luxury condo get away which has excellent rental potential for those who prefer. Next to an almost brand new high-end hotel, the Mosquito Beach, it’s obvious this area is changing and molding itself into a distinct and classy place in the new Playa del Carmen Real Estate.

The location is dynamite, within half a block to the beach and half a block to the famous 5th Ave.

Playa del Carmen Real Estate Azulea Location

It offers 28 condos in 4 levels (plus rooftop) and 4 commercial spaces at the entrance. They range in size of 1-3 bedrooms, 2 and 3 bathrooms from 60-120 m2 (645-1290 sq ft). The interesting feature is that there is a natural cenote on the property and they will preserve this and build a centre garden around this.

What used to be the ‘Tree Tops’ hotel will be converted in something wonderful, with other features such as:

Common rooftop pool with specular views of the Caribbean waters, 5th Ave and Cozumel
Penthouses have private solariums with plunge pools
Gym
Spa
Elevators
Concierge
Underground parking

Here are some other great amenities included in the units:

Bosch appliances throughout (washer/dryer, fridge, stove, even an expresso maching, state of the are oven
Wired for multi-media devices (audio and video)
Energy saving features (a lighting system by Phillips that reduced energy consumption)
A/C central air
Local stone and wood interior wall
Granite counter tops in kitchen and bathrooms
optional furniture packages

Playa del Carmen preconstruction condo interior

Playa del Carmen Preconstruction Condo showroom

Another impressive thing is that the project is connected to Stewart Title Riviera and they are currently offering the listed prices with 2-3% of the closing cost included: insurance, closing, notary and escrow services. Keep in mind we quote the overall closing costs to be estimated at 6%. Click here to see Mexico Closing Costs.

Expect complete the project in October 2009.

Act now and get in on the fantastic pre-construction deals! 1 bedrooms starting at $375,000.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!" Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate Thomas Lloyd Graduate from Purdue University Business School with a degree in Management/Financial Option Investment. He has been living, investing, and working in Mexico for over 15 years. A Mexican certified & licensed realtor, he is the current president of TOPMexicorealestate NETWORK "Our experience at work protecting your interests" (512) 879-6546

The majority of the people coming to visit Mexico either arrive by plane or by driving across the border. After filling out the correct documentation for yourself, your family and friends, your next decision is “choosing the lane to DECLARE ITEMS being imported into Mexico or choose the lane of NO DECLARATION”.

Mexico Customs

What does this mean?

In the lane of NO DECLARATION, you will be asked to press a button, if the green light turns on, you will pass on through into Mexico, if the red light turns on, a physical inspection will be realized by the customs officer on your luggage and carry on items. The majority of the time, the inspection is quick and efficient, and then you will proceed on into Mexico.

If you choose to DECLARE ITEMS, then please read the last paragraph on how much you will need to pay in duties on your excess items being brought into Mexico.

WHAT ITEMS CAN WE BRING INTO MEXICO WITHOUT PAYING DUTIES?

Basically the items that can fit in your luggage and which are listed below are duty free when travelling into Mexico.

1. Goods for personal use, such as clothing, footwear and personal toiletries and beauty products, as long as they are appropriate for the duration of the trip, including wedding party items.
2. Two photographic cameras or video recorders, 12 rolls of film or videocassettes; photographic material; two cellular telephones or radio phones; a portatil typewriter; an electronic calendar; a portable computer (laptop), notebook, omnibook or similar items; a copier or portable printer; a portable projector, and their accessories.
3. Two sports equipment, four rods, three speedboats with or without sails and their accessories, trophies or recognitions, provided that they can be transported normally and commonly by the passenger, one stair climber and bicycle
4. A portable radio for the recording or reproduction of sound or mixed tapes; or a digital sound reproducer or portable reproducer of compact discs and a portable reproducer of DVD’s, such as a pair of portable speakers, and their accessories.
5. Five laser disks, 10 DVD disks, 30 compact disks (CD) or magnetic tapes (audiocassettes), for the reproduction of sound and five storage devices or memory cards for any electronic equipments.
6. Books, magazines and printed documents.
7. Five toys, —included those that are collectible— and a video game console and videogames.
8. One device that permits measurement of arterial pressure and one for glucose, as well as medications of personal use; in the case of psychotropics the medical prescription should be shown.
9. One set of binoculars and a telescope.
10. Valises, trunks and suitcases necessary for the movement of goods.
11. Passengers over 18 years of age, may introduce a maximum of up to 20 packs of cigarettes, 25 cigars or 200 grams of tobacco and up to three liters of alcoholic beverages, and six liters of wine; in excess of the above, cannot be imported without complying with applicable regulations and restrictions.
12. Baby travel accesories, such as strollers and baby-walkers
13. Two musical instruments and its accessories.
14. A camping tent and camping equipment, as well as their accessories.
15. Handicapped or old travelers may introduce items for personal use, useful to have a better performance of their activities, such as walkers, wheelchairs, crutches and canes.
16. A set of tools including its case, it might have a hand drill, wire cutters, wrenches, dices, screwdrivers, current cables, among others.
17. Beddings, that will be able to include a set of matching sheets and pillowcases, a set of towels, a set of bath, a set of table linen and a set of kitchen.
18. Up to two dogs or cats, maybe introduced as well as their accesories, provided that the corresponding zoosanitary import certificate issued by (SAGARPA) is presented to the customs officials.

What if I Bring an Item That is Not Within the Luggage and Not Outlined in the List Above?

Up to $75 USD per person is permitted on goods, or its equivalent in other currencies. Passengers traveling with family members (spouse and children) may combine their personal exemptions only when arriving together on the same vehicle or same plane. In order to claim this additional exemption, passengers must have the corresponding commercial invoices or receipts available
If the amount is greater than the $75 exemption permitted yet less than US$3,000, you must pay duties and taxes. There is a flat 15% rate of duties and taxes and you must fill out the payment form intended for it, which is available at the Customs counter.

If the amount of the goods is over the US$3,000, then you must hire the services of a customs broker, who will present the legal forms to pay the duties and taxes (you can ask where to reach one at the Customs Office).

Mexico Real Estate Tourist card Travelling to Mexico can be very memorable, exciting, and adventurous. But let the adventures start in Mexico and not at the border by informing yourself of the correct documentation and procedures beforehand.

DOCUMENTS NEEDED WHEN ENTERING INTO MEXICO

The Mexico government requires proof of citizenship and a photo i.d. for visitors into Mexico. A passport is the recommended ID but other documents such as a certified copy of a birth certificate, a Consular Report of Birth Abroad, a Naturalization Certificate, or a Certificate of Citizenship will also be allowed by Mexico immigration. Canadian versions of these documents are as well required by Mexico; notarized affidavits must be executed in Canada . The “Canadian Identification Card” is accepted by Mexico as proof of citizenship document as well. Bring the originals and practice keeping copies on hand. A tourist card issued by Mexico, better known as the FMT, is the third document needed to travel and visit within Mexico.

PASSPORT REQUIREMENTS IN THE FUTURE

Mexico does not require a passport, but USA citizens do require this document on re-entry since January of 2007. This applies only to Americans returning to the states by Air. For those returning to the states by land, this passport requirement will start in June of 2009.

HOW TO GET A MEXICO TOURIST CARD

You can obtain a FMT document from Mexican consulates, Mexican border crossing points and from most Mexican tourism offices. If travelling by air, the airlines usually hand these formats out during the flight. This is basically a document where the traveller states his/her purpose of visit to Mexico being as a tourist. You can request that the quantity of days allowed for the visit to be for a maximum of 180 days. For those who are planning to travel or work in Mexico for periods longer than 180 days, link here to review the FM3 and FM2 visas.

SAVE YOUR MEXICO TOURIST CARD

Always keep your FMT card well filed while you are travelling in Mexico. This simple ticket proves your legal presence in Mexico for any type of circumstance and is required when exiting the country. If you are travelling to Mexico to purchase real estate, the FMT is required when signing any legal documents to prove legal status of a party within the country when entering into contract. Such contract can be the Promissory Contract or the Purchase Sales agreement. A good tip is to keep it filed with your passport, or with your other original legal identification documents.

OK, now you have your Mexico Paradise Real Estate. You have either received physical possession or have received legal possession or maybe both, and your next challenge… How do you get your Mexican Property Set up with an account in your name at the Electric Company?

Mexico Electric expenses

CFE (Comision Federal de Electricidad) is the institution where you will set up your account for electricity. The electric company here in Mexico is a federal institution and it is not private. Obviously the first thing you wish to do once you have your Mexico Property is to set up the accounts for electricity, set up the Mexico water accounts, gas, telephone and television. But the first question; is the property a new construction where you will be ordering a new meter (new account), or is the property a resale, where you the new owner will be requesting a change of residence owner?

Mexico Electric Contract; Setting Up a New Meter and Account

Before contracting the Mexico Electric account, the company requires a few items listed below (as listed out by the company):

1) Electric Cables must exist in the street

2) The nearest electric pole must be within 35 meters of the meter

3) The internal electric installation must be complete and safe for the residence

4) The exterior panel and base for the meter must exist and be properly prepared for insertion of the meter.

The CFE will require a few documents and charge a fee to set up your new Mexico Property Electrical Account.

a) Name of the new resident and address

b) $502 pesos.

c) copy of the new resident owner’s identification (official id, passport)

d) copy of the of the purchase/sales contract

e) proof of address for the Mexican property (Developer may have previous electric bill, or phone bill etc)

f) Phone number

Once these documents are delivered and fees paid, it will take approximately 8 - 15 days for the Electric Company to visit your Mexico home and connect.

Mexico Electric Contract; Changing the Registered Owner Name on an Electric Account

If you have purchased a residence that already has an existing meter, you will want to update your name to appear on the Mexico Electric account and bills.

The electric company will require the following documents and fees.

a) copy of the purchase / sales contract

b) copy of the official Identification of the new owner

c) proof of address for the Mexican property such as recent telephone bill, recent gas bill, or better yet the last electric bill with name of the previous owner.

d) $300 pesos.

* It is important to ensure that your name is captured completely and as what appears on your official identification and as it appears on your new Mexico Title. These electric receipts will be documents necessary for filing when you selling your residency. See the post, Mexico capital gains taxes.

** The fees charged by the Electric Company may vary from state to state.

More Information on Mexico Electric Company

Once you have your electric set up and operating, some other side notes that might be helpful;

The standard here in Mexico for electricity is 110 volts. Three prong outlets are not common on older structures, but the newer buildings have these redily available. Adapters are easy to find in major office supply outlets such as Office Depot and Office Max as well as in Home Depot and Home Mart supply outlets. It is always wise to buy a surge protector and electrical no-break aparatus for your computers.

Most meters here in Mexico are either a 5 digit or a 4 digit reading. The hand will point between two digits, the lesser value of the two digits is what is captured on the bill between readings.

In Mexico, 23% of the total electric consumption is consumed from residences. Of this amount, 43% is calculated for ilumination purposes.

Payments can be realized by internet for the electric bills.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate

Thomas Lloyd Graduate from Purdue University Business School with a degree in Management/Financial Option Investment. He has been living, investing, and working in Mexico for over 15 years. A Mexican certified & licensed realtor, he is the current president of TOPMexicorealestate NETWORK "Our experience at work protecting your interests" (512) 879-6546

On the southern part of Quintana Roo, following highway 307 towards the Beliz border, you run across a beautiful quiet little town nestled along the lagoon called Bacalar. Bacalar has various oceanfront real estate properties that are for sale which have caught the attention of many northerners. The majority of Mexico oceanfront real estate in Quintana Roo is located in Cancun, the Riviera Maya, Cozumel, and of Costa Maya. But Bacalar’s oceanfront properties are unique in that the water is not salty, but fresh water fed from underground springs.

Mexico Oceanfront Real Estate Bacalar

Mexico Oceanfront Real Estate: City Bacalar

We made this road trip with the final destination being Chetumal, the state capital to do some business for my husband Thomas. On the trip, we decided to stop for a bite to eat in the beautiful oceanfront town of Bacalar.

Mexico Oceanfront Real estate Restaurant In all fact, the city does not sit in front of the ocean, but it is a lagoon that feels like a summer lake. Many buildings still have the Mayan style thatched roofs like the restaurant that we visited pictured to the left. The afternoon was calm all day, we saw one boat skimming along the waters and the rest of the water movement came from the birds and winds.

The town is small with about 15,000 people, a very quaint downtown center, with a fort that hosts a local museum. The town attracts visitors mainly because of the beautiful turquoise waters known as the lake of 7 colors.

The water is fresh water and can be very attractive site for small sail boat or motor boat frequenters. Many of the homes built along the waterfront put in docks for lounging and for tying up their boats.

Mexico Oceanfront Real Estate 2

Mexico Oceanfront Real Estate 4

Mexico Oceanfront Real Estate: Chetumal

15 or 20 minutes away from Bacalar, you find Chetumal. Chetumal is the state capital of Quintana Roo along the Mexico Caribbean ocean. It is the furthest city to the south, bordering the southern country of Beliz. Chetumal is about 250,000 in population and borders on the Chetumal bay. Mexico Oceanfront Real Estate 5

The bay is known for the natural life and especially the manitee marine mammels (sea cows).

It is a very peaceful capital. Many state buildings and offices throughout each corner of the city, and museums that are located on the main avenue called Heroes.

A new shopping center is operating on the northern part of the city with movie theatres, department stores, and food courts with various franchise establishments.

Downtown, one of the famous museums is the Museum of the Mayan Culture. This is a great place to start to learn about the Mayan Culture and history for all of the Yucatan peninsula. It shows and introduces the visitors to many ruins and important sites throughout the Mayan zone.

Mexico Oceanfront Real Estate 6

The pyramids at Oxtankah were an amazing and memorable visit. One of the few pyramids in Quintana Roo that is completely engulfed by the jungle.

Mexico Oceanfront Real Estate pyramid

Alongside the Chetumal Bay these ruins are also one of the last few that the officials actually allow the visitors to walk up the structures to explore and learn.

This site was believed to be inhabited during 200 upto 600 AC. There are basically 5 structures all believed to be either administrative and ceremonial in their functions. The body of one of the city’s rulers was placed in this pyramid tomb.

Mexico Oceanfront real estate 8

The Mayan would lay his arms and legs outstretched and his head would be pointing northward. Here in the sacred buildings, priests would carry out ceremonies which would strengthen the rulers ties with their gods. I know that many people when searching for a second home investment down here in Mexico, choose the location on basis of nearby attractions or cities to visit. The cities found along the Mexican Caribbean are fortunate to have many nearby attraction points to visit and explore. Merida, Campeche, are gorgeous colonial cities full of history and culture. Hundreds of miles of beaches to explore and cenotes to discover. Mayan history and the ruins are found in practically every village and who knows, as many experts state, hundreds of Mayan structures have yet to be uncovered. You might end up discovering a new pyramid yourself!

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate

Homarus Americanus has arrived to Mexico. And how delicious it is. If you are wondering what exactly is this Americanus thing, well maybe this photo will clue you in.

Mexico luxury living with lobster

Yes, this is lobster or better known as the Northern Lobster found on the north Atlantic coast of Canada and USA. Did you know this lobster can vary in weight from 1/2 a kilo upto 4 kilos, yet have been seen to reach upto 20 kilos! Well, these lobsters are now available in some of the top quality Cancun restaurants, Playa del Carmen restaurants, Tulum restaurants, and various Riviera Maya restaurants here in Mexico!

Playa del Carmen Luxury lobster

The lobsters are being imported “live” from Canada. They are being delivered to various internationally famous restaurants along the Riviera Maya coast with all care and attention to quality to ensure a delicious lobster meal. Did you know that when a lobster takes on a posture of a jet, as seen in the photo to the right, it means that the lobster is happy of his environment and in good health?

We spent the afternoon riding along the coast tasting and visiting with some of the region’s, some of the country’s, and I would say some of North America’s top chefs to review this delicous sea food plate.

Playa del Carmen luxury living lobster

To the left we see one chef and the suppliers discuss methods of preparing the seafood platter. Did you know that the delicous lobster tail that we eat is not actually the tail but his abodomen?

Finally, at the end of the afternoon, we get to sit down alongside the Mexican Caribbean Ocean to enjoy a fresh lobster platter that I won’t forget for years to come I am sure.

Mexico Luxury Living Lobster lunch

Did you know that non-Mexican citizens can be 100% owners of a Mexican corporation? And with such a Mexican Corporation, you can purchase and sell Mexico Oceanfront properties under such entity? Write to us for more information on this subject or for a list of restaurants where you can experience a memorable fresh North American Lobster dinner.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate

Playa del Carmen real estate, and the Riviera Maya has been the attention of major five star developers over the past 2-3 years. With the natural beauty of the Mexico Caribbean beaches, the crystal blue Cenotes, and thick green jungles, Mexico Oceanfront condos and Mexico Oceanfront properties have become …. a hot item for Mexico Luxury real estate buyers. The team of lloyd's real estate was invited and were very impressed and fell in love with the developers and the Mayakoba Banyan Tree Mexico Luxury Real Estate project they were constructing. See the blog that I wrote. Mayakoba Playa del Carmen Real Estate Banyan Tree If you need help on any type of information about Playa del Carmen Mayakoba golf or Mayakoba real estate for sale… please feel free to contact me, or you can continue reading to learn little more of my own experience earlier this afternoon.

Mayakoba Banyan Tree

Sunday afternoon my family and I were invited out to the Mayakoba Golf Course, “El Camaleon”. I took the opportunity and took my kids along for a few lessons to see if we could detect any future promises or natural talent potential.

I was pleasently surprised! Both of my kids have talent!

Mayakoba Real Estate Golf kid

The afternoon was gorgeous. The golf course, the Mayakoba grounds, holds an annual PGA tournament which is in February of each year. The next tournament is in February 2010. Playa del Carmen real estate, and the Cancun real estate market is finding many new golf courses being introduced up and down the coast. These new professionaly designed courses has brought yet another wonderful passtime for visitors and for people who own property here in the Riviera Maya.

Who REALLY needs lessons and a pro to fix his swing is the old man.

Mayakoba Banyan Tree old man There are nearly 15 Mexico golf courses here in the Mexican Caribbean. You can click onto this link to find some further information on location, description of the golf courses, and fees. Riviera Maya Golf Courses.

After the warm up, a quick round at the Mayakoba Banyan Tree course.

Mayakoba Banyan Tree

Can you imagine owning a Mayakoba real estate property and waking up to these fairways on the Mexican Caribbean ocean. The entire enclosed grounds here in Banyan Tree are surronded by canals of transparent blue waters which have electric boat taxis to transport you from your private residenct docks to the club house, to the beach clubs, to the restaurants.

Right after hole 14 we took a stroll along the Mexico Caribbean Mayakoba Oceanfront.

Mayakoba Banyan Tree Real Estate 2

The most incredible aspect of the Mayakoba Real Estate….is the layout. You get lost completely in nature. You never notice the structures or the buildings, they seem to be hidden in the canals, behind the jungle, beyond the dune. It is you and your family and the beauties of nature. This is a place where in the afternoon memories are created.
(If you would like a copy of this post please contact me, I will be very glad to work with you).

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate

The majority of the real estate news you hear over the past 6 months touches upon how the prices are readjusting downwards in many markets of the US, and even several regions of Canada. Here on the Coast Mexico Real Estate, in the Riviera Maya, this region either seems to have a long lag time of affects or we may be in a region which is strongly independent of the northern markets such as what is being witnessed in China and Brazil. Tulum real estate is one such exceptional region that has been Bullish over the past year. At a initiation party given last night, I had the chance to chat with one of the principal investors developers of a major new Tulum Closed Gate Community project.

Tulum Real Estate Closed Gate Community

TULUM REAL ESTATE FACTORS

What are some of the factors creating this positive confidence in the Tulum Real Estate?

a) The first factor is coming from the strong appreciation results realized over the past 5 years in Playa del Carmen, a city just north of Tulum. Playa del Carmen Real Estate has seen an incredible population growth in this period from an estimated 70,000 population upto 180,000. Such increases in population logically have given appreciation marks above 20% + on several periods. Playa del Carmen Real Estate prices.

b) The private and public monies being invested into infrastructure projects for the region. If you recall about a few months ago I wrote a short post regarding the Tulum and Cancun Airport expansion projects and some brief updates.

c) Foreign investment into the region. Many of the Tulum real estate, Playa del Carmen Real Estate, Riviera Maya real estate projects that are being developed, on the beach or near to the beaches accesses, are targeted to foreigners. The growth of the population in the region is coming primarily from Mexican nationals, but the engine that is initiating the growth comes from the large international resorts being constructed, the international second home buyers, and ex pats who are moving full time to the beautiful turquoise coastline here on the Mexico Caribbean.

TULUM REAL ESTATE MARKET INTRODUCES A NEW CLOSED GATE COMMUNITY

Last night, the developers of a new project in Tulum real estate invited people from the industry to participate in their latest milestone achievement which was to obtain construction approval from the newly formed municipality of Tulum. The location of the project is the interesting factor. Tulum Real Estate closed gate community

The city of Tulum is built about 2 kilometers back from the Mexico oceanfront. And on the oceanfront of Tulum to the north, the government has the famous Tulum ruins which is one of the top 2 most visited archeological sites of Mexico.

The project is just initiating, and plans are to be delivering single family lots, multi-family lots, and commerical lots for construction in approximately 6 months on several fases within the closed gated community. tulum real estate closed gate community construction

The Tulum closed gate community will have underground electric, water and utilities. Bike and jogging path will surrond the park. And a commercial area to service the closed gated community as well as the Tulum community.

The project is opening its doors to phase 2 and the commercial phase of the development. If you are interested to learn more information or investment opportunities, feel free to contact us.

I will follow up this post with another section or two as this is quite an interesting Tulum real estate project which might be amongst the top Mexico real estate projects with strong potentials.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate

I have been involved in hundreds of Mexico Real Estate transactions. Hardly any of the Mexico Real Estate Purchases have had the same procedures, or the same situations to occur. As in any real estate transfer, there are many factors and parties involved, and when dealing in Mexico, with Mexican foreign buyers or sellers, the variables only increase.

Mexico Real Estate Purchasing Process Thus, there is a high probablity that when you go to buy Mexico Real Estate transaction, it will be unique in itself, have its unique obstacles but following a common and legally protected Mexico Real Estate process. I have written an introductory guide from my many years of Mexico business experience outlining the steps involved in How to Buy Real Estate in Mexico which I have shared with many first time Mexico buyers and sellers.

MEXICO REAL ESTATE DEFINITION

Lets start with the definition of Mexico Real Estate. Click here to see a general DESCRIPTION OF MEXICO REAL ESTATE. As outlined in this web page definition, Mexico’s Purchasing Process has several EXTRA steps if the buyer or seller is a Mexican Foreigner. There exists a Mexico Restricted Zone where the buyer will need to establish a bank trust. Or, if you purchase outside of the restricted zone you can hold the property out right but just need to receive a simple permit from the Mexico Foreign Affairs department.

MEXICO REAL ESTATE PURCHASING PROCESS

a) MEXICO REAL ESTATE AGENT

First tip, surrond yourself with a very well qualified Mexico Real Estate agent and broker. When you are hundreds of miles away back in your home country, simple obstacles can easily become headaches if you have not taken the first intelligent step of surronding yourself with professional agents. Ask for certificates, diplomas and credentials. Are they members of any associations, if Mexican foreigners how long have they lived in Mexico and working in the real estate industry? Do they speak spanish? AMPI link.

b) MEXICO REAL ESTATE FINANCING

Second, define the amount of money you plan to invest in your Mexico property investment. If you plan to Mexico financing the purchase, begin to study and see if you qualify for such resources. Do you plan to finance using the Mexican property or raise money from your home country. Define these issues before investing time and money on your Mexico property search.

c) DEFINE THE MEXICO REAL ESTATE CLOSING COSTS

Third, understand all the costs that will be involved in the real estate acquisition. Mexico closing costs include several extra items that most people are not accustomed or aware. Although the entry costs may be a little higher, the carrying costs (property taxes, maintenance fees etc) are on average much less here in Mexico than in other parts of the world.

With the above three items defined and understood, put your agent to work on collecting qualified properties that match your criteria search. Review the options, have your agent prepare visits to the properties, do your comparison evaluations and ….have fun.

There are various more steps involving preparing the offer to purchase, the contracts, notary publics and other issues for the Mexico property purchasing process which are outlined in several of my articles. To see these articles and to learn more, please click here. Mexico Real Estate Purchasing Process.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate

The question on “How do I transfer money into the Mexico Real Estate seller’s bank account during closing?” is very common.

Mexico Certified Check Real Estate There are various options available for making money transfers into Mexico and delivering checks to the sellers. But, of all options, some are the most efficient and safest for both the Mexico Real Estate buyer and the Mexico Real Estate seller.

How to Transfer Money to Mexico for a Real Estate Transaction:

First we should define some of the tools available to transfer money and to guarantee payments between Mexico Banks and Mexico property buyers and sellers.

a) Mexico Bank Draft:

as explained in investopedia, Mexico Bank Drafts are normally used when involving large sums of Money and trust is a factor. In wikipedia, the definition is little more vague for the Mexico Bank Drafts 2 stating that such a Draft is guaranteed by the bank but the definition does not distinguish any differences between the Mexico Bank Draft with a Mexico Certified Check.

b) Mexico Certified Check:

In their definition for a Mexico Certified Check, this web page states that the bank will freeze the specified money amount within the holder’s account. The depositor will normally not be able to put a stop order on the check which is why this is usually a preferred payment method by Mexico sellers.

c) Mexico Cashiers Check:

The difference between the Cashiers Check and the Mexico Certified Check is:
that the money is drawn from the financial institution’s account (Mexico Cashiers Check) vs. money drawn from the owners account (Mexico Certified Check). This is explained in detail at this link for a Mexico Cashiers Check.

d) Mexico Wire Transfer:

The layman’s term is stated very well here at the wikipedia web site Mexico Wire Transfer. And as explained here in investopedia, the Mexico Wire Transfer definition are the most efficient methods for international movements. The Mexico money wire transfer is the simplest method for having money arrive quickly to the Mexico Real Estate sellers account. Most Mexico money transfers are prepared beforehand by the buyer at the bank from his home country specifying the quantity and the planned date of transfer execution for final approval. At the notary public, once documents have been signed, the buyer will place an international call to his bank giving the authorization and within a few minutes, seller can confirm reception of deposits into their accounts. The downside of this method might include the fact that some banks may take as long as 2 hours for wire transfer to appear internationally. This will require all parties to wait patiently at the Notary Public’s offices for execution and confirmation.

e) Mexico Money Exchange House:

On some occasions, if during a volatile exchange rate period, the Mexico Real Estate buyer may want to analyze and compare the exchange rates given by their home bank versus a Mexico foreign exchange company. Most Mexico currency exchange services offer various support items which are outlined at the following link. Definition of currency exchange services. Most of these businesses may have a bank account within Canada, USA, UK, and most European countries allowing for an efficient national wire transfer to be executed by the Mexico buyer in their home country currency. They can then give instructions to the exchange home to pay X amount of pesos to a specified Mexico Bank account (Mexico Sellers account). Other businesses may allow for you to pick up a check made out to the Mexico Sellers name as a certified check giving the Seller ease and confidence of reception of monies.

f) Mexico Escrow Account:

Our last option that we discuss in this post is the Escrow Account. Here the buyer pays an escrow agent to administer and coordinate the payments once all documents and signatures are safely collected. You can listen to a video introduction to this Mexico Real Estate tool by clicking onto this link. Listen to video introduction on Mexico Escrow Accounts

The payment of deposits, balances and overall Mexico Real Estate transaction process are outlined in greater detail in another post. If you are interested to see when such payments are normally due and payable, learn more by clicking and reading more at (the purchasing process). At a future date, I will write some information on how to legally get monies above $10,000 usd into this country to buy or invest into Mexico Real Estate.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate

There have been several articles and news clips throughout various countries about the world wide inflationary pressures. Inflation on the basic goods of everyday living including the obvious which is the cost of oil, but also the cost of Rice, Milk, and other food products.

Mexico Cost of Living Grocery Store A little more than a year ago, I collected some prices from the grocery store here in Playa del Carmen and I put them up on the web page to give new buyers an idea of the Mexico Costs (MEXICO COST OF LIVING FOOD COSTS year ago ). Today, on my visit to the grocery store, I thought it would be interesting to see todays prices vs. those of last year, and also to compare with the readers prices from their home country. Below are some costs on everyday food items.

Mexico Cost of Living Food Costs

Carrots                 1 kg.                         $2.00 pesos
Sugar                 1 kg.                       $10.00 pesos
Beer Sol                12 pack/355 ml/unit   $92.50 pesos
Coke Light         2 Ls                        $15.50 pesos
Coke                      3 Ls                           $17.40 pesos
Cloth Detergent       2.7 kgs                      $52.50 pesos
Dish Soap               1 kg.                          $14.20 pesos
Bananas                 1 kg.                          $8.80 pesos
Lemons                  1 kg.                          $3.00 pesos
Rice                       1 kg.                        $10.00 pesos
Salt                        1 kg.                         $6.90 pesos
Spaghetti                450 grms.                  $8.00 pesos
Watermellon            1 kg.                       $3.70 pesos
Mango                    1 kg.                        $8.80 pesos
Hunt`s Catsup         680 grms                 $13.30 pesos
Tuna Water             170 grms.                $7.40 pesos
Nescafe                  200 grms                   $49.70 pesos
White Bread            770grms                    $24.00 pesos
Corn Flakes           660 grms                  $27.50 pesos
Milk                         1 liter                       $11.70 pesos
Hot Dogs                  16 units                   $43.50 pesos
Bar of Soap              1/unit                      $4.00 pesos
3ple Action Colgate   1/unit                      $14.55 pesos

I think it is very interesting to note that the prices here in Mexico have not jumped tremendously. I hope this trend remains. The food costs from our first collection, were already less expensive than many of our home country food costs. If the prices have increased sharply in other countries, than the cost difference gaps will only widen with that of Mexico. These daily costs of living have been some of the attractive factors which have brought and is bringing many Americans and Canadians to consider Mexico as full time retirement home or winter getaway home.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate

Mexico Real Estate investments Mexico closing cost calculator can have great returns and strong appreciation as it is a developing country with a rapidly growing tourist infrastructure. But as you invest into this Mexico Real Estate Market, it is wise to study all costs and prepare a Mexico investment strategy. Below I have put together a list of various taxes and fees due on a simple Mexico Real Estate operation. As in my previous articles, I always recommend updating and verifying all quoted costs with your local Mexican Notary Public, Professional Accountants and Professional Lawyers to verify and confirm the figures and factors below mentioned.

List of Mexico Closing Cost Items

Below you will find a brief introduction and description of the line items. If you click onto this link ARTICLE AND SPREADSHEET OF MEXICO REAL ESTATE CLOSING COSTS an excel spreadsheet is provided with formulas to allow you to drop in your actual commercial values to give you estimated closing expenses.

* Mexico Commercial Value

The commercial value is the amount of the actual agreed purchase and sales price. This amount is captured on the title or in Spanish called “escrituras”. Many of the costs are calculated based on factors against this dollar amount. In this article, I am assuming a Mexico Real Estate transaction of $100,000 usd.

A. (Mexico Lawyer Real Estate Contract)

I recommend having a regional Mexico lawyer to counsel, and supervise your Mexico property acquisition. The Mexican lawyers charge from $300 usd up to $5,000 usd for activities such as elaborating a contract, or reviewing a contract on behalf of the buyer. The costs of course depend on the complexity of the property and or of the operation.

A-2 (Mexico Lawyer Closing Coordination)

There are many pieces and people to the closing puzzle. Coordination of the Mexico Bank trust officers, the notary public, obtaining the correct property documentation is a heavy task. Such activities and services can be quoted by your Mexico legal representative. Click here and WATCH A VIDEO VIDEO introduction to Mexico Real Estate coordination services offered by lawyers.

B (Mexico Title Research)

Title research activities will generally cost from $500.00 to $1,600.00 usd depending on the region. In depth searches are recommended on lots and areas outside of main municipalities and such searches will expose any existing liens, history of the property, and any other details pertinent to the property. Title research to the chain of transfers are the legal responsability of a Notary Public, but a few buyers choose to have an additional review executed. If title insurance is retained, the private title research is a mandatory task.

C (Mexico Real Estate Title Insurance)

There are various private companies offering Title Insurance for Mexico Properties. Title insurance generally will cost $6.00 to $9.00 per $1000.00 of the purchase price. Mexico title insurance is normally required if you are obtaining a loan on your Mexico property by the lenders. A few companies that offer such tools: Stewart Title and First American Click here and WATCH A VIDEO VIDEO Stewart Title Mexico Title Insurance products.

C-2 (Mexico Escrow )

Although a new tool for Mexico, the escrow account is slowly being introduced and utilized here in the Mexico Real Estate industry. Costs for setting up these accounts range from $500 usd up to $1,250. Again this depends on the complexity of the operation and the dollar amount to be held in Escrow. Click here and WATCH A VIDEO introduction to VIDEO Mexico Escrow services.

D (National Registry of Foreign Investments Mexico)

Any non-Mexican citizen will need to register their investments with this Mexican Government Registrar. If the property being purchased is in a Trust with a Mexican bank, and the seller has a beneficial interest in the property which has been registered under the trust, the buyer will pay only the costs for Assignment of those beneficial rights, bank transfer fees and registration in the Foreign Investment Registry. A permit will be required only if so stipulated in the Seller’s Trust. If not stipulated there is no charge for a permit. The charge for registration is the National Registry of Foreign Investments (RNIE) is approximately $ 380.00 dlls. and is required for all transfers of trust properties. These fees are normally included within package deals offered by the bank.

E (Permit from Mexico Minister of Foreign Affairs )

The permit to invest into a Mexico territory will incur an expense due by the buyer.

If the property is not held in a Mexico Real Estate Trust by the seller, it will be necessary to acquire a permit from the Secretary of Foreign Relations to establish such a trust. The application for the permit must indicate the proposed purpose of the property. If the property is a vacant lot, the request should include a general development plan; the amount of money being invested and the time frame in which the investment will be made. The permit to establish the 50 year trust is approximately $1,300.00 dlls. This expense may be included within package deals offered by some banks.

F ( Mexico Bank Trust / Fideicomiso)

Your Mexican Bank is the organization which the Mexican Government has authorized as being a Trustee for properties held in Trusts. These institutions include multi-national corporations such as CITIBANK, BANCOMER, HSBC, SCOTIA BANK, BANORTE
amongst others.

Banamex has recently been purchased by the CITIBANK group. Citibank

Bancomer has recently been purchased by a financial institution from SPAIN Bancomer

Bital was purchased by the HSBC group. HSBC

Scotia Bank has recently been established in Mexico by the Canadian Banks. Scotia Bank

Banorte is one of the last remaining Mexican institutions to exist. Banorte

The average set up fee for a trust ranges from $800 up to $1,300 usd.

The normal annual trust fees are approximately $500 - $800 usd.

* please note some banks offer packages that include the set up and first year fees in one price

G (Notary Public)

A Mexican Notary Public “notario” is an attorney who has passed various rigorous examinations …….

Read this complete article by linking here ARTICLE AND SPREADSHEET OF MEXICO REAL ESTATE CLOSING COSTS.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate

A few days ago, Doug Payette from Connecticut took a trip down to Mexico to begin introducing a new program of Mexico Mortgages and Mexico financing for Americans, Canadians, and for the British.

Mexico Financing Mexico Loans

He took several days of introducting and training the Lloyd`s Real Estate team of these new tools that are now available. What are the Mexico interest rates? What are the terms? What type of loans can the Mexican foreign buyers utilize? CLICK HERE to see a video interview, VIDEO Mexico Mortgage and Mexico Financing Questions and Answers Very interesting conversation with Doug, and the exciting news is that he will also be a guest blogger here at TOPmexicorealestate, writing and receiving comments and questions from readers regarding these financing themes for Mexico.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate

Playa del Carmen real estate market is making news not only in North America, (Canada, US, and Mexico) but also in Europe.

Mexico Real Estate Financial Times Quote Nice to see when sleepy, quiet little Playa del Carmen, makes the news in other parts of the world. The Financial Times posted and quoted Lloyd on this interesting story distributed on the 15th of June ‘08.

Mr. Richard Lapper, who I had the great pleasure of meeting during his assignment down here in Mexico a few months ago (read post top mexico real estate blog), researched and reported about the boom occurring on Real Estate in Mexico throughout various regions. “Mexico is now the eighth biggest tourism destination in the world, and the second largest in the developing world.” as reported by Mr. Lapper. I have been following the tourism statistics for various years, and have also noted this strong tendency of job creation and growth. Tourism, is one of the strongest influence on the prices of Mexico resort real estate. Cities such as Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Tulum, Merida, Puerto Vallarta, Mazatian, and many many more are spurred by the amount of tourists that arrive to their regions year by year. So if you have already invested, or are preparing to invest, these trends of Mexico tourism should be very interesting for your reviews.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate

Many people are unaware that Non-Mexicans can OWN property in Mexico. For many, it is a surprise that Mexican foreigners can actually own property that is right on the beach, or that such an option is available to own Mexico Ocean front real estate. Mexico Bank Trust

Yes, Mexican foreigners can own a beachfront home and live full time very comfortably in Mexico! This question and a few other Frequently Asked Quesitons are covered in my previously prepared articles. You may want to review some of the anwers to these common questions on How to Buy Real Estate in Mexico at this site. Mexico Real Estate FAQ

As to a Mexico Bank Trust, also known as a Mexico Real Estate Trust, and in spanish known as the FIDEICOMISO:

MEXICO RESTRICTED ZONE

the Mexico 1917 Constitution outlines clearly that no Non-Mexican Citizen is allowed to own Mexico Real Estate within 50 Kilometers from any Mexico Coastline. The restriction also included any areas wihtin 100 Kilometers from any Mexico Border with neighboring countries. (this would describe the US/Mexican border and the Belize/Mexican border and the Guatemala/Mexican border) see Mexico Map BUT………

DEFINITION OF A MEXICO BANK TRUST, THE FIDEICOMISO

Many things have changed since the 1920`s, 30`s and so on. The world has been opening up their markets in nearly 80% of all countries. Including Mexico. As Mexico inteligently realized over the past several decades, foreign investors with their foreign investments were and are very attracted to the beautiful natural coastlines of the Mexican Pacific, the Sea of Cortes, the Mexican Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico. There were even many Americans who preferred to live in the less expensive Mexico neighborhoods, but within driving distance of their jobs on the American side. It was too complicated to change the Constitution….so amendments were established.

The Mexico Foreign Investment Law mandates the process for owning property in this restricted zone. This was first introduced in 1971, adjusted in 1993, and once again updated in 1998. The main theme of these regulations:

Mexico Bank Trust 2

1) Non-Mexicans CAN OWN property within the Restricted zone if for residential purposes using a Mexico Bank Real Estate Trust

2) Non-Mexicans CAN OWN property within the Restriced zone if for non-residential purposes using a Mexican Corporation

*Please note, non-Mexicans can invest and own 100% of a Mexican Corporation. The Mexican Corporation requires a minimum of 2 shareholders (both can be foreign), only a few minute industries do not allow 100% foreign ownership such as the oil industry and communication.

The fideicomiso is an agreement set up between the Mexican foreign buyer and a Mexican bank. The bank acts on behalf of the buyer. The bank will have title, but has a fiduciary obligation to follow the directions and wishes of the foreign buyer. The non-Mexican buyer can enjoy, use, rent out, improve upon the property, expand, build and sell the Mexico Real Estate and reap 100% of the profits.

other facts:

fideicomitente = seller of the property

fiduciary = the bank acting as the trustee and holder of the title

fideicomisario = beneficiary of the property

Term of 50 years, and it is renewable for another 50 year term

second beneficiaries can be established within the trust to establish automatic inheritance of the property in case of deaths of the first beneficiaries

The buyer, can choose which banks he wishes to establish his Bank Trust. There are various multi-national banks in Mexico including Citibank, Scotiabank, HSBC, Bancomer, as well as several Mexico national banks which include Banorte

One last note which will be covered in further depth at a later post, in regards to Non-Mexicans buying property outside of the Restricted Zone. Mexico Real Estate Bank Trusts are not needed in these regions and property can be held simple and straight title.

To see the total article and to learn more on Mexico Bank Trust and Mexico Fideicomiso click here: Articles on Mexico Real Estate.

A NEW POST EXPANDING ON THIS THEME HAS BEEN POSTED FOR YOUR FURTHER READING AND EDUCATION. AS ALWAYS, WE ARE EXCITED TO RECEIVE YOUR CALLS AND HELP ANSWER ANY SPECIFIC QUESTIONS YOU MAY HAVE REGARDING THIS THEME AND RELATING SUBJECTS OF HOW TO BUY REAL ESTATE IN MEXICO. CLICK HERE FOR THE NEW POST. More information on Mexico Bank Trusts

Thomas Lloyd www.TOPmexicorealestate.com

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate

In my years of working in Mexico, I have dealt and representated various real estate investors who have made returns of 35% - 50% on their Mexico ventures and several of these within 12 month time periods! Mexico Preconstruction Condo Money The Mexico Real Estate industry is a new developing market with amazing potential. The segments leading the area for ROI include the preconstruction residential investments which can be quite a lucrative investment option for the real estate buyer…. if you come prepared.

Although not as commonly heard, there also exist stories of investors that have had to administer developer’s non-detailed contracts, late deliveries and other complications that have eaten away the buyer’s profits and returns. The buyer would be forced to learn quickly how to find additional assistance, and find solutions on his own. But from such experiences, much knowledge was obtained which is then able to be applied to other future Mexican opportunities.

I have listed a few items below as a simple guide for your review during your Mexico Preconstruction Condo investment process.

Mexico Preconstruction Condo DOS…

1. Try to negotiate a payment plan based on construction progress and milestones. In Mexico, most contracts outline payment plans based on dates instead of progress.

2. Surround yourself with a good Mexico real estate investment team. Although it is not required by Mexican law to be trained, educated or certified to sell real estate in Mexico, you should be able to find top notch representation in various regions if you invest a little time into the research. Find professional agents with credentials, members of the AMPI organization, and agents with recommendations ( see link). Legal counsel is also a very important position to recruit for your Mexico Real Estate team. Your real estate agent should be able to give you a list of 2 or 3 top options of such lawyers.

3. Ensure that your reservation money is refundable. You the investor, along with your Mexican legal counsel, need a few days to study and analyze the proposed promissory contract. Most Mexico developers offer from 7 to 15 days to reserve a unit and will also offer the reservation check to be 100% refundable. Other developers, especially in a sellers market, encourage quick decisions and prefer to work with investors who have already qualified the region and project during the Mexico preconstruction condo sales phase. Such developers may not allow for refunds.

4. Keep in close contact with the developer. Once you have signed the hard contract, many developers may have monthly progress reports or monthly mailers to keep in touch with their investors. Make sure you get on these distribution lists and keep yourself updated regularly.

5. If you have any custom changes or upgraded choices on materials for your condo, define and communicate these changes as soon as possible to your developer. This will give your developer ample time to include such improvements into the master plan and to incorporate into his overall construction schedule.

Mexico Preconstruction Condo DONT’S…

1. Don’t Expect to have your trusted lawyer from your home country to be able to elaborate, review, and to give you the best counsel regarding Mexico Real Estate. Your home country lawyer can give you pointers and recommendations, but it is always highly recommended that you retain the services of local, regional, or a licensed Mexican representative. The laws in Mexico are quite different than the laws of Canada, USA and UK and even more so regarding Real Estate law. A legal representative from the area has a better chance to have first hand knowledge and know the history of all the regional players which can be very beneficial when dealing with the parties of the contract. Along with this fact, many of the activities include tasks required from the region which include for example, the collection of documents from the seller/developers offices, the retrieval of government documentation, and the coordination of signatures with the local notary offices.

2. Don’t expect to find a large quantity of Mexico Preconstruction condo options that are pre-qualified for financing. The mortgage companies require various property and developer documentations. The most essential being that of the Mexico CONDO REGIME. (Mexico Preconstruction FAQ's). These documents cannot be produced by the developer until the project is near 90% or 95% into construction. If you are able to negotiate payment plans and time schedules based on the developer obtaining such documentation, then you may have a solution to finance your investment using the same Mexican property.

3. Don’t forget to define commonly overlooked issues which can be of high conveniences once you are living in the condo such as the Parking situation and Hurricane Shutters. Define if your condo will be delivered with Air Conditioning units, with closet doors, with cabinets, with light fixtures, or with ceiling fans to name a few such overlooked items.

4. Don’t expect to have your condo delivered turn-key ready or delivered exactly on the date as written on the time schedule. Stay in close contact with your developer to ensure that you are kept updated on the progress and advised of any delays of delivery. Even when the delivery date is confirmed, it may take 3 or 7 additional days to set up the utilities. (Gas, Electric, Water, TV)

5. Don’t forget to ensure if your can reassign the property. This is most important if your investment strategy includes flipping. Most developers will protect internal competition, meaning, they will not allow investors to sell or put their condo units on the market for sale until the developer has sold out his original condo building supply 100%.

The above is a brief over view of the Mexico Preconstruction condo dos and don’ts. There are several items that were not discussed in this short article and we encourage you to learn more and contact us for any further question you may have.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate

What can you do if you forget to check that the Air Conditioning units function in your brand new Mexico Preconstruction condo and you have already signed the closing documentation?
When you take possession of a brand new condo unit here in Mexico, you may find some of the procedures a little different than what accustomed from your home country.

Mexico Condo Real Estate How to Not all is bad, some items and procedures which you might expect, do not exist, and some articles might be supplied to your pleasant surprise. If you approach this exciting task with a little time and preparation your latest Mexico real estate acquisition process will continue to be a lifelong enjoyable experience. The entire process revolves around a Mexico Condo punch list, basically a things to do list of your inspection. In the wikepedia definition, if you are unfamiliar with preconstruction acquisitions you will find a thorough explanation. I will touch upon the basic definition.

WHAT IS A WALK THROUGH?

Before you take physical possession of your Mexico Condo, the developer should allow for an inspection of the unit before “handing over the keys”. This is also known as the Condo Pre Delivery Inspection. During this Mexico Condo Walk Through, it is important to note down all of the damages, needed repairs, missing items, and jot this down on paper. Administer this paper as an official document listing out the dates and addresses. Don`t forget to have the developers representative sign and date the document and keep a copy for your records as well for the records of the developer. The items listed “needing attention”, are delivered to the developer so that he has a time period to repair such items.

WHAT SHOULD I INSPECT DURING THE WALK THROUGH?

Below is a simple Mexico Condo Punch List that you may find helpful. There are basically 3 areas that can be reviewed, the operating systems, the interior, and the exterior areas of the Mexico Condo Inspection.

OPERATING SYSTEMS

You should review the cooling system (there are only a very few select regions in Mexico where they acuatlly use HEATING sytems). Mini split air conditioning units are becoming widely used and are operated by remote control. Ensure these remotes are available and functioning. Gas water heaters are also the common system for the water systems. Ask for the operating manual and see the procedure of starting up the furnace. Double check the tubing and where the gas tanks are stationed within the building and make a note of the tubing. (Gas tubes in Mexico are to be painted a bright yellow throughout the entire building).
The ventilation systems include the ceiling fans. Ensure operating order. Some restrooms have a ventilation system, not common in Mexico. In the kitchen review that the oven hood with extracting fan is operational.

Electrical sytem activities would include identifying the location of the main panel and the Water system includes locating the main H20 shut off valve for the property. Go to all sinks and toilets to verify there are no leaks

INTERIOR AREA

You may want to start by reviewing all doors and windows. Doors should be well-fitted and handles operating smoothly. Sliding glass doors should slide open and shut securely. Windows again should open and funcation securely. Mosquito screens are many times not available, but check to see that they are present if part of the package. In the bathroom review for chips in the bathtub, toilets, sinks and flooring. See that the cabinets are not loose, lights work, caulking is applied correctly. Check for leakage. The kitchen area should include an inspection of the correct amount of outlets. Cabinet doors need reviewing. Counter tops, sinks, and appliances should not have any damages during the installation. Test the hood lighting as well as the kitchen lights and switches.
In the living areas review that paint stains are not present on the walls or floors. Handrails straight and not loose, and all swithches aligned up correctly.
* please note, some developers will not include delivery of ceiling fans, light fixtures, closet cabinets including these as items that each individual purchases and installs on their own account due to many personal preferences and tastes.

EXTERIOR AREA

Review the common areas for commenting and filing of your observations. Find out the status of the pool, is it complete, where is the machinery, is it operational. Elevators and garage doors need the same reviewing. In the garden areas note any lacking green areas or construction materials that are still left on grounds. Get a timeline on completions.
* please note, it is very common to receive physical possession of a unit and the common areas are still in construction phases. Most developers will concentrate their efforts on completing the units for all investors, and then concentrate their attention on the common area projects once they have satisfied deliveries.

WHAT IF I FORGET AN ISSUE TO CHECK ON THE PUNCHLIST?

This is the question that I hear quite often from my clients. It is reassuring to know that here in Mexico there are laws that do protect the new home buyers and one such regulation allows for a 12 month gurantee of quality craftmanship and function. This covers hidden defects as well. Of course, such a situation is easier and better administered if from the beginning the proper documentation and filing occurs to avoid any head aches and time consumption processes. But these may occur and most developers will professionally attend your requests. Another question that is quite common is
What happens if the closing date is programed before the repairs have been completed? The Mexico developer normally comits to the completion of repairs within a 30 day time period, and from my experience, they normally take less than 7 days unless it is a major item needing repairing.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate

When buyers start searching here in Playa del Carmen oceanfront condos , 30 meters, 50 meters or even 100 seem quite large for the protection of the treasured oceanviews. But 200 meters oceanfront is a lot of private ocean swimming and laying out areas for this region! Playa del Carmen Mareazul

What is putting Mareazul as one of the real estate leaders here in Playa del Carmen?

Top reasons:

a) large oceanfront lot (great views) b) within a golf course. c) great financing plan for foreign buyers. d) amenities, great pool and a zen garden, wow.

At the top of the list of questions, when people tell me they are looking to invest into condos, is “how are the views?” playa del carmen mareazul 2 Mareazul condos take the cake with spectacular views out onto the Caribbean Ocean.

Here you see Andy Welbourne from Lloyd`s Real Estate interviewing and looking out at one of these views. As they explained to us, the designs have been laid out so that you hardly notice, feel, or see that you have neighbors. Each tower, consisting of 2 condo units per floor and 4 floors share an elevator. Meaning that on your floor, you will share your elevator with only one other unit.

Are you a golfer? World famous celebrity and company, Nick Price has designed the course that will be on the back side of these Mareazul condominiums. The 1.5 km. road leading down from highway 307 will weave gently through the lush green fairways and greens as you approach your private condo on the ocean.

playa del carmen mareazul 3

As many Mexico Real Estate future buyers have discovered, financing into Mexico properties is now available throughout many states of Mexico. Yet, there still is a great maze of papers and requirements from the Mexican Banks that disqualify the majority of such foreign buyers. In house financing is another story though, as the sellers have a greater incentive to ensure that the buyers have greater chance of qualifying for the loans in order to secure a sale. The downside of Mexico in-house financing is the higher charged average interest rates. BUT….. take a peek at this:

Libor + 2%. 70% financed! Meaning 30% paid at the signing of the hard copy, and 70% kicks in when the unit is complete. That is why I mention this is the best in the market for in-house financing. Pull up the excel sheet, take out the pencil, and do some numbers. Also, as you project future growth….check out this last post I did about latest developments on the Cancun airport.

One last point for your review of a Playa del Carmen Condo option. Green areas, gardens, pools, common area amenities. Take a look at these extras.

playa del carmen mareazul zen garden playa del carmen mareazul poolside

Zen gardens for meditating, incredibly large pools overlooking the caribbean. (with 200 meter oceanfront you can imagine the open view) Ok, the project has some “Wow” factor it is hard to hide this fact, but review the numbers, I suggest you look at the financing option as well (very interesting) and remember…. the property is in the middle of the Riviera Maya, on the mainland of the Caribbean ocean, and within the most stable country of these options. Growth in this region has been breaking records over the past 4 years, most likely will continue for next 4 or 5. Check it out, compare with other like properties in Mexico Real Estate, see what you think? playa del carmen mareazul layout

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate

The Cancun Airport continues its aggresive investment into its installations and infrastructure preparing for the future.

Cancun Airport The Federal government and private companies alike have been investing into Mexico real estate's infrastructure in preparation for the projected inflow of tourism and visitors into high tourist destinations such as Cancun, Playa del Carmen, and the Tulum real estate region. As I arrived to the terminals a week ago, I was amazed at how fast this project was being constructed. The project consists of a second runway being located on the north side of the present runways. The location of this runway will allow for simultaneous take offs and landings which will increase the overall capacity.

The undergoing project includes a new air tower and a bridge Cancun airport 2 that will connect one runway to the other allowing for the jets to taxi to terminals one, two, and three. The airtower will be over 100 meters in height which will place it as the highest tower in Latin America and one of the top 20 of the world. The bridge will expand over 64 meters in length with a width of 60 meters allowing for the largest of Airbuses to cross with safety and efficiency.

The project will have a cost of roughly 67 million dollars. Is this expansion of the Cancun Airport a sign of a cancellation of the Tulum airport that has made headlines over the past 4 years? Juan Molinar Horcasitas Secretary of the Communications and Transportation Department of Mexico assures that by the end of 2009, plans continue and bids will be taken on the Tulum Airport.

Two international airports to support the Riviera Maya, Cancun, Playa del Carmen real estate regions? Do you think the real estate markets will go up in price along with all of the new tourist traffic and airlines being introduced into the region? It sure does point in that way.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate

A while ago I had the opportunity and pleasure to meet with Richard Lapper, Latin America Editor for the FINANCIAL TIMES. Richard was visiting from Brazil, to do a report and analysis on the Mexico Real Estate market, in particular the Mexican Riviera.

What did we talk about?

Real Estate.

Puerto Aventuras has the attraction of being a closed gated community, golf course, and a marina here in the Middle of the Riviera Maya. If you are a boat lover, this is paradise. With the new expanded highway being constructed from Playa del Carmen south towards Tulum, it makes all road travel safer and more comfortable. People are only 15 minutes from a Sams Club, Walmart, Mega Comercial, Soriana shopping centers, and the same distance to visit the famous 5th Avenue for their 100s of restaurants. Hospitals… again on the south side of Playa del Carmen only 15 minutes from this community. The marina, is the only residential marina in all of the Riviera Maya. Tulum, approximately 30 minutes to the south, which allows for easy access to their ruins and amazing beaches. Cenotes, many beaches, other golf courses and a new airport in Tulum…..Well, this community definitely needs to have a flag placed next to it for investors, for second home buyers, and for people planning on retiring to these parts of the country. Other closed gated communities in the region may include Puerto Cancun, up in Cancun, which you can read a little more details from another post. See Cancun Real Estate Condos

The average pricing on properties here in Puerto Aventuras runs for condos on the golf course approximately $1,800 - $2,000 usd per m2. Condos on the canal run approximately $2,000 - $2,300 per m2

A home would run at an average of about $450,000 usd on the golf course, and $900,000 usd on the canal. (Canal lots have their own private slips and quite popular for boaters)

You can see and look up ACTUAL PRICES of properties in Puerto Aventuras Real Estate at our site of Mexico Real Estate.

So who else is buying in Puerto Aventuras?

Well, the demand is coming from Puerto Aventuras Real Estate 2 second home buyers, but also from people who are working and living down here year round. These people can be Mexican as well as foreigners (ex-pats). Playa del Carmen is not only one of the fasted growing communities in Latin America, but also the entire region. Tulum has on their plans a new international airport. The amount of hotel rooms existing today run a rough 3,000, but is projected to reach near 18,0000. We all know that population growth is the major factor for increase in pricing, so this has a major influence on the future pricing of this unique community. It is a lovely community, small restaurants, little cafe, general store, drug store all exist within this “Mexico Retirement Community” setting. You can even swim with dolphins and visit the sea lions and a family of manatees (sea cows).

What has been going on during the past seasons here in mexico?

Mexico has traditionally been a cash market, unlike the USA, Canadian, and British markets, here in Mexico nearly 95% of all real estate transactions occur with cash, no financing. (Side Note: during the President Fox administration, new programs to help the working class people here in Mexico have been introduced and established to give credit for the purchase of homes, the industry has boomed throughout the country) But, as my readers and people who my team and I help in Real Estate investments and purchases are Mexican Foreigners…… I normally research and study programs available for Non-Mexicans. Over the past 2 years, several financial institutions have begun introducing credit available on Mexican properties to Mexican Foreigners. This is still a very new program, and still has various obstacles to iron out in the process. My experience has been that the majority of the buyers, finance their Mexican Real Estate Purchase using their home country assets as collateral. BUT…. once the process of financing is improved, the quantity of potential buyers will INCREASE tremendously and of course….the pricing will increase tremendously too. Remember, this is oceanfront and canal front properties. CARIBBEAN OCEANFRONT. How much time for financing to be more readily available?? I am guessing… maybe in about 3 or 4 years???

Puerto Aventuras Real Estate 3

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate

Condo hotels have become quite available throughout various regions in Mexico, the options that this Mexico Condo investment offers to you the buyer/investor are focused mainly around the issues of property management and property amenities available.

Mexico Condo Hotel 1

The Mexico Condo, has a definition in the Wikipedia as: (See definition).

The “specified part of the real estate” as oultined in the definition would refer to your individual private living area, including your parking spaces and storage rooms for example. These private areas are listed out in details on the titles. Rights and ownership of the common areas such as the play room, the pools, the garden area, and elevators are jointly owned by all of the other condo owners, and these are administered by the association of owners. The Mexico Condo Hotel, following through with the example above and again using the

Wikipedia sources states the following: (See definition).

What is important to note in the definition from Wikipedia are the following,
a) Each condo unit is fully and individually owned by the buyer/investor.

b)      the buyer/investor can choose to give authorization to an onsite management team
         to administer the rental and upkeep of your individual unit, as well as the amenities
         offered to the vacation rental guests, as well as to the marketing of your rental unit

c)      the buyer/investor, in the majority of the options here in Mexico, has the right
         to choose if he wants to place his unit on the rental pool, or decides to have 100% private use.
I have dealt with many buyers from the States, Canada, and UK with the Mexico investment goal of earning vacation rentals from their units while they are back in their homes. The condo hotels have been an excellent option for such investors. Normally the condo hotels will have professional and quite experienced management staff on site. In such cases, the rental fees, may be higher than contracting out-source options. Out-source options would be the property and rental managers that exist in the community who have built their businesses from renting condos and Mexico vacation homes in the region. The higher fees charged to the on-site management team may be beneficial to the buyer/investor if the management team is able to keep the unit occupied on a higher percentage point.  This is normally the case as most managers invited to administer have track records and national and international marketing experience which pays off in the long run to keep the unit filled with renters.

TOP Mexico Real Estate NETWORK; "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!"

Region: Playa del Carmen Real Estate

Resort real estate and oceanfront real estate have always had a strong track record for appreciation. Mexico is no exception to this rule, and with its close proximity to the US and Canadian markets, the demand has been increasing quite noticeably over the past couple of years for these waterfront properties.

If you add to this picture the potential of appreciation from buying during the Mexico preconstruction condo phases, the roi can be quite handsome and may repeat some of the spectacular returns that the Florida and Las Vegas markets experienced over 10 and 15 years ago. Reserving and purchasing at the initial stages allows for discounted prices, and, allows the investor an easier exit channel. The exit consists of having to sell a brand new Mexican Condo to the market in order to collect his revenue and profits. Below find a short list of benefits from buying Mexico Preconstruction Condos:

Mexico Preconstruction condo 1) MARKET APPRECIATION. prices are lower at the initial stages of a construction. A chunk of land is worth the going market value. As the ground breaks, Mexico real estate values increase. Investors can ride the market appreciation as the construction proceeds converting from a hole in the ground to a finished, complete condo.

2) DEVELOPER CONTROLLED APPRECIATION. Mexico Developers usually plan several scheduled price increases during the construction and selling progress. This strategy is to encourage investors to invest earlier because the prices will increase if they wait till later. Such strategies adds to your ROI

3) CUSTOM AND DESIGN CHANGES TO YOUR RESIDENCE.
When reserving at the initial stages, you have the opportunity to customize your new home. Choose different flooring, window accessories, and other design elements.

4) BEST CHOICE OF UNIT. Reserving in early, allows the investor to choose from the best Mexico Preconstruction condo. Best floor plan, best view, best location within the community.

5) INTERNAL FINANCING. When buying into Mexico preconstruction, the investor does not need to come up with the entire 100% of the value of the real estate. Many condo units take from 12 months up to 24 months for completion of the unit. Payments can be made over this time period and not all up front.

Do you have a friend or client wanting to buy real estate in Mexico?
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Thomas Lloyd: Founder and current president of TOP mexico real estate NETWORK. "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely !" Visit blog site www.TOPmexicorealestate.com/blog or call (512) 879-6546 for further information.

Playa del Carmen Real Estate Todays business world and world economies have increased their relations between economies and markets throughout all countries in the world. What occurs in China is felt in NYSE, and what occurs in the middle east is also seen on the economic indicators of Europe. So naturally one would think, being that USA and Mexico are next door neighbors, the financial market and housing market conditions from the north should be reflected in Mexico's markets as well as the Playa del Carmen and Cancun real estate markets.

But, in the past 6 months, Mexico's financial markets have fared quite strongly to the storms that have been hitting the North American markets. Not only Mexico, but the majority of Latin Americas markets have been pumping forward. This is quite an interesting occurence. The world economy is much greater intertwined than what it was 10 years ago. Yet, if a regional market is having a slowdown, should this not be felt throughout the world markets and especially here in Mexico as a stronger affect?

Fortunately, various Latin American countries have diviersified their business relations with a number of countries throughout the world. Such countries will not have such a strong tie to the slow down. Mexico has done very well over the past decade to bolster their domestic economies, their inflation, their overall exportations. So the good news is that Mexico`s economy is doing very well this first quarter of 2008. The tourist sector is going stronger than ever. And the Playa del Carmen real estate, although not witnessing the incredible rates of appreciation seen over the past 4 years, is still quite positive (see prices in general).

My "not so exciting" opinion though, is, how long can Mexico's financial markets continue to churn on their own? Mexico's number one destination for exports continue to be the USA. The quicker that USA can rebound, the better off their country business partners, and the world economy as a whole is better off. Us here in small Playa del Carmen, continue to monitor closely. We see how various Mexico Real Estate investors are now comparing Florida Real Estate or even Arizona Real Estate prices versus the Playa del Carmen properties. I remind the investors of several factors as they do their analysis. Don't forget the hidden costs of your analysis. What is the day to day cost of living between the real estate markets. How easy and inexpensive are the transportation, logisitics of arriving to your second home investment? Is the tourism projections strong in comparisons? What is the population growth projections for the area, what is feeding this growth? Remember, you may want to flip, or re-sale your property in 3 years, 5 years. Just because the price on a property has dropped 15% - 35%, how long will the local real estate market take to regain this drop and reflect 2007 avg. prices again?

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Downtown Tulum Tulum real estate is being transformed in a very quick manner. As has been the news for several months, a new international airport has been on the plans for this southern Mexican Caribbean tourist destination. Updates on the Tulum Airport? The Mexican federal government has many investments planned for the southern states of Mexico. My old friends from Mexico City have chatted with me explaining that various federal government departments have been closely studying and copying the successful government economical development models from Chile and China over the past 5 years. Nutshell of these succesful programs...."Invest into the infrastructure and the economies will benefit and flourish". See articles TULUM AIRPORT AND THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

How does this affect the Tulum real estate market? Take note of the expanded highway from Playa del Carmen down to Tulum. (this may not stop here, may continue on south towards Chetumal). Also take note on the road expansion and improvement from Tulum towards Coba. These improvements have increased the awareness and attention to this village, this has brought on many speculators, and of course has increased the demand on Tulum properties.

In the Mexico real estate, Tulum condos are a type of property that many buyers seek in this area. Tulum oceanfront condos are the first to be requested, but as the zoning and natural landscape limits the inventory, people therefore search for their properties in the available downtown zone which lies approximately 2 kilometers away from the beaches.

Is this bad?

Downtown Tulum No, it actually brings a unique and maybe a natural ecological protection to the beaches and ocean front properties in the community. The beaches in Tulum are ....incredible. They are breathtaking and the downtown area of Tulum is growing in a quite picturesque setting. During the past 2 or 3 years, there have been only a handful of Tulum condo projects. Two of these have sold out quite quickly during preconstruction phases. Tulum lots and Tulum single family home inventories as well have been quite limited to an area that is south of town, in an area that has yet to have city electric, city water and other basic utility infrastructures.

Last year, in the early fall, a new project was introduced to the area. A closed gate community with a golf course, single family zones, condo lots, and commercial areas.

This is the first of its kind in the Tulum area. Between the village and the only road to the beach, it location is...the best in town. The lots are not directly on the ocean, but, given the demand and the previous inventory location, these properties will be highly quoted. The number one attraction, INCREDIBLE BEACHES. People from Playa del Carmen, from Cancun from all the zone make special trips down to Tulum just for their beaches.

This past Saturday, we were invited to go into the mega lot to visit. See our video clip on this adventure into the jungle of Tulum.

Do you have some extra money to invest? I highly recommend this Tulum real estate as your best option. Future growth, federal government investment, developers with much experience and connections (business and political), new airport, little inventory, GORGEOUS BEACHES. these are all little factors but when combined, all offer very strong positive affects on appreciation.

Dont wait to invest, invest and wait.

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While working here in the Playa del Carmen real estate industry, we come across frequently asked questions by many of our buyers.

I thought a good subject to touch upon this week would be to hit on some of these subjects. Also, this past week, the Riviera Maya real estate organization of AMPI, which I am a member, held a short session to discuss the theme on Condominium Regimens here in Mexico.

In layman's terms, a Condominium Regime is basically dividing one main title of a building and land, into smaller, individual titles. Physically, the Playa del Carmen condos would all be individually measured, have their own individual independence (individual contracts) in regards to their electric, water, and basically all utility needs. A condo regimen will not only specify the private areas of the individual condos, but will also specify what areas and buildings are to be considered in the common areas. By laws are also part of this package which include the rules by which the condo owners must follow while living or enjoying the areas within the complex. The Mexico Real estate Federal law outlines the basic rules that must be included in these by laws, but the sky is the limit in regards to additional rules that the condo owners wish to include in such document.

The regimen of Condominium document is an important certificate that the investors in Playa del Carmen real estate and Mexico Real estate focus upon when purchasing a Mexico pre-construction condo because titles cannot be issued until such document is obtained by the developer.

How long does it take for a Mexico developer to obtain the Regimen of Condominium?

It varies upon the state, but approximately 3 - 6 months.

Now, Playa del Carmen luxury condo developers, need to invest time and money into obtaining the Regimen. But, the requisites are quite logical, and the majority of the work deals with engineering and architectural data. The notary public and documentation paperwork also require additional time. The information and documents that are required to obtain the Regime consists of the following but not excluding additional requirements not mentioned below.

Original application requesting the Mexico Condominium Regime

Property title

Property Tax Registry

Last property tax payments

Zoning permits

Certificate of compliance with city and state regulations

Construction permits

List of building materials being utilized in the building

Performance Bond

Delivery Bond

Condominium By Laws

Playa del Carmen Real Estate The application is delivered on the city offices as well to the state. At the state level, the government offices known as the SEDUMA will be the authorizing government body. Once the authorization has been granted both by the city and state, the documentation can then proceed to the notary public.

Once arriving to the Notary Public the lead time may vary from 7 to 14 days. Once notarized, the documents will then need to be notarized. Here, the Mexico public registry will assign individual folio numbers to each of the Mexico condominium units. Finally, the cedula catastral, or the individual property tax registries are assigned. This would be the final step to obtain individual title to Mexico preconstruction condominiums.

A common question that many of my investors forward to me, is

Why do the developers wait so long to begin application for the Condominium Regime when they are aware of a 6 month period?

The main reason of withholding this process, is due to the flexibility to construct according to the buyers requirements. One of the values that many buyers exercise when purchasing into pre construction, is the option of being able to custom design the layout of the interior of the unit. The buyers want the flexibility to decide if they want 3 bedrooms, or 2 Bedrooms with an extra large master bedroom for example. If the Condominium of Regime has already been applied and granted, the construction cannot be allowed to modify unless an entirely new Condominium Regime is realized. Thus, developers will withhold until either 90% of the condos have been sold, or until 90% of the construction has been realized thus definition of the final product has been ensured.

If you want to study more questions and answers to FAQ regarding this subject or other similar subject,I welcome you to click below where you can read on much more details on Mexico Real estate.

Do you have a friend or client wanting to buy real estate in Mexico?
We pay REFERRALS, learn more, click here...

Thomas Lloyd: Founder and current president of TOP mexico real estate NETWORK. "Mexico's Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely !"

Visit blog site www.TOPmexicorealestate.com/blog or call (512) 879-6546 for further information.

The Playa del Carmen real estate is one of the highest of demand here in the country of Mexico. Many economical factors and general trends over the past two years throughout the North American and European economies are working to place the Mexico real estate market as one of the most attractive for investors throughout the world. Near forty percent 40% of the Riviera Maya Properties are being purchased by Mexican Foreigners with the Americans and Canadians leading the countries with the highest amount of such international real estate investors.

A very popular investment option has been the Mexico condo options in the preconstruction phase. In this real estate opportunity, buyers are able to reserve a condo unit before the construction has been realized. On some occasions, the developer may offer Mexican investment construction options "off the plan" before a parcel of land has even been purchased. The risks are compensated with large discounted prices on the condo units which many international buyers have found extremely attractive given international averages on Ocean Front Condo prices. The procedure normally requires a reservation quantity to be paid ranging from $5,000 up to $10,000 usd. This money is refundable upon request and may reserve a unit for an average of 20 days, enough time for the investor and his legal counsel to study and analyze the promissory contract on the Playa del Carmen Real Estate. If the buyer, upon review of the contract, decides to proceed on the investment opportunity, he will then be required to sign a promissory contract and forward another payment quantity. This hard contract deposit may range from 20% up to 90% depending on the developer or the negotiation of the particular operation. Other payments and payment plans may include monthly transfers or transfers based on construction milestones. Once the property is completed, the developer can proceed on obtaining a Mexico Condominium Regimen, which will then allow for delivery of the physical property as well as transferring the legal rights to the Mexico property.

International buyers are playing a significant role in the demands for Playa del Carmen real estate. With the tourism and occupancy rates higher than years before, and projections stronger than any historical figures on record, the appreciation on Riviera Maya Real Estate continues to grow despite slowdowns in the United States market. As more tourists come to the area, more fall in love with the local Caribbean Beaches, Mexican history, and the warm Spanish hospitality.

Do you have a friend or client wanting to buy real estate in Mexico?
We pay REFERRALS, learn more, click here...

Thomas Lloyd

TOP Mexico Real Estate
Real Estate Broker
Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo

Website:	http://www.topmexicorealestate.com
Phone:	(984) 267-2449

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