Who does appraisals in Mexico??

[Greg Bell]

Americans cannot own beach property...

 

[Crunch Hardtack]

I will have to agree..

with you on one point Al, many missionaries that go on foreign missions seem to view it as a vacation rather than a mission. Our church is different in that we actually accomplish things when we send out missions...also our missionaries live on the cheap and not in western type accomodations, but again, few churches do as we do. Also, in any country with a population of over 100 million (such as Mexico) you will have some middle class. There are 1.3 billion Chinese and roughly 100-120million constitute a middle class. The other billion+ live like crap (I was there in 1987---average Chinese guy does not live too well.) Even today, with all of their modernization, China has just enough potable water to meet the minimum requirements of it's citizenry.

 

[Peacemaker]

I dunno about Cabo or any other places but Americans have been "buying" land in Rocky Point (Puerto Penasco), mostly on the beach, for years. You "buy" through a bank trust, it's a 50 year renewable lease. There were some problems a few years ago, someone hadn't sold through a bank trust, and the government threatened to evict the Americans, but it got settled in the end. Probably how most things get settled in Mexico $$$$. I have heard you need to make sure you have a title company in Mexico, and another one in the U.S., and a lawyer who specializes in those deals. I would love to learn how to appraise down there since that would make my trips down there deductible.

I was just down there this weekend, and was amazed at the high rise condos going up all over the place. There are 7 or 8 projects underway, several hundred units in each one. I'm afraid they are going to turn the sleepy little drinking village with a fishing problem into a big tourist trap.

 

[Karl]

American citizen can buy land now in Mexico. Note the word NOW subject to change IF a Federally likes your property.

True or False: Americans cannot own beach property... TRUE. Actually NO ONE except the Mexican Government. & have you seen the conditions of MANY of the beaches there?? Apprears, Littering is a favorite pass time.

As usual the rules between Meicans coming to US & US citizens going to Mexico are far from equal.

 

[Joshua Brant]

Wow, seems like you all have a very low oppinion of Mexico. Sad indeed. It's true Mexico is riddled with problems, however much of the problems and the root of other problems is the corruption. I am in San Diego. Many people here live in Mexico and work and/or school here in the US. I myself did just that for 6 months. I was living in a rich neighborhood across the street from the beach, it was just beauitiful, FOR ONLY A COUPLE HUNDRED BUCKS! The average rent in San Diego is around $1500.

To compare buying in Mexico to buying in Korea is ignorant. There are more words than ignorant that I could use but I will restrain myself for the sake of civility. While we are in a big cool down here in Southern California, the coast of baja is BOOMING. I went to Rosarito last week. I saw developement after developement along the coast. Guess what? The bilboards were in English. Mexico is extremely popular for those looking to retire or those looking to buy a west coast beach front vacation home for a fraction of the cost of the prices here in California. There are estimates of the city of Ensenada that 20% of it's population of over 100,000 are American citizens.

One of my high school buddies' dad bought land in Cabo back in the 70's, when it was just desert. He did this because he's a hippy surfer guy, (which are common down there.) Now Cabo is a major cruise destination with 5 star hotels and some of the best sport fishing in the world. He's planning on moving down there as soon as his youngest finishes high school. One of his two properties is now worth over a million.

Going back to the original intent of this thread, I would say to do a search for a Mexico relocation company on the web and contact them. Their are companies out their that help Americans relocate to Mexico and they have a lot of contacts and knowledge in real estate that can help.

 

[Mike Garrett RAA]

Well...rush right down there and buy some of that Mexican land! Be sure and read the clauses in the deed that say the Mexican government can nationalize any foreign holdings at any time.

Back in the 80s, I used to fly our airplane down to Juarez. We had an office and training center in El Paso and it was cheaper to fly across the border to re-fuel. We would stay at the Camino Real on the mexican side. I really enjoyed it.

I also have buddies who go down there to fish every year.
Will be on Amistad in March or April of this year. Don't plan to fish on the Mexican side but still have to have a Mexican fishing license cuz if you happen to cross the border and don't have one...it's jail plus they take your bass boat.

My father would take his Holiday Rambler down to Guymas every year and stay at Paco's trailer park for about three months. That ended when, on a return trip to Colorado, he cut a corner too sharp and the trailer clipped a telephone pole. After four days in a mexican jail my mother was finally able to get him out. No telling how much that cost...but it was the last time he ventured into Mexico.

Also, be sure to ask GW for a key to the gate in that 700 mile fence they are going to build.

 

[Richard Carlsen]

Americans cannot own beach property...

So much for Fee Simple gringo waterfront ownership.

Our church just finished up a missions trip to Guadalajara (we have 6 physicians in our congregation as well as a couple of PhD pharmacists and some folks in the construction trade so our mission trips actually accomplish something, I have not gone however.) Universal consensus of those mission trip members is that most of Mexico is a crap-hole--truly deplorable living conditions for the average Mexican (except for the drug dealers, who live pretty good). Also, Mexico City has a big problem with robbery kidnappings (you won't hear much from our State Department on this though, hmmmmm) in that well to do residents and some tourists are routinely kidnapped and returned only after a considerable ransom is paid.

Think a big fence might be in order?