[ Post a Response | THE TEPIC AND NAYARIT, MEXICO JOURNAL ]
Posted by Alice on 11/1/2007, 12:08 pm
Message modified by board administrator 11/1/2007, 4:38 pm
Hola to you current and future house hunters in Tepic!
Below you will find a letter written to a friend telling the tale of my experiences doing the deed with another internet friend in August. Names have been changed to protect the innocent. Feel free to use any 'secrets' that you find here.
Hi Dee!
Much very detailed preparation was made before the arrival of our friend, Pat. John remained at home in the US. The news of our search went out to neighbors, friends and business associates, Cliff and I walked and drove through our favorite areas looking for 'Se Renta' signs and I read the local newspapers' and internet classified ads daily for a while prior to Pat's arrival. I wasted far too much time contacting local realtors...nada, as usual. We found about forty 'possibles' in the target price range. Next, Arji, our helper-person, really went to work. She sorted everything by neighborhood, applied her born-in Tepic knowlege and eliminated or elevated a few choices, called for details including price and made appointments in my name. To avoid 'special' pricing and to place yourself high on the most wanted list, it is usually a good plan to confirm the price in 'native' spanish and make the appointments in a gringo name. Most Mexicans would rather rent to the worst gringo than to the best Mexican tenants. Twenty 'possibles' remained. I confirmed the appointments myself to solidify the 'gringo' thing. I also made a second call about a really special house that Arji was told had been rented. I got an appointment to see the same house. It was the one that my friend later rented. 'Gringo' works in these parts! Our neighbors really took this search seriously. Cliff was later stopped by a neighbor who told him about their unadvertised rental on our street at a great price for two years without an increase.
We began the search at what we thought was the top of the list...the pick of the litter. The first house was terrific. Our friend agreed to rent it at the asking price, hopefully for many years. However, the man who showed it was the son of the out-of-town owner, not the decision maker. He said he would call us in three days to let us know if his father would approve her/them as tenants. He called the next day with the news that his father had agreed to rent the place to her/them. It gave me no little pleasure to tell him that she had rented another house. I still think like a NOTB type. The second house was special as well although four bedrooms were really too many for the two of them. We agreed to call the owners with her decision the next day. They called our home within two hours to hopefully sweeten the deal. The third house is charming with features that tell me some serious money was spent on it through the years to upgrade the family's lifestyle. It has a small lovely garden, pretty windows and arches in all the right places. The best part...the family...greeted us warmly. Their college-age children speak excellent english and the rest of the family is warm and welcoming as well. The deal was made quickly...no avol and very fair yearly increases, if any. Electric and water service was in place. Other utilities and furniture were the next challenge. I am co-ordinating the decorating and 'settling-in' process. The basics needed for a happy arrival will be ready when they arrive about October 1...unpacking assistance, an energetic maid and a skilled gardener, home delivery of bottled water and propane, directions to and reviews of local restaurants, IMSS application and window treatments. If all of the above reads like it was easy, it really was. The homework was important but it was the attitude of the househunter/s that made everything work so well. Much previous travel to Mexico left no surprises and the decision to live in Tepic was firm. In my other life, I did much the same thing for transferred executives and military officers and their families. Our new friends never failed to be gracious and generous with everyone who helped with their move. They met and did business with many of our most valued Mexican friends and associates. Their financial decisions were excellent. We often worry about thrusting an Ugly American attitude on folks in these parts. The opposite happened with this couple. Rarely have I enjoyed an experience so much. We all got lucky. I will not be doing this again. I am quitting while I am ahead.
On to your questions and other 'stuff.' Your question about the weather here may come from the fact that cloudy mornings usually bring bright sunlight by noon. Flights to/from Tepic are expensive. That is why most folks travel to the US via Guadalajara or Puerto Vallarta. You may want to take a big deep breath before you make yourself crazy about the housing issues here. The small three bedroom house across from us...same floorplan, excellent neighborhood...is for sale. Asking price is $95,000. I might offer less. Many other houses in nice areas are available in the 100-150 thousand dollar range. When you read internet ads, you are seeing ads for and by rich and optomistic dreamers. Houses in the upper price ranges that were for sale when we arrived in 1999 are still for sale. People with mucho pesos usually want new houses. No highway will ever be special enough to make Tepic a big tourist destination...except for Mexicans from the country who love La Loma Park. The economy here is based mostly on agriculture. The upgraded/new Mazatlan-Tepic freeway makes little or no difference in life in these parts. NOTB people say one thing but they usually want another...water based views. Night life, too. Cliff and I are happy here...but we are usually happy wherever we are. Tepic gives us a 'real' Mexican experience with services found only in a large city and easy access to a beach and gourmet culinary 'fixes' when we hanker for brighter lights. Hope this helps!
Alice
