# Cost of property in Mexico is more pricey in fashionable tourist destinations



## baregil (Apr 7, 2013)

If you are a foreign national thinking to retire and live in Mexico and are on a tight budget, stay away from trendy touristic areas, aim for the country side and try to develop a farm with a secure water supply and grow your own vegetables, fruits, eggs and chickens. It's easier than you can imagine and cost effective. Pick a friendly community in an area well communicated, with paved roads, electricity, telephone, internet and close to health facilities and an international airport.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

baregil said:


> If you are a foreign national thinking to retire and live in Mexico and are on a tight budget, stay away from trendy touristic areas, aim for the country side and try to develop a farm with a secure water supply and grow your own vegetables, fruits, eggs and chickens. It's easier than you can imagine and cost effective. Pick a friendly community in an area well communicated, with paved roads, electricity, telephone, internet and close to health facilities and an international airport.


Isn't living in the countryside and being near health facilities and an international airport kind of a difficult thing to do?


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## baregil (Apr 7, 2013)

From where I live in Yucatan, _a small Maya Indian town named Tekom_ Valladolid, the 2nd city in the State is 15 minutes away; Mérida city and Cancun are 1 hour and 45 minutes driving. Tulúm is one hour away. So you decide if this is near or far. I guess all depends upon your health condition and requirements. A senior lady whom lives in my farm compound, just broke her hip and she hired a smart and skilled married young Maya woman to help with cleaning, cooking and washing (6 hours per, day 7 days a week), for 10 dollars per day. 
We designed fresh and thoroughly ventilated thatched roofed bungalows according with bio-climatic principles and have been able to lower the outside temperature 15 degrees Celsius. No need of air conditioning at all. We recycle everything and have a compost for human and dog feces which, we later use as fertilizer for the fruit orchard where we have 17 different fruit trees. We grow our veggies in a covered green house.
We pay bi-monthly 200 pesos for electricity for each bungalow . The water is free since we perforated our own deep well (42 meters deep). We didn't apply for a construction permit and neither for a well permit. We seat above the biggest aquifer in the country. 
I will not tell you how much we paid for 12,000 square meters of land because you may think I am a liar and exaggerating.


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## johnmex (Nov 30, 2010)

baregil said:


> From where I live in Yucatan, _a small Maya Indian town named Tekom_ Valladolid, the 2nd city in the State is 15 minutes away; Mérida city and Cancun are 1 hour and 45 minutes driving. Tulúm is one hour away. So you decide if this is near or far. I guess all depends upon your health condition and requirements. A senior lady whom lives in my farm compound, just broke her hip and she hired a smart and skilled married young Maya woman to help with cleaning, cooking and washing (6 hours per, day 7 days a week), for 10 dollars per day.
> We designed fresh and thoroughly ventilated thatched roofed bungalows according with bio-climatic principles and have been able to lower the outside temperature 15 degrees Celsius. No need of air conditioning at all. We recycle everything and have a compost for human and dog feces which, we later use as fertilizer for the fruit orchard where we have 17 different fruit trees. We grow our veggies in a covered green house.
> We pay bi-monthly 200 pesos for electricity for each bungalow . The water is free since we perforated our own deep well (42 meters deep). We didn't apply for a construction permit and neither for a well permit. We seat above the biggest aquifer in the country.
> I will not tell you how much we paid for 12,000 square meters of land because you may think I am a liar and exaggerating.


By not applying for a construction permit you have probably violated local zoning laws, probably not a big deal. By not applying for a well permit you have violated federal law, a very big deal. The CNA is getting very serious about illegal wells. I hope your pockets are deeper than the well....


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## baregil (Apr 7, 2013)

I did not apply for such permits because I didn't have to. The local authorities were well aware of what I was doing and never bothered me. In a Mayan village nobody is required to apply for such permits; one just builds and that's it. Because we are on top of the biggest aquifer (hence the cenotes), you dig 12 meters and find water. In any other Mexican State underground wells are strictly regulated, not where I am. Besides, I am a Mexican national and not a frightened foreigner


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## johnmex (Nov 30, 2010)

The laws pertaining to wells have recently been changed with the CNA taking control of ALL wells in Mexico. Be careful who you tell you have a non-regulated well...


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## vantexan (Sep 4, 2011)

baregil said:


> We designed fresh and thoroughly ventilated thatched roofed bungalows according with bio-climatic principles and have been able to lower the outside temperature 15 degrees Celsius. No need of air conditioning at all.


I'm not certain but that sounds like at least a 40 degree drop in Fahrenheit. Amazing that where air conditioning was invented, in East Texas, that they didn't come up with this idea first. Why that would solve the high electric bills experienced in tropical Latin America. Have you contacted the United Nations?


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

baregil said:


> Besides, I am a Mexican national and not a frightened foreigner


This is a forum for foreigners who have chosen to make their home in Mexico. Supposedly clever phrases like "frightened foreigners" will not go down very well with us.


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## mes1952 (Dec 11, 2012)

This article is very misconstrued...it is not so easy to get building permits in Mexico or do anything off this sort unless you have $$$$$$$$$$$$$.
Also many expats live in cities and tourist areas...the difference is that they do not cater to American stores and American brands but instead shop like a local. And you find this more of a problem with Americans than other expats as they are less likely to assimilate into the local culture.


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## mes1952 (Dec 11, 2012)

An very important thing you forgot is you need to SPEAK SPANISH to live in these areas (which is very unlikely for American expats) unless you plan to be a self-contained hermit.


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## thehoosier (Sep 10, 2010)

I also live in the Yucatan, in the Capital city of Merida. I always say there are two real estate markets here and maybe all of Mexico. The local market which business is done in Pesos and the expat market which is normally in dollars. I don't have to explain which market is the cheaper of the two. We are also planning on moving out of Merida to a pueblo called Dzidzantun. It is only an hour outside of Merida and a easy drive with good roads. Prices drop dramatically on the cost of land outside of the city. But even if we choose to live in Centro here in Merida, it can be done very affordable. You just have to rely on your feet and Spanish to find a great deal. If the sellers speak in terms of dollars, no thanks! They probably want too much money for whatever they are selling. So my advice to get the best price. Don't think about location as much as think about the market. I currently rent here in the Centre of Merida and pay a fraction of the price for my house than my expat friends. I found my home walking around and my friends found their home on the internet.


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> This is a forum for foreigners who have chosen to make their home in Mexico. Supposedly clever phrases like "frightened foreigners" will not go down very well with us.


In fact, many, if not all expats, are people who were courageous enough to make huge changes in their lives!


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

GARYJ65 said:


> In fact, many, if not all expats, are people who were courageous enough to make huge changes in their lives!


Thanks!


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Isla Verde said:


> Thanks!


You bet !


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