# Beach Front/Ocean View Condos under $200k?



## kimo (Feb 12, 2011)

Other than the Manzanillo area, does anyone know of any other Pacific coast areas of Mexico where a person can still find for sale, modern, 1-2 bdrm, ocean view condos, either on the beach or across the street/malecon from a beach for around $200k or less (U.S$). There are just sooo many listing to filter thru when I Google. And a lot of sites don't specify if they are ocean view/front etc unless you read each individual listing, been sitting here for 3 hours and have only found 2 listings, one in PV, on in Maz, and both were almost $300k. We love warm (hot) weather year round, so farthest north would be Cabo, or Mazatlan. Don't get me wrong, nothing wrong with Manzanillo, just want to see where else might be a good fit for us in our retirement. If you have a link I check out , even better. And before someone says, come for a visit before buying, we have been to various parts, many times, and will visit any area for at least 2-3 months before deciding if it is the right place. Just no use going somewhere if we can't afford to buy the type of condo we want. Gracias!


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

Are you dead set on the Pacific versus the Gulf or Caribbean and, if so,why since, in many ways, both are more attractive places to live for a number of reasons.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

Very important is your fellow Condo owners and are they paying for upkeep. They start falling apart fast without maintenance ..... and Mexican owners are famous


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

sparks said:


> Very important is your fellow Condo owners and are they paying for upkeep. They start falling apart fast without maintenance ..... and Mexican owners are famous


Beg your pardon, famous for what?


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

GARYJ65 said:


> Beg your pardon, famous for what?


For being deadbeats. People who don't pay their assessments ... and who just love ****** fellow-owners who will pay, and keep on paying to have the water and gas turned-on, the pool cleaned, etc..


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## GARYJ65 (Feb 9, 2013)

Longford said:


> For being deadbeats. People who don't pay their assessments ... and who just love ****** fellow-owners who will pay, and keep on paying to have the water and gas turned-on, the pool cleaned, etc..


Ok Nationality profiling


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

Profiling with substantial political incorrectness or not, Longford and Sparks speak the truth. If one owns a communal asset (such as a condominium) where responsibility for ongoing expenses of maintenance and payment of necessary utilities is a shared burden, but with toothless regulatory enforcement, there are those among the community ownership who will fecklessly refuse to pay their fair share of these expenses and this is especially true in Mexico where there is a 500 year old tradition of not having directly received bernefit from taxes assessed from owners, much less diffused owners not readily identifiable nor with clearly defined powers of enforcement for collective responsibility. To make matters worse, this is the land of deception where folks have learned over time that truth is a matter of perception and if Billy Bob down the corridor pays his dues, the electricity is still functioning and that old $15,000 Peso flatscreen TV still delivers the telenovelas.

What Estadounidiences (whew¡) don´t seem to understand is that cultures differ in defining what is moral and what is immoral, What defines cleverness and what defines vapid compliance with idiotic regulations. If ole Billy Bob is willing to pay to watch his flatscreen, let him pay. Makes sense to me.

I am reminded, since I had the good fortune to marry a Frogette, that, in the south of France, great stature is afforded those with the best ability to lie with aplomb. In Marseilles, the best hombre spinning lies is a folk hero whereas in the United States he/she is a disgrace. Know the culture you choose foreign to your own or stay in that place where you were formed for better or worse.


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## exclusiva (Oct 29, 2011)

Right now, one can purchase oceanfront condos ranging in price from $69,000 (nice but not fancy) to $200,000 (very upscale) in the areas surrounding Progreso on the Gulf Coast near Merida.There is at least one condo building with some units with ocean view selling for $70,000ish to $130,000ish. Units in this particular building are almost all owned by Canadians who winter there. 
However, ultimately, Hound Dog and the others are correct about the potential pitfalls of condo ownership in Mexico.
More worrisome is the almost complete absence of rules and regulations governing condos and their ownership in Mexico.
Can you ensure the bills -- property taxes, electricity, water, maintenance etc - are paid to the proper authorities after you pay your share of the monthly HOA fees to the condo corp?
Is there enough or even any money in the reserve fund to pay for extraordinary repairs, particularly considering the harsh climate?
Are the insurance premiums paid on the building (this matters a lot in a hurricane zone)?
What legislation is in place to protect you if and when everything heads south?
There are many apparently well-maintained buildings in the area, but considering the low cost of oceanfront homes in the Progreso area (starting well under your 200 grand mark), that might be another option.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

and then you have hurricanes who do not profile and are equal oportunity destroyers... Maybe renting is not a bad idea.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

Give me your opinion, exclusiva; I might blike to buy a property fronting the Gulf somewhere between Pogeso and Dzilam de Bravo. Are you saying that I can do well with $2,000,000 MXP? This is a serious hurricane area. Maybe the next hurriacane will blow my proprerty to Kingdom Come. A chancy place if there ever was one.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

_


citlali said:



and then you have hurricanes who do not profile and are equal oportunity destroyers... Maybe renting is not a bad idea.

Click to expand...

_Thank you, darlin´wife. I get the message. No one hereabouts except Dawg and you knows that our honeymoon cottage on Mobile Bay circa 1972 was thoroughly dstroyed by Hurricane Frederick in 1979 . A place of great newlywed joy now reduced to undiscernable rubble. That´s life on Planet Earth.

Somehow, I don´t think that I am going to convice you that buying property on the Yucatan Gulf is a good investment.


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## exclusiva (Oct 29, 2011)

Actually, there have only been two hurricanes hit the Progreso area since 1988: Gilbert in that year or thereabouts and Isidore in 2001 or 2002. Nothing since we started visiting in 2003. Any hurricanes that blow in from the Caribbean side tend to blow themselves out over the Yucatan Peninsula before they hit us.
So I would hardly call this a "serious" hurricane area. In fact, in the last couple of years, there have been fewer hurricanes on "our" side than on the Pacific. 
And for those who are concerned about the eventual time we will be hit (we all know it HAS to happen sometime and perhaps soon), we have insurance to cover it. The considerable benefits of owning an oceanfront home here far outweigh any such concerns, in my opinion.
And yes, Hound Dog, you can do well for that kind of money in that area. Right now, I know of a nice, almost new, totally furnished three bed, three bath oceanfront home in Telchac Puerto built to western standards by the best builder in the area with a fidiecomiso in place for $189,000. And you could probably get it for less. A buyer could add a small oceanfront pool for another 5 grand. There are modest, reno'ed oceanfront homes to be found starting at $120,000, but they may be too close to the ocean, in a part of the coast where erosion is an issue or a long drive from Merida.
Honestly, I can't figure out why so many people spend so much of their hard earned cash on housing on the Pacific side when oceanfront is so inexpensive in our area. Largely it's because Merida and the gulf regions near it are still mostly undiscovered, though that is rapidly changing.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

Thanks fo the response, exclusiva, but Dawg does reemmber the palatial home of the Cofederacy´s president Jefferson Davis that sat on the Mississippi Gulf Coast for some 100 plus years before a hurricane left the lot upon which it reposed empty of even the most elemental evidence that a home had ever even existed there. Mother Nature has no respect for human traditions. However, I shall check out Telchac Puerto this winter ´cause Dawg loves the Yucatan Gulf. A fine place.


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## exclusiva (Oct 29, 2011)

A hurricane will almost certainly blow through there again, for sure. I was just addressing the erroneous notion that the Gulf near Merida is a "serious" hurricane area, which compared to the Carribean and now it appears some parts of Mexico's Pacific regions, it certainly is not.
Our home was built with a 3 meter deep foundation to withstand a Force 5 hurricane. We know it could get swamped in a storm surge (Isidore's was reportedly over 20 feet high at the coast), but we're hoping it won't get blown over. Again, we have insurance.
We went into this with our eyes wide open, aware of the possible pitfalls, which we believe are far outweighed by our wonderful life down there.
We love it and we didn't have to break the bank to buy. To each their own . . .


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

That is a serious foundation and I am sure that it will survive, so that you can build another house on top. Insurance? Keep facturas for everything! Keep them inland.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

exclusiva said:


> Honestly, I can't figure out why so many people spend so much of their hard earned cash on housing on the Pacific side when oceanfront is so inexpensive in our area. Largely it's because Merida and the gulf regions near it are still mostly undiscovered, though that is rapidly changing.


He herd mentality is probably why expats seem to flock to destinations in Baja, to Puerto Vallarta, etc. And, also, the unfamiliarity with the Mexican culture and language are probably contributors to the decisions. Many, maybe most, expats look for conveniences similar to what they have at home and though Merida offers many of those things I think people view the distance a hinderance. The Pacific Coast beaches, or many of them, are likely to be viewed as nicer than what's in your area ... but I'm recalling that where you're at, and along that stretch of the Gulf Coast, the waves aren't as threatening to folks who enjoy being in the water.


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## exclusiva (Oct 29, 2011)

Whoops. Make that 2 meters


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## exclusiva (Oct 29, 2011)

The Pacific is only nearby for those coming from the western portions of Canada and the US. For the rest of us, the Caribbean side and the Yucatan Peninsula is closer. 
I've been to the Pacific side many times to vacation and we stopped going there and went exclusively to the Caribbean and Gulf because, among many other things, our beaches are much nicer.
In our area, we have white sand (not dark brown like in PV), hardly any surf, which is no good for surfing but great for swimming and sleeping.
And the conveniences of Merida - lots of the dreaded Big Box stores as well as other excellent mercados and supermarkets, restaurants, art galleries - not to mention the culture, history, Mayan ruins, haciendas. All in a beautiful colonial city of almost 1 million. Lots of expats (we have heard 10,000 in Merida and environs. Not sure if that is true, but it is certainly close, with newbies arriving every day), if that's what you need.
I could go on and on. But I'll spare you all


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## kimo (Feb 12, 2011)

Hound Dog said:


> Are you dead set on the Pacific versus the Gulf or Caribbean and, if so,why since, in many ways, both are more attractive places to live for a number of reasons.


Getting back to the topic at hand, if only briefly, we are not dead set against the Gulf or Caribbean side, but have been to the Pacific side numerous times, and also doesn't have hurricanes, maybe the odd tropical storm, (been there, done that), but also being from Vancouver Island, with many family/friends still there and all over southern BC and the Vancouver area, the Pacific side is easier and cheaper for us going back for visits or emergencies and for people to come visit us. A condo is our first choice, mostly for security and we don't want to do yard work, had enough of that, in a condo you can pretty much pack up, lock the door and leave, a house, not so much. Friend had a house in Melaque, left for 2 weeks, came home, nothing left but an echo. And that was with neighbours keeping an eye on the place. Condos may have draw backs, but free standing houses have more imo. In Mexico, a ****** will always be thought of has being wealthy, even if they are not, so the more secure the place we reside the safer we will feel, and to us, that's a condo, as gated communities aren't ocean front, or have ocean view, at least not on our budget.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

kimo said:


> …and also doesn't have hurricanes, maybe the odd tropical storm, (been there, done that), …


Just for clarity, the Pacific coast does have hurricanes, averaging a few major hurricanes per year. They generally don't reach as far north as the US/Canada but the Mexican/Central American Pacific coast definitely sees hurricanes every season.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

TundraGreen said:


> Just for clarity, the Pacific coast does have hurricanes, averaging a few major hurricanes per year. They generally don't reach as far north as the US/Canada but the Mexican/Central American Pacific coast definitely sees hurricanes every season.


For sure ..... Hurricane Jova wreaked havoc from Colima to Vallarta in Oct. 2011. Tons of government money spent on relief and repairs. Should have seen my car after sitting in 3 feet of muddy water. At least every other year we have major flooding here in Melaque


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## exclusiva (Oct 29, 2011)

Not trying to change your mind, but as has been said, there are many more hurricanes on the Pacific side than on the Yucatan's Gulf (several every year on the Pacific, as opposed to one every decade or two or three in the Merida area). Hope I'm not tempting the fates in saying that 
Whether you purchase a condo or a home, you will still pay waaaayyyy less for a comparable property in the Yucatan Gulf area than on Mexico's west coast. Significantly less, though prices are rising, especially for the newer properties.
We know many Vancouver expats who have purchased property in the Yucatan. Is it as close as the west coast? No. But if you are staying for extended periods of time, what difference does a few extra hours in the air make in the bigger scheme of things, particularly when you can live much larger, more safely and in better digs near Merida than pretty well anywhere else on the Pacific coast?
Check out the real estate sites for the area to see what you can get for your money. Considering that you couldn't find anything under 300 grand that worked for you in parts of the Pacific side, may I suggest you move your search a little farther afield. I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how far your money will go there and how many cultural and historical attractions there are in the area. Nice white sand beaches, too.
Abscissa, who is a forum member, is also from British Columbia. Perhaps he will see this thread and weigh in on why he chose to buy an oceanfront home in the Yucatan rather than something on the Pacific coast.
Your question was: where can we buy an oceanview or oceanfront condo for under $200,000? Well, the answer is in the Progreso area of the Yucatan. Heck, as pointed out, you can even do as many hundreds, maybe thousands of expats have done and buy a oceanfront home for the same money or less.


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

The Pacific (south of Guaymas) and the Gulf and Carbbean are all subjject to hurricanes and violent tropical storms so that is not an issue. The Caribbean has pure pinkish.white beaches and crystal clear waters with coral shoals worthy of exploration. The Gulf along Yucatan´s northern shore has beautiful white beaches adjoining clear aquamarine waters with a normally placid surf. The Pacific is typically rough and murky and the beaches there are tan to brown and uninspiring. Why anyone would pick the Pacific Coast over the Gulf or Caribbean Coasts is beyond my imagination.


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## kimo (Feb 12, 2011)

I guess my perception of a whether bad weather is called a hurricane or tropical storm or?? is different than some, and I know a lot more people who have had their vacations ruined by bad weather on the Gulf side than Pacific. I also know when looking at real estate listings, I see a lot more houses with hurricane shutters on the Gulf/Carribean side than on the Pacific side, but there again, I might be seeing things, as for ocean view/oceanfront condos for under $200k on the Yucatan, I can't find any listings for them, at least not ones that compare to what one can get in Manzanillo. maybe a link to website with said listings would help, but yes, they do have nicer beaches. But other things to consider when making our final decision, but nothing is definite until it's done, so who knows..


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

kimo said:


> I guess my perception of a whether bad weather is called a hurricane or tropical storm or?? is different than some, and I know a lot more people who have had their vacations ruined by bad weather on the Gulf side than Pacific. I also know when looking at real estate listings, I see a lot more houses with hurricane shutters on the Gulf/Carribean side than on the Pacific side, but there again, I might be seeing things, as for ocean view/oceanfront condos for under $200k on the Yucatan, I can't find any listings for them, at least not ones that compare to what one can get in Manzanillo. maybe a link to website with said listings would help, but yes, they do have nicer beaches. But other things to consider when making our final decision, but nothing is definite until it's done, so who knows..


Your perception may be driven by the correct observation that there are fewer on the Pacific side every year, and they come ashore less often.

Tropical Cyclone Climatology
This page has some interesting plots of storm tracks on both coasts for the last 60 years in the Pacific and 150 years in the Atlantic.


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## gringotim (Jan 5, 2011)

exclusiva said:


> Your question was: where can we buy an oceanview or oceanfront condo for under $200,000? Well, the answer is in the Progreso area of the Yucatan.


I also would like to see a link for listings for said condo's , been searching till my eyes got blurry, and also can't see anything that I would call comparable to what can be had in the Manzanillo area, but then there are an awfull lot of listings, and some websites don't let you filter your search, did see a few ocean view, but I don't think seeing the ocean from a mile away is what the op is looking for.


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## exclusiva (Oct 29, 2011)

Wow. There are easily a half dozen new condo and townhouse developments within a 20 k drive of my house. Contact a real estate agent and tell them you want information on these developments in the Progreso to San Crisanto corridor. Or try Googling San Bruno or San Crisanto. 
I will look up a couple. What kind of mansions are these condos in Manzanillo?
There is a distinct disconnect here.


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## exclusiva (Oct 29, 2011)

Okay. A VERY quick look turned up these (I Googled San Bruno Yucatan condos for sale):
* a luxury 3-bdrm unit in a new building called Puebla San Bruno for about $250,000.
* Villas San Crisanto new oceanfront or view units for $189,000.
* An older 3-bd for $129,000.
* Coral Blu in San Bruno. New 2-storey oceanfront townhouse condo for $299,000.
* Oceanfront condo through agent Roma Barss for $199,000.
* Villas Wayak new condos with ocean view for $230,000.
* Jaal Kanaab ocean view townhouse for $235,000.
That's from just one quick Google search in one small part of the beach and I know there are more. These are all very nice condos. If they don't fit the bill, then we're definitely talkin' apples and oranges.
Good luck, folks.


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## exclusiva (Oct 29, 2011)

Out of curiosity, I looked up condo listings in Manzanillo. A hasty run through turned up a couple of condos in a development called Pena Blanca for $170,000ish that were comparable to older units I didn't bother mentioning that would sell in the Progreso area for about $65,000 to $70,000ish. Another for $250,000 in Manzanillo would be a $135,000 comparable in the Yucatan.
Ones in Manz comparable to the best ones I turned up in my Google search would easily cost a half million bucks and up, according to what I saw.
So I would say that judging by the little bit of research I did, prices in Manzanillo are about double in some cases to compatibles in the Progreso stretch of beach. Or more.
Of course, some individuals might be selling cheap to get out from under a problem, but the Yucatan typically appears to be demonstrably less expensive. And then there are the oceanfront homes starting at about $130,000 to $140,000.
For anyone who's interested, that is . . .


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

I thgought it might be fun to change the subject a wee bit as an Alabama boy whose summers were spent on the Gulf Coast between Destin, Florida and Dauphin Island, Alabama

Oddly enough, the purest sugar-while sand beacvhes on earth are found in a region stretching from just east of Panama City, Florida to the eastern shore of Mobile Bay where the Gulf waters turn murky and remain murky as muddy effluent enters the Gulf from Mobile Bay which is actually an estuary and from the western shores of Mobile Bay all the way down to about Celestun on the Yucatan Penisnsula, the Gulf remains murky with brownish beaches then is blessed with white beaches once again and clear aquamarine waters although not crystal clear with the purest sugar white sand imaginable as one would find around an area from Panama City to Pensacola, Florida. 

Oddly enpough, the pure white fine grained sand of the Florida Panhandle and the eastern gulf beaches of Alabama are not of local origin: rather they emanate from the quartz originating in the region of Appalachia and these sands are deposited on this shoreline through the Appalatchicola Basin. This pinkish quartz becomes pure white while on its journey resulting in these astonishingly white, fine grained sand on the beaches of the Gulf in that area in a Gulf coastal basin primarily characterized by red clay with intermittent fertile, jet black and fecund soil. 

The currents in the gulf flow from east to west so the gulf waters are murkey from the western shore of Mobile Bay through Mississippi and become even more murkey after the Mississippi River dumps its effluent al the way from Minnesota into the Gulf, a phenomenon so significant that it formed the "Mississippi Cone" under the sea off of the Louisiana Coast.

This east-west current s responsible for the phenomenal change in the sugar-white beaches and crystalline waters of the gulf coast in Northwest Florida and Southern Alabama amd the brown beaches and murkey waters of the gulf from Mississippi through Louisiana and Texas and down into Mexico all the way to Campeche State. 

The actual reason that the pleasant white beaches and semi-clear aquamarine waters of the Gulf from Celestun to Isla Holbox are so reasonably priced is that they are overshadowed by the nearby Caribbean with its coral shoals and Caribbean seaside playgrounds sponsored by the Mexiican government. One must look at the bright side of this governmental sponsorship of the Caribbean over the Gulf. The wonderful beaches and charming fishing villages of the Gulf are far more pleasant for many of us and those beaches and warm waters are an undervalued treasure. The Gulf along the Yucatan Peninsula´s northern shore is blessed with great beaches, rustic towns and fabulous warm waters and, I might add, one of Mexico´s most charming cities in Merida. This is the ´place to buy even if the occasional hurricane wipes you off the face of the earth just as it might do on the Caribbean. God has his priorities. 

I think ´ll stay in the Chiapas Highlands visiting the Yucatan beaches now and then. Ain´t no hurricane gone wipe out the Dawg.


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## exclusiva (Oct 29, 2011)

The beaches on Florida's Gulf coast are gorgeous, as Dawg says. Question Dawg . . . Is that beautiful 6 mile beach at Siesta Key natural or man made? It looks almost too good to be true.
Because our part of the Yucatan Peninsula historically has far fewer hurricanes make landfall than hit the Caribbean side, we have never had to weather a Big Blow or deal with the damage in the nine years we have owned and the 11 some years we have travelled there (touch wood). Though we came close a couple of times, the hurricanes either blew out over the peninsula or veered south or north. Which evidently, is typical.
So who knows, Dawg. Perhaps we'll be heading for the highlands like you after we get our first taste of disaster. At this point, we're unsure what our appetite for destruction will be. Will let you know. 
I think your assessment of why the prices for oceanfront in our area are so depressed comparatively speaking is spot on. Simply put, few know about the area yet because there is really no all-inclusive style hotels, hence not a lot of that kind of vacation travel. Hotel strips like those seen in Cancun, along the Riviera Maya, in PV and other parts of the west coast, lead to tourists, which eventually lead to developments and buyers.
And the Gulf beaches and water, while in MHO are much nicer than those in, say PV, are not as pretty as on Mexico's Caribbean.
We spent years combing the tropics for a dream location that had everything we wanted - affordability, reasonably stable politically, safe, nearby airports, affordability, and a nearby big city for all its amenities such as hospitals, theatres, shopping, good restaurants, culture, museums, art galleries, history and universities. A place with lots of significant ancient ruins, affordability, white sand beaches, clear water, fewer hurricanes, jungle and some mountains. And did I say affordable?
And we never found it.
But we did find the next best thing in San Bruno near Progreso (no jungle though there are mangrove lagoons, and no mountains). And it has one oddball feature that really sealed the deal for us. Because the beaches in the Chuburna to Santa Clara corridor are so close to Merida, they are a summertime playground for Meridanos wishing to flee the oppressive heat and humidity of July and Aug. in the city. For this reason, rents in the summer high season are double those in the winter, when most snowbird owners will want to be in their own homes. Which is a real bonus for those needing to rent their properties in order to help meet the considerable costs associated with maintaining an oceanfront property. I know of no other location in the tropics where this kind of perfect storm happens.
Undervalued treasure, indeed.


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## kimo (Feb 12, 2011)

exclusiva said:


> Out of curiosity, I looked up condo listings in Manzanillo. A hasty run through turned up a couple of condos in a development called Pena Blanca for $170,000ish that were comparable to older units I didn't bother mentioning that would sell in the Progreso area for about $65,000 to $70,000ish. Another for $250,000 in Manzanillo would be a $135,000 comparable in the Yucatan.
> Ones in Manz comparable to the best ones I turned up in my Google search would easily cost a half million bucks and up, according to what I saw.
> So I would say that judging by the little bit of research I did, prices in Manzanillo are about double in some cases to compatibles in the Progreso stretch of beach. Or more.
> Of course, some individuals might be selling cheap to get out from under a problem, but the Yucatan typically appears to be demonstrably less expensive. And then there are the oceanfront homes starting at about $130,000 to $140,000.
> For anyone who's interested, that is . . .


Re Manzanillo, Caldwell Banker, Remax and many others including private sellers have many listings for ocean view under $200k, that would fit what we are looking for, a condos location (surrounding area) also has a lot to do with whether we would like it. and don't forget Manzanillo is a city of around 150k, so a lot more amenities than a place like Progresso, and in Manz, places like WalMart are within walking distance, if not a short 40p bus ride. And can't help notice that of the 7 condos you mention, only 3 are under $200k, the $189k condos at Villas San Crisanto would surely be the ones farthest from the beach with maybe ocean glimpse at best, not full views, and whats up with that beach?, maybe white sand, but its covered in seaweed or weeds or I don't know what, you don't get that in Manzanillo or anywhere on the Pacific side that I have been. The Romas Barrs condo for $199k, looking at the pics of condo and beach/outside area, No thanks, and why is price reduced by $100k, could it be that, as you stated about Manz, ""some individuals might be selling cheap to get out from under a problem"" And could'nt find a listing for older 3 bdrm for $139, but from other listings I found can imagine what it looks like and what kind of area is it in?. Progreso may be right for some, but don't think it would be our cup of tea, But I appreciate you trying to enlighten me on the Yucatan, but just can't find anything that comes close to being what we want in a retirement condo for under $200k. But who knows, maybe things will change with time, as I am sure more and more condos will be built in the future, our current house may go up in value, so we will have a bigger budget. Gracias


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

You know, exclusiva, that hey ruined the old 1950s rustic fishing vlllage of Destin with the old East Pass bridge where the dolphins playedi in the multi-colored cryatal clear waters and this was the treasure of my youth in those days. In the 50s, people understood that the occasional hurricane coud come through there and wiped out everything constructed by man ansd so the homes built on the beach were typically cinder block crap housing worth, maybe, $5,000 in those days and no great loss if they should suddenly disappear. Nowadays, the coast at Destin is choc-s-blocwith uglyssigh rise conominums bscururing the beach from motorists passing by see wall-to-wall ugly comdomium highrises reminiscent of Spain´s Costa Del Sol. A sad and wanton destruction of so much natural beauty. 

One of the things we treasure about the Chiapas Pacific Coast is that it is remote , undiscovered and poverty stricken and chartacterized by poor fishing villages and countless bays and hard to access esturaries and lagoons and nobody goes there except us and we like that. They destroyed the coast from Destin to Dauphin Island but they have not discovered the Chiapas Coast and we´ll be long dead before they destroy that small bit if heaven.


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## exclusiva (Oct 29, 2011)

Kimo: Go for it. Sounds like you have found just the right place for you.


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## exclusiva (Oct 29, 2011)

Dawg:
Unlike us, the Mayans knew better than to build on the beach. In our area, they set up fishing villages where they lived temporarily, but they mostly lived full time inland. Hence Telchac Puerto and its inland counterpart (I think about 15 k from the shore) called Telchac Pueblo. There is also Chicxulub and farther inland, Chicxulub Pueblo.
One exception is, of course, the famous Tulum. Another just down the road from us is Xcambo, which is about 2 km inland and was believed to be a salt trading port. A few years ago, they found 600 skeletons on the site, but so far, no explanation as to why they are there (a graveyard? Some kind of sacrifice to the Gods? A plague or illness?)
I really enjoy all your musings, especially the historical / geographic ones.
Perhaps we can hook up with you and yours when you travel through our neck of the beach this winter.


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## Longford (May 25, 2012)

Let's not forget that there are probably more condominiums or homes being sold as private sales than through brokerages as many of us are familiar with NOB. Word of mouth, networking ... friends of friends ... is a very commonplace method of buying/selling real estate in so many areas of Mexico. If someone decides on a particular community one alternative to learning what might be available (and not widely known about) is to select a Notario Public (for the eventual sale, whichever it is) and ask the Notario what he/she knows about properties for sale. Maybe the procedure has changed, but I'm recalling that it's the buyer who selects the Notario to process the sale, not the seller ... and, therefore, eventually, a buyer needs to select a Notario. IMO, generally, real estate brokers in Mexico are not very good at what they do.


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