# Relocating to Monterrey



## Bms3116 (6 mo ago)

Hello everyone! I’m feeling so grateful this site/online community exists… it’s been very helpful to read different posts, and has provided us some reassurance as we prepare for our own move!

My family was offered an amazing opportunity that involves us relocating from the US to Monterrey, Mexico for work this fall/winter. We’ve been doing a lot of research, and it was recommended by a relocation agent that we look for a home in San Pedro Garza García. I’ve been looking online, but the current prices I’ve seen seem somewhat shocking relative to other areas of Monterrey, and as though there very few/no options in our preferred budget. We are moving from a roughly 3500 sq ft home, with 4 bedrooms plus office. We would prefer something similar in size (4 or 5 bedrooms), that is on the newer/updated end. Our preferred rental budget is roughly 50,000-70,000 MXN. Is this easily feasible for a home in San Pedro?I’m seeing 4 and 5 bedroom homes going for 100-120,000 MXN, but wonder if such prices accurately capture the present rental market? While we could afford such prices, I don’t want to spend unnecessarily. If 100,000 is reasonable for a 4 or 5 bedroom home in the current market, then ok. But we don’t aim to be flashy and prefer living more comfortably within our budget when able.

Along the same line, it common for individuals to advertise rentals online, or are homes generally handled through an agency or vía word of mouth? And do people typically negotiate price or does it tend to be the price listed is just what it is? I’ve also seen several occasions where the same home is listed at different prices (80,000; 90,000; 120,000). Should we be concerned about people up charging, and any strategies others recommend to minimize such occurrences?

Finally, what is the general culture of San Pedro (or other recommended areas people suggest)? I have concerns when I read that we would be living in the wealthiest/most expensive area in a large country… Ive lived in LA, so I’m very aware to how different neighborhoods or areas of a city can have different vibes/cultures. I want to be in a nice community, but dont want or need the Beverly Hills or Manhattan of Mexico if there are other equally nice areas. Looking for some perspective here to help guide us  

thank you 1000 times over to those of you willing to take the time to read and respond !!


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## MangoTango (Feb 8, 2020)

Although I have been there a couple times, I don't know Monterrey all that well, and I certainly don't know what the various parts of town are. I do think that Monterrey is on most all the lists of the most expensive cities in Mexico. I've got a feeling that 80,000 to 100,000 MXN / month might be a fair price to pay for a 5 bedroom house in a lot of places in Mexico. A nice 2-3 bedroom _condo_ in Cancun probably runs 40,000 to 60,000 MXN. 

But - you probably don't want to use the real estate firms you are familiar with in the US to look for something in Mexico. If the site is in English the listings are probably over-priced, for example. If you sign an annual lease you may get to take a discount - particularly if you pay upfront. 

Here is what I think is a decent site to look for real estate in Mexico :
Compra, Vende y Renta Propiedades en Línea - Bienes Raíces México | Lamudi


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## Jreboll (Nov 23, 2013)

An answer to your question requires knowing a lot more than the information you’re giving. Perhaps you could ask you’re employer for a contact person in Monterrey that could guide you. Boots on the ground is always the best way. Perhaps you could take a little vacation to look the situation over,


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

"is it common for individuals to advertise rentals online, or are homes generally handled through an agency or vía word of mouth?"

Word of mouth is most common. Hanging out a sign saying for rent with a phone number is the most common level of advertising "effort".

And do people typically negotiate price or does it tend to be the price listed is just what it is? 

Its always negotiable. With a longer lease, paying up front, having references and looking upper class all being factors in your favor. Being a ******, if you are, is probably not in your favor. Paying in cash may be required, helpful, or just appreciated. Not needing a factura (handling the deal outside proper tax reporting) will save somebody 16%.

I’ve also seen several occasions where the same home is listed at different prices (80,000; 90,000; 120,000). 

Yes, because most "agents" trying to find a renter do not have "exclusives". They get a feel for what the owner will accept, and then mark it up, planning to negotiate down, or else make a killing and get a big commission. A common line, if you mention the lower-listed price, is to say "that's an old listing".

Some agents are crooked, too. They'll rent to you for one price, take a "finder's fee" from the owner for finding you, but also tell the owner they rented for less than they did, and keep the difference.

If the agent tries to keep you insulated from the owner, they're not necessarily just doing their job to handle details for the owner. They may also be insulating the owner from you, to facilitate telling two sets of facts, one to you and one to the owner. But it could also be the owner is simply not doing what it takes to keep from being cheated, or else figures that being cheated a little is part of the game and is putting up with it.

Boots on the ground is best, looking around and seeing 'for rent' signs, asking people if they know of any houses in the area for rent, etc. 

You don't say whether you're looking for furnished or unfurnished. Unfurnished may not be in a ready-to-move-in state.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Unfurnished will be a whole lot cheaper. Some towns require a fiador like a guaranty before you move in as well, another hick up. Monterrey is a big city so look for a nice area around where you work rather than the Beverley Hills of Monterrey. Your company or future co workers probably could give you some nice hints, you may want to go and visit for a few days before your decide where to move. I f you want a large furnished home for a few months it will not be cheap, that is for sure.


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## Takingiteasy (Aug 12, 2021)

I have no idea about monterey, but since its known as an expensive city I very much doubt you will find what you are looking for with your budget. I'm no authority but I did spend some time pricing houses in an expensive city, san miguel de allende. I ended up deciding to wait but I found that in city center, or near it, you will pay a high price, perhaps even comparable to usa same size city. On the outskirts, you find the best deals so how close to downtown and the night life do you want to be?

You said in your original post "’I'm seeing 4 and 5 bedroom homes going for 100-120,000 MXN" Yes, I've seen that but its like what they say about real estate here, location. If you want to be in the outskirts of a small town for the best price or closer to the center of a bigger town with more to offer? You can probably find lower prices than that but I doubt you will be happy with them. Its hard to get electricity, water, etc out in the sticks. Rent and look around is the only way to go. Whatever you pick right off the bat is almost 90% likely to disappoint you in some way to the point you would like to try someplace else next time. 

The nice places I looked at wanted a minimum of $250k mxn and the really nice but not the biggest or best were like 4x that in the nice fraccionamientos. But its hard to find the good deals since you may have to drive the neighborhoods looking around and asking. It helps if you speak spanish. If not, rent a guide.


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## eastwind (Jun 18, 2016)

Often if you ask security guards (like at the gate to a walled community, or for a better apartment building) if they know of anything for rent, they'll refer you to an agent. The guard gets a tip for that from the agent, and you get someone willing to show you at least some properties for free. They won't show you everything, only the properties that they can get a commission from if you rent them. If that doesn't find you something, then you can go back to looking on your own, and maybe get hooked up to a different agent the same way. 

If you see everything one agent has to offer and there's nothing good, that agent may 'hand you off' to another agent (again, in exchange for some consideration). 

As a potential renter, you are valuable to people who find renters for a living. The higher the rent you're looking to pay, the more valuable you are to them.


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## Bms3116 (6 mo ago)

MangoTango said:


> Although I have been there a couple times, I don't know Monterrey all that well, and I certainly don't know what the various parts of town are. I do think that Monterrey is on most all the lists of the most expensive cities in Mexico. I've got a feeling that 80,000 to 100,000 MXN / month might be a fair price to pay for a 5 bedroom house in a lot of places in Mexico. A nice 2-3 bedroom _condo_ in Cancun probably runs 40,000 to 60,000 MXN.
> 
> But - you probably don't want to use the real estate firms you are familiar with in the US to look for something in Mexico. If the site is in English the listings are probably over-priced, for example. If you sign an annual lease you may get to take a discount - particularly if you pay upfront.
> 
> ...


Thank you so much for sharing!!


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## Bms3116 (6 mo ago)

Jreboll said:


> An answer to your question requires knowing a lot more than the information you’re giving. Perhaps you could ask you’re employer for a contact person in Monterrey that could guide you. Boots on the ground is always the best way. Perhaps you could take a little vacation to look the situation over,


Thanks! That’s exactly what we decided to do in a couple of weeks…. Looking forward to seeing and getting a feel for the city


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## Bms3116 (6 mo ago)

eastwind said:


> Often if you ask security guards (like at the gate to a walled community, or for a better apartment building) if they know of anything for rent, they'll refer you to an agent. The guard gets a tip for that from the agent, and you get someone willing to show you at least some properties for free. They won't show you everything, only the properties that they can get a commission from if you rent them. If that doesn't find you something, then you can go back to looking on your own, and maybe get hooked up to a different agent the same way.
> 
> If you see everything one agent has to offer and there's nothing good, that agent may 'hand you off' to another agent (again, in exchange for some consideration).
> 
> As a potential renter, you are valuable to people who find renters for a living. The higher the rent you're looking to pay, the more valuable you are to them.


Thank you! This is all really good to know, and I appreciate the tip  fingers crossed we find something…


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## Bms3116 (6 mo ago)

Takingiteasy said:


> I have no idea about monterey, but since its known as an expensive city I very much doubt you will find what you are looking for with your budget. I'm no authority but I did spend some time pricing houses in an expensive city, san miguel de allende. I ended up deciding to wait but I found that in city center, or near it, you will pay a high price, perhaps even comparable to usa same size city. On the outskirts, you find the best deals so how close to downtown and the night life do you want to be?
> 
> You said in your original post "’I'm seeing 4 and 5 bedroom homes going for 100-120,000 MXN" Yes, I've seen that but its like what they say about real estate here, location. If you want to be in the outskirts of a small town for the best price or closer to the center of a bigger town with more to offer? You can probably find lower prices than that but I doubt you will be happy with them. Its hard to get electricity, water, etc out in the sticks. Rent and look around is the only way to go. Whatever you pick right off the bat is almost 90% likely to disappoint you in some way to the point you would like to try someplace else next time.
> 
> The nice places I looked at wanted a minimum of $250k mxn and the really nice but not the biggest or best were like 4x that in the nice fraccionamientos. But its hard to find the good deals since you may have to drive the neighborhoods looking around and asking. It helps if you speak spanish. If not, rent a guide.


Wow- ok thank you! This helps a lot- thank you! we are planning a visit to get a feel and look around the city in a few weeks, so based on what I’m reading here and what I see while there, I may end up going back to the company and requesting an increase in housing and rethinking our expectations/search criteria a bit…


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## Bms3116 (6 mo ago)

eastwind said:


> Often if you ask security guards (like at the gate to a walled community, or for a better apartment building) if they know of anything for rent, they'll refer you to an agent. The guard gets a tip for that from the agent, and you get someone willing to show you at least some properties for free. They won't show you everything, only the properties that they can get a commission from if you rent them. If that doesn't find you something, then you can go back to looking on your own, and maybe get hooked up to a different agent the same way.
> 
> If you see everything one agent has to offer and there's nothing good, that agent may 'hand you off' to another agent (again, in exchange for some consideration).
> 
> As a potential renter, you are valuable to people who find renters for a living. The higher the rent you're looking to pay, the more valuable you are to them.


Thank you!


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## Bms3116 (6 mo ago)

Jreboll said:


> An answer to your question requires knowing a lot more than the information you’re giving. Perhaps you could ask you’re employer for a contact person in Monterrey that could guide you. Boots on the ground is always the best way. Perhaps you could take a little vacation to look the situation over,


Thank you! Yes- the company set us up with a person, but they seem to be showing us homes that don’t quite match up in terms of quality with the price listed. Unfortunately we’ll be some of the first coming over for the company, so we don’t have many resources yet. Thankfully we plan to do a trip by ourselves in a few weeks to get a better feel and take look around. Im very much looking forward to the trip and getting a feel for the area and different communities within it .


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