BajaNomad

Have you built on a lot zoned Turistic

halcyondays - 11-30-2010 at 11:57 AM

Wondering if anyone has any experience---good or bad---about building in a turistic zoned lot.

Seems all beneficial since it can be used as a business or residential.

EIS has already been done.

Thanks!

tiotomasbcs - 11-30-2010 at 12:27 PM

Amigo, u2u Monoloco! He is still in the building process, I think . He may be located close by and have some local insider knowledge. It seems to me that most people are unaware of any zoning which could lead to future problems .Others choose to ignore! Asi es en Mexico. Suerte Tio

toneart - 11-30-2010 at 12:36 PM

Are you talking about the Federal Zone, next to the water?

halcyondays - 11-30-2010 at 04:01 PM

No. The lot is zoned Turista , or Turistic, ?? and it may be because the condo developer owns all the land and he may have had it all zoned that way when he purchased it?

A restaurant and a mini market are being built up by the road....in the same subdivision of lots......I believe the mayor of Cabo is building the restaurant and market.

shari - 11-30-2010 at 07:23 PM

hmmm...i wonder if it really is zoned turistica or if it is the whole area...here in Asuncion was declared an area turistica and prices of land shot up from 20-30 pesos a square meter to 200-300 pesos a square meter...crazy...some lots are higher as they are considered mas turistica but the whole area was designated that.

I am not aware of any zoning here for industrial, tourist, commercial etc. but Loreto and bigger cities may certainly have zoning.

DianaT - 11-30-2010 at 07:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by shari
hmmm...i wonder if it really is zoned turistica or if it is the whole area...here in Asuncion was declared an area turistica and prices of land shot up from 20-30 pesos a square meter to 200-300 pesos a square meter...crazy...some lots are higher as they are considered mas turistica but the whole area was designated that.

I am not aware of any zoning here for industrial, tourist, commercial etc. but Loreto and bigger cities may certainly have zoning.


Yea, from what we have been told, when more and more properties were sold to gringos, the land office in Santa Rosalia made the decision to declare BA a tourist area, with some areas of town as more expensive tourist land.

Unfortunately, this impacts the local population who cannot afford the new prices and many are trying to hang on and pay off their current lots at the old prices, and the old taxes, before they lose their properties to a shark attack because they cannot afford the new prices, especially since they need to pay in installments and the gringos pay in cash.

It has created some not so good feelings as many feel there are some individuals waiting to grab their land that the town could take back from the ones who cannot pay as the town and municipality have so many financial problems.

But this is rather off topic here.

Halcyondays, talk to the local people around your area and take someone you trust and who understands the zoning issues and talk to the officials about your concerns. But, there are never total absolutes.



[Edited on 12-1-2010 by DianaT]

Ricardo - 12-11-2010 at 10:07 AM

I wonder if this is for taxation reasons, then a higher tax can be charged to people who can afford it?

Gaucho - 12-11-2010 at 10:15 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ricardo
I wonder if this is for taxation reasons, then a higher tax can be charged to people who can afford it?


You hit the nail on the head Ricardo. That's exactly why.

oladulce - 12-11-2010 at 01:30 PM

I didn't realize that municipalities determined turistica zones too. I'm confused- how would that make a property more valuable? Are there financial benies, more services, or less restrictions to living in a municipio's Turistica zone? Taxes, I can see, but aren't the property owners determining the sales prices of their lots in Asunción or was the vacant land owned by the Municipio and they jacked up the prices?

Our property was formerly designated "Forestal" land (undeveloped, outside of city municipality zone) which we are in the eternal process of changing via a Cambio Uso de Suelo (Change of Use permit) as a part of the Environmental Impact study we also have to get prior to building. This is a federal SEMARNAT-governed designation that could be considered a zone I guess, and is subject to a BIG fine if if the step isn't completed prior to building.

A few years ago FONATUR decided that the area around us should be zoned "turistica" and published glossy conceptual drawings with golf courses and hotels all around us out here in the butt-barren desierto. I don't know if our property is even in this "Zone" or if it's just surrounding us, but we never got a memo (ha ha) and I haven't heard anything about it since. It hasn't impacted our home-building requirements and hoops we're jumping through yet but every day brings a new surprise. If we are in this "new" zona turistica, it didn't impact our property taxes at all.

Does your property tax receipt say anything about "zona turistica" halcyondays?

It would be interesting to know the pros and cons , and who determines the "zona turisticas".

DianaT - 12-11-2010 at 02:47 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by oladulce
I didn't realize that municipalities determined turistica zones too.


It makes the lots that are still owned by the town more expensive. Lots can be bought directly from the town at a price set by the municipality. So when they declared the area a tourist area, they also raised the prices of the lots owned by the town---and it is different in different parts of town. Beach front being the most expensive. No difference in services, and our taxes did not go up yet, and they are extremely cheap right now---about equal to $35.00 for the year---we were surprised at that.

Don't know about other areas----BA is not that old of a town and many people "bought" lots and built houses, but they have never finished paying for their lots. So technically, they own the house, but not the land until they finish paying for the land.

At times, the seller of a home there finishes paying for the land when they sell the property.

[Edited on 12-11-2010 by DianaT]

oladulce - 12-11-2010 at 03:18 PM

Thanks DianaT, that's interesting and different from where we are.