BajaNomad

La Paz real estate

Denverlittleton - 9-20-2020 at 10:00 PM

I’m coming to la Paz in October to look at real estate.

How has la Paz real estate been doing?

I read a post that said to offer 60% of the asking price. Is this good advice?

Has real estate been selling in la Paz?

If I bought a 3 bedroom 2 bath house, 1500 sq feet brand new. Would I be able to rent it out for 1000 per month?

How do I find out what places sold for?

Do you see la Paz getting more expensive?

Lots of questions and any advice is appreciated.

Thanks

JZ - 9-20-2020 at 10:21 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Denverlittleton  
I’m coming to la Paz in October to look at real estate.

How has la Paz real estate been doing?

I read a post that said to offer 60% of the asking price. Is this good advice?

Has real estate been selling in la Paz?

If I bought a 3 bedroom 2 bath house, 1500 sq feet brand new. Would I be able to rent it out for 1000 per month?

How do I find out what places sold for?

Do you see la Paz getting more expensive?

Lots of questions and any advice is appreciated.

Thanks


Based on this post op, you aren't sophisticated enough to invest in real estate.

Stick to renting.

Denverlittleton - 9-21-2020 at 12:37 AM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
Quote: Originally posted by Denverlittleton  
I’m coming to la Paz in October to look at real estate.

How has la Paz real estate been doing?

I read a post that said to offer 60% of the asking price. Is this good advice?

Has real estate been selling in la Paz?

If I bought a 3 bedroom 2 bath house, 1500 sq feet brand new. Would I be able to rent it out for 1000 per month?

How do I find out what places sold for?

Do you see la Paz getting more expensive?

Lots of questions and any advice is appreciated.

Thanks


Based on this post op, you aren't sophisticated enough to invest in real estate.

Stick to renting.

I am not currently renting. I own several properties and rent them out, along with owning a software consulting company. The lack of information about pricing and resale values is what I am interested in. Real estate agents are telling me that la Paz is booming, yet when I read here people say prices are dropping. Minus a transparent system all I can try todo is fish for information. If the cost of a property is 130,000 and I can rent it out for 1000 to 1200 per month, then the rate of return would justify the cash investment.

Mula - 9-21-2020 at 04:49 AM

Probably not. Maybe 500 to 700 a month. for 6 months of the year. Summer is too hot.
Electric for air conditioning is expensive and most people leave for the summer.
Check Craig's list bajasur for prices, maybe.
Make friends with a couple of RE agents. ]
Live there for awhile to make your assessments.

Lee - 9-21-2020 at 06:09 AM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
Quote: Originally posted by Denverlittleton  
I’m coming to la Paz in October to look at real estate.

How has la Paz real estate been doing?

I read a post that said to offer 60% of the asking price. Is this good advice?

Has real estate been selling in la Paz?

If I bought a 3 bedroom 2 bath house, 1500 sq feet brand new. Would I be able to rent it out for 1000 per month?

How do I find out what places sold for?

Do you see la Paz getting more expensive?

Lots of questions and any advice is appreciated.

Thanks


Based on this post op, you aren't sophisticated enough to invest in real estate.

Stick to renting.


If you’re here for advice, take it from the responses you get.

Rent, live there, go slow, talk with locals, learn the market. Show up with cash in hand will get you in trouble. Pay attention.

SFandH - 9-21-2020 at 06:18 AM

Some will probably disagree, but I wouldn't buy in an urban area, or close to one, unless the house was in a private, gated, guarded development. Security is a major concern everywhere in Mexico.

It will also be a more desirable rental. Easier to rent, less turnover.



[Edited on 9-21-2020 by SFandH]

pacificobob - 9-21-2020 at 07:20 AM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
Quote: Originally posted by Denverlittleton  
I’m coming to la Paz in October to look at real estate.

How has la Paz real estate been doing?

I read a post that said to offer 60% of the asking price. Is this good advice?

Has real estate been selling in la Paz?

If I bought a 3 bedroom 2 bath house, 1500 sq feet brand new. Would I be able to rent it out for 1000 per month?

How do I find out what places sold for?

Do you see la Paz getting more expensive?

Lots of questions and any advice is appreciated.

Thanks


Based on this post op, you aren't sophisticated enough to invest in real estate.

Stick to renting.


disregard the above council from a California weekender. buy what you want.
i think some of us can afford to do so.

John Harper - 9-21-2020 at 10:28 AM

You might want to look into laws regarding owning and renting out property in Mexico. As a US citizen, you might have issues with US and Mexico tax laws.

John

RocketJSquirrel - 9-21-2020 at 04:15 PM

I second JH's advice above. Landlord/tenant law is very different in Mexico and you may find evictions are expensive and time consuming. Sometimes impossible. (Nothing is really impossible, but it can and does depend on your creativity and CASH on hand.)

I too have bought and sold and rented property most of my life (some in foreign lands) and here, maybe anywhere, you really need to live in the area you want to buy. At least for a while and hang out at the local bar/club(s). A lot of it will be BS, but there will be some things worth hearing.

It's okay to invest that way here, if you are exceedingly careful. Be aware there can be lots of surprises. I was super lucky to find my place and I was totally ignorant in the deal. It worked out great, but I am not sure you are looking for that roll of the dice. I wasn't! Glad it worked out though...

Lengua - 9-21-2020 at 04:48 PM

Most Realtors are eternal optimist and most will tell you that their city is on fire!! "Better buy now before the prices go up" We know one realtor that puts a newsletter out in La Paz and she touts that La Paz is the place to buy if you want a Covid 19 hide away....My wife and I said wow.

If its strictly a rental and investment property then hook up with a realtor and tour some neighborhoods. The realtor we spoke with was informative and shared sales comparables.

We prefer a gated community like Costa Baja now called Puerta cortes. Were not retired and only spend 12-15 weeks a year there and we rent it out by the week to others. For us its not meant to be a cash generator but does off set the annual expenses such as HOA , taxes and beach club membership.

The place is gated , secured ,has 4-5 restaurants and the golf club on the hill not to mention the full service marina.

Most Nomads here will say rent first but this sounds like its going to be a rental and you're expecting a return. If you're buying for your self I agree with what fellow Nomads have said and if its an investment property you better be damn sure you know where you're buying and who you're renting to.

As an owner/user I have a professional PM company manage the rental aspect. Their my boots on the ground. If not you might have a tenant that has a multi generational family of 15 living there including a trailer.

Do your homework !!!!

Alan - 9-22-2020 at 12:36 PM

As far as property values in La Paz all I can do is share my personal experience. I bought in La Paz about 13 years ago at the top of the market. Then the US housing market crashed! As they say in Baja, "when the US gets a cold, Mexico get pneumonia". So as the US recovered from her cold, La Paz was still battling pneumonia. Prices were just starting to hit pre-crash levels when Covid-19 hit.

Your guess will be as good as anybody else's as to what the future will hold from this point forward. There is one other thing you need to add into your calculations and that is the currency exchange rates. At the time of my purchase the peso was selling at 10 to a dollar. It is now selling right around 20-1. Therefore if I were to sell for anything more than 50 cents on the dollar I am subject to capital gains tax :lol::lol:

Thankfully investment wasn't the goal behind my purchase. I would do it all again if given the same opportunities. The times we've had and the relationships we have built over the years have made it more than worth it. I have gained so much more than I have spent.

JZ - 9-22-2020 at 01:00 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Alan  
As far as property values in La Paz all I can do is share my personal experience. I bought in La Paz about 13 years ago at the top of the market. Then the US housing market crashed! As they say in Baja, "when the US gets a cold, Mexico get pneumonia". So as the US recovered from her cold, La Paz was still battling pneumonia. Prices were just starting to hit pre-crash levels when Covid-19 hit.

Your guess will be as good as anybody else's as to what the future will hold from this point forward. There is one other thing you need to add into your calculations and that is the currency exchange rates. At the time of my purchase the peso was selling at 10 to a dollar. It is now selling right around 20-1. Therefore if I were to sell for anything more than 50 cents on the dollar I am subject to capital gains tax :lol::lol:

Thankfully investment wasn't the goal behind my purchase. I would do it all again if given the same opportunities. The times we've had and the relationships we have built over the years have made it more than worth it. I have gained so much more than I have spent.


I sold my MX property just before the crash in California. A marina front house at Marina Real in Sonora.

Bought 15 foreclosure properties in Colorado in 2009-2010. Have been selling them off the last 5 years.

Next property I buy in MX will be in Loreto.

Just like anything else, real estate investing is all about timing.



[Edited on 9-22-2020 by JZ]

RocketJSquirrel - 9-22-2020 at 01:00 PM

As Alan suggests, currency fluctuations can be a problem. I bought a condo in Thailand years ago and when I sold it, there were loads of "technical" problems (read: bureaucratic corruption). Far too much to go into here, but bottom line, I sold for exactly what I had purchased the property for, probably 5-6 years earlier, in spite of a good run up in RE prices. Luckily the Thai baht had moved from Tbht44:US$1 to 25:1 while I was there. So I, in fact, made a nice profit when I sold and converted to US$. But that was in no way due to my "genius" or insight into the market. It was sheer luck.

But... if you intent was, as mine was, for income - it worked out great. I was able to keep it rented for long periods of time - put up a simple website, advertised just a bit and did okay. There are important cultural LOCAL customs to be aware of in how you deal with building managers, their "piece of the action" and how all that works, but if you pay attention, you can get those aspects right.

If you don't pay attention to those "local customs", you can find even your property manager working against you.

JZ - 9-22-2020 at 01:56 PM

Quote: Originally posted by RocketJSquirrel  
As Alan suggests, currency fluctuations can be a problem. I bought a condo in Thailand years ago and when I sold it, there were loads of "technical" problems (read: bureaucratic corruption). Far too much to go into here, but bottom line, I sold for exactly what I had purchased the property for, probably 5-6 years earlier, in spite of a good run up in RE prices. Luckily the Thai baht had moved from Tbht44:US$1 to 25:1 while I was there. So I, in fact, made a nice profit when I sold and converted to US$. But that was in no way due to my "genius" or insight into the market. It was sheer luck.

But... if you intent was, as mine was, for income - it worked out great. I was able to keep it rented for long periods of time - put up a simple website, advertised just a bit and did okay. There are important cultural LOCAL customs to be aware of in how you deal with building managers, their "piece of the action" and how all that works, but if you pay attention, you can get those aspects right.

If you don't pay attention to those "local customs", you can find even your property manager working against you.


Property in MX is sold in US $.

chippy - 9-22-2020 at 02:17 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
Quote: Originally posted by RocketJSquirrel  
As Alan suggests, currency fluctuations can be a problem. I bought a condo in Thailand years ago and when I sold it, there were loads of "technical" problems (read: bureaucratic corruption). Far too much to go into here, but bottom line, I sold for exactly what I had purchased the property for, probably 5-6 years earlier, in spite of a good run up in RE prices. Luckily the Thai baht had moved from Tbht44:US$1 to 25:1 while I was there. So I, in fact, made a nice profit when I sold and converted to US$. But that was in no way due to my "genius" or insight into the market. It was sheer luck.

But... if you intent was, as mine was, for income - it worked out great. I was able to keep it rented for long periods of time - put up a simple website, advertised just a bit and did okay. There are important cultural LOCAL customs to be aware of in how you deal with building managers, their "piece of the action" and how all that works, but if you pay attention, you can get those aspects right.

If you don't pay attention to those "local customs", you can find even your property manager working against you.


Property in MX is sold in US $.


I beg to differ JZ. I´ve bought 8 different properties in 3 different states down here and never paid nor were they advertized/sold in USD.

RocketJSquirrel - 9-22-2020 at 02:39 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  

Property in MX is sold in US $.


Might be, but probably not a legal contract in that case.

Be careful if you have such assumptions.

RocketJSquirrel - 9-22-2020 at 02:41 PM

I would tend to think that any contract for real property in any country is going to have a requirement for a legal agreement to be denominated in the local currency. Food for thought if you intend to enforce your contract of sale.

JZ - 9-22-2020 at 02:42 PM

Quote: Originally posted by RocketJSquirrel  
Quote: Originally posted by JZ  

Property in MX is sold in US $.


Might be, but probably not a legal contract in that case.

Be careful if you have such assumptions.


Listed in US dollars. Gets converted for the contract. Converted back when it goes into your US bank account.

The point is, you don't have worry about long term fluctuation of the peso vs. the $ as you suggested in your Thailand example. Different story for Canadian buyers.



[Edited on 9-22-2020 by JZ]

chippy - 9-22-2020 at 03:08 PM

Who would by Mexican property listed in USD? Overpricing flags go up when I see that. That´s usually when gringos are reselling property they bought in pesos or Mexicans looking for gringo suckers.

JZ - 9-22-2020 at 03:23 PM

Quote: Originally posted by chippy  
Who would by Mexican property listed in USD? Overpricing flags go up when I see that. That´s usually when gringos are reselling property they bought in pesos or Mexicans looking for gringo suckers.


https://www.findmexicohouses.com/results-gallery/?city=19870...

Think about all the places listed on Baja Nomad over the years. I don't remember one being listed in pesos?




[Edited on 9-22-2020 by JZ]

chippy - 9-22-2020 at 04:46 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
Quote: Originally posted by chippy  
Who would by Mexican property listed in USD? Overpricing flags go up when I see that. That´s usually when gringos are reselling property they bought in pesos or Mexicans looking for gringo suckers.


https://www.findmexicohouses.com/results-gallery/?city=19870...

Think about all the places listed on Baja Nomad over the years. I don't remember one being listed in pesos?




[Edited on 9-22-2020 by JZ]


OK now you´re talking about Baja before you said all properties in Mexico are listed in USD. I have never owned property in Baja only leases. I would RUN from anything listed in USD in anywhere in Mexico, Baja included.

RocketJSquirrel - 9-22-2020 at 05:03 PM

US$ pricing means priced for gringos. If you can't do the math for pesos, expect higher prices for the convenience.

JZ - 9-22-2020 at 05:22 PM

Quote: Originally posted by chippy  


OK now you´re talking about Baja before you said all properties in Mexico are listed in USD. I have never owned property in Baja only leases. I would RUN from anything listed in USD in anywhere in Mexico, Baja included.


San Carlos in Sonora where I've owned property is all in $. A quick look at Puerto Vallarta listings also shows properties listed in $'s.

Just because it's listed in $ doesn't necessarily make it over priced. It could be, but could also be a bargain. Basic real estate investing always comes into play regardless of the currency.

SFandH - 9-22-2020 at 05:38 PM

Who cares what currency is used? Multiply, divide, it ain't rocket science.

JZ - 9-22-2020 at 05:40 PM

Quote: Originally posted by SFandH  
Who cares what currency is used? Multiply, divide, it ain't rocket science.


It helps for sales history for one thing. And protection against currency deflation. Imagine losing half your value when the peso went from 10-1 to 20-1.

It's just better when judged against the US $.



[Edited on 9-23-2020 by JZ]

SFandH - 9-22-2020 at 06:51 PM

I thought the discussion was about how properties are advertised. The amount, the asking price, is determined by many factors. Whether it is stated in pesos or dollars really doesn't make any difference other than considering the currency the prospective buyers are used to.



[Edited on 9-23-2020 by SFandH]

Alan - 9-23-2020 at 08:28 AM

It is my understanding that all official documents must be in Spanish and in currency amounts identified by pesos. Our HOA needed to have everything officially translated to Spanish with peso equivalencies before they could be registered with the City as required under their condominium laws.

Not sure what JZ is basing his opinion on but what I have stated in regards to currency fluctuations and the sale of property is what occurred to each of my neighbors when they sold. And yes for the record, at the time of their purchase, their units were advertised for sale in USD. Apparently, in Baja at least, their Clave (property title) is considered more official than their real estate flyers. Who knew??

[Edited on 9-23-2020 by Alan]

CasaMaximus - 9-23-2020 at 02:50 PM

I am going to stop short of saying what JZ said except to agree with him that you really don't know what you don't know yet. Educate yourself before you make a huge mistake. Where you are uncertain ask then ask someone else who has done what you are hoping to do and was successful. Do not circumvent the fideicomiso process for a "deal" do not decline title insurance. Do get the best representation you can afford and most of all remember real estate salesmen are salesmen and not realtors as we know them. Good luck.