Pops
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Dumb basic real estate question...
When searching for property in Baja all I find is, the what seems to be, very expensive rich "gringo" type of properties.
I don't think that with the wages that a Mexican national makes that very few if any places could be afforded.
I'm I missing something? What is the best way to find "affordable" properties?
If you make something idiot proof, someone will always make a better idiot.
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Diver
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Decide where you want to live then spend some time there and talk to the locals.
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Pops
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Diver
Decide where you want to live then spend some time there and talk to the locals. |
That sound like very sound advise. Thank you.
If you make something idiot proof, someone will always make a better idiot.
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DENNIS
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Pops
I don't think that with the wages that a Mexican national makes that very few if any places could be afforded.
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I don't know, Pops. There are a lot of Mexicans in the new middle class who do have money. They're able to accumulate money differently than we can.
Most Mexicans don't have a mortgage to drain their funds.
Anyway, what are you looking for?
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noproblemo2
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The housing in Baja (a nearly 1000 mile length) offers a very wide selection, you need to have an area in mind first, price willing to pay, amenities
wanted or not wanted.
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Don Alley
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We needed a place, and a local builder needed work. He found us several locals with property for sale. Helped that it was a small town. We bought a
place, and he got the job rebuilding and adding on. Like you, we had found the local real estate office listings mostly high-priced properties.
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monoloco
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Real estate offices don't bother with inexpensive properties because there is not enough commission involved to make it worth their time.
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rhintransit
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I think the average Baja Mexican (if there is one I'm no expert) doesn't buy property. they or more likely someone in their extended family just own
property or have been there long enough to have a claim to it. parcels are subdivided or someone just makes space for the latest primo, adjoining
non habitated areas are encroached upon, etc etc etc. someone gets married, needs a place, someone else in the wide extended familly comes up with
something. there are also very convoluted inheritance issues which can make finding an actual legal owner difficult or impossible (not unusual to find
someone has sold property to which they had no legal right...a third cousin, a distant elder, etc etc etc) the wealthy and middle class do buy, and
at least until recently, for cash.
good advice above. go where you want to live, start asking around. it helps to have a local, not a real estate agent, asking for you. follow the
leads...
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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Pescador
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Depends on the area. I have seen some areas that have a more natural mix of native and gringo populations where the prices are more naturally
determined, but those areas that are primarily owned by Norteamericanos seem to fetch the highest prices because people continue to support and pay
for those properties.
In the "common" areas, I do see mexican friends who buy property and some do it for investment purposes. One of the problems associated with
"family developments" is that disagreements and arguments occur and then people want to move on to another area. The natives watch and ask and
usually have a pretty good idea as to the prices and what they might expect for any given piece of property.
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wessongroup
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Diver is right on point...
Find a location which can afford you access to many "living" locations.. and like all say... live there (6 months for a start) and talk to the locals
and do some observations/due diligence on your own. If it's not what you want, move to another location for another six months..
You get to enjoy living in Baja, and looking at property at your leisure... if you like to look it's really a lot of fun and you get to meet a lot of
people and see a lot of places too...
We are doing it now... and next we want to check out to the South.. the pictures that so many folks have put up on the Baja Sur have really gotten
this pair of old folks interested in looking at the South too.
Not sure we want the heat in the summer, no I know I don't want that... lived and worked 110-115º before and don't want that one again.. but will take
a look
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woody with a view
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sorry for the hijack.
| Quote: |
but will take a look
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i saw a bumper sticker that said, "i'm not a gynecologist, but i'll take a look!" 
now, back to our regular programming...
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Donjulio
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Pops,
IMHO the main answer to your question is that the Mexican people will not give an exclusive listing on the property. That is still new to them and
they think that if they do that they are lowering their chances of selling the property. They don't understand the concept. Therefore the real estate
companies will not pay to advertise or spend the time or money to put it on their websites.
Another thing that is different here is the lack of customer loyalty. Much higher than in the states. You talk to a person on the phone, email back
and forth for months, you stay in touch, they schedule a trip down, they come into town and you never see them. Monday you follow up, find out they
had a few drinks, were having fun, walked into another office in town, bought a piece of property from someone else. You would not believe the amount
of times this happens. So we advertise a property that isn't an actual listing and it gets sold to them by someone else. Happens all the time.
The advice you have been given is great except for a couple things. 1) yes, the locals have an idea of what the properties are worth but if you are a
gringo the minute they see you it doubles 2) Make sure you do not do a transaction with a local (or real estate person for that matter) without having
an attorney thoroughly check the property. San Felipe for instance has a lot of unrecorded subdividing of lots. This is an issue.
With that said, the real estate people that have survived and are still here and in business after the last two years can be pretty helpful and
probably most know where you can buy the lower priced properties from the locals.
Just have to ask them.
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Osprey
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When we did that 15 years ago the realtors steered us to the high price spreads that they could make some money on. We had to navigate on our own to
find a village we liked, an affordable house. If the heat index bothers you, make some inquiries about electricity rates in the area you are
interested in. Our affordable air conditioning makes it easy, comfortable to get through those long, steamy nights. The rates in Baja are all over the
spectrum but it's a hot button and anybody you ask will give you more info than you need about how much CFE charges for residential electricity.
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