| Pages:
1
2
3 |
gnukid
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4411
Registered: 7-2-2006
Member Is Offline
|
|
It's possible to build everything from cement and have no appliances or anything worth stealing. In la ventana and el sargento there are many many
home robberies in the summer. Even a person living there has to leave sometimes and the robbers will steal everything and the police are of no help
out there at all. I caught robbers in the act a few times and brought the police who refused to do anything. But there are many happy people there, a
method that works is to have a super secure bodega and put things in there like the fridge and stove and leave the rest basically open. Even a motor
home will get broken into or infested by rats. So less is more in this case unless you are in a closed and secure community like Mister Bills. We put
everything in a big old van that doesn't even run and leave it at Pablos then we tow it each year to where we use the stuff.
Robbers will break through cement and metal, nothing can stop them except having nothing they want. I did see hurricane door/window coverings that are
pretty strong.
[Edited on 1-11-2013 by gnukid]
|
|
|
micah202
Super Nomad
Posts: 1615
Registered: 1-19-2011
Location: vancouver,BC
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by gnukid
It's possible to build everything from cement and have no appliances or anything worth stealing. In la ventana and el sargento there are many many
home robberies in the summer. Even a person living there has to leave sometimes and the robbers will steal everything and the police are of no help
out there at all. I caught robbers in the act a few times and brought the police who refused to do anything. But there are many happy people there, a
method that works is to have a super secure bodega and put things in there like the fridge and stove and leave the rest basically open. Even a motor
home will get broken into or infested by rats. So less is more in this case unless you are in a closed and secure community like Mister Bills. We put
everything in a big old van that doesn't even run and leave it at Pablos then we tow it each year to where we use the stuff.
Robbers will break through cement and metal, nothing can stop them except having nothing they want. I did see hurricane door/window coverings that are
pretty strong.
[Edited on 1-11-2013 by gnukid] |
...have you heard of motorhomes being robbed while in Pablo's or am I quoting you wrong?
|
|
|
bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
|
|
Robbers????
I'm pretty much thinking we are referring to "burglars".....there is a difference.
Now back to your scheduled programming........
|
|
|
shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13052
Registered: 3-10-2006
Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
Member Is Offline
Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
|
|
much depends on the area you plan to live. Some expats here put plywood over all entrances the 6 months they are away and have had no problemas at
all. Generally tweakers wont be bothered to unscrew alot of screws but opt for easier jobs....this way all the windows are safe too from being
broken...the plywood also is used for hurricaine protection as well...and way cheaper than storm shutters. We now plan our new window sizes to
accommodate plywood sheets.
But as mentioned no matter what you do if someone wants to break in...they will...house sitters are the best bet...but real hard to find and come with
their own issues sometimes.
|
|
|
Gypsy Jan
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4275
Registered: 1-27-2004
Member Is Offline
Mood: Depends on which way the wind is blowing
|
|
Just My Two Cents
After almost two decades in the Northern Baja gringo strip and being robbed three times (once when we were in residence).
You are going to build your house hiring local workers. They will know the intimate details of your house and go home to discuss the daily events
with their family, because you will be an exotic and interesting addition to the area and anything you will be of interest. A local telenovela.
Now, that is not necessarily bad, if you have good people working for you and if they don't have greedy relatives/acquaintances looking to go through
the "feelthy rich" gringo stuff. It doesn't matter how modest you consider your possessions, the people living around you have so much less.
A live-in caretaker is the best idea. BUT, how do you figure out if he/she/they are reliable. You have to spend a great deal of time with them and
go with your gut.
Dogs are another great suggestion, but they need to be fed and cared for and have a connection to your property, so, the live-in caretaker is still
part of the scenario.
Vacant second homes in Europe routinely have roll-down metal shutters and serious alarm systems and security guard patrols. That sounds too expensive
for your plans.
Loud alarms with nothing to back it up quickly become useless - the neighbors are gone, dead asleep or colluding. The guys watching your house will
simply wait it out and come back.
I am not trying to discourage you, just trying to give you facts. Our friend who lived (notice the past tense) in a somewhat remote area in the
highlands above Ensenada had to leave his house closed down to go to the States for knee replacement surgery. He planned ahead, informed his
neighbors who could see his house clearly, he had two dogs (wolf/hybrids) and a guy who came everyday to feed the dogs; still, when he returned home,
he found the house stripped - they took all the major and minor appliances, the toilets, the sinks and the copper wiring and the windows.
[Edited on 1-11-2013 by Gypsy Jan]
“Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow mindedness.”
—Mark Twain
\"La vida es dura, el corazon es puro, y cantamos hasta la madrugada.” (Life is hard, the heart is pure and we sing until dawn.)
—Kirsty MacColl, Mambo de la Luna
\"Alea iacta est.\"
—Julius Caesar
|
|
|
BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13242
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
dang. maybe come to la bocana instead. when there are thefts, we all know who it was and his dad comes around and pays you for whatever wasn't
recovered and returned.
I kid you not.
|
|
|
ciaomary
Newbie
Posts: 7
Registered: 12-22-2012
Member Is Offline
|
|
This has been helpful, thanks everyone for all the replies (well, most everyone.)
It sounds like to live this dream, without constant worry, we'd need an onsite caretaker. Unfortunately, I think that would be pretty hard to come by
here. In the perfect world, we could find a few others also interested in this idea, and together we could build houses next to each other and we
would share a year-round onsite caretaker. I think that is what some of the long-timers do here, but I'll have to find out more.
I think it's a great suggestion to whomever said that you can build the bodega in such a way that you need minimal furnishings. The place we're
renting has a cement couch, bed, shelves. This means that only the mattresses and actual built in items (like the toilet and sink) can be stolen. Such
a great idea, and it looks much nicer than it probably sounds too when done right!
|
|
|
mcfez
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8678
Registered: 12-2-2009
Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
Member Is Offline
|
|
Look at this site if you are looking for a retirement location
http://www.escapefromamerica.com/
Good luck on your decisions......
[Edited on 1-12-2013 by mcfez]
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
|
|
|
Osprey
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3694
Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
Member Is Offline
|
|
The Delivery
My uncle Judd moved to Mexico many moons ago. He was always a little quirky so the family was not surprised. He bought a lot in south central Baja
California in a little town right on the beach. Had a house built there, hauled down a boat and a trailer full of stuff and hunkered down to fish and
vegetate. I meant to go down there, visit with him, see the place, maybe go fishing but I’ve been busy up here in the states and just never got around
to it until now.
My dad had some guns that belonged to uncle Judd and when I inherited all my dad’s hunting and fishing stuff I really wasn’t sure which was which.
Then Judd sent me some Emails with serial numbers and I was able to match up three of them. He said he wanted me to drive down, bring the guns, do
some fishing. I asked him if I would get in trouble if the Mexicans found the guns in my car and he assured me that the letter he was going to send
me, giving specific permission, would be enough to satisfy them. It looked official enough but I don’t read Spanish so I really don’t know what the
hell it said.
Looks like ole Judd really knows his way around down there because I had no trouble getting in – I hid the guns and ammo in a safe place in the truck,
got the green light and was on my way. The kids with the automatic weapons spooked me a little at the military stops but, again, Judd had clued me in
and there was no trouble on the road. So two days and nights and I found my way to Judd’s place. It was just after dusk. He sent me several maps and I
had his cell number; I called him a bunch of times on the trip but there was no answer.
It would have been hard for me not to recognize the house because Judd had sent me some pix in Email messages so I knew I had the right house. Bunch
of lights came on when I parked near the huge metal gate. There was a high wall around the whole property and more lights shined off the party colored
bits of broken bottles cemented all along the top.
Then I heard “Butch, is that you? Go back to the truck and honk three times, then turn the truck lights off, walk back to the gate stand in the circle
of light.”
So I did and after a minute or two he came out and let me in. We opened the big gate and I swung the truck into his big garage. The house was big, two
stories with big steel doors and bars on all the windows. As I followed him into the living area, as we passed down a hall, through a small atrium
with a fountain he stopped and put some weapons back into little hiding places.
“Judd, I’ve been calling you of and on for two days. No answer.”
“Sorry Butch, I ran out of minutes and I’ve been so busy here I just didn’t have time to go get more time on the cell phone.”
“What’s with all the lights and security, the hidden guns, have you been robbed, burglarized?”
“Nope, just better to be safe than sorry. I’ve got stuff all over. Near the rear door and the garage door I’ve got some weapons handy, some mace, wasp
spray. I got most of the stuff down here but the ammo is really hard to come by.”
“I didn’t know the cartels were active this far down. Most of the news about the kidnappings and killings says they are along the border and in some
places on the mainland.”
“Well Butch, we don’t have much protection down here. The police are a joke and bad guys can just roam up and down the peninsula without being
noticed, then strike any rich gringo they see who hasn’t protected himself properly.”
“But what about when you’re out and about? You don’t stay in the house all the time. You must go out to fish, visit friends, go shopping, buy things
for the house, stuff to maintain the place, the cars, and the boat.”
“Yeah but when I do leave, I have some weapons in the vehicles, some mace, some pepper spray and the house is really buttoned up tight.”
“Uncle Judd, all that sounds like a lot of trouble, a real pain in the butt. And who writes you a nice official letter if you get caught with those
guns? Can’t they lock you up for that, deport you, maybe take the house?”
He got us both a beer from the fridge and we sat down on his big leather couch in the great room. “It’s a little risky but I’m used to it and it’s
worth it to me just to be living down here in paradise.”
We didn’t go fishing. In fact, after coffee the next morning I told my uncle I had to get back, had some work I left unfinished. By the time he
unlocked and deactivated and unsecured the place enough for me to get my truck back outside the big steel gate I was more than ready to head back up
the highway.
Some paradise. He can have it. Anybody lives like that on purpose is just one taquito shy of a Mexican combo. Maybe when Judd decided this was the
place to retire, he didn’t look at other options.
|
|
|
joerover
Banned
Posts: 676
Registered: 2-3-2011
Location: earth
Member Is Offline
Mood: sleepy
|
|
Dont build.. ... .. rent
Next year rent in Chiapas or ¡¿
the year after that rent in Guatemala or¿¿¿¿
Bring a bag with a change of clothes in it, nothing else.
This works
the fat lady is breeding
which means
The fat ladys are breeding
|
|
|
gnukid
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4411
Registered: 7-2-2006
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by micah202
| Quote: | Originally posted by gnukid
It's possible to build everything from cement and have no appliances or anything worth stealing. In la ventana and el sargento there are many many
home robberies in the summer. Even a person living there has to leave sometimes and the robbers will steal everything and the police are of no help
out there at all. I caught robbers in the act a few times and brought the police who refused to do anything. But there are many happy people there, a
method that works is to have a super secure bodega and put things in there like the fridge and stove and leave the rest basically open. Even a motor
home will get broken into or infested by rats. So less is more in this case unless you are in a closed and secure community like Mister Bills. We put
everything in a big old van that doesn't even run and leave it at Pablos then we tow it each year to where we use the stuff.
Robbers will break through cement and metal, nothing can stop them except having nothing they want. I did see hurricane door/window coverings that are
pretty strong.
[Edited on 1-11-2013 by gnukid] |
...have you heard of motorhomes being robbed while in Pablo's or am I quoting you wrong? |
No nothing has ever been stolen from Pablos, never in my experience. Generally most people do just fine there, so don't get the wrong idea. Just be
reasonable and skip the big screen tv.
|
|
|
vacaenbaja
Senior Nomad
Posts: 643
Registered: 4-4-2006
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by BajaBlanca
dang. maybe come to la bocana instead. when there are thefts, we all know who it was and his dad comes around and pays you for whatever wasn't
recovered and returned.
I kid you not. |
So much for crime and punishment.
[Edited on 1-12-2013 by vacaenbaja]
|
|
|
MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
Member Is Offline
Mood: Current
|
|
I knew a missionary that was in Mongolia he left all his stuff in a locked cargo container for 3 months when he got back the locks had been cut. The
next year he had the container welded shut. When he came back they had ground off the welds. Because he American he was viewed as having more. It is
what it is!
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
|
|
|
BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
Posts: 13242
Registered: 10-28-2008
Location: La Bocana, BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
ciaomary - the best advice, in my opinion, is to spend time at la ventana and get a feel for the area before committing. Finding a caretaker is not
so hard, esp. if you build a little bungalow, you might even find someone who wants to stay rent-free.
Best of luck finding your piece of paradise.
Osprey - good story, as always!
|
|
|
Marla Daily
Nomad
Posts: 418
Registered: 9-2-2003
Location: Loreto, BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
EZ removal of window bars Baja-style:
Position a GATO (car jack) between the bars and wall and simply
engage the jack until the bars come out of the wall.
We learned this the hard way. Adding insult to injury, they broke into our Land Cruiser and used our jack to gain entry! I thought it was
pretty clever, actually.
|
|
|
bajalinda
Senior Nomad
Posts: 552
Registered: 6-7-2008
Location: Pacific Coast, BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
ciaomary - well, have you thought about (...shudder, gasp...) a gated community? Perhaps you should consider it if you are really concerned about
security. I'm not sure what there is along those lines in the Ventana/El Sargento area. If that's not your cup of tea, then go into this with a
realistic understanding that you'll have to deal with the apparently inevitable summer break-ins.
|
|
|
zoesterone
Nomad
Posts: 127
Registered: 5-8-2011
Location: Mazatlan, soon to be Baja
Member Is Offline
|
|
| Quote: | Originally posted by ciaomary
We will have some neighbors, possibly a neighbor right next door if we get the property we're after and, another right across the street that live
here mostly year-round. However, the area behind is so far undeveloped and the next houses over are a couple lots away and only part-time new
residents (like we'll maybe soon be.)
We may very well be clueless... that's why we're living here first and trying to talk to everyone we can, forums included, to seek out as much
information as we can BEFORE we buy.
We don't find much value in subjective opinion comments that don't provide any first hand experience or background info btw. |
The "clueless" post was rude and unnecessary as obviously you are trying to do your homework.
Dogs are not our whole life, but make our lives whole.
|
|
|
willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
Member Is Offline
|
|
it wouldnt be right if I didnt throw in my two cents, so we know physical security is expensive and vulnerable. I strongly suggest electronic
security. yeah yeah all the nomad security experts have claimed there useless. I'll tell you what, even the most brazen burglar isnt gonna stay around
when a couple 150db master blasters go off. just beware, dont test the system with children in the home, there will will be ear damage! and you'll
never see your dogs again!
(40+years in home security)
|
|
|
Marla Daily
Nomad
Posts: 418
Registered: 9-2-2003
Location: Loreto, BCS
Member Is Offline
|
|
And we know of a case where very sophisticated electric fencing was installed. Thieves simply put a long piece of rebar against two wires and shorted
out the system. Easy entry after that.
|
|
|
willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
Member Is Offline
|
|
or you just cut the red wire! or is it the blue wire?  
|
|
|
| Pages:
1
2
3 |
![[*]](images/xmbforum/default_icon.gif){kind=icon}
