Bob and Susan
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8813
Registered: 8-20-2003
Location: Mulege BCS on the BAY
Member Is Offline
Mood: Full Time Residents
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let's see ~60 feet by 180 feet...
not much room for a guest house.
remember you neighbors are thinking the same thing and there are no rules about zero bufferzones between neighbors.
i'd stick with a garage and house.
what do the CCR's say?
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The Gull
Super Nomad
Posts: 2223
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: Rancho Descanso, BCN
Member Is Offline
Mood: High
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If you are thinking that the next buyer will be...
American - bigger will always be better. 3000 SF and up. Your building cost for the larger home will never be lower. Four bedrooms will provide for
extra rooms to be converted into a home gym, craft room, business room, blah blah, while still accommodating visitors. Two baths works fine, but
never forget the 1/2 bath off the main living area or off the laundry room or kitchen. Three car garage - plenty of Baja toys. Watch out for the
Federal Zone, it keeps creeping toward all gringo homes. It is the smell of money that drives the mean high tide line definition ever landward.
How high can you go? If two stories is an option then you may consider a "mother-in-law" unit somewhere above, below or attached for future rental
prospects.
It doesn't seem that you have a concrete picture of what you really want in the long term regarding this property. Approaching it incrementally, will
likely be the most expensive option over time. Looking to escape the world or trying to get in on the next land boom? Something in between? Are you
waiting for more gringos or fewer ones? I would pray for the latter.
Former Ejido land? OOOOOOOOOOO Where have we heard that before?
�I won\'t insult your intelligence by suggesting that you really believe what you just said.� William F. Buckley, Jr.
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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
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One suggestion....build a 2-1/2 car garage with a small studio apt attached. That way you can use the studio while you build and have the garage for
storage of building materials. After construction, the studio becomes "mother-in-law quarters
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Marie-Rose
Senior Nomad
Posts: 894
Registered: 10-2-2003
Location: Victoria, B.C. and Todos Santos
Member Is Offline
Mood: Worried...
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Welcome to the Todos Santos area! Los Cerritos ... has been our favorite beach for the last 8 years but the changes are scary! I would not count on
ever having any Mexican neighbors. Too expensive for them and most believe building near the ocean is silly. Very hard to maintain due to erosion
and danger when hurricanes come.
I do believe you should try and spend some time there (not sure if you have or not) before you decide on what you build so you have a better idea of
what you want. We decided on building in increments (although we realize it probably will be more expensive) because there was a fifth wheel on the
property. Started with cocina/family room and outdoor bath while still using fifth wheel. Next is 2 bedroom and bath casita. Then the master bedroom,
bath and laundry / exercise area, when we pull the fifth wheel out.
I believe one of the most important things out there will be a VERY secure bodega and keeping security in mind with all other buidings. It is a very
high access area ... lots of transients!
Good luck. Maybe our paths will cross.
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oladulce
Super Nomad
Posts: 1625
Registered: 5-30-2005
Location: bcs
Member Is Offline
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Pacside-
We are starting with a big garage and small (550 sf) guest casita which is currently under construction in San Juanico. We'll retire in 3 years and
the casita will give us a place to stay in the meantime when we visit, and during construction of the main house. We have plenty of room on our lot
though, and as Bob and Susan mentioned, you may feel cramped with a guest casita when it comes time to build a main house.
The primary reason we're not building our main house yet stems from lessons learned from other Baja projects- we need be there during construction.
This will be one of our full-time homes and we designed some unique features in the solar power and water storage and pumping systems that have to be
built correctly to function. This time around we'd like to have a home that hums.
It can be very difficult , and often frustrating, to keep track of your construction from long-distance in the US. I'd try to find a builder that
will communicate with you and keep you updated if you won't be there during construction
If your property adjoins the Federal Zone, you must have an Environmental Impact study done prior to building. DO NOT assume that your architect or
builder will do this !! The enforcement of the EIS is fairly new and not familiar to everyone. Our Mexican architect insisted there was no such thing
but we kept bugging him til he went to the SEMARNAT office in LaPaz and found out about this requirement for those building on the oceanfront.
The following link explains the importance of following the steps when purchasing former ejido property. And no, the right hand does not always know
what the left is doing . You could have been issued a fideicomiso and had the property registered in your name at the local municipio office, but the
Federal Agrarian office has specific steps to follow too and they don't communicate with the other entities necessarily. The property must be released
by the Agrarian office.
http://www.bajainsider.com/baja-business/derecho-de-tanto.ht...
[Edited on 1-19-2006 by oladulce]
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Marie-Rose
Senior Nomad
Posts: 894
Registered: 10-2-2003
Location: Victoria, B.C. and Todos Santos
Member Is Offline
Mood: Worried...
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We are building in Todos Santos in the Mexican neighborhood of San Ignacio.
We have not been present for the building process and in general are pleased with the results. Have heard horror stories! Who is your architect?
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Denver
Junior Nomad
Posts: 33
Registered: 1-19-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: Rollin'
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Cerritos House
Dear Pacside,
I'm very interested in your process for obtaining zoning/building permits. I was told that ejido land is zoned agricultural and you must apply for a
change of use permit to build a house. Please let me know how you're doing with approvals. Are you close to power and water?
I work in the buildng industry in the US and have some training in design/planning. Even though Baja seems to have an infinite supply of land, anyone
building a permanent structure should respect the space they have and use it to it's fullest potential. You'd be surprised at how much you can fit on
nearly a 1/2 acre if it's planned well.
Best regards,
Denver
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Denver
Junior Nomad
Posts: 33
Registered: 1-19-2006
Member Is Offline
Mood: Rollin'
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Cerritos Planning
Pacside,
I have a friend who built an off grid solar, strawbale house in Crestone, CO. His first building was a 200sf studio, which was round in plan view -
it looked like a small palapa. They lived in it while they built the main house. Now they rent it part time to some friends. In your situation that
may work well also; or it could be a future caretaker unit/in-laws/guest suite. If you have a builder down there working for you, maybe you don't
need a bodega/garage to store materials.
Are you planning a security wall around the lot?
I've sketched some ideas for an "expandable" house that's got a central great room (living, dining, kitchen) then a master BR on one "wing" - then any
additional sleeping rooms on the opposite wing. That way you can build the master BR and great room first then add additional rooms as you need them.
Personally, I think a group of small buildings looks great in a place like Cerritos. If you start with a big garage- it's sure to overwhelm the site
in the long run.
I'm an advocate for integrated uses in planning/design for a bunch of reasons. At Cerritos I think that more eyes on the street is better. If there
are many structures in which to live/stay/reside and fewer BIG/vacant casas, there will be a better chance for full-timers, mexican caretakers,
renters, vacationers. More people will have an incentive to watch over the place.
I'm very interested in building something for myself at Cerritos and would be willing to help you if I can. My wife and I were there for the second
time just 2 weeks ago and we came to an agreement that it's a good place for us have a second home/future retirement. I'm 35 so it'll be a second
home for quite a while before it's full time. Therefore, I'm interested in building something that may be used by someone else while I'm away.
Wish I was there building it right now so I could have it to surf next winter
The Declaration of Independence only gives you the right to pursue happiness. You have to catch it yourself. - Benjamin Franklin
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