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JESSE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3370
Registered: 11-5-2002
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Buying property in Baja?
Skip speculators. (if they have never lived in the property, chances are, they are.)
Buy direct from owners.
Dont pay 4 dollars for something thats worth 1.
If using a real estate agent, dont go with somebody thats been here less than ten years and has a very short record.
When buying, things like the position of the home, the trees around it, and previous history of the house matter. Trust me, old Mexicans homes have
certain vibes, some are great, some will cost you dearly in many ways.
Keep into consideration how and where the town or city is growing. That nice quiet area might be in the middle of a huge commercial area in a few
years.
DONT trust a salesperson only because he is american. Many times they do not know what they are selling, all they want is to sell. They dont
understand legal problems, mortage problems, etc. If things go wrong, they can always skip town. Something a reliable local agent who has lived all of
his life in town will most likely not do.
Finally, DO NOT BUY or GIVE MONEY to anybody based on plans, a drawing, etc. It is not a good way to do business in this nation, regardless of what
many say.
"US based", "title insurance", and "american style" what ever it might be, are just words here in Mexico. Mexican courts of law are your only way to
play, so understand the way things are done here, and forget about the illusion that a word that sounds comforting back home gives you here.
[Edited on 6-13-2009 by JESSE]
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JESSE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3370
Registered: 11-5-2002
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Forgot to mention: Its also very good to buy from norteamericanos who have actually lived in the house, or currently live there. Many people come
here, live here for a few years, and for whatever reason, go back home. They will usually give you a good fair price, know all the little details
about the property, and even better, they have lived there and can give you pretty good piece of mind because they have been with the property for a
while with no problems.
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CaboRon
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3401
Registered: 3-24-2007
Location: The Valley of the Moon
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Mood: Peacefull
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All excellent advice ...
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Corky1
Nomad
Posts: 416
Registered: 11-22-2003
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Jesse,
Could you clear up the meaning of this statement.
"When buying, things like the position of the home, the trees around it, and previous history of the house matter. Trust me, old Mexicans homes have
certain vibes, some are great, some will cost you dearly in many ways."
Thanks, Corky
 
\"Keep The Rubberside Down\" |
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Paulclark
Nomad
Posts: 357
Registered: 10-13-2008
Location: Castillo de Arena
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Good points - couple other things - get a title report from a professional and use a reputable notary as he/she is the one who is verifying the
legality of the transaction.
Never pay until you receive title in front of the notary or use a recognized, legitimate ecrow agent.
If using a real estate agent go with one with professional recognition. In Mexico they should be a member of AMPI which is recognized in the US and
has the international designation of REALTOR - INTERNATIONAL.
Paul
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13045
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"
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Very good advice and especially about the "history" of the place etc. Knowing the town and position well is very important....particularly when
dealing with things like wind and odors...like from fish plants, sewage outfalls, neigbours etc....speaking of neighbours, this too is really
critical...do you want to live next to a crackhouse...or a guy who raises fighting c-cks...or a party animal...or a flophouse where the highway crews
crash or the baseball team house (or bajagringo...I've seen his sound system!!!:lol probably not.
Also people who move to an area because it is unpopulated can be in for surprises...for example here, the west side called "Alaska" had no homes out
here a few years back and people thought we were crazy for living out here in the freezing cold wind...people have now started building homes and will
most likely sell them cause it will be too cold for them. What seems like a wonderful little place can be hell in 3 months of wind. The guy who built
our place didnt think things out and put the front door facing the predominant winds...duh...so um...face your house downwind folks, and plan to build
a wall.
Also a place may be haunted...have real bad vibes...bad karma..whatever. Talk to the neighbours and locals about a place. Also things like...some may
say...they will be putting power and water out to this lot soon...uh huh...we still dont have water out at the point and I've heard this for 8
years...soon...dont hold your breath...we had to go find our own power poles and put em up so they would run a line out here.
Try to buy some surrounding lots if possible so you arent surprised by someone building a bar, huge mansion, fish plant or worse next to you...there
are no zoning rules or building codes in many places.
Also dont be afraid to make a much lower offer...mexicanos often start real high thinking they just might get it...
I highly recommend renting or leasing for awhile before you buy so you get a feel for the community and do it in the worst weather season if you can.
buying in baja is not for the faint of heart...but with a little homework and trust in the right people, it can be a neat experience. You really CAN
live like a king for cheap...find your paradise and live happily ever after...
no matter what Cabo Ron says.
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longhairedbeatnik
Banned
Posts: 32
Registered: 6-3-2009
Location: California
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I am sorry if this offends some people but having had a friend get caught up in the Loreto Bay scam I have doubts about the safety of buying in
Mexico. I have spent the last few days searching on the internet for other land purchase horror stories and there are plenty. From Eijdo land grabs
to conflicting title claims, Mexico needs to get their title system into the 21st century.
I am sure I will get toasted here for these comments but you should rent or use your RV rather than buy in Baja.
When you have to defend your property from a number of fronts just for the pleasure of owning it, its not worth it. We all work hard for our
retirement funds and risking those monies on a house of cards is not worth it. Buy an RV and drive it home when you leave. They will have to steal
your RV to get it from you but at least you can insure that loss.
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rpleger
Super Nomad
Posts: 1087
Registered: 3-12-2005
Location: H. Mulegé, BCS
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Mood: Was good.
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Don't forget to ask about flooding, as in Mulegé...
Richard on the Hill
*ABROAD*, adj. At war with savages and idiots. To be a Frenchman abroad is to
be miserable; to be an American abroad is to make others miserable.
-- Ambrose Bierce, _The Enlarged Devil\'s Dictionary_
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Udo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6343
Registered: 4-26-2008
Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
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Mood: TEQUILA!
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After many years of evaluating both options...we bough the RV.
The lucky ones who own property free of encumberances are Osprey and Shari.
| Quote: | Originally posted by longhairedbeatnik
'you should rent or use your RV rather than buy in Baja. '
When you have to defend your property from a number of fronts just for the pleasure of owning it, its not worth it. We all work hard for our
retirement funds and risking those monies on a house of cards is not worth it. Buy an RV and drive it home when you leave. They will have to steal
your RV to get it from you but at least you can insure that loss. |
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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longhairedbeatnik
Banned
Posts: 32
Registered: 6-3-2009
Location: California
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I am sure Shari has said on this chat site that she is a now a Mexican national so she is on better footing than most here. The Mexican nationals get
their complaints looked at faster and more often than non Mexicans and I am sure she will confirm this.
I will continue to use my camper van to travel and stay in Baja.
[Edited on 6-13-2009 by longhairedbeatnik]
[Edited on 6-13-2009 by longhairedbeatnik]
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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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| Quote: | Originally posted by shari
Also people who move to an area because it is unpopulated can be in for surprises...for example here, the west side called "Alaska" had no homes out
here a few years back and people thought we were crazy for living out here in the freezing cold wind...people have now started building homes and will
most likely sell them cause it will be too cold for them. What seems like a wonderful little place can be hell in 3 months of wind. The guy who built
our place didnt think things out and put the front door facing the predominant winds...duh...so um...face your house downwind folks, and plan to build
a wall.
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Yes, some call our side of the hill Alaska and it is USUALLY cooler there in the summer which is what we really like. It can get VERY hot on the
other side.
What we have found during the windy season is that it blows EVERYWHERE in Bahia Asuncion. Sometimes we are surprised when it is blowing harder on
the warmer side of the hill. ---Lots of mini climates---it is usually different in our front yard than in the back. But I would agree that knowing
the climate is important---imagine buying a home in Loreto in January and then moving there in August.
I would also suggest that when buying from a builder, be sure that not only does your builder have a good reputation, but that he follows the rules
like paying Social Security etc.
Having major renovations or building a place using qualified builders, but ones who are not playing by the rules is risky. If something happens, you
can become responsible for all that was not paid----and you may need to pay all the medical bills.
Learned this one from a close relative who went with the less expensive "good" builder---cost her more in the long run.
Just our 2 cents.
Diane
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Don Alley
Super Nomad
Posts: 1997
Registered: 12-4-2003
Location: Loreto
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by shari
Try to buy some surrounding lots if possible so you arent surprised by someone building a bar, huge mansion, fish plant or worse next to you...there
are no zoning rules or building codes in many places.
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A next door neighbor builds an apartment building in his back yard. With no setbacks. 
Or, perhaps worse, a neighbor moves and rents his house to a gringo drummer. Band practice nightly. 
Or the guy across the street gets elected. Frequent meeting in the street, cars blocking the driveway, etc.
One of those things could happen Maybe all three.
Still beats Loreto Bay. Even the drummer must think so.
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longlegsinlapaz
Super Nomad
Posts: 1685
Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by longhairedbeatnik
I am sorry if this offends some people but having had a friend get caught up in the Loreto Bay scam I have doubts about the safety of buying in
Mexico. I have spent the last few days searching on the internet for other land purchase horror stories and there are plenty. From Eijdo land grabs
to conflicting title claims, Mexico needs to get their title system into the 21st century.
I am sure I will get toasted here for these comments but you should rent or use your RV rather than buy in Baja.
When you have to defend your property from a number of fronts just for the pleasure of owning it, its not worth it. We all work hard for our
retirement funds and risking those monies on a house of cards is not worth it. Buy an RV and drive it home when you leave. They will have to steal
your RV to get it from you but at least you can insure that loss. |
longhairedbeatnik, your words don't offend me, but they do tell me that you're speaking from only one fairly isolated vantage point of what's
happening with your friends experience. In the overall scheme of things I believe that there are many more positive experiences with people buying
titled land here, using a good Notario, making sure all their little duckies were lined up in a straight row with all their little beaks facing the
same direction.
Yes, there are horror stories & they're widely publicized, so everyone hears about them. The successful transactions aren't publicized simply
because they were successful.
Yes, bad things happen, but I sincerely believe they are truly in the minority. I personally only know of ONE
couple who were scammed by local real estate agents who absconded with their funds & left them hanging without a closed purchase transaction. I
know literally hundreds who have bought & closed on successful transactions. So I believe extensive advance research & staying on top of all
phases of the transaction is a major key to completing a viable transaction.
Your blanket statement would be comparable to saying, "A Ford buyer got ripped off on his vehicle purchase, so ALL Ford
purchasers will be ripped off too!"
Over the past 10 years, I personally have bought 3 different properties, all with prior title issued, all from Mexican sellers, I've gotten
fideicomisios on those properties, have built casas & eventually sold the first two properties....with nary a legal glitch. I may be unique in
the number of times I've personally "tested the system", but I'm certainly not unique in the overall total of successful property purchase
transactions.
While the term "Buyer Beware!" certainly applies here, it also applies in the states as well. I personally chose to research the hell out of things, follow the legal processes in place &
enjoy a successful transaction....rather than living out my days in fear of losing my property!
Your friend got sucked in by unscrupulous developers & she wasn't alone. IMHO, she & the other LB buyers bought with their hearts & left
their heads in the car! I feel sorry for them all, but LB is NOT the "typical" Baja Purchase.
IMHO, your RV suggestion is only valid for travelers, vacationers or part-timers. Would YOU want to retire, live here full-time & live out the
remainder of YOUR days in an RV?
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longlegsinlapaz
Super Nomad
Posts: 1685
Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
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| Quote: | Originally posted by udowinkler
After many years of evaluating both options...we bough the RV.
The lucky ones who own property free of encumberances are Osprey and Shari. |
Me thinks yer a master at
UNDERSTATEMENT! There are literally thousands of people/gringos who own "unencumbered" property here! 
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shari
Select Nomad
Posts: 13045
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"
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while it is a good idea to fully check out a place before you buy/move there...I sure hate the idea of our lovely village filling up with RV's!!!
I love the houses our new foreign residents have built...love it when people buy a lot, build or fix up a house and actually live in it and contribute
in a positive way to the village. Short term RV'ers would be OK but I am worried about the wonderful ocean views being cluttered up by trailers.
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dtbushpilot
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3288
Registered: 1-11-2007
Location: Buena Vista BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Tranquilo
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We're on our third piece of Baja property with narry a hitch on any of them......dt
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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Donjulio
Nomad
Posts: 376
Registered: 5-19-2009
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I agree whole heartily with long legs. I know a lot of people who own homes/land/condos etc with zero problems. Someone mentioned AMPI above. It needs
to be pointed out that being a member of AMPI or being involved in a major "Brand Name" real estate company means absolutely nothing here in Mexico.
Just do your homework and ask around and people that have lived in the area for years will tell you who you can trust and who you can't. I don't do
general real estate and when people ask me who I recommend, there are only 3 in San Felipe that I would do business with. None of them are AMPI but 2
do work for one of the major brand name real estate companies.
I don't understand everyones continuous comments about Loretto Bay being a scam. This economy has done a lot of damage and has put a lot of builders
and developers out of business not only in Mexico but all over the U.S. There were 9 developers in the U.S. (that I know of) that all built over 300
homes a year that went completely under last year. This is not a Mexico thing.
One of the thing that concerns me about about a lot of the responses on this forum is that everyone says don't buy, lease. I think if you research it,
the good majority of problems that people run into here are on leased or eijdo land.
It has been said 100 times - do your homework and you will be ok.
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JESSE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3370
Registered: 11-5-2002
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by longhairedbeatnik
I am sorry if this offends some people but having had a friend get caught up in the Loreto Bay scam I have doubts about the safety of buying in
Mexico. I have spent the last few days searching on the internet for other land purchase horror stories and there are plenty. From Eijdo land grabs
to conflicting title claims, Mexico needs to get their title system into the 21st century.
I am sure I will get toasted here for these comments but you should rent or use your RV rather than buy in Baja.
When you have to defend your property from a number of fronts just for the pleasure of owning it, its not worth it. We all work hard for our
retirement funds and risking those monies on a house of cards is not worth it. Buy an RV and drive it home when you leave. They will have to steal
your RV to get it from you but at least you can insure that loss. |
Its a legitimate concern, but remember. Millions of Mexicans buy and have bought homes over the years, and most don´t have the kind of problems you
frequently see around with foreigner and baja.
Theres a reason for that.
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JESSE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3370
Registered: 11-5-2002
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Corky1
Jesse,
Could you clear up the meaning of this statement.
"When buying, things like the position of the home, the trees around it, and previous history of the house matter. Trust me, old Mexicans homes have
certain vibes, some are great, some will cost you dearly in many ways."
Thanks, Corky |
A house that gets hit directly by sunlight all day can be a nightmare in electricity costs. Specially if its for business purposes. Big trees = less
sunlight=lower utility bills.
Finally, i am no believer in supernatural things, but some old homes have weird vibes. I don´t know how to explain it, but you will know what i mean
when you wake up in the middle of the night to go to the rest room and walk tru that long corridor across the house in total darkness.
In good ones, you will even be tempted to go outside and look at the stars.
In bad ones, you will think about calling the local priest next day to trow some holywater around
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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I have to agree with one point made by Donjulio. That Loreto Bay is not a scam. The project was not envisioned for the purpose of stealing from
people. It was obviously focused on a certain type of potential buyer, and designed its marketing toward that group. That folks may criticize the
gringo enclave/ non-Mexican feel of the place, should understand that those are factors that appealed to those who invested. I would guess that the
developers over-reached with their original plans. And, as pointed out, when financing dried-up world-wide, unless they were scrupulously prudent with
their debt load, they were destined to fail.
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