Folks, the Lake Chapala Society officially recommends that you rent for at least six months before you buy. Stories of gringoes who bought a house the first day or first week, and then regretted it for years, abound.
Most nice houses have concrete yards; wealthy homes have grass, and poor homes have dirt. Most houses are made of "material," a form of brick that is much stronger than adobe. The floors, walls, and ceilings, are made of this material, and you don't need fire insurance. You also don't get termites.
The realtor took me to a $20,000 house, built last year, that was wedged between two bars. That talked me out of that price range.
In one village, the realtor took me to an incredibly ugly house, on an ugly gravel road, that was beautiful inside. Mexicans do not sink money into making the outside look nice, although some will paint about four feet high with a pleasant color.
In Chapala, I almost bought a lovely $40,000 house. Three bedrooms, one bath, and the entire roof is a patio. The rooftop patio is typical of all but the poorest Mexican homes.
I noticed that quality goes up much faster than price. One gringo showed me his $100,000 house, and it looks like a castle.
I was advised that nobody pays the asking price, and one jubilant couple told me that they had bought a $120,000 home for $78,000.
Hernandez Realty Group offers free tours, and they are part of a multiple listing service. I am NOT recommending them, as I only went on their tour, but their website is www.hernandezrg.com
Vince
Most nice houses have concrete yards; wealthy homes have grass, and poor homes have dirt. Most houses are made of "material," a form of brick that is much stronger than adobe. The floors, walls, and ceilings, are made of this material, and you don't need fire insurance. You also don't get termites.
The realtor took me to a $20,000 house, built last year, that was wedged between two bars. That talked me out of that price range.
In one village, the realtor took me to an incredibly ugly house, on an ugly gravel road, that was beautiful inside. Mexicans do not sink money into making the outside look nice, although some will paint about four feet high with a pleasant color.
In Chapala, I almost bought a lovely $40,000 house. Three bedrooms, one bath, and the entire roof is a patio. The rooftop patio is typical of all but the poorest Mexican homes.
I noticed that quality goes up much faster than price. One gringo showed me his $100,000 house, and it looks like a castle.
I was advised that nobody pays the asking price, and one jubilant couple told me that they had bought a $120,000 home for $78,000.
Hernandez Realty Group offers free tours, and they are part of a multiple listing service. I am NOT recommending them, as I only went on their tour, but their website is www.hernandezrg.com
Vince
