Lake Chapala - Hi I am new to the forum

Welcome Diane, I hope you find the answers you're looking for !

Welcome Diane!

Hello, I too am new to the forum and would like very much to get information from expats themselves. Since I have started gathering info I have been plagued with real estate developers offering me expensive tours, free dvds, and long winded raps on the advantages of buying now, now, before prices go up any further! Going to Amazon, I purchased several books by expats that were very informative. BUT the publication date on every one was the year 2000.
   I am sure things have changed since then. I do not want to lock myself behind gates. I would really appreciate some direction on where to start. I would like to fly down from Denver later this year and start to find the place that seems right to me. I am interested in the San Miguel Allende area, and around Lake Chapala. But at this point I am relying on info that is almost 10 years old. Does anyone have at least one tip on how to find my dream?

Hi Heuso, I donŽt know if there`s such courses like the education programs for women, usualy in méxico there are programs for adult education, but never directed exclusively to women, if you want to know more about mexican culture viewed from alien eyes, I invite you ti visit my blog (in spanish)

ladybug18,

it is better to spend time in the area you are interested in and scout out properties yourself.  Properties on the internet are posted with the "Gringo" prices, which are inflated. Also, real estate companies are only going to post the properties with a high commission potential for themselves. Ultimately, the buyer ALWAYS pays the commissions, as they are going to be baked into the price if the owner offers to pay.

The bargains are found by talking to the owners and the local folks.

Personally, I would not care to live in the Lake Chapala area. Guadalajara is creeping ever closer and the last time I was there, I could see the haze of the city's pollution wafting across the lake.  Adding to that, the real estate prices are far beyond reasonable.  I can buy a larger, nicer home on a larger lot right here in the Houston area for less money.

I recommend San Miguel or even Guanajuato.  You can buy something basic but still reasonable in San Miguel if you buy out in the 'burbs, so to speak.  City center will cost you dearly, though.

Guanajuato is larger and busier, but more interesting if you don't mind the hustle and bustle.  The two are only a little over an hour apart by regular bus.

thank you all for your comments.  I must apologise for my tardiness in replying to all your useful hints.  A combination of full-time work, family and study has been keeping me fully occupied.

Ladybug18- I agree somewhat with mjplatt, who advised you not to rush into anything and to come down first to check things out. My wife and I have lived in Ajijic on Lake Chapala for 2 years, and love it. Guadalajara is still a long way away and Lake Chapala does't face becoming a suburb any time soon. Don't know what mjplatt is talking about the pollution, air is clear and fresh every day (and we live here every day).

I am not clear about your situation. Are you retired, or about to be? Are you still working and thinking of buying for a future retirement or for a vacation home? Are you thinking of coming here are working?

There is a perennial debate among expats here over whether Lake Chapala or San Miguel Allende are better places to live. We have visited San Miguel and have some idea of the place and like it a lot. However, we prefer Lake Chapala for several reasons.

1) The climate is better because Lake Chapala is somewhat lower in altitude and the lake itself keeps the area at a relatively constant spring-like temperature. San MIguel will be colder in the winter and hotter in the summer, and will therefore likely require expenditures for heating and cooling. We use neither here in Ajijic, except for a fan on overly warm days.   

2) San MIguel is a small city, with ever increasing levels of development. Property there is relatively more expensive than Lake Chapala. I have a number of friends who, although they loved San Miguel, moved here for that reason. The communities along Lake Chapala are small towns or villages, with much less population pressure and they have the ambiance of small towns--you can walk almost anywhere, and nearly always meet your friends on the street. However, Lake Chapala has developed very good infrastructure in recent years, and most of the technological conveniences are fairly easily available (high-speed internet, cell phone service, cable tv with English language channels, supermarket shopping etc).

3) Lake Chapala is only 30 minutes from Guadalajara Intl. Airport with direct flights to the US, while San Miguel is more than an hour from Leon or Queretaro airports. I am not sure about connections from there to the US, but very possibly you'd need to go through Mexico City, a nightmare I'd personally rather avoid.

4) While Guadalajara doesn't really encroach on Lake Chapala (and probably won't for some time) we are close enough to easily access anything we want in terms of big city services, culture, and activities. It is the second biggest city in Mexico (with all the good and bad that might imply).

I would advise in the strongest terms to come down and rent for a while (1-2 years) before even considering buying, whether in Lake Chapala or San Miguel. Prices in both places are grossly inflated and do not yet reflect the drops seen in the US. Waiting will save you money that way  and also because you will have time to study the local real estate situation, which is very unlike what you experience in the US. There is no mortgage market comparable to the US. Most folks end of paying cash, which means a huge chunk of your assets are tied up at best and at risk at worst. Real Estate here is VERY illiquid. Houses, even in good times, can stay on the market for a long time, sometimes several years. Can you tie up $150-300K like that? Finally, there are no disclosure laws, so the rule is caveat emptor with a vengeance. The Mexican legal system is byzantine, so if you run into a problem, you may have little recourse.

On the bright side, all this means that there is a great rental market with lots of homes and condos on the market owned by people who can't sell them and are desperate to rent to get some income. Most places some fully furnished (and I do mean fully-down to soap in the dish), so you don't have  to haul all your stuff down until you actually decide to buy. Just move in and live! This also give you the option of sampling several different places or even different villages. You could even rent for a while in Lake Chapala and  then in San Miguel to see first hand which you like best.

Whatever you decide, buena suerte! For a real-world view of what it's like down here, check out my blog: Jim and Carole's Mexico Adventure

Jim cook.   Your long message on renting for two years and looking around and buyer beware attitiude is very astute and thats how you appear  I sent you a couple of other messages tonight with me e-mail addressl  Maybe I am suppose to have one of those blog adress things but I am having trouble figuring out this whole  blogging business in that I have never done it before and am limited in computer ability 
But I do know I have been reading this expat thing for about 4 months and your communications are head and shoulders over all the others.  Thanks a Lot.  Any advice on how to blog on this site woulds be appreiciated.   Your pictures are absoutely fantastic and have helped me move my wife, Rosemary, to a new level of interest in that area.
Thanks     Jim Lofton   [email protected]
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