First of all I’d like to apologize for not having an update in several weeks. Sometimes I get so involved in day-to-day life that I put things off. I’d like to catch you up on a few things that are going on here now. Last year there was a group of volunteer veterinarians who came to Xcalak and Mahahual to help with the problem of dog and cat overpopulation. They saw over 160 animals in just six days and it was a great start but something that needs to be regularly attended to. They had planned on coming again at the end of March but this will need to be postponed until Fall. The goal of this effort is to create a sustainable yearly plan. Polly in Xcalak has been selling used / donated clothing to raise money for the project. In Mahahual so far we have raised over $500. We are also installing a “dog house” bank at the end of the pier where cruise ship passengers can toss their leftover pesos in before leaving Mexico. The funds will go into the Uai Nat Ze (Mayan for “from the heart”) Foundation that was set up to help the Maya communities after natural disasters such as hurricanes and then dispersed to this project with no administrative fees. If you can volunteer to help with the clinic or would like to support the effort in another way, just let me know.
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If you own property here now or are in the purchasing process, be sure that you have filed notification with the Mexican Federal Registry of Foreign Investment. If you have a Mexican corporation that holds your land, then your accountant would do this for you. If you have your property in a fideicomiso then your trust agent would be the one to do this. This is not something that would just “automatically” happen. The reason that this is so important is that when you want to sell your property this document is required and is much harder to obtain at that time.
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Cellular phone service around Mahahual has just improved dramatically. The coverage area of the one tower we have has been extended tremendously. A neighbor in far north Placer (about 20km north of Mahahual) can now receive a signal inside their home! I’ve been able to call out from my cell phone from as far south as Puerto Angel (2okm south of town).
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The beach road in Xcalak is finally being improved. This will make access to the properties, especially north of Xcalak, more accessible and with far less wear and tear on autos.
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The last part of 2008 was slow here in Costa Maya. There was not a lot of real estate activity and for obvious reasons. The cruise ships returned to the port in Mahahual but the passengers didn’t seem to be spending as much money as in the past. On the whole the tourists were much more reserved. Then in January, the atmosphere shifted again and things opened up in real estate and for other businesses here as well. We sold two properties in North Rio Indio, one in Placer, one in Tanquila and another in Puerto Angel. The price of land has remained at 2008 levels for the most part and it seems that there are still plenty of people who want to live the dream of living in paradise. The current exchange rate of the US dollar and Mexican Peso is still above 14:1.
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There is a new home that has just come on the market north of Mahahual, in Placer, Sapphire Beach. This is a beautiful three bedroom home, ready to move in. Solar system, appliances, furniture…everything. There is also a separate guest house/caretaker home above the garage and storage area. The beach is known for being one of the most beautiful in Costa Maya. This is an exclusive listing of Costa Maya Living and showing is by appointment only. The price is set at $899,00ousd. The home is just a few months old, so it’s very close to buying a new home…without going through the process!
