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Mahahual, Costa Maya Port Re-Opening!

Wednesday, November 5th, 2008

Yesterday as I was taking our dogs on their daily trip to the beach, the first cruise ship since Hurricane Dean appeared on the horizon!

It was a very big day for Mahahual when the Holland America Lines ship, Westerdam arrived. So many people worked on sprucing up the pueblo that the difference is really impressive. Although the mangroves are still recovering (thanks to the incredible amount of rain we’ve had this month) the old, dead wood is still there. The municipality has paid to have these big screens installed through town to help the appearance. It is definitely a good effort for now!

In other news, construction has begun on Costa Maya’s first movie theaters. They are going to be just outside the gate of the cruise ship pier and are being built in the anticipation of cruise ship passengers staying overnight. Some cruise ships will start “overnighting” in port this coming year. This will create a boon to local businesses that fought so hard to survive after the hurricane. There is also a new Hard Rock Café store inside the port and soon construction on the Hard Rock Café itself will begin.

There are very real reasons to have a positive outlook here right now. With all the “doom and gloom” news of the US financial crisis, it’s so refreshing. Last week I was in Merida and was given a 13:1 exchange rate. So the US dollar will certainly go further here!

In real estate news, we have many new listings that are well-priced both on the beach and just off. Specifically, you’ll see new listings in Placer, Xcalak and Mahahual Pueblo. http://www.costamayaliving.com/Listings. Costa Maya Living continues to grow due to loyal clients and referrals so if you know of anyone who may be interested in buying or selling their property please feel free to pass this email on to them.

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First Phase of Malecon in Mahahual Nearing Completion

Sunday, April 13th, 2008

The weather here is getting a little warmer each day. The constant breezes coming in from the ocean keeps it nice and cool by the water. As the first phase of the malecon nears completion, workers are installing the lights that will illuminate the walkway at night. This morning I when I went into town to take the photos below, and I thought our beaches have never looked more beautiful. I saw quite a few European tourists out enjoying them.

The latest news (as of last week) about the return of cruise ships is that there will be occasional arrivals from July until October/November when the normal schedule commences.

One question I get often is how the cost of living here compares to that of the US. The answer is “it depends on how you live”. For me, it is much less than in the US. Gasoline is always a concern and I finally found out how to compare the price of gas here to what it is in the US. I’d include a spreadsheet for this but it would probably get caught in virus scans. Right now it shows that I am paying the equivalent to $2.33 per gallon.

Several US citizens who live here or have property here contacted me to say they had received a survey that asked fairly personal questions and were concerned about it. I am really not sure of where this survey came from, but as the local representative for the Consulate, I had no knowledge of it. In fact, there is a Privacy Act form which should be completed by American citizens who wish the Consulate or me to release information about themselves. Without one of these forms signed, the Consulate is precluded from providing any information to third parties (including in emergency situations). I keep these with me so if you need one just let me know. An example of when you may want to disclose personal information is if you are traveling here and your family members need to contact you in case of an emergency.

Real estate sales in Costa Maya, especially in and around Mahahual continue to be strong as people are taking advantage of current prices which have remained fairly level since last August.

Sales include:

· two lots in Benque Soya (between the lighthouse and cruise ship pier)

· lot at km10 south of Mahahual

· lot at km 8 south of Mahahual

There are also four new exclusive listings being added at http://www.costamayaliving.com/Listings.html.

· Two adjacent 16mt lots in Placer - $423,500usd

· 20mt lot in San Jose – Rio Indio - $275,000usd

· 50mt lot in Uvero - $274,000usd

· Lot on Lake Bacalar between the highway and lake 254mt deep by 20mt wide - $220,000

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First Look at New Malecon and More!

Monday, February 25th, 2008

Hola from Costa Maya,

The economy in Costa Maya, and especially in Mahahual is gaining momentum thanks to much new construction. You can feel the excitement building as some of the more major projects are coming together. Here are a couple of photos taken today which give you a first look at what the finished malecon will look like. What is really nice is that there appears to be uplights in the ground every few meters which will illuminate the new palms from underneath. You can imagine how nice this will look at night.

It is easy to be optimistic about purchasing property in Costa Maya now, however at the same time most Buyers from the US and Canada are cautious about purchasing anything in a foreign country. They have reason to be. Here is one example. There are many new “realtors” in Costa Maya…especially after the hurricane. Many are offering discounted commissions to Sellers for their services (as they should). There is no special permit or license needed in order to sell property. A client came down to look at property about a year ago and I worked with them to find the best deal on a lot. Clients who I have worked with will tell you that they are encouraged to look around at all the properties in the area, not just ours. This client found a property and paid a very good price for it through another real estate company. Just a couple of months ago, things changed in their lives and they needed to sell the property so they asked us to list it. We always check titles and documents before we list anything and there is an expense to this. (Here is a hint…if you see signs on properties everywhere in any location of Costa Maya, it is very likely that no legal check of titles has been made on each and every one of these properties). Anyway, as soon as we started checking, we found not one but two other people who also have documents saying they own the same property. What a nightmare for anyone. It should never happen. I cannot list this property now and although I am helping them sort it out, it will be a difficult situation for months to come. Out of ten people who ask us to list properties, we turn down six. So…how can you tell the good real estate companies (and there are) from the bad? Nothing in this world is risk free, but we do everything possible to minimize the risk of buying here. · We check not only tax receipts but also titles and other documents before listing any property. Costa Maya Living has never sold any property that has a problem with its title.

· We only use attorneys and Notarios from either Merida or Cancun who have a track record as honest and reliable. Them not being from this area is to ensure that there is no vested interest here so that the transfer of title is critically reviewed and legitimate. All the attorneys we use speak English as well as Spanish and have excellent administrative processes.

· Every property we list is able to have title insurance from a US company.

· We have an escrow account in the US. Buyer’s deposits remain there safely until after the transfer of property has been made.

· This is not a part-time job for me. There are hardly enough hours in each day to do all the things well that must be done.

· I have lived here for more than two years and plan to be here for the rest of my life. I own properties here and am extremely active in the community and serve as the local representative for Costa Maya of the US Consulate. I was asked to take this position and am learning as I go, but it was a big honor. As you could guess, I am made aware of people and companies who try to take advantage of American citizens.

· We have a long list (actually every client I have) of satisfied customers. We don’t put them on the website because to me, it is like putting references on a resume. If you list someone you are pretty sure they would give you a good recommendation. Same thing for testimonials on a website. A much better thing to do is to ask around anywhere in Costa Maya about me or anyone selling real estate.

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Costa Maya Living Lighthouse Office

Wednesday, March 7th, 2007

KM 0.0 Mahahual

KM 11.5 SOUTH OF MAHAHUAL - 41.8 BEACHFRONT METERS

Just 11.5km south of Mahahual in a small enclave of completed homes, this lot is nearly 42mt wide at beachfront and 75mt deep with no mangrove. The road is at the far back of the property of maximum privacy. This is a nice location with a great beach. The lighthouse of Mahahual is visible on the horizon.

In the general vicinity of this property there are three other completed homes but there is plenty of privacy. There is also a small hotel and restuarant about 1/2km away.

There is also a 12mt x 4.75 concrete garage that is perfect for storing a car or boat or both!

The property has clear title and title insurance so no worries here.

$385,000usd