Was it a good idea to buy a house in Mérida sight unseen?
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- Опубликовано: 23 авг 2024
- You bet. In this video I'll show you the before pictures of the house, a video of me seeing the house for the very first time (really) and the architectural renderings of the house that it will become. Stick around till the end because I threw in a few personal photos. I recently took my niece to Mérida Mexico. You might say I am a proud auntie.
Houses in Mérida Centro are hard to find. Especially a "ruin" or a major remodel. So, if you are on the hunt, act quickly.
This is my air bnb, the Library House: airbnb.com/h/c...
I call it that because there is a library across the street.
Mexico Yucatan is a beautiful place, full of kind and wonderful people. If you are planning a trip I encourage you to take some Spanish classes if you don't already speak Spanish. We are but guests in this beautiful country.
MY AIR BNB: airbnb.com/h/c...
COMING SOON: AmysCasa.com for direct booking and discounts on both short term rental houses. By direct booking you can avoid the high fees that the major rental sites charge.
CONTACT ME & EMAIL ALERTS: First off, I am not an email spammer, I will email sparingly.
If you would like to be on the email list for announcing the new house rental and offering discounts for direct booking (which will be a huge savings to you) please email me at amy@AmySedgwick.com.
With the launch of AmysCasa.com this will change to Amy@AmysCasa.com, soon.
Thank you.
ONE HOUR INTERVIEW WITH ME AND 2 HOUSE TOURS: • Retiring with an Airbn...
Great video, very inspiring! Not sure about those last comments, who cares what her hair color is, and she certainly doesn't seem spoiled. She seems very passionate about her endeavors and wants to share with the rest of us that are interested. She definitely has sparked my interest in a destination retirement, I just subscribed and can't wait for her next video. Thank you so much!!
Thank you so much! I hope you find the information helpful and inspiring!
Absolutely! Thank you for showing me what's available as I approach retirement. VERY helpful information!!
We love Merida Mexico . Your videos are amazing and inspirational. Well done. World needs more people like you.
Well blow me down! I am just seeing this comment. Thank you so much. You just made my day. :)
@@DestinationRetirementit's an honest video . We just came back to Canada from Merida yesterday. It's growing fast. We took Mayan Train to Cancun also It was fun. Very smooth ride .
I plan on retire in 6 years at age 50 & I bought land to build a house in Jalisco. I feel your JOY !!
NIIICCCEEE. I like Jalisco. Good job!
I too also purchased a house in Mexico sight unseen. It has turned out to be great. I have rented it for the past few years but this year I will be redoing the property for myself and I am very excited.
That is awesome! Where in Mexico? Congrats.
It is incredible the way in which a property can be transformed. Congrats.
Thank you. The architects there are so talented.
Huge fan!!
Hello. I'm YOUR fan. ;)
Such a great property! A main ingredient of any good project is an amazing owner. Congratulations! 🎉
Aww thank you!!
Amy I love it!!
It is a beautiful house I can imagine how amazing it’s going to look.
You have good yeasts!!!😊😊😊You are an amazing woman!!
Aww thank you. How kind. I am so happy with how it is turning out.
Thank you for making this video! I'm seriously thinking of moving to Mexico and I'm considering Merida. I would love to renovate a house there and this helps! I appreciate you mentioning your visualization technique, I'm into manifestation myself, namaste!
Namaste! Thanks for the love. I'll be posting a new one soon. Just had to get over this cold so I don't sound like a frog.
And yes! Good idea 👍
Love your videos! Your retirement journey is so inspiring and I can’t wait to see the progress of your Merida home!
Your journey is exciting too!! Here comes the bride...
Great video. Love the transformation. It is beautiful
Thank you so much!
I just got back from my first visit to Mérida! I loved it, I can’t wait to go back. I fell in love with those pasta tiles and all the beautiful old empty homes.
I’m so curious, how did you begin this journey? So excited for you. I’m going to binge watch all your videos!
Hi Louisiana, Thank you for the comments/sub. I started thinking about retirement (single, no kids, self-employed-yikes) a few years ago. Wondering where I could live with quality of life and all the things people look for in retirement. I had lived in MX in the early 90's for 3 years so it was a natural choice. I'm glad you love Mérida. It's an incredible city.
Hola, y felicidades por tu nueva casa, gracias por compartir este video.
muchisimas gracias! Me encanta Mérida. :)
Great video!! I loved the part about visualizing, that’s when I hit subscribe 👍🏽 we’re buying there so it’ll be interesting to follow your journey ❤
Fantastic! Have you found your casa yet? When are you closing/moving? Congrats and keep on visualizing. :)
Love your videos! So informative. Thank you! Oh and we also did sight unseen😅
Thank you! Wow, where did you buy? Were you happy with it when you saw it for the first time? Congratulations.
In Santiago:) we loved it!
@@jl9663 We must be neighbors then. :)
Yes we are:) we are on calle 76.
Please tell us your realtor in Merida? We visited Merida in June 2021. We constantly talk about Merida. We loved the city. There is so much to do in the 50 miles around the city. I saved your unit in AirBnB. Our plans are to spend a couple months in winter, to escape the Northern winter and figure things out. Love your openness and honesty!
Is it too hot?
Hi Johnny, Thank you so much. I used mexintl.com (Ivan and Eric) for most of my real estate needs and attorney Ballote and Associate. If you want to stay at one of my two air bnbs go to amyscasa.com and pop your name in the mailing list field. Booking direct will save you a lot over the air bnb fees. ;). Sorry for the slow reply. I just found this message. you can also reach me at amy@amyscasa.com I also may be joining the team at Mexico international in 2027.
It is very very hot in the summer. Many people don't care for that.
Great move , great video , inspirational
Thank you so much Estela.
My spouse and I visited Mérida last June, we really loved the colonial pool Airbnb we stayed at and thought it could be a retirement option. Currently in CDMX and will be visiting Pueblo and San Miguel de Allende but I can’t get the thought of living in a pool colonial in Centro. Your plans for Reno are amazing. I’m anxious to go home and sell a property to have enough liquidity but I realize I should take my time and be sure Mérida is the right fit for two retired gay guys. Will be back in Mérida this June hopefully with a decision to move forward. It’s quite scary to sell a home we love in Fort Lauderdale but with the political climate and rising costs of everything might make the decision for us. Looking forward to watching more of your videos.
Hello! How was SMA? All three cities are so different. Any idea which one you will be choosing yet? So sorry for the delay in responding. I am just now seeing this message. I have more current videos on the remodeling process you might enjoy. Mérida loves the "two retired gay guys" plan! :)
You're in the INAH historic preservation district so there's a lot of permits involved. Been living in Centro in the historic preservation district for 6 years now. No regrets!
Hola vecina! Gracias. And yes, no regrets!
Hello! Great video! I just bought a lot near mérida and planning to buy a house like yours in the center of mérida in the near future.
Congratulations. Are you going to build your dream home?
@@DestinationRetirementthank you! yes but not right now. They won't let me build until in about 4 years. I bought another lot near Tulum and I am building there first. I will build a cabin or 2 so i can rent and when I move to Mexico I have some income coming in .
@@DestinationRetirement I also like Merida centro. I wanna buy a house like you and fix it just like the way you did it.
@@noececiliano8394 They are getting harder and harder to find. Good thing you acquired some property when you did.
Love your channels! Would you be willing to share your lot size and house size? We purchased a lot in Puerto Vallarta last year and have struggled finding an architect that is invested in helping us build something we love within our budget. There is so much money flying around here these days that those of us on tight budgets don't get afforded the luxury of creativity. We have often wondered if we made a mistake, but watching your channel has given me hope! We just need to manifest the right team😀
Hi, I'll have to look up the lot size. The house is about 1,300 sf. One tip is do not have the architect be the builder. Instead hire an architect then use those plans to find a builder to work with. My architectural plans were less than $1,000USD.
Nice
Thank you! I'm super happy with it.
Merida is beautiful, great decision!
Thank you. Yes, I do love the beauty of Mérida and the people.
I love your energy and INTENTIONS! Would love to talk more offline.
Hi Tracy, I welcome that. You can find me by going to my website FloatingHomesPortland.com and sending an email. Take Luck!
@@DestinationRetirement Got it. Talk to you in the near future! Thank you.
@@DestinationRetirement Me, too! I note the email address that's been shared with you. How kind and open is that?
@@cinziam457 You are welcome to use it.
Hi, thanks for this video it's very inspirational! I have considered doing the same thing but am most concerned about not speaking Spanish to communicate with getting it all done. How would you compare the price when all finished compared to if you bought an already finished house? I also want to live in one and have 1 or 2 to use as income. Did you consider other areas of Mexico or countries to do this like Costa Rica, Portugal etc? Thank you, Mike
Hi Mike, I do speak Spanish but my general contractor and my attorney both speak very good English. In the larger cities you can communicate in English, as long as you are making an effort to learn and speak Spanish. There are so many places and ways to learn, the best one of course just being there.
I considered Europe but part of my decision had to do with being close to the US for family, cost, and my love of Mexico. I feel very "at home" in Mexico. I've been to Costa Rica, I even had a small buildable lot near the ocean at one time. It is a great option as is Portugal. Portugal is getting speedy quickly. For Portugal check out the YT Our Rich Journey. The are awesome. You get one crack at this life. You can do it!
I am wondering if you have or have seen other videos/articles about the Centro neighborhoods from a value and desirability perspective? We have been to Merida three times and are most familiar with the areas around Paseo de Montego which I think is considered Santa Anna. It seems like a lot of properties for sale are in Santiago, San Cristobal and other neighborhoods towards the south of Plaza Grande. We hope to start our home buying process in the second half of the year and would like to focus on areas around Paseo and the new La Plancha park. Are these considered the better neighborhoods and more expensive or are the other popular neighborhoods equal in desirability? In looking at the real estate sights I don't see as many places available in our preferred areas. If we are looking in the most competitive places, we may need to spend more time in Santiago and Lourdes/Chembec so we can expand our search. How did you choose your neighborhood? We really value the great walking on Paseo and walking access to a big grocery like the Walmart.
Hi Christopher. I did not do much research before buying (not recommended). I spent hours upon hours just looking at real estate on the various websites. I went to Merida a few times before I bought.
Here are some thoughts on neighborhoods. Santiago is one of the best. My house by the English Library is in Santiago. Santa Ana is one of the top areas as far a sought after/restaurants. San Sebastian is becoming super cool as people are doing incredible things with the homes there. However, it is south of 59. 59 has become laden with heavy traffic during prime times. Staying north of 59 is a good idea. For being close to the new park I like Chen Bech. You really can't go wrong in any neighborhood. Just chose a street you like (without buses if possible) and close to things you like and you will be fine. (Garcia Giniers and Itzima are also lovely.)
Hey! I've been subscribed to you for a while and enjoy your videos. Wanted to ask if you do consultations or anything in regards to property in mexico. I haven't heard to talk about anything like that and I'm curious to know what some of your thoughts are on Merida. Thanks!!
Hi Joey, I have not thought about that simply because I only have my own experience to draw from. Your best best is to consult with a local real estate broker. I trust Eric and Ivan from Mexico International completely. Once I am living down there I may do some consulting. If you are getting serious about buying something I don't mind taking a look at it for ya.
@@DestinationRetirement aww, thank you so much! You're really great. Thank you for offering to look. We're torn between Merida and SLP and wanted to get some ideas about the market basically. So not necessarily about to pull the trigger on anything specific.
@@JoeyBeeFit The market in Mérida is strong (just an opinion). With the beauty, safety, and healthcare it should continue to be a good investment. Of course all the other reasons apply, fabulous people, food culture.. Have you spent a lot of time in each place?
Just got back from Merida last week. I live in Cdmx and for 4.5m mxn you barely get a 65m2 apartment here in the city. I'm interested in buying a house and been checking some options in Merida. I definitely do not want to live in downtown (zocalo) area. Too noisy. Garcia Gineres and East are the hot spots. South is too run down. Requires a lot more people who start renovating.
I will be living in Garcia. Nice wide streets, more trees, less noise. I hear you. Itzima is nice too. South of Centro is seeing growth as San Sebastian is becoming popular. I like north of Centro for freeway access as well. Good luck to you.
Hi, I would love to connect with you as we are looking to buy a house in Merida. Would you be so kind to guide us through or give us some tips on buying?
Hi SoBe. :) Congrats on your decision to buy. I am happy to help a bit. I only have my experience to draw from though. Do you know the neighborhoods well enough? Are you there locally to go see homes? If you don't have an agent yet Eric and Ivan with Mexico International are my go to people.
Centro is nice to visit. We prefer out near Altabrisa mall. More trees and air circulation. To each their own.
After visiting numerous times I get it. My house for me to live in is in Garcia on a quiet, wide, street with more trees and the backyard can be accessed without having to go through the house. I have not spent much time in Altabrisa but it looks nice when I'm driving past to go to the beach. Any recommendations for listing that area? Fave restaurants?
@@DestinationRetirement Toks, Eladios Sammy's
You didn't mention the price of the properties
The property in this video cost 135,000 USD to acquire.
Hi, just came across your videos! My husband and I really love Huatulco but just recently are considering Yucatan coast before making our decision. We are more beach than city people. We love that we could live beach side but have all the conveniences of a big city like shopping, restaurants, hospitals etc so close by in Merida! Can you share what the total price was for purchase and remodeling of the house you bought sight unseen?? It's beautiful 😍
Hi Kat, cost to buy was about 135,000USD and the remodel is costing about 250,000 (including furniture)
@Destination Retirement Awsome!!! Love your journey ❤️ I am waiting for 2 houses in FL to sell so I can start the residency process!
@@KatKatz11 Wonderful. I saw your question on resident permit process. The process always seems to change. I got mine in one day! I used the help of Lenny at Ballote and Associates. Worth there extra small fee they charge to get the assistance and the appointment.
@Destination Retirement Oh, I will definitely be using assistance. I don't speak Spanish...a few words maybe...I will Google his name. 😊 Do you know much about the beach towns? I don't want to live in Progresso although I do like that it has some nice beach restaurants! We were thinking Chelem or Chicxulub looks they're both growing and starting to get more single family homes and condos, I want a nice relaxed vibe community.. and drive into Merida for the great shopping!! 💖. The whole area seems to have it all. Thank you!
@@KatKatz11 Chelem would be my vibe. Cool little town. Here is the attorney, ask for Lenny. She helped me. balloteandassociates.com
Hi Amy, would you know roughly how much the build will end up costing?
Apx 250,000USD. It can be done for less but the old saying is true. you do get what you pay for. So far the quality is fantastic.
@@DestinationRetirement I love what you have done, it looks amazing.
The best!!
I have questions about properties
Hi 👋 what if I want to do an Airbnb but not own the property in Mexico is that doable?
I don't think so. You would be subletting and need the home owners permission to do so. Also think about if there was a problem in the house while you have a guest there, water/electricity, you would be at the mercy/timeline of the homeowner to address it.
@@DestinationRetirement thank you beautiful🙏🏾 is Merida playa progreso Yucatán a good location for Airbnb? What are some nice cities in Merida Yucatán that you recommend? Thanks again and happy holidays ❤️
How did you find the property? Did you have someone looking for you in Merida while you where in the States?
This property was brought to my attention by a broker. I was not really looking at the time but I had seen a house that he owned and I did not buy it. When he listed this one he thought of me because it met my criteria and he called me. I knew this area really well so I was comfortable buying it sight unseen. If you know your desired area well and have a broker you trust then buying while out of the area can be great. Just make sure to have the broker show you the street and the surrounding area as well.
Do they allow you to take a loan out? Or did you pay cash?
I have been paying as I go. I believe you can get a loan if you are a citizen of Mexico. There are a couple of lenders that finance to foreigners but the fees are high and the process arduous.
How much did it cost you? And what’s your budget for the rebuilt?
Cost to buy 125,000 plus escrow of about 8,000. Construction apx 200,000. USD.
@@DestinationRetirement oh wow. I guess prices are different in Merida. In playa u can get around 1000 sq ft for $160k and a bigger luxury one for like 200-250. Are u planning to be there in August? Never been to Marida but I’m moving to playa end of this week from Canada.
@@Andy-vy9vf It’s all about location. The house in that video is right in the heart of Centro. I’m very familiar with Playa. I have friends there you’ll like it. You can definitely get good prices pretty close to the beach.
I won’t be there in August. I’m not coming down until end of November to renew my temporary visa.
Wow that sounds like too much!
@@DestinationRetirement
Hi! Ty for responding.. we are interested I’m just trying to figure out your total cost. So is it based on your post.. 334,000 usd total?
Can you comment on the purchase process while being in a different country? Who holds earnest money, does that even exist? Do you need a bank account in Mexico to wire funds? Can you hold multiple properties under one fideocomiso? Thanks.
Hi Peter. There were so many moving parts to buying while being in the US. Everything became easier when I gave my attorney power of attorney to sign everything. I suggest starting there with an attorney you trust. There was no earnest money system when I bought. I believe my attorneys office now handles earnest money. When I bought I wired directly to the sellers while they were sitting in the attorneys office waiting to sign. The challenge was that the wire is not immediate. So I was at my bank, they were at the attorney office, waiting for confirmation of the wire before signing. They accepted the "receipt" and signed, even though their money came next day. You don't need a bank account in MX to wire funds as you can send a foreign wire from your account (if you are in the US). You can have multiple properties in one fideicomiso. I have a separate one for each, on my attorneys advice. I used Ballote and Associates. Good luck!
Could you provide the name of your attorney? ❤
Hi Amy, Could you share your broker’s information?
Totally. Eric and Ivan with Mexico International. I may join the Mexico International team in 2027. :) mexintl.com
Hi Congratulations on the starting contruction. I have a question for you. How the arquitectos will address the humity on the walls?? That is a very heavy issue in Merida. Thanks
That is a great question. I was thinking of having the lower perimeter exposed mamposteria. Not the half wall you often see. Maybe 10" or so. It is also a really cool look.
@@DestinationRetirement That is a great idea. Are they installing new wooden beams?? Or Are you using the ones I think are still in house?? Will you have space for a car?? I can't really see if there is room to add it.
@@edexoarp3964 The beams that are there now are steel I beams. I wish they were the wooden ones. I will either replace with wood or have wood put over them to appear like solid wood beams. No space for a car. Thats a tough one in centro.
Hi How are you?? I forgot to ask you about the walls, the old houses in Merida share the walls so are you still planning to share the walls with the adjacent houses?? Sorry for asking to many questions!!!
@@edexoarp3964 Hi. The house is in the historic district and does not allow for changes to the facade and often times the interior as well if it is still original. I have to keep the first two "rows" of rooms. It's pretty easy to tell what is original and not. Original walls are SO thick. Even if I could create distance between the houses I wouldn't because it would make the house to narrow. Hope that helps.
Transparent, honest experiences you have shared with great advice. Thanks for creating these videos. If it is ok, I'd like your realtor/broker Adrian/Erick contact info 😉
A resending yes! mexintl.com/agents Scroll down to Eric and Ivan team.
Found it! Thanks. Another question you may or would not be able to share; can you do an offer/counter offer? How different is this from the US market?
@@monicagollaz9062 I did make an offer on the Garcia house and they counter and I accepted. The offer process is less formal, just verbal.
What real estate you used. Since their is allot of fraud
A company called Mexico International. Ask for Eric and Ivan.
How big is your house?
It is about 1,350 square feet.
Hi there! I just found you. Would you mind to share your brokers information with us? You may already have in one of the comments... Thanks so much!
Hi, I work with the company Mexico International and Eric/Ivan are my brokers. I may be joining that company soon myself. :)
Is it possible we can communicate with you through email?
Sure thing. Send me an email at Amy@AmySedgwick.com
Is there an email/what’s up number I can use to contact you?
Hi Victor. Happy to share. For what purpose? Are you thinking of buying a home in Mérida. Sorry, just need to know a little bit before giving out my contact information. Cuidate mucho.