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Which is the Best Yucatan Real Estate Agency?
- Buena Vida Realtors (2%)
- Casa Blanca (6%)
- Mayan Living (23%)
- Mayan Realty (3%)
- Mexico International (23%)
- Real Estate Yucatan (30%)
- Tierra Yucatan (13%)
Loading ...If you are living here in Yucatan, chances are one of the first things you did was to buy or rent a home.
While some of us were savvy enough or spoke Spanish well enough to trato directo (deal direct) with the sellers or landlords, many of us spent our initial days here with a helpful real estate agent. So we’re pretty sure that almost every reader of Yucatan Living has something to contribute to this poll.
In order for a real estate agency to qualify for this poll, it must list and sell properties in and around the state of Yucatan. And it must also have at least one bilingual employee who can deal competently with English-speaking extranjeros.
Please consider a few other things when voting for the best real estate agency. Naturally, the best agency should hire and employ knowledgeable agents. They should know the territory, the process of buying and selling a house here in the Yucatan and how to get things done in this environment. They should treat customers well, with both patience and respect. They should have integrity (loosely defined as doing what they say they are going to do). They should be pleasant to work with, and after the deal is done, you should feel comfortable recommending them to family and friends.
Some things we feel are not in the real estate agent’s control, especially here in the Yucatan. We believe you can’t judge a real estate agent on how long it takes to buy or sell a house, for instance. Or on whether or not the seller or buyer had integrity. Or on how happy or unhappy you are with the house once you move in. Sometimes, forces of nature (or forces of Mexico) create havoc for the best of professionals.
We open this poll with five real estate agencies that work regularly with extranjeros, but this is certainly not an exhaustive list. New agencies appear on the scene all the time, and we are not the best judges… that’s why the Poll is here for our readers to make their favorites known. So please vote (one person – one vote, please) and may the best agency win!
The Nominees Are…
Here in alphabetical order are the initial 2008 nominees for Yucatan Living’s Readers Choice Award for Best Real Estate Agency in Yucatan:
Buena Vida Realtors – Run by Rupert Millautz, Buena Vida Realtors is a small agency that prides itself on providing good service.
Casa Blanca Real Estate – Probably the oldest agency that works with English-speaking extranjeros, the agency is run by Jorge Caceres with offices on the corner of Calle 55 and Calle 66.
Mexico International – Founded by Mitch Keenan, the first extranjero to set up a real estate agency in Merida. His team of agents is based out of their offices in the Fiesta Americana building next to the Sanborn’s restaurant.
Real Estate Yucatan – The husband and wife team of Gabriela Isaac and Alec Stephens, and Gabriela’s brother Isaac Salim, run this agency. Gabriela and Isaac are Yucatecos and Alec hails from Mexico City, but spent many years working and living in the USA.
Tierra Yucatan – This agency is represented by Jennifer Lytle, her socio, David Palomo and a team of agents. Jen has traveled and lived in Mexico for over 30 years after moving here from San Antonio, Texas. Jennifer’s team works out of their renovated colonial office on Calle 66 in Merida’s centro historico.
Nominate Your Favorite
If you know the name of an agency that deserves to be nominated for the 2008 award, please leave a comment with the name of the company, the agent and the website address. We’ll add them to the Poll. Nominations will be accepted until September 1st, giving everyone plenty of time to add their favorite agency. Voting will continue under the very end of 2008, and not a minute sooner!
Reader’s Nominations:
Mayan Living – Jim Mann has run this very successful real estate firm for as long as we’ve been in Merida.
Mayan Realty РA local real estate firm owned by Jorge Maz̼n.
Bookmark Yucatan Living and come back often to see how your favorite agency is doing. Then, come back again in early 2009 to read about the winners of the 2008 Yucatan Living Readers Choice Awards for Best Real Estate Agency in Yucatan.
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Hola
I have just closed a contract on a beach house in Chelem(and paid:)) .I used the 2007 readers choice as my “short list” to get started. Here are the highlights (and lowlights) of my experience:
– In November 2007 I mailed the 5 nominated agencies with my shortlist of “demands” and said that we would come in March 2008 to look and possibly buy. A list of matching prospects would be highly appreciated.
– All 5 answered and wished me welcome
– One enclosed a list and kept in touch for the next two months
– In February 2008 I send our schedule to the 5 nominated agents and suggsted the dates that would be most suitable for “inspection” of prospects in RL
– 2 answered, one (Fernando) with a long list and confirming two dates, one confirming a date and advicing that there would be a USD 60 charge for gas for his car
– In March we spend two whole days with Fernando(in his car, no gas charge), looking at 10 houses, beeing guided, given very useful information on all sorts of things, basically haveing a good time and at the same time diving into the coast real estate market
– Decided on a house a week later, Fernando met up with the architect (Henry Ponce) who had a direct line with the owner, negotiated price, agreed on what should be changed/finished/sorted out etc. And we agreed there and then.
– Met with Fernando and the owner two days later at Fernados office. All contracts and paperwork sorted out in English and Spanish. And everything was signed.
– Then directly to the notario choosen by me (based on your recomendation) Alvaro R. Baqueiro Caceres where we had his daughter Enna Baqueiro Rodriguez as representative. Everything impecable and nice.
– Two days later Fernando took me to the notario again, where everything with fideicomiso and purchase was prepared
– Papers signed and we returned to Europe
– For the next two moths Fernando has pushed and controlled for the things that should be sorted out on the house, and we have communicated by mail. Reported mid May that everything was sorted out according to agreement and plan
– In three weeks we will return to Chelem and spend time in our new house for the first time. Fernando has again offered his assistance with some practicalities the first day and arranged with plomero etc for a “crash training course” on gas, valves, tanks, septic, pumps etc.
– As I suppose you have understood by now I was not very impressed wit 80 % of last years nominees, but can give you an absolute recomendation for Fernando Berdichevsky from Mexico International at First Amercana. He is a true proffesional, and if you experience the same level of service and dependability as we have done, you will find that he most likely beats any real estate agent you have met, whichever country you come from. Tell him Tor from Norway is depending on him
)
CUANDO SE ACABE EL MUNDO, ME VOY PA’ MERIDA!!! (or maybe Chelem:))
Mayan Realty is a new business (1 yr) run by Jorge (George) Mazun who has been selling realestate in the area for years for some of the compainies on your list.
Great article, and very timely.
I’m surprised by terob 1’s comment. 80% of us just refused to answer his letter? I personally answer ALL the letters at Casa Blanca, whether I think this is going to be a potential customer or not, and I suspect most of the others do, too. I answer usually up to 50 letters per day, sometimes writing 5 or 10 times to the same person who will have one question after another about a particular property or about proceedures in buying land in Mexico.
Perhaps there was some kind of clash with terob 1’s e-mail at this time. Sometimes I have to go into the metatags to correct addresses that have been rejected when I tried to respond…I know that I have one client who keeps writing to ask why I haven’t answered his letters, and I’ve tried every address possible to get in touch with him.
Please, terob, don’t assume that we didn’t answer. Really, I find it hard to believe that people would pay to put up a web page and have e-mail addresses and then not answer. I know that we are not “agent number two” because we never charge for our gas or our time.
By the way, we’re at the corner of 57 and 66, not 55. Jorge might count as an “extranjero,” since he lived in Los Angeles for 20 years as a young man before he returned to Yucatan some 30 years ago to set up his office on that corner.
Yucatan Living: I suggest that you add: Jim Mann, MayanLiving.com. Jim represented me and my European partners with a high level of professionalism in the purchase of the charming Hacienda Mulsay de la Magdalena in Merida.
Brooks Adams, Richmond, Virgina
What a marvelous idea! I gave this puppy all five stars.
Our vote goes to Tierra Yucatan and their agent Carlos Hassey who is a credit
to his country as well as his company.
I had a good experience for the most part with Real Estate Yucatan, dealing directly with Alec Stevens when purchasing a house in Santiago in 2006.
For consistency over time and perhaps the biggest list of satisfied clients, you cannot miss Mexico International. The head of the company, Mitch Keenan started web-based real estate in Merida many years ago (as “Miguel’s Mexico” at the time). He and his group of agents have provided good service for years and years. Many of the other independent agencies started out working with Mitch and then split off into their own companies. He encourages his agents to have their own sites as well as work with him at the master site.
For knowing all the ins and outs, and staying consistent over long periods of time, Mexico International just cannot be beat.
Hey Anny! For anyone who is interested, Anny’s right – she always answers e-mail (and works 7 days a week to do it!).
Jimmy Mann at Mayan Living gets my vote…..they have been helpful, attentive, responsive and professional in selling my home. Another, although lesser known agency. is Merida Homes…honest and good people.
Mayan Living should be recognized for outstanding sales and public relations!
Hey, thanks, Khaki!!!! I don’t know who you are, or even if you’re male or female, but I LOVE your events column on Merida every week…I’m your biggest fan!I!
I answer e-mails 18 hours a day, too!
Mayan Living has opened up a new world for us in Mexico. Jim Mann is a hard working and honest man (not always easy to find in today’s real estate world) who has our best interests at heart when he looks for property for us. We are excited about our new properties in Merida and look forward to a long business and personal relationship with our new friend – Jim Mann.
Mexico International is no doubt the best. Completed several purchases through them and they get the job done. I have worked with another Gringo owned agency but had bad results and could not complete deals, bad titles and lousy follow up. Highly recommend working with Mitch, Eric or Malena when looking at properties. I believe they are the only firm with a US based escrow account.
Mayan Living gets my vote, too!
JIm Mann at Mayan Living Real Estate gets our vote. We went through 4 realtors before finding Jim. Jim is the only person who showed us properties we wanted to see plus some he felt we should see, to give us a comparison of what was available in different areas of historic Merida. His dedication to his profession, his customers and the beautiful city of Merida is certainly a bonus for anyone looking to purchase property.
Hi Anny and Khaki
First of all, Casa Blanca was not one of the five, so no shadow shouId fall on you:)) Secondly I appologize if I come across as demanding, dissatisfied and grumpy, because that is not at all the case. In my opinion the country, the culture, the history and the Yucaytecos makes Yucatan one of the best and most beautiful places to go to or to stay.
I just wanted to state that, for whatever reason, I had difficulties establishing good contact with more than one real estate agent. But he was a very good one that I happily recomend to my “fellow man”.
Take care and see you in June
)
Awesome site, check it out! Jim has a great eye for detail!
Mitch Keenan and his firm Mexican International get our vote hands down.
We had contacted quite a few agents in our property search and unfortunately picked the wrong one on our first try.
After tears and heartache, we enlisted Mitch, picked another property and after a complicated transaction (multiple US Corps buying a Mex Corp) , we are happy owners in Mexico. Mitch is honest and professional. He promptly answered every email and believe me we had hundreds. Not only does he guide you through the whole real estate process, but he never hesitates to answer all of of our “living in Mexico” questions.
I think that what sets him apart from the others is that he and his firm are always there for you, not just handling the paperwork, but assisting with all the extraneous matters that really can be the most burdensome, especially to a foreigner, e.g. paying taxes, local market conditions, builder recommendations, etc.
We really had just an outstanding experience with Mexico International!
We highly recommend Mitch Keenan, Eric Partney and Mexico International. When we first started and enlisted their services almost 4 years ago, we found them to be responisve and hands above the rest when it comes to honesty, true customer service and satisfaction. In fact, in our first “attempt” at buying a place, we regrettfully encountered owners with questionable tatics and honesty. Eric and Mitch went well above their “call of duty” to make things right, helped us to find the right home, and completely made our experience of home buying in Mexico a pleasurable one.
I highly recommend Theo Mills with Casas de Luz Real Estate. He has successfully earned me 300% on my investments for the last ten years. We started together in Hawaii then San Francisco and now he is working out of Merida. He guided my wife and I through some ocean front land flips in Celestun and I earned 275% in one year on my investment. This company strives to earn you the best return possible. If you are looking to invest, develop or just make a land flip then Theo is the one I highly recommend.
I can tell you that Mayan Living is the best real estate company in Yucatan. Jim and David are the best. They have great agents from Yucatan working to find them the best deals.
We had the good fortune to work with Rupert, Anna and John at Buena Vida Realtors when we purchased our most recent house in Merida. While the other agency we worked with on a prior house purchase (Mex Intl) did a great job, the personal attention we received from Rupert and his staff far exceeded our expectations.
We would highly recommend them to anyone thinking of purchasing property in the Yucatan.
I first met Mitch Keenan when I retired to Mexico and bought a house in 1992. Over the years I have known him to be honest, intelligent and a very hard worker. He deserves all the success he has achieved. My vote is certainly for his company.
My husband and I are looking closely at purchasing property in the Merida area. We have contacted both Mitch Keenan and Jim Mann, each on more than one occassion. To date we have received only one response from Mitch, which led us to contact Jim Mann, and none from Jim Mann. This has been our only experience thus far and as you can see it has not been very successful.
I can say without hesitation that Jim Mann is honest and extremely knowledgeable and a pleasure to do business with. He certainly has my vote!
My vote is OF COURSE to http://www.realestateyucatan.com. Thanks Alec and Gaby !!
Hi Patti,
Hope you come back to read comments here.
I have been in Costa Maya for the last several days. The satelite internet there is kinda sketchy due to tropical storm Arturo. We just got back to Merida (30-minutes ago) and am checking email. A friend had emailed me your comment above.
I do check and answer my email daily unless there is no way to connect to the internet. I do not have any emails from you in my inbox (sorry). Sometimes cyberspace is strange and emails don’t arrive or get filtered out. Please do email me again and I will reply asap. miguelsmexico@yahoo.com
I remain at your service.
Sincerely
Mitch
I also had a great experience buying a house through Mex Intl and Nelio Ricalde. Nelio was fantastic, he knows Merida thoroughly because he was born and raised here, he speaks excellent english and he just went way out of his way to make everything work out for us. I now consider him a friend and that says a lot for how above board he was and how happy we are with the purchase.
Mayan Living is one the best real estate companies in the Yucatan. The owner is an incredible man of honesty. He does business in a true and good way. He is a joy and a dear friend.
I was happy with the service I received with Tierra Yucatan, except that huge unpaid phone bill that I inherited along with the title. Make a big point of making sure that has been handled by the RE agent. I have noticed that Merida Homes, who Joel DeLeon Garica runs, has often listed their prices a few thousand dollars lower than the same houses listed on other RE websites. Good to know!! Joel is a good man and I know several people who have had good experiences with him. If the house you select needs renovation work consider checking with the Profeco Consumer Protection office before you a contractor.
When we found a house on the beach three years ago, Mitch and his team helped and supported us through a few problems (not of our or his making). I found the team of Mexint to be very fair and trustworthy and count them as good friends.
My wife and myself vote for Mexint and would recommend them to anyone buying.
Hello to you all!! My vote goes to Real Estate Yucatan, I just closed a deal through Isaac from REY and I have already started the renovation project. My dream house is in Telchac and will be ready (hopefully) in 6 months. From when I start searching on the website, sending emails and the final purchase, Real Estate Yucatan was great answering emails, giving me the right information and making everything stress free as possible
After buying and selling properties around the world, I came across Merida, specifically with the downtown area and I am amazed!! I just love everything, the city, its people, the architecture, MY NEW HOUSE IN YUCATAN and also my friends from Real Estate Yucatan who made everything possible and very smooth. I saw that they won on the last best real estate poll and now I know WHY!!! Felucidades Gabriela!!
My wife and myself vote for Real Estate Yucatan. We had the good luck to find Alec and Gaby, they helped us to find the right home. We were very, very happy with the service received. We recommend to Real Estate Yucatan to anyone buying.
Thumbs up to Mexico International and the best agent, Arturo Novelo.. he took the best care of us and ALWAYS was available to answer questions and concerns. We sent questions ahead of our trip and he scheduled several days looking at properties. We didn’t buy this trip but went home and e-mailed more questions and made our decision. Two months later we closed on the property we decided on. Thanks for being so great, Arturo!
We would like to vote for Katie @ SandCastleInn in Chelem, now working with MayanRealty. She has made this such a great experience, from driving us around looking at places, finding a great house for us, putting us in touch with a great contractor and then bossing the remodel job, with e-mails and pictures all along the way. She introduced us to a very sweet and thorough attorney who made sure everything was right. We are now finishing up on a beautiful beach house in Chelem, THANKS KATIE
We have known Jim and David for over a decade. Their combined talents of
consideration and creativity never fails to impress. Their attention to detail
is a delight.
M. Rue – H. Henschke
I rented a beautiful house in Meridia for a month and after working with several companies, I choose Real Estate Yucatan because of their wide knowledge and professionalism, now I own a property in the historic district, my vote goes without a doubt to Real Estate Yucatan
Hola! Que aquà no escriben Mexicanos??!!, Yo voto por Bienes Raices Yucatan o Real Estate Yucatan que es lo mismo, nosotros venimos de Guadalajara y gracias a Gabriela Isaac ahora vivimos en el norte de la ciudad en una calle muy tranquila y una casa que ni habÃamos soñado que podrÃamos comprar, de hecho en una forma, ella nos acabo de convencer de adquirir esta hermosa casa en Merida, suerte Gabriela!
Mayan Living is the best real estate company in the Yucatan. Ask for Jim, He is he is a very nice person and honesty, good test.
well don´t think so much, the peoples says: “Mayan living”
Hola! My Friends:
We really want to thank and vote for Real EState Yucatan. Alec & Gaby are great mexican people. Both make the perfect combination between honesty & professionalism. We prove it, not only with our beautiful home in Merida but also with our family business. Congratulations for this great “dynamic duo”.
This couple is really the “Batman & Robin” of real estate in the Yucatan peninsula.
Congratulations!!!!!
Sammy
I would like to know possibilities of renting a house in Merida for 6 – 8 months every year during wintertime in Holland.
Suggestions about where to turn to are very welcome.
Karin,
If you look on the right side of any page of Yucatan Living, you’ll see a list of the topics on the website. One of those topics is Vacation Rentals. Some of the rentals listed there are very willing to rent for months out of the year and will often give you a discount on the posted price. Just contact the owner directly.
Also, many of the real estate agencies here list rentals on their websites as well.
Thirdly, We can suggest trying a website like vrbo.com… Vacation Rentals by Owner.
Good luck!
Thank you to Mayan Living, principally to Jim, for his attention and professionalism. Thanks to him, I could acquire a house for my family.
My vote goes to Real Estate Yucatan , specially to “sweet Judith” and Gaby are the best. They have great agents!! Thanks Judith!!!.
My vote goes to real Estate Yucatan!! They were great in helping me all the way and even more! I couldn`t do it without them.
MY VOTE IS FOR YUCATAN LIVING AND FOR JIM MAN, THAT IS AN HONEST AN HONEST PERSON IN GOOD HOUR JIM.
ARQ. JOSE ANTONIO MORALES LOPEZ.
We vote for David Palomo of Tierra Yucatan. He and his associate Mayte were of great help when we decided to check out the Yucatan as our retirement choice. They are very professional, honest, and sincere. Corresponding by email once back in the USA, their replies were quick and very helpful. We bought our home without ever seeing the inside due to the efforts of these two who took interior and exterior pictures for us to view. They are to be admired for their dedication and hard work.
I would like to nominate Casa Yucatan Real Estate, owned and operated by Acq. Gabriela Cornelio.
My wife and I purchased a villa that Gabriela and her husband Adam designed and built. Not only was the villa built beautifully, but Gaby helped us find an excellent attorney and money handler who not only provided excellent service during the real estate transaction, but also in handling other matters for us.
Gaby and Adam have also helped us to maintain our villa and to find additional contractors to provide othere services when necessary.
Gaby and Adam are both consummate professionals who enjoy doing quality work and providing help and service to their clients. I would highly recommend them to anyone who wishes to buy land or property in the Yucatan.
Hello,
I believe most of the people listed are professionals and will give you excellent service. Three years ago we were looking at inexpensive properties in Merida. Anny, from Casablanca was excellent. She has a wealth of knowledge and I highly recommend her. She drove us around (no charge for gas or time). We did not buy in Merida(we chose the Pacific coast this time around), however, we continue to search online. In doing so, we have contacted 2 other agencies to inquire on properties in Merida. One of whom was Real Estate Yucatan. Alec was honest in his email and showed great respect to Anny who could be considered ‘competition’.
All inquiries from all agencies have been promptly answered. I believe there are many fabulous professionals who each have their specialty. For example, our dream is to purchase a Spanish colonial designed by Henry Ponce. It might make sense for us to purchase through him as he has an eye for what could be done to a run down property. We have also noticed that Keith Heitke seems to have an incredible eye for design as well. Jim Mann, graciously walked us through his B&B (I believe I have the correct person here) as we just happened to walk by. He was more than happy to show us property in the future that had the same great potential as his beautiful home. There are a few other people who seem to list those special affordable properties which maintain the pasta tile floors, woodwork and high ceilings. If I recall one of those people is Arturo. Do you due diligence. Start researching. Look at the sites on a daily basis (as I do) and you will notice patterns and also find the right match for you. Each professional has his own personality and specialty. Find the one that suits you. Decide exactly what you want and find the professional that specializes in that arena. (Reno’s, Modern, Beach, Affordable, Glamourous, Completed, Suburban).
Thankyou to all of the real estate agencies in Merida who have the best websites in all of Mexico. You make my job of buying homes in Mexico easy.
And again, thankyou Anny of Casablanca Yucatan for staying in touch and know you can always rely on us for referrals or testimonials. Hopefully we will be there soon to take you to Trapiche!
Sincerely,
Floydilou
My vote goes to real Estate Yucatan!!! Thanks Alec and Isaac Salim!!!!
My vote is Tierra Yucatan. David showed me exactly the houses I wanted to see and I bought on the first day. Their help after the sale was completed was beyond my expectations. When I had trouble changing the utilities into my name they had someone from the office take me to the utility offices and help make the changes. Later when I needed to change the address on my fidecomiso thier office wrote the letter for me in Spanish and called the bank to be sure I had all the necessary papers to make the change. Their help and follow up after the sale was completed has certainly impressed me.
If it is personal experience with realtors you want, then I will put in my 2 cents. My real estate agent was JORGE MAZUN . I dealt ONLY with him. He is TERRIFIC in my book. He always returned my calls (He has a US number he can be reached at as well as in Merida.) He always kept me informed and constantly reassured me when I felt nervous about making such an investment. He e-mailed or called every time in a timely fashion.
He even went so far as to research the water bills just to make sure they were all current (which they were not). I would have had to pay a big bill before I could transfer into my name. He required the seller to pay it before closing. The seller stated that when he bought the property, no one did that for him & he wished Jorge had been in his corner at the time. Now HE had to pay before we closed. He was very nice about it & commended Jorge on his thoroughness.
That is not the only thing he did for me. He welcomed me into his home for dinner and other times & his wife was extremely gracious and helpful…even taking me shopping at Wally World to get some essentials. He took me around all day one day, shopping for a car, helping me purchase it, and took me to get my car insurance. He helped me get a cell phone, helped to put up my satellite dish (while being eaten alive by mosquitoes in the evening after his work day had ended) and let me use his home phone to call the states.
He has continued to stay in touch, helping me with many other things just too numerous to mention. I now have more than a real estate agent; I have a wonderful friend for life…his wife, Marlene too. This guy is young, and full of boundless energy and enthusiasm, as well as being a man of great character & integrity. I wish I knew an agent like that in the states!!!
The attorney/notario he used for my paperwork was great too. His name was Alvaro Baquiero Jr. I later discovered this is the same great attorney recommended by the Working Gringo at Yucatan Living.
By the way, Jorge is fluent in English as he lived & sold real estate in California. Mr. Baquiero also speaks English.
If you decide to contact Jorge, please do so at his OWN email or ask for him by his full name as there is more than one Jorge in the office. Or contact him at his US number.
Jorge Mazun: info@mayanrealty.net
Mobile: ( 999) 9492526
Office: (999) 9418270
US: (661) 3107916
US or Canada toll free (888)256-1767
My vote goes to maya realty !!! Thanks Jorge!!!!
My vote goes to Real Estate Yucatan, Gabriela Isaac is the best!
The Merida market is unique to Latin America because it is so heavily populated with real estate agencies that cater to the gringo market. This has positive and negative consequences. There is no formal “Code of Ethics” in the Mexican real estate community, but the expats tend to apply their own ethical standards to the process, making it very safe to trust your money to most of the agencies. I have had only one of the agencies disappear with my escrow money, interestingly one of the higher rated companies in this survey. The biggest negative is that no particular qualifications or licenses are required to sell real estate, so the agents are often no better versed in the legal process or the local market than the buyers are, so it can be a case of the blind leading the blind. The market is flooded with agents so it is also extremely competitive, which can result in some distortion of the facts and pressure to buy. Beware of agencies that re-route you to their own listings after telling you that competitors’ listings have been sold or can’t be scheduled for a showing. You should also know that kickbacks are a way of life in Mexico, so those friendly referrals to lawyers, architects and accountants are not always as benevolent as they may seem. With all of this in mind, I voted for Tierra Yucatan because Jen Lytle knows the market as well as anyone in town, and wrote a check at closing to cover the escrow money a competing agent had pocketed – which she later recovered from him in bits and pieces. The gesture demonstrated incredible business judgment, confidence, and integrity.
Even better to use an agency that actually has a legal escrow account, rather than checks directly to the agent. That way, if the agent — or company, same thing? — gets run over by a Mack truck, your money isn’t lost.
Gosh,
Kinda hard to avoid such an open invitation to “toot” our horn. Mexico International does have a USA (non-interest bearing, Earnest Money Account. We have done business with the same bank officer for over 30-years!
Since we operate a real estate brokerage firm in Colorado (Keenan & Company – Metro Brokers), my brother and myself are both accredited CRS (Certified Residential Specialist) and licensed real estate brokers.
We defer to the rules, regulations and rules of ethics dictated by the Colorado Board of Real Estate, the NAR (National Assocation of Realtors), CAR (Colorado Association of Realtors) and JCAR (Jefferson County Association of Realtors).
Following those rules, regs and ethical standards keeps us out of trouble and provides us with a solid foundation for operating an ethical business in a non-regulated market place.
We also have several licensed agents and brokers working with Mexico International. Eric Partney keeps his brokers license current by studying for, taking and passing the annual exams.
Additionally, we provide training classes and continual direction to our agents so that they do not get themselves and us into trouble.
If we are holding your deposit in our earnest money account and I get hit by a bus, my brother has signing authority on the earnest money account. If he and I both go down in a plane together, our executive secretary is authorized to sign in our absence.
Nothing is more important than protecting our clients, their money and helping them to make good investments. That business model has allowed us to maintain long and successful relationships with our clients, earning their return business and the business of their friends and family.
We remain at your service.
mitch
The agent I referenced is the owner of one of the top rated agencies in this poll, and my check was paid to the agency’s escrow account. It simply wasn’t “available,” nor was the agency owner/seller’s agent, at the time of closing. My agent, Jen Lytle, wrote a personal check to cover it so we could close. She later collected the escrow money from the absentee agent, who wanted to pay it back in installments. The point of my note was to emphasize that American concepts like “legal escrow accounts” are a fiction in Mexico. The holder of the account can call it an escrow account, but it is really just another bank account. The buyer has no knowledge or control over what happens to their escrow money after it is paid to the seller’s agent.
There is no need for all of the reputable companies to weigh in with how they have never done such a thing or how they treat their escrow accounts as “legal” because I already accept that as true and have many good transactions to offset the one that was spooky. I’m simply saying that, when doing business in Mexico, don’t assume that American standards and protections are in place. There is one overarching rule that applies in Mexico, “you can do whatever you are big enough to do,” so make sure that your agent has enough influence to enforce your rights.
Mitch, our notes crossed in hyperspace. Your company and mine have done several deals, and all were professionally handled, for which I thank you.
Everyone can read my notes, which are true, based on real world experience, and devoid of any agenda. They point to the fact that standards and protections are individual, not governmental, so an informed buyer and a solid agency are crucial. My comments are not limited to the escrow money fiasco or the US credentials of any company, which are nice but with all due respect have little significance in Mexico.
I’m not going to identify the company that blew it because we got past it, have done other deals without incident, and if it was a pattern it would surface and be dealt with in the marketplace.
our votes (can we have two?) go to eric partney at mexico international and alec stevens of realestateyucatan…wonderfully helpful and knowledgeable!
Jim Mann and Kiyoshi at Mayan Living get my vote. They spent several days chauffeuring my family around Merida and beyond on a high speed house shopping trip. We never felt that we were pressured, or that Jim even had any interest of his own in the transaction. Everything was about us getting the house that best fit our requirements. Jim and Kiyo handled last minute negotiations, and Mayan Living is handling the paperwork for us now. I feel that we’ve made some new friends and expect to work with Jim in the future. No problems, no complaints. This has been handled the way a business deal should be handled. Thanks Jim and Kiyo.
We worked with several agents looking for a home and there are two we would definitely recommend. Ramona Robsinson of Flamingo Coast Real Estate worked very, very hard to find what we were looking for….not an easy task as hubby and I have very different tastes and wants. Although Ramona was not successful in finding us what we wanted, we would not hesitate to recommend her as a very hard worker and very honest. We plan to use her services in the future when we buy our second home.
The agent that we purchased through was Mauricio Medina of Real Estate Yucatan. We found him to be extremely competent and has looked after us very well, even after the sale. Would definitely recommend him also.
The company we would NOT recommend is Tierra Yucatan. They demanded a fee to view homes, and then did not show up for our pre-arranged appointment even when we knew we had only limited time available to view properties. We reported this to the boss and were totally dissatisfied with her response.
Our vote goes to Gabriela Isaac, her knowledge on real estate and mexican laws made our deal possible, our vote again for Real Estate Yucatan
My vote goes to Jim Mann and Mayan Living. Jim spent most of a week showing us houses in Merida. His patience and insight was invaluable in helping us find a house in Centro. After we found our house, he spent another afternoon helping us pick out furniture for the house. I highly recommend Jim and the others at Mayan living.
My wife Suzan and I are delighted to nominate Jim Mann of Mayan Living and to recommend him to any and all who are considering the purchase of a home in Merida. As a couple in our 60s, and long-time teachers of Spanish, we have had many experiences over the years with landlords and realtors in Virginia and in Latin America. None has impressed us as has Jim Mann of Mayan Living. He was always gracious as well as business-like, and eager to share with us his love for the city of Merida and its people and culture. During our week-long stay in Merida he arranged for us to see ten homes that met our criteria (and modest budget parameters). Thanks to Jim and his talented assistant Kiyoshi Ortiz we found our dream home-away-from-home in the San Sebastian neighborhood of Merida. We look ever so forward to spending time in our home in Merida and…equally important…to strengthening our friendwhip with Jim Mann who helped us to find it.
Jim Griffin
jegrif@wm.edu
I’d love to hear the realty agents weigh in on the gruesome findings in the Yucatan thanks to narcotraficantes. I’m just off the phone with my girlfriend who is a Mexican national and she, along with others, is aghast at the terror going on thru the country. Most are shocked by these events, but I feel it was a matter of time as the chain of violence was creeping closer up from Chetumal and Belize. While many may think the Mexican economy is strong, do not dismiss the ability of these actions to destabilize the state.
I’ve traded HXM (Homex) quite nicely over the past few years on my pro-mexican thesis as well as Cemex (CX), so i’ve been a bull on the Mexican economy til now. Granted, Mexico has not fallen prey, directly, to the credit crisis engulfing the U.S. and Europe, but the super cycle in commodities prices has served Mexico well with its plethora of resources. Now that commodities have gotten hammered, however, and demand destruction setting in to some degree, how will Mexico continue to prosper if Pemex struggles with lower price of oil per barrel (yes, i realize we are still historically high at 114 or so) and with Pemex struggling severely with infrastructure? Remember almost 60% of tax revenue for the gov’t is from Pemex (Bloomberg source of data).
My friends in Mexico who trade oil for Barclay’s Capital say that 60% is a lowball figure. My thesis for areas like Merida which have probably prospered from a strong Euro (are there great numbers of European buyer?) is that a resurgent U.S. economy will buoy heavy expat areas. (yes, i feel the US is in recovery barring some strange externality or ’shoe’ that financials may be hiding…the U.S. homebuilders are showing very strong charts with double bottoms while stocks like HXM and GFA (brazilian homebuilder) look like Niagara Falls.) With the US in recovery ahead of the rest of the world (Western Europe showing signs of slippage now and falling euro due to possible rate cuts) and now a strengthening dollar (thanks to lower oil and euro) I felt that an economic slowdown in Mexico via commodities would be lifted by the nascent US recovery (see surprise durable goods number and tick higher in GDP numbers) where buyers would deploy into real estate to take advantage of low rates and depressed prices. But the wild card of beheadings in the Yucatan is a true black swan event or outlier. There was also a shootout on the highway from Merida to Cancun as a result with 3 men captured. With Merida now not free from the national violence I can see buyers getting squeamish. Security, Security, Security trumps location, location, location.
with regards to Pemex: dont assume that higher oil means they are booking monster profits. Many of these companies hedge their production to lock in profits, but if they hedged too aggressively then higher prices can be a hindrance to the bottom line. Ive no clue as to their hedging strategies, but im just noting this as many think all oil companies are benefiting from higher prices. Yes, most are, but those with poorly managed hedging strategies have paid dearly on the recent parabolic rise in crude and subsequent collapse or retracement.
We give an enthusiastic vote for Mayan Living. Jim Mann and his team worked diligently to find us our dream vacation home in Merida – showing us over 40 houses in a marathon 1 week time period. Jim, Keo, David and the rest of the Mayan Living team were the best. We never felt as if we were being a bother and, in the end, we ended up with a great house in the best part of Historic Centro at a reasonable price. I would recommend Mayan Living to anyone!
I would like to add my endorsement of Jim Mann of Mayan Living as an outstanding agent. Jim has an uncanny ability to listen and understand the needs /wants of his clients. He quickly demonstrates an understanding of them and is outstanding in meeting their needs. He is willing to show multiple properties and at the same time make the necessary adjustments to maximize the time that clients have available. His attention to details and the comments of his clients make any contact with Jim productive and enjoyable. In addition to his keen sense of understanding, Jim shows his love for Merida as he shows the city and properties to his clients. It is obvious in all our dealings with Jim that he loves the town and people and hopes that you, the prospective buyer, will feel the same, whether you fullfill your dream of making a purchase or not. His enthusiasm shines through in all his dealings with buyers, sellers and other community members. No matter the outcome of your visit, the time spent with Jim Mann will be a highlight of your visit. This experience will leave you with a desire to spend time in Merida as a visitor, a prospective owner or a property owner and member of the community. You can do NO better than working with Jim Mann of Mayan Living.
1) The dollar is still quite weak compared to the peso. Any “strength in the dollar” talk has to be taken with a grain of salt. The Euro is still strong and there are many European buyers.
2) Yucatan has more police than about any place you could imagine – and more types of police as well. Taxi drivers are fond of saying that every other car has undercover agents in it. Yucatecans never fail to budget for strong security. They love them some tranquilo.
3) “Normal people’s heads” are not being chopped off. Drug rivals’ are. Regular everyday people don’t have much to worry about, regardless of external accounts. There’s an easy way to avoid any “violence” – just avoid working for drug traffickers.
4) Violence is such a relative term. Take a city of 1 million people in the USA (I’ve got one in mind) and the murder rate will be 5 to 10 times that of Merida. The aggravated assault and robbery (mugging) rate will be 10 to 20 times that of Merida. The differences are so enormous that it is laughable.
Anyway, Mexico International and Mitch Keenan are still the best Merida real estate company around. More years in service, more satisfied customers, smoother well-organized closings, consistent results over a long period of time. Can’t ask for more than that.
Jim Mann hit the home run by finding just the right buyer for our house. I think Jim has a talent for matching the right buyers with the right sellers. As a buyer he’ll show you exactly what you want while respecting your budget, and as a seller he’ll proficiently handle all of the complex details like a pro.
casiyucateco,
ty for ur response…
1. dollar up strongly again today in the face of $4 down in oil and the continuing drop of the euro…this i feel is a new trend developing..the dollar is done going down and that will work its way to a stronger dollar vs. peso…remember, i see a stronger dollar as a plus to mexican r.e. values. The dollar is not weak against the peso. It is fairly valued historically. Just because it is a touch below 10 at the moment does not make it cheap. The USD has held up well in mexico, and additionally, the Mexican Peso has been both a stable and strong currency in recent years especially in light of the country’s prior policy of devaluation. You really are making no point here, but unless you have actual data determining the number of european buyers we have no clue who is buying more. My real estate friends say Americans are still top buyers, but that market has slowed dramatically due to seasonality and U.S. credit crisis. To be honest, I have no clue if any of this is true. I trade stocks. That is my forte. Im a buyer of Mexican real estate in Yucatan because I feel it is still cheap on a relative basis. The violence does dampen my expectation, but the trader in me wants to ‘buy the blood in the streets’. To say that the violence does not hurt quality of life whether it be psychological or otherwise is a lie.
2. when the mexican army cannot control the cartels, its highly unlikely that Yucatan’s crack force will be able to. you act as if there are special ops riding around in taxis in a clandestine fashion. This claim you make is completely unsubstantiated. We first have to see how violent acts are handled and if they continue what will be the response. This is still to be determined.
3. violence across the country is indeed creeping into the land of innocents. The increasingly sloppy and highly violent acts are now costing innocents their lives. Would the country be marching in protest if this were not the case? Just the fact that the violence is now right on the heels of the ‘white city’ is a blow to confidence in general. Innocents are not being killed in Yucatan, but if you are an American living in a large property in a small town or pueblo are you going to feel secure? I think not. It is the confidence or perception that will be worse than actual violence. Im an American that passes for mexican, italian or other latin american, but as time passes and people realize im the only american in a small town I think my paranoia will grow for obvious reasons. If you are reading between the lines here, I am not buying in the city of Merida but on the outskirts and further. Im also looking at properties outside of GDL. Im trying to be honest on both sides here. Even as I deplore the violence and the undesired effects I will still buy property. Finally, Americans, even those who become naturalized citizens cannot own guns in Mexico. That is a disappointment as well.
4. I agree that mosts U.S. cities will be more violent than Merida. We are not talking about violence specific to Merida or normal urban life. We are talking about drug related violence due to government making a stand, collapse of columbian cartels and internecine battle among narcotraficantes due to void in power and tighter border controls post 9-11. aside: idiotic banks like bank of america allow illegals to have accounts which allows laundering of drug money. can our banks be so stupid? yes, it seems. See also U.S. credit crisis… lol
I appreciate your comments even as they may be off the mark. I must stress that I am unequivocally pro-mexican and that I feel Mexico will ultimately triumph. The blueprint is Colombia, so we have the model to go by to some degree. $500 million in funding is coming on the heels of the Merida Initiative as Mexico caved to human rights demands by the U.S. Also, I am a huge fan of this site, and I appreciate the extent to which this discourse has been allowed. Personally, I have worked in mayan villages post hurricane and I want to continue this when I am part of Yucatan society. I am proud of both the U.S. and Mexico. I live 5minutes from the WTC. I will never allow terrorism in any form to stop my indefatigable pursuit to enjoy what God has given us.
Casi Yucateco:
Here is a comment from a currency trader friend of mine from Scotland who i pinged this morning to give us a quick statement with regards to the dollar rebound:
“Just over a month ago, your British Pound would have bought you $2. Now it’s $1.78. Interesting that the $ is strengthening against other currencies not just commodities.”
This would support my thesis on the nascent dollar rebound. Even Warren Buffett, who i really don’t care for as an investing style (since most of us dont have billions to trade/invest..lol) has said the greenback is done going down. A stronger dollar, in my mind, will allow expat-style properties to maintain values and increase over time. If you compare the Yucatan with other areas of Mexico, there is still value on a relative basis. A stronger dollar will embolden gringos to send dollars into foreign real estate in Mexico, especially the incredibly desirable colonials.
As noted in the editorial piece Mexico is already our #3 trade partner (Canada 1, China 2). The era of cheap products from China may be slowing. China is seeing higher production costs as well as their society grows and they see higher labor wages and workers seek insurance etc., and even thought the Baltic Index is getting crushed (its a measure of day shipping rates) it is still cheaper to buy from our NAFTA partners Mexico and Canada when you factor in high shipping and oil rates. I would really like to see a continued move away from China and see more trade with our Latin American trade partners like Ecuador and Peru (i believe both have free trade agreements, not 100% sure). Are we possibly seeing a decoupling of sorts where the Americas outperform due in part to free trade agreements? no clue, but interesting stuff and certainly positive for Mexico. World markets loving the beating that oil is taking today by the way. That is always great for consumers, i.e., home buyers.
I’ve found when spending money in Mexico, the most relevant exchange rate is the Dollar to the Peso exchange rate. In the case of Mexican Pesos, the dollar has strengthened about 4% from it’s low about a month ago (note: I did not have the assistance of a Scottish banker in reviewing these numbers):
6-Aug-08 9.8919
2-Sep-08 10.3068
That is a far cry from the 11 to 1 exchange rate just last year. (Still 6% short, to be more specific.)
So, while the dollar may have gained 10+% against the British pound sterling, it is still not “up there” regarding the Mexican Peso. And my expenses are paid in Pesos.
Cheerio, old chap and all that rot….
CASIYUCATECO,
IS YOUR COMMENT ABOUT AN UNDERCOVER AGENT IN EVERY OTHER CAR MEANT TO MAKE US FEEL SAFE? IT DOESN’T! IS THIS A FLIP EXAGGERATION, OR BASED ON FACT? PLEASE RESPOND, AS WE OWN SEVERAL PROPERTIES IN MERIDA, AND ARE GENUINELY ALARMED AT THESE RECENT DEVELOPMENTS! (AND NO, WE ARE NOT DRUG DEALERS!)
CasiYucateco,
Is your comment about an undercover agent in every other car meant to make us feel safe? It doesn’t! Is this a flip exaggeration, or based on fact? Please respond, as we own several properties in Merida and are genuinely alarmed at these recent developments. (And no, we are not drug dealers!)
We have just purchased a beach home from Mayan Living and would recommend them as the best Realtor in the Merida area. I had contacted a few real estate offices via email from various websites and had no replies. I then went into a discussion forum and asked for referrals. I was given Doug Willey’s name of Mayan Living and emailed him. He responded immediately with a phone call and asked for more specifics.
At the time I was interested in Progreso and was coming down in two weeks. He already had another couple scheduled that weekend but nevertheless made arrangements for us and even booked us a hotel room (which coincidently was not that easy we came in July – peak season) He gave me his website and gave me details about houses he had available in the beach area. He also gave me information on other small more affordable beach towns in the area. Upon our arrival he and his lovely wife Teresa met us at the airport and Teresa helped us in obtaining our car. We drove to Chelem with her and she showed us the area and gave us tons of useful information. The following morning Teresa had scheduled an appointment with another real estate agent to show us properties in Progereso which the other agent had, since she knew I was primarily interested in Progreso at that time. After touring with the other real estate agent and viewing those homes, she took us back to the Chelem-Chuburna area to look at more houses. At this point my husband was getting disappointed at what we were seeing in our price range (which was on the low end for beach property). She then took us to a house with a beautiful beach view, large in size and it had private parking- all things I said I had to have. We walked in and my husband knew immediately that this was to be our home. Doug had mentioned this home on the phone and i looked at the pictures on the web but was unsure of it. But in real life it looked much better- not much of a fixer upper at all. Just needed a little paint and some American comforts and it will be ready to go. Doug also had a sucessful day with the people he was showing so upon arrival back at their house, he immediately made arrangements to meet with Jim Mann and his attorneys and to open the office on a Sunday (we were leaving early Monday morning). We met Jim Mann that Sunday morning and I was very impressed with him. He was very knowledgeable, gave us tons of useful information and explained every step of the process with us. He stayed in contact with us throughout the close process and did EVERYTHING he said he would (oh and we even closed within 5 weeks). Even after the sale Doug and Teresa have been helping us with getting the house set up, work done etc. I WOULD DEFINITELY RECOMMEND THIS AGENCY.
I do have to say that when we first arrived at the airport and met Doug, he was not at all what I expected. He looks like a true Parrot-head and looked way too laid back to be serious about anything. But if you spend just a little time with him you will see that this team knows their business and are really hard working and looking out for their customers. With this being said, I say Mayan Living has my vote for best real estate agency.
During the process of purchasing my house last year I was told repeatedly (almost fanatically) by my realtor (curiously not listed in this poll) not to mention to anyone which house I was buying or how much I was planning to pay for it. The reason he gave to me for keeping silent was vague and that apprently the deal could “fall through” somehow if the neighbours found out I was buying the house. Now that I have owned the house for over a year and have gotten to know my neighbours I find that the real reason the realtor didn’t want me talking to people was that I might have found out that the seller was really asking for 25% less than the realtor told me he was asking for the house. In the end, the realtor kept the difference between what I paid and what he gave the seller and also had the nerve to charge me his 6% commission. Needless to say this realtor will not get my repeat business (or from anyone I know) and it is unfortunate that I am not able to mention this realtor by name to warn others of his dishonesty. I will however say that that working with Jim Mann and his staff has been a much different, positive experience for me. Thank goodness there are some good people out there.
I recently purchased a home on the beach in Chuburna and was introduced to the area by Doug and Theresa Willey of Mayan Living Realty.
Doug and Theresa are absolutely wonderful. They not only showed me the opportunities in real estate, but made me feel as welcome as family would have. Doug and Theresa have since introduced me to many of the locals and expats there. I have absolutely fell in love with everything about the Yucatan, and it has been a pleasant feeling knowing I have a place like Chelem to one day call home. The people, the culture, the beaches and warm weather are just a few of the many things the area has to offer.
Doug and Theresa still call me to let me know my house is OK and tell me about all the events and happenings going on in the area. Mayan Living was very professional and they made the process of the closing very comfortable. It is truly a pleasure to call Doug and Theresa Willey friends of mine, and I would not hesitate in telling anyone who is interested or planning on purchasing real estate in the Yucatan to contact Doug and Theresa Willey of Mayan Living Realty.
You can do no better than working with Jim Mann of Mayan Living.
Jim Mann is a very honest man and the best real estate agent in Merida, Yucatan.
Dominique
We met Mr. Jim Man (Mayan living) on september 13rd, 2008; he’s helping us to find the correct home in Merida for my family and I; we are very confident with their help and we hope to close the process very soon. We think that Mayanliving is the best option to buy a propertie. Thanks Jim for your help.
We worked with Doug and Teresa Wiley when looking to buy in and around the Progreso area. Even before we came down, they were immediately responsive, returning calls, providing incredibly useful information, doing anything in their power to help us learn about the area. Once we arrived, the excellent service continued. They were always available to us and went out of their way to show us not only the listed properties, but the whole area, as well, so we got a good feel for what living there would be like. Both Doug and Teresa are good listeners and pay close attention to the needs and requests of their clients. They stayed right on track when showing us properties and answered any and all questions we had with great patience. We couldn’t have asked for more. In fact, they are the reason we did buy there and would highly recommend them to anyone.
I have bought more than one property here in the Yucatan. I have had problems with two real estate companies and moved on.
I was so happy working with Jim at Mayan Living. I have never been treated better or felt more relaxed and confident. Jim is not out to just make a buck. Others can’t say that and I’m sure it will catch up with them.
Jim Mann knows real estate, We told him what we were looking for then took us a step or two further. Not only was the property just as cited, he went on showing the different things that could be done to improve it’s worthiness and even offered suggestions on how to go about it, for next to nothing. The man is a wealth of information. A few things I checked on and he was correct. Way to go Jim! We look forward to our purchase from here on out. I would wholeheartedly reccommend Jim Mann at Mayan Living. Our choice in Real Estate.
can someone tell us why the peso/dollar exchange is suddenly above 13.?(10/9/08) it was 9.8 just weeks ago! what’s happening? this is historic high dollar!
Today’s (10.11.08) closing price was 13.44 pesos to the dollar. Incredibly, despite the financial crisis in the USA, there are worse problems elsewhere. It appears that the dollar is in demand as a safe haven during difficult financial times, even though the Federal Reserve rate has been lowered yet again.
Wide fluctuations in all sorts of investments and currency exchanges are likely until the world financial markets regain some confidence in one another. A lot of confidence is being expressed by investors in the strength of the US government and in its expertise in resolving the collapse in global banking and trading. My fingers are crossed day and night, hoping their confidence is well-placed.
Two primary reasons for the strong dollar: 1) major decline in the price of oil, and 2) the financial “crisis” is a worldwide one and the perception is that the US is best equipped to deal with it, creating a reliable, valued currency.
Anny with CasaBlanca has gone beyond the call for me in the last 6 months. Not only has she showed me houses, and advised me by answering my litereally hundreds of emails to her, but she has paid my bills after the purchase, and taken care of other business for me, as well…which she certainly was not obligated to do. Being a “former Gringo” herself, I think she understands the confusion and anxiety that often accompanies buying a property in Mexico, not just before & during…but also AFTER the sale. This is where, I believe, the true “worth” of an agent is tested. Does he or she offer help, advice & assistance AFTER your money has been paid? In Anny’s case, the overwhelming proof is indeed a resounding “YES”!!!
Have the prices of houses in Merida gone down due to the economic problems in the US and the rest of the world for that matter. Also, are their condos in Merida?
We’d be interested to hear what others have to say about this. From what we can see, prices have not gone down here… they just are not rising as fast. Merida is a great place to come when you can’t afford life in the USA, so we think more people will be retiring down here than ever before.
There are a number of nice condo developments at the beach… not sure about within Merida. You might want to check out Yucatan Real Estate Paradise… they seem to have a lot of condo listings.
I just want to say a big thanks to Anny at Casa Blanca Realty for showing property to my partner and myself and then sending photos and keeping up with us when we changed our minds and opted for another property. She was honest about the neighborhood and showed photos over the internet which helped me make up my mind. She guided us though the buying process and more than a year later I am still happy she was my agent.
We cannot express enough words to say how wonderful our experience was 3 years ago with Anny at Casa Blanca Realty. She was truly patient showing us properties at the beach and in Merida before we could make up our minds. She shared tons of information with us, helped us get our house set up (water, electric etc.). Still, after 3 years, we can call or email her with any question and she is available to help us out. She is a very good friend who was once our real estate agent! Anny’s philosophy is that she will provide you with lifetime support once you work and purchase from her. She also is very tenacious in getting in to see properties and hunting down owners and she knows a lot of people having lived in Merida many years. Anny is a great choice – you can’t go wrong working with her!
My 1st choice is Casa Blanca Real Estate broker in Merida, Anny Schrader is a sales and service pro. Anny has done much more than her job calls for, she is very client
focused and hard working. Trust is a big item here in Mexico for foreigners, well no problem at all with Casa Blanca Real Estate. All transfer and legal transactions were smooth and done correctly. I would recommend Casa Blanca Real Estate for any of your Real Estate needs. Anny has recommended a local contractor in the Chelem area, which is working out very well. Anny i do wish you all the best in your real estate career.
Dean Geyer
I highly recommend Anny of Casa Blanca. She is extremely knowledgeable and efficient, plus she goes the extra mile(s) for her clients. It was a breeze buying property through her. She is truly a wonderful person.
I would like to endorse Casa Blanca, and, in particular, Anny Schrader. I had an appointment with Anny my first day in Merida to view homes. The appointment began at the time arranged and she showed me four homes, the fourth of which I bought. She did not charge anything for her gas or mileage. The purchase went expectionally smoothly and quickly. As a Canadian buying in a foreign country, trust and confidence in my real estate agent was exceptionally important. I was very comfortable leaving Merida after signing a contract with Casa Blanca, that the purchase would go smoothly, due entirely to Anny’s conduct and professionalism.
Above all else, she has integrity. If she says she will do something, she does it, if she says something is so, it is so. In all circumstances I have no hesitation in endorsing her not only as a very professional real estate agent, but also as a person of great integrity. In fact, two other people at the law firm where I work in Canada have purchased homes through Anny on my recommendation. I would have no hesitation in recommending Anny and Casa Blanca to anyone wishing to purchase property in Merida and the Yucatan.
I’m glad to see so many recommendations for Mayan Living and Mexico International because I can highly recommend these real estate agencies as well. Both are very professional, responsive, and helpful. Jim Mann of Mayan Living and Keith Heitke of Mexico International are reliable and trustworthy professionals.
I recently sold my home in Chicxulub. Doug Wiley was my agent, along with his wife Teresa. I had excellent and professional service from Doug and Teresa. I felt they were dedicated to selling my home. They did more showings than any other agents. I also enjoyed the pleasure of their friendly, down to earth approach. I was so pleased I listed 2 other properties with Doug. Very, very nice people. Jim handled the closing and was efficient, knowledgable, and a pleasure to work with.
Jim Mann at mayanliving.com is the best. He has been very helpful and patient in walking me through the process of purchasing a home in the Yucatan. Jim is knowledgeable, professional and honest. All characteristics one needs with such an investment. I highly recommend Jim, especially for a first time buyer.
Is it common practice for realtors to charge $50+ for their time and gas to show you around? This doesn’t seem right, but maybe it’s one of those Mexican things. Can someone comment?
THANKS!
J.D. and Steve
J.D. & Steve:
It never happened to me and I never heard about it either and I’m already here for more than 10 years.
I suggest you just refuse to pay them anything. At the end, they are the ones who want to make business and showing you around should be the investment from their end (obviously, assuming that you are really interested in doing business with them).
The practice of charging began because quite a number of “buyers” turned out to be people on vacation who wanted free tours of Yucatan’s haciendas and colonial homes. I was personally present when one couple expressed interest, asked to see several unrestored haciendas scattered across the countryside, rode along as the “showings” took place, and it became obvious that they were actually just tourists.
I once saw another couple do the same thing – except they simply wanted to see the beach areas (”We’re interested in really nice beach homes.”). After a round-trip of nearly 200 miles, they revealed that they may be interested “in a few years but not now.”
People who are actually looking tend to ask a bazillion questions about legalities, title, escrow, fees, attorneys, fidiecomisos, maintenance, etc. People on a tour tend to comment “how beautiful,” “wouldn’t it be expensive to live here?” “wow, what a money pit, we’re better off in our Toronto apartment.” It becomes very obvious after a while.
No one can stay in business under those conditions. Who can spend day after day with sightseers, paying nearly $4.00 for gasoline, driving dozens of miles? The fees sort out buyers from the tourists.
Also, in the USA, there are qualifying interviews where income is asked (and should be checked), etc. So, the agent knows for a fact that you are qualified to buy a home. That doesn’t take place in Mexico. Agents just have to take your word for it.
Some charge and some don’t. Those who don’t tend not to show houses far from Centro, so they don’t have much travel. Those more in demand tend to charge, because they’ve got to use their time with actual prospective buyers, not tourists. And anyway, many wave the fees once they determine someone is truly interested in buying.
So, rather than “one of those Mexican things,” it is something that (abusive) tourists have made necessary.
(Full Disclosure: I am not a real estate agent, not employed by any real estate firm, and do not have property for sale. In other words, I don’t have any hidden agenda.)
Thanks, CasiYucateco. As usual, you said it even better than we could have!
Thanks CasiYucateco!
That’s almost exactly the letter I was formulating in my head after I read the comment from J.D. and Steve. I’m with Casa Blanca (soon to be Casa Montejo), and my boss, a Yucatecan, won’t let us charge, because he’s proud to show his region off. But I try to qualify, especially if it means a long trip out to the beaches.
My favorites are the people who want you to pick them up at their hotel, and then show up with luggage. After seeing a few beach houses, they then ask to be taken to their hotel or rented house on the coast. So besides being a tour guide, I ended up providing free taxi service!
Add to that the fact that, when I get home tired and hungry, not only do I have to clean up the sand and the burrs inadvertently trailed all over the floors and seats of my car, but often my guests have left any potato chip bags and empty bottles that they didn’t feel like taking back to their hotel to throw away.
But as they say here, “gajes del oficio,” (occupational hazards or drawbacks): we almost all have them in our various jobs, and we just have to learn to work with them.
Hello Everybody, i want to thank Yucatan Living and its people for being so helpfull, also i want to congratulate all the Real Estate brokers for working hard all this year 2008, i think everyone is trying to do their best on this wonderful job. Merry christmas and happy new year to all of you that have colaborated with comments and intesting articles.
Saludos!
Isaac Salim
From all the staff at Mayan Living Real Estate, we would like to wish all our clients a wonderful holiday season. We here at Mayan Living try to help our special clients celebrate not only at this time of year, but everyday. To each of you above, may the New Year be full of joy and happiness. Our gift to you is a helping hand all year long, not just when you sign a contract. We are here long after the ink drys….
Thanks to each and everyone of you for a wonderful year.
Hello Everyboboy again, since i read some articles about closing tips on the YucatanLiving.Com website , i wanted to share an extra 3 tips for closing sales that a very good friend of ours Mr. John Palumbo toghether with Laura Lorber from the Wall Street Journal sent us:
Three Tips for Closing a Sale
By LAURA LORBER
Some sales people seem to roll along the sales track until they get to the close – and then abruptly fall off.
Losing nearly-done deals may occur more often at small companies, which typically don’t have the same focus on sales or the resources of larger competitors.
Business owners frequently expect the sales team to operate with little guidance, says John Palumbo, chief executive of the Sales DNA Institute, a sales-and-marketing management firm in Jacksonville, Fla. Their attitude, he says, often is: “They should know how to do all this.”
We asked Mr. Palumbo, who helps companies, including family-run firms, revamp their sales strategies, about ways small companies can ramp up their closing rates. Here is some of the advice that he shared.
1. Confidence is your No. 1 asset.
Many sales people at small businesses often have charisma, the gift of gab and presentation skills, but they falter when it comes to asking for the money. They may not believe enough in the product or its value. Or they may worry that people will say no and they’ll take it personally.
Gaining a deep understanding of the customer and the product or service they’re selling can help build confidence, Mr. Palumbo says.
“Sales people want to go out there and work for a company that will teach them what to do. They are begging for help. Most owners don’t understand that,” he says.
2. Integrate the word ‘only’ into presentations.
Having only one of something often creates urgency in a customer’s mind. Why? When supply is abundant, customers may see no need to hurry to buy. But for a one-of-a-kind item, often the reverse is true.
“The word ‘only’ is probably one of the most powerful selling agents when it gets to the close,” he says. “Good sales people can create a one-of-a-kind use on every product they’ve got.”
Auto dealerships do this when they have only one kind of car on the lot that you want – for example, a white model with leather seats and satellite radio. Customers often will close sales themselves, he says.
3. Don’t wait to hear the word ‘yes.’
Many sales employees wait for the customer to say, “Yes, I’ll take it.” But many people don’t say it. So a good sales person says, “Do you have any other questions before I start writing this up?”
When the answer is no, the sales representative begins filling out the contract.
“The word ‘no’ becomes a positive,” he says.
Again, Merry Chistmas and Happy New year
From the RealEstateYucatan.Com Team!
Looking for a real estate agent in Meridia.. Rent first. Buy after.
I would like to nominate Casa Yucatan Real Estate. Gabriela Cornelio, owner and architect is a first rate professional! My husband and I have been looking for a place to retire permanently and were interested in the Yucatan Peninsula because it seemed to offer everything we were looking for. We chose Gabriela because of the many testimonials from satisfied customers. We were not disappointed! She teams up with her equally talented husband/builder to offer a full service agency. Not only did we find our dream home but she hooked us up with a wonderful attorney and finance person. It was the most pleasant and relatively easiest transaction we’ve ever executed! I would highly recommend her services. She not only has many diverse listings all over the Yucatan but she & her husband design and build beautiful villas on the beach in Telchac Puerto. The workmanship is exquisite!
As the proud owner of 3 Merida properties, I’d like to just take a moment to give a heart-felt thanks to Gabriella & Lucia at Casa Yucatan. Really too much to go into here, but suffice to say, they’ve both been more than just “realtors” to me. A personal tragedy hit me right in the middle of my last negotiation, and not only did they convince the seller to have patience and delay the closing for 4 months, but they were both so kind as to continuously email me and find out how I was doing and offer any assistance they could to make things easier for me. I will always be thankful not only for their professionalism in real estate, but for their genuine concern and personal interest in what I’ve been going through on a personal & emotional level. I know I can count them as true friends, and should I need anything in the future, whether it be real estate related, or just someone to talk to…they will both be there for me. Thank you Gabriella Cornelio & Lucia Pantoja. You are both quite special to me.