Email & ShareIn the process of putting the final touches on our new home, we were lucky enough to meet a man named Jorge Sosa, whose business is called The Handyman. Jorge, who was raised in California, worked many years for large maquiladoras here in Merida, managing their buildings, building their buildings and dealing with construction issues. He struck out on his own and created this small company, Handyman, to provide a wide range of services to homeowners in Merida.
While Jorge’s service is a bit more expensive than hiring the guy down the street who may or may not know how to put up that wall you’ve been wanting around your garden, he earns that extra money with a good understanding of how things work around here, an understanding of the tastes of most Americans and Canadians, and a team of capable, clean workers who clean up after themselves. And he guarantees his work, so if something isn’t right, he’ll come back and fix it. And for those of you still learning Spanish, Jorge speaks perfect English.
We asked Jorge to give us a few tips about what he looks for when evaluating a colonial home in this area, something that he has helped various friends with over the years. Since he has experience fixing everything, we figured he might be a good person to tap for this information. The following are some tips on what to look for when buying a colonial (or any other) home here in the Yucatan.
First Things First: Walls
When inspecting a colonial home that you want to buy, the first thing you’ll want to do is review the condition and placement of the walls. You are probably going to find cracks and even plaster falling off the walls. These are nothing to worry about as they can be easily repaired. The most important thing to determine is if the walls are made from cement block or from stone. The stone wall construction is called mamposteria, and walls made this way can be anywhere from one to two and a half feet wide. Of course, we all love the old stone walls, but there are some things to keep in mind when you are assessing them.
Repairing these walls is done all the time, and if the house is more than ten years old, some repair will probably be in order. If there are spots of excessive humidity on the walls, repair will consist of digging out the old plaster around the stones and replacing it with new plaster. This is a messy process (one you don’t want to have to live in the midst of…) because it creates a lot of very fine polvo (dust).
Look carefully at where the walls are placed. Cement block walls are easily moved or altered. You want a door there? a window? No problem! But if that wall is made of mamposteria, creating a new door or window in that space may not be so easy… in fact, it may not be possible without tearing down a large section of the wall. These walls were often built without supporting columns or reinforcement, so removing or altering them may compromise another wall or the ceiling. It can be done, but no contractor can give you an honest bid for this type of project, since it is impossible to know what the opening will need in time and materials until the job has been started.
Run your hands along the walls. If a very fine dust comes off on your fingers, that probably means the walls are painted with cal paint. This is basically a form of very thin plaster with color added to it. While this type of paint allows the old stone walls to breathe, it also tends to stain and flake off. You should count on having to repaint every few years, depending on the humidity in your house. If the cal paint is on an outside wall, you will probably have to paint every second year to keep it looking beautiful. There are vinyl paints here, of course (called vinilica), and they can be used on any kind of wall. If you use vinilica on a mamposteria wall, you run the risk of bubbling as the wall releases its humidity over time. Vinilica on a cement block wall will last for a long time, as long as there are no humidity problems.
Another thing to keep in mind is the height of the walls. When assessing how much it is going to cost to paint a room, keep in mind that many of these old colonials have very high ceilings. This fact almost doubles the cost of painting a room because of the increased area of the walls. Painters will also have to set up andamios (scaffolding) in order to paint the walls and ceilings. You haven’t lived until you’ve watched painters setting up scaffolding around your precious furniture, balancing on old boards with full buckets of paint twenty feet in the air! Plan to paint before you move in if at all possible.
Up On The Roof
When you decide to get serious about a house, make an appointment with your realtor to see the roof (if you haven’t already). It is important that you go up on the roof and inspect it for yourself. If you are unable to climb, bring a friend who can do this for you and perhaps take photographs for you as well.
All colonial roofs need to be sealed with a very heavy latex sealant called impermeabilizante. (Working Gringos Note: we felt we had really become locals when we could finally pronounce that word!) Unlike with walls, with a roof you do need to worry about cracks. The slightest crack in a roof will mean a leak in your house. If the roof has 
not been sealed at all, you will need to consider the additional cost of doing this in your estimates. A perfectly sealed roof will look perfectly clean and painted white (there are black and red impermeabilizantes, but they are rarely used). The proper sealing job for a colonial roof requires several coats of sealant and cloth in between to reinforce the layers. If the house appears to have been sealed, get down on your knees and feel the surface. If it feels thick and slightly rubbery, that’s a good thing! You also should be able to find traces of the cloth that was applied. If instead it looks like the roof was sealed with paint and you can see fine cracks everywhere, that probably means that the sealant was watered down and/or no material was used.
In this case, you don’t know what you are getting into. The thick coat may have been applied just to groom the house for sale, but it could also mean that the house has leaks and the job was done to temporarily plug the leaks. If you go inside the house, look up and you can see water marks or humidity stains on the ceiling, then you can assume that the job was not done well. Yes, this can be fixed, but fixing it right usually means resealing the entire roof.
In Merida, everybody has a friend who has a cousin who seals roofs. Most people believe that sealing a roof is as simple as applying paint. If you ask around, you’ll find that the plumber, the painter and even the gardener will do the job if you pay them. In reality, sealing a roof is tricky. Although it isn’t rocket science, it does have certain procedures that need to be followed precisely. And it is a very difficult job. Imagine a guy on your roof in the middle of the day in 90-plus degree heat, applying blinding white material to the roof. There is a lot of room for error here, but errors are the one thing you need to avoid. Even professionals can make mistakes, but at least a professional applier will honor a warranty and will repair the mistake.
One last thing while you are on the roof. Look around and see what kind of water storage unit is on the roof. Although the old cement type of tinaco blends in beautifully with an old house, they aren’t particularly healthy. These cement water tanks do not seal well and are not hygienic. Replacing this with a plastic, germ-free unit is a must.
Going Down… the Fosa Septica
In the Yucatan, we do not have city sewers like many cities in the world, so we depend on individual septic systems. Please read this very informative Yucatan Living article before you ask any questions so you can understand how they work.
As a buyer, the important thing to know is what kind of system is in place. In a newly renovated home, you probably don’t need to worry about this. But in homes that have undergone little or no renovation, there are some things to consider. Many homes downtown were originally part of one single mansion that occupied most of a city block. Over time, these homes were divided and sold as independent houses. If this is the scenario for your house, keep in mind that the house you are buying may share the septic system with one or more houses on the block. So when you are starting to plan for renovation of that house, be sure to count on putting in a new fosa septica that serves just your home.
Plumbing and Electricity
As I’ve mentioned above, if you are planning to buy a renovated home, none of this applies… probably. When a house has been occupied by a Yucatecan family or closed for many years, these things will almost surely be an issue.
With a renovated home, be sure to ask for the electrical and plumbing plans from the seller, so it will be easier to find pipes or installations. You can’t use a stud finder in an all-cement house! If the home is not previously renovated, you will probably be able to see the electrical wire running outside of the cement or stone walls. When these things came to this part of the world, families put in galvanized pipes for plumbing and single hard wire for electrical wiring. All of it was done on the walls, so nothing is hidden. If this is what you see, it may be functional, but it probably won’t work well with modern appliances, computers, etc. Most likely, these installations will need to be totally replaced.
Even if the seller says that this sort of work has been done, and some of the installations are already hidden, check the faucets, rooftops and gardens to see if you can see any old and deteriorated galvanized pipe that will need to be replaced. Take a screw driver with you and open an outlet to see if it is a single wire with its installation bristle. If you find this, you can probably count on rewiring the house and having some major plumbing jobs. If instead you find copper pipes or, better yet, PVC or CPVC and flexible multistring wiring, then you probably won’t have much work to do.
Last Thoughts
From stories we have heard, the earliest immigrants to Merida from the US and Canada were often unpleasantly surprised by things they needed to do to their homes in order to live in the comfort they were accustomed to. Still, they bought the houses, they renovated them and now they are very happy here. Hopefully, you will take the comments above as tips to improve your buying skills, not as stories to scare you away from buying. There is nothing in a colonial house that cannot be fixed… it’s only a matter of money and time. And dust. Now that you have read this article, you won’t be caught off guard and will have a better understanding of what you will need to invest in the house you are buying.
Editors Note: With these issues, we have only just touched the surface of the vast list entitled "Things That Can Go Wrong in A Colonial Home". Handyman (Jorge) has graciously offered to answer questions that our readers might have about specific problems or issues. Please leave your question as a comment below and he will answer it. If you check the box below this article which says "I’d like to be notified by email when someone replies", then you will get an email when he posts his reply! If you want to contact him directly, you can find his information by clicking here.
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Great article as always.
Thank you, thank you, thank you! We’ll be in touch Jorge to have you look over the house we bought.
I’m wondering how to combat bugs. Can you get Raid or permethrin insecticides in Merida? Someone told me on a recent visit to Merida that the ants eat the computer innards, so is that preventable? And also that they eat the sheathing around the electrical wires – hence they hang loose outside the walls. Can a house be bug-proofed?
Can a house be made more airtight to keep the air conditioning in? I’ve been told a regular piano wouldn’t be practical because of the humidity, but I’d like to bring one down there. What’s the most cost-effective air conditioner, and can it deal with Merida’s humidity in the summer (we won’t be there in the summer) ? I’m willing to keep all the doors and windows shut like we do here in Canada. Would the cost of electricity to run the air conditioning in at least one room non-stop be cost prohibitive?
We want to have some kitchen cabinets installed. What might the cost be to have them made in Merida, or can you give me some idea of the cost of putting in a kitchen like we’re used to, (e.g. I have no idea of the cost of moisture and insect resistant wood)?
Are good carpentry services reasonably priced (I want to install built-in closets, shelving, etc.)
Are there upholsterers in Merida and what might the prices be?
Can you buy double glazed windows in Merida, and would it be worthwhile to install them on a wall that gets the afternoon sun? Also, could that one wall be insulated to reduce the amount of heat (and maybe humidity) generated?
Are gas ranges practical, re cost and availability of propane?
Hope I’m not monopolizing your time. Thanks again Gringos! Great site.
I am planning to move to Merida and would like to hear any answers that come up about housing and anything else that could be of interest to someone like me.
Laura Ferran-Algieri
Love, Peace, Health and Prosperity,
always,
to you, me and everyone.
Putting it out to the universe………………….
Mary Lou,
There are many modern products to combat bugs here (including Raid), and there are exterminators who can spray both inside and outside of the house. They will help keep the ants, cockroaches, scorpions, spiders, mosquitos, etc. at bay. But that said, bugs are a way of life here. Every year we meet a new bug! You learn to live with them at some level. Of course, no one wants ants eating their electrical wires, but if it happens, you deal with it. It’s not that it happens all the time, but it’s more likely to happen here than anywhere we know of back in the States or Canada. It’s the tropics.
Sure, you can make your house airtight and have it air conditioned…but airtight, as we learned, isn’t always wise. The walls of these old colonials need to breathe, and if you don’t make allowances for that, they will get humid and wet.
People play pianos here. We’re not sure how they deal with it, but a local pianist or piano tuner could tell you, I’m sure.
The most cost effective air conditioner depends on the size of the room. An air conditioning company will send a rep to your house to tell you the best size. Most of us have mini-splits, so they must work the best here. A mini-split has one piece mounted on the wall in the room, and the other piece on the roof. Would the cost of keeping one room shut up and air conditioned 24/7 be prohibitive? We don’t know what your budget is….hard to say.
Yes, you can have kitchen cabinets installed… from the most expensive cabinet systems available worldwide, to handmade wooden ones made locally. The cost? No, we can’t say, but it can be less than you’re used to… or more. Depends on what you have done.
Good carpenters are plentiful here, but sometimes it’s hard to get their attention because the best ones are always busy.
Upholsterers are also plentiful and not expensive. I just got a simple couch recovered for about $70 plus the cost of the fabric.
Yes, you can buy double-glazed windows… you’d have to ask Handyman about the sun thing. (He’ll answer this too…)
We all use gas ranges, as far as I know. I don’t know anyone who uses an electric range. Propane is what everyone uses so it is very available… they deliver it to your door. You either have a stationary tank on the roof that they fill, or you use portable tanks that they bring on a truck.
About the bugs, Boric Acid (Borax) works, just keep it away from your pets. It is natural and good for the environment, keeping Yucatan’s ecology balanced and for the future of our children.
Laura Ferran-Algieri
Being the tropics, I would like to get as much free energy as possible, can I find solar water heaters and other green options there?
Laura Ferran-Algieri
What about a Steel Framed Pre-fabricated structure??- There are a number of home manufacturing companies here in the states that from about ten to thirty thousands dollars can and will design a two to five bedroom steel frame, ship it to Yucatan and have one of those excellent Maya workers complete the entire structure according to the wishes and desires of the individual. Yucatan architecture etc. – Mexicali, an extremely hot and humid city in the U.S.-Mexico border, has a number of builders who have brought from Japan an insulation “foam-block” that can be easily installed around the steel structure to complete the home. Here in California, for whatever reasons, even though we have thousands of homes destroyed by fire every year, our building code does not yet approve this type of structure !!
Hi Mary Lou
I’m glad you enjoyed the article. Working Gringa’s response was very accurate and complete… I hope she doesn’t try to start her own handyman business, because she might put me out of work!
BUGS
There are many reliable products and experts in Merida that will be able to control any plague you might find in your home. So you don’t need to worry about living in a bug-infested house.
Eventually the common household bug will return no matter what chemical you apply, so I recommend milder products used more frequently rather than more toxic insecticides. The reason bugs come back is that, regardless of what you do to control this in your house, more often than not, your neighbors are not doing anything and are accustomed to living with it. Eventually the insecticides will fade out, and all the bugs living in your neighbor’s yards will find their way back to your home.
If this really becomes annoying to you, and you want the fumigation of your house to last longer, try fumigating your neighbor’s house and/or yards. The cost to treat a house is really not that expensive (WG note: we’ve been charged between $60 and $200 pesos for a visit from the exterminator) Of course, the exterminator will try to sell you some fancy products, but in reality a cheap fumigation process is all you need to get rid of most of all the ordinary pests.
Regarding bugs and wiring. This is not a common problem. I have only seen this in 2 occasions in my life. Both times it was very thin phone lines and only because they went through ant nests. In big cities, it is common that mice will eat through electrical wiring, however in Merida, mice have plenty of food sources so they simply don’t mess around with the wiring. (WG note: We had ants in our computer one year. They didn’t actually HARM it, however. We just sprayed it, waited a day, and they were gone. We have also found them in the outlet boxes… evidenced by a growing pile of sand under the box…. but again, they didn’t eat anything. They were just making their home there).
AIR CONDITIONERS / HUMIDITY
There are many ways to seal off a room to make it airtight, thus making the air conditioner more effective, and the more effective the air conditioner works, the less energy it uses. So in that sense it’s a good idea to keep a room of a modern house sealed as best as possible. However, in Mexico it is not cost effective to run an air conditioner for long periods of time. Contrary to many countries, here, the more energy you use, the higher the price per kilowatt delivered. In other words, the more power you use, the more expensive it gets. Although not alarmingly so, electricity is more expensive in Mexico than other countries. (WG Note: So people tend to do what they can to conserve it, which is a good thing!)
Another thing to consider is that above I mentioned “a modern house”. I say this because it is hard to find hardware that will blend with a colonial house and be effective in keeping it airtight. For example, sliding aluminum windows are great to seal off a house, but in most people’s opinions, they look dreadful in a 200-year old home. An air conditioner not only delivers cold air, but it also extracts the humidity from a room making it more comfortable. But running it for long periods of time, as mentioned, is not cost effective, so the alternative is going completely the other way: Ventilation. The more you ventilate a room, the less problems you will have with humidity, so keeping windows open and even running a ceiling fan all day is more practical and cheaper than sealing the house up and keeping it air conditioned. (WG note: We based our entire new house plan on this theory.)
PIANOS
The greatest threat to a piano is humidity changes. Expansion and contraction greatly affect tuning and extreme changes can even make the wooden parts crack and glue joints come apart. The good news is that in Merida, the changes in humidity are subtle. Although there is high humidity, it is constant and changes slowly within the seasons. My best advice to keep a piano in great shape is to have a humidity control system installed in the piano itself. Rather than trying to control the humidity in the room. These systems are designed to maintain the humidity of the air within the piano at the ideal level of 42%. The components are installed out of sight, inside the case of a vertical piano or under the soundboard of a grand. They are easy to maintain, and can be installed by your piano technician. You will need to do this at home before the piano is sent to Merida, since it will be hard to find the equipment here or someone to install it properly.
CABINET MAKING
You will find many carpenters and artisans in Merida that I’m sure will do a great job. But you need to know this: do not use any pine for cabinet making. While pine can be used in Merida very effectively for furniture, using it for any application that will be in permanent contact with walls is an open invitation for termites.
Termites live underground and travel within the walls, while undergoing renovations in your colonial home; you will surely wake up termite nests that will very rapidly destroy any pine cabinets. The way to go is cedar. Traditionally the species available in the US and Canada of cedar are used to line closets and chests due to their aromatic nature. You will seldom find cabinets made of cedar. In Yucatan it is very common because the termites will not go near it. (WG note: cedro wood here is not the same as cedar in the US and Canada).
It will cost you at least double as much as it will cost to make them in pine, but in general even in cedar, your kitchen cabinets will cost less due to the labor costs that what you would pay for them in your home town. You cannot find pressure-treated or kiln-dried wood very easily in Merida, and the pine available is very low grade. Your choice for wood comes down to Pine, Mahogany and Cedar, and that pretty much wraps it up. Occasionally a lumber yard will carry some imported wood, but so far I haven’t seen anything that I would recommend .
GLASS
You will find in Merida a great variety of glass with an array of color and patterns. Glazed glass is basically use for decoration but will not offer protection against heat or humidity. For this you need glass with UV protection. Which is very easy to find and there are a few colors to choose from. You don’t need to darken your home to protect it; light colored glass with UV protection will allow the sunlight to come through but not the harmful UV Rays.
GAS RANGE
I have to confess that I had no idea what a gas range was until I googled it. I learn something new today. It’s a stove!
Ok, here is my opinion about this. If you are planning to buy an electrical stove in Merida, There are only 2 stores that I know of that sell them. They will probably only have a couple of models and they will cost at least double as much as you would pay for one outside of Mexico.
If you plan to bring one from home, please take in account what I mentioned above about energy costs, but also take into account that you will probably bring a brand that will have no service or parts in Yucatan. In addition, and this is subject for another long post, you will surely find that the majority of houses in Yucatan do not have a ground line, so you will be adding an additional cost just to install it. So you pretty much left with the only choice, which is to go with a gas stove/range.
Regarding gas, Yucatan only has LP gas commercially available, most cities around the world use natural or propane gas, which burn cleaner. In Merida, everybody calls our gas Butane, but in reality it is LP.
Natural, propane, butane and LP are related but totally different products. They burn differently so the burners installed in your stove will also be different depending on what’s available in the area you live in.
If you’re planning to bring furniture from home, make sure your stove or water heater will be able to function with our gas.
Well Mary Lou, I hope this information was helpful to you. Please don’t hesitate to write again if you have any more questions
Hola, Laura
It’s nice to know that more people like you who are environmentally conscious are moving to Merida. Unfortunately, not many Yucatecos are aware of the difference they can make in the world with so little effort. I hope that when you move in you will be able to inspire more people to keep our planet green.
BORIC ACID
I definitely agree that it is an effective alternative to use instead of pesticides. However it is important to point out that in large quantities or applied the wrong way can be more damaging to plants than common pesticides.
Boric acid is very effective to control cockroach, termite ants and fleas and many other insects. It is generally considered to be safe to use in household kitchens. It acts as a stomach poison affecting the insects’ metabolisms and the dry powder is abrasive to the insects’ exoskeleton. Homemade ant bait can be made by dissolving 1 tablespoon of powdered boric acid and 1 teaspoon of sugar dissolved in into 8 ounces of water. Pour this over cotton balls and place on the path of ants. Replace the liquid when the cotton balls dry out. This will be carried back into the ants’ nest, eventually destroying the colony.
Although it is considered a mild acid you still need to take precautions especially near small pets.
Here is the link to its fact sheet for those who are more interested in this product: http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/boricgen.pdf
In Merida, this could be purchased in ….Mardupol Calle13-A No.330, Col. Ciudad Industrial Tel. 946-1506
SOLAR WATER HEATERS
There are at least a couple of companies in Merida that I know of that specialize in solar water heaters one of them is: Gruber Solaris – Calle 67 No. 159 x 116-a y 118 frac. Yucalpeten Tel 912-2430.
I have not worked with them so I can’t say anything good or bad about their services. However you might want to try building something yourself, if you are a DIY enthusiast, or have someone build something for you. After Hurricane Isidoro I was working for a factory where many employees had their homes seriously damaged. We turned the locker rooms into improvised showers for them. For hot water, we laid flat on a spiral several meters of black Rubber hose. It worked perfectly well. I’m not suggesting you do this since there are much better designs available on the internet. I’m just pointing out that In Merida, even the simplest design can work well.
Hi Jose,
Steel frame constructions are very common in Merida, but they have only been used for warehouses, factories and such. In general, prefabricated materials for construction are widely available and are becoming more popular amongst Yucatecos. In colonial homes however, once you add modern construction materials or techniques you can take away the charm and warmth. It’s also important to point out that certain sectors of the city are considered historic, and are heavily regulated regarding the materials that can be used to renovate a colonial home.
Thank you Jorge and WG. Your extensive advice is much appreciated. What’s your advice re wind turbines, possibly mounted on the roof? A friend here who is a stationary engineer said I should just pay the price for electricity off the grid as it would be too expensive and complicated to install the batteries and everything required. Do you know of anyone doing this? Muchos gracias (that’s my limit) once again.
Just as in the United States, where most houses used to be painted inside and out with lime based paints, cal is the preferred natural paint to use in Mérida, where all houses used to be painted inside and with lime based paints. Properly aged for a few days, and with alum or low doses of acrylic sealers such as Comex 5:1, or nopal juice, and with the proper pigments, cal paints will last for many years.
Vinyl and oil based are the root of all peeling paint evils in Mérida.
The added benefit is that cal is a natural insecticide.
Cal and alum mixed with natural soap was the preferred roof sealer before in Spain and Mexico, and is now making a comeback. Added benefits include its insulation and fire retardant properties.
Jorge:
I have purchased a home on the North coast and had a few questions about issues there.
1. You mention the concrete tinacos are not hygienic. I’ve got them. Is there a way to safely clean them (bleach, iodiflor, etc) or should I just change them out to rotoplasts? I like the extra weight being right on the shore, but I guess full, they’re probably both about the same.
2. I’m looking at having screens made for my windows and doors. Is aluminum screen available or will I be using vinyl?
3. Are there benefits to keeping appliances running? I would normally unplug my refrigerator and prop the doors open when I’m not present. Is this wise in this environment? How about microwaves? Besides the obvious act of putting everything in a garbage bag, is there anything else suggested?
4. Do the magnetic water softeners really work?
5. Is there an easy way to track my fosa septica to check my filtro or the sediment area? My home was probably only used as a summer/holy week cottage, so I’m not sure it’s got much capacity, and I’d like to just check.
Thanks for your replies to all our questions. We all love to hear about the practical aspects of life.
Henry
Hola Jorge,
Gracias por la informacion, or so everyone understands, thanks for you for the information.
Carlos and I am making plans to move to Merida a.s.p.a. I think we would like to be close to the center, but that will be decided after we visit and check thing out. Maybe, then we can meet, have dinner together and talk. I have more then construction questions.
I am definitely into creating, conserving and maintaining the environment and helping to get the word out.
I’m interested in rain water collection, solar energy, composting and composting toilets, grey water recovery and re-use, organic farming and eating, natural and chemical free swimming pools, etc., etc.
I will be moving with my elderly in-laws and need to create a casita on the property so they can live with us, they are very independent but need to be very close.
Muchas gracias, again.
Laura Ferran-Algieri
Love, Peace, Health and Prosperity to everyone.
The cement tinacos are usually made from asbestos cement, and using water from them is about as healthy as that from ugly black Rotoplas plastic tinacos.
Don Henry, the problem with concrete water deposits (in the TINACOS) is that they do not close/seal shut. The lid basically rests on top of the rim leaving a large gap all around. Cleaning them is not an issue, keeping them clean is. I have washed down many tinacos and have found everything from insects to small animals floating around inside. On the beach you have an additional problem, depending on where your tinaco is located, with sand that can be blown into the tinaco and make its way into your pipes.
If the tinaco is not at least partially full, it is very likely that it will be blown away in a hurricane, so if you do decide to change your concrete one, make sure the plastic one is secured and always fill it when a hurricane is coming. Keep in mind that if you replace a concrete tinaco you will need a cement base installed to have the plastic one sit. Without it the container will warp and crack in very little time.
There is ALUMINUM SCREEN widely available in Yucatan however there are better products available in the market nowadays. The aluminum screen is rigid and as such very easy to break. On the beach it will become bristle in very little time since it is not anodized. I still use Aluminum screen once in a while, but mainly because I need its strength to help me hold the screen or to discourage pets to scratch it off. I highly recommend fiberglass filament screens. It is elastic but very strong, and unlike aluminum, at a very short distance you can barely notice it’s there.
As far as leaving APPLIANCES RUNNING for extend periods of time at a beach home, I would not recommend this. I would do completely the opposite and unplug every electrical equipment if you plan to leave the house closed for several months at a time. On the beach, it is common to have power failures, and have the electricity come back at too high or too low of a voltage. This can eventually burn up your equipment.
As far as putting everything in garbage bags, I believe it would be better if you store your personal items in bags made of fabric. Due to humidity, it is best to have your belongings in bags that “breathe”. It is also a good idea to cover your furniture with old sheets or cheap fabric.
MAGNETIC WATER SOFTENERS designed for home use are relatively new. Most of what is available can only be purchased through independent distributors, and are rarely available in home improvement stores or plumbing supply shops. This alone makes me skeptical about its effectiveness. The theory behind magnetic water softeners is to pass the flow of water in the pipes through a magnetic field. This allegedly changes the electrical charge of the ions in the hard water so that the minerals cannot form lime scale. Only the effective hardness is claimed to be reduced through magnetic treatment. No calcium is removed from the water. Instead, the theory is that the magnetic field decreases the tendency to form scale. In Yucatan, the condition of our water is challenging enough for the best of the equipment available, so I’d be hesitant to try something here that is still in debate in places where the water is not as hard as ours.
Finding your SUMIDERO or FOSA SEPTICA should not be very hard to do. It is very rare for a home owner to hide it. Usually you will find it around an area next to the house, near the kitchen or a bathroom. You will see a square-shaped slab of cement, sometimes with thin metal bars forming a handle, sealed with cement around it. This would be the lid for the septic tank, and believe me; you don’t want to open it!
Septic tanks, under normal conditions, take more than a lifetime to be filled. Inside them there is living bacteria that is gradually breaking up the contents into water which then overflows into filters or wells. What remains after the bacteria has done its job is so little that it takes an enormous amount of time for it to fill even a small tank. As long as the bacteria is left undisturbed, you should not have a problem.
Most people in Yucatan live their entire lives without ever having to open or clean their septic systems. For example at my mother’s house, we were 6 brothers and sisters living with mom, dad and my grandmother. The house was originally a 2 bedroom, one bathroom house that my parents expanded into something larger. They never changed the septic system. I am now 40 years old, and to this day my mom lives in the same house and has never cleaned her septic system.
In my work I had to empty several sumideros. The most common reasons are: a)People connecting the washing machines to the septic system, thus altering the chemistry and killing the bacteria. b)People connecting the rain pipes into the sumidero, causing it to fill up too fast in a big rain. And sorry to say, c) people opening the fosa septica for no particular reason, allowing air and sunlight, thus deteriorating the process.
I hope this information was helpful!
Laura and Carlos . Thank you , I look foward to meeting you some day soon . If you have any questions related to homes in Merida , please share them through this forum . If you have somthing more specifical which you belive I can help you with , please feel free to contact me through my e-mail handyman@prodigy.net.mx
Tito…. Many people share your point of view on how ugly the black “Rotoplas” water deposits look in their homes. However that’s an easy fix, The Tinacos are paintable. Shaped almost like a large milk can, with a little imagination you can really make them into a feature on the house, or simply use the same colors you used on your house and let the Tinaco blend with the enviroment instead of outstand in contrast.
Jorge,
I know that it was mentioned that there is no home inspection company in the Merida area, but we are considering purchasing a home there, and were we to do so, we would love to have you evaluate the home for us and we would be more than willing to get a report from you and pay for it at what you would consider a fair rate.
Hola Brenda … Id be more than happy to help out anybody seeking advice for their homes. I find it very rewarding to be able to allow the ex’pats to spend more time enjoying their homes instead of struggling to understand or get things done here. I truly appreciate Yucatan living for allowing me the opportunity to reach you guys and answer all your questions. .
I have heard far too often how frustrating it has been for many people to settle down in Yucatan , so to be able help in some way prevent this sounds great .
I currently don’t offer home inspection in my services , But if you feel I can help you in some way , please contact me through my e-mail ( handyman@prodigy.net.mx ) so we can arrange something .
Hi Laura. We recently bought a house in Merida, with the enourmous help and patience of Joel w/Merida Homes, and are intrested in greening our home like you. To start I’ve been looking for FIDE appliances (US equivalent would be Energy Star) and researching PV solar panels and the like. I went to BP Solar and Kyocera’s web sites to see who are dealer/installers in Merida, and found a couple of links. This web site has been a valuable source of inormation for us. Please post any green information you may find and I will do the same.
Would like to Talk with Handy Man about issues raised by my wife’s Yucateca father in renting a home. My wife’s father, 100% Yucateco, says the repairs of a home being rented is on the renter, not the Home Owner. Is this correct?
May I offer to your readers an option to rent a home in Merida or the Yucatan. Many gringos get down there and find out it was not what they expect, and return back to the USA. I’ve found affordable, nice, homes for rent around $300 usd and less in the Diario de Yucatans Classified section.
The last time I rented a home in Merida, I paid 3 prices: The last months rent, Deposit, and a Contract Fee – all in the equal amount. For example: $1,400.00 Pesos X 3. Is this typical?
Hola Carlos. In my experience, it is the Home owner who pays for the repairs of the house. I am often called for jobs in rented homes and usually, either the homeowner takes care of the bill, or the renter pays me and later deducts the cost of repairs to the rent. It is my understanding that this is how it is done traditionally in Merida and I rarely hear of a problem between parties.
I consulted with my lawyer, just to be able to give you a complete answer, and he told me that by law, the renter is obligated to pay for the maintenance and up keeping of the house, and the homeowner is liable to pay for any repairs. However what is maintenance and what is repairs can sometimes be hard to define. A homeowner can say he rented the house ¨as is¨ but the renter can also claim ¨Hidden problems¨. (Repairs not able to be detected in plain view). Both of these scenarios are contemplated by law, so fighting over these issues, as anything else, can get more frustrating than a friendly arrangement.
Thanks again for all the great information here.
We are researching retiring to Merida sometime in the next year or two and I hope to redo an old home for us. Since we’ll be on a fixed income unless boredom drives me to find something that brings in a little extra, we’re looking for any way we can cut expenses. We were happy to learn there are companies to call on for solar water heating. Being from Florida, I know how well something as simple as a black hose in the sun can work to heat water.
Something my husband has mentioned looking into is a windmill. I know we’ve occasionally seen them in the gardens in Merida homes. Are there any restrictions to where and how they can be used (generators, pumps, etc)? Any advice you can give is greatly appreciated.
Another question I’ve had is regarding building up. Some areas seem to be single story only. Is this because of building restrictions or simply because no one has added a second story yet? Several of the listings I’ve been interested in, I would want to add a second story master suite and back terrace. What do I need to know about looking for homes that lend themselves to something like this?
Muchos gracias,
Donna
Hola Working Gringos,
I am curious about roofs. Does anyone in Yucatan use rubber roofs? They seem to be a very durable, modern solution to nearly-flat roofs, that is probably a lot easier to install than the traditional sealant and cloth.
As far as we know, you can build a second story (with the appropriate permits, of course) as long as you are at least three meters from the street property line and as long as your windows don’t look into your neighbors’ yards. You also may need to fortify a roof to build a second story if there has never been one there before.
Windmills used to be THE way to pump water from your own personal well here in Merida. If you look at photos of Merida before electricity, there are windmills everywhere. We don’t know about restrictions, however.
Aside from restrictions in the historic center (colonial Centro), second stories only have a few rules, like WGs said. And en Centro, besides distance, sometimes the authorities require that the 2nd (or 3rd) story addition not be visible from the street.
On windmills, high walls, and other potential neighbor-annoying issues, I’ve been advised the best thing to do is to know your neighbors and prevent anything from annoying them. If you want to raise the wall, for example, talk to your neighbors, assure them you will finish their side of the wall smoothly and offer to paint their side whatever color they wish. In other words, just be a “decent Joe” about things. Any change is an imposition, so smooth the change by sweetening the deal.
Even old=fashioned looking windmills can be virtually silent. There is one spinning in a good breeze about 30 yards from me right now, and I don’t hear a thing. If I try to listen hard, there’s an occasional soft clank. If you put in a windmill, be sure to have a regular maintenance plan with the company that puts it in or your handyman. Monthly oiling, adjustments, etc, will keep it quiet. As long as it isn’t squeaking loudly and banging the thrusting rods or otherwise preventing the whole block from sleeping, you may be fine. However, historic centro is always a precaution, due to increased rules and casual inspections from the street to see what’s going on.
Rubber roofs. I suppose they’d work fine, if they could hold up to the tropical sun. The thing is, I think they’d cost much, much more than the bucket or four of impermbilizante (sp?) and a roll of cloth. I’ve heard of a person or two who installed a “flexible barrier roof” which may have been some type of rubber. The cost was enormous at the time and that was several years ago. Probably would have been better to have knowledgeable albaniles repair the poor condition roof in the first place.
Some roofs – in excellent condition – are even perfectly waterproof without the reinforcing cloth. There is a old process calling “milking” the roof, where albaniles mix up a certain combination of lime, cement, maybe some fine sand (who knows?) (probably some coca cola?)? When spread over the roof, the watery mix seeps into cracks and seals them. The impermibilizante (I likely misspell it as I mispronounce it!) then can cover the “milking.”
P.S. My albaniles assure me that Squirt is much better than Coca-cola when working in the sun. “Quita sed”, he told me, “Cuts thirst.” And there it was, “Quita sed” printed right on the bottle. I’ve been providing Squirt, along with Coke, as an option ever since.
Hey Gregg,
Thanks for the reply, I want to be off the grid as much as possible. I am looking into rain water and gray water collection and ultraviolet technology for it and the pool, cool air flow, solar panels and anything else to be off the grid.
Let me know how it goes for you. I won’t be moving for a few months yet but I will be visiting soon. I’ll let you know when, maybe we can meet.
Jorge ” the handyman”:
I am looking at a home in Merida and have some questions that need professional answers. Can you help me? The home I am looking at has a natural well on a very large lot. The well however is 20 feet from the property line, so close to the neighbor.
Since Merida is mostly on septic systems, some very old and some used by multiple families on one system, I would like to know: How effective is the filtration of these systems with so much rock and mostly, if not all, limestone beds with cavities and little soil to help purify the grey water before it contaminates any natural well? Is this a common problem?
Can one have this tested before purchasing? and finally is reverse osmosis an option to get the water clean even for at least showering?
I have found your past articles extremely informative. You know your city and your trade. I look forward to doing business with you once I purchase down there.Thanks for keeping us educated on what to look for in buying homes in Merida.
Keep it up
Thanks Again
Greg
One of the things we are looking at to be as green as possible is the installation of vertical axis wind turbines to generate power. The units sit on a corner of the house and generate power at much lower wind speeds and can also withstand much higher winds than the “normal” wind turbines.
More research is required but it looks to be a very viable alternative to the big propellors people are used to seeing (even Jay Leno has installed them at his large car garage).
Hi everyone, sorry to come in so late into the forum. I had some technical problems but should be OK now. However I don’t think I was missed, since the Working Gringos, as usual, are very accurate in their advice and posts, and I couldn’t agree more with CasiYucateco´s comments.
I would however like to add my two cents on some of the things you have written about.
WINDMILLS
As much as I like windmills and would like to encourage you to use them, I must comment on the downsides. Other than a company in Monterrey, I don’t know of anybody else making new ones these days. I hope I’m wrong and somebody can tell me otherwise. But your most likely option would be to get an old one and have it reinstalled in your home. New or old, it will be costly to have it installed.
With old windmills, you will have to perform intensive maintenance, oiling and greasing up all moving parts, finding spare parts will become harder to do, and keeping it operational, drawing water, will take a lot of dedication. At the end, you will be drawing water from a well, and most likely the water will not be clean enough for human use.
If you have the time, patience and money, it would be great to have one to water your yard. But as a primary source of water for your home, I would not recommend it.
NEIGHBORS
I agree 100 percent with CaseYucateco on how you should deal with your neighbors. Fortunately almost every Yucateco I know both thinks and acts this way. However I believe it is very important to point out that every neighborhood has its own ¨scrooge¨ and nothing you do will make them happy. In addition, in many regions of Mexico, people do not think the same way, And Merida has a large population of Mexicans from other regions moving in. Unfortunately, in my work I often see conflicts between neighbors when someone wants to build something. Bottom line is that by law, you can build whatever you need regardless of your neighbors opinion. You are not obligated to smooth or paint his wall, BUT YOU SHOULD.
RUBBER ROOFIING
Kim, Some modern buildings in Merida have used rubber roofing (EPDM) on new roofs. Properly applied they are very durable, but much more expensive than what is being used today in Yucatan. Besides the cost, there are also a few things to consider. As far as I know rubber roofs only come in black which will draw more heat to your home. Also, the system is basically rubber sheets glued to the roof, which leaves seams. There is a lot of room for error when these are being applied, and one single seam not properly sealed will ruin the whole project. In colonial homes, almost all roofs are made of mamposteria, basically rocks and sand, so once you have crack on the roof, you will always have a fine coat of dust that will prevent the adhesive from working properly.
WELL WATER
Greg, as you might now Yucatan´s underground is full of cenotes and underground rivers. As with any river, contamination does not need to be close by and can actually be many miles away. The problem with well water inside the City is not so much caused by septic systems but by old business buildings and factories. It’s virtually impossible to know how deep their wells are and what they have been used for. Yucatan natural filtration system is good enough to get rid of most problems, but well water should be used with caution.
The faculty of chemical engineering from the Yucatan University has a lab that tests water .and it is open to the public at a very reasonable price. Reverse osmosis alone will not work to make water suitable for human use. You need a water softener to eliminate minerals, reverse osmosis to eliminate organic materials, and finally, UV rays to eliminate bacteria. You cannot store purified water in large quantities, so it is best to store it after reverse osmosis, and use a UV ray system on demand.
Ray , I have never dealt with vertical axis wind turbines before. But I’m always interested in new technology and learning new things. So if you ever decide to go ahead with this project, count me in to help you anyway I can. If you want to buy the equipment, I can provide all the tools and manpower you need. And then we can post the results for other people to learn as well.
That sounds great as well Laura. We sound like we both want some of the same things for our homes. I think there are couple of things to keep in mind. We have a pump (that supplies water pressure) that needs adjusting on our home as we speak. All plumbers aren’t familiar with all equipment so your rolodex of maintenance professionals may be small. The other thing is in reference to pool equipment. I just had this discussion with our architect the other day where I asked about a solar heater and copper (I think it uses copper) filter. He told us saline is more of a common alternative to chlorine as it requires less maintenance than the copper system. That is an added plus for us since we don’t live here full time. I never heard of the ultraviolet technology. That sounds very interesting.
Ray can you post information on your wind turbine project? Thats nice! I think I saw one of those on Planet Greens Renovation Nation.
I also am interested in wind turbines, so any info would be appreciated. Also the ins and outs of a pool, particularly the new salt water pools I’m hearing about here in Canada.
Thanks!
Everyone,
We were so interested in a saline pool that we purchased the filter required… only to find out that it isn’t practical in this climate. Due to the rapid rate of evaporation in the strong Yucatan sun, the amount of salt required every DAY is prohibitive, if only from a practical who-wants-to-be-buying-and-hauling-that-salt-all-the-time point of view.
We’re disappointed, but also are beginning to realize that only a minimal amount of chlorine is required to keep the pool looking great. We feed our pool from our own well, and the cenote water that comes out, while probably not drinkable, is just fine for pool water and doesn’t seem to grow algae quickly at all.
Ray: Thanks for introducing me to Vertical Axis Wind Turbines. I’m researching them now on the net. With the port of Progreso so close, it shouldn’t be that hard to bring one in.
WG:
Is your pool filtered with an electric pump, and if so, does it use a lot of electricity? Are the pumps expensive? (And how much is a pool boy, about 6 ft. tall….dark….handsome?)
We too will only be in our home (in Merida) 6 mos. of the year, so this is an issue for us.
ML
So WG’s which is the less of 2 evils checking ph levels daily or dumping salt daily?
In the next day or so I will post some information that I have gleaned on vertical axis wind turbines.
Most importantly is the low maintenance aspects of this technology as well as the wind turbine “kicking in” at much lower wind speeds than the traditional wind turbine as well as withstanding much higher wind speeds.
More to come.
Ray
It seems to us you have to check the pH levels no matter what kind of filtering system you use.
On the issue of vertical axis wind turbines let me start off by saying I am not in the industry in any way shape or form but being Dutch in background probably explains my fascination with windmills and so on.
Saying that here are some interesting links for people to digest:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_turbine
http://peswiki.com/index.php/Directory:Vertical_Axis_Wind_Turbines
http://www.ecobusinesslinks.com/vertical_axis_wind_turbines.htm
And this is the company that supplied Jay Leno:
http://www.pacwind.net/
I have also heard that Costco in Merida may be carrying some sort of vertical axis wind turbine but I do not know that for a fact.
I have seen videos and information on the vertical axis wind turbines. I suggest you check out YouTube. They have tons of them on there and many have information with them as well.
They do not harm bats and birds, as they are seen as a solid by them, and many do generate at far lower wind speeds. The one thing that I wonder about is whether they would permit one to net meter the things in Merida, or whether one would have to install an expensive battery system to store the energy generated. I saw a fantastic one on the Green TV station on American dish network with the guy from Living with Ed on it. The guy who owns it is a rock star (I am having a duh day and can’t think of his name). He and his family live totally off the grid, have a 3KW windmill and a solar panel system. They also have a room with two inverters and a huge assortment of batteries to store the power. On days when the solar output is low, it is usually windy, and the other way around.
Hi Guys,
I wanted to add one more thing about ¨saline¨ pools. In reality these are not chlorine-free. The equipment is called ¨chlorine generator¨ but is often advertised as salt water treatment or saline pools to create the misconception that people are buying chlorine free equipment. The equipment uses electrolysis to separate salt into its basic components, sodium and chloride. Then, chlorine gas is injected into the chamber were the water is flowing.The salt doesn’t play any part in the water sanitation other than being the substance that the chlorine is manufactured from.
One advantage it does have is that it doesn’t produce or eliminates Chloramines, which are responsible for all the things people are trying to get away from Chlorine; things like the smell, red eye, etc. Most of the chloride and sodium are supposed to re-bond and become natural salt again. So the process should repeat itself over and over using only a small amount of salt to replace lost due to splash-out or backwashing of the filter.
I wasn’t aware that Yucatan’s climate would affect the process or the use of salt. So I did a little research to learn more about the system. I learned that in general, alternative systems to clean pool water are not very popular amongst pool builders and most have very little knowledge of its use. People who build, service or own pools have nailed down the amount of chlorine their pools need. However here, the equipment delivers chlorine gas directly to the water flowing within the pipes, so in order for the equipment to function properly, the right size, type , installation etc., must be used. As I said before there is very little experience and a lot of room for mistakes.
The other system that Gregg mentioned is a Copper/silver Ion system. This uses an electric current driven through copper and silver which release ions into your pool water. The copper ions work to combat algae and silver ions work to eliminate bacteria. There is also equipment that use Ozone and others that use minerals to sanitize your water. But the bottom line is that all of these alternative methods reduce or improve the usage of direct chlorine but none of the eliminate them.
There is an alternative for those of you who would want to keep their homes as green as possible. Build a ¨natural¨ pool. These are the only environmental friendly, truly chlorine free pools that I know of. These actually resemble ponds and must circulate water through aquatic plants that act as organic cleansers. There is very little information about the subject as pools, but plenty information amongst pond and aquarium enthusiasts. It will take a lot work initially to get it running, but ultimately you would be using what Mother Nature gave us to keep the water clean.
Of course, that means you have to be willing to swim with the fishies…
Further to the topic of vertical axis wind turbines, or VAWT’s, my plans are similar to those noted by Brenda.
The VAWT’s are safer than the horizontal wind turbine for the birds and other flying objects. VAWT’s are also much quieter and require next to maintenance. VAWT’s are also omnidirectional so that with shifting winds they do not need to be realigned to catch the wind.
From my research and knowledge I plan to install two of these units, smaller in output than a single unit and then feed the output through a deep cycle battery pack (planning to go with a minimum 24 hour pack or ideally a 48 hour pack). The reason for the smaller units is that they will produce power at much lower wind speeds and if there are higher winds then it affords the opportunity to shut done one of the units. The battery pack creates a consistent power level for the home and also deals with times when there is a calm and no wind.
The overall process is not hugely complicated but does require taking the time to ensure the overall installation is done correctly. Following the instructions is important.
To assess how large of a VAWT you will need use your existing electrical bills to determine your usage, both peak months and average. Also take into consideration future growth for your home as it is easier to overbuild now rather than later.
As a side note for anyone considering alternate electrical supply, especially for those that also have CFE electrical supply is to ensure the system is disconnected from the grid should there be a power outage in the area. The reason for this is that your own electricity can feed back into the grid and wires that should be carrying no electricity will in fact be “live” and workers restoring the grid can get a nasty surprise and shock.
Note: should have said “require next to no maintenance”. Fingers sometimes operate independently from the brain.
Mother Earth, a resource I’ve relied on for 20 to 30 years, has this article about wind turbines: http://www.motherearthnews.com/Renewable-Energy/2008-02-01/Wind-Power-Horizontal-and-Vertical-Axis-Wind-Turbines.aspx
Since it is very recent, I thought it may be timely to the discussion.
One of the largest collections of people who actually build and USE wind generation is http://www.otherpower.com
They also have a number of links to proven studies about the beliefs around wind power (blade sizes, HAWTs vs VAWTs, the myth of bird strikes, rooftop mounts, etc) that deal with numbers and real products. If you’re looking for a great source about wind powered alternators and home-brewed electricity, I highly recommend it.
Can’t find a place to ask a question so I thought I’d try here. Has the housing (financial) problem in the States filtered into to the Yucatan? Houses not being sold as fast or for less than the asking price, etc.
Casey, I was wondering that as well. In the last few days, things have been turned topsy turvy here.
I was wondering what effect, if any, has been felt in Mexico and Merida.
We have read stories of the remittances back to Mexico falling dramatically from Mexicans living here in the states and reports of many returning to Mexico.
As recently as August, housing sales in Merida were still pretty strong. How were they today or last week? I don’t know.
Merida has seen a decent share of European buyers and Canadian buyers in the recent past. So, there is a diversified set of buyers out there, not just US buyers.
The Mexican / Merida housing market is primarily a cash market. So, availability of credit doesn’t really harm Merida sales as much as within the USA, for example. On the other hand, at least some of the cash being used in Merida surely came from cash-out refinances and savings that may be held more closely in future months.
The real meltdown in economies – world-wide – is only just occurring now. Any given realtor in Merida won’t know if they are just having a slow day or week or if the market has completely changed until some time has passed.
But we all know this: There are serious financial problems world-wide. There has been an enormous creation of “money” over the last 7-8 years. And now that a lot of that paper is coming due, there is no hard cash to pay it off. So, “money” that people thought was there, isn’t.
Time will tell how bad it gets. Anywhere.
As usual, Casi Yucateco said it better than we could have. We’d like to add that we too have read that remittances to Mexico are falling and that Mexicans are returning to Mexico, probably due to lack of work. This MIGHT be good for Mexico… an influx of English-speaking Mexicans with entrepreneurial ideas they picked up in the States.
Only time will tell.
we are wondereing why peso:us dollar exchange above 13. today(9 oct)…what is causing this sudden historic strong dollar.(exchange was 9.8 just a few weeks ago!)
Surely you have been watching the news lately. With the current financial meltdown going on around the world, the only safe place for your money is in US dollars. That makes the peso fall in relationship to the dollar. The Mexican government has billions of dollars in reserve, and has been buying pesos to prop up the price… so we guess it could be much worse…. Time will tell.
Is it true that deposits in cash, of any kind, over 25,000 pesos per month, are now being taxed by the government, new rule as of a couple of monthes ago? Wire transfers do not count?
“From Turkey:” What is your source for that information? Where did you hear that?
The taxation issue was raised on another blog Adventures of a Third World Shopkeeper. It was back in the summer.
As far as we know, there is now a law in Mexico that taxes CASH deposits of over $25,000 pesos. Wire transfers do not count, as they are generally coming from another bank account where the money is traceable. This law is about trying to capture taxes from illegal money transactions that are all done in cash. Likewise, checks for over that amount will not be taxed if they are coming from a traceable account.
Of course, we are not accountants or lawyers, and if you have any doubt, you should check with one. We list a few good ones who speak English in our resources directory, which you can find from the left side of the front page of our website.
Ah… and it seems the very knowledgable mcm has thoroughly answered the taxation issue at that blog (Adventures of a Third World Shopkeeper) as well.
Gee, that is not a particularly high level for a cash transaction to be taxed, but I have heard that collecting taxes in Mexico is a challenging thing. That would seem to make it daunting for small businesses to make deposits.
My husband and I have an idea for a small business catering to Norte Americanos, if we relocate, and would like to make a little money and be able to employ two or three Mexicans at a good, living wage for them. However, if one truly is legitimate and pays one’s taxes as one is supposed to do, only to see them taxed again at deposit, that would seem to be a difficult situation.
When all this meltdown started and we began to see the dollar actually increase against other currencies, my husband and I commented on how bad things must really be, when the dollar, which is crisis because the U. S. is in crisis, is actually the currency to which they are fleeing.
The big question is, if the U. S. dollar has gone from slightly over 10 pesos per dollar to around 13 per dollar, are the individuals selling real estate in Mexico going to change their prices to account for that?
We are pretty sure that if you can show the facturas or other official paperwork pointing to where the money came from, then it is not subject to this tax. This is JUST to catch those people that are depositing cash that is totally unaccounted for.
As for the real estate prices, most of the houses here are priced in US dollars already (the ones that the gringos are selling anyway), so we believe they will continue to be priced in dollars. The houses that are priced in pesos will not change either, as those are usually homes sold by Mexican nationals. The buyers are not necessarily coming from the United States… they come from all over the world. So the seller prices will probably stay the same.
If the sum of ALL your received cash deposits is over 25,000 pesos (to a single account) in a month, then the amount after the 25,000 is taxed, but it is fully deductible from your income tax.
For example:
Nov 1st – You get a deposit of $10,000 pesos
Nov 15th – You get a deposit of $10,000 pesos
Nov 20th – You get a deposit of $15,000 pesos
Total deposits of the month $35,000 pesos
Amount over 25K – $10,000 pesos
Cash deposit Tax – $10,000 * 0.02 = $200 pesos
And you’ll get those $200 pesos back when you fill your tax report. So, the only people who are not getting the $200 back (therefore the only ones actually paying it) are the people who don’t fill tax reports!
GREAT INFO…Thinking about moving to Merida…..
I love this info and, Working Gringos/Jorge!!!!!!!!!!!! You will be on my speed dial:)
Lesley
Dear George,
I am in the process of looking at colonial homes in Merida. When I finally find just the right one for our family, is there any chance you can be retained to spend a few hours looking it over and giving a very rough estimate of things to do?
Best regards,
Hugh
Hola Hugh….
Yes, I’d be glad to help out. In the last past couple of months I’ve had several people contact me with similar requests. Helping out has been fun and I have made new friends. So please feel free to contact me whenever you believe I can be of any help , and if you have any questions regarding ¨purchasing colonial homes in Merida¨ it would be great if you could share these in this article to be able to help other people with similar doubts . You can contact me directly via e-mail: handyman@prodigy.net.mx
Great article. Wev’e recently purchased a small house in chuburna and are currently doing some renos just modernizing a few things. I see we have lots to learn but have made ther first step in a new a wonderful land. We will be down in february looking to furnish the home can anyone suggest where we might start. We will be needing appliances and furniture. We were thinking to rent a car and just rent a van when needed to keep costs down. thanks
Jim & Sue:
My wife and I just did this in November with our house on the more-Eastern shore. We flew into Cancun (OK, it was $500 cheaper) and rented a van. Went to the SuperWalMart and Sams and bought a houseful. Loaded it into the van and drove across to Motul and then up to the shore. Not a trip I’d like to do again. Downtown Cancun was dreadful and we ended up making the last two hours of driving after dark. And our credit cards got closed down after each first big transaction (hint-use debits and ONLY as debits)
But
If you’re flying into Merida, I’d just rent a van at the airport, get what you want in the first couple days, then return it for the little car you’d probably really want. But be careful, we reserved a minivan and they only had a 14 passenger white monster. We fit everything in it, but everywhere we went, people thought we were the inter-city bus until they got a look at me driving.
We are strongly considering relocating to Merida. Is it more cost effective to rent a truck in the US and bring some things with us (tools, some appliances, etc) and what are the challenges? Thanks for any help.
Larry
As we understand it, you cannot rent a truck from a place like Hertz or UHaul and drive it into Mexico. You can however contract with a moving company to bring your goods here.
Dear Working Gringos, Have you done a series on Merida neighborhoods? Househunting without having a clue as to the flavor of various neighborhoods is almost impossible. And real estate agents tell you nothing. They fling open the front door, but what about the wide world outside. Every city I know has its ultra posh, its bohemian, its ethnic, its bourgeoise,its really noisy or smelly, its arty, its slightly rural, its industrial, its primarily commercial neighborhoods. All Merida websites (except yours) concentrate on the landmarks of El Centro, but what about Mejorada, Itzimna, Santa Isabel, etc. The neighborhoods east & west and south of the centro? They must have a life. If some are “no-go” for gringos you can politely say only a few gringos have pioneered here yet or something that there are few amenities or the factory lets you know its there. Thanks for listening. LN
My first wife was from Merida. Although I have kept in contact with my old friends, they all warn me that when we arrive in June it will be like a new world since I was last there 20 years ago. Where you choose to buy and live is very important and my friends to me to rent a house first, learn the city and then make an intelligent choice.
I am looking at a home to purchase in the Santiago neighborhood. I have only seen photos of it so far but a trip has been planned to visit it shortly. The street it is on looks to be all renovated homes in fresh bright colors, neat and tidy…that is up to and through the home I am looking at. The rest of the street looks quite run down crumbling homes with no paint on them etc. The home is located on 70th street between 55th and 57th. Is anyone knowledgable about this area and whether renovation is going on or scheduled to begin on the doggy end of the street? Also, is it considered a safe area? Thank you
Thanks for all your hard work on this site. I look forward to spending lots of quality time here while planning my move to the Yucatan.
Hi Handy Man (What a guy!!!) I just found this sight and there has been little action for a couple months. I was soooo excited to see so many people doing the same as us…we will be coming to Merida in October to look at properties we have also viewed online. I also wanted to know more about the areas outside of Chuburnba; I see so many that look like prospects. What areas are “bad” news …?? I cant get an answer to any questions of that nature from a realtor. Has anyone bought right on the water? Do have any regrets being directly on the ocean? Thank you for all your time. We hope to be able to use your services in the future!! I could fill this page with questions….
Reply for cecelia. Regarding your question about areas “outside of Chuburna”. Are you speaking of the seaside town of Chuburna, or the neighborhood in Merida called Chuburna? As for your second question about being right on the ocean. I bought a oceanfront home in Sisal about three and a half years ago, after seeing the property on the internet and making a trip to check it out. I have never had a minute of regret being directly on the ocean. Quite the contrary! Every morning when I wake up and see the beautiful water out there, and feel the northerly breezes blowing in off the Gulf, I am so thankful that I made the decision to buy this house when I did, as the prices have started rising dramatically, and the availability of places for sale on the ocean are quite small. Of course, there are challenges due to the salinity of the air affecting electronics and metals, and the constant dusting of polvo throughout the house, but the beauty, tranquility and peacefulness more than makes up for it. Good luck on your search, and if you’d like to come out to Sisal, I’d be happy to show you around.
I am going to try here with a question myself. I am seriously considering moving to Merida with my 9 year old son. My husband is in the end stages of ALS and won’t be with us much longer. I am trying to get information on safe neighborhoods in Merida, family oriented. You can only glean so much from the real estate web sites. Your website rocks, it’s the best I’ve seen so far for expats and aspiring expats! I’d consider restoring a colonial but it might be too big of a project on my own, so I would certainly have to rely on Jorge! We will be visiting in November to look at property and check out some of the private schools. I would love to hear back from anyone with ideas and suggestions! The more I read about Merida, the more I’m convinced this is the place for us! Eamon (my son) would like to be on the beach, but I don’t know how practical that is. I’d prefer a lovely walled courtyard and a pool….I look forward to hearing from any Merida folks – thanks in advance!!!
I have a question about the Merida Real Estate Market since the States market is pretty bad & prices are falling. How is the Real Estate market in Merida?
How soft are prices? What is the typical average offer, below asking price, on properties in Centro?
We are thinking about purchasing a house in Santa Ana or Santiago but want to know what a realistic Offer price to Asking price we should expect??? is it 10-15% off asking price? Also since properties are bought “AS IS”, does someone like Jorge Sosa offer some type basic inspection service so gringos know what they are getting into before making a firm offer? If so what is the cost?
Thanks!
I am looking at a property which has a wall only in front. Can you give me a rough idea of what I should expect to pay for building a concrete block wall approximately 10 feet high with a total perimeter of 400 ft.
Any guidance would be appreciated.
When a property in Merida is abandonded and the owner is unknown, how can the legal owners be found? Is there any process for the government to sell such properties?
In the State of Yucatan the government keeps a “public record” of all properties, including who is the owner or if the property is held in trust or in dispute by more than one owner. We asked the experts at Yucatan Expatriate Services and they do not know of any process in which the government sells such properties.
If you have a particular house or land that you will like to find the owner for, you can contact Adriana at adriana@yucatanyes.com and they will find it for you.
great source of info — thanks!
We are thinking of buying something under USD $90,000 if anyone can recommed a good realtor.
Many thanks,
Peter
Peter, Joel DeLeon with Merida Homes. Realtors here can show you properties on other websites.
Roy,
As far as we have been able to determine, there is no known process by which abandoned properties are seized by the state and sold. When an owner dies, right of ownership passes to the heirs, who may or may not be known. In some cases, the right of ownership then passes to heirs of heirs, through marriage, etc. To buy such a property, you would likely have to track down the heirs, whether living in Merida, Mexico City, Florida, California, Spain, etc; obtain agreement from all that they wish to sell; obtain legally-acceptable signatures for Merida Yucatan Mexico (which can involve documentation from local Mexican consulates, additional attorneys, notaries, etc); and finally pay everyone off at the same time when the transaction takes place at the offices of a Merida Nortario (specialized, government licensed real estate attorney).
Because of various revolutions, rights of ownership of home properties are well protected in the Mexican constitution. Even residents of a property with no documentation of ownership have strong legal rights, particularly after a number of years.
If you are ever driving from Merida to Progreso you will see an example of this: the carretera takes a bend to the east near the small former railroad station and current tienda at the tiny pueblo of San Ignacio. The owner refused to sell her property and the state moved the highway instead. You don’t see that much in the USA. Likewise, in the absence of special legal situations, the state cannot seize land without finding all the heirs just as a private buy must.
Also, “abandoned” may be a relative term. Perhaps the owners know exactly where each other all live and the condition of the property, but they simply do not have the means to maintain the property. Contacting the offices of the Catastro of the Ayuntamiento may be of some help in locating ownership or at least finding if there is one on record.
(I’m not an attorney in Mexico or anywhere else in the world. Your mileage may vary.)
Peter,
Eric Partney of Mexico International, the oldest and largest of Merida’s web-based real estate agencies, has many happy buyers. (as do a large number of other agents)
Jorge,
Thanks for this info. It’s still helpful in home purchasing even after your original posting 2 years ago. We just purchased a place in Merida and found your article extremely helpful.
B&K
Does anyone know if there is anyone using the heat reflective pain in the Merida area? It is sprayed on outside walls and attics to reflect heat and can cut the temperature by as much as thirty degrees. I wonder if anyone has begun using it in the Yucatan and if so, has it worked and can it be painted over and still be effective.
Thanks.
Brenda,
If you are talking about radiant barrier paint, no, it is not widely used in Yucatan. Radiant barrier paint could be used on the walls and ceilings of your home, if you wanted metallic silver walls. Painting over it destroys the barrier properties.
In the USA, where homes are built of framework lumber and attics are common, this paint is poorer step-brother to metallic aluminum foil radiant barriers that are installed in the attics. In Yucatan, cement construction homes do not have attics. And, most advertisements for the money-saving properties of radiant barriers are far overblown in the USA. While cost-effective and recommended in hot climates, for homes that have proper insulation and attic ventilation, the maximum savings is under 10%, rather than 20 or 30% often advertised.
There is a paint used on the outside of cement roofs in Yucatan called impermeabilizante. Most brands of this water-proofing paint do have heat repellent properties, generally added to the paint in the form of microscopic ceramic spheres. Look for the words “thermo”- something and ceramica on the containers. These ceramic spheres were also the subject of NASA research just like radiant barriers. And they do work well.
Generally speaking, there are two colors of impermeabilizante sold in Merida: a terracotta-ish reddish color and white. If you want the roof to have a tile color appearance the red is fine, but it also heats up more. The white is what you want for maximum heat resistance. But make sure it has “thermo”-properties and esferas ceramica.