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What is life like living in the Raquet Club... Noise level, burglaries, barking dogs, loud speakers?


Lucky23

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What is life like living in the Raquet Club... Noise level, burglaries, barking dogs, loud speakers?

When we were remotely dreaming of moving here we were sure that upper Ajijic was where we wanted to purchase a home. But after a few days staying in a lovely B&B we are not so certain because of the incessant barking dogs all through the night and the loud speaker in the am. I know - you are in Mexico - but we are newbies from California and I truly did not really know.

So a great lake view is very important to us and the short drive to Ajijic looks manageable - so the Raquet Club is appealing to us.

I thought I would delve to the board for more input. We have read about the land slides and will do our best to not purchase anything in what looks to be an Arroyo's path. I also heard that neighbors do have parties and such. Also have reviewed the crime board.

Just looking for input. When we previewed a home in the Raquet Club it had a more peaceful quiet feel to it than we felt in Chula Vista or upper Ajijic.

Thanks folks for your two sense... Much appreciated...

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The Raquet fracc is very large, about 420 lots/houses. Most of the lots have great lake views.

Most of the area is "quiet" but like other places there are homes with "animals" (bad people) that could be problematic.

Remember no bad dogs but bad owners!! There is now a "dog park/walk" in the Fracc

Dollar for dollar the lot prices are the best in Lakeside. However because most lots are 1000mts the investment starts at 100,000usd so you would not want to build a "cracker box". Ther are some "reasonable priced" homes for sale.

The facilities are the best in the area. Like all "places" there are some issues. Some folks do not get sufficient water. Likewise there is an ongoing issue with the aerobic class wanting 90+ water and the swimmers 80+ water. The pool is the largest in the area and has thermal water. Hence the challenge to keep the temperature "right"

Yes, there are some very unhappy people living there, but for the most part, the others think they have found their "paradise"

Why not go up there drive around, go into the office and say you would like to see the pool etc. Check out its work out room, TV and book room , tennis courts and other amenities. Also many social actives. Better still check a realtor and get them to show you around

The Fracc fee for the year is 12,000pesos which includes water, trash pick up and security etc. From time to time there are other assessments etc.

Where ever you think you may to buy, pay a visit during different parts of the day and check for possible noises.

If you are not a village/townie person this area could be what you are looking for. Good Luck

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We love R.C. It is quiet, (where we are anyway) and secure and we feel the expanse; we do not feel choked in. WE have never had any issues with anything. It is true that the pool is a bit too warm for our liking--usually around 92 and we would prefer it at 86 for swimming. A group of aeorbics want it that way and they have it.

It is a nice commuinity and we enjoy the parties they organize every once in a while. It is a good time to buy (anywhere at the lake and elsewhere in the world). I have lived many places before around the lake and I would still chose R.C. for many other reasons too long to explain here.

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Overall I would say it is like an oasis of tranquility and beauty. Most houses have a good sized lot, streets are wide with no permanent parking allowed on them, great views, some barking dogs but very few strays, no vendors, and no loudspeakers. Occasionally a neighbour will have a loud party. Some people have water shortages but the Raquet Club is working on it. Having the swimming pool over 32° for the aquasize class means that there is usually not enough chlorine in it which, according to doctors, has led to some getting infections from swimming there. When they get a new board they may solve this problem.

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Better yet, see if you can find a rental in the Racquet Club and experience it for yourself before committing to buying there. I've heard both positives and negatives about it, and we considered buying there when we first looked for housing. We decided against it because of the distance to facilities we wanted. To others, that might not matter at all.

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This thread illustrates how important it is to get a good feel for the noise level and other irritations in areas that a newcomer is considering living in/buying in, before fully committing oneself. Residential locations in this area run the full gamut from very quiet to noisy beyond belief and all points in between. In general, areas that are ABOVE the carretera are going to have more noise than the same distances BELOW it because noise tends to travel stronger uphill. The closer you get to the plazas or the main churches in the villages, the more noise there will be.

Conversely, the further you get out in the "boonies" the quieter it may be but you will find yourself spending a lot of time in your car, bumping over topes, to get anywhere or buy anything. So there is a definite tradeoff between location convenience and tranquility.

As well, the further up the hillside you go, the more spectacular the views tend to be but, again, at the cost of having to drive over blocks of rough-as-hell cobblestone streets to get anywhere or buy anything.

Once you've decided what your priorities are: Tranquility and/or views vs. convenience; or vice versa, it becomes more straight forward to know where to look for your new home.

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Guest verchiel

Up in Rivera Alta in Ajijic it is very quiet with few barking dogs. Besides, wherever you land, you'll get used to the barking dogs over time. It's just part of the night music around here.

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No matter where you buy ask the Treasurer or Administrator for the last 5 years of Budget including any assessments.

Oh yes, that's a must anywhere there is a Board of Directors. After all let us consider what happened in El Dorado recently, we don't really know, and then there was the Chula Vista mess, which still has never been completely resolved.

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Better yet, see if you can find a rental in the Racquet Club and experience it for yourself before committing to buying there. I've heard both positives and negatives about it, and we considered buying there when we first looked for housing. We decided against it because of the distance to facilities we wanted. To others, that might not matter at all.

Could not agree more, I would suggest the same thing to anyone. It might be great while you're younger, but over time, and with age that drive is a nightmare. If anyone is interested in a rental in the Raquet Club please send me a P.M. I have two.

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Overall I would say it is like an oasis of tranquility and beauty. Most houses have a good sized lot, streets are wide with no permanent parking allowed on them, great views, some barking dogs but very few strays, no vendors, and no loudspeakers. Occasionally a neighbour will have a loud party. Some people have water shortages but the Raquet Club is working on it. Having the swimming pool over 32° for the aquasize class means that there is usually not enough chlorine in it which, according to doctors, has led to some getting infections from swimming there. When they get a new board they may solve this problem.

Why yes, and it looks like that should happen fairly soon. Oh, let's say within a month or sooner. One year at the absolute most since there is an election coming up.

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It's not a very smart idea to decide where--or whether--to buy here "after staying a few days in a lovely B&B." There is nothing wrong with the Raquet Club. On the other hand, there are several quiet, lovely communities closer to town with wonderful views of the lake, including Villa Nova and Rancho del Oro. Some neighborhoods/communities have problems.

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It's not a very smart idea to decide where--or whether--to buy here "after staying a few days in a lovely B&B." There is nothing wrong with the Raquet Club. On the other hand, there are several quiet, lovely communities closer to town with wonderful views of the lake, including Villa Nova and Rancho del Oro. Some neighborhoods/communities have problems.

I love Villa Nova as well, in fact have just bought a lovely condo in las Almendras. So close to town and within staggering distance of quite a few of my favorite restaurants.

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/quote --- Conversely, the further you get out in the "boonies" the quieter it may be but you will find yourself spending a lot of time in your car, bumping over topes, to get anywhere or buy anything. So there is a definite tradeoff between location convenience and tranquility.quote/

Maincoons -- The "boonies"? :blink: You are talking 15 minutes to Ajijic and 15 minutes drive to Joco where the shopping for meat and vegis is a lot more interesting. I don't know where you used to live before coming to the lake but where I come from, I had to drive 25 minutes through the traffic to the closest store and I lived in town.

It is good there is a choice in life . . . everyone their own!!! I consider myself young and I am not afraid of using my car (yet).

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We've lived in the Raquet Club for over 13 years and have never had problems with insufficient water, although there are some homes that have issues, which may be resolved with the planned re-work of the storage system and the distribution pipes, for which there is money in the bank from the well assessment. The Raquet Club has lots of water, but insufficient storage at present, and lots of older water lines that will be replaced. The dues compare favorably with many other fraccs. with fewer facilities.

Noise levels depend on whether neighbors have barking dogs. Apart from the dogs, horses, cows, burros and parties in the village, from time to time, we find it generally very quiet. The facilities in the Raquet Club are unrivaled Lakeside and there are lots of activities, including a New Year's Eve party at the Clubhouse each year. If driving to Ajijic or Jocotepec becomes a nightmare with age, I am not sure how walking the sidewalks of Ajijic would be described? I find, as I age, I am better able to drive than walk the cobblestones and the uneven pavement of the sidewalks in Ajijic can be very challenging after dark. Mobility issues may affect most of us as we age, but I do not think that driving necessarily becomes harder than walking. We tend to be through or in Ajijic every day for some activity, so we find we are very seldom forced to drive just to pick up something. Remember that it is only a 7 km. drive to the center of Ajijic.

There are some unhappy people in the Raquet Club, as there everywhere, just don't let them get you down.

But, to each his own. The best idea is certainly to rent for a time to test the water, no matter where you think you might want to live.

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There is always going to be the debate between renting and buying, but for me to spend 2 years renting means that i would have wated up to $30,000 I cold have put to a house, although I have lived here a while and I guess I know the areas here.

That $30,000 may not be a waste if you consider the cost of making a mistake and finding you can't bail out for what you have put into a house you bought. There are many costs involved in buying and selling.

I have just experienced this, having finally closed on a house in another city and dropped mucho dinero in the process. Wished I would have rented instead. Expensive lesson.

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All this discussion with our opinions on RC, Ajijic, Chapala or anywhere you choose to live is irrelevant. It is, in the end, your choice. The RC probably has many positives, and many negatives, but my positive and negative is not yours.

Best suggestion: go there, look around, come down and rent there for even just s few months, then make a decision. You can get out of a rental a lot easier than selling a house.

As one who just moved here, if I'd have listened to people here on the board, read the nice ads from the real estate agencies and made a decision after week's stay in a a B&B to lay out $200K - $400K USD, I'd be really sad. I rent now, I have a one year + one year lease option. I am learning every day where I could and would maybe like to live permanently. The experience of being here, learning the locations and such is NOT something one can do in a nice week at a B&B. If it were, we'd be stuck in an absolutely beautiful house we found, which would in the end have been really wrong for us.

Remember it is you, not anyone else, who needs to make this decision, it is a VERY VERY BIG ONE, Don't rush it!

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All this discussion with our opinions on RC, Ajijic, Chapala or anywhere you choose to live is irrelevant. It is, in the end, your choice. The RC probably has many positives, and many negatives, but my positive and negative is not yours.

Best suggestion: go there, look around, come down and rent there for even just s few months, then make a decision. You can get out of a rental a lot easier than selling a house.

As one who just moved here, if I'd have listened to people here on the board, read the nice ads from the real estate agencies and made a decision after week's stay in a a B&B to lay out $200K - $400K USD, I'd be really sad. I rent now, I have a one year + one year lease option. I am learning every day where I could and would maybe like to live permanently. The experience of being here, learning the locations and such is NOT something one can do in a nice week at a B&B. If it were, we'd be stuck in an absolutely beautiful house we found, which would in the end have been really wrong for us.

Remember it is you, not anyone else, who needs to make this decision, it is a VERY VERY BIG ONE, Don't rush it!

Excellent advice.

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If you are considering RC and obviously don't mind the drive to and from...............you may want to check out Chapala Haciendas.

We love it here - quiet, nice size properties, great neighbors, a good community. CH has it's own well so water is superior to most places Lakeside - we've been told this by a water expert here.

You are 5 minutes to Sorianna, 8 minutes to Walmart ...............and 20 mins from Guad airport. We find the location to be perfect - close enough to all ammenities but far enought away from the noises of the village and Chapala.

Wouldn't live anywhere else, but that is us................just our 2 cents worth!

Good luck.

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