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My wife and I plan to visit the Lake Chapala area this November. Our objective is to determine if Lake Chapala is where we want to live when we move to Mexico next spring. Should we ask a realtor to show us some rental properties or would it be too soon? How do realtors get compensated for finding rentors?

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Yes but don't expect to see much as you are looking at the beginning of high season when the available rentals are fewer.  You might want to post here the outline of what you are looking for, particularly size, location and price and see what people send you.

 

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Using a rental agent when you first move here can be useful, especially if your Spanish is not good. When you run into a problem (plumbing, electrical, whatever), one phone call takes care of the problem and you are using vetted workers.

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Agents are paid one month's rent by the owner when a one year lease is signed and that is split with the real estate company. There is little money to be made by agents handling rentals, especially low end rentals, which is why most of the agency rentals are mid to upper price homes. It is not because the prices are higher than for a similar home not using an agency. If that was true rental agencies would not exist. If you are looking for a low end home where you will be expected to take care of most maintenance and repair issues then finding a Mexican landlord is the way to go. Of course, there may be some exceptions if you have the time, patience, knowledge and ability to find them.

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In helping a friend find a rental we discovered there are many, many rentals right now. I don't know much about Ajijic other than my friend and us would never want to live there. Renting from a Mexican landlord will save you at least 40%. Pay in pesos, not U.S. dollars - any contract in U.S. Dollars, which fluctuates every month, will be illegal. As per the Mexican Constitution (believe it or not). It is also a form of money laundering, illegal in Mexico, the U.S. and now Canada. As you get towards Jocotepec and west Chapala, prices drop another 20 to 30 %. It depends on your lifestyle. Do you like rural, with possibility of a big garden, some goats and burros, or do you prefer lock it up, walk away condominium style.? We saw a really nice condo, a quarter mile from the Jocotepec malecon (which is the prettiest and cleanest around), a group of five or six condos, with swimming pool and common garden, 3 bd., 2 baths, good security, private garage, beautifully furnished, constructed 2012 - asking rent was $400 U.S. per month, and it has been on the market for 3 months. The Mexican owner has other properties as well.

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That contract can be ripped up at any time - it is a useless piece of paper. If it goes to court in Chapala, the first thing the judge will ask for copies of the electronic facturas for the entire rental period. All furnished rentals must pay 16% I.V.A. - that is the law. The electronic factura is proof that the tax was actually entered into the government coffers. Now, in places like Puerto Vallarta, they are actively enforcing the 3% tourism tax as well. If a tenant asks for the electronic factura, and the landlord does not/cannot supply it, the tenant can with hold rent until all facturas are produced. If a rental is over five years, it must be registered in Guadalajara.

So if you want to live under the illusion that you are protected in some way by a lease, pay U.S.$ and no tax. If you want a lease to protect you (both landlord and tenant) make sure you get you facts straight and get an attorney to draw up the lease - in Spanish, with English translation.

The reason the currency variation law turned up in the Mexican Constitution was to protect Mexico from signing deals in a foreign currency, which could then be manipulated to the detriment of Mexico.

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Well - landlords always ask high, and in U.S.$ - then negotiations start from there. Of course landlords can rent in U.S$ and under the table - but if that tenant decides to leave, there is nothing they can do about it. Best for renters to consider this type of rental as temporary, until they can find something more suitable, or go back to wherever they came from, or to another part of Mexico, or the world.

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3 hours ago, CHILLIN said:

In helping a friend find a rental we discovered there are many, many rentals right now. I don't know much about Ajijic other than my friend and us would never want to live there. Renting from a Mexican landlord will save you at least 40%. Pay in pesos, not U.S. dollars - any contract in U.S. Dollars, which fluctuates every month, will be illegal. As per the Mexican Constitution (believe it or not). It is also a form of money laundering, illegal in Mexico, the U.S. and now Canada. As you get towards Jocotepec and west Chapala, prices drop another 20 to 30 %. It depends on your lifestyle. Do you like rural, with possibility of a big garden, some goats and burros, or do you prefer lock it up, walk away condominium style.? We saw a really nice condo, a quarter mile from the Jocotepec malecon (which is the prettiest and cleanest around), a group of five or six condos, with swimming pool and common garden, 3 bd., 2 baths, good security, private garage, beautifully furnished, constructed 2012 - asking rent was $400 U.S. per month, and it has been on the market for 3 months. The Mexican owner has other properties as well.

The Joco condo you describe sounds too good to be true at that price......why is it not rented already?

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1 hour ago, CHILLIN said:

Well - landlords always ask high, and in U.S.$ - then negotiations start from there. Of course landlords can rent in U.S$ and under the table - but if that tenant decides to leave, there is nothing they can do about it. Best for renters to consider this type of rental as temporary, until they can find something more suitable, or go back to wherever they came from, or to another part of Mexico, or the world.

Well....   :D

 

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10 hours ago, wili1943 said:

My wife and I plan to visit the Lake Chapala area this November. Our objective is to determine if Lake Chapala is where we want to live when we move to Mexico next spring. Should we ask a realtor to show us some rental properties or would it be too soon? How do realtors get compensated for finding rentors?

Don't let all these people scare you about legal contracts. Seriously, just come down in November and hang out for as long as you can stay. Talk to as many people as you can about living here. It is too soon to go touring rentals and I don't think any rental agents would take the time for "lookie loos." It I should not like the U.S. where one agent can show you all the rentals. Each office only rents their own listings. You have to go to each individual office. Google Lake Chapala rentals and you will see the agencies and their individual listings of what is out there for the money. When you first arrive it will most likely be easier to use an agency rental for you first home. After living here you may be able to find the cheaper Mexican landlords. When here go to LCS (Lake Chapala Society) and look at the bulletin board there as well as Superlake, El Torito, not sure if Walmart still has rentals on theirs. Should you decide this is the place for you then make the move and stay in a B&B such as Ajijic Suites where there is a small kitchenette then go out and find a place to rent. You can make some friends while you are here that may be able to look at rental homes for you before your move and send  photos. You may just rent a place sight unseen. If you get here and don't like it they cannot hold you to a lease like In the States. Just find somewhere you do like and move. You may loose your deposit if you break a lease, but that is all. Usually a months rent. 

Beat of luck

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Joyfull gave you good advice.  Most renters find something they are satisfied with if they take their time in the looking process.  IMO, all the lakeside  areas have something good going for them; depends on what appeals to you.  Good luck and welcome.

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Most Mexicans, and many Nortenos, do not like condos, homeowner associations. Gated communities and fraccs. seem to do a little better - I don't know why. I thought that maybe the condo fees were high, but the owner/developer says no - they are included. Here is the original listing, but you will have to contact him for more details and better pictures. Very nice units. My friend in Jocotepec uses a golf cart to get around, many other gringos do the same. Even Roca Azul is golf cart accessible by way of a back road. She says there are about 100 gringos living in Jocotepec as this time - but they seem to be increasing.

Here is the original listing ( I am not trying to sell anything, just wanted the original poster and Joyfull to know what is out there):

From Mod5

I am sorry I had to delete this link. Your intentions were good, but by doing so you violated the rules about posting links to rental property You could sent the link via message if like

 

 

Edited by moderator5
Rule violation
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1 hour ago, CHILLIN said:

Apologies Mod5. If anyone wants this listing, PM me. Most rentals in Jocotepec, especially for English only speakers, are by word of mouth.

Tried to PM you, but it says that you can't receive PMs.  Please send me the listing information about the condo.  Thank you.

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Wili. another option is to work with someone who is not a realtor but who specializes in services for people who are settling, or thinking of settling, Lakeside.  I "met" two on Facebook and can get contact information, if you would like me to send you a private message.  I assume you compensate them for their time in some way. 

 

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On 6/25/2017 at 5:42 AM, JayBearII said:

Using a rental agent when you first move here can be useful, especially if your Spanish is not good. When you run into a problem (plumbing, electrical, whatever), one phone call takes care of the problem and you are using vetted workers.

I'm not sure what you mean. I always thought that renting means that the landlord takes care of problems (plumbing, electrical, whatever). Do most rental agreements in Mexico require the rentor take care of most problems? If so, how does the rentor know when the owner pays to fix a bigger problem?

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On 6/25/2017 at 7:27 AM, CHILLIN said:

In helping a friend find a rental we discovered there are many, many rentals right now. I don't know much about Ajijic other than my friend and us would never want to live there. Renting from a Mexican landlord will save you at least 40%. Pay in pesos, not U.S. dollars - any contract in U.S. Dollars, which fluctuates every month, will be illegal. As per the Mexican Constitution (believe it or not). It is also a form of money laundering, illegal in Mexico, the U.S. and now Canada. As you get towards Jocotepec and west Chapala, prices drop another 20 to 30 %. It depends on your lifestyle. Do you like rural, with possibility of a big garden, some goats and burros, or do you prefer lock it up, walk away condominium style.? We saw a really nice condo, a quarter mile from the Jocotepec malecon (which is the prettiest and cleanest around), a group of five or six condos, with swimming pool and common garden, 3 bd., 2 baths, good security, private garage, beautifully furnished, constructed 2012 - asking rent was $400 U.S. per month, and it has been on the market for 3 months. The Mexican owner has other properties as well.

Thanks for the instruction. As our Spanish is zero, we'll have to use an agent for our first place, then once we're there, look for a better deal. We're not bringing a lot of stuff, so it will be easy to move. We hope to find a small, easy to maintain 2 bedroom 2 bath with a swimming pool and a courtyard for a container garden. The condos you described sound perfect, but too good to be true? I'll definitely try to locate them. Thanks again.

 

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On 6/25/2017 at 10:54 AM, Joyfull said:

Don't let all these people scare you about legal contracts. Seriously, just come down in November and hang out for as long as you can stay. Talk to as many people as you can about living here. It is too soon to go touring rentals and I don't think any rental agents would take the time for "lookie loos." It I should not like the U.S. where one agent can show you all the rentals. Each office only rents their own listings. You have to go to each individual office. Google Lake Chapala rentals and you will see the agencies and their individual listings of what is out there for the money. When you first arrive it will most likely be easier to use an agency rental for you first home. After living here you may be able to find the cheaper Mexican landlords. When here go to LCS (Lake Chapala Society) and look at the bulletin board there as well as Superlake, El Torito, not sure if Walmart still has rentals on theirs. Should you decide this is the place for you then make the move and stay in a B&B such as Ajijic Suites where there is a small kitchenette then go out and find a place to rent. You can make some friends while you are here that may be able to look at rental homes for you before your move and send  photos. You may just rent a place sight unseen. If you get here and don't like it they cannot hold you to a lease like In the States. Just find somewhere you do like and move. You may loose your deposit if you break a lease, but that is all. Usually a months rent. 

Beat of luck

I think you're absolutely correct. We'll keep researching between now and November, then pretty much follow your suggestions. Thanks for taking the time to write.

 

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