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Beware Puerta Arroyo


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9 hours ago, Ferret said:

So, if the buyers don't ask the right questions, they're SOL? PUH LEEZE! Considering that most real estate agents develop a client base that is populated by referrals for a job well done, then I'd say that SOL works both directions.

It's too late tonight, but I'm going to post a list of things that potential renters and/or buyers should ask. And, they should get the answers written and signed and dated by the agent.

Wonderful idea.  Too many "newbies" have no idea of the differences in how things work in Mexico as compared to how it is NOB.  A list of questions would be very helpful.

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26 minutes ago, barcelonaman said:

If anybody, newbie or not ,needs to be given a list of questions to ask real estate agents they really shouldnt be leaving their home country.

Or even consider buying and maintaining a house anywhere.  It is kind of like driving a car without knowing how to change a tire, or ever checking your tail lights, etc.

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I'm laughing my head off! After 21 years here, there are still things that I'm learning. Admit it guys, common sense is in short supply these days and especially when nothing is regulated or checked. I asked my granddaughters where water comes from... their answer "The tap".  At least I won't have to include information on sump pumps in the list. ;) or what do to when it fails :rolleyes:

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1 hour ago, barcelonaman said:

If anybody, newbie or not ,needs to be given a list of questions to ask real estate agents they really shouldnt be leaving their home country.

What ever happened to common sense?

"There is nothing more uncommon than common sense." - Frank Lloyd Wright

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1 hour ago, barcelonaman said:

If anybody, newbie or not ,needs to be given a list of questions to ask real estate agents they really shouldnt be leaving their home country.

What ever happened to common sense?

I think that's harsh.  Nearly everybody arrives here with a load of ignorance and no amount of "common sense" is going to cover everything.  Some things that go on do not align themselves with either Logic or common sense. 

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I don't really think I'm short of common sense, but after 3+ years here I find there are lots of things I just plain never thought of asking about. I for one  think that a list of things to ask about or a reminder of what's important would be very beneficial to lots of folks.

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Everybody makes rookie errors.  Part of life.  Even veteran errors are a part of life.

In 2008 we bought a complete rebuild in the village, it never had a phone line.  Late in the process we heard that TelMex was taking up to 6 months for a new line.  Uh oh.  The day after settling/closing on the house, we went to TelMex.  They came out the very next day and installed our line and gave us our phone number.

In 2017 we bought an existing home in the village.  Late in the process, the long-term tenants (who have a business) asked if they could take the phone number with them.  We didn't want to be jerks, so we said OK.  Again the 'word' was that TelMex was taking up to 6 months for a new number. Uh oh.  The day of settling/closing on the house, we stopped at TelMex.  They gave us the contract and our new phone number on the spot and they guy came to the house the next day for the install. 

As far as RV's comment on driving a car without knowing how to change a tire: I learned how to change a tire almost 50 years ago, used that knowledge a few times in my younger days.  No way I would consider changing one now...should I give up driving??  

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Chuckle on changing a tire:  Know how, but never considered trying to do that and fortunately, never have been unlucky enough to need to.

Rookie errors:  Big glaring one buying a new house in SMA back in 2004.  The builder was SUCH a nice gringo guy that he let us move in and rent before the escrow closing.  Comes the closing, and he announced that the "official" sales price would be less than half of what we were actually paying. We were very uneasy about that, but what to do?  What would happen? We found out when we sold, three years later.  


Clever minds have dreamed up more shenanigans related to real estate that the normal buyer can imagine.  That's without going into un-permitted lot splits, illegal height limits, zoning violations, and the myriad illegal hook ups that surround us all in this quaint environment.  Welcome to the hood and yes, our newbies need all the breaks they can get, up to and including a list of questions.

Let's have mercy !

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Okay, so here's a start to a list of things to check when renting or buying. Please feel free to comment on additions or deletions. And please remember that you were once a newbie here. Be kind. If you don't understand something on the list then it is something that you need to further check on.

Heads Up for Buyers and Renters: There are no building codes or inspections done here. Anyone can build a house with the correct permits to build. So, check the reputation of the builder and arrive with 1) a marble or golf ball 2) a surge protector that has a light that shows “grounded” 3) a laptop or iPad to check the speed of the existing modem.

Water: Municipal? Well? Quality? How often? Metered? Aljibe? Pressurized? Submersible pump? Tinaco? Both? When last cleaned? Purification system? Softener?

Electrical: Grounded (check every outlet with surge protector)? Frequency of power failures? Length of power failures? Voltage regulation and surge protection? Check previous bills.

Roof: Waterproofed (impermiabilizante)? When? With what? Does roof slope correctly to drain pipes (use marble or golf ball)?

Telephone/Internet: Is there already a landline with Telmex? If not, length of time to installation? If there is already a modem hooked up, take your laptop, connect and check the speed. If no modem, then talk to neighbours about speed. Invest in an old fashioned phone from Walmart… you can’t report power failure if your phone requires electricity.

Septic system or Sewer: If a septic system, when was it last pumped out? Where is the access lid in case of need of future pumpings? Talk to neighbours about what happens in the rainy season.

Drainage: Are there drain pipes from the roof? Is there drainage away from the house? Is there drainage from interior open patios or exterior patios? Again, check slope direction with marble or golf ball

Propane Tank: Location? Age? Check previous usage bills.

Check for salitre on walls and on those lovely boveda ceilings. Be warned!

Are there screens on the windows? Does the security on the house meet your standards?

Talk to the neighbours about “Eventos” or “Tallers” or Restaurants with music in the area. ALL can be NOISY

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3 hours ago, Ferret said:

That's one of those things that, if they don't recognize the term, they need to research further. ;)

Check this out for the answer when I googled "salitre?"  Chuckle.:huh:

https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AwrSbmZ3bJhayxcAMGZXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEyNDhkZGo1BGNvbG8DZ3ExBHBvcwMxMAR2dGlkA1VJQzFfMQRzZWMDc3I-?qid=20070528143024AAWvQLu&p=salitre in english

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39 minutes ago, AngusMactavish said:

It would have been completely different had you actually used Google. They would never direct you to a Yahoo answer site.

I did use Google, but this was the funniest of the group offered, and none of them described what we locals call "salitre".  ( This is going into forum No Man's Land.  Adios)

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Thanks Al Berca. In my experience, salitre (in Mexico) is like efflorescence on steroids. YMMV.

It would have been much easier to use the search function at the top of this forum. You would have gotten 124 results for salitre.

p.s. probably not a good idea to look up Telmex... your computer may not have enough RAM for the results. ;)

 

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When buying a house here and the house does not have a phone line I would make the closing dependent on the house having an active phone line before closing. That way the builder, owner or real estate agent all have a vested interest in getting it done. You won’t have to do the leg work and aggravation. After buying our home without a phone line, I suggested to a new neighbor who was thinking about buying a new built home in our community to do this. It worked. 

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17 minutes ago, ned small said:

Your hero Frank Wright is a plagiarist who slightly retooled the original by Voltaire in 1764, " common sense is not so common.".

Not bloody. He never said he said it. Everyone else seems to think he said it; we call that a misattribution. it is actually attributed to Thomas Chalmers, not Voltaire, who wasn't born in 1764.

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2 minutes ago, ComputerGuy said:

Not bloody. He never said he said it. Everyone else seems to think he said it; we call that a misattribution. it is actually attributed to Thomas Chalmers, not Voltaire, who wasn't born in 1764.

Voltaire was born in 1694 and is attributed with the statement about common sense in the year 1764.

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First off, thomas Chalmers was not born until after 1764, which is what my statement was meant to convey. Rules of grammatical structure stipulate that if you take away the phrase that lies between the commas, you will become apprised of the subject in the sentence.

In any case, Wright did not say the original quote which you so joyously accused him of plaguerizing from Voltaire. And I hasten to add that Chalmers is no longer around to defend himself from your scurrilous accusation that he would have.

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