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Need opinions on Chapala Haciendas


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5 hours ago, suegarn said:

ibarra, you should ask the homeowners in El Dorado about how bylaws need a vote of the residents to be changed 'legally'.  They'll tell you the horror story of their fight for the last 8 or 9 years!

Isn't El Dorado a condo and not a frac?

 

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We have also lived in the Haciendas for 9 years - we moved from Ajijic, could not take the noise and closed in feeling. It has always made me nuts when people that do NOT live in the Fracc. all of a sudden know all about it.  We do not want to live in a village and this Fracc was the closest we could get to the country feel. We have our break-ins just like the rest of the area nothing more. People need to use common sense when it comes to security and many do not, they leave doors or windows open, gates open, garage doors open. Our house was one of the first ones built back in the 70´s and yes we have had some cracks, but had some in Ajijic also. Fixed easily. When building, you need to use someone that knows what they are doing and not cutting corners with the foundation. We have some larger lots here than in the villages. We seem to be in the middle of a construction boom, many of our lots are being purchased and newer homes are being built. Actually, not to happy with that, but nothing we can do about it.  I would suggest speaking to people that actually live in the Fracc instead of ones that do not. We like it here, the quiet, the country feel, close to both Ajijic and Chapala centro. Good luck.

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Can someone name some fraccs. or condos that have not been robbed?  I can't think of any.  We lived from 2005 to 2010 in Chapala Haciendas until my Mom passed away and i just couldn't live there anymore with the memories.  We enjoyed it very much.  We have friends there now and they are happy still.  We were never robbed though I was attacked by a neighbor's dog ... but then so was my friend that lives in Ajijic and some friends of friends that live in Vista Allegre.  We moved to Los Sabinos and lived there until about a year and half ago.  There were squabbles among the board members (new and old) and some of the owners but you didn't have to participate which we didn't.  We were never robbed but the house we moved into had been robbed before we bought it.  Then when we left several many houses were robbed and this is a gated and guarded community supposedly.  All the problems being discussed are problems inherent in every area I know about here Lakeside ... except some of the areas don't have a homeowner's association.  So in those areas you have no recourse when there are holes in your street, loud neighbors, barking dogs, businesses moving in next door or across the street, quiet restaurants being turned into boom boxes that go all night long, etc. etc.  So, yes, get the property inspected, meet the neighbors, talk to the people in the office ... do your due diligence no matter where you decide to build or buy.  You already live here so you know it can be quite wonderful. 

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On 3/31/2019 at 5:02 AM, sputnik said:

Were thinking of buying lot in Chapala Haciendas.  Read their phamplet on Rules for building, regulations and behavior laws.  Question:  Seems so restrictive. Maybe its just me but it seems  like i would be living back in the U.S.  Do they really enforce all those rules?  If anyone lives there, please I would welcome your input.

Ray Cawthorne lives there and he is an excellent builder who has built a number of homes there.  Before signing on the lot, get in touch with him as he knows a lot about where the problem geology is.  He would be an excellent choice to build for you.

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2 hours ago, Mainecoons said:

Ray Cawthorne lives there and he is an excellent builder who has built a number of homes there.  Before signing on the lot, get in touch with him as he knows a lot about where the problem geology is.  He would be an excellent choice to build for you.

Maincoons, thank you so much for the help.  Gracias

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5 hours ago, Mainecoons said:

Ray Cawthorne lives there and he is an excellent builder who has built a number of homes there.  Before signing on the lot, get in touch with him as he knows a lot about where the problem geology is.  He would be an excellent choice to build for you.

Don't know about that, Ray sold his house in the frac a number of months ago and I believe his other place is rented.

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18 hours ago, johanson said:

Might this condo have many of the same type of rules that you would have in a frac?  I sure as heck don't know :) 

There are separate legal Constitutions for condominiums and fraccs.  Some areas within the documents are the same, however, you must have Bylaws for the type of development you live.  A condo project cannot operate with fracc Bylaws and so forth.  Where we live, an attorney presented us with condominium Bylaws and we are a Fraccionamiento..  We are now in the lengthy and somewhat expensive process of changing to the correct format so that the residents can vote to accept the proposed Amended Bylaws.  Fraccionamientos need Bylaws AND Rules and Regulations documents. 

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I live in Chapala Haciendas.  The ground does shift.  Security certainly is an issue in most communities. Admittedly, I had eliminated right off the bat when we started house hunting.

Actually, we picked here because of the larger lots, better prices and minimal amount of rules.  We hated the restrictive regulations in the US and some of the Fraccs here, however, this one is pretty loose and that was a draw for us, so I think if a freer lifestyle is what you prefer, you will have that here.    I think you can pretty much do what you want here.  My motto is to just be considerate of others, so I don't need rules to tell me that. 

It is certainly considerably quieter than anywhere else.  True that you cannot walk to shops, etc., but really how many people really do and do you walk to shop now or take your car even those the shopping is nearby?  The shopping is very close with the Monday market and Soriana and the multitude of shops in Chapala.  The atmosphere here is truly pretty serene and I am not sorry we selected this location.  I don't want to try to sell you on it. You must pick what feels right for you, but really do think seriously about the walking you think you are doing to do your errands.

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1 hour ago, WideSky said:

Don't know about that, Ray sold his house in the frac a number of months ago and I believe his other place is rented.

Yes he shifts around as he builds and sells but he is based there and knows the place really well.  He'd be the person I'd call first if I wanted to build there.

 

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For my 2 cents.....I have visited friends many times in  Chapala Haciendas and Brisa ...I like the "rural" atmosphere ....... Many are satisfied but with "Buts"...All fracs etc have "Buts"....the problem comes if those issues will be a "problem" to you.

A recommendation........go out to the lot early and late in the evening , linger awhile...if you have a warm and good feeling about , go for it.

My observations,....... too many dogs and frankly some homes are "mini Kennels". Also I would check with the office on how many delinquent  HOA owners are there . If there is a high percentage...... then the burden falls on the current owners to support the infrastructure.....Like many older Fraccs the development was too ambitious, the streets too wide and require lots of maintenance etc...Also security will always be problematic because the outside perimeter is open...much like many of the other fraccs in the area....the robbers do not come through the front gates...(well some do!!)

Take into consideration the other OP comments and take the appropriate decision ...good luck navigating through the real estate  minefield called Lakeside

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or my 2 cents.....I have visited friends many times in  Chapala Haciendas and Brisa ...I like the "rural" atmosphere ....... Many are satisfied but with "Buts"...All fracs etc have "Buts"....the problem comes if those issues will be a "problem" to you.

You show me one single location where there aren't some "buts." Yes, many are satisfied and many are not. This is true of wherever you go lakeside. It doesn't matter if you're living in the barrio or the top foo-foo spots, some folks will be unhappy. Some of the problems are real and some are just because...

A recommendation........go out to the lot early and late in the evening , linger awhile...if you have a warm and good feeling about , go for it.

Excellent idea! 

My observations,....... too many dogs and frankly some homes are "mini Kennels". Also I would check with the office on how many delinquent  HOA owners are there . If there is a high percentage...... then the burden falls on the current owners to support the infrastructure.....Like many older Fraccs the development was too ambitious, the streets too wide and require lots of maintenance etc...Also security will always be problematic because the outside perimeter is open...much like many of the other fraccs in the area....the robbers do not come through the front gates...(well some do!!)

While there are some "mini kennels," including our local wildlife protection folks (who do not cause problems ftr), this is not nearly the problem it once was and is definitely not the problem it is in many communities. Noise is being taken seriously. While parties do go on at night (weekends, big holidays), they don't go balls-to-the-wall all night long and are usually over at a reasonable hour. Most neighbors are considerate and if their dogs are going batty, they quiet them down. Like any neighborhood, the dogs are going to bark when strangers walk by, etc, etc.

I'm not saying that Chapala Haciendas is perfect, but it's a nice neighborhood that gives you a lot of bang for your buck. If you do your homework, you could have a very nice house at a very fair price. It's not for everyone, but no place is. 

Take into consideration the other OP comments and take the appropriate decision ...good luck navigating through the real estate  minefield called Lakeside

Amen to that!

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  • 5 months later...

Thank you all for your info and sage counsel.  I'm a single woman considering moving to CH.  I love nature, and have a horse.  I realize from reading and looking at homes there that I would need to put in a good security system.  I have a few questions and would so appreciate some input. 

How safe would it be for me to come home at say 9 at night by myself?  House I'm considering has a carport.

Is there a cohesive expat community in CH?  Or a cohesive community of expats and Mexicans who live there?

I like to walk, is it safe to walk/hike through the area during the day as a single woman with a dog (Rottweiler mix - but she's a real wimp!)

I am an avid swimmer and I know there's no pool.  There is the hotel close by with a pool.  Are they friendly and if anyone knows, possibly open to a non-guest swimming for a fee.

Thanks again, and maybe I'll be your neighbor!

Sarah

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1 hour ago, Mountainazalea said:

Thank you all for your info and sage counsel.  I'm a single woman considering moving to CH.  I love nature, and have a horse.  I realize from reading and looking at homes there that I would need to put in a good security system.  I have a few questions and would so appreciate some input. 

How safe would it be for me to come home at say 9 at night by myself?  House I'm considering has a carport.

Is there a cohesive expat community in CH?  Or a cohesive community of expats and Mexicans who live there?

I like to walk, is it safe to walk/hike through the area during the day as a single woman with a dog (Rottweiler mix - but she's a real wimp!)

I am an avid swimmer and I know there's no pool.  There is the hotel close by with a pool.  Are they friendly and if anyone knows, possibly open to a non-guest swimming for a fee.

Thanks again, and maybe I'll be your neighbor!

Sarah

Someone started a thread two days ago entitled Living in Chapala Haciendas  so maybe peruse that thread's answers.

 

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On 4/1/2019 at 1:05 AM, Wookie said:

Can someone name some fraccs. or condos that have not been robbed?  I can't think of any.  We lived from 2005 to 2010 in Chapala Haciendas until my Mom passed away and i just couldn't live there anymore with the memories.  We enjoyed it very much.  We have friends there now and they are happy still.  We were never robbed though I was attacked by a neighbor's dog ... but then so was my friend that lives in Ajijic and some friends of friends that live in Vista Allegre.  We moved to Los Sabinos and lived there until about a year and half ago.  There were squabbles among the board members (new and old) and some of the owners but you didn't have to participate which we didn't.  We were never robbed but the house we moved into had been robbed before we bought it.  Then when we left several many houses were robbed and this is a gated and guarded community supposedly.  All the problems being discussed are problems inherent in every area I know about here Lakeside ... except some of the areas don't have a homeowner's association.  So in those areas you have no recourse when there are holes in your street, loud neighbors, barking dogs, businesses moving in next door or across the street, quiet restaurants being turned into boom boxes that go all night long, etc. etc.  So, yes, get the property inspected, meet the neighbors, talk to the people in the office ... do your due diligence no matter where you decide to build or buy.  You already live here so you know it can be quite wonderful. 

 

I am writing from El Parque, and have lived here since they started building this condo/Frac 16 years ago. To the best of my knowledge there have never been any problems. We have six guards, two per shift and they patrol every hour on the hour, staggered. This goes on day and night, with a large patrol dog, called Lobo. There are 114 homes, while lighted streets, and very friendly people. Heated pool and clubhouse.

We are fenced in, and all visitors are questioned as to where they are going. Come and visit and see, we are located on the way to the "Little theater" across from Super Lake, mountain side.

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We looked at El Parque when we first came down 14 years ago.  We just don't prefer living that close and having so little privacy when on our terrace, etc.  I know that many people love it ... it is just a personal preference.  We wound up purchasing in Chapala Haciendas II, as I said and enjoyed the quiet and the space very much .... until we didn't.

 

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