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Here we go again!!


Willie

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I don´t know the guy in the article, but I see him walking almost daily around here in Chapala wearing the t-shirt he had on in one of the pictures, Retire Early Live the Lifestyle.   When I see someone wearing that slogan on their t-shirt day after day after day, I begin to wonder if they really truly are retired after all or are they still working.  He even wore long sleeve ones in the month of December he had made, no kidding.

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On 1/30/2020 at 1:21 AM, dichosalocura said:

300 US dollars a month for rent here in Chapala is not that unheard of.  But usually you will be getting a very small apartment or casita for that amount.

The article is extremely misleading.  There are a few last remnants of areas that have places renting for $300 a month in Chapala.   But that`s the only area left lakeside other than maybe San Juan -  not Riberas, not San Antonio, not La Floresta and certainly not Ajijic.  Good luck finding these places in Chapala.   These places have no "for rent" signs, they are not listed.  

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1 hour ago, bdmowers said:

The article is extremely misleading.  There are a few last remnants of areas that have places renting for $300 a month in Chapala.   But that`s the only area left lakeside other than maybe San Juan -  not Riberas, not San Antonio, not La Floresta and certainly not Ajijic.  Good luck finding these places in Chapala.   These places have no "for rent" signs, they are not listed.  

And they are dumps!

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1 hour ago, chapalence said:

And they are dumps!

Well, I think there are 2 or 3 possibly near the plaza which are alright  (last chance! today!)  But the others are rented low for a reason.    A friend rented one recently and leaned on a sink whereupon it fell to the ground.   And bring your rat traps.

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22 hours ago, Mostlylost said:

There are many $300US rentals available. It takes shoe leather and networking to find them. I know a 1BR house in San Antonio that was just rented for $4000MX per month. New paint, small patio & Garden in back, new electrical & bathroom fixtures. Did not come with stove or refrigerator. 

Oh, you know of one!  One does not, however, mean "many"!  

 

22 hours ago, dano1948 said:

Agree with you, lots of cheap places here in Chapala, have a friend pays $150 per month..One really needs Spanish or a friend that does...Mostly lost has it right!!...The caviat is, you get what you pay for..

"Lots of cheap places" ?  You personally know of "lots" of cheap places?  

The topic on hand here is the article announcing to potential retirees from places like Santa Cruz, California that there are $300/month rentals lakeside.  So the question is, how many of these are available to people new to the area from the US, could they find them and would they want to live in them?  I contend the answer to that is that there is an extremely small number of $300/month houses and apartments lakeside that someone from Santa Cruz, California would  1) be able to find (given they probably don`t speak Spanish, don`t have a clue to the culture and that these places are not listed), 2) even consider living in considering the shape they are in (notwithstanding MostlyLost's single contribution) and that they are usually in exclusively Spanish-speaking areas (excepting the few near the plaza in Chapala) and considering their size (singles, 1-bedrooms, small apartments).   

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15 hours ago, bdmowers said:

Oh, you know of one!  One does not, however, mean "many"!  

 

"Lots of cheap places" ?  You personally know of "lots" of cheap places?  

The topic on hand here is the article announcing to potential retirees from places like Santa Cruz, California that there are $300/month rentals lakeside.  So the question is, how many of these are available to people new to the area from the US, could they find them and would they want to live in them?  I contend the answer to that is that there is an extremely small number of $300/month houses and apartments lakeside that someone from Santa Cruz, California would  1) be able to find (given they probably don`t speak Spanish, don`t have a clue to the culture and that these places are not listed), 2) even consider living in considering the shape they are in (notwithstanding MostlyLost's single contribution) and that they are usually in exclusively Spanish-speaking areas (excepting the few near the plaza in Chapala) and considering their size (singles, 1-bedrooms, small apartments).   

I just gave one recent example that was far less than $300US 

I did not know it was a requirement to list a lot of examples to satisfy an irritating individual on this board. They are available.

Pay me to find them in Chapala or San Antonio & I will be happy to get you addresses. (I don't work cheap)

Or better yet don"t make snarky comments because of your lack of knowledge.

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1 hour ago, dano1948 said:

No, new, non Spanish speakers will not be able to find these on there own...They are still around, but most in undesirable areas, as in night time crime, etc. Another friend, just today rented a 1 bed 1 bath new, firnished apt, near the malecon...$450 includes everything...

Agreed.   Sounds like your friend found a nice place for what, at this moment, is a good price and in a nice area.  The prices changed 2 years ago.  Before that you could easily rent, as I did, a nice well-maintained 2 bedroom house with large planted yard for under $300 owned by an old family who doesn`t raise the rent.  The same size house around the corner just rented for $750USD.  Sign of the times.  The Chapala house owners are keyed into the gringos now, fixing up every piece of property they own and renting them for 3 or 4 times what they did only 2 years ago.  Can`t blame them, of course.  They`re taking advantage of the market and being able to give their children better food and a little higher education.  I fear, though, that old lovely, traditional Chapala is in for a gringo readjustment.   I will treasure the old ways and places for as long as I can.  

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13 minutes ago, dano1948 said:

Agree with all of that...Chapala starting to turn into a Ajijic...Construction projects are booming here....

Construction projects are booming all over desirable places in Central Mexico. This is what a developing economy does everywhere Worldwide. No need to reminisce about bygone days because it doesn't mean anything is wrong now. It is called progress and will continue until the economy dumps again. IMO

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1 hour ago, AlanMexicali said:

Construction projects are booming all over desirable places in Central Mexico. This is what a developing economy does everywhere Worldwide. No need to reminisce about bygone days because it doesn't mean anything is wrong now. It is called progress and will continue until the economy dumps again. IMO

Bang on! Never mind central  Mexico. I have never lived anywhere that hasn't changed including a town of 500 where I had my cabin.

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Don't underestimate the pressure caused by rapidly rising rents in the preferred areas of Guadalajara.  Nor the fact that rents have gone above U.S. levels in Ajijic.  It is pretty unlikely for a huge disparity between Ajijic and Chapala to remain given how Chapala is rapidly evolving into quite the upscale Mexican town thanks to heavy public investment and the proximity to the rapidly growing job base on Chapala highway south of the airport.  It was always a better than average Mexican town and now it is rapidly becoming a much better than average Mexican town.  Ajijic on the other hand suffers from governmental neglect and increasingly bad development that is ruining the unique semi-rural village character.

Today, I would buy in Chapala.  It and Riberas are the best investments IMO.  Riberas is also neglected by government but I'd expect that to change before long.

We've never regretted buying rather than renting here.  Despite a short respite during the now vanished RE glut, renters have had to deal with rising rents and having properties sold out from under them on a very regular basis.  I also don't regret buying an apartment for our sponsored ITESO students to live in Guadalajara.  The property I bought is appreciating at over 10 percent per year and rentals in the building have increased 25% in less than three years.  Jalisco in general is booming and is likely to continue to do so.

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New Mexico, many places in Arizona.  My brother pays $1000 for a newish 3BR plus den 2BA in east Phoenix. 

Something similar to what he has can easily rent for over $1500 in Ajijic and La Floresta.

Rio Grande Valley of Texas.  

Midwest would be cheaper than even these.  My wife's niece pays $700 for a 3BR 2BA in Nebraska.

Remember the houses here usually have no HVAC and can have pretty primitive wiring and plumbing.

However a 2BR one bath apartment in the building where we have our student apartment is now $700 per month for about 700 square feet in Ciudad de los Niños next to Chapalita.

 

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Kind of depends on your retirement lifestyle. Many people in Europe and Asia live what I call the "urban peasant" way. Don't have a lot of things to worry about getting stolen, they see their apartment as a safe place to sleep, easier to clean the better. Then they spend the bulk of their time outside their sleepy hole. Markets, coffee shops, sports and entertainment facilities, learning courses or maybe just sitting on a bench, getting warm in the sun, watching the parade of people, pets, birds, passby.

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