The Ultimate Fathers Day in Chelem

Where is in the world could you experience what we did in a few short hours with our local Mexican family? Since we moved from Delaware, Fathers Day, Mothers Day and similar holidays just haven't been the same, after all the kids are back home. Yesterday we had a marvelous day! We had the chance that many of the local gringo's don't get to experience. We have been so blessed that a local family has taken us in as theirs. These lovely people include us in everything, fiesta's, anniverseries, local cooking, child raising etc. They held surprise birthday parties for both Doug and I last year and all showed up with food and presents. The latest in a long list of great surprises was yesterday. Eduardo knew that we were missing our boys, Jake and Justin. He called us and wanted to take us a boat ride over in the lagoon. Sounded like fun and we had never been on a boat on that side. I took so many great pictures but it is never the same as the experience! Here are a few of my favorite shots. Remember that when you move to Mexico the most exciting and gratifying party is experiencing the local culture!


This is leaving the local harbor, it is right by the seafood store that I wrote about earlier
Captain Jose taking us off on our new adventure in Chelem


Part of our family, the girls are Eduardo's sister, Orsula, the baby, Yomara and his wife Marta

We hadn't been in the water 3 minutes when came across our first flock of pink flamingos. I am totally enamored with them, took about 10 pictures but will only subject you to one! Aren't they just gorgeous?

As soon as reached the other side of the Ria, about 5 minutes they took us on a trail that lead to a cenote. Look what was swimming in it! A sea turtle! Contrary to what they say about turtles this one was quick, I took a lot of pictures but even this one which was the best, I ended up cutting off his head. Oh well, you get the idea.

We jump in the boat again and head another minute or two away and this is what we see



We take a short walk and there are small palapas and piers for shade and swimming


Our Mexican family portrait. We all got in to cool off, clothes and all. The water was incredibly salty, if was hard to keep our feet on the sand. This is the area where the locals catch shrimp and crabs

Even Mama got in with her dress on. One of the things that I love about the Yucatecos is that they never leave the old or the young behind.
Yomara loved the water and was like a little fish!


As did her Papa and uncles, and don't forget Mama!
Of course by now we are thirsty, time to head over to a little lagoon front restaurant and have a few cold cervezas



Yomara is swinging while we enjoy free appetizers and cold beer
All to soon the day is over and it's time to head home, time to put my flip flops back on (thanks Deron) and get back to the real estate business. I'm totally recharged and invigorated. Just another day in the paradise that we call Chelem. I am so blessed to have both wonderful gringo and Mexican friends and family! Till next time, I'm just chillin in Chelem!

Another Work Week and a Great Party!

Sometimes we all have "one of those days." June 15th started out as one. We have found that many times when people visit Mexico they forget how to act. When you work with people anywhere in the world you never know what is going to happen. But when they leave their home and go somewhere else where no one knows them it's really different. Doug and I sell real estate for a living, it is our profession, our bread and butter and normally it's a great life.........Then you run into one or two people who make appointments and never show up, or they just show up without an appointment. It sort of throws a wrench in things. We schedule appointments so that we can dedicate as much time as our clients need to show them the area and see if it would be a fit for them. Buying a home is serious business and we treat it as such. Would you just stop by your doctor or realtor and expect them to see you back home? Would you make appointments and not bother to call and cancel? Of course not, ahhhh but this is Mexico! It's all different here, right?
The beginning of this week was just a mish-mash of people coming and going, trying to fit them in. Our car broke down while were with clients and Sean had to come and tow us home, how embarrassing! Thank goodness his wife Susan was kind enough to lend us her car until ours came home from the shop. In the midst of mass confusion, Robert comes over and asks us to have a surprise birthday for Patrick, within the next 4 1/2 hours. OMG! Talk about a community coming together! I made a few phone calls and alot emails with the help of the Martha Stewart of Chelem, Susan, and somehow we pulled it off. Patrick has to be everyones favorite person, he is so kind and so funny, we had to do something for him. Without his sparkling wit and love of people the Bull Pen would not be where it is today! And Robert, we are not forgetting you either, we know without you there wouldn't be lights, fans or yummy mixed drinks!


So this is the start, some food and a few decorations.....

Robert leading the unaware Patrick to his suprise party.


Look how cute he is! How can you not love this guy?

And the birthday kisses start, first a Susan kiss.
Then a Barbara kiss,

Next a Doug hug.
Ut Oh a cake.....we all know what that means here in Chelem, not so happy now are ya Patrick?



The crowd watches......... and waits....................

The candles are lit........

Another mordita! Yeah!!!!!!!! Strawberries are good for the skin aren't they?


All cleaned up Patrick and Star laugh it off.

This crowd needs something beside liquid nutrition,
Barbara and Jorge work on getting the food ready
Patrick is ready for a Tanqueray and tonic not food! After all it is his birthday!


Looking at the crowd we saw people from Utah, Texas, Nevada, Colorado, Arizona, Mexico, Delaware and Canada
And a couple of my favorites from the Village Idiot Pub, Sean and Susan, really from British Columbia

All in all it was a great time, spent with great people. The harried work week was forgotten with the company of good friends. I am always surprised at what a strong, good group of expats we have here. We are building a new community in another country and it is unlike any other in the area. We are here for each other, we understand good times and bad times, but what we understand the most is the value of friendship. It's not always easy, it's not always fun, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world!

Until next time, chillin' in Chelem

Shopping at the Local Fish Store in Chelem

If there is one thing that there is no shortage of along the Yucatan beaches it is good seafood! Doug and I eat fish and shrimp a couple of times a week. We have always depended on Eduardo my "adopted Mexican son," to provide us with the fresh catch of the day. While he is not a fisherman by trade, he knows all the secret spots and just brings over what we want. The other day we were talking to Sean and Susan and they turned us on to an incredible hidden treasure. It's a little seafood store off the beaten track that has everything! The owners name is Antonio and he has it all! Being originally from the eastern shore of Delaware I grew up eating what we called Maryland Blue Crabs, well guess what, they have them here to I guess here they are Chelem Blue Crabs. I haven't eaten them in years! Doug and Sean took off and here is what they found:

This is the sign in front of their house, you actually have to walk around the side yard and the seafood is in the back

Local people that are popping chivitas out of the shell. Chivitas is a local delicacy, that I haven't had any other place but here in the Yucatan. They are basically very small conch or whelk like animals, maybe Mexican escargot? They serve them as ceviche, mixed with lime juice, onion, tomato, cilantro and a tiny bit of hot pepper. You eat them on totopos, similiar to a Dorito. I love them!



The fish selection was unbelievable, I have been here so long that I mostly know the Spanish names for the fish but the English ones I remember are red snapper, grouper and hog fish. Believe me there are many more. Antonio will clean them and filete them for you or you can do it the Mexican way, gut them, put a couple of slashes on each side, rub in a little salt and fry them whole. Yes thats right whole, eyes, tails etc., that is called pescado frito. While at first it was a little frightening looking, I mean the fish is looking at you, it really is delicious!

Next, fresh stone crabs getting ready to go into the pot for those great crab claws!


And here's the pot.............



And finally my favorite..... Looks like the beginning a great crab feast to me!


Not only do they have fish and crabs but Antonio has fresh shrimp, octopus, calamari, anything that you can think of. It's not lobster season yet, but I'm sure that lobster will be available when it's legal! Just another reason to shop local! Support our local people! Until later, warm breezes and cold beers coming at ya, as well as a few crabs!

Steak Dinner in Merida

For those of you that have spent any time in Mexico you know that steaks aren't always up to the same standards as we are used to in the US and Canada. I have been disappointed so many times that I have just given up. I eat chicken, seafood and some pork. This isn't a big problem for me because in all honesty I could survive with no problem just eating fresh fruits, veggies and seafood. Now for Doug this is a major problem! He is definitely a carnivore! Everywhere we go he tries a steak and everytime he is totally not happy with his meat! It has gotten to be a joke between the two of us, we go out, I order shrimp, he says "I think I'll try the filet." I say, "you know it's going to be horrible," and he says "somewhere in Mexico there has got to be a good steak!" Well we finally found the place! One of my good friends that lives in Belize was in Merida for medical reasons. Now Jan is originally from the Houston area, she knows a good steak! She called us up and said we had to go out to dinner with her, she had found the best steak in Latin America. We jumped in the shower, hopped in the car and off we went........


The name of the restaurant is Buenos Aires City, Sean and Susan good friends of ours had just told us about the place and the time was right, we were salivating!

The sign out front made Doug smile, Certified Angus, yum!!!!!!

Full selection of liquor and wine, even better.

Beautiful grill and sparkling clean kitchen, it's getting better all the time!

We arrived early, Mexicans don't generally eat dinner until 8:00 or 9:00. We were there at 6:30, first guests to arrive.

We ate and drank on the outside verandah were they allow smoking. This is Doug and me, Jan with the short blonde hair and Teresita our bilingual social worker who helps with all doctors referrals, translations and anything we gringos need in the way of medical assistance.




Look at this food! Absolutely perfect! Steak like I haven't had in 6 1/2 years! We ate every morsel and considering licking the plate, but I was trying to act like I had a little class!

And for the grand finale there was a wonderful list of desserts, we were all too stuffed to eat but had to try one with four spoons, a delicious caramel mousse with a dark chocolate layer inside and lots of fancies on the outside.

Food like this may get me away from the beach more often! Chillin' in Chelem!

Buying Real Estate in the Yucatan, Mexico

There have been many articles written on this subject so I'm not going to belabor it, simply provide you with a few facts. Everyday I answer real estate clients questions on the buying process here and I thought it might be nice to have the answers all in one spot. Buying real estate in another country can be a nerve wracking experience, or it can be very easy depending on your attitude and the quality of help and guidance that you receive along the way. Remember that everyone has had a different experience and their perception may not be the same as yours.

Here in Mexico you may hear the term Notario, it has a very different meaning here than back home in Canada or the US. The Notary assumes the greatest responsibility in seeing that the government requirements are met. A Mexican attorney who has been practicing for at least ten years and meets the rigid qualifications required can finally be appointed as a notary. There are only 100 notarios here in the Yucatan, our "lawyer" is actually a notatio. It is important you know that in Mexico, a “Notario” has far more clout than a real estate lawyer. All “notarios” are lawyers, but not all lawyers are “notarios”!

Yes you can legally own property here, there are two ways of doing it, either through a fideocomiso or a Mexican Corporation. A corporation would apply only if you were purchasing multiple properties, opening a business or buying an extremely large piece of land. Normally people purchase through a fideo, this is a trust that is held by the bank, it gives you total rights to your home for 50 years, and is renewable on the 49th. With a fideo you can add on, knock it down and rebuild, rent, renovate, landscape, anything that you can do with your current home. There are many prices quoted for fideo's depending on the attorney you use. Our Notario charges $1300 for the process. The fideo has an annual fee that must be paid, price is depending on the size and location of your home, a good ballpark figure is $400 a year. In addition there are annual taxes that need to paid on your home, ours were $36 this year, we are one block back from the beach. If you live directly on the beach there are also beach assessments.

Speaking of the beach, there is a law called Decreto 801, this has to do with building a new property on beachfront lots, due to the environmental impact there are many restrictions in place now. Unless a beach property is zoned urban you may or may not be able to build on a lot that has never had a house on it. This law is very complex and I am not going to try to interpret it totally. Best to speak with a lawyer or architect on this one.

Most of our clients are on a limited time frame for buying a home, they have a week or less to see the area, meet local expats and see potential homes. We try to devote as much time as possible to ensure that they get a true feel for the area as well as finding out what they really want. Because of this we try to schedule all the time needed for our clients. Once they have found their "dream home," we call our Notario and set up an appointment, generally the next day. This appointment is to sign a contract that states the buying price, owners name and location. The owner is now responsible for getting our Notario all the documents needed to complete the purchase. Our Notario does a total check on all documents, including title search, payment of back taxes, electric and water bills. You then have 3 days from your return home to put 10% of the purchase price as well as the fideo fees in an escrow account that Mayan Living has set up in the USA. The closing process takes approximately 30- 45 days. If at that time all the paperwork has been proven free and clear you are responsible for the other 90%. On the other hand if there are any problems with the paperwork of your home your entire deposit is returned. Many times our new home owners can't return in that time frame to sign the closing papers. If that is your case we can have our attorney set you up with a limited power of attorney, this states that Doug or Sean may make real estate purchases in your name. It does not entitle them to sell any property for you, only buy it. It also allows them to board up your house at your request, in case of bad weather and call the police if someone is on your property that shouldn't be. The cost for power of attorney is $200.

Our services also include, showing you where to shop, where to buy furniture, how to pay utility bills, how to get your utilities hooked up, guidance to local area attractions, where to pay your taxes, referrals for laborers and local contractors. We have a crew that works for us, however their English is limited if you prefer someone else we will be happy to help you. We can also help with referrals for property managers. I wouldn't find it wise to leave my house back home unattended for 10-11 months a year, it is the same here.

Closing costs here are all paid by the buyer and normally run between $3500 - $4000.


Many times we hear clients or other expats say that they would prefer to buy property on their own and save paying the realtor fees. It is easier said than done, first off you need to be fluent in Spanish, secondly many of the owners of beach homes don't live here at the beach, next do you know how to go about the entire process without assistance, will you require assistance later? Do you really want the assistance of someone who has only lived here for a year or two and doesn't work daily in the business? There are many helpful people here in Chelem/Chuburna, many are retired, but not from Mexican Real Estate! Seek their opinions on where to eat, get your laundry done etc. Leave real estate purchase advice to the pro's for your own peace of mind.

Mayan Living Real Estate has been in business nearly 10 years and has a great reputation, there are many fly by night "realtors," out there, buyer beware. We purchased our first home with Mayan Living in 2002 and wouldn't consider working for them if there had been any glitches in our purchase. We are here at the beach for the rest of our lives and consider all of our clients to be new neighbors! All of that being said, we are the number one real estate company in the Yucatan for a reason, we don't just sell you a house we provide the guidance needed to live happily in Mexico. Doug has said numerous times that his number one priority is his reputation so when you see him the next time you are going to wave at him with all 5 fingers not just one!

Warm breezes and cold beers coming at ya from Chelem!