Bacalar, Mexico - want to own there?

Here’s a quick update for you on my husband’s Los Flamboyanes Bacalar project in case you are thinking of owning property in Mexico.

Have you seen the site http://www.losflamboyanesbacalar.com/ since they marked the Sold/reserved lots? Their office has been working with clients from all over the USA, Canada, and Mexico and it has been amazing to see the different points of view people have during this time.

Many people see this as a time of great opportunity; others get scared of the future and become paralyzed. I can totally understand how this can happen. We were recently in Florida and it was shocking the amount of bad news on the radio, TV, and bill boards, basically you were bombarded with the negative side of every possible situation – it can be hard to think differently.

Moving forward into the unknown future can be difficult but those who keep their focus are the winners. I know for sure tomorrow will come, and then the day will come that we will want to move or even retire and have an easy life in a beautiful location where we can afford to live a great lifestyle. We’ll be in Bacalar.

If we live life looking for the positive side wherever we can find it we will have a clear point of view that will ultimately lead us to the goal we are looking for. What is your goal? The actions we take today are going to ensure we achieve those goals tomorrow.

Have a look at the site. They have done a great job.

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com/.

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit http://www.liveyourdreamscoaching.com/.

Day of the Dead in Mexico

A friend sent me this and I thought you would enjoy it. I have never lived anywhere in Mexico where they actually practice this tradition, at least not that I was aware of . . . . . .

On November 1st we celebrate day of the dead in Mexico, a tradition that seems to be mostly lost or modernized in the big cities of Mexico. Lucky for me though, there are many, many tiny towns where old traditions and even prehispanic languages are still preserved. So on Saturday night I went with a couple friends to a town called Cucuchucho (yes that is spelled right...) near Morelia, to see the real tradition.

We went to the graveyard where the families had decorated the tombs of their deceased family members with a traditional orange flower called Zempazuchil and candles. They leave food offering so that the souls will have food and candles so they have light to guide them. They put up wooden frames and cover them with the orange flowers (some even have creative shapes) which are believed to be the door for the soul to come though at midnight and the whole family stays by the grave all night (even the kids) chatting and eating.

It was a beautiful thing to experience, there was such a different energy there then one would imagine for a grave yard. There were kids running around asking for money to buy a sugar skull (which is a Mexican version of trick or treating, but now with the north American influence they are happy if you give them candy too). So we went to the town and found an open store to buy some candy to give them.

On the way back we went to the main town square and had corundas for dinner (a Mexican food that is like a corn bread wrapped in banana leaves and served with cream and salsa verde). The girl that served us told us all about the traditions and the town festivals, she said they had a party for something or another almost every week so we should go back there as often as we can to see their different customs.

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick

Live your Dreams Life Coach

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com/.

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit http://www.liveyourdreamscoaching.com/.

Mexico Sunshine

Well after about three weeks of rain the sun seems to be back out in Playa del Carmen! I don’t remember seeing much sunshine at all during those weeks.

I found something interesting out when the sun returned. My spirits lifted and I felt even better then my usual cheerful self. Now, you think I would have remembered this effect as I grew up in and around Vancouver, B.C. and there can be quite a few raining days there. People would get really depressed with the lack of sunshine for so many days in a row. Even I would spend every day I was home with the light on in my house to counter balance the lack of sun. I called it artificial sunshine.

Now I live in this beautiful tropical climate where the majority of my days are sunny and I had not even thought of that for a long time. It is interesting the difference the sun can make in our moods. I bet everyone in Playa starts to have better days now.

What’s another bonus to the sunshine being back? I can now do my laundry and hang it out on the line to dry without the experience of natures second rinse cycle on it.

Also, the heavy humidity seems to be gone. No wonder they say this is the start of high season.

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com/.

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit http://www.liveyourdreamscoaching.com/.

Mexico credit and the economy

My husband recently wrote about this and I wanted to share it with you as I too, as a foreigner living in Mexico, get many questions on this.

From: Shawn Bandick, One Stop Real Estate

Many people think because of the shifting in the market in the USA that the Mexican Real Estate market must also be flat. This is not so. They also assume if there’s a credit melt down in their area it will happen in Mexico as well. That’s not going to happen either. How can I be so sure? It’s easy, Mexico is not a credit driven economy. Most Mexicans don’t have a credit card, at best they have a debit card, and this way they are only spending the money they have.

Currently most Mexicans don’t have mortgages on their homes. Yes it might be a modest home but they built it as they had the income and they never paid the huge mortgage payments. Only in the last few years have mortgages been available and only if you could put about 20 to 30% down. That’s a very healthy no risk position for the bank. In a nut shell credit is so new to Mexico that the economy doesn’t rely upon it; therefore you will not find a credit crunch in Mexico.

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com/.

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit http://www.liveyourdreamscoaching.com/.

Mexico and movie theatres

I love going to the movies in Mexico! Yes, we can even see them in English. In fact, most of the movies are in English with Spanish subtitles as they usually only dub the kids movies. It is funny though to go to a kid’s movie and hear characters you know well speak in a different language with a different voice.

The theaters in Mexico are excellent and the seating is well tiered so no one ever has their head in your way. It costs about the equivalent of $4.50 US and you get in for only $3.00 on weekends before 3:00 and one day of the week the price is reduced all day.

Even popcorn and snacks seem reasonable. You can get regular popcorn, enchilada popcorn, caramel popcorn and in some cinemas, light popcorn. You can even mix up the popcorn! Plus where else can you get red salsa to top off your popcorn?

So the next time you are in Mexico – where are you going to go? The Movies! I knew it. It is a worthwhile treat. It is also a great air conditioned place to hang out when it is hot. There are just so many benefits to living in Mexico .....

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com/.

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit http://www.liveyourdreamscoaching.com/.

Mexico cost of living

Many people enquire on the cost of living in Mexico. Here is what we find ….

Our family moved to Playa del Carmen from Canada and we currently live for a little more than half of what it would cost us to live in Canada. We have friends who are retired and live here on much less than we do as we have two teenagers still in school and we pay for their schooling every month.

My husband, Shawn, constantly hears clients complain about the high property taxes they have to pay where they live. Our property taxes are less than 200 USD per year and I don’t know anyone here that pays even 500 dollars taxes per year. We also find that most food costs less and eating out is less expensive.

Remember that all this is even with the fact that we live in a very popular beach town. With inland Mexico the costs will be even less. As I have mentioned before, Merida, another beautiful city only about 4 hours away, costs even less to live in.

Yet another reason to appreciate Mexico.

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com/.

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit http://www.liveyourdreamscoaching.com/.

Bacalar, Mexico lots

Have you visited the gorgeous and serene area of Mexico called Bacalar? Did you love it like our family did? Are you interested in the possibility of owning real estate there?

Well, I have an insider scoop for you … you see my husband, Shawn, and our real estate office partner, Jorge, are the owners and developers of a beautiful project in Bacalar, Mexico. In fact we are planning our homes for in the project.

The project is called Los Flamboyanes Bacalar http://www.losflamboyanesbacalar.com/.

This is what they sent out last week: We have heard time and time again as our clients search for the right land to build their home that they cannot find the right place without lowering their expectations and raising their budget for the land. They are looking for an easier way of life where they can live with all the normal amenities and more, for a lower cost of living than they have now.

The challenge many people see is the cost to buy land for their home here in Playa del Carmen; we have been looking for the solution. It has taken us almost three years to find the right location, with all the infrastructure and with access to a larger city center and still be able to put all the parts of a first class development (In ground services, proper roads, a water front park, as well as another park on the center) together while at the same time offering our clients the opportunity to buy their property for around forty thousand dollars.

Please take a moment and check the details on the website. Someone you know is looking for an easier lifestyle and wants to hear about this opportunity. One thing I know for sure is this kind of project, with these prices on the Caribbean coast line of Mexico, will not be seen again. Jorge and I will be building our homes there and we will have all the connections to help you do the same.

See all the details Here http://www.losflamboyanesbacalar.com/ and you can reserve your lot today. We might be neighbors!

Enjoy the Adventure! Suzanne

Suzanne Marie Bandick
Live your Dreams Life Coach

P.S. My book: Only in Mexico You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico is available now on my site http://www.onlyinmexicoyousay.com/.

Would you like help to visit or live in Mexico? Visit http://www.liveyourdreamscoaching.com/.