My Own Experience Can Help You Buy Your Dream Home On The Yucatan
Moving to another country is always a big decision. And moving from Chicago to Playa Del Carmen on the Yucatan was no exception. But it's what my family and I did - and it was the best decision we ever made.
I'm originally from Chicago, born and bred. My husband, David, is from Ireland but he had been living in Chicago for nearly 15 years before we met, so really he was a local by then as well.
As anyone who's ever been to the Windy City can tell you, Chicago is a place of contrasting weather: very cold in the winter but hot and humid in the summer. I love the city, but boy, those winters are rough.
I had been a Technical Project Manager before switching careers and returning to university to earn a nursing degree, eventually becoming a Cardiac Nurse. Dave had worked as a physiotherapist before starting his own successful physiotherapy clinic.
But by 2014 we had two sons and were looking for that change. We found it in Playa Del Carmen.
We'd been to the area before and had a good idea of what we were looking for, but still we were surprised (and stressed out to be frank) by the process of looking for a home. The way the system works in Mexico is not anything like the US and we had to learn it. We contacted realtors of course but there's no central listing of properties so we had to contact multiple different ones, try to narrow down what looked good, and then co-ordinate the viewings with all of them for the short visits we could make.
The process wasn't easy, but in 2014 we made the move.
I'm originally from Chicago, born and bred. My husband, David, is from Ireland but he had been living in Chicago for nearly 15 years before we met, so really he was a local by then as well.
As anyone who's ever been to the Windy City can tell you, Chicago is a place of contrasting weather: very cold in the winter but hot and humid in the summer. I love the city, but boy, those winters are rough.
I had been a Technical Project Manager before switching careers and returning to university to earn a nursing degree, eventually becoming a Cardiac Nurse. Dave had worked as a physiotherapist before starting his own successful physiotherapy clinic.
But by 2014 we had two sons and were looking for that change. We found it in Playa Del Carmen.
We'd been to the area before and had a good idea of what we were looking for, but still we were surprised (and stressed out to be frank) by the process of looking for a home. The way the system works in Mexico is not anything like the US and we had to learn it. We contacted realtors of course but there's no central listing of properties so we had to contact multiple different ones, try to narrow down what looked good, and then co-ordinate the viewings with all of them for the short visits we could make.
The process wasn't easy, but in 2014 we made the move.
Of course just finding the house and getting all the legal work done was only the start really. We had to learn the customs, find schools, work out tax situations and all those good things. But when we did we were finally able to enjoy Mexico.
Play del Carmen has been a great place. We've made friends, and thrown ourselves into the life here. And it really is a lifestyle that's second-to-none. The weather is always warm, the sun is shining and there is a full outdoor lifestyle to be enjoyed.
I don't consider myself as someone selling "property." What I do is focus on helping people find a home with the minimal stress. For myself this is the most rewarding aim. And it allows me to focus more closely on the client and their needs.
Play del Carmen has been a great place. We've made friends, and thrown ourselves into the life here. And it really is a lifestyle that's second-to-none. The weather is always warm, the sun is shining and there is a full outdoor lifestyle to be enjoyed.
I got into helping people buy properties almost by accident though. I had been doing some consultancy and people started asking me about the move as they considered moving themselves. And it just grew from there.
I worked with some local agencies and gradually built up a network of contacts. But it became obvious to me that the issues we'd had when making that move - mainly unfamiliarity with the Mexican system and the lack of time to properly investigate every home available - were ones most Americans were still experiencing.
And so there you have it, what started as advice gradually became a full time job. I spend my days helping people (American mainly but not exclusively) find and buy their dream home on the Riviera Maya. I say "job" but to be honest it's nothing like work. I get to meet new people, find out about them and what they're looking for, advise them, look at lots of homes, and then finally hand them a key to a new life.
I don't consider myself as someone selling "property." What I do is focus on helping people find a home with the minimal stress. For myself this is the most rewarding aim. And it allows me to focus more closely on the client and their needs.
Do people need my service? Technically no, they could contact every agency themselves, filter out the duplicate listings and try to bargain on their own. But having someone you trust to do all that for you removes so much stress and shortens the time it takes to find that home, that I haven't yet had someone unhappy at their decision to contact me. And that makes this a very satisfying "job."
If you're looking to buy a home in Yucatan I can help simplify the process and make it faster and easier, with a lot less stress. If that sounds good then contact me now.
