Choose Your Neighbors Carefully!

One thing you need to consider when coming down to buy or rent a home in Merida is your neighbors. Mexico can be a very loud place. For starters, people here run on a different schedule from Canadians and Americans. That means they don't get going in the day until around 8AM, they don't eat lunch until 1 or 2PM and they don't eat dinner until around 9PM. This means some people also stay up later here in Mexico on a regular basis.

Add that with the fact that everything here is made out of concrete, tile, steel and stone and you have sound waves just bouncing off of every house, fence and man-made structure of every kind. That means the guy 2 blocks over who decides to play his stereo until 2 AM can sound like he lives next door to you.

Also add all of this with the fact that alot of construction here in Centro and in most middle-class home developments have homes that connect to each other. That means your exterior walls, at times, are the exterior walls of your neighbors house, either on one side or both. I share an exterior wall with one of my next door neighbors. He is a major socialite from a wealthy family in Tabasco. Although we get along, at least on the surface, he functions on a different time clock than we do because he is self-employed and also family-funded if you know what I mean.

With all of this in mind....if you are choosing a home to rent or buy.....look at the construction and see if your potential home connects to your neighbors home. If you see that it is, and you have your heart set on a place, I would ask around and see if the neighbors are old or young, married or not married. Take a good look at the area, not just the home. If you know someone here who knows the area, take them to dinner on a Friday or Saturday night and have them take you to the home you are looking at and visit the neighborhood at night. See how loud the area is. Although this may not tell you exactly how things are, at least you can see if the area is generally tranquil or not.

My advice would be to try and find a home with either older neighbors or families around you. Even in Mexico these demographic groups tend to go to bed earlier and "keep it down" if you know what I mean. The other option is to buy something outside the Preferico where the population is less concentrated. But if peace and quiet is not important to you....well....don't worry about it. As for me and my family....we like to get our sleep. Vibrating walls is not something I particularly enjoy.

Saludos

JEB

Learning to Speak Spanish

We have occasionally run into and/or met expats from the US and Canada who refuse to intermingle with the locals. This makes absolutely no sense to me at all!!! I think some of the reason for this can be attributed to some expats having an unwillingness to Habla Espanol . Honestly, English and Spanish have alot of vocabulary that overlaps. The main difference is sentence structure and appropriate phrases. Yes, you will have to learn new vocabulary. I won't lie to you. But with some consistent, basic effort you are going to be able to learn to speak basic spanish in about 12 months and become fairly fluent within 2 or 3 years.

I highly recommend that even before you move down you begin to pick up some basics. I have heard that Rosetta Stone is a good program. You have probably seen it on T.V. I would also recommend The Learnables. Go to http://www.learnables.com/ to check out their programs and information. This is the system that I am using with my wife and oldest son. We finished level 1 in about 3 months. On that pace we could finish all four levels in one year. That would put our Spanish proficiency at about an 8th grade level after finishing the program according to their information.

I would also recommend that after you move down that you watch as many movies in English that have Spanish subtitles. Write down some of the common phrases that you see and hear on some of your favorite movies. You would be suprised at how fast you start to pick up the language when you begin to do this. I have met more than one Mexican national who has learned how to speak a fair degree of English just watching American movies like Rocky or regular American T.V. shows. Many of the Mexican nationals who live and work in the tourism industry in Cancun learn to speak English by watching American T.V.

As for daily living, you will want to make bilingual friends as you go along. You will be suprised at how easily that can happen for you. My attorney and co-owner of Yucatan Real Estate Paradise, Francisco Guitterez, is very bilingual. I say "very bilingual" because you meet some people who have some degree of proficiency in English but still have severe limitations. Francisco can carry an ongoing conversation in English and never ask for your help in how to say something. My next door neighbor, landlord's son and son-in-law, the builder that built my home, my son's LOBO Boy Scout leader, ....the list goes on....these guys all speak English even though they are Mexican Nationals.

You will have people that can help you out along the way. Just understand that when you go out you are going to want to converse with the cashiers, waiters, ......whomever. They will know you are a Gringo. Don't worry about it. They will slow down and try to help and talk as simply as they can. Just do your best and you will learn as you go along.

We are here to help those who desire to learn about living, working and retiring in Merida, Mexico. Let us know how we can assist you in your transition. My email is jayblackshear@yahoo.com. Look forward to hearing from you.

Saludos,
Jay

Apostilles for those moving to Mexico

Note to Readers of the Blog: I am reposting this information as I think it warrants doing periodically. The info you are about to read is very important for those making the transition to Mexico. Please read and take to heart. Muchas Gracias Amigos y Amigas!!!!!

What is an apostille and why do I need one as an expat moving to the Yucatan? Good question. I wish we had known about this before we moved down. If you are married and/or have children that will live with you here in the Yucatan and you want to come down and apply for FM2 or FM3 residency visas you are going to need to have your marriage certificate and all of your children's birth certificates apostilled by the Secretary of State in the documents state of Origin.


An apostille, in the most basic terms, is a notarization that is recognized internationally by all foreign governments. It is recognized by international law. Your bank notary does not have the power to issue an apostille. Only the Secretary of State in all 50 US States or appointed government agencies in your country of origin has the power to issue an apostille. Check out the following link: http://www.ehow.com/video_4872231_apostille_.html

Let me give you an example of how this applies to our family. My wife and I met and married in the state of New Mexico in the US. We also had our first son in New Mexico. Our second son was born in Texas because that was where we were living when we had him. I have to order an apostilled birth certificate from Vital Records in New Mexico for my oldest son. Then Vital Records ships that birth certificate to the Secretary of State in New Mexico to have the document apostilled. The Secretary of State then ships out the apostilled document, in this case my son's birth certificate. We go through the same steps with my youngest son with both Vital Records and the Secretary of State's office in the state of Texas.

If you come down to the Yucatan and you have a marriage certificate, divorce decree or birth certificates that do not have apostilles and you want to apply for residency visas (FM2 or FM3) then you are going to have to send back for them in the US or Canada and pay the international shipping rates via FedEx, UPS or DHL. Word to the wise. Get this taken care of in advance. No one ever told us this before we came down and we did alot of research on necessary documents before we came down. Aargh!!! We just don't want you pulling out your hair unnecessarily. Hope this helps.

How To Buy Real Estate In Mexico

Properties in México can be legally purchased by foreigners
If you are interested in purchasing property outside the restricted area (32 miles from the coast or 63 miles from the borders), you can do the same way you can do it anywhere else in the world, with a simple deed.

Fideicomiso
To purchase a property that is within the restricted area, which includes Mérida and most other popular areas of Yucatan, you will need to sign a trust contract with a Mexican bank. Such contract is called a "fideicomiso", and both your name and the bank's appear in the "escritura" (contract).

The contract creates a trust for the benefit of you, the foreign buyer. The bank has a fiduciary obligation to the owner. The owner retains all the benefits of ownership and has legal rights to rent, sell or inherit property as they see fit. Normally these contracts expire after 50 years, but they can be renewed at the end of those 50 years for an additional 50 years. There is no limit on the number of times the fideicomiso contract can be renewed. The 50 year renewal cost is currently about $900 USD.

Currently, the cost to start a trust is approximately $2000 USD. There is an annual fee to the bank for maintaining the trust, which is based on a percentage of property value. For a house in the range of $100,000 USD, the fideicomiso maintenance cost is approximately $ 600 USD a year.
Currently, the law only allows trusts for properties of less than 2000 square metres (about 21,520 sf). You can apply for an exception to this law.

Owning a Mexican company
If your property is over 2000 square meters, you can create a Mexican corporation to buy the property. The cost to create a legally-registered company is approximately $ 1500 USD. You need to be incorporated under the laws of Mexico and all the proceedings must take place under the supervision of an accountant. The cost of the accountant varies from $ 50 to $200 USD per month, depending on how much activity takes place in your corporation.

To form the company requires at least two partners who are at least 18 years of age. The legal representative of the company must be in possession of an FM-3 Visa. You can apply for a visa yourself in the offices of Mexican immigration or you can hire a lawyer to do it for you. The cost for a visa is about $ 500 USD.
Whether buying a property, starting a business, or creating a corporation, you should always consult with a local lawyer. Our sister company, Yucatan Lawyers, provides legal services for real estate transactions, immigration issues and all corporate issues.

Salsa In Merida Yucatan Mexico

Apostilles for Expats

What is an apostille and why do I need one as an expat moving to the Yucatan? Good question. I wish we had known about this before we moved down. If you are married and/or have children that will live with you here in the Yucatan and you want to come down and apply for FM2 or FM3 residency visas you are going to need to have your marriage certificate and all of your children's birth certificates apostilled by the Secretary of State in the documents state of Origin.


An apostille, in the most basic terms, is a notarization that is recognized internationally by all foreign governments. It is recognized by international law. Your bank notary does not have the power to issue an apostille. Only the Secretary of State in all 50 US States or appointed government agencies in your country of origin has the power to issue an apostille. Check out the following link: http://www.ehow.com/video_4872231_apostille_.html

Let me give you an example of how this applies to our family. My wife and I met and married in the state of New Mexico in the US. We also had our first son in New Mexico. Our second son was born in Texas because that was where we were living when we had him. I have to order an apostilled birth certificate from Vital Records in New Mexico for my oldest son. Then Vital Records ships that birth certificate to the Secretary of State in New Mexico to have the document apostilled. The Secretary of State then ships out the apostilled document, in this case my son's birth certificate. We go through the same steps with my youngest son with both Vital Records and the Secretary of State's office in the state of Texas.

If you come down to the Yucatan and you have a marriage certificate, divorce decree or birth certificates that do not have apostilles and you want to apply for residency visas (FM2 or FM3) then you are going to have to send back for them in the US or Canada and pay the international shipping rates via FedEx, UPS or DHL. Word to the wise. Get this taken care of in advance. No one ever told us this before we came down and we did alot of research on necessary documents before we came down. Aargh!!! We just don't want you pulling out your hair unnecessarily. Hope this helps.