Dolores Alba

The Dolores Alba is the hotel that I stayed at when I made my first trip down in May, 2010. It is right in the heart of Centro and has alot of positives attributes:

• Very affordable at around $50 USD per night for a couple, cheaper for one person.
• Very Clean
• Very Quiet
• Within walking distance of alot of cathedrals, parks, shops....pretty much everything. 
• Breakfast is included and decent. 
• Architecture is beautiful. 
• Staff is friendly. 
• They can call you a cab if you need one. 
• Rooms have individual lock safes which you set the combos on when you arrive. 
• The Pool is clean and well kept. 
• The outdoor dining area is very inviting. 
• Wifi or you can pay to use their internet hookups on their computers. 
• The A/C's in the bedrooms work really well.

It has alot of upside to it. Honestly, I think they could charge a little more if they wanted to. The place only has one drawback....They have the hardest beds you have ever slept on. And I love hard beds. If you can handle that then it is a place I would recommend.

Saludos
Jay

P.S. Here is the Link to the hotel's website. (Click Here). They have one in Chichen Itza as well so make sure you click on the correct hotel.

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.

Building a Home in Merida

Is it cost effective to build in Merida, Yucatan, Mexico? Absolutely. Both from a personal and business perspective it makes absolute sense and is easy to do. Let me give you the numbers:

Land: 300 sqaure meters - $25,000.00. USD
Construction cost: 200 square meters - $65,000.00. USD
Total Cost of land and Construction:  $90,000.00 USD
Closing Costs: $5,000.00 USD (estimated)
Total Cost: $95,000.00 USD
Sales Price $125,000.00 USD
Profit/Equity $30,000.00 USD

If you want a pool add another $5,000.00 USD. On a three hundred square meter lot, with two story construction, this would still leave you with a nice size backyard.

The homes pictured to the left are in Hacienda Zodzill Norte, just north of where I live. Land in that Colonia area sells for about $1,000.00 PESOS per squre meter. That is about $82 USD per square meter. Very affordable. The home on the far left was sold 6 months from the date construction began. Construction time usually runs 3 months. Average time on market in North Merida from the day you start construction is 6 months or sooner.

All in all the real estate market is very healthy in Merida. It is beyond anything you see in the United States at this time. Many people are moving to Merida from all over the nation of Mexico. We hear of people moving here from Villahermosa, Mexico City, Monterrey and even Cancun. The economy here has been growing, it is considered very safe to live here and we also have 11 colleges and universities inside the city. The people of Merida are becoming very educated.

From both a personal and business perspective it really makes sense to build here. It is very common for homebuilders to buy lots that will accomodate 3 to 10 homes and just build one or two at a time until they completely build out the project. You don't have as many large established home-builders here like you do in the states. You have some but not as many. I think it is a very good business opportunity for those looking to invest in emerging markets.

If you are interested in exploring this side of Meridian business send me an email. We can help you get started. We already have a construction and legal team ready to help you with all of your business needs (Realtors, Attorneys, Architects and Construction Managers).

Look forward to hearing from you. My email is jayblackshear@yahoo.com.

Caio,
Jay

Mexico Postal Service

Mexican Postal Service 

Regarding the Mexican Postal Service (Servicio Postal Mexicano), there is an open debate about its effectiveness. No self-respecting business that places much importance on the timely distribution of its correspondence would rely on it for anything other than mass-mailings. Nor do most of its private citizens.

Couriers in Mexico

Companies tend to have propios, in-house messengers, for the delivery of important correspondence and paperwork of any kind within the city limits. Invitations for important functions are also hand delivered, although usually by a specialized delivery company, for about 8 pesos per delivery. Remember that most require up to a week to make the delivery from the time that they receive the material from the sender. For intra-Mexico correspondence a local carrier, such as Estafeta, usually does the trick.

Finally, for international deliveries, any of the well-known international companies work well, especially in the "overnight" categories (DHL, FedEx, UPS). What we are saying is that if you really want to get mail to someone in Mexico, scan and email the docs, fax them or send local deliveries by a local courier, out of town mailins by one of the big three previously mentioned.

Personally, I have never even seen a Mexico Postal Official deliver anything to my house nor have I seen them out driving around on the streets. Also, as it pertains to important bills like cable/internet and electricity and water, those companies have there own reps/couriers deliver their bills to your mailbox. What does that tell you? And even then you may not get the bill until the day it is due, or even the day after, if even at all. My advice...... keep a copy of your account #'s on each of your utilities and pay them monthly or bi-monthly (electric and water) at the pay stations at the mall (Grand Plaza) or at your local OXXO. Or you can try to pay them on-line.....if you can figure it out.

Don't get me wrong....it is very easy to pay your bills. You just need to plan on doing so when you are at the mall or in town if you live on the beach. Word to the wise.

Caio,

Jay Blackshear

Updated Fees for FM3 or FM2 Visas

The fees for FM2 or FM3 visas have been updated at the Mexican Immigration Office as of 2010. To apply for an FM2 there is a one time application fee of $669.00 MX Pesos and a yearly fee of $2,800.00 MX Pesos. Both fees are charged by the immigration office for each person applying for a visa.

The fees for the FM3 are as follows: Yearly fee of $1,294.00 MX Pesos and a one time application fee of $491.00 MX Pesos.

Each visa is good for a period of 5 years but must be renewed annually. When renewed you must pay the yearly applicable fee again but the application fee that is paid the first year is not charged again. That means that if you have an FM2 or FM3 right now and you need to renew it, you will pay either $2,800.00 or $1,294.00 when you renew each visa. You will not pay the initial application fee again. Hope that makes sense. Email me with questions at jayblackshear@yahoo.com.

Saludos,
Jay

Garage Sales

When you move to another Country, you have to decide whether to ship your stuff with you at a pretty high cost, or sell it all. We decided to sell it all, not that selling all mean't much to as as we had already been downsizing for several years in preparation for this move. As A family of 4, we downsized in steps from a 2500 sq ft home in the Dallas area to a 1200 sq ft home in San Antonio.

This is where Craiglist & Garage sales become important. We started by Craigslisting our biggest items & then went through 5 garage sales to clear out most items.

The trickiest items were the refridgerator, washer and dryer as we needed those until last & selling our Chevy Van. So we collected phone numbers from interested parties and let them know when we would be ready to sell.

We just finished our last garage sale, so now I go to my other favorite site Freecycle, a great place to just donate stuff to other people who like to recycle items.

It is easy and safe to use. Alway request and do porch pick ups. Never let someone in your house.

Looks like we are just about ready to go. My Husband Jay will drive our truck down to Merida next week and fly back to pick us up, then we will fly down as a family.

Stay tuned for our next update!

Passports

Here we are at the Bexar County Courthouse in San Antonio, Texas~ beginning our journey by obtaining our passports. My husband is patiently waiting through all the paperwork/picture process.
Joel wanted his picture taken several times and our sweet picture taker obliged his hammed up poses. Joseph also requested several shots as he was not sure he looked his best.

It is now a requirement to have a passport when you go to Mexico from the United States. Just contact your local County clerks office for information and requirements. Give yourself at least 4-6 weeks to obtain the passport, otherwise you will be charged a larger fee for a rush passport.

Here is my passport photo. If  you know me, you know that I do not like pictures of myself, but I was actually pleased with this one. Much better than my drivers license picture!! We went to the Courthouse during the week when there was less traffic and barely had to stand in line. I have heard that Saturday's can be pretty busy, so plan accordingly especially if you have children. Just remember if you have obtained a passport at any other time in you life, you will be required to have that information for the file clerk. I was caught off guard when I realized that I had a passport about 15 years ago for a trip I took to Brazil & Equador. I tossed that one years ago as I figured it was expired.

Our boys patiently waiting for their passports!

Merida, Yucatan Mexico

Merida is the Capital and largest city of Yucatan, the population is about 1 million and its known in Mexico as the "White City" because of his antique white spanish and french style buildings. Merida is rich in culture and people that maintain their Mayan costumes.

Merida is also known for having great typical food, like the Poc Chuc, Salbutes, Panuchos, Pavo Relleno and Sopa de Lima. The people from Yucatan speak spanish with a very special accent that can be recognized. A third of the population of Yucatan still speaks Mayan language although mostly in small Towns and villages.

Merida is located in the Northwest part of Yucatan, at the east is Quintana Roo and to the west the state of Campeche. Merida is just about 20 minutes from the beach of Progreso (pictured left) and about 2 hours from cancun and playa del carmen.

Merida is growing quickly and has been developed a lot in the last few years, with new malls, parks, hotels and centers of entertainment being developed. Here is known as a secure city with peaceful population that love tourism.

Most of the tourists usually go to Cancun, Cozumel and playa del carmen, however more people are wanting to visit and know Merida for its beauty, antique buildings, theaters, museums and people. Also if you stay in Merida, you are near many of the archeological areas like Chichen Itza, Uxmal and Cenotes.

Yucatan is known for all its great Haciendas that you can visit. There are very beautiful haciendas that are classic like the Hacienda Temozon which is also a Hotel, Hacienda Teya with a great Restaurant and Hacienda San Antonio Cucul which is inside the North part of Merida.

As you can see there is a lot to discover in Merida not to mention its churches, Cathedral and handcrafts of its people. The pyramids is what attracts a lot of tourist to Merida which are about an hour from here.

Join us on our Journey!