From Tourist to Tenant: One American's Journey to Owning Waterfront Property in Bacalar, Mexico
 James Greene - American Chronicle
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| | The bay of Bacalar, Mexico | | |
Dan Ressue and his wife had spent many years as tourists traveling around coastal Mexico. Numerous trips to Cancun, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel and Puerto Vallarta convinced the Ressues that Mexico was the place for them to retire.
"We've always liked the Mexican people and the culture," said Ressue, the general manager for an auto dealership in Windsor, Colorado. "In Mexico, they're always grateful to have us there, and always hoping you'd come back. They're very polite. We've never been a place in Mexico where that wasn't the case."
They really liked the Gulf side of Mexico, so they started looking there. After doing some research on the different areas, Ressue settled on Bacalar waterfront property.
"When I was looking for rentals on the Gulf, we ran across an ad for Bacalar, so we thought we would try that area," Ressue said. "Once we got there, it was magical. We knew without question that was where we wanted to be."
Bacalar attracts many people with the exceptional clarity and blue shades of its fresh water. Filled with tropical trees and birds, it is a peaceful place where one can truly relax and enjoy nature.
Ressue had a major problem, though, in his limited budget. Most Bacalar lakefront property prices were too far out of reach, and one local Bacalar realtor didn't seem to think they'd be able to afford any property at all. Even though Ressue had come down to Mexico for eight days, the realtor only spent an hour showing him any property.
"He might've thought we were dreaming because of our limited budget," Ressue said. "We never felt he was too interested in helping us buy."
During that visit, Ressue met Steven Sohrakoff, who put Ressue in contact with Mr. Gary Walding of International Holdings & Trust. In less than a day with the two of them, Ressue found his Bacalar waterfront property.
"[They were] able to find something we could afford and weren't too busy to work with us," Ressue said.
Another benefit to the partnership was that both Sohrakoff and Mr. Walding had previous sold property to people that Ressue knew.
"We felt we had a bit of a local connection," Ressue said. "The fact that we shared some acquaintances made us feel a little more at ease."
The Bacalar lakefront property that Ressue ultimately bought was tropical jungle property near the tiny village of Buena Vista on the freshwater lake. However, it was still only 20 minutes from Chetumal, the capital of Quintana Roo, the state in southeastern Yucatan.
"We liked the fact that it was about as far away from resort Mexico as you could get," Ressue said. "It's still old Mexico for much of the area. There is a very small community of expat Americans and it's close to city of Chetumal. Even though we were in this remote area on this freshwater lake, we were still 20 minutes from a major city."
Right now, Ressue plans to start clearing the property later this year, and then start building on it next year. He hopes to be moving down there within the next two years.
Mr. Walding continues to help him throughout the entire process.
"Gary has kept us posted every step of the way on the process of buying the property, and extended us all sorts of offers to help with cleaning the lot, with construction, and put us in touch with people to get over all the legal concerns," said Ressue. "He's really good at follow-through and keeping in touch."
Retirement in Mexico could be a reality for you as well. Email International Holdings & Trust today at info(at)bacalarviews.com to see how they can help you secure your own Mexican waterfront property investment. |
Vallarta Weddings
Puerto Vallarta Real Estate | June 2008 
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