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Imagine:
Imagine this lifestyle:
It’s evening and you and your family are sitting outside on the balcony (one of five) watching the fireworks over Lake Chapala. No need to fight traffic to go to the malecón (pier) to watch; you have one of the best—and free-- seats around! Or perhaps it’s one of the many nights during rainy season when nature is showing off and lightning crackles across the sky in front of your dazzled eyes. Or maybe it’s late afternoon and you’re simply sitting outdoors, enjoying the cool breezes and amazing views of the scenery below. Was it just this morning that you picked bananas for your breakfast, along with some grapefruit, mangoes, pomegranates, grapes, and oranges? Or was today the day you picked some lemons for a refreshing drink at lunchtime and limes for your evening margaritas out on the balcony?
This doesn’t have to be a dream; it could be yours with one simple contest entry!
Imagine if all this were yours:
Imagine winning 5400 square feet of living space with a four-story house and a separate casita (little house). Your new brick home has 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 5 balconies, a kitchen, main dining room adjacent to the kitchen (currently used as a pool room), a large lounge with a gas fireplace (currently used as the dining room—with a spectacular view), a small lounge with a gas fireplace, a TV room, and a laundry room with front-loading washer and dryer.
One bedroom is fitted with a custom-made, wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling computer unit, complete with shelves and cupboards, ideal for an office or study space. There are built-in closets in all of the bedrooms with lots of storage space. All of the closets, banisters, kitchen cabinets and bathroom cabinets are hand crafted. The kitchen and bathroom cabinets have granite countertops and there are two lazy Susans in the pantry. All floors are tile. All rooms, except the kitchen, have ceiling fan/lights. The kitchen has a large skylight. The entire house was rewired less than three (3) years ago to U.S. standards (110v with a dedicated 220v line for the clothes dryer) and all electrical outlets are grounded. Three external voltage regulators control and prevent power surges. The water heater, stove and oven run on propane gas. This significantly lowers your electric bill. The roof tiles were replaced four (4) years ago. The house sits high on a hill and overlooks Lake Chapala, allowing you breathtaking views of the lake and surrounding mountains. Thanks to its very solid construction, the house stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter. You don’t need heat or air conditioning. Off to the side of the covered carport is an 11’10” x 7’9” room. Directly below is a secure storage space with the same measurements.
The casita is fully contained with a bedroom/living room, bathroom and kitchen. It’s perfect for a mother-in-law suite, guest quarters, a work studio or it could even be used as a rental. The entire roof was redone less than 4 years ago, replacing wooden beams with steel, and all terracotta roof tiles replaced. It has its own propane tank. Behind the casita is a small covered storage area for garden tools and storage. There is also storage under the verandah.
A wall surrounds the entire property with an intercom system at the main entrance to protect your privacy. The yard is a gardener’s delight! There are fruit trees (mango, avocado, mandarin, limes, grapefruit, coffee, banana, guava, pomegranates, and lemon), ginger plants, orchids (easily grown in the trees), plus grape vines curling up the trellis of the patio/bar, bougainvillea growing up the walls, an ivy-like ice plant with beautiful red flowers, roses, birds-of-paradise, cactus (with tasty fruit), a large honeysuckle, numerous aloe plants (which actually flower), palm trees, and too many others to mention them all. You’ll be amazed at how easily plants grow here.
A beautiful terrace with a glass and iron table, plus four chairs and a parasol, invites you to sit out and enjoy the weather as you dine. A BBQ sits next to a tiled counter top with fans in the ceiling above. Over to the left of the terrace is a small patio with a large, hand carved wooden bar with 5 swivel chairs and 3 high back stools. There are also plastic chairs for those days when you want to invite friends over for a BBQ.
Imagine:
There are numerous activities to fit every lifestyle. If you have a young family, quality bilingual schools are available. Love to sight-see? Mexico is rich in history. The most difficult decision is where to start. Retired? You’ll wonder where your day has gone as you find yourself caught up in the numerous activities (bridge, theater, music programs, language schools, etc) that are offered. Want to give back to the community? Volunteers are always needed.
Tired of housecleaning? Maids currently average approximately 31 pesos an hour. At today’s rate of 12.88 pesos to the dollar, that means that it costs $2.41USD an hour for a maid! Don’t have a green thumb? Our gardener earns 50 pesos ($3.88USD) an hour.
The home is less than 30 minutes away from Guadalajara International Airport so your friends and family can come visit you in your new home. The second largest city in Mexico, downtown Guadalajara is less than 45 minutes away and familiar stores such as Wal-Mart, Sam’s, Costco, etc, are available as well as the famous Mercado Libertad (a large, indoor market), among others. You’ll quickly find that the tianguis (weekly market) gives you the freshest fruits and vegetables at prices so low that you’ll be speechless! High speed internet is available with TELMEX (the national phone company) or you can subscribe to a Canadian satellite service. Satellite TV is also available.
Public transportation is very cheap and readily available if you don’t want to drive. First-run movies at the cinema cost about $2.00USD. There are daily and weekly newspapers in English and books are readily available with book swaps (trade one for one), book stores, second-hand shops (which often carry many current titles) and the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) library.
Not quite ready to live the Mexican lifestyle right now? The house is located in a very popular area for ex-patriots from all over the world. There are several management companies who can help you rent the house and casita until you decide to make the move. Guadalajara is hosting the 2011 Pan American games and the water sports will be held on Lake Chapala. Demand for housing will be great with rentals quickly snapped up.
And now imagine the sweetly unimaginable:
Property taxes were $81.37USD for 2009. Yes, $81.37USD FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR! The original property taxes were $1232.94 pesos ($95.73USD) but we received a 15% discount for paying early.
There is a cuota (similar to a homeowner’s association fee) each month of $590 pesos ($44.03USD) for water, garbage, street lighting, and general maintenance.
Doctor and dental visits are very affordable, even without insurance. Dental visits are around $300 pesos ($23.29USD) for a cleaning and examination. A scheduled doctor’s visit is $350.00 pesos ($27.17USD), $400 pesos ($31.06USD) if it’s an emergency. There are many excellent medical and dental professionals in the area. Top-notch medical care is available at a fraction of U.S. costs.
And how about this true example of care we received from one of the most respected orthopedic specialists in Guadalajara: We were unfamiliar with the area so we left home early and arrived over an hour before the scheduled appointment. The doctor was called, he thanked us for being early (ever have that happen?) and then spent over 45 minutes on the medical examination. At the end, he wrote an extremely detailed letter (in English) and the bill was…$500.00 pesos ($38.82USD). At the last visit, his fees had gone up…to $600.00 pesos…or $46.58! Can you remember what it was like to get quality care at such a price?
Now imagine yourself living this life!
Ready to enter? Just click here!
- Living in the world’s second best climate (second only to Hawaii)
- Owning a four-story home with breathtaking views over Lake Chapala
- Property taxes of less than $82.00USD a year
- Buying fresh fruits and vegetables in the local tianguis (market) for a fraction of what you now pay
- Playing pool on your very own regulation pool table
Imagine this lifestyle:
It’s evening and you and your family are sitting outside on the balcony (one of five) watching the fireworks over Lake Chapala. No need to fight traffic to go to the malecón (pier) to watch; you have one of the best—and free-- seats around! Or perhaps it’s one of the many nights during rainy season when nature is showing off and lightning crackles across the sky in front of your dazzled eyes. Or maybe it’s late afternoon and you’re simply sitting outdoors, enjoying the cool breezes and amazing views of the scenery below. Was it just this morning that you picked bananas for your breakfast, along with some grapefruit, mangoes, pomegranates, grapes, and oranges? Or was today the day you picked some lemons for a refreshing drink at lunchtime and limes for your evening margaritas out on the balcony?
This doesn’t have to be a dream; it could be yours with one simple contest entry!
Imagine if all this were yours:
Imagine winning 5400 square feet of living space with a four-story house and a separate casita (little house). Your new brick home has 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, 5 balconies, a kitchen, main dining room adjacent to the kitchen (currently used as a pool room), a large lounge with a gas fireplace (currently used as the dining room—with a spectacular view), a small lounge with a gas fireplace, a TV room, and a laundry room with front-loading washer and dryer.
One bedroom is fitted with a custom-made, wall-to-wall and floor-to-ceiling computer unit, complete with shelves and cupboards, ideal for an office or study space. There are built-in closets in all of the bedrooms with lots of storage space. All of the closets, banisters, kitchen cabinets and bathroom cabinets are hand crafted. The kitchen and bathroom cabinets have granite countertops and there are two lazy Susans in the pantry. All floors are tile. All rooms, except the kitchen, have ceiling fan/lights. The kitchen has a large skylight. The entire house was rewired less than three (3) years ago to U.S. standards (110v with a dedicated 220v line for the clothes dryer) and all electrical outlets are grounded. Three external voltage regulators control and prevent power surges. The water heater, stove and oven run on propane gas. This significantly lowers your electric bill. The roof tiles were replaced four (4) years ago. The house sits high on a hill and overlooks Lake Chapala, allowing you breathtaking views of the lake and surrounding mountains. Thanks to its very solid construction, the house stays cool in the summer and warm in the winter. You don’t need heat or air conditioning. Off to the side of the covered carport is an 11’10” x 7’9” room. Directly below is a secure storage space with the same measurements.
The casita is fully contained with a bedroom/living room, bathroom and kitchen. It’s perfect for a mother-in-law suite, guest quarters, a work studio or it could even be used as a rental. The entire roof was redone less than 4 years ago, replacing wooden beams with steel, and all terracotta roof tiles replaced. It has its own propane tank. Behind the casita is a small covered storage area for garden tools and storage. There is also storage under the verandah.
A wall surrounds the entire property with an intercom system at the main entrance to protect your privacy. The yard is a gardener’s delight! There are fruit trees (mango, avocado, mandarin, limes, grapefruit, coffee, banana, guava, pomegranates, and lemon), ginger plants, orchids (easily grown in the trees), plus grape vines curling up the trellis of the patio/bar, bougainvillea growing up the walls, an ivy-like ice plant with beautiful red flowers, roses, birds-of-paradise, cactus (with tasty fruit), a large honeysuckle, numerous aloe plants (which actually flower), palm trees, and too many others to mention them all. You’ll be amazed at how easily plants grow here.
A beautiful terrace with a glass and iron table, plus four chairs and a parasol, invites you to sit out and enjoy the weather as you dine. A BBQ sits next to a tiled counter top with fans in the ceiling above. Over to the left of the terrace is a small patio with a large, hand carved wooden bar with 5 swivel chairs and 3 high back stools. There are also plastic chairs for those days when you want to invite friends over for a BBQ.
Imagine:
There are numerous activities to fit every lifestyle. If you have a young family, quality bilingual schools are available. Love to sight-see? Mexico is rich in history. The most difficult decision is where to start. Retired? You’ll wonder where your day has gone as you find yourself caught up in the numerous activities (bridge, theater, music programs, language schools, etc) that are offered. Want to give back to the community? Volunteers are always needed.
Tired of housecleaning? Maids currently average approximately 31 pesos an hour. At today’s rate of 12.88 pesos to the dollar, that means that it costs $2.41USD an hour for a maid! Don’t have a green thumb? Our gardener earns 50 pesos ($3.88USD) an hour.
The home is less than 30 minutes away from Guadalajara International Airport so your friends and family can come visit you in your new home. The second largest city in Mexico, downtown Guadalajara is less than 45 minutes away and familiar stores such as Wal-Mart, Sam’s, Costco, etc, are available as well as the famous Mercado Libertad (a large, indoor market), among others. You’ll quickly find that the tianguis (weekly market) gives you the freshest fruits and vegetables at prices so low that you’ll be speechless! High speed internet is available with TELMEX (the national phone company) or you can subscribe to a Canadian satellite service. Satellite TV is also available.
Public transportation is very cheap and readily available if you don’t want to drive. First-run movies at the cinema cost about $2.00USD. There are daily and weekly newspapers in English and books are readily available with book swaps (trade one for one), book stores, second-hand shops (which often carry many current titles) and the Lake Chapala Society (LCS) library.
Not quite ready to live the Mexican lifestyle right now? The house is located in a very popular area for ex-patriots from all over the world. There are several management companies who can help you rent the house and casita until you decide to make the move. Guadalajara is hosting the 2011 Pan American games and the water sports will be held on Lake Chapala. Demand for housing will be great with rentals quickly snapped up.
And now imagine the sweetly unimaginable:
Property taxes were $81.37USD for 2009. Yes, $81.37USD FOR AN ENTIRE YEAR! The original property taxes were $1232.94 pesos ($95.73USD) but we received a 15% discount for paying early.
There is a cuota (similar to a homeowner’s association fee) each month of $590 pesos ($44.03USD) for water, garbage, street lighting, and general maintenance.
Doctor and dental visits are very affordable, even without insurance. Dental visits are around $300 pesos ($23.29USD) for a cleaning and examination. A scheduled doctor’s visit is $350.00 pesos ($27.17USD), $400 pesos ($31.06USD) if it’s an emergency. There are many excellent medical and dental professionals in the area. Top-notch medical care is available at a fraction of U.S. costs.
And how about this true example of care we received from one of the most respected orthopedic specialists in Guadalajara: We were unfamiliar with the area so we left home early and arrived over an hour before the scheduled appointment. The doctor was called, he thanked us for being early (ever have that happen?) and then spent over 45 minutes on the medical examination. At the end, he wrote an extremely detailed letter (in English) and the bill was…$500.00 pesos ($38.82USD). At the last visit, his fees had gone up…to $600.00 pesos…or $46.58! Can you remember what it was like to get quality care at such a price?
Now imagine yourself living this life!
Ready to enter? Just click here!
