Categoría: Puerto Vallarta Real Estate

Amigos

The concept of friendship is different in Puerto Vallarta than that of the United States and Canada. North Americans might have many friends, through school, fraternal organizations, church, the neighborhood, Facebook. In Mexico, an amigo is someone you are close to and you maintain that relationship, through good and bad times, no matter the quality of the person.

Mexicans are more inclined to avoid getting into deep conversations with people they do not know well and will avoid the kind of closeness North Americans can establish in a short time frame, such as a week’s vacation in a tropical paradise or a cruise ship.

Mexican character traits often can be traced back to Spanish colonial times when dependence on family and friends was vital to one’s survival. To trust someone outside the inner circle, so to speak, involved a lot of trust and nurturing of any given liaison. Hence, the birth of such things as sobremesa (long lunches and dinners, involving drinking and lengthy conversations in a gentile setting.) The importance of getting to know someone before you considered them a friend has always been of great use to Mexicans. For an extended period of time, covering more than three centuries, Mexicans were forced to depend on one another, in an effort to protect themselves from a treacherous, corrupt government. Having a person one could count on was imperative to survival.

Getting minor and major tasks accomplished often is based on who you know and how well you know them. This goes the same for staying out of trouble or getting oneself out of sticky, troublesome situations.

In business or community affairs, we highly recommend following the example of Mexicans living in Puerto Vallarta. Life will be much more pleasant if we work on establishing and cultivating friendships with people from all walks of life. We have found ourselves experiencing wonderful cultural events, such as weddings, quinceañeras, baptisms and birthday parties of all ages due to having turned simple acquaintances into long lasting friendships in Puerto Vallarta. Engaging in conversation, paying

employees and handymen well, and exercising our meager Spanish skills have worked in our favor to be a part of this wonderful city and the country we have adopted as our own.

Que es cómo es.

Jogging About Town

We shudder when we see joggers in Puerto Vallarta on the highway between town and Mismaloya, sometimes with only inches between them and passing traffic. It’s a dangerous place to run. Most people are looking for solid footing and smooth pavement, taking off from hotels with no idea what lies around an unfamiliar bend. The foliage along this road is lush; it is the jungle, after all. It grows quickly and tasks the city to keep up with the growth. Not only does it cause visibility problems, some of the plants are unfriendly, reaching out with stickers and, in some cases, venom. Safety should be a primary focus.

There are so many great places to jog in and around Puerto Vallarta. We have suggested to friends who stay in lodging on the highway, to hop on a bus for a nominal fee, tuck a few pesos in the same pocket where identification is kept (you must remember to always carry some form of ID, even if it’s simply a note with name and emergency information.)

The north end of the Malecón is a great place to commence with a run. Sidewalks are plentiful and traffic phases out in the surrounding neighborhoods. For long distance, we suggest heading north on Francisco Villa. One can pass the library (Biblioteca Los Mangos), head into colonias like Versalles on the west or Las Gaviotas on the right. The Fluvial is well-paved and a fantastic place to pound the pavement but it lacks in overhead covering. The aforementioned areas in Puerto Vallarta are plentiful in shelter from the sun, with shade provided by some taller buildings and many trees.  The Marina provides well cared for streets that lead out to the seashore and back again.

For those who like to run around in circles, the stadium is perfect. It is well kept, lit at night and a friendly welcoming environment. The track is kept up by a trained staff and bathrooms are available. Events and games are often held at this location, too.

Puerto Vallarta is not lacking in stairs for those who like a heavy workout. In the vicinity above and behind the cathedral, streets lead up the hillside providing incredible views of the city below.

Be safe, take to the paved roads where there is lots of space, including sidewalks, and keep your shoes tied!

Que es cómo es.

Timothy Real Estate Group is a locally-owned and operated real estate brokerage with a strategic location in the Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta in the Colonia Emiliano Zapata. Because the Puerto Vallarta area has varying neighborhood personalities, we practice localized real estate. We believe neighborhood knowledge is a top factor in solid sales, and we know our communities well.

We enable our clients to realize their vision for the future.  We understand and plan for their concerns and are dedicated to transforming those concerns to peace of mind and joy.

Our philosophy of transparency, integrity, and professionalism imbues our culture with a tangible sense of purpose and results in the length and depth of the quality relationships we enjoy.  We believe buying or selling a home is first and foremost about people. Of course we have the latest technology, marketing tools, statistics and research, but a successful real estate transaction really comes down to people. Connecting the right buyers to sellers or investors our professional agents structure solid transactions with successful solid outcomes.  We believe in collaboration by connecting people in ways that bring satisfaction and success.

When you combine extensive local knowledge and our long standing reputation for honesty and sound judgment, you have an unbeatable resource at your disposal.  You have Timothy Real Estate Group, a constant leader in Puerto Vallarta real estate.

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When we first arrived in Puerto Vallarta, our destination for groceries (and many other things) was Gutiérrez Rizo. If Rizo didn’t have it, you didn’t need it! Rizo, located in the heart of Old Town, had two levels with a broad staircase in the center of the store that allowed one to climb partway and peer throughout almost the entire lower floor to see if you could find that item on your list that seem to be hidden from sight. At the bottom of the stairs racks of magazines lured English readers who were often disappointed to find that People Magazine was published in Spanish and they wouldn’t recognize a single photo.

The ATM machine at the front of the store was occasionally reliable and if it ate your card, you could come back the next day, meet with the owner in the office just inside the entrance and she would return it, if you could properly identify yourself.

Upstairs were aisles stuffed with sundries and dry goods, hodgepodge, odds and ends. A toy section at Christmas overflowed with dolls, trucks, games, beach pails and an abundance of playthings that often became shopworn from children sampling the wares while their parents stood in line at the deli below, ordering fresh ham, bacon, cheese and cold cuts.

We recall the rich scent of freshly delivered local oranges; bins of chiles of all shapes, sizes and colors; and melting ice cream in a freezer that could never quite keep up with the exterior heat.

The skeleton structure that was a beloved shopping location for locals and many visitors alike, has sat empty for years, gossip swirling, creating a misty beachside graveyard, strewn with soggy cardboard, collapsing shelves and imaginative chitchat.

Jokingly referred to as “jungle drums,” rumors consistently raise hopes about a new supermarket to take the place of the long gone treasured Rizo. Just as easily those same hopes are stifled when social media raises questions about high rise condos in different stages of development. The drums beat out the sound of plans and permits at City Hall, with little determined or confirmed.

Crossing the river on the suspended foot bridge, picking up tortillas from the tortillaria at the corner and shopping at Rizo were followed by grabbing ice cold Modelos across the street and hailing a taxi back home. Slowly the area is changing, growing more modern and reaching high into the sky.

The people, however, are still there; the Mexicans, the ex-pats, the tourists; none of that has changed. After all, someone has to beat the drums.

Que es cómo es.

Timothy Real Estate Group is a locally-owned and operated real estate brokerage with a strategic location in the Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta in the Colonia Emiliano Zapata. Because the Puerto Vallarta area has varying neighborhood personalities, we practice localized real estate. We believe neighborhood knowledge is a top factor in solid sales, and we know our communities well.

We enable our clients to realize their vision for the future.  We understand and plan for their concerns and are dedicated to transforming those concerns to peace of mind and joy.

Our philosophy of transparency, integrity, and professionalism imbues our culture with a tangible sense of purpose and results in the length and depth of the quality relationships we enjoy.  We believe buying or selling a home is first and foremost about people. Of course we have the latest technology, marketing tools, statistics and research, but a successful real estate transaction really comes down to people. Connecting the right buyers to sellers or investors our professional agents structure solid transactions with successful solid outcomes.  We believe in collaboration by connecting people in ways that bring satisfaction and success.

When you combine extensive local knowledge and our long standing reputation for honesty and sound judgment, you have an unbeatable resource at your disposal.  You have Timothy Real Estate Group, a constant leader in Puerto Vallarta real estate.

Puerto Vallarta and Guns

This past weekend we had the occasion to watch a rousing televised sports event in Puerto Vallarta with a group of acquaintances and a handful of people we’d never met, some tourists. One new visitor to our lovely city proudly displayed her recently obtained NRA card and also her permit to carry in the States, although she was sans gun. She was quite chuffed and excited but most at our table were interested in participating in the football game on the several overhead televisions. A small amount of head-shaking was all that ensued… and back to the game.

Guns are essentially illegal in Puerto Vallarta, as they are in all of Mexico. Private gun ownership is limited to the type and caliber permitted by law and allowed only within one’s place of residence. Open and concealed arms carry in Mexico are grounds for immediate arrest. Gun control in Mexico is so strict that there is only one store in the entire country where firearms can be purchased and it is owned and regulated by the military branch of the government. (This doesn’t mean that guns aren’t smuggled over the border from the US.)

The Mexican Revolution was only a hundred years ago, not a lot of time in the great scheme of things, and the Cristero War (basically church vs. state) was less than that. The post war era brought about amendments to the constitution that disallowed citizens from owning weapons. Some will argue that this doesn’t let a citizenry protect themselves from a corrupt government. So be it.

The morning after our gathering on October 2, 2017, the world awoke to the news of the most massive shooting of people in United States of America’s history. One lone gunman opened fire on concertgoers in a Las Vegas venue that, to date has left 59 people dead and several clinging to life. This darkens the brief conversation we had last night with an American citizen who pompously was willing to show off her newly obtained concealed weapon permit. Why would an ordinary citizen feel the need to possess a gun and the desire to have it with them at all times? We are baffled. Statistics have proven beyond question that this type of protection is unwarranted and ineffectual.

We won’t be able to defend ourselves from a government invasion if that were to ever occur in Puerto Vallarta; very unlikely, we’d surmise. Once again, we’ve found ourselves feeling safer in Puerto Vallarta than in our homeland. Our hopes and prayers are aligned properly with those who suffer, and also those who live in fear.

Que es cómo es.

Timothy Real Estate Group is a locally-owned and operated real estate brokerage with a strategic location in the Romantic Zone of Puerto Vallarta in the Colonia Emiliano Zapata. Because the Puerto Vallarta area has varying neighborhood personalities, we practice localized real estate. We believe neighborhood knowledge is a top factor in solid sales, and we know our communities well.

We enable our clients to realize their vision for the future.  We understand and plan for their concerns and are dedicated to transforming those concerns to peace of mind and joy.

Our philosophy of transparency, integrity, and professionalism imbues our culture with a tangible sense of purpose and results in the length and depth of the quality relationships we enjoy.  We believe buying or selling a home is first and foremost about people. Of course we have the latest technology, marketing tools, statistics and research, but a successful real estate transaction really comes down to people. Connecting the right buyers to sellers or investors our professional agents structure solid transactions with successful solid outcomes.  We believe in collaboration by connecting people in ways that bring satisfaction and success.

When you combine extensive local knowledge and our long standing reputation for honesty and sound judgment, you have an unbeatable resource at your disposal.  You have Timothy Real Estate Group, a constant leader in Puerto Vallarta real estate.