Categoría: Living in Mexico – We Have All The Lifestyle Information You Will Need.

I dreamed of living in Mexico since I was 17 years old.  My friends knew this about me but they all thought I was crazy and that it would never happen.

Each time I visited Mexico I felt a certain connection, something pulling me here.  What’s not to love here, the location the ocean, the beaches, the mountains, it’s paradise on earth, but the real reason is the Mexican people and their culture, if I had not fallen in love with the people, well, I would be someplace else.

After my last “Vacation Visit” in 2002 I felt, this is it, I’m going to do it, I am going to purse my dream.  I returned to Los Angeles, back to work, but I did not let the daily grind take over and get the best of me.

This was my opportunity and my time to make it all come true!

It was a bit scary moving to Mexico by myself.  But I definitely knew I wanted a more rewarding life.  I wanted something special and be where I would meet new people and do new things.

The first new thing in my new life was starting a career in Real Estate.  I knew it was what I was going to do before coming here.  It has been a very rewarding career.  Originally when I started working in Real Estate in Puerto Vallarta it was a sellers market and prices were much higher, similar to a lot of places in the U.S.  But after the economic downturn it has become a buyers market.  The buyers today are educated and more hesitant to fall immediately in love with a place and pay any price for it.  Buyers want to know everything the market has to offer them in their price range and take a good look at what properties have the best value.  If it makes financial sense for them then they are taking advantage of the great opportunities now available.

There are lots of great things about being a Puerto Vallarta Real Estate agent; such as meeting new people that have the same dream as I did in moving to Mexico.

Buyers might be starting out just looking online, wanting to know certain things about Puerto Vallarta, such as schools for their children, what is there to do, how will they meet new people, starting a business, how do they become involved in the community and where are the best places to eat!  They are also viewing different properties and trying to get some idea or a feel of what kind of property they’re looking for and what location they want to be in and what price they want to pay.  It’s a fantastic feeling and I enjoy being part of that experience with my clients.   My expertise and knowledge of the area and the market enables me to help them pursue their dream and make it come true!

I also enjoy helping sellers.  I help owners get their home market ready and my connection with the community is an added plus with the services needed for closing.  My priority is to get the seller a strong market sales price and assure a smooth and timely closing.

My favorite Puerto Vallarta areas for a great real estate investments are; the South Shore, Conchas Chinas, Amapas, Old Town, El Centro, 5 de Diciembre and La Pechuga, Hotel Zone and Marina Vallarta.  There are lots of great areas but these are my favorite locations for condos and homes, and all of them with views of Banderas Bay.

My advice to anyone interested in purchasing real estate in Puerto Vallarta is, get yourself in front of an AMPI Approved Agent that is experienced and has knowledge of the market and will be your go to person your advocate and someone who is looking out for your best interest.

Donna Lynn Davies

Timothy Real Estate Group

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Timothy Real Estate Group – An innovative company setting new standards in Real Estate sales and services has the most professional and experienced Realtors in the Puerto Vallarta area who understand the intricacies of Mexican Real Estate ownership, the local market, Puerto Vallarta property codes and regulations and financing.  The Timothy Group uses that knowledge to provide a sound analysis on every aspect of property ownership. Timothy Real Estate Group is known for professionalism and experience and they bring this to every transaction they work on for the benefit of Real Estate investors and developers alike. Ask about our Real Estate Listings

Puerto Vallarta has constant and renewed efforts to pick up garbage. The municipal government has a program to keep the beaches clean and the Directorate of Environment and Ecology have many programs that operate up and down the bay doing regular cleanups. It’s important that everyone tries to do their part, though obviously some feel they are exempt from responsibility. Some communities have organized seasonal projects to clean up neighborhoods with groups of citizens and residents who make a daily effort to keep our beaches, parks and streets clean.

What can you do?

Make sure when you put your household trash out for collection that it’s in a heavy duty plastic bag and tightly tied shut. Don’t place items on top of piles that will invite stray dogs, cats and wild animals to begin digging. We have so often seen garbage sitting atop a bag with food items exposed, chicken bones, dry tortillas crumbling, cans with food residue that haven’t been rinsed or bagged.

Posters on Facebook and other social media sites who add photos of piles of garbage aren’t really helping the situation. If your Spanish language skills aren’t up to spiff, find someone who can help you communicate and do a little research. After asking, we found out that garbage pickup in our colonia happens on certain days, at exact hours. We had a hard time believing this so we watched to see what would happen on that given schedule and were amazed at the punctuality and efficiency. The garbage collector also made the extra effort to chase after fluttering pieces of trash that went astray. That impressed us and though not all city employees will be as diligent, it’s pleasing to know there are some who truly care.

Instead of complaining about the amount of plastic bottles, floating grocery bags and OXXO cups, grab your own trash-bag and take a walk. Wear protective gloves and pick up whatever lays in your path. There are empty lots in Puerto Vallarta that are open dumping grounds. Don’t be afraid to wear some closed toe shoes and buy or borrow a rake if you haven’t one of your own. Make an effort to assist your community in its beautification. Pickup after yourself at the beach and park; take whatever trash that isn’t yours in a decided radius. Be a part of the solution. Setting an example is the best way to get things done, and others as sure to follow your lead.

Que es cómo es.

Papayas, bananas and mangoes abound in Puerto Vallarta and growing them is easy, given just a small plot of land. Our first home in Puerto Vallarta had minimum space to garden, yet we grew bananas and papayas in our parking strip and always had a yield. When we pass by on walks with the pup we are always pleased to see the current tenants enjoying the fruits of our labors!
What a surprise to find out that papayas are WAY ahead of humans when it comes to gender issues. It has long been acknowledged that there are three separate sexes of the papaya plant: male, female and hermaphrodite. The male produces no fruit, but provides the pollen, in such a fair and equal manner. The female papaya, pretty little thing that she is produces fruit that is actually not edible unless it has been pollinated! And so… the hermaphrodite self pollinates, due to the fact it produces fruit that contains the male stamens and the female ovaries, therefore doing all the work and getting only one third the credit. Hermaphrodite papaya trees are the only ones found in a commercial orchard for obvious reasons.
Another oddity regarding the papaya is that is it a BERRY! Who would have thought? But it does make sense when one sees the belly full of seeds that it contains. Papayas are ripe when they have turned amber-orange hue and soft to touch, almost like an avocado. Though native to southern Mexico and Central and northern South America, papaya is now grown in many tropical areas, such as Florida, the Caribbean Islands, India, Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, and Hawaii. There are officially 22 accepted species of the fruit, though only one is grown in the vicinity of Puerto Vallarta.
Though papaya is used in soups, curries and salads, the most common manner of consumption is raw. Some people like the black seeds, claiming they are spicy and can be used as a pepper substitute when ground. Though we have never seen anyone in Puerto Vallarta doing so, we have also seen young leaves of the papaya plant steamed and eaten like a vegetable.
We always rinse our produce off before we begin to prepare, no matter what type and whether we consume of the outer layer. Cut the papaya in half and scoop the seeds out with a spoon. Quarter the halves (so you have eight total slices) and tenderly cut the rind from the meat with a sharp paring knife. Cut into chunks and squeeze a lime over the lot and mix gently. Some like a little sprinkle of spice such as Tajin®, as well.
İBuen provecho!
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.

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.