Etiqueta: real estate

Carry Your ID in Puerto Vallarta

Would you drive without your driver’s license in the country of your origin? Probably not, and if you were stopped, there’d be a nasty fine to pay. So, why would we think it’s any different, carrying ID when traveling? It doesn’t matter where you are, if you don’t have your identification on you, it could spell trouble, and in Puerto Vallarta that would be FMM for a tourist and normal ID for anyone else.
This is a question that has arisen countless times in the past couple years. We have been asked by friends who visit if there is a chance they might be asked for ID on any occasion. You must have your passport when changing money at a bank or any other money exchange. This is not new; we’ve been doing that for decades.
Some people are not crazy about carrying their passports around town, especially to the beach and out to bars at night. That’s fine. Carry a copy. However, it must be in black and white. As innocent as you may think you seem, authorities don’t always see it that way. They might think a color copy is someone’s attempt at forging a counterfeit copy of a passport. Black and white doesn’t matter to them because they know it’s a copy.
Here is the important part. The FMM is the bottom piece of the form you filled out when coming through immigration, be it by air, sea or auto. You are expected to keep that precious piece of paper and relieve it with the proper authority when you exit the country. You do not want to lose it or you’ll pay a fine and possibly be held up for a lengthy time (and in some cases miss a flight). Make a black and white copy of this, as well. There are many bars in the US and Canada, where you will not be admitted if you can’t show proper ID. We have been told it’s okay to take photos of your passport and FMM with your phone and show that if you are stopped at a border or asked for your identification.
If you see a road block, chances are they are only asking for ID; be polite, stay calm, and do as the officers ask. Same as you would do in your home country.
Que es cómo es.

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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 a constant leader in Puerto Vallarta real estate

Walking the Malecón

You can entertain yourself for days on end walking the Malecón. There’s so much to do, we have made a short list but you’ll discover many things on your own. And it’s all free!

There are two points to start from, depending on your fortitude when you walk along the Malecón. The first is The Sheraton Hotel, where you will pass the stadium to the east. Besides sporting events, there are other exciting happenings at the stadium. Lila Downs, among others, have given free concerts at the stadium. This is also where the International Fireworks Competition is held when it visits Puerto Vallarta. Just south of the Sheraton on the ocean side, you may catch sight of a volleyball tournament or other international outdoor event; this space has been utilized for many attractions since it was stripped bare by the Hurricane Kena in October 2002.

Along your way, you’ll find great places to stop of a cold beer, tacos, and other refreshments at establishments such as Mangos Beach Club or El Barracuda, where you can find a spot in the shade indoors or relax on the beach.

Hotel Rosita is considered the northern point of the bona fide Malecón. Join in on walking tours viewing Malecón sculptures on Tuesday mornings at 9:30 (don’t be late; the guide will start without you) from November to April. Meet in front of the Millennium sculpture next to Hotel Rosita. It’s also free but you can make a contribution to the Los Mangos Public Library. The walk take about two hours, with approximately fifteen sculptures to see, great information and a wee bit of gossip, sponsored by Gary Thompson, the owner of Galleria Pacifico.

If you’re on the Malecón in the evening, you are sure to observe all sorts of entertainment. Make good use of the tip jars. Cultural and civic shows at Los Arcos arena (the Arches) seat about three hundred people (bring a pillow; it’s hard concrete) and usually start in the early evening.

The main plaza and Our lady of Guadalupe church is a main attraction, the site of colossal Christmas celebrations for the entire month of December; weddings, baptisms, funerals, and regular services.

Cross the bridge to south of town and you’ll find live theater, restaurants, boutiques, jewelry stores, pubs, pizza parlors, and a growing ex-pat community. The malecón ends with a lovely walk directly on the beach, as you pass some of the finest and oldest dining establishments in Puerto Vallarta. Vendors are here in the daytime and the beach is a lively place with the pier docking departures and arrivals of small boats and fishing excursions, as well as water taxis to the southern coastline.

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.

What is a Mexican?

In Puerto Vallarta we don’t hear the term Hispanic as much as we do Latino. There is a justifiable reason for this. Hispanic is technically considered to be someone from a Spanish speaking country, which has been disputed by those who don’t consider themselves of Spanish ancestry. Mestizo once referred to a mix of Indigenous and primarily Spanish, but Africans and Europeans changed this over time.

Large numbers of African slaves were brought in after the Spanish conquest, to work in agriculture, just as they did in the United States. Other Europeans soon arrived in the New World, as well and it wasn’t long before everyone was having babies with everyone else. Originally it was an honor to be called Mestizo and many Indigenous women were willing to have their children labeled as such, to protect them from slavery and other evils of the downtrodden.  Less than a hundred years after Cortéz disembarked on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, the mestizaje (people of Spanish and Indian blood) numbered in the tens of thousands.  The result was the majority of Mestizos being raised in the indigenous communities, where there was no chance of being mistaken for elite. Interbreeding backfired and being Mestizo was considered low class, swinging the genetic label in the opposite direction.

Hence there is a bitterness regarding Spaniards in Mexico and it remains to this day, though few are willing to go to war for the cause. In Puerto Vallarta, it’s not unusual to meet a light-skinned Mexican, with blue or green eyes, blond or red hair. They are proud to be referred to as Latino.

To be a true Mexican, one must have been born in Mexico, regardless of ancestry. Since there is no actual Mexican genome, it’s impossible to track true pedigree, but genetic diversity is under serious research and development to make DNA tagging possible. The main objective of studies is to analyze complex diseases that science and medicine have often proven to be genetically based.

If you have lived in Mexico for a certain period of time, meet all requirements, and pass the tests, you can certainly become and refer to yourself as a Mexican citizen. Mexico is much like the United States in that way. Mexico, Canada and the United States are all nothing more than melting pots of many heritages, all equal, yet different in the most individual unique ways.

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.

Gringos

Newcomers to Puerto Vallarta are often surprised by how freely the label gringo is tossed around. They liken it to other labels that are seen to be derogatory and in some cases, racist. The word gringo long ago lost its power to insult, and is now how many foreigners have come to describe themselves. Perhaps it’s like the tag queer, which at one time was hurled to offend. Gay people simply owned the word, along with any other branding that existed to identify them and set them apart.

Words are simply words; it’s actions that do harm. Gringos are embraced in Puerto Vallarta and have been catered to for decades, resulting in Puerto Vallarta being one of the primary destinations south of the border.

There’s a border crossing in Lukeville, Arizona, known as Gringo Pass, with a motel and other businesses so denoted, and it has never offended in all the years of its existence. People who drive to Mexico are aware of the friendliness and acceptance they receive from Mexicans and nothing tells it like a gateway named especially for them.

There’s more than one story about how the name gringo came about and what it means. Legend has been passed down over time of US soldiers marching through the dry Sonora Desert, trying to convince themselves they weren’t being sapped of every drop of moisture in their bodies. They were said to have trundled along, singing “green grow the rushes, oh!” from the old English ballad. Hearing this, Mexicans shortened the green grow to gringo. That said, the truth of the matter is probably completely different and more likely comes from an old Spanish word gringo, which translates to gibberish and indicates someone who cannot speak the language well, nor be understood.

In the early 1970’s a book, I Like You, Gringo – But! was a best seller on both sides of the border. The author, Mario (Mike) De La Fuente, the son of a Mexican politician, was raised in the US. He was well known for a number of things before he wrote a book defusing not only the wordgringo, but the implication. De La Fuente was a college football star in Texas, as well as being recognized as a talented baseball player in Mexico. His life was spent on both sides of the international border. He was a successful businessman in Nogales, Arizona, a sportscaster, and an early promoter of the medicinal attributes of marijuana. His motto, which he expounds upon in his book (a fun read, btw), was “Work like a gringo, play like a Mexican.”

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.

Gringos

Newcomers to Puerto Vallarta are often surprised by how freely the label gringo is tossed around. They liken it to other labels that are seen to be derogatory and in some cases, racist. The word gringo long ago lost its power to insult, and is now how many foreigners have come to describe themselves. Perhaps it’s like the tag queer, which at one time was hurled to offend. Gay people simply owned the word, along with any other branding that existed to identify them and set them apart.

Words are simply words; it’s actions that do harm. Gringos are embraced in Puerto Vallarta and have been catered to for decades, resulting in Puerto Vallarta being one of the primary destinations south of the border.

There’s a border crossing in Lukeville, Arizona, known as Gringo Pass, with a motel and other businesses so denoted, and it has never offended in all the years of its existence. People who drive to Mexico are aware of the friendliness and acceptance they receive from Mexicans and nothing tells it like a gateway named especially for them.

There’s more than one story about how the name gringo came about and what it means. Legend has been passed down over time of US soldiers marching through the dry Sonora Desert, trying to convince themselves they weren’t being sapped of every drop of moisture in their bodies. They were said to have trundled along, singing “green grow the rushes, oh!” from the old English ballad. Hearing this, Mexicans shortened the green grow to gringo. That said, the truth of the matter is probably completely different and more likely comes from an old Spanish word gringo, which translates to gibberish and indicates someone who cannot speak the language well, nor be understood.

In the early 1970’s a book, I Like You, Gringo – But! was a best seller on both sides of the border. The author, Mario (Mike) De La Fuente, the son of a Mexican politician, was raised in the US. He was well known for a number of things before he wrote a book defusing not only the word gringo, but the implication. De La Fuente was a college football star in Texas, as well as being recognized as a talented baseball player in Mexico. His life was spent on both sides of the international border. He was a successful businessman in Nogales, Arizona, a sportscaster, and an early promoter of the medicinal attributes of marijuana. His motto, which he expounds upon in his book (a fun read, btw), was “Work like a gringo, play like a Mexican.”

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.