Miraculously, we both managed to arrange an entire month of work-at-home time. We packed up the Suburban, had eight-pound alpha dog Maggie, and her new pal Porky from the rescue, hop aboard. With our familiar anticipation of tropical sanctuary, we headed to our vacation home in Cabo. It was an idyllic month. We worked a little, played a lot, and, fortunately for all of us, Maggie taught Porky some manners. It was a rude awakening when our dream month came to an end.
After just an hour on the road, Bob pulled over in Todos Santos where we looked at each other and asked ourselves why we were going back up north. When the only answer either of us could come up with was to fetch the rest of the dogs, we knew it was time to stay in Cabo for good. We continued north, but this time with a renewed sense of purpose and spirit of adventure. Yippee! We’re moving to Cabo! And we were not the only ones.
According to a United Nations’ report, the number of people living in a country other than that of their birth increased to 175 million between the years 1975 and 2002, and that number is continuing to climb. Washington D.C.’s Migration Policy Institute, an independent think tank, studied Mexico’s census data and found that the number of U.S.-born seniors (defined as those age 55 and over) living in Los Cabos between the years 1990 and 2000 increased by an amazing 308.3% (http://www.migrationpolicy.org/pubs/americas_emigrants_summary.pdf). And that is only seniors! If you've been dreaming of resettling in Baja California, here are some tips for finding yourself the perfect full-time home.
While it is nearly impossible to make a bad real estate investment in Los Cabos these days, if you’re moving here as a full-time retiree or working person, you have different considerations to be addressed. Chief among them is finding a community compatible with your new lifestyle. Many full-timers are initially drawn to one of the resort communities they enjoyed while vacationing here. That may work perfectly for the first six months or so. But eventually living in a resort may begin to grate on your nerves. The constant wave of new arrivals, the noise and the parties begin to become more of a nuisance when you’re here full time. If you’ll be working, it’s even tougher when you have an early wake up call while the party next door shows no sign of dying down. In the same vein, condominium residents may enjoy the close proximity of their neighbors but soon feel they prefer more privacy. Owners of single-family homes say they feel most like full-time Cabo-dwellers. In fact, it’s not uncommon for recent arrivals to put their first Cabo home on the market at the one-year point and move into a community they ultimately decide is best for them.
Location is critical. Consider why you moved here in the first place. If you’re into golf, you’ll want to be close to the courses. If fishing is important, you’ll want to be within easy reach of one of the marinas. For working stiffs, consider the commute. The jaunt between San Jose del Cabo and Cabo San Lucas may be a breeze by L.A. or New York standards, but you didn’t move here to cope with the same problems you had back north. Fortunately, there are a number of communities at either end of the corridor to suit your needs.
When hunting for a new full-time home, keep one universal truth in mind: There is no such thing as too much storage. Many condominiums and homes designed for vacation use skimp on closets, cupboards and garage space. Even though you’ll likely be paring down your personal effects prior to your move, you’re also likely to have more belongings than vacation homes can handle. And don’t forget about visitors. Once you move to Los Cabos, you instantly become the most popular kid on [your old] block. Several months ago, Los Cabos Magazine polled local snowbirds about their houseguests. The majority had purchased two-bedroom properties but in retrospect felt that was too few. Sadly, most homes and condominiums in Los Cabos are built with very little storage, small closets, and even more compact kitchens. In fact, for confounding reasons, some new construction often does not include kitchens or closets at all.
When working with future full-timers, many of my colleagues and I try to steer them to finished construction. Although there are many excellent values in pre-construction properties, they may not be the best choice for someone who is committing to full-time residence. Cabo is a boomtown with a severe labor shortage. As a result, many completion dates can be considerably affected. Additionally, there is a shortage of housing and constant building can cause unpredictable delays in occupancy dates. If our clients are going to sell their homes up north, pack all their belongings and move here permanently, we want to assure them their place will be ready when they arrive! Try though we may to have a true and reliable move-in date, a resale or completed home is the only way we can guarantee buyers will have a roof overhead when they get here.
So where will you find your piece of paradise? Finished homes and condos can be found everywhere from the East Cape to the Pacific side of the peninsula. Some noteworthy projects include Cabo Real, where golf course homes start at about $1,000,000. The Villas de Oro in Palmilla are homes that were designed for full-time residence, prices starting at about $600,000 for a two-bedroom town home. In Casa Mexicana, closer to Cabo San Lucas, you will find three-bedroom nearly new homes starting in the $300,000s. Established communities like Pedregal, Cabo Bello, Rancho Paraiso, La Vista Residences, and Cresta Del Mar are all popular with full timers. These are only a few of the many opportunities. Working with a dependable realtor, you will find properties in or out of gated communities that will suit the full-time lifestyle. Some communities best suited for full-time residence do not cooperate with realtors, but instead use their own agents. In this case, it’s recommended that you have a representation by an attorney as an arbitrator or ask your realtor to enter into a buyer’s representation contract.
By working with a realtor experienced in relocation, you will not only to find your perfect home in our paradise, but get information on immigration documents, moving, importing your pets, and generally everything you need to settle into your new Cabo home. In no time, you’ll be one more happy gringo in paradise. Bienvenidos!
