Tag Archives: Baja International Realty

Cabo San Lucas Bar Restaurant for sale

This place has been in operation for more than 15 years, the owner wants to retire.  This is a Great opportunity!!  It includes all permits and authorizations.  Seller will train buyer for 30 days.  This operation shows a very good ROI.

Please contact our Commercial Broker: Don Weis at don@bircabo.com, or call him at 624-129-6245

CABO SAN LUCAS REAL ESTATE; Cabo House? or Cabo Condo? or how about a very special Townhouse?

view from penthouse pool

view from penthouse pool

lower penthouse front side

lower penthouse front side

view side of the villas

view side of the villas

common area pool

common area pool

cielito047 (Large)

villas view of Cabo San Lucas

villas view of Cabo San Lucas

cielito055 (Large) cielito050 (Large)

3 bedroom front side

3 bedroom front side

If you are looking for real estate in Cabo San Lucas, whether it is a house in Los Cabos or a Cabo condo, you must check out these one-of-a-kind townhouses. So you want a house with a great water view? Or a condo with city lights and blue water Land’s End view. How about a townhouse designed by one of the top architects in Los Cabos? Well you can have it all…….

El Cielito, in the “Heights” of Rancho Paraiso estates is an architectural master piece built by Prospero Tapia Architect. These Villas boast the best views ever to Lands End, Sea of Cortez, the Bahia Cabo San Lucas and city lights of Cabo San Lucas; even Pacific sunsets! Just a short distance to downtown yet built in a quiet, private community with full time security. El Cielito is an exclusive community of only 22 private Villas built to the highest standards.

Different Villas have private pools or infinity edge plunge pool/Jacuzzi. Italian design entryway video system by BTicino, antique Egyptian Fossil Marble throughout the Home, custom carpentry crafted in Mahogany from sustainable forestry, kitchens come with stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and views, views, views!!!

Common area features a beautiful large free form community pool with Jacuzzi, fire pit, large sun deck and gym. If you are looking for high quality real estate in Cabo, these are being offered at a very special price. Find out why. http://www.cabo-homes.com/cabo-san-lucas-villas-for-sale-El-Cielito.html

Or contact Don Weis at don@bircabo.com

Mexico – Safe & Sound

Mexico is safe - Baja International Realty - BIRCabo - BIR

MEXICO IS SAFE

Unlike what you read, hear and see in much of the media, Mexico is safe. Are you feeling doubtful? Then keep reading and let me present my case.

U.N. statistics – not sensationalistic and distorted news reports

Have you ever thought of Mexico as an unsafe travel destination? What about Switzerland? Did you know that Mexico is statistically safer than both Switzerland & Sweden, when you look at for example murder rates. This is according to U.N. data, collected by nationmaster.com. Have you ever felt like people should be warned about travelling to the U.S.? Did you know that the assault rates is as much as five times higher in the U.S., than they are in Mexico? This is even with under-reported crime being adjusted for in the statistics by prominix.com. Are you afraid of getting kidnapped if you vacation in Canada or The United Kingdom?  If you’re not, then there is certainly no reason for you to be in Mexico when you look at the statistics. These are good examples of the distorted and sensationalistic media coverage that Mexico is unfairly getting.  As howsafeismexico.com puts it: “There are warnings about kidnapping, even though the rate of kidnapping is dramatically higher in Canada than it is in Mexico and no such warning exists for Canada.”. They also compare the difference in how Washington D.C. & Mexico City is being portrayed: “The U.S. State Department in Washington issues warnings about Mexico, yet Washington D.C. is four times more deadly than Mexico City. Washington’s murder rate has been cut almost in half in the last 10 years, but it still averages 24 per 100,000 vs. only 8-9 per 100,000 in Mexico City. How do you suppose the U.S. State department would feel if the Mexican government posted travel warnings for the U.S. capital? Mexico City is a cultural treasure that is larger than New York, London or Paris. In fact, it is about the same size as London and Paris combined.”.  If you stay out of the drug trade, you are “statistically safer in Mexico than anywhere else in North America.”. The U.S. murder rates are lower than Mexico’s and still Mexico is yet again statistically safer for visitors and tourists than the U.S. It is more likely to become a victim of a violent crime in both the U.S. and Canada and many other countries that are regarded as safe, than it is in Mexico.

Mexico is safe - stats on violent crimes- Real Estate - Baja International Realty - BIR - www.bircabo.com

Mexico is safe - homocide rates - Real Estate - Baja International Realty - BIR - www.bircabo.com

Mexico is safe - comparison to US cities - Real Estate - Baja International Realty - BIR - www.bircabo.com

As can be seen above – Philadelphia has twice as many homicides as Mexico City and New Orleans city is almost four times more dangerous than the entire country of Mexico.

Is my point that we should all be scared of going to Mexico and the U.S., Canada, United Kingdom, Switzerland & Sweden? No, of course not! My point is: don’t buy into the isolated and sensationalistic news reports about Mexico being highly unsafe, just as you should not be scared of travelling to any of the other countries mentioned. When you visit Mexico use the same kind of common sense as you would in any other country or even any city in your own country and you should be fine.

The geographical facts

Another issue with media reports on violence in Mexico is that they often ignore such obvious facts as geography. Mexico is the 14th largest country in the world, that is even larger than the 19 U.S. states from Texas to Maine and Washington D.C. together.

Mexico is safe - geography - Real Estate - Baja International Realty - BIR - www.bircabo.com

Lumping all of Mexico together, even though it is a country the size of western Europe is a problem. Would you be afraid for your own safety going to Los Angeles because of reported gang violence in Las Vegas? Or put off a trip to Germany because of news reports in Latvia? Are you scared of travelling to Louisiana where the death rates are some of the highest in the United States? Millions of people still spend their vacations there and they don’t feel unsafe.  Equally the two British tourists that were murdered in Florida 2011, should not cause all of USA to be marked as unsafe, not even the state or the city of Florida in general (examiner.com).

Baja California Sur as safe as can be

When it comes to Southern Baja where we are located most of it is regarded as much safer than many cities in the USA. Baja California Sur is also considered one of the safest states in all of Mexico and have no travel advisory, along with the following states:

  • Campeche
  • Chiapas
  • Estado de Mexico
  • Guanajuato
  • Hidalgo
  • Mexico City DF
  • Oaxaca
  • Puebla
  • Queretaro
  • Quintana Roo
  • Tabasco
  • Tlaxcala
  • Yucatan

The only four states, out of Mexico’s 31, that the U.S. State Department’s travel advisory recommends avoiding are:

  • Chihuahua
  • Coahuila
  • Durango
  • Tamaulipas

If you want to be extra careful then stay away from the towns on the border to the U.S. and travel in any of the other 27 states. Just as you should probably stay away from Florida & Louisiana where the local drug gangs are part of the reason these two states have some of the highest death rates in the U.S. (examiner.com). You should also avoid the cities New Orleans, Saint Louis, Baltimore & Washington D.C. (howsafeismexico.com).

Here in Baja California Sur most of us cannot relate to the fear that many North Americans seem to have when it comes to travelling and living in Mexico.  As said by the Examiner.com Mexico and southern Baja is “offering some of the best jungles, deserts, beaches, coral reefs, pre-European cultures and some of the world’s most satisfying cuisine, not to mention proximity and value, Mexico remains a great travel destination with a very bad PR problem.”. They continue by stating that Cabo San Lucas & San Jose del Cabo may even be two of the safest cities in Mexico. 

 

 Conclusion

An important thing to know when it comes to media and their distorted way of making Mexico sound unsafe is that reports, for example from 2010 about a total of 18 Americans that died in three different areas in mainland Mexico where mainly caused by drowning, but that is not disclosed in the reports. Again would you postpone a trip to Miami, due to the city feeling unsafe, if you heard that an American drowned when swimming in the ocean? Mexico city has fewer deaths than for example both Houston & Phoenix. “Warning people to avoid Mexico is largely unfounded and misleading, as well as a bit  fear-mongering”, says Examiner.com. Even the violence that is concentrated in only a small amount of Mexico’s total of 31 states, is lessening . Ciudad Juarez for example has improved dramatically (economist.com).

To sum things up: The U.S. Assault rate is 5 times higher than Mexico’s. Mexico’s violent crime rates for assault, kidnapping and rape are substantially lower than Canada’s and yet the U.S. State Department issues no such warnings for Canada. The rate for Rape in the U.S. is more than double the rate in Mexico.

According to Lonely Planet Americans are on average less likely to face violence in Mexico than at home. So keep this in mind next time you read about Mexico and please come enjoy Los Cabos knowing that you are probably even safer here then you are at home.

 

 

Mexico is safe - Baja International Realty - BIRCabo

 

#Mexico #Safe #Safety #IsMexicoSafe #USA #Canada #statistics #UN #Traveladvisory

Home Casa Lucazi - Pedregal's best view - Baja International Realty BIRcabo

Casa Lucazi – A Dream Villa & Marina View in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

WELCOME TO CASA LUCAZI

Casa Lucazi is a dream villa and a solid investment. It’s a perfect vacation rental property that can be used to offset costs or as cash flow positive, as well as being a great private vacation retreat for the true entertainer. As Robert Kiyosaki said: “As long as you have more cash flowing in than flowing out, your investment is a good investment.”. This is a real good opportunity for just that.

Casa Lucazi - Real Estate - Villa Mexico - Baja International Realty - BIR - Bircabo

The stunning dining room that will impress any dinner guest

Casa Lucazi is a custom made 4 bedroom & 4½ bathroom Villa in Pedregal, Cabo San Lucas, BCS, Mexico. It has many high-end features such as your very own media room. Who does not dream of their own cinema room? It’s a close walk to the sizzle of downtown Cabo and beautiful forever views of the city marina. It comes equipped with an elevator &  spacious pool with a heater. This is a must see!

Casa Lucazi - Marina View - Baja International Realty - BIR - Bircabo

BBQ area with a large terrace surrounding the pool – overlooking the city marina

This custom made house was built in 2009, the total construction is 413 square meters (4,380 sq. ft) and the lot is 1,080 square meters (1/4 of an acre). It has a 3 car garage plus 2 carports and a garage roof deck patio.  It comes partly furnished and has a garden, hot tub and a fire place.

Casa Lucazi - Real Estate - Baja International Realty - BIR - BirCabo

 The 3 car garage, 2 carports and garage roof deck patio with it’s paradise view

The kitchen is complete with a top of the line dishwasher, disposal, refrigerator, freezer, microwave, gas oven, ice maker and to top it off a must have wine fridge, for enjoyable nights in front of the fireplace.

Casa Lucazi - Real Estate Cabo - Baja International Realty - BIR - BirCabo

A complete, top of the line, kitchen

Casa Lucazi has ceiling fans, air conditioning and a fire place for your everyday comfort and perfect indoor temperatures. Travertine flooring through out the home and a well thought out and open floor plan.

Casa Lucazi - Real Estate Cabo - Baja International Realty - BIR - BirCabo

Bedroom with an on suite bathroom and an upstairs balcony with ocean view. Is this going to be your Tom Hodgkinson paradise? “I count it as a certainty that in paradise, everyone naps”.

Casa Lucazi - Real Estate Cabo - Baja International Realty - BIR - BirCabo

Bedroom with an on suite bathroom

Casa Lucazi - Real Estate Cabo - Baja International Realty- BIR - BirCabo

The ocean view from the upstairs balcony

Casa Lucazi can be yours for $1.49M U.S. dollars and closing within 30 days. The yearly property tax is $2,370 USD. There’s a 5 year interest-only loan at 5% per annum and non-qualifying seller’s financing with 50% down.

The house is equipped with a security system, alarm and motion detector as well as internet and satellite TV.

Casa Lucazi - Real Estate Cabo - Baja International Realty - BIR - BirCabo

WELCOME HOME

 

As said by John Jacob Astor:

“Buy on the fringe and wait. Buy land near a growing city!
Buy real estate when other people want to sell. 
Hold what you buy!”

Cabo is the growing city of opportunity!

 

For more information please contact our agent

Roger Marius Ciceron

011-521-624-122-0167 / roger@bircabo.com

Baja International Realty in Los Cabos / www.bircabo.com

 

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#Kiyosaki #Villa #Pedregal # positive #cashflow #RealEstate #Cabo #Mexico #4Bedroom #4BD #Lucazi #oceanview #jacuzzi #investment #pool #marina #Pedregal #house #home #cabosanlucas #realestate #property #forsale

 

 

Whale Watching in Cabo - Baja International Realty - BIRCabo

WHALE WATCHING – ON EVERYONE’S BUCKET LIST

      By Nina Richmond                                                                          2014-04-02       

 

WHALE WATCHING – A DREAM COME TRUE & HOW WHALE VOMIT CAN MAKE YOU THE LUCKIEST PERSON ALIVE

 
In this post:
  • World class whale watching tours
  • How whale vomit can make you rich
  • Listen to a humpback whale song
  • The worlds loneliest whale
  • A marine life paradise

In a previous blog post I listed a number of questions that often accompany the thought of moving to a new area, the following blog post is indeed partly an answer to the question: what activities does the area offer. ENJOY!

 

 

WORLD CLASS WHALE WATCHING TOURS

Whale Watching off of the coast of Cabo San Lucas should be on everyone’s bucket list! We have some of the best whale watching tours in the world, which offers you close encounters with a number of different whale species. Clink on the following link to see a video, by Peak Travels, with our friend Abbie Moyer Sloan who is a biologist and tour guide for Whale Watch Cabo. Should this be on your bucket list? Take a look and judge for yourself:  WHALE WATCHING IN CABO SAN LUCAS, this video is created by Peak Travels.

Whale Head Slap - Baja International Realty - BIRCabo

 

The Whale Watching Season in Cabo

Whale watch Cabo tells us: “The Cabo San Lucas whale watching season begins in December and ends mid to late April, depending on the variations in the Whales seasonal migration. Every year starting late November Humpback whales return to Los Cabos from their summer feeding grounds (California, British Columbia and Alaska) to mate and give birth. Gray whales also make the journey, pregnant mothers stopping in the northern Baja bays and lagoons to calve while many of the adult Gray whales continue down to Los Cabos arriving in January. During the Cabo San Lucas whale watching season we often see both Humpback Whales (December – April) and Gray Whales on the same tour (January through April).”. “The whale watching season in Cabo San Lucas marks the arrival of many species of whales to their winter mating and birthing grounds. The Pacific coast of the Baja peninsula and the Sea of Cortez become home to thousands of whales for approximately 4 months every year.”.

So why is Whale Watching so fantastic in this particular part of the world?

Whale watch cabo says: “Humpback and Gray Whales can be encountered with guaranteed regularity. During the mating season, whales are often observed performing magnificent feats of physical prowess to impress their potential mates.”. “As the Humpbacks are here to mate we are often treated to an array of surface behaviors, mating competitions and playful baby Humpback Whales.”.

Here’s a photo of a Tail Slap, would it impress you?

Whale Tail Slap - Baja International Realty - BIRCabo

 

HOW WHALE VOMIT CAN MAKE YOU RICH

How’s this for a fun fact: Sperm whale vomit is worth thousands of dollars per pound and up to $20 per gram. Why, you might ask? Who in his right mind would pay that much for whale spew? As a matter of fact, french perfume companies will. Does this mean that the sperm whale’s vomit is exquisitely aromatic? No, it smells just as bad as it sounds. Then why would these perfume companies pay thousands of dollars for it? It has nothing to do with odor, it’s actually used as a fixative. In other words it helps the perfume to stick to your skin. In Egypt they use it to scent cigarettes, candles and to make teas. Back in the days it was used as medicine for headaches. Is this starting to sound familiar? If it is maybe it’s because Herman Melville mentioned it in his famous book: Moby Dick.

This so called vomit, more accurately refereed to as Ambergris but often called floating gold,  is not really vomit.  describes it as “… a hard, waxy substance produced in the guts of sperm whales. It forms from bile and it is thought to stay in a whale’s intestines to help it break up anything hard that it swallows (like an octopus beak). It is usually passed from the whale’s body along with fecal matter, but in the case of larger chunks, the whale typically needs to vomit it out. This (along with the rather disgusting fecal smell it gives off at first) has led many to begin referring to it as “whale vomit” or “whale poop.” But I doubt anyone would refer to one of their gallstones (about the closest analogy to ambergris our bodies can produce) as their vomit or poop. Besides, “floating gold” is probably a better nickname for ambergris anyway.”. Discovery news explains that it is the salty water that gives it a sort of waxy texture.

The observant reader who remembers that I specifically wrote french perfume companies might be wondering whether or not they now need to check the ingredient list on all perfume bottles (if there is one), or only on bottles from France? The answer to that question is that in many countries, the US for example, it is illegal to use ambergris due to the sperm whale being classified as an endangered species. Therefore it is mostly french companies that keep this floating gold in stock and are willing to “upchuck” the big bucks for it.

If it is so valuable it must mean that it is nearly impossible to find, right?! It seems to be more a case of people not knowing what they have in front of them then of it  nearly being impossible to find. “A British man hit this smelly jackpot” – is the headline of an article about a man who found a 6 pound lump of ambergris and is now possibly going to cash in close to 180’000 USD. Another one of these success stories, to be read about, is a couple in southern Australia. They could get as much as 300’000 USD for their finding.

For all of you who wants to get out there right now and look for it, but are wondering what it looks like, take a good look at this picture.  This is a picture of the British guy who got rich thanks to his dog who clearly has a nose for a deal. However I ask you to finish reading this post before you run off to borrow your neighbors dog.

Whale Ambergris - Baja International Realty - BIRCabo

Something to think about: just, maybe a trip to Cabo will make you rich as these sperm whales do travel past here…

Believe it or not but whale spew is not the only vomit that pays the big bucks. There is more than one artist out there that sells paintings of their own disgorge, for example: Millie Brown Vomits To Create Art, and is supposedly admired by no other than Lady Gaga.

 

LISTEN TO A HUMPBACK WHALE SONG

(I recommend listening to the humpback whale song as you continue reading)

Whale Song Comic - Baja International Realty - BIRCabo 

According to Whale Watch Cabo: “…both male and female Humpback whales do sing, the male is especially well recognized for its long and complex songs. The songs are believed to be primarily a method of attracting a suitable mate. Songs can be up to 20 minutes long and whales sing the same song in a given population, which changes over time.”

 

 

THE WORLDS LONELIEST WHALE

The story about the worlds most lonesome whale started when the U.S. Navy gave whale researches access to their hydrophone array recordings in the North Pacific, meant for recording submarines. 1989 researcher William Watkins noticed a whale vocalizing at the range of 52 Hertz (which is why the whale is known as the “52 Hz Whale“). Now, this is highly remarkable considering that most whales vocalize at the range of 17-18 Hz – which by the way is too low for the human ear to pick up. The media and public was quick to take the story “of a whale that was swimming through the ocean, calling out on a frequency no other whale was using, never hearing a response.” to heart. It quickly spread around the globe, what today would be refereed to as going viral.

What’s the cause of this unusual range? Researches don’t know yet, since there has been no visual of the whale – at least not any knowingly. Documentary maker Joshua Zeman went out on a quest to find the lonely whale. Did he find it? The documentary “” is expected to be released in 2015. This means that researches still don’t know what species the 52 Hz whale belongs to. It could be a matter of a malformation but it is still believed to be healthy since it has been recorded all these years. Bruce Mate at Oregon State University and Hatfield Marine Science Center was chosen to lead the Joshua Zeman expedition. He says “I don’t believe the animal we’re looking for is a new species, or the dying out of an old species, or anything that dramatic. It is much more likely the animal might be the equivalent of an animal with a lisp, that it has — I won’t call it a speech impediment, because it’s probably understandable to other animals, but it’s different.”.

Is 52 Hz really swimming the worlds oceans all alone? Until there is an actual visual of the whale it is hard to say, hopefully the documentary will be able to give us the answer. At least I sure hope so, as I am anxious to find out.

“In other words, whether the team finds the 52 Hz whale, and whether it turns out to indeed be lonely or surrounded by companions, the story will have a happy ending. It will have provided a platform for scientists to learn more about the baleen whales of the North Pacific than they might otherwise have been able to. And while the whale may be lonely, its cries have not gone unheard.”. 

Whale Watching Close Encounter - Baja International Realty - BIRCabo

 

A MARINE LIFE PARADISE

Book a trip before this season is over and cross it off your bucket list or make sure to book a trip for next season! Maybe you will be one of the few who catches a glimps of the 52 Hz whale. Whale Watch Cabo emphasizes that Cabo San Lucas is not only for the whale enthusiasts as it is also a paradise for the marine life lovers in general. Many other animals are frequently spotted such as: “… Dolphins, Orcas, Sea Lions, leaping Manta Rays, pelagic fish like Marlin and many species of Sea Birds (Frigates, Boobys, Cormorants, Osprey, Pelicans)”.

Dolphins Cabo - Baja International Realty - BIRCaboMobula in Cabo - Baja International Realty - BIRCaboBlue-Footed Booby in Cabo - Baja International Realty - BIRCabo

Are you interested in Real Estate in Los Cabos, Baja California Sur, Mexico? We are a full-service Cabo real estate firm – a leading buyer, seller and developer agent for land, residential, commercial and business properties in the area. Visit our website for more information or stop by our office. We can offer you discount on whale watching tours and many other fun activities. Are you just on vacation visiting and need a rental, let us know as we can help out with that too.

Do you have a story to tell about visiting or living in Los Cabos, about Ambergris findings or the 52 Hz Whale? If so let us know – as we love to collect interesting stories.

Whale Watching in Cabo - Baja International Realty - BIRCabo

 

Real estate agents – should you hire them?

Why hire a real estate agent to sell your house instead of doing it yourself? This is indeed a valid question that some people have, so I now want to summarize the key reasons we, and many others with us, see to hire an agent. I want to clarify that it has been hard for me to keep this short and simple because there seems to be so much I want to say.  I have however done my best to untangle this multicolored yarn of tangled thoughts and stick with only the red thread and what is most important. 

Top 10 reasons to hire a real estate agent

reasons to hire an agent

Selling a property without a real estate agent

When a house is sold by the owner rather than by a real estate agent a term often used is For Sale By Owner – FSBO  (pronounced fizzbo). The main reason people decide to put a house up for sale by the owner is that they don’t want to pay a commission fee to the agent. According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR):

“Only 9 percent of today’s sellers are FSBO sellers, and among those who chose the FSBO route, 40 percent knew the buyer who bought their home. Among those who did not previously know the buyer of the home, 18 percent of those were contacted directly by the buyer to purchase the home. Taking these factors into account, the FSBO market of sellers who sold their home without knowing the buyer, and those who were not directly contacted by a buyer, is significantly smaller.” (http://bit.ly/1lbmyKI).

Furthermore statistics from NAR tells us that the median price for a property sold using an agent in 2007 & 2008 was $240,000 meanwhile the median price for properties sold by FSBO’s was $180,000. That is $60,000 less than when going through a Realtor! When you count on, for example, a 6 percent commission for the assisting agent you still end up with $45,600 more than the ones deciding to sell the property themselves.

Here are some reasons why FSBO’s risk ending up losing money by selling the property themselves:

Less exposure – MLS (Multiple Listing Search) is what most house hunters use to narrow down their searches. This is a database in which you get listed through a Realtor. Access to MLS is a service that cost our own agents $600 a year (as a clients you don’t pay for this), a cost you otherwise have to add to the $45,600 that the median FSBO already lost by not using an agent. Even if you would use MLS yourself it is not as easy as just listing your property and leaving it at that. “Access is only the start”, says our own real estate agent Gary Denny. “You can also go online and get French lessons.”. In other words, it takes years for a successful Realtor to learn how to take full advantage of MLS and learn the numbers needed. Because MLS is the most important platform and this blog post runs a risk of being without end I will stop at that, but the agents wont – they will provide you with exposure in many more terrains than that of MLS

Less experienced and less informed negotiators – Are you a great negotiator? Do you for example successfully bargain with street vendors when travelling in new countries? If you are one of many who feel really uncomfortable bargaining, even over the smallest thing, FSBO is probably not for you. If you however are one of them who most often leave with a feeling of accomplishment and having made a good deal – imagine then if you spoke the local language and had spent years in that country studying the value of that very product. Could you have made an ever better deal if you actually knew the lowest price that product is normally sold for on that street? Imagine then if you also knew the lowest prices in that whole area, not just that street or that city, but also the neighboring cities and the best time to buy. Then on top of that would knowing where it could be sold for the highest price help you make an even wiser decision on whether or not to buy this product? I am sure you understand where I am going with this. Even if you are a really good negotiator I dare to say that most non-agents do not spend the time learning about the products and the market that our agents do. The process of selling property does not only need great negotiating skills when agreeing on the closing price as many might think, many other items too need negotiating. Don’t ask yourself solely if you have the skills for it but also ask yourself if you have the insight needed and if you speak the language of real estate negotiation.

Too emotionally connected – Can you stay objective enough when it is something as personal as a house full of your own memories? If priced wrong to begin with do you have the time it might take you to realize this and decide on a new price? Gary is selling his house in the states so I asked him, being an agent, if he’s going to set the price himself. He said: “absolutely not!”. He’s hiring an agent working in the area in which the house is located. Why? Firstly he doesn’t have the time to analyze the local market and secondly the risk of him underselling is too great, he says. When someone who is working full-time as a real estate agent won’t even try and sell his own real estate by himself it might be worth thinking twice about it? 

Less time –  “Nearly anyone is smart enough to be able to spend 50 hours a week watching what is selling and what isn’t. Smart enough to go through countless MLS updates (both per online and in person) but do they have the time? When doctors, lawyers, CPA’s and engineers need to sell they call a Realtor”, Gary points out.

So how time consuming is it to sell a house? Can it really be that bad? Well, it’s all relative of course but there is no doubt a lot that needs doing. Just to mention some of it, you need to:

  • Assess the salebility and condition of your property 
  • Find & fix any problems that might be an issue for a buyer
  • Research the local market
  • Monitor and understand the latest news regarding loans and mortgage rates
  • Decide on an asking price
  • Get the house ready for sale – declutter, clean & stage in the most appealing manner 
  • Make and budget a marketing plan
  • List and market the property
  • Confirm any potential buyers financial qualifications
  • Negotiate the terms for selling 
  • Accept an offer
  • Prepare and handle the paper work for closing – all legal documents, insurance, lien, loan and mortgage, title insurer, property records, building permits for the appraiser as well as receipts, disclosure documents, and more. 
  • Handle any issues that comes up after closing

These are all things that an agent will help you to unload off of your shoulders and often already busy schedule.

Regarding the forms needed to close a sale – browsing on the internet I find a lot of websites that are trying to convince people that it really isn’t all that complicated. I ask Gary who changes his position as to mark the importance of what he’s going to say next: “The forms are very complicated. In some markets as many as 1 in 9 transactions end in at least the threat of a lawsuit. These forms are the result of ongoing lawsuits, state lawmakers whims and ever changing public opinions. Buyers love having a professional between them and a seller, in case of any issues such as radon, mold, measurements, termites, permits, usage, inspections, repairs, title and more comes up”. He also stresses that a property that is for sale by owner often makes buyers wonder what the real reason behind that decision is – what are they hiding? It is unfortunately also very common that FSBO’s, trying to save money on commission, find it overwhelming to do the work themselves and end up hiring an agent in the end anyway. That is of course not the way to save money.


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On top of all this one might have lots to prepare as a buyer of another property and then the move to a potential new home. Of course regardless of any of this you can choose to do it yourself. If you have the time to learn all things necessary, the devotion to the tasks at hand and are willing to take the risk that the selling price is lower then what an agent could have gotten you.  In a way it is like cooking a Turducken, which is a turkey stuffed with a duck that’s stuffed with a chicken. To do it justice you should not just be good at cooking you need to be great at it. I can’t help but to think that if I was to sell my own property right now I would have enough on my plate with just preparing and cooking a turkey. Would I really want to stuff it with an even more time consuming and stressful duck stuffed with yet another time consuming and skills demanding chicken? Especially since I might risk being unsuccessful, considering I’m not a trained cook, not even a hobby cook. No, I say it is worth the investment to pay for my turducken at a restaurant, where it is prepared and cooked by a master chef. Then I know I can sit down, relax and just enjoy a juicy turducken done justice.

So why should you hire a real estate agent?

To sum up this post I will use one of my favorite Gary-quotes: As long as seller wants the very most they can net – real estate agents will net-work“.

Sources:

Gary Denny: gary@bircabo.com

http://bit.ly/1lbmyKI

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Pic 1: http://bit.ly/Hire_a_RE_agent

Pic 2: http://bit.ly/realestatehumor

Hire a real estate agent

 

 

 

Mexico – The New Land of Opportunity

Are you thinking about moving to Mexico? Now is a good time!

The New York Times published an article, a couple of months ago, with the headline: For Migrants, New Land of Opportunity Is Mexico (Read the article here: http://bit.ly/bircaborealestate).

In the article you can read that “the number of Americans legally living and working in Mexico grew to more than 70,000 in 2012 from 60,000 in 2009, a number that does not include many students and retirees, those on tourist visas or the roughly 350,000 American children who have arrived since 2005 with their Mexican parents.”.

Why is that? New York Times lets one of the 70,000 American immigrants answer that question: “There is this energy here, this feeling that anything can happen”, said Lesley Téllez, a Californian whose three-year-old business running culinary tours served hundreds of clients here last year. “It’s hard to find that in the U.S.”. Domingo Dolores who moved here from France compares the two countries and says that in comparison “nothing is happening in Paris.”.

“Spanish filmmakers, Japanese automotive executives and entrepreneurs from the United States and Latin America arrive practically daily — pursuing dreams, living well and frequently succeeding”, then why not you too? 

www.bircabo.com

 

Land of opportunity and beauty

 

Cabo San Lucas Natural History Museum

Visit the Natural History Museum in Cabo, from Monday through Sunday.

Give them a call at 105-0815

Cabo San Lucas Real Estate Opportunities

Discover Cabo’s Prime Properties at

30/50% Below the 2008 prices!

Private tours available, 7 Days a Week

Call Roger at 044-624-122-0167


Cabo San Lucas Casino Hotel Resort in front of the Country Club

A Nevada company is seeking potential lenders, purchasers, and or qualified gaming, entertainment and resort/hospitality partners, to develop a 26+ acre parcel, right in front of the Cabo San Lucas Country Club.  The land is completely entitled, and all permits and environmental approvals have been obtained.

The land and improvements are free and clear of any debt (other than shareholder loans) and encumbrances, and title insurance is in force from Fidelity National Global Solutions, NY, NY.

The future Resort project has been approved for gaming, with a 254-room Five Star Casino Resort with memberships, and 144 luxury condominiums with both Golf Course and Ocean Views.

The environmental approvals and permits for construction are all completed.  The project is “shovel ready”.  The master plan has been approved by all federal, state and local government agencies.  The company has been issued a Construction License and all related approvals to begin building immediately.

The value for the land with all entitlements is approximately $37M U.S., based on a 2011 real estate comps.

For more information, please contact Roger Marius Cicéron  roger@bircabo.com