First Choice RealtyGuide to San Carlos
Chapter 12: So Now You Are a Happy Home Owner
We have learned to live with little inconveniences and become happy home owners in Mexico. 1
- The roof leaks; there is no water on Sunday; the electricity comes in spikes and goes out just when you need it most.
- The cows are eating my flowers, and rabbits are feasting on my vegetable garden.
- The wild life gets a little too close: skunks, rabbits, raccoons, stray cats and dogs, scorpions, centipedes, bugs, mice and tarantulas come to visit.
- When it rains it pours, and my street is washing down into the next block.
- My utility bills are getting out of hand. I thought you could live in Mexico on $5 a day??
- The workmen get drunk on the weekend and don’t always make it to work on Mondays. Is Monday really dedicated to San Lunes?
Relax – Read a chapter of Jack Smith’s God and Mr. Gomez and sing along with us a verse of “Mexico lindo y querido ,” Mexico, beautiful and beloved. If you are new to Mexico and are hoping to build your little dream house by the beach, read this humorous account of one man’s adventures building in Baja. God and Mr. Gomez was written thirty years ago. Modern changes have taken place, but the easy going philosophy of the Mexican people and their sweet acceptance of life is still the same, and offer a lesson for anxious Americans.
Here’s an excerpt from God and Mr. Gomez I call, “Don’t worry Jack.” Jack is having a delicate discussion with Romulo Gomez, who is building Jack’s house.
Property Measurements
When you see a house advertised as having so many square meters of land and so many meters of construction on the land, it can be confusing. For mental arithmetic, you can use this quick formula: one square meter = 11 square feet. So a 2,200 sq. foot house would be about 200 square meters. The exact figures are:
| Square Meters | Square Feet | Square Yards |
| 1 | 10.764 | 1.196 |
| 10 | 107.639 | 11.960 |
| 100 | 1,076.391 | 119.599 |
Information for Residents
Maids and Gardeners
Many of the San Carlos residents and regular visitors enjoy the services of a maid, gardener or occasional handyman. The minimum wage in Mexico varies in different cities and according to the type of work.
Responsibilities to Employees
Vacation days with pay for full-time employees: 6 days a year for the first year and an additional day for each year thereafter.
Christmas Bonus: 15 days’ pay at Christmas
Lunch and travel expenses: cost of traveling over 20 km to work
Severance pay for full-time employees: 20 days’ pay for each year of service
The first 30 days are considered to be probationary. During that time an employee can be fired without any repercussions. However, after that firing an employee can be difficult. The employee can complain to a sort of labor judge. If the judge rules for the employee, the employers may have to pay severance pay or other charges. If you want to make the terms of employment very clear to an employee whom you may not want permanently, you can draw up a simple contract giving the dates of employment and the wages agreed on. The stationary stores carry the forms.
Home Security
In San Carlos we feel much safer than we ever did in our home town in the states. I have never been afraid to walk in the streets at night, to be home alone, or to camp on the beach in our RV. We often don’t bother to lock the doors, but our Mexican friends and workers insist that we must. I don’t know if there are crime statistics for this area or not, but I do know that you are safer here from crimes against persons than in the USA. Guns are not allowed, so the average drunk or petty criminal doesn’t have a gun. When somebody gets beat up he has usually started a brawl in a bar. There is some purse snatching in Guaymas and occasional car theft. Storekeepers may catch an employee in petty theft. The murder rate, even in Mexico City, is lower than in cities in the USA.
Often, people who are thinking about vacationing or retiring here will ask me, “What about drug dealers and the violence we read about?” I explain: The big drug dealers, narcotraficantes , were run out of San Carlos years ago. They are more of a problem in border towns and big cities. Drug dealers don’t mess with tourists, drug dealers kill rival drug dealers. Don’t worry about them in San Carlos. The police here are very vigilant. It is to everyone’s benefit to provide a safe environment for the tourist trade.
The most common crime that does occur in San Carlos is burglary. Both homes and boats are subject to theft. The burglaries that occur in San Carlos seem to be crimes of opportunity, not well-planned major break-ins. Some residents recommend that you lock your house whenever you go out for a walk because temporary workers in the area may notice you leaving and pop in the back door for a quick grab of money or jewelry. Our neighbors and their maids are aware of what’s going on and their presence discourages thieves. Everyone has to decide how much they want to worry about burglary. Personally I don’t feel the need for iron barred doors and windows or high walls with jagged glass on top. We have never had a theft, but of course it does happen. When a home owner is out of town, particularly if the owner is gone all summer, there may be break-ins. The burglar is after TVs, stereos, anything that can be re-sold or pawned. If you have valuables in your house, you may want to engage a house sitter or a worker to check the property when you are gone. Snow birds who are gone for six months out of the year may be more susceptible to burglary and probably should consider wrought iron bars and security measures. Check with CyberCo Security at 227-0300.
City Services
San Carlos is part of Guaymas and is governed by the Comisario who is appointed by the Guaymas mayor. When you have a problem, the Comisario is usually the one who can help. For example, if the street light is burned out on your street, the electric company probably won’t help you. Write a note (in Spanish) to the Comisario or see him in person. When the water mains are broken, CEA (the water company) should be responsible. They are also responsible for maintaining the sewers. However, the property owners on that street are expected to pay for repairs to water or sewer lines, and CEA may not be responsive, so try the Comisario. Water is periodically shut off so CEA can make repairs.
Some of the older residential streets are full of rocks, pot holes and rough spots. To have the street graded, the neighbors will have to pay for it. Sometimes neighbors pool their resources for grading and/.or paving the street in their immediate neighborhood. Do not expect the city to pave your street.
The police will respond to crimes you may report, for example, burglary. They are very responsive. For health emergencies call RESCATE 226-0911. They have men trained in first aid and also can transport a patient to Guaymas. This is a 24 hour service. Rescate’s expenses (about $100,000 a year) are covered by donation of supplies, Gold Card memberships and volunteer fund raising events. www.rescatesc.com
Construction in the San Carlos Area
In this area, there are several contractors who will build to your specifications. The builder might be an architect, an engineer, or simply a building contractor. They do not usually work directly from another architect’s blue prints. Generally, you tell them what you want, and they draw up their own plans. This system works out well because of the local builders’ knowledge of the local building materials, costs of materials and labor, and special considerations home owners must think about to suit local conditions.
You may be accustomed to frame houses built of wood, plaster, hard fired bricks, concrete blocks, foam insulation, hardwood floors, asphalt roofing, aluminum and steel. Although there is more of this kind of construction now it is more common to find what is practical: sand, gravel, rocks, soft bricks, tile, rebar, and cement. Especially cement. What you may lose in choice of building material you more than make up for in fine workmanship.
The usual method of building here is to use bond beams of concrete reinforced by iron rebar over walls of soft brick. A house of cement is not insulated the same way as a house of wooden frame, insulation foam, wallboard and asphalt shingles. One method here for insulating against the heat is with a product called “ïmpermeabi-lizante ”. Applying this roofing material will lower the indoor temperature by 5 to 10 degrees. This insulates and also reflects heat by virtue of it brilliant glittering white surface. More importantly it is a sealant to prevent leaks during our infrequent but often torrential rain storms. Another insulating technique is to use roofing materials of a Styrofoam-like material. Of late, new home construction also includes steel frame construction and pre-formed Styrofoam blocks.
In San Carlos, rainfall is sparse, but when it does rain, it pours. Water rushes down from the foothills, salt water sprays up from the ocean. You are left with muddy streets and gardens which lead to muddy, dirty floors. The wind blows the leaves right off the trees. If your house is surrounded by certain types of trees, the litter from leaves and seeds is never-ending. When the weather is dry, a windy day kicks up a lot of dust and sand. This comes in addition to the usual dust and dirt from our unpaved streets. When San Carlos feels the power of a chubasco or even a hurricane it is proceeded by strong winds and blowing dust. Then the rain starts pounding the houses and streets and whipping the trees. Roofs and windows leak, and in some areas the streets and houses are flooded.
To protect against the weather, you need a nice tight house or you will be sweeping, mopping, and dusting all the time. Houses with cracks and holes become homes to nasty little biting animals such as centipedes and scorpions. Even field mice and snakes may take up residence.
How do home owners deal with all this weather? Some opt for little windows to keep out the heat. Some opt for lots of open windows and doors to enjoy the cooling effect of the ocean breeze. It seems to be a matter of personal preference. One good solution is to locate windows and doors on the north or east side to avoid sun exposure from the south and west. Installing double pane windows will eventually save money on hearing and cooling. Wooden door and door frames crafted by local carpenters often don’t fit well to begin with. When they warp from the humidity, they get worse. Aluminum clad doors and aluminum framed windows are more airtight.
Prevailing winds in the summer are from the southeast to the northwest. In the winter, the wind blows from the northwest to the east or southeast. If your doors and windows are located properly, you can take advantage of the cross breezes to cool the house. If you can’t change the windows, you can cover them during the heat of the day with drapes, adjustable blinds, or rolling aluminum shades.
Termites:
Here’s the thing I learned about termites. They live in the ground everywhere and come up when they are looking for wood. They work their way right through the concrete foundation and tile floors like miniature bulldozers. It turns out that you should treat the ground before the foundation is poured and keep an eye out because they eventually outlast the pesticide and come back. Termite prevention should be done every five years whereby the soil is treated by injecting the floors with insecticide. Many new homes have a web of pipe under the floors so that the insecticide may be injected from access points located on the exterior of the house.
Quite often when a person buys an existing house, especially if it is more than ten years old, they find the electrical wiring and plumbing are inadequate. Often the outlets are not grounded or wired improperly. Toilets and faucets leak. Leaking pipes, faucets and toilets amount to an invisible thief who runs up big water bills. Another rather common complaint is that the connections to the sewer are constructed improperly, allowing sewage or sewer gas to back up into the house.
Water and Electricity and All That
Water bills are $22 a month (minimum) if you do not irrigate a garden or do a lot of laundry. It will be higher if you use more. The cost is not bad, but when you have lived in San Carlos a while you will begin to notice strange things about water and electricity.
There may be generous water puddles and streams in the street even when it is not raining. Broken water pipes are just a fact of life around here. Call CEA the water company. Now do you see why those “tinacas”or water tanks sit on every roof? Tinacas store your water so you have better water pressure and don’t run out at the worst possible moment.
Electricity
Electric outages are not as common as water cutoffs, but cause more trouble. Electric power doesn’t move along smoothly in Mexico, but goes in peaks and valleys. This puts wear and tear on electric appliances and is really bad for electronic equipment. A voltage regulator gives some protection against electricity spikes. Lights and TV go out periodically, but especially during a rainstorm. When the electricity cuts out, your computer stops, and you lose your unsaved work. Solution: set your computer for frequent automatic saves and equip your computer with a battery back up, put voltage regulators on outlets. Keep candles and flashlight handy. Most rain storms occur at night in the months of August and January.
Telephone Installation
Telmex, the Mexican telephone company will install a phone in you home within two or three days of your request. Basic service entitles you to 100 free local calls. Long distance calls to the United States are billed at approximately 75 cents a minute during business hours or 50 cents a minute on evenings and weekends.
Internet Service
Sign up for internet service at the Telmex office . Each time you access the internet, it counts as one local call. There is no extra charge for the first 100 calls under the basic service charge. High speed connection for your computer is a little more expensive. It is probably worth it because you get high speed connections and you can use the phone even when the computer is connected. In some parts of San Carlos Cable by Megacable is the other option for internet access.
Moving Your Furniture from the USA to Mexico
Individuals who are moving to Mexico can import their furniture without paying customs fees. This exception is made only during the first year in which a foreign resident obtains his FM-3 visa. The person who has obtained an FM3 has only 120 days to move their furniture without paying import taxes. The householder must prepare a list of their used furnishings and present it to the Mexican Consulate in Tucson or Nogales. There are very specific instructions about the application list (in both Spanish and English), which must be typed and presented. The applicant must appear between the hours of 8:00 Am and 11:30 AM Monday to Friday. The list must be reviewed and stamped. This can take several days. There are brokers in Nogales, Arizona who will load and transport household furnishings if you do not want to do it yourself. Make arrangements in advance with the Nogales Customs Coordinator. Telephone from San Carlos: 01-631-311-0301.
Furnishing Your New Home
Moving into a new home is so exciting you may not care if it is not furnished very well. But sooner or later you have to upgrade. If you have been spoiled by House Beautiful stuff like comfortable sofas and reclining chairs, you may want to create the same setting here. During the last several years the ability to acquire comfortable and interesting furniture has become more accessible. There are several furniture stores in San Carlos. All of these stores maintain a selection of furnishings on hand and they all have the ability to order and have shipped exactly what you wish to own. In addition, Hermosillo has many furniture stores including those for more refined tastes. Of course, a trip to Guadalajara is not too difficult to make and a whole lot of fun.
Appliances
Unless one is a glutton for punishment there is rarely a need to import appliances. For more or less the same price most appliances by all of the brand name manufacturers are available in Mexico and with the exeception of one major American brand all appliances are made in Mexico. Why pay duty and why create a hassle at the border? Most appliances can be found in Hermosillo at Home Depot, Costco, Sam’s Club and in Guaymas a various furniture stores.
Built-in Cabinets and Bookcases
The carpenters in Guaymas do beautiful work at reasonable prices.
Coffee tables, Chairs, Beds, Chests of Drawers, Decorative Doors
In Mexico you can find really charming and distinctive pieces. We were traveling in our RV when we visited Guadalajara and San Miguel de Allende. That was a lucky thing because there are so many excellent craftsmen there selling statutes, fountains, carved chests, beds, doors, rugs, light fixtures – everything. With the RV we were able to bring things home to San Carlos without paying for shipping.
Counter Tops, Built-in Bars, Fireplaces, and Tile
I went to Obregon to purchase marble countertops for the kitchen. Obregon is also a good source for made-to-order stained glass windows. The man did a nice job on the counter tops at a reasonable price. Now you can purchase marble, granite, and stained glass windows right in San Carlos, but the selection is more limited. Interceramic Tile in Guaymas carries a nice line of commercially produced tile.
Equipal Furniture
This old style leather furniture looks good anywhere. In Mexico, Equipal is perfect for a casual, comfortable room indoors or out. We bought ours right here at a yard sale. Equipal is terribly expensive by mail order, but local shops can order it for a more sensible price.
Upholstery
If you have some old sofas and chairs that are looking pretty shabby, don’t buy new ones. Go to Guaymas, pick out the fabric and have them reupholstered for an astonishingly low price. The upholsterers do an excellent, professional job, making your furniture look like new. You can also provide your own fabric.
Drapes and Curtains
I don’t think you really need anything more than a Mexican serape over the windows. Leave all that compulsive American decorating behind. However, there are some windows that demand a little bit more. Casa Bonita located near the entrance to the Country Club has fabric for drapes, plus samples of horizontal and vertical blinds and they will take orders and will install them. They are very good at it, too.
Que Vaya Bien
OK, I’ve told you everything I know about setting up house in San Carlos. Now you are on your own. If everything goes smoothly, that’s great. If you have many misadventures and near catastrophes, that’s OK too, because then you can write a book about it like On Mexican Time , God and Mr. Gomez , and others.
The End
________________________________________________________________________
Music from Canciones de México: 200 Joyas de la canción Méxicana . Jalisco, Mexico: Dibujos Musicales Ambriz (undated).
Quotation from Smith, Jack (1974, 1996) God and Mr. Gómez . Santa Barbara CA:Capra Press.
1. The house in the picture is not our house, just one we often drive past and admire. It looks so peaceful and easy going.