If you aspire to live a Dr. Seuss life, homes in San Miguel offer very little strife!

It’s Friday, you Say?  Dr. Seuss’ birthday!

At 108, life’d still be great

If he lived in San Miguel

With his mademoiselle.

Audrey, we invite you down

To our little old town.

We’ll always love Ted

Even if he’s… gone.

Okay, fans, Dr. Seuss poetry may not be my strong suit, but I can still pay homage to Ted Geisel, who would have turned 108 today.  Ted was about 82 when he wrote “You’re Only Old Once,” but had he been living in San Miguel de Allende, he’d have realized you’re forever young here in our land of enchantment.  Need an example?  Your blogger is among his greatest fans, and I still feel like a kid just writing this blog!

Remember how You’re Only Old Once starts out?  Dr. Seuss was obviously thinking of San Miguel.  Just read on:

“One day you will read in the national geographic

of a faraway land with no smelly bad traffic.

In those cacti-covered mountains of San Miguel de Allende

Everybody feels fine at a hundred and three,

‘cause the air that they breath is potassium-free

And because they chew nuts from an avocado tree.

This gives strength to their teeth, it gives length to their hair,

and they live without doctors, with nary a care.

And you’ll find yourself wishing that you were out there

in San Miguel de Allende, and not there in your chair.

Sounds intriguing, doesn’t it, this life in San Miguel?  If you want to live in a Dr. Seuss house—and yes, we have a few of them like the one shown here—give me a jingle.  And instead of reading “You’re Only Old Once,” you’ll be living the young life!

This lot map shows all eight of the townhome lots in Vista Antigua, moving south from the main entrance street (the blue street). The lot for sale is the fifth lot moving south from the main street.

If you peruse real estate ads in San Miguel, many of them remind me of the realty ads I recall seeing in San Diego, California.  Nearly every house in San Diego could boast of an “ocean view,” but the last house I visited offering such a boast forced the viewer to stand on the toilet in a secondary bathroom to see the ocean!

Homes and lots in San Miguel de Allende often suffer from the same boast of a “Centro view,” but seldom explain that it might only be from a third-floor roof terrace.  At the age of 30, I never minded bounded three flights of stairs to watch a sunset, but now that I carry an AARP card, I’m not so fond of bounding up endless stairs to enjoy a view.  And if you paid a six-figure premium for that view, you may find yourself doling out a dollar figure for every vertical step!

This townhome lot—only 8 meters (26 feet) wide—within the gated community of Vista Antigua boasts the advantage that it shares only one common lot line with a neighboring lot; most lots here share two (or more) common lot lines, meaning many Vista Antigua homes could potentially abut three sides of homes built on adjacent lots.  This townhome lot, however, offers HOA landscaped green space at both the side and downhill lot lines (a paved jogging path also runs by the back of this lot).

At over 26 meters (more than 86 feet) deep, a buyer could build over 3,380 S.F. of living space on one flat ground-floor level offering a south-facing (great sun!) Centro view from this ground floor—one need never take a step to see the Parroquia!  Wondering why?  It’s because this is a walk-out lot, meaning the site slopes dramatically to the rear.  The nearby (downhill) security wall encircling Vista Antigua falls well below sight lines.

As homebuilders know—and cherish—walk-out lots offer the added benefit of allowing a basement floor with an exposed full-height wall at the rear, allowing full-size doors and windows along the rear wall and partial windows along the side walls.  This arrangement proves ideal for building a mother-in-law suite or maid’s quarters in the lower level—complete with views and a terrace—for maximum privacy of the owners.

The best part?  Price!  This lot is priced at the same comp as the last townhome lot to sell in Vista Antigua several years ago: only $39,000 USD.  The only home-building lot buyers will find offering Centro views at similar pricing will be those three-level lots tucked down a Callejon (non-vehicular walkway) in the oldest and steepest parts of San Miguel, where overhead utilities—and a multitude of stairs—reduce the pleasure of those Centro views.  Remember, no overhead electrical lines mar the views in Vista Antigua.

This townhome lot, located at Circuito Jazmin #5A—on the accompanying lot map, it’s the fifth narrow townhome lot travelling south from the entrance road—is one of only eight in all of Vista Antigua, and the only one available for sale.  Don’t miss this opportunity: it’s the last of its kind!

To learn more about the best value for a Centro view lot in San Miguel de Allende, see our Exclusive Listing here, or contact us directly for more information.  We’ll see you at sunset for a dynamic view!

Wondering what your view from Vista Antigua would be? See those light-colored roads in the distance? That's Vista Antigua!

Are you a designer at heart, someone who desires a home that fits like a glove: sunny, warm, plenty of light… and million-dollar views?  Someone who wants a home designed just for them, not someone else’s idea of what “home” should be?

Then we have just the lot for you!

This premier view lot in the secure, gated community of Vista Antigua offers the best of everything on your check list.  Perched on a gentle slope northwest of San Miguel de Allende’s Centro, this lot offers sunny, south-facing views toward Centro with a protected sightline right down one of Vista Antigua’s cobblestone streets.

Wondering what kind of view that offers?  Well, take a look at the attached photo.  See the light-colored streets in the far distance of the photo?  That’s Vista Antigua.  Now imagine you’re up on one of those streets looking back at the camera—that’s your view!

This premier lot fronts a landscaped open area within Vista Antigua—it’s like having a pocket park outside your front door—that is maintained by the community HOA fees.  And like all Vista Antigua lots, views are not marred by overhead power lines—all utilities are underground here.

If you’ve been considering buying a lot in Vista Antigua but are looking for better pricing, this is your opportunity!  Our seller, no longer able to build a home here, has now priced this lot at twenty percent below the cost three years ago.

And if the thought of undertaking home construction seems daunting, talk to us about our Construction Transparency Services, borne from the experience of partner Ben Calderoni building his own custom home right here in Vista Antigua.  We can help you manage the most challenging of construction projects, from casita to mansion.

Alma Realty is a big fan of Vista Antigua—we live here and own lots here, too—so contact us today for more information on how you can safely build your dream home in San Miguel de Allende.

Our Alma Realty gated community spotlight today focuses on Vista Antigua.

If you follow our blog, perhaps you’ve read our initial posting about the advantages of living in a gated community in San Miguel de Allende.  If so, then you’ll know that we occasionally post blogs about a specific gated community within our market.  This one is on Vista Antigua.

Located within the ring road—called the Libramiento—circling San Miguel to the west, Vista Antigua occupies 55 acres (22 hectares) of the northwestern-most perch above San Miguel.  Because most of the site slopes to the south, down toward the Centro of San Miguel, the name “Vista Antigua” seemed an apt description of the expansive views of our 450-year old village below.  Owners with northern-most lots also gain views of the adjacent Las Ventanas project, boasting a new Nick Faldo golf course.

This 24-hour manned, gated community offers 203 home-site lots, all with underground utility hook-ups and complete infrastructure, from cobblestone streets to decorative street lamps.  Existing infrastructure and amenities already in place include a paved walking path navigating the circumference of the development, a grassy amphitheater with stone seating, and landscaped islands within the streets that mimic small pocket parks and add a touch of maintained green space.

Announced in 2006, lot sales began in earnest in 2007 and in 2012, a substantial number of home lots have been purchased, with over a dozen homes already built and several more under construction.  The developer sells only raw lots, but does not manage construction for buyers; lot owners will then find their own architect and design a home, subject to the project’s Design Guidelines, which encourages adherence to the city’s Spanish Colonial architectural heritage.

We encourage owners who may feel challenged by the design and construction process to investigate our Construction Transparency services, born from the experience of Alma Realty Partner Ben Calderoni building his own personal residence within Vista Antigua.  Learn how we can manage the entire process—from design plans and construction permits, to financial management and tax registration—and avoid many of the costly mistakes that often occur when building in a different city—and for expats, a different country—than that which homeowners have known historically.  Home building is very different in San Miguel!

Vista Antigua also enforces Conditions, Covenants & Restrictions (CC&R’s), ensuring that street parking does not become congested or that owners cannot maintain pets on their roofs 24 hours a day.  CCR’s not only ensure a better quality of life for residents, they also protect your financial investment in a community that remains attractive to future investors.

Plans have been announced for the adjacent La Mansion at Vista Antigua, a 248-room hotel planned as part of Starwood’s Hotel Luxury collection, which will be part of the Vista Antigua community.  Upon completion, home owners will have but a short stroll to enjoy the hotel’s amenities, planned to include restaurants, bars, shops and swimming pool.  The hotel might just eliminate your need for a guest casita if visitors need only walk a few yards to their hotel each night!

Both Alma Realty partners are experts in Vista Antigua—we each own multiple lots there—and can easily assist your investigation into a purchase there, as well as helping you compare Vista Antigua against other gated-community options.  Contact us today—we’ll be happy to give you a personal tour!

You may think of today as Groundhog Day, but here in San Miguel de Allende we celebrate Dia de la Candelaria with fresh flowers sold in the Parque.

It’s February 2^nd, and gringos everywhere—especially fans of Bill Murray—know it as Groundhog Day.  Hmmm… maybe that’s why every day seems to repeat itself: wake up to a sunny, beautiful day, enjoy another beautiful day in Mexico, watch the sun set over a beautiful Mexican village.  And repeat.

In Mexico, however, February 2^nd is known as Día de la Candelaria—called Candlemas in English—the mid-way point between the winter solstice and spring equinox.  Like many other Mexican celebrations, Candelaria represents a fusion of pre-Hispanic traditions and Catholic beliefs.  February 2^nd falls forty days after Christmas and is celebrated by Catholics as the “Feast of Purification,” or as the “Presentation of Christ at the Temple.”  According to Jewish law, it was customary to bring a baby to the temple 40 days after birth, so Christ would have been taken to the temple on February second.

Those lucky recipients on January 6—Three Kings Day—o f the Rosca de Reyes cake who found a figurine in their slice get to serve tamales to all their friends today, or host a party.  You can bet there will be fireworks at some point, too!

Despite the bad news—groundhogs everywhere saw their shadow today—your Alma Realty blogger is delighted to see some sun after three days of gray skies, an almost unheard phenomenon.  Wondering where that shadow-watching tradition derived?  Legend says it’s from the Celtic tradition where Cailleach—the hag of Gaelic tradition—gathers her firewood for the rest of the winter.  The story goes that if she intends to make the winter last a good while longer, she’ll make sure the weather is bright and sunny so she can gather plenty of firewood.  Therefore, winter-haters are generally relieved if February 2 is a day of foul weather because it means Cailleach is asleep and winter is almost over.

Remember, even if we’re in for six more weeks of winter, it always reaches the mid-70’s in San Miguel de Allende, even in February.  That means the weather is always good for searching for that new home in our UNESCO village—just give us a shout here, and we’ll show you how sweet the livin’ is in a land where the days repeat themselves in a sort of magical bliss.  Eat your heart out, Bill Murray!

805 Living Magazine touts San Miguel de Allende as a fabled and fabulous getaway!

The Rosewood San Miguel remains one of our favorite hotels in town—remember, Alma Realty Partner Ben Calderoni brokered the hotel site!—and so we send congrats to the P.R. team at Rosewood for hosting 805 Living Magazine writer Jennie Nunn for a visit to our community!  Thankfully, Jennie agrees with us: San Miguel is a charming town!

That’s no small compliment coming from 805 Living, who targets readers in Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles counties, my old stomping grounds (well, sort of).  Residents accustomed to the tony lifestyles—and prices—of old Santa Barbara are a tough audience to please: we’re thrilled we meet such standards!

Jennie reminds us that Rosewood San Miguel was designed by Design 360 Unlimited, the Marina del Rey firm responsible for La Jolla’s Valencia Hotel (in my old backyard) and Lowes Santa Monica… and who hasn’t enjoyed a meal at either?  She also gives ink to one of our favorite NGO’s, The Lavender Project, whose products are used at Sense, Rosewood’s spa.

Some of our favorite shopkeepers made the news, too.  Camino Silvestre’s Jim McKeever and Alfredo Garcia-Lucio made the cut, as did Patrice Wynn’s shop Abrazos and Finn Finnegan’s company, Virgins, Saints & Angeles.  Felicidades to all, and Abrazos to Patrice!

805 Living readers should remember that Mexico’s Volaris Airlines offers affordable and direct flights to Mexico.  So does AeroMexico, whose code-share program offers LAX travelers roundtrip, nonstop flights from LAX to our airport in Leon for as little as about U.S. $350.

And while you’re thinking about what a beautiful place our little village is to visit, let us show you how affordable a place it is to actually live!  Contact us here and we’ll show you how.

Thinking about retiring in Mexico? If you're wondering if you can afford a home in San Miguel de Allende, come in and chat with us... we'll show you all the options!

Mitch Creekmore, the Multinational Business Development SVP with Stewart Title—and our Featured Partner—follows the International Community Foundation (ICF), too.  His report, posted late 2011 on the Boomer’s Abroad blog, notes the 2012 forecasts for buyers investigating Mexico for an affordable retirement or second home.

Mitch notes that home prices in Mexico continued to decline in 2011, creating great buying opportunities for those in the market for a new home.  Residential prices are down 30 to 50 percent from 2008 values, according to Mitch.

He also notes that Mexican bank-financed transactions are on the upswing—for buyers needing a loan—by both BBVA Bancomer and Scotia Bank.  Both Americans and Canadians are finding more affordable financing options lately.

So who will be buying these great bargains?  The ICF reports that 4,000,000—yes, readers, that’s four million!—more expat retirees will relocate to Mexico by 2025, a mere 13 years away.  That’s over 307,000 buyers each year looking for their next new home!

We suggest they look in San Miguel de Allende first!  At Alma Realty San Miguel, we can help home buyers find everything from the most affordable view lot in all San Miguel, to a turnkey condo for move-in ease, to hillside mansions with million-dollar views.

Come in and ask us about your options today: the next 306,999 buyers can wait!

For this posting, we spotlight the project El Secreto for our blog category on Gated Communities.

If you’ve decided San Miguel de Allende is a town where you want to spend more time, and you’ve decided a gated community fits your lifestyle, you’ll want to watch our blogs on Gated Communities.  With each blog, we focus on a community we’ve visited especially with our clients in mind so we can answer your every question.  And for this blog post, our spotlight is on El Secreto.

Located south of San Miguel, just south of the Mega super store off the Salida de Celaya, this modern, luxury community boasts condominiums from two-bedroom, single-level units to four-bedroom, three-level units, meeting almost every homeowner’s lifestyle requirement.  The “bridge units”—all living is above the street below and accessed by elevator—are especially unique.  Raul, the developer, tells us the project has been awarded three separate national housing awards by two Presidents of Mexico and as an ex-architect and developer myself, I can easily see why.

El Secreto is built to exacting standards demanded by the international clientele who have already chosen the project as a secondary—and sometimes a primary—home.  American and Canadian expats will find this project nearly identical to projects north of the border, while the many Mexican nationals investing here realize it exceeds many competing local projects.  As just one example, all Secreto units boast both cisterns and hidden rooftop tinacas—a double back-up for any unforeseen city water shortfalls—all of which utilize a pressurized water system for those luxurious morning showers we all love.

Secreto designers paid special attention to kitchens and bathrooms, just as U.S. designers must.  Kitchens boast granite countertops with undermount sinks, contemporary cabinets with modern hardware, and slow-close drawer slides, the first we’ve seen in San Miguel.  Bathrooms are especially sexy: wall-mount faucets spill into vessel sinks, and showers boast frosted glass dividers and doors.

Even the front door design offers a custom touch: the window vent opens for fresh air, allowing the remaining grill to provide security even while you’re napping on your rooftop hammock or soaking in the rooftop hot tub.  A rooftop kitchen area—complete with grill—dramatically expands entertaining options, and Raul welcomes buyers’ customization requests: he’ll price the extras for you and give you an estimate of the extra time required for completion.

Common area amenities include three pools—one an adult-only pool—each with a warmer soaking pool, although only one pool remains heated during winter months.  The gym is spotless and the clubhouse often hosts morning yoga sessions or exercise groups.  For weekend visits, the on-site concierge service is ideal: just call ahead to have the kitchen stocked with groceries, flowers waiting in the dining room, or reservations made for dinner.  And with a quick call and short wait, residents can enjoy spa services in the clubhouse or in their own unit.

Security proves tight, a popular amenity with buyers from Mexico City: I’ve been requested to leave my driver’s license every time I’ve visited the property, and there are no “back doors” allowing a security breach.  The grounds are patrolled, as well, offering help from unloading groceries to changing a flat tire.  Raul tells us several owners are repeat buyers from his company’s other projects, like el Encanto and el Caracol, both because of the service and value provided.

As of January 2011, units remain available with prices beginning at 2.7 million pesos (about U.S. $206,000 at today’s exchange rate), with monthly HOA fees starting at 1,870 pesos (or about U.S. $142).

Want to learn more?  Need to compare this to other gated community options?  Contact us here today, and we’ll be happy to help you find the option best fitting your lifestyle!

Gated communities like this may prove to be just the right option for certain buyers in San Miguel de Allende.

Options abound when it comes to finding your new home—perhaps the home of your golden years!—in San Miguel de Allende.  The new-home buyer can opt for Centro abodes—coveted, and priced accordingly—or from one of about 20 surrounding neighborhoods, ranging from walk-to-Centro close or suburb-style living.

What’s right for you?

There’s no question that buying an older home—history intact among the walls—has its allure for many, among them the unique qualities of a mixed neighborhood that has evolved organically, perhaps over a couple of centuries.  Residents are more likely to be full-time—whether Mexican or expat—and far more diverse than found elsewhere.  In fact, staunch opponents of a class hierarchy argue that neighborhood living within the city gives expats in particular an unbiased and unfiltered perspective of the real Mexico.

Other San Miguel buyers—about half of whom hail from other large cities across Mexico—find a comfort in the orderliness and aesthetic of a new, enclosed community, not to mention the security and comfort afforded by a limited-access neighborhood.  Although the news-making crime issues daunting other parts of Mexico have yet to infiltrate San Miguel, Mexican nationals with the income available for a new home in San Miguel de Allende still put a high value on security.

What about the expat buyer?  They’ll quickly recognize gated communities in San Miguel often mimic those stateside: security entrances, common-area amenities—from swimming pools and clubhouses, to running tracks, amphitheaters and coffee houses—and design guidelines.  What they may not realize are the unspoken—or un-marketed—amenities gated communities offer relative to city living in a Mexican community.

For instance, zoning remains lax in San Miguel.  In the city, your neighbor may very well open a rooster ranch on their roof (my friend lives adjacent to one!) or repair autos in his home and remain within his legal rights.  Not so within a gated community.  And utilities in old San Miguel are very seldom underground—it’s simply too expensive, and electrical lines often mar million-dollar views.  In a gated community, views are premier; utilities are always underground.

Particularly in San Miguel, where the 450-year-old streets were meant only to accommodate horse carriages, parking and vehicular access can become problematic.  Not so in gated communities, where garages are almost de rigueur and streets are designed to modern guidelines.  Covenants, Conditions & Restrictions (CC&R’s) are also in place within gated communities: you’ll see no cars on blocks, no bright pink doors, and no dog kennels.

Perhaps the most important consideration for the expat buyer in Mexico is the language barrier.  If your Spanish is poor, gated communities often—but not always, so be sure to ask—offer bilingual staff or programs to facilitate simple tasks that become arduous in a foreign language, like home maintenance or transportation services.  The smartest developers of gated communities offer bilingual concierge programs for expats and Mexican national residents alike that go well beyond exterior maintenance, from dry cleaning services and flower delivery, to party catering and restaurant reservations.  Ask what services are offered and what the corresponding Home Owner’s Association (HOA) fees cost.

Ready to investigate a gated community?  There are over two dozen in the San Miguel area alone!  Watch this blog category for future postings on specific communities, or just come in for a chat—we’ll compare your needs and steer you in the right direction!

This humble Mexican creche idealizes the spirit of Navidad in San Miguel de Allende. Felices Fiestas!

A blog about any holiday in San Miguel de Allende would fit under the category “Livin’ la Vida Dulce” because the sweet life in SMA includes many holidays, fiestas and celebrations.  It matters not whether you’re a Canuck visiting from Calgary, a hip Chilango from Roma in Mexico City, or a stateside newcomer, Navidad—Christmas—is a sweet celebration in San Miguel.

If you stopped dreaming of white Christmases long ago—unless that was the color of the sand at your holiday hotel—San Miguel is the place to enjoy the colors: red poinsettias, green laurel boughs, silver-grey cobblestones, and the bouquet of architectural colors dotting our Tuscan-like hillsides.

Having long dismissed the consumerism spirit, your blogger also finds immense pleasure in the simple festivities in which a 450-year-old village indulges: the nightly Christmas posadas, the holiday carols, warm atole on cool evenings.  Reverence.  Hospitality.  Warmth.

Just three nights ago, I pulled down a narrow cobblestone neighborhood lane—impossible to back up or turn around—to be stopped midblock by a posada.  The street crowd of about 30 varied in age from four to ninety, and while not one poor soul seemed able to sing in tune, they all sang reverently as they asked for “room at the inn.”  I simply turned off the car lights, shut off the engine and sat, transported back a century or two.  Four years ago, my impatience would have reflected my lifestyle at the time; that night I just watched, humbly, with eyes welling over.  It was long after the final neighbor spilled inside, a warm mug of atole in hand, before I started the engine and drove by this home now overfilled with holiday spirit.

This Christmas Eve, a handful of us in a three-car caravan loaded with blankets, gloves, canned goods and fresh oranges—with a few stuffed toys for good measure—visited the regional dump where tent-dwelling families light up like Christmas trees at the sight of a fresh orange.  We visited villages in the campo where blankets are treasured and gloves are unknown.  And, finally, we made it back to Centro and the little old abuelita my friend has almost adopted—the one by Banamex who has no teeth left—and ensured she was warm and cared for and loved.  Those were the presents we exchanged with our friends this Christmas Eve: the gift of giving.

And from all of us at Alma Realty, we’d like to give you the gift of an especially happy holiday.  Felices Fiestas!