REAL ESTATE

Cuernavaca’s perfect climate and proximity to Mexico City make it a favorite weekend retreat and the destination of choice for a large International Community.

If you’ve ever dreamed of owning (foreigners can own property in their own name) or renting your own Mexican Villa, this is the place, whether you’re looking for a winter retreat, summer vacation home, weekend getaway or year-round residence. Mexico has experienced several positive forces for real estate growth in recent years: the presence of on-line buyers who browse internet website offerings and know what they want; an influx of second-home buyers from Europe, Canada and the U.S., and Mexican buyers, all finding bargains. A strong buyer’s market exists for properties in all styles, sizes and price ranges, usually including a pool and garden. But as prices rise, many of the real bargains are being snapped up, from the cool, tree-shaded heights of Vista Hermosa and Los Limoneros, to the warm, tropical gardens of Palmira and Acapantzingo, all fashionable Cuernavaca neighborhoods.

Both Travel and Leisure and The Robb Report, two popular US luxury lifestyle publications, have ranked Cuernavaca as among the best communities in the world in which to live. Forbes magazine has on several occasions featured a luxury Cuernavaca property on its website as its Property of the Week.

Mexico City is an hour’s drive via a modern six-lane highway, and its international airport is a half-hour farther. The Cuernavaca airport, located on the outskirts of the city, offers limited commercial service within Mexico, charter flights and service for private planes. At a lower cost than other world-class resorts, residents and visitors can enjoy golf, tennis, horseback riding, and swimming virtually every day, as well as holistic spas, fine international restaurants, cultural events, international television programming, recreational parks and much more.

Many foreigners prefer Cuernavaca proper over life in the suburbs or countryside, citing Privacy, Security, Convenience and Cultural diversity, with its museums, shopping, night life and language schools, many within walking distance from of the city's center. Other resort destinations in the region, such as Tepoztlan, a charming village with an Aztec Temple and a lively crafts market, and Malinalco, home to a renowned Golf Club and also an Aztec Temple, have their admirers, but no outlying destination offers those four important qualities to the extent that Cuernavaca does.

Rental prices are higher during the high season, Thanksgiving to Easter, when it’s freezing up north. A house with all services, garden, pool and staff, rents from 300. dollars a day, or about 7,500. dollars a month, depending on size. Yearly rentals cost less proportionately, but offer fewer services.

Whether you are looking for an Artist's Loft or a magnificent Quinta, good neighborhoods in all areas offer a choice of property locations. Unlike other Mexican towns popular with foreign residents, Cuernavaca’s foreign community is not concentrated in one place. You can choose to be in the Centro Historico near the impressive 16th-century Cathedral and the Cortes Palace, or in a quiet gated community, on a golf course, or near equestrian facilities, at the Racquet Club, on a broad avenue or a cobblestone street. The choices are endless. Many residents live in a privada, a private street a block or two long with controlled access and security. A house built by a known architect in a Privada with a lovely terrace, pool and garden is priced from about 575,000. dollars. One key factor in deciding where to buy or rent is temperature: southern Cuernavaca is 1,000 feet lower than its northern counterpart, and can be as much as 10 degrees Fahrenheit warmer. Building in a foreign country, and therefore in a foreign language, shouldn’t be an obstacle: English-speaking architects can help. It is less expensive and easier, however, to buy a property than build, and prices are negotiable. Besides, most of the best sites have already been built on.

As an owner, you may rent your property during the seasonal months for enough to cover the yearly maintenance. Absentee ownership will require a good administrator, which is easy to find. Time-shares are almost nonexistent, except among groups of friends or relatives who make their own arrangements; there are more condominiums every day.

Buyers do not need private attorneys because Mexican Notaries are civil servants responsible for ensuring that titles are clear and there are no liens or debts on the properties They are respected like Supreme Court Judges. A real estate broker in Mexico for over 35 years, Barbara Waugh has for the past 10 years been an invited affiliate of Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate. For more information, visit www.luxuryrealestate.com or www.cuernavacaproperties.com, or e-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it .