[headline h=”1″]Searching Paradise![/headline]
This is where the fun begins. Zeroing in on your piece of paradise. By now, you’ve probably settled the Why Vallarta? question. (The best answer, of course, is Why not?) If you’re fairly certain on what you want and where, and more or less in what price range, great! There’s an incredible array of property choices that can be found online that’ll match your criteria. Indeed, if it’s available it’s most likely to be found online.
If nothing else, you most likely know the price range you’re comfortable to remain in. Reviewing properties online will help you determine the what and where that’ll bridge your budget with your imagination.
My aim is to guide you to your perfect Mexican home, pointing you in the right directions as far as you determining what “your place” is while I take upon the more tedious yet critical chores, like paperwork and coordination of events insomuch as finding, viewing and negotiating an offer on it. To ultimately provide you with the peace of mind to comfortably find and settle into your very own Mexican dream home hassle free. And to save you money while we’re at it!
We’ll be operating as a team. As you hone in on the areas and property choices you find appealing you’ll pass that information over to me to ensure I know what properties interest you so in turn I can start searching on your behalf. It doesn’t get easier than that! From our collective effort we’ll have an arsenal of well chosen properties to view on your next visit. So where does one begin?
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[headline h=”3″]MLS Vallarta[/headline]
Arguably, the most practical place to start your search is at the original Puerto Vallarta/Rivera Nayarit MLS website which has been tracking the local real estate market for the past 20 years. MLS Vallarta has the most comprehensive overview of properties listed for sale throughout the Puerto Vallarta region. Each property listed has a signed exclusivity agreement between the seller and the agency representing them with the explicit request from each seller that these properties be marketed among the member agencies to obtain the broadest range of potential buyers.
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The site has a terrific interactive search system and you can refine it further selecting the Advanced tab. Jot down the unique MLV number assigned to each listing of those found to be most interesting so to bring them to my attention.
If interested in buying a new property through a developer, click the Developments tab to see a listing and geographical layout of the numerous developments in the area. If you know the area(s) you’re interested in, you can sort the development listing via region. It’s all quite intuitive.
You’ll find plenty of other useful information at mlsvallarta.com, too. Clicking the Regions tab, for example, will enable you to learn more about the various Banderas Bay areas in both geographical and real estate investment perspectives. The whole site has a lot of worthy content not only concerning real estate matters but about Vallarta in all its glorious aspects.
[headline h=”3″]Puerto Vallarta Real Estate Companies[/headline]
As mentioned above, for properties to be listed on the local MLS site require an exclusive listing between each listing’s property owner and a member company of the MLS service. Many companies have their own “pocket listings” of properties without an exclusive listing (and therefore not on the MLS) that can be found searching the company websites.
Additionally, a number of companies are using other MLS services on which you may find properties to your interest. Many of these services provide a “Share” button to email the listing information to others. Anything that grabs your curiosity be sure to Share them with me. (jamie@pvr.mx)
Follow this link to a listing of the numerous real estate companies in Puerto Vallarta.
[headline h=”3″]For Sale by Owner[/headline]
Properties listed on the local MLS boards and local companies are only part of the story. As in any market, there exists a number of property owners who have chosen to sell their properties independently of any professional real estate company. They may be motivated to save money by positioning themselves to pay a smaller commission. There may be “paperwork” issues that prevent their property to be listed or they may simply feel they know their property better than anyone and therefore can have the upper hand in selling it.
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A Google search for Puerto Vallarta FSBOs will return hundreds of thousands of hits so the task of reviewing them can be rather daunting. And frustrating, particularly when you discover most of them have no listings at all or if they do they are old and outdated or are simply alternative avenues for local companies to hawk their own listings.
Having said that, there are a few sites worthy to check out. One such site is the ever popular Craig’s List where you will find a reasonable number of current FSBOs. Actually, there are a lot of company listings, too, but they’re easily discernible from real FSBOs.
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[headline h=”3″]YouTube[/headline]
YouTube provides an interesting means for reviewing properties as there are a number of listing agents and others leading the way in both quantity and quality of production. Search YouTube to review Vallarta real estate videos.
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[headline h=”3″]Upfront and Personal[/headline]
Other options to review properties await you. Maybe you’re not quite sure where to buy or even positive you want to. Maybe you need another vacation or two in Puerto Vallarta experiencing its various areas and deciding where you’re comfortable. Exploring the areas with a realtor or on your own via bus or rental car may be worthwhile.
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If you want to get really enthused on your next visit to Vallarta, perhaps a home tour is a good starting point. The International Friendship Club offers home tours every week through the high season as a means to raise money for various good causes. Many of the homes are on the pricier end of the spectrum but the tour is worth every penny. It’ll give you a window to see what living in Vallarta may be like for you.
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However you get to the point of seeing properties suitable to your needs and desires will bring a whole new aspect to the search process. Seeing a $250,000 property online or on paper and then seeing it for real will tell the story of whether more searching is required or you’re sufficiently satisfied to present an offer.