Que lastima - Pat looked at the house in Merida we were interested in today, and after spending several hours surveying and growing excited about what a great match it was for our wants and needs, the new owner (since yesterday it turns out) showed up and inquired about why he was there. Missed it by THAT much.

In another example of exquisite timing, after dropping Pat off at the BART station for the ride to the airport and proceeding to work, I began experiencing a little discomfort in my back, then more, THEN MORE - until I was literally rolling around on the floor at times, and unable to find any position that would diminish the pain. Off to the emergeny room with a coworker (couldn't drive - actually could barely tolerate being a passenger) where my suspicion was confirmed by a CT scan - kidney stone.

On the bright side, this is not all that uncommon (although the pain certainly is) and usually can be dealt with a routine, transient, and non life-threatening condition. It will be a week or so until I can see a urologist and determine the exact scope and prognosis for what is going on. The ER doctor was great with the powerful IV meds to allay pain while the situation played out, but didn't offer much detail on the specifics. At least this allayed some previous fears about more serious disease after some microscopic blood was seen in a physical exam urine sample. Probably just that stone moving around getting ready for yesterdays Big Event.

So now what with the house-hunt in Merida? One approach might be to select a move-in-ready casa that would allow us to put this place on the market while the real estate bubble is in full over-inflation (Before the pop!! - This fall? Next spring?). Then we could move and take our time looking for the ideal place. We could re-sell the temporary place or possibly hold it as an investment - maybe a rental. Or we could get a place that is partially restored and finish it ourselves - like this (click for more).



Besides, as wonderful as this place has been for us and the dog, I am REALLY tiring of taking care of it and more than ready for a change after nearly TEN seasonal cycles. This is the longest I've ever lived in one place.

The work situation continues to deteriorate for both of us, so there isn't much incentive there. If we stay and earn more money a decline in housing prices or demand could cost us all the earnings in reduced sale yield.

---

No es justo - it's not fair...here it's raining and COLD, and Pat gets to run off to Mexico for warm walks in the zocolo while listening to tropical music and maybe munching on a snack from a shop or street vendor.

Merida Weather
Hayward Weather

---

Ack - if last week was for understanding the basics of real estate dealings in Mexico the last few days have been drowning in the excruciating detail. Since Patrick is leaving for Merida tomorrow morning I needed to get him up to speed on the intricacies of the process. I picked up the hard-to-find Mexican real estate book about five days ago and have been frantically highlighting and fact checking since. We should have hit this harder and sooner, but we are up to speed now.

I think we are finally ready. All the pieces are lining up and all we need now is the right property to be available with a clean deal to make.

My trip to follow up after Patrick is only a month away now, and I got a confirmation that my room will be available at Casa san Juan in Merida.



Ah, Casa san Juan - if only we could find the twin of that casa bonita - it is the standard against which all others must compare...

---

I just discovered a treasure trove of first-person insight and experience from someone living in Merida. An initial browse through the archive of 'back issues' reveals a sardonic wit and occasional hysterical howlingly funny takes on the seemingly mundane elements of day-to-day life in the beloved White City.



I just sent the owner of the collection an email - I hope he is still there so I can learn more about him, and maybe even meet him in February when I visit. His Living Dictionary and Handy Phrasebook is so great I am giving it a permanent link on my blog template (to the right).

---

Today's project was to learn the basics of Mexican real estate transactions. A classic case of More Than You Want to Know (and some you wish you didn't...)

The basics: Merida, our choice of locations, is in the Restricted Zone - an area 50km from the coastline or 100km from a national border. The Restricted Zone exists because Mexico grew tired of centuries of raping and pillaging by ruthless and unscrupulous foreign governments and evil salacious religious institutions.

If one wants to enjoy the benefits of ownership in the Restricted Zone, the Mexican government will welcome your real estate investment in the form of a fideicomiso. This is a 50-year trust in which a reputable bank holds title to the property, and you may use it as though you owned it outright. You may sell your benefits as trustee at any time, for market price of the property.

The Fidiecomiso is actually a good way to hold property, because the deal is carefully scrutinized for clear title and such, and reputable professionals stake their standing in the community on a clean transaction. There at least two attorneys involved in the transaction, and the bank wants no part of holding a bad title.

Most of the sour deals one hears about are a result of entering into transactions involving 'ejido' property. Ejidos are agricultural trusts that were established to compensate and empower the aforementioned raped and pillaged Mexican nationals who previously were enslaved to work for free on land stolen from them by the nice church people or the contries they came from. As a rule, these lands can't be sold - especially to foreigners. They were meant to me occupied and farmed by Mexicans in perpetuity.

---

Without knowing what may turn up to alter the course of events, the pieces appear to be falling into place in a very orderly way.

Those would be the pieces to make the rather farfetched-sounding move to Mexico a reality. A house has appeared on the favored Merida real estate site that appears to satisfy all the desires and requirements that have evolved from previous trips. It is an old colonial in need of restoration, but with seemingly great potential. The price is low enough, although twice what it would have been three years ago. Still, it is but a mere twelve or fifteen percent of what the place in Hayward will fetch in today's frenzied California market.

In trying to develop a timetable there are emotional, financial, and a wide spectrum of practical considerations. Over time all of those will have to be dealt with.

We find that we are ahead of the original timetable for scraping together enough income to pull the plug on employment - once planned for 5/5/05, but increasingly looking like a possibility at any time. This is a very good thing given that our respective jobs are becoming tiresome and futile struggles against unwholesome situations we have no power to correct. This is a nice way to put it, and I'll just leave it at that.

---