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Mexico Real Estate Professionals Resource List If you’ve read our Mexico Insider Ratings Guide, you know that we’ve scoped out many different locations in Mexico to find out what it’s like to live there, how much the daily living costs are, etc. Whenever we visit a place we inevitably spend time with local realtors, touring properties and getting a feel for the local market. So…here is our list of real estate professionals. Some are all-business, some are jokesters, some are quirky. (We can say this because they have all become our good friends.) But they are all very good at what they do and their primary goal is to help you find the property of your dreams with the least amount of stress. We think they’ll become your friends, too. We do want you to know that we receive referral fees from them when they sell a property we’ve featured, which helps us keep the lights on and affords us the ability to travel to and report on even more Mexico destinations. The referral fee does not come directly from those of you who buy property; it comes from the commission these agents receive from the seller. Click Here for Financing Services Click Here for the Pacific Coast Click Here for the Central Highlands
Douglas Jones Doug Jones is the president of Mortgages in Mexico. He has over 30 years of experience in the mortgage industry, and is a pioneer in mortgage lending in Mexico. He owns an oceanfront home and lives in Puerto Vallarta and provides mortgage services country wide. Playa del Carmen
Shawn Bandick Shawn and his wife, Suzanne, are from Briitsh Columbia, Canada. They have been married 21 years and have to children: Brianna, age 14, and Riley, age 11. Shawn and Suzanne both have backgrounds in building sales and marketing teams for large companies. They also worked as trainers, motivational speakers, writers, etc. Every chance they got, they spent their free time traveling. Several years ago, they decided to make a life change. They packed up the kids and headed south, drive the long, long way, from BC to Puerto Vallarta. They spent a year there, then continued the trip to Playa Del Carmen. After two years here, Shawn and Suzanne are once again helping people realize their dreams…this time through their real estate company. As Sahawn says, “We own a few really cool properties. The children are well settled in. This is home for us.” Merida, Costa Maya, Lake Bacalar
Jim Mann Jim Mann is our man in Mérida, Costa Maya and Lake Bacalar. Jim moved to Mérida several years ago from Richmond, Virginia and opened Los Arcos Bed and Breakfast. In the states, he bought and sold dozens of old colonial homes and did complete restoration work on them prior to resale. He attended John Tyler College and completed all the classes needed to sit for the real estate licensing board. Jim enjoys working with people and helping them find the home of their dreams. He is always able to see the possibilities in each special house, no matter what condition they are in – a wonderful attribute in Mérida where there are so many old colonial homes in need of restoration. And, he has always loved the beach, so he finds the Costa Maya area one of the most exciting areas left to explore. With one of the largest numbers of listings in the area, Jim can help you find the right place that will meet your special needs. And, by the way, Lake Bacalar is his newest area of expertise. Jim says: “Real estate is more than just a job to me. It is a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet new people, see this magnificent country and in the end, make new friends along the way. Opening Mayan Living Real Estate gave me the opportunity to help people find their new home or beach property and to help them see their dreams come true here in sunny Mexico.” Merida
Jennifer Lytle Jennifer Lytle, owner of Tierra Yucatan, has over 25 years experience living and traveling in Mexico. She has lived in Merida for over three years and has helped numerous clients find both new and historic properties. Jennifer has her Texas Real Estate License and practiced real estate for 20 years in San Antonio, Texas. Isla Cozumel
Nancy Edwards As many Cozumel ‘locals’ will tell you, it starts with just an innocent vacation. Nancy visited the island in 1984, and soon found herself coming back for more. In the early 90s she was coming at least twice a year because, as she puts it, "…a week in Cozumel cost less than just one weekend in Dallas!" In 1995, Nancy retired from her work in the energy sector in Texas and moved to Cozumel. She started working in real estate with a local agency…just a few hours a day. Soon, real estate became her passion, and in 2000 she opened Cozumel Living real Estate. She has watched the Cozumel market explode… when she started were only two condominium complexes. Now there are six condominium complexes plus two under construction, and many vacation rental homes that are always booked. Cozumel Living is one of the most respected, trustworthy, ethical real estate organizations on Cozumel and Nancy has made a name for herself there…and with us. She is one of the most responsive and personable realtors we know. Isla Mujeres Ron Brown Ron and his wife, Gwen, first came to Isla Mujeres on vacation from Canada in 1990. They fell in love with the quiet charm of the island, and came back for good in 1997. As Ron says, they were attracted because “there is no racial unrest here, there is political stability, and it is very laid back. We have always loved the Caribbean and we think this is the best choice for many reasons.” Those reasons, Ron says, include climate, culture and lifestyle. He plays tennis every morning, and to keep himself even busier, Ron he started Isla Realty, specializing in real estate sales and property management. Puerto Vallarta
Wayne Franklin Wayne Franklin (commonly known just as ‘Franklin’) first visited Puerto Vallarta in l996 on a four-day vacation. He fell in love with the sense of nature here; how the jungle meets the sea at the edge of the Sierra Madre Mountains; the rugged beauty that abounds and draws people to this area from around the world. Deciding to return for a three-month sabbatical, he, like many others, opted to stay, and to make a living, he did what he knew best – real estate sales. Within a short time, he was getting referral business and he founded Tropicasa Realty in l997. Franklin is a former owner and broker of a firm in San Francisco, California, and has been in the international real estate industry for 20 years. His California clientele consisted primarily of investors in foreclosures, specifically commercial property and land and development projects. These types of transactions needed in-depth financial studies and analysis and because properties were bought quickly, it was imperative that Franklin know the market. His ability to understand his local market has kept Tropicasa Realty in the forefront of the real estate industry in Puerto Vallarta today. Franklin may be the most ‘detail-oriented’ broker/agent we recommend. He crosses every ‘t’ and dots every ‘i’ and he absolutely knows the ins and outs of buying property in Mexico. Whenever we have a question about real estate, Franklin’s the guy we ask. Mazatlan
Roger Culbertson Roger's driver license photo above doesn't do him justice -- in fact, this may be the only time we've seen him without a smile on his face! Roger graduated from real estate schools in California and owned an electronic security company in northern California before retiring (ha!) and moving to Mazatlan in 1989. He believes in helping you take the time to know the neighborhoods in Mazatlan in order to find the perfect property for you…in the area you want, at the price you want. He is a member of AMPI, the Mexican Association of Real Estate Professionals, as well as the International Real Estate Federation, a worldwide watchdog group. Have Roger take you to look at properties in one of his prime-condition antique Falcons. Central Highlands
Barbara Mercik and Marvin Golden Click Here To Contact Barbara and Marvin Barbara Mercik and Marvin Golden left Canada in 2000 to travel for a year around the U.S. and Mexico. They discovered paradise on the shores of the fishing villages by the largest lake in Mexico, Lake Chapala. And they never never went home! Applying their background skills in project management, consulting, sales and renovations they quickly became top realtors with Casa Mexico Real Estate in Ajijic. They have managed to stay married through two renovation projects and now have a team of experts to help with every aspect of Mexican life. They thoroughly enjoy being ambassadors promoting living the good life in Lake Chapala. The lakeside lifestyle is laid back with plenty of activities, and the big city of Guadalajara is nearby for shopping malls and nightlife. And when a beach fix is needed, it is only a 4-5 hour drive to Manzanillo or Puerto Vallarta. San Miguel de Allende Lane Simmons Lane Simmons is the owner of RE/MAX Colonial, one of San Miguel de Allende's most prominent agencies. He is among the first 150 agents to become federally "certified" as real estate professionals in Mexico, and is the only real estate broker selected as a charter member of the State of Guanajuato Advisory Board of Notaries and Public Registrars. Lane has a 30-year background in sales and marketing in the U.S. and Mexico, and after residing in other areas of the republic, ten years ago he and his wife adopted the country as their home, along with two Mexican children. Lane authored a foreign buyer’s guide that was endorsed by two editors of San Miguel’s English-language newspapers and has written and been interviewed for numerous articles that have appeared in local, national, and international publications including The Economist, Money, and Discover Mexico magazines. He is also committed to community service, and has worked as a volunteer with the local Red Cross, and on the staff of the San Miguel Police Academy. He helped establish and served as the community liaison for the Pan American Collaborative Emergency Medicine Development (PACEMD) program responsible for bringing U.S. emergency physicians as volunteers to teach in Mexico and assist the staff of San Miguel’s General Hospital. Morelia
Juan Morales Juan was born in Morelia and works in Morelia in the import/export business and real estate business. He is married and has one son and two daughters. Well known in the community, he is a great scource of contacts that can provide you the help you need whether it is to buy a house, a business or any other need that you may have.He is an exellent link for the buying, selling or renting of real estate by connecting potential buyers and sellers. Contact him with any questions you may have. He will be glad to help you. Pozos de Mineral Teresa Martinez Teresa Martinez, originally from Monterrey, Mexico, settled in Pozos after a long professional career as art dealer in New York City, bringing here her extensive travel experience from Oaxaca to Kyoto. She has her finger on the pulse of Pozos and can point you in the right direction in this intriguing and unique little town. Querétaro Glenn Burr Originally from Mexico City, Glen moved his family to Queretaro several years ago where he opened the RE/Max real estate franchise. He speaks fluent English and will provide an overview of one of Mexico’s most beautiful and fastest-growing cities, where many U.S. and foreign corporations have chosen to locate their Mexico headquarters. Though he has an Anglo name, Glenn is a Mexican national. He is polite, handsome, very bright…and a really nice guy.
Kerry Kay Sims Kerry Kay has lived all over the world, including Indonesia and Thailand where she worked in real estate for major hotel chains. Most recently, she lived in Hawaii, before moving with her husband, Charlie, to Rosarito Beach in Baja Norte where she founded Baja Relocation, a company that assists people in finding a new life in the northern Baja of Mexico.
RE/MAX Bill first came to Puerto Penasco in 1990 on vacation. Shortly thereafter he opened a fishing tackle business which allowed him to meet and spend time with many of the fishermen and local residents. He soon expanded the tackle business into a charter business with the “TRES AMIGOS” a 36 foot Sea Ray boat that was the only twin engine boat at that time. Bill has a broad background in business. He started in Ohio where he became the owner of four fast food franchises. Many years later, Bill sold the units and relocated his family to Colorado. Bill was anxious to get back to the fast track so he developed a sales team to sell Hunting & Fishing supplies across four states. With the success that he created in his sporting goods industry, Bill was asked to assist in the start-up of new athletic footwear company. Thus Bill developed the initial sales & marketing team for L.A. Gear. As the winters got colder and longer in Colorado, Bill and his wife Maggie decided to move to Phoenix. Bill was asked to become the Vice President of Cragar Industries, a custom wheel company located in Compton, CA. He was then asked to relocate the $40m company to Phoenix. Upon the completion of this task and with his heart still in Mexico, he formed a consulting company with the task of opening a Maqulidora in Sonoyta, Mexico for Flowtech, a manufacturer of exhaust systems. Bill was selected by the former Governor Symington to serve on the ad-hoc Committee of the CANAMEX trade corridor under the auspices of the Arizona-Mexico Commission. Bill is presently a partner in an apartment complex in Puerto Penasco and worldly in all aspects of Real-Estate in Mexico. Bill is a member of both A.M.P.I. (Asociation of Mexicana de Profesionales Inmobiliarios A.C.) and N.A.R. ( National Association of Realtors). Note: These realtors work in the markets we most often get requests about. If you need a recommendation in another area of Mexico, email us for our extended list. |
