I Want To Be In Baja

As I have said before in another post on straw-bale building, one of the attractions of retiring to El Dorado Ranch, near San Felipe in Baja, is the fact that the building of your own house, especially incorporating environmentally-friendly, energy-saving building techniques and features, is actively encouraged.

I was leafing through the first issue of the Building in Baja Newsletter and found a very interesting article on building with Bamboo.  It turns out that Bamboo forests actually soak up 17 times more carbon in their growth than does a tree forest!  Just imagine what could be done in terms of mitigating against the excess carbon problem if Bamboo became a universal material for building! My own plans had been aiming at a timber and straw-bale structure, but now I am inspired to look into the possibilities of incorporating Bamboo into the structure - perhaps in place of some or the timber framework. I need to do a bit more research on that, but it if I can encourage others to look at this awesome building material then I am happy to do so.  The Building in Baja article contains a list of websites where further information about Bamboo.  I encourage you to at least check out  www.deboerarchitects.com/BambooThoughts.html and www.bambooliving.com. Great stuff!

One the most exciting aspects of buying a plot of land at El Dorado Ranch is the fact that we get to plan our own house. You can use one of the many floor plans that others have already built at El Dorado and that, of course, helps to keep the costs down because you are building something that is a known quantity. However, I am one of those people who always wants to do something different and I have very specific ideas on the type of house I would like to build there.

So I was delighted when I found this really cool, free online site for designing house floor plans! It is called Floor Planner - [see http://beta.floorplanner.com]. The free version is limited in as much as you can only save one floor plan with 5 variations on that plan. If you want to pay $27.50 a month then you get much more functionality, and they even do a version for those wanting to execute professional standard plans. But, for someone like me that wants to experiment with basic floor plan ideas it is a great tool and very easy to use. You plan your house in 2D, complete with measurements so you can see the square footage of your rooms, and you can even render the final plan in 3D, though it is a bit slow to move around in 3D.

I certainly wouldn’t use this in place of an architect’s drawing - though the high-end ‘Business Version’ can be used as such - but it will certainly allow me to use my plan to explain to an architect exactly what I am trying to achieve. One great aspect of this tool is that you can share the plan with others. If they have Floor Planner you can invite them to collaborate and work on your plan. If you want to share your plan with your friends then you can email them the web link to your plan so they can see your masterpiece. How cool is that. Here’s the link to my plan - http://beta.floorplanner.com/projects/18193734/enq7op

If you are one of those interested in the idea of building your own home on the  plot of land you have just purchased at El Dorado Ranch in Baja, and you want a good all-round source of advice and ideas, then you could do no better than to check out the recently started newsletter at BuildinginBaja.com.
The newsletter is published by Wendy Rains who has been building homes for clients in Baja for the last 5 years, having won numerous awards and citations for her work on the environment over the course of her 38 year career in the architecture, interior design and construction trades.

Topics cover virtually anything you could want to know about building a home in Baja, from Creative Design and Landscaping ideas to legal and environmental matters. There will be articles on “Living Off the Grid - alternative energy sources, green building materials, and more ideas for living consciously; Building Your Spanish - giving you helpful construction terms and phrases to better communicate with your new friends on the job; Product Watch - evaluating the pros and cons of new products on the market; Red Flag - alerting you to things to be aware of on the job; Only in Mexico - celebrating Mexican resourcefulness; Eat What You Grow - great recipes for all the luscious fruits and vegetables that flourish here; Ask The Experts - where you can write in your questions and get answers.”

The only thing I don’t understand is why Wendy chose to produce a newsletter and not a blog - a blog would be far more interactive, would have all the information in one place, and would be a searchable archive of information. But, apart from that minor quibble, it is a nicely produced newsletter and full of useful information. I, for one, will certainly be  subscribing!

With the millions of people moving to Mexico, home building becomes a major part of the process.  Many developments have on-site builders and El Dorado Ranch is no exception.  Although it can mean one-stop shopping, we decided to check out other options for our home at the ranch.  Learning about San Felipe Management Services, we decided to see what they had to offer.

Kristy Deegan and her partner, Stan Shifflet, decided to set up a company based on all the stories of issues ranging from little annoyances to major problems.  Right from the get-go, we were impressed with the program and how well organized they are.  She showed us the step by step process, sheets of details that cover every aspect of the home, and gave us the cost structure with general times frames so we could see what we needed every step of the way.  She also explained how they are able to negotiate a lower cost per square foot due to relationships they have developed with the builders they feel do the best work.

When we explained what we were looking for, we found they already had floor plans similar to what we wanted and we could save a few dollars by using one of these.  We then went out to see how these looked when built out.  Finding a home that was really close to our dream, we then sat down with a floor plan and made some adjustments to customize what would work best for us.  Along with offering some suggestions, Kristy also showed us how we could make best use of sun and shade, and the difference between summer and winter breezes.  If this wasn’t enough, we will also have a web site that will allow us to “see” progress on a weekly basis once building gets started.  Every step and phase will be monitored by her on site and by us from a distance.

I know some people dread going through the work of building a home, and it can be a daunting task.  Working with Kristy, we’ll have the advantage of shopping for what we want. The work of putting it together, making sure it’s being done right, and trying to remember everything that needs to be done, will be taken care of by her.  So much for the daunting task of building a home!!

You can reach Kristy at kristy@sanfelipemanagement.com

If you are looking for the ultimate retirement location there are few better places than El Dorado Ranch on the northern Baja peninsula. It has all the benefits of popular destinations like Cabo San Lucas but at a much more affordable cost. With lower real estate prices, lower cost of living expenses than the U.S. (although only a couple of hours drive from the border), with beautiful surroundings and a wonderful climate, building costs at under $120 per square foot, many Americans are looking seriously at El Dorado Ranch as the ultimate retirement destination. However, they may not want to think about for too long - there are a lot of American ‘Baby Boomers’ set retire over the next ten years and there are only so many plots to go round.

Although San Felipe, a few miles to the south of El Dorado Ranch, is not yet the popular destination Cabo is, there are many indications that the town will become the next big tourism destination in Mexico. All the amenities are there including a marina and an airport, and the Mexican government have already begun the improvements needed to bring these up to international standards, including the installation of fiber optic cable. They are also beginning on a plan to upgrade the highway that runs to the U.S. border. All this activity is at the behest of the Mexican governments Escalara Nautical Program which has millions of dollars to invest in the development of San Felipe. All Mexico’s popular tourism spots like Cancun, Mazatlan, Acapulco and Cabo have all benefited from similar government investment. As with everything its all in the timing, and now would seem a very good time to look at real estate at somewhere like El Dorado Ranch. As El Dorado and San Felipe become more well known and more popular home and land prices are inevitably going to rise.

I don’t know about you but, lately, the more I watch the election coverage and the more I hear about the ‘fundamental strength’s of the American economy’, the more I begin to wonder what the price of straw bales is down in Mexico. ‘But who wants to live in a country where the government is corrupt, politicians are on the take, there’s crime and drugs everywhere and everyone’s poor?’, I hear you ask. Not me - I’m packing my bags and heading for Mexico!

My wife Naomi at the front of our plot, and friend, Nancy, at the back. With mountain views behind, sea views to the front! Is that not the American dream?

One of the key attractions for us in buying a plot of land in the El Dorado Ranch Project was the fact that we could design and build our own house. One of the nice things is that you have so much freedom in the kind of house you can build there. It is not like back in surburban Phoenix where we live now, where all the houses are one of four models and they are all the same beige colour. Not that there aren’t some rules. For instance, you can only build to a certain height, which is fair enough as this is designed to prevent anyone blocking someone else’s view to the sea. And it does mean you can create a roof garden! Also you can only build on 50% of the area of your plot and you have to build at least 10 feet away from your boundary edge.

Our plot is just over 10,000 sq ft so we can technically build a house of 5000 sq ft which is more than enough for us. You have to submit architectural plans for approval - which is also fair enough - you don’t want people building dangerous structures.

But, beyond that, you can pretty much design the layout of the house to however you want it. One of the things we are interested in doing is building a house in a completely eco-friendly way - possibly a straw bale structure. We want to incorporate everything from solar panel, to wind turbines, to orientating the house to utilise the prevailing offshore breezes. 

When we went on our trip to El Dorado Ranch to see our plot and the rest of the project, we were able to look around several of the houses people had built for themselves, just to get an idea of the sort of things that were possible. One very kind gentleman, a retiree from Scottsdale, took us on a tour of his wonderful house, the centre of which was constructed around a circular, almost monastry-looking, room with the most spectacular wooden ceiling. There many different styles and designs to both inspire your imagination and to wet your appetite.

 
Isn’t that one of the American dreams? To buy a plot of land and build your own house? At El Dorado Ranch not only is that dream possible, but it also one hell of a great place to do it!

 

Last weekend my wife and I took a trip down to San Felipe, Baja in Mexico at the invitation of Nancy Tossell to see the El Dorado Ranch project. I hope that this brief overview gives you an idea of what is in store for you if you are thinking of taking up a similar invitation, or would like to contact Nancy to take the trip. First thing I want to do is allay any fears that this is just another timeshare presentation where you are locked in a room and assailed by high pressure sales people - it is NOT like that in any way, shape or form. You are shown round the project, given free food and drink, and if you feel that the project is something that will be of benefit to you then great - if not, then they hope you have had a good time and wish you well. They only want happy people there!

We travelled from Phoenix, by coach, going by way of Yuma, over the border at Mexicali and then a more or less straight run southward to San Felipe. It was about 5 hours journey in all, with a couple of stops along the way, and with food and drink provided by our very amiable and obliging guide, Brad. We set off at about 7am and arrived in time for lunch at about 2.30pm. We teamed up with our agent, Nancy and spent the first afternoon looking around the project. Nancy will give more details about the project in her postings so I won’t go into too much details here.

August is the hottest time of the year and is probaly the slow season as far as activities are concerned. Although it was slightly more humid than Phoenix it was more than compensated for by the sea breeze. In fact the sea was unusually choppy, but also temptingly warm as you paddled along the sandy shore.

After our tour, and after dinner - you going to find it hard to stay thin there - , we were bussed to our hotel in San Felipe, (which is about 7 miles to the south of El Dorado Ranch), settled in by our guides and left to our own devices to explore the nightlife of the town for the evening. The hotel (see picture below) was spartan but clean and comfortable - no 5 star, but fine for an overnight stay. The town is quite lively and colourful at night with many restaurants and shops open until quite late. Like a lot of small towns in Mexico it is fairly shabby - a lot of rubbish in the streets - a lot of stray dogs roaming around - but for all that it is quite charming and you never felt unsafe at any time strolling the streets and promenade.

In the morning we were bussed on a quick tour of the town, the marina and the nearby airport before heading back to the main clubhouse by the golf course in the seaside part of the project. There we were breakfasted and given a group talk by the president of the marketing arm of El Dorado Ranch, including a question and answer session at the end where we could voice any questions we had. We even got to chat with the project’s President, Pat Butler - a charming fellow.

Then it was off out again to look round some more. This was one of the highlights for us because one of our dreams has always been to build our own home. Here, you can pretty much dream up your own palace - within reason - they are not going to let you block anyone else’s view for instance. But there were a lot of interesting examples for us to look at. I was surprised that there weren’t more homes built - you see a few clumps of built and semi-built homes dotted here and there among the the bare areas of desert laid out in plots. But, considering the project has only been going 5 or 6 years I guess they have actually made quite a lot of progress in fact. We also had a look at some of the condos down by the beach front area - way outside our reach I have to say - but they are certainly not short of takers I can assure you.

It was all too quickly over - at 2pm we had to depart for Phoenix once again. Nancy was saying that every time she comes down she finds it harder and harder to leave - at about 12pm on the second day, as we were looking round the houses there, I suddenly knew exactly what she was talking about. One thing I can say, having experienced the project up close, if you don’t want to buy into it now then in 5 years you are going to wish you had while you had the opportunity. We have already planned to go back in November for the Shrimp Festival - we certainly want to be in Baja!

It is not only Americans who have been attracted by the good weather and great lifestyle to the Baja Peninsula - apparently the Canadians have discovered it as well! Although they have long vacationed there to escape the worst excesses of their winter weather - quite understandably, unless you are a big skiing fan - more and more are moving there permanently or buying vacation homes there.

In 2007, over a third of all new foreign homeowners buying property in Mexico were Canadian.

The experience of one Canadian quoted in a recent PRWeb press release gives an idea of the kind of reasons that draw many Canadians to the area -   

“Lyndie Meissner, originally from Ft. Francis, Ontario, said it’s the sense of freedom found only in Mexico that prompted her to buy a home there.

“You can drive up and down the warm coast to enjoy the water with no worries of traffic jams,” said Meissner. “It’s like going back in time to the Wild West. I lived in Dana Point, Calif., in the 1970s, before any homes were there and we camped on the beach. Now, Baja California is the only place left on the West Coast with that lifestyle.” 

http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/7/prweb1140754.htm

And for those that do set up home in Baja you could well find that your neighbours too are ex-pats from either America or Canada.

What with the warm weather, endless sandy beaches, and gas at only $2.60 a gallon, who can blame them - I’m off to Baja this weekend to look at some property myself! I’ll let you know what I find out.