San Pedro Nohpat: Los Cuartos

Breaking ground. Part three of San Pedro Nohpat project.

Pablo asked the engineer about putting up rooms. I thought five would be reasonable, but Pablo got caught up in the moment and ordered ten. That would probably be over-extending the finances a little. But what the hell, ya’ pays ya’ money ya’ takes ya’ chances. As the construction began and started taking shape, several ideas came to mind about how to occupy the rooms. My first thought was that the obreros (albaniles and other construction laborers) would be interested in weekly or monthly rentals. Many of the laborers drive long distances from their pueblos to various job sites. People working around here could use a place to hang their hammock during the work week.

We also fantasized about the entire project being rented out by the government or some big medical corporation. We imagined a small pharmacy, doctors’ offices, a reception bodega, exam rooms. I can’t remember the fantastic rent they were going to pay us as they offered decent medical care for the folks out at San Pedro Nohpat, Kanasín, and other less developed areas. But it was just a dream. It was a fun fantasy though. The kind of fantasy that helps pass the time between “the rooms will be ready a week from Thursday” and five months later, when the rooms are actually ready.

When the guys got together they too cooked up a fantasy. Pablo and Manzana talked about renting the rooms by the hour. I wasn’t too thrilled about that idea. In fact as a legal alien resident here I am not allowed to engage in illegal activities, such as running a bordello. Luckily that idea sounded pretty complicated once they considered the details involved, so the guys scrapped that and kept on thinking.

The rooms were just completed three weeks ago. They are small, accommodating a matrimonial size bed and a few other belongings. If the space is used creatively, as in building up on the walls, I could see it being an efficient little studio. Each unit has a bathroom which is also small, but complete. Shower, shower curtain, sink, toilet, toilet seat cover, and toilet paper. That is pretty complete, right?

If these look familiar, it's because I did a swap. I took my old beds out to the terreno and will be getting two new sturdier frames and fresh firm mattresses this week!

As of today, we have 7 rooms rented out. Three more to go. And two bodegas. We ended up renting them on a monthly basis. The price is unbelievably cheap, but until the road is paved and there are more services out there, I think the priority is to keep them rented out. Our first renter, Don Gilberto, arrived on the exact day we needed to find a new security guard. He and his wife live in the room toward the back of the property with their three young children. Gilberto is our caretaker/vigilador and is doing a great job out there. He has been gracefully showing the bodegas and cuartos and cleaning up the property.

Don Gilberto, caretaker and Licensiado Pablo, project manager.

I answered several of the inquiry calls. That got a little complicated. Giving directions was hard enough, but “What bus do I take to get there?” stumped me.

“Hold on, I’ll ask.” I said. But before I could get to Pablo teaching class IN the swimming pool….the lady said she’d call back and hung up. She called me five times. I never seemed to have the answer she was looking for.

We originally purchased five beds. I thought folks would prefer to sleep in hammocks, but people asked first thing if there was a bed and a bathroom. So we ordered five more beds. The bed winning over the hammock surprised me. The engineer didn’t put hammock hooks in the rooms. He must be a chilango. I won’t speak badly of chilangos (people from Mexico City) because a few of our renters are from DF.

We began this project in October of 2008. Our world has changed a lot in just 7 months. The international financial crisis has negatively affected the real estate business in all of the Yucatán. There are a lot of expats who came here to flip houses. Unfortunately that market is not lucrative right now. I am glad we didn’t jump on that bandwagon and struck out on something unique, original and more useful for everyday folks. We are helping people and they are helping us. Isn’t that what makes the world go round?

The big picture. Project complete...except for adornment. Little by little.

Project San Pedro Nohpat: Terreno

I felt the only way to cover this "story" would be in three separate parts. Welcome to Part One.

This is the raw land before we did anything, well, other than have weeds whacked down.




Pablo has a sizable piece of property, 10 sq. meters by 30 sq. meters, out on the outskirts of town. We wanted to build something on it. The area is being developed slowly, but the city continues to spread its wings outward. After I completed my own house renovations Iwas looking to invest what (little) money I had left. I wanted to buy some financial security. I was working with an international consultant from my US bank, but when I was getting serious about studying the information, options, etc., I never received the packet of info the guy was supposed to send me. I called him and he had disappeared from the employee roster. Omen.

In my research, I came across what I thought was excellent advice, considering the US economy was showing signs of trouble last year. I read "Do not invest in anything you can't touch or step on." That sounded like good advice. So when Pablo suggested we build bodegas on the property, I thought, "Why not?" It's land improvement. We can't go wrong, Even if our little development is premature for the slow growth in the area, there is a shortage of storage space here, and mini bodegas just off the highway just might come in handy.

I have never had money to invest before, so I had cold feet about the mutual funds. Oh, Jim and I had mutual funds once, thanks to the generosity of my brothers when my Mom and Dad died. But we didn't understand what mutual funds were at first, so when my brothers suggested specific funds, we went for them without much additional research. I will say that we had incredible luck with that investment. The funds increased in value considerably. When Jim and I decided to buy our first house, we cashed them in and had enough for a down payment on our piece of the rock in Kona. Here's the lucky part: the day after we closed our mutual funds, the stock market had its first major crash of the new milennium.

The current project is located in San Pedro Nohpat, “a la salida de Cancún” (at the exit to Cancún.) Most locals know where that is with that simple information. On the periférico (the highway that circles the outskirts of Mérida) there is a bridge and glorieta offering the motorist many options. One of those is Cancún. A few kilometers on the highway toward Cancún or Valladolid, between the Hotel Real de Palmas and the Pemex Gasolinera, there is a white road (as of now, unpaved) turning to the right. One and a half blocks back is our construction site, which we lovingly call the “terreno”. It is visible from afar since it is the only completed construction, as well as having the only buildings painted white. Or painted at all.

Looking out to the right from the property, there are some houses constructed, and a few neighbors living in the area. Yes, they are humble abodes.

There are houses built, half of which are occupied. A block away is a dirt bike race track, and of course a beer store. A block back to the highway and the Pemex station, there's a 7-11, and a few cocinas económicas (cheap eats) within walking distance. The cross country truckers park their rigs at Pemex and stay in one of the hotels, or sleep in their cabs. We are also hoping some want to sleep in a room nearby.

Looking straight out from the terreno, the connecting road currently leads to nowhere. Paving is in the plans for this year. Water was piped in to the area two months ago. Yes, we have water and electricity.

The actual colonia of San Pedro Nohpat is a small community, and only a few blocks walk or tricycle ride to the outskirts, or "polígamo". To me the area still a bit of the wild wild west, but it is safer than I imagine our old west was! You can see a factory in the distance, and a slew of partially constructed condos and houses. Hard times have hit México. With no tourism many jobs are affected. With no real estate market and little construction, those jobs are also cut. Mexico is used to living with hard times, but this year has been particularly harsh.

Looking left from the gate, toward the factory and location of the condo developments. You can't see the condos in this shot.

I was somewhat hesitant about the project. I am not used to being in areas like this, let alone have visions of their futures. I don't really have this kind of imagination. What I see is what I see. Luckily Pablo did have a great vision. And after several months of "it will be finished next Thursday", we finally have a finished site. We have our own little community.

Project San Pedro Nohpat: The Bodegas

Welcome to Part Two of Pablo’s and my development and first construction project. This is the property with the beginning of the bodega creation.

The bodegas went up, and things were going smoothly. Pablo talked to the architect/engineer about putting some rooms in since they were already digging and building. After a well and septic tank are in, one starts to think about perhaps a little bigger picture.

The bodegas are well constructed cement buildings. I believe they are 4 x 6 sq. meters. There are four of them. Each has a half-bath. The roll-up doors are handy for storing and they lock securely. A truck can back up to the bodegas for loading and unloading.

So far we have two of four bodegas rented. If you are reading this in the Yucatán and know someone who may need to store belongings, please send this information to them. The price is reasonable, they are well constructed, and we have a 24 hour security guard. I am pleased with the bodegas. By next year they may actually be locales, where you can shop, get laundry done, shoes fixed, who knows? Dirt bike parts? My imagination has been inspired now that I see the buildings!

This is the finished product. I am pleased. We have our own little development. We are land barons. Kings of the Barrio. Call it what you like.


Here I am sitting in the bodega as we get ready to set up phase three....the cuartos.