how we got here

It’s a cool story. Not experienced with traveling to Mexico, granted, we were part of a group who had won a weekend trip to Cancun in our early days but had yet to be back since. Then we were invited by great friends to spend some time with them in and around Puerto Vallarta. They bought a vacation home there and thought we might enjoy a visit. Pretty much as soon as they offered, we hopped on a plane! They took us out around town and into the surrounding mountains, sharing their community and those around them.

Piqued by the experience, we started looking at properties and locations ranging from Florida and Belize to Alaska. Looking for an investment we could afford and our next adventure. As part of what keeps our life together sane, we try to go on some type of getaway every few months. We had gotten to a point where we really needed to escape for a bit and decided on a beautiful resort in San Jose de Cabo.

We fell in love with the area and the slower pace of life there. Granted, we were only there for a week, but it was magic. After that trip, we started looking at properties up and down the East side of Baja California, from San Felipe to the Cabo tip. Web searches, books, YouTube videos, how to buy, etc. Then we came across off-grid homes for sale on Craigslist in the Mulege, BCS area.

serendipity

The homes were (at the time) extremely well-priced and seemed achievable, well within our budget. One specifically in a small beach community called Posada caught our attention. At first, it was pretty much a hard no. But after reading about Mulege on the web and taking a closer look at life in Mexico, we took another look at the home (which luckily was still available) and took the plunge.

Everywhere we looked, people who live here full or part-time call it their little piece of paradise. We were calling it a leap of faith because it was during Covid, so we couldn’t look at the property in person. When we spoke with the previous owners about buying, they talked about how when they decided to buy…it had been a leap of faith (without any prompting from us :)).

We agreed on the price, completed the transfer, and set the date for arrival to be two months later. Connected with a local contractor, we started transforming the home well before our projected arrival. Walls down, doors moved, paint, kitchen reno started.

arrival

Our flight was from Seattle (SeaTac to Mexico City to Loreto, MX). My booking mistake; we won’t be taking that route again unless absolutely necessary. We also booked a rental car at the Loreto airport. We later found that if we reserve the rental in town, they will bring the vehicle to you, which can be significantly cheaper. Worth checking it out if you have the time. We landed at Loreto Airport (LTO). The smallest International airport I have ever been to…I think. One way in and one way out. Got through customs and stood in line for the car. It must have been about 3:30 p.m. when it was provided to us. Cute, white Volkswagon Jetta. We set out on the road to our new vacation home and our next adventure. North on MX 1 Loreto – Mulege.

road trip

Uneventful, thank goodness. We did have our first Federali checkpoint experience. A bit concerned because of some of the stories we had heard and seen on YouTube, etc. But they were very patient with us, not knowing Spanish very well. I am sure they are very experienced with that. All in all a pleasant experience. Not very different than going through other checks, oh, except for the guns.

The trip through the valley was gorgeous. The mountainous terrain glowed red as the sun began its descent. Then we crossed over a ridge and saw the beautiful blue seas of Bahia de Concepcion. Through several curvy road areas and past several local beaches, we finally pop over the last crest of a hill and see our community and home. Total time, about an hour and a half. I think we both started breathing again then. We hadn’t been scammed by a Craigslist ad. Everything was as it should be. Much more to come!

Thank you for joining us!

We look forward to helping you on your journey!

Lisa & Brian