Living in Los Cabos: Tipping Survey 2014

 

 

OK, it’s official. I am a tight-wad. Yesterday I put a survey up on Facebook about tipping in Cabo. A lot of the 99 responses were from the Caboholic Support Group, so we need to start with a big THANK YOU to everyone who took the time to take the survey. Now, as promised, here are the results which will make a pretty good guide to proper tipping if you live here or on your next visit.

 

The first two questions were about rewarding servers, and I was wondering if the guys carrying buckets of beer on a hot beach got any preferential treatment. Absolutely not the case. About half of the respondents tip the beach waiters 20% and another forty percent give them 15%. So it’s almost an even split between those two options. Some of the comments indicated 30% and even up to 40%, and one person makes it easy: $20 per day, which makes good sense if you’re vacationing in an all-inclusive resort.

 

Asking the same question about waiters in a conventional restaurant the results were much more definitive: two out of three of you tip 20%, almost all of the rest responded 15% but there were a few comments made about tipping as much as 40% depending on the circumstances. WOW.

 

When at the PEMEX (gas station) the scenario was if the attendant merely pumps the gas and cleans the windshield (and if the driver feels they’re getting all the gas they are paying for). Just over half of you tip 10 pesos, about a quarter tip 5 pesos, and about one in five do not tip at all. If they check oil and water levels or tire pressure about half of you add 10 pesos to the tip. One in three do not increase the tip for more service and one out of five adds 5 pesos. A number of the comments indicated the respondents either live in Cabo or are experienced visitors: they don’t trust the attendants to check anything! You do realize they get a bonus for every liter of oil they sell, right?

 

The grocery store was very confusing. First, the baggers are typically working just for tips. The stores don’t reward them for their labor but sometimes provide a uniform, in the case of MEGA the baggers are seniors who probably have no pension. Anyway, the most frequent answer was ‘whatever coins I get as change’ (37%). The other options (5 pesos, 10 pesos, or 5-10 pesos depending on whether they do a good job were pretty evenly split. A few respondents indicated they tip more for heavier items. At Costco and many grocery stores there are people who hang out by the exit and offer to help you to your car. I usually tip them 5 pesos if I actually say yes when they offer to help, and the answer here showed me to be a real tight-wad. Almost half of you tip them 10 pesos and about one third say it depends on the size of the order. There were many comments on this question, one saying they pay 200 pesos! Seems a bit excessive to me. And of course there were a number of comments about how aggressive they are at Costco; stalking you to your car, grabbing the cart and hoping you’ll be guilted into paying them. Was there today, and yep, it is annoying.

 

On the personal services front, I asked how much you tip for manicure, pedicure, massage, haircut, etc. The most frequent response was 20% (just over half of the responses) followed by 15% (40 percent of respondents), and about 10% of you tip 10% on personal services. In the comments one person noted that at the beauty school she tips more heavily: 50%.

When I asked about tipping a delivery person the most common answer was 15%, again just about half of the respondents. About one third tip 10% for delivery and others pay a fixed amount based on distance and promptness.

 

For the tourists we asked how much to tip a bellman to handle one suitcase or parcel at a nice resort. The answers were pretty much split between 20 and 50 pesos, the higher amount had a slight advantage. Only 13% went over that to 100 pesos.

 

When asked about valet parking the vast majority of you tip either 20 or 50 pesos, the numbers were almost exactly split in half with only a few exceptions (100 pesos or it depends on where were only selected by 9 percent of the answers).

 

So there you have it. Is it totally scientific? No. But it is a good reality check. Here in Cabo tips are an important part of many worker’s income, not just waiters and it’s nice to know that you’re treating them right.

 

Carol Billups is Broker/Owner of Cabo Realty Pros. She has enjoyed working with both buyers and sellers for over thirteen years and still thinks hers is the best job on earth. She is also the real estate columnist for Los Cabos Magazine. You can read more of her articles on the website blog www.caborealtypros.com. You can reach her from the U.S. or Canada at 1-760-481-7694, or in Cabo at 044-624-147-7541. You can listen to our 24/7 broadcast on http://www.livecabo.net for a mix of happy music, weather reports and local information.

 

 

 

© 2014 Carol S. Billups

 

 

Living in Los Cabos: Choosing Your Realtor

 

 

This morning someone started a thread on a popular group about Cabo on Facebook. Her question was ‘who is the best realtor to work with in Cabo?’ Reading the suggestions (and thanks to those who nominated me) I realized that very few people know what to look for in a realtor. And trust me: the nice guy you met in the bar or the fun girl everybody loves may or may not be the best candidate. So here are some things to consider before making your choice.

 

First, let me explain that unlike most of Mexico Los Cabos has a very sophisticated and efficient multiple listing service. And, we have very strict operating procedures. So the good news is that you only have to work with one real estate agent to have access to every property for sale. The bad news is: you have to pick one.

 

So, how do you pick just one? The best source is personal referrals, but not just from their many friends but from satisfied clients. And think about whether your friend’s search was similar to yours. If your friend bought a cute condo in San Jose, the person who helped them may or may not be able be best qualified to help you find a single family home in San Lucas. Most of us sell in both cities, but hopefully we know our limitations. I referred a close relative to another broker when he started narrowing in on the East Cape. Yes he would have paid a bit less if I’d represented him (he’s close enough I wouldn’t have accepted the commission). But, I know he was very well served working with my colleague who lives and specializes in the little town he eventually settled on. So you’ll want to know this person’s experience with the type of property you’ll be searching for.

 

You’ll want to verify that this agent is truly a professional and is a member of our Multiple Listing Service. There are a number of people in town who ‘dabble’ in real estate. And while many of them are very nice, they do not have to follow our code of ethics and operating procedures, nor do they have access to the MLS system itself. Have I ever worked with a dabbler? Yes, of course, but I pick and choose them very carefully.

 

Experience is a tricky question. While I’m all for giving the rookies a break you might want to investigate what sort of support system they’ll have. Have they teamed up with a more experienced agent or is their broker going to be involved in the transaction? We don’t have real estate school here, so it is all on-the-job training and not all companies train alike. Enough said? Working with a new agent can be very exciting and you’re sure to get the utmost attention. But you want to know you have a safety net.

 

And if you’re a buyer ask about what help they will give you AFTER the sale. Let’s face it: you are going to need some help with things like utilities, shopping, movers, etc. The better agents know they are your support group and plan on that. In fact many long friendships have started out as an agent/client relationship. And my last point is that given you will be spending so much time with your agent during your search, through the closing process, and after the sale be sure you are compatible and/or share similar values.

 

I’m anxious to check back on that thread… there are so many good agents in Los Cabos and it will be fun to see who else is named. Doing a bit of investigate I’m sure you’ll find yourself in good hands.

 

 

Carol Billups is Broker/Owner of Cabo Realty Pros. She has enjoyed working with both buyers and sellers for over thirteen years and still thinks hers is the best job on earth. She is also the real estate columnist for Los Cabos Magazine. You can read more of her articles on the website blog www.caborealtypros.com. You can reach her from the U.S. or Canada at 1-760-481-7694, or in Cabo at 044-624-147-7541. You can listen to our 24/7 broadcast on http://www.livecabo.net for a mix of happy music, weather reports and local information.

 

 

 

© 2014 Carol S. Billups

 

 

Living in Los Cabos: Our Team

 

 

At our staff meeting this week we took a group photo: what a great crew! Unfortunately Chris Mills and Debra Kelly were out of town, but the rest of us had a great meeting. Here’s the team:

Back Row from left: Ed Langton, Carlos Xolalpa, and Jim Miles

Front Row from left: Karen Langton, Alejandra Adame, Carol

 

Thanks to Danny Mathews for the excellent photography!

 

 

Carol Billups is Broker/Owner of Cabo Realty Pros. She has enjoyed working with both buyers and sellers for over thirteen years and still thinks hers is the best job on earth. She is also the real estate columnist for Los Cabos Magazine. You can read more of her articles on the website blog www.caborealtypros.com. You can reach her from the U.S. or Canada at 1-760-481-7694, or in Cabo at 044-624-147-7541. You can listen to our 24/7 broadcast on http://www.livecabo.net for a mix of happy music, weather reports and local information.

 

 

 

© 2014 Carol S. Billups

 

 

Living in Los Cabos: Trust Me!

 

 

Several people have suggested I update the blog with more on the basics; as the blog grows it’s getting harder to find the very important information on how we own property in Mexico safely. And especially in light of the recent news I figure there is no better time to re-visit the topic of Fideicomisos, or trusts.

 

Let’s back into this starting with the recent news. Last summer the lower house of Mexico’s congress overwhelmingly pass a bill to amend the constitution to allow foreigners to own property in the restricted zone directly. Currently foreigners may only hold property in a special trust called a Fideicomiso (pronounced fee-DAY-koh-me-so). When that was announced the grassroots response was vehemently negative. I mean VEHEMENT. I believe this surprised the politicians, and so rather than risk any further furor the bill was allowed to die a slow and silent death. The bill reached the maximum time it could be in consideration without action, and so it simply faded into the sunset. The trust system will continue.

 

So why was everyone so up in arms about letting foreigners buy coastal or frontier property? California, Nevada, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and, of course, Texas. All of them have something in common: they used to be part of Mexico. And despite what the history books may say north of the border the United States did not ‘purchase’ them. They were spoils of a brutally barbaric war that was sparked by…you guessed it…a bunch of American settlers that moved into Mexico and then decided they’d prefer to be independent of the country that had welcomed them with open arms. Oh, Americans might have forgotten but Mexico definitely remembers how thousands of families were uprooted and their land confiscated. As a result, they don’t trust foreign land ownership. And particularly not in the border areas and close to the coasts where another encroachment might begin. That said; they also know the importance of foreign investment. Article 27 of our Constitution addresses this issue.

 

Foreigners are forbidden direct ownership in the ‘restricted zone’ which consists of any land within 50 kilometers of the ocean or 100 kilometers of the international borders. Obviously Los Cabos is within the restricted zone. However, the constitution provides for foreign ownership as long as the foreigner holds the property in trust with a Mexican bank. This trust is very similar to a land trust in the US or a living trust but with one critical difference. This trust is set up by permission of Congress to grant the foreigner all the rights, privileges and benefits of a Mexican citizen as pertain to owning the piece of property in question. But in return the foreigner pledges to consider themselves Mexican on any matters regarding the property and specifically promises not to ask their native country to interfere with Mexico’s internal affairs. Your home cannot be confiscated (unless you’re using it as a crack house, but they’d do that to a Mexican). You cannot be singled out for any special treatment: you are Mexican under the law. But you absolutely cannot ask your home country to intervene if you have a problem or complaint about something going on in Mexico. Now two very important points about the Fideicomiso:

 

1. The constitution assures that you will be equal in the eyes of the law. Equal, not above. Many Americans and Canadians take the attitude of ‘what can they do to me’? They can do anything they’d do to a Mexican, that’s what. I mentioned using your property for drug trafficking but more likely the foreigner is breaking the law by evading taxes. If you are renting out your place you need to pay taxes on your income. Historically SAT (our version of the IRS or CRA) has looked the other way but as usual a few bad apples have spoiled it for everyone. Some folks are making vacation rental a commercial enterprise and reaping millions. SAT has already been calling on homeowner’s associations and I believe it’s only a matter of time before they put the hammer down on someone.
2. While the amendment was still a possibility most real estate attorneys were recommending that, even if it passed, the best course of action was to continue using the trust system. The trust has the benefit of passing to your heirs without the need for probate. Without it the homeowner would need a Mexican will which would have to go through probate or worse, have a foreign will validated in Mexican court. Both options are costly and take forever. For estate planning purposes the Fideicomiso is the better choice.

 

Using a trust to hold title to your Cabo property is safe and has been tested over time for reliability. Yes, there are costs involved. But a wise buyer simply adds them to the budget. It only makes sense to do things the right way and thereby insure that your investment is a safe one.

 

 

Carol Billups is Broker/Owner of Cabo Realty Pros. She has enjoyed working with both buyers and sellers for over thirteen years and still thinks hers is the best job on earth. She is also the real estate columnist for Los Cabos Magazine. You can read more of her articles on the website blog www.caborealtypros.com. You can reach her from the U.S. or Canada at 1-760-481-7694, or in Cabo at 044-624-147-7541. You can listen to our 24/7 broadcast on http://www.livecabo.net for a mix of happy music, weather reports and local information.

 

 

 

© 2014 Carol S. Billups

 

 

 

Living in Los Cabos: Casa Mas Cerveza

 

 

The real estate market in Cabo is moving and if you’re thinking of buying you’d better get to it. Here is Casa Mas Cerveza, currently the most affordable home in the gated community of Pedregal. Four bedrooms, three and a half baths, only a two block stroll to the marina.

 

 

Carol Billups is Broker/Owner of Cabo Realty Pros. She has enjoyed working with both buyers and sellers for over thirteen years and still thinks hers is the best job on earth. She is also the real estate columnist for Los Cabos Magazine. You can read more of her articles on the website blog www.caborealtypros.com. You can reach her from the U.S. or Canada at 1-760-481-7694, or in Cabo at 044-624-147-7541. You can listen to our 24/7 broadcast on http://www.livecabo.net for a mix of happy music, weather reports and local information.

 

 

 

© 2014 Carol S. Billups

 

 

 

Living in Los Cabos: Pay Up!

Living in Los Cabos: Pay Up!

 

You’ve still got a week left to save big on your property taxes here in Cabo! Yes, depending on your definition of big.

 

When clients ask me about property taxes, especially if they are considering moving here, I always tell them not to worry. Annual property tax is simply not an issue here. For example, one of our listings is a three bedroom home in a gated community known as Maranata with community pool and party area. It is located on the corridor only about 3 minutes outside of town, and has lovely ocean views. I just looked up their annual property tax: the princely sum of $1004 pesos. Yes, that’s PER YEAR. At today’s exchange rate that is equivalent to about $75 USD. Again, that’s your property tax for the entire year. See, property tax is the least of your budgetary concerns.

 

But wait… there’s more! If you pay your property tax (in Spanish this is called the Predial) in January the city offers you a 20% discount. Which brings the taxes on this home to about sixty bucks: you’d drop that much on dinner without flinching. For payment in February the discount is 10%, and in March 5%, after that you pay the full amount. Amazing, eh? One of the big differences in cost of living here versus the US or Canada.

 

Now, how are you going to pay these ridiculously cheap taxes? It’s actually quite simple even if you don’t know a word of Spanish. Considering my clients told me at lunch last week their property manager quoted them a fee of $75 to do it for them it might be a fun adventure you can take on.

 

What you will need is a copy of last year’s receipt. It’s half the size of a sheet of paper and very colorful, with script running vertically that says ‘Los Cabos Recibo de Pago’. Your name will appear on it, and the words  Impuesto Predial. Just take that to the Delegation (City Hall) and show it to the nice person directing traffic inside the door. The Delegation is the very large building flying an even larger Mexican flag all the way up Hildalgo Street almost to the Bordo bypass road. They’ll send you to a cashier who will take your money, print, stamp and give you this year’s receipt. This time of year it can get crowded with people rushing to take advantage of the discount, so try to go first thing in the morning. Only pesos are accepted.

 

That’s the basic course. For those wanting a graduate seminar:

• If you know the Clave Catastral you can check your balance online at http://www.eloscabos.gob.mx/ . The Clave is your tax ID number and is generally found on the first page of your Fideicomiso.
• The tax is much higher for unimproved lots, as much as ten or more times the rate for a finished home or condo. This is to encourage development. If you are building a home here do not pay off the builder until he or she provides you with copies of the paperwork manifesting the construction.
• If you don’t pay your property tax there are fines, penalties and interest that will be due. But, if you look sufficiently penitent (and have cash to pay in full) they can be reduced.
• The one and only debt that cannot be taken out of escrow when you sell your home is the Predial. So you might as well keep it paid up: when the property sells they’re going to get it anyway, and having to negotiate a reduction in fees may delay closing.

So that’s the scoop on annual property tax, and it’s only one more great reason to move to Cabo.

 

 

 

Carol Billups is Broker/Owner of Cabo Realty Pros. She has enjoyed working with both buyers and sellers for over thirteen years and still thinks hers is the best job on earth. She is also the real estate columnist for Los Cabos Magazine. You can read more of her articles on the website blog www.caborealtypros.com. You can reach her from the U.S. or Canada at 1-760-481-7694, or in Cabo at 044-624-147-7541. You can listen to our 24/7 broadcast on http://www.livecabo.net for a mix of happy music, weather reports and local information.

 

 

 

© 2014 Carol S. Billups

 

 

Living in Los Cabos: Pay Up!

 

You’ve still got a week left to save big on your property taxes here in Cabo! Yes, depending on your definition of big.

 

When clients ask me about property taxes, especially if they are considering moving here, I always tell them not to worry. Annual property tax is simply not an issue here. For example, one of our listings is a three bedroom home in a gated community known as Maranata with community pool and party area. It is located on the corridor only about 3 minutes outside of town, and has lovely ocean views. I just looked up their annual property tax: the princely sum of $1004 pesos. Yes, that’s PER YEAR. At today’s exchange rate that is equivalent to about $75 USD. Again, that’s your property tax for the entire year. See, property tax is the least of your budgetary concerns.

 

But wait… there’s more! If you pay your property tax (in Spanish this is called the Predial) in January the city offers you a 20% discount. Which brings the taxes on this home to about sixty bucks: you’d drop that much on dinner without flinching. For payment in February the discount is 10%, and in March 5%, after that you pay the full amount. Amazing, eh? One of the big differences in cost of living here versus the US or Canada.

 

Now, how are you going to pay these ridiculously cheap taxes? It’s actually quite simple even if you don’t know a word of Spanish. Considering my clients told me at lunch last week their property manager quoted them a fee of $75 to do it for them it might be a fun adventure you can take on.

 

What you will need is a copy of last year’s receipt. It’s half the size of a sheet of paper and very colorful, with script running vertically that says ‘Los Cabos Recibo de Pago’. Your name will appear on it, and the words  Impuesto Predial. Just take that to the Delegation (City Hall) and show it to the nice person directing traffic inside the door. The Delegation is the very large building flying an even larger Mexican flag all the way up Hildalgo Street almost to the Bordo bypass road. They’ll send you to a cashier who will take your money, print, stamp and give you this year’s receipt. This time of year it can get crowded with people rushing to take advantage of the discount, so try to go first thing in the morning. Only pesos are accepted.

 

That’s the basic course. For those wanting a graduate seminar:

• If you know the Clave Catastral you can check your balance online at http://www.eloscabos.gob.mx/ . The Clave is your tax ID number and is generally found on the first page of your Fideicomiso.
• The tax is much higher for unimproved lots, as much as ten or more times the rate for a finished home or condo. This is to encourage development. If you are building a home here do not pay off the builder until he or she provides you with copies of the paperwork manifesting the construction.
• If you don’t pay your property tax there are fines, penalties and interest that will be due. But, if you look sufficiently penitent (and have cash to pay in full) they can be reduced.
• The one and only debt that cannot be taken out of escrow when you sell your home is the Predial. So you might as well keep it paid up: when the property sells they’re going to get it anyway, and having to negotiate a reduction in fees may delay closing.

So that’s the scoop on annual property tax, and it’s only one more great reason to move to Cabo.

 

 

 

Carol Billups is Broker/Owner of Cabo Realty Pros. She has enjoyed working with both buyers and sellers for over thirteen years and still thinks hers is the best job on earth. She is also the real estate columnist for Los Cabos Magazine. You can read more of her articles on the website blog www.caborealtypros.com. You can reach her from the U.S. or Canada at 1-760-481-7694, or in Cabo at 044-624-147-7541. You can listen to our 24/7 broadcast on http://www.livecabo.net for a mix of happy music, weather reports and local information.

 

 

 

© 2014 Carol S. Billups

 

 

Living in Los Cabos: The Pool House

 

This is the pool house, one of 19 unique, beautiful and diverse structures in Villa Faro, one of my favorite listings. Just looking at the photo is so calming. What do you think?

 

 

 

 

Carol Billups is Broker/Owner of Cabo Realty Pros. She has enjoyed working with both buyers and sellers for over thirteen years and still thinks hers is the best job on earth. She is also the real estate columnist for Los Cabos Magazine. You can read more of her articles on the website blog www.caborealtypros.com. You can reach her from the U.S. or Canada at 1-760-481-7694, or in Cabo at 044-624-147-7541. You can listen to our 24/7 broadcast on http://www.livecabo.net for a mix of happy music, weather reports and local information.

 

 

 

© 2014 Carol S. Billups

 

 

Living in Los Cabos: Real Estate 2013 Stats

 

 

Year End Real Estate Report: Baja California Sur

 

Summary

It’s traditional at this time of year to look back and see what the old year brought and what that might bode for the year to come. In real estate it’s no different. These  statistics are from our Multiple Listing Service for 2013 versus 2012. Although we know they are not 100% accurate (agent input error) they are the best we have available.

What we’re seeing, and these numbers back that up, is that the market picked up in 2013 with more sales logged for condos, single family homes, and even raw land. That said, the median sales price (point at which half the sales are above and below) fell for condos and land, and was stable for single family homes. It is still a buyer’s market, and bargains are being had. But that is part of any market recovery. All in all I’m very encouraged by the year we’ve had and the year to come.

One caveat about this report: it is for the whole state. And the market is distinctly different among the various areas. For example, the inventory of condominiums in La Paz more than doubled—an increase of 116%. But on the Cabo San Lucas section of the corridor the inventory dropped by nearly half – a decrease of 45%. You may want to contact me for the breakdown in your exact location.

 

Condominiums

Sold:  This year: 146   Last year: 150  Percent Change: -2

Number Under Contract: This year: 180   Last year: 162  Percent Change:  +11

Sold Volume:  This year: 40,915,636   Last year: 46,584,254  Percent Change: -12

Average Sale Price:  This year: 280,244   Last year:  310,562 Percent Change: -9

Median Sale Price: This year: 199,340   Last year: 216,000  Percent Change: -7

Percent of Asking Price Received: This year: 90   Last year: 90  Percent Change: 0

Number on Market: This year: 959   Last year: 1104  Percent Change: -13

Houses

Sold:  This year: 203   Last year: 185  Percent Change: +9

Number Under Contract: This year: 212   Last year: 203  Percent Change: +4

Sold Volume:  This year: 139,445,888  Last year: 106,240,119  Percent Change: +31

Average Sale Price:  This year: 686,926   Last year: 574,271  Percent Change: +19

Median Sale Price: This year:  279,000  Last year: 275,000  Percent Change: +1

Percent of Asking Price Received: This year: 88   Last year: 89  Percent Change: -1

Number Currently on Market: This year: 1451   Last year: 1315  Percent Change: +10

Land

Sold:  This year: 136   Last year: 125 Percent Change: +8

Number Under Contract: This year: 151   Last year: 128  Percent Change: +17

Sold Volume:  This year: 26,782,765   Last year:  25,735,432 Percent Change: +4

Average Sale Price:  This year: 196,932   Last year: 205,883  Percent Change: -4

Median Sale Price: This year: 78,500   Last year: 91,666  Percent Change: -14

Number Currently on Market: This year: 2097   Last year: 2025  Percent Change: +3

 

 

Terms:

Sold: number of transactions completed

Under Contract: number of accepted offers

Sold Volume: value of all transactions

Average Sale Price: the numerical average: in this market HIGHLY DECEIVING

Median Sale Price: point at which half the transactions are above and the other half below

Percent of Sale Price: also deceiving as it does not account for price reductions

On Market: Currently for sale

 

 

 

 

 

 

Carol Billups is Broker/Owner of Cabo Realty Pros. She has enjoyed working with both buyers and sellers for over twelve years and still thinks hers is the best job on earth. She is also the real estate columnist for Los Cabos Magazine. You can read more of her articles on the website blog www.caborealtypros.com. You can reach her from the U.S. or Canada at 1-760-481-7694, or in Cabo at 044-624-147-7541. You can listen to our 24/7 broadcast on http://www.livecabo.net for a mix of happy music, weather reports and local information.

 

 

 

© 2013 Carol S. Billups

 

Living in Los Cabos: It’s a Wrap!

I feel just like Martha Stewart today, passing on decorating hints. But really, I think my client is just sooo clever that I wanted to pass this along.

You know how you’re on the beach and the vendors come by with those gorgeous pareos or sarongs, and you just can’t resist. So you buy one. Which is great while you’re in Cabo; you can wear it anywhere and feel all sorts of glam. But when you get home? Obviously you’re not going to work wrapped up in a sarong (at least not at most workplaces). And it’s too big to be a scarf. So off it goes to the closet or drawer to just languish. What a shame.

Well, one of my clients came up with a great way to re-purpose your Cabo pareo: use it as a tablecloth (or runner if your table is very large). Of course it helps that her dishes are clear. But it could work with other colors as well. Not only unique, but a great reminder of how much fun you had buying it in Cabo.

Now I’m not saying it was just the pareo (the house was in great shape and priced right and staged perfectly) but this little bungalow went under offer in record time. And this unique touch didn’t hurt at all.

Now, I wonder what other purposes we can find for your beachwear?

Carol Billups is Broker/Owner of Cabo Realty Pros. She has enjoyed working with both buyers and sellers for over twelve years and still thinks hers is the best job on earth. She is also the real estate columnist for Los Cabos Magazine. You can read more of her articles on the website blog www.caborealtypros.com. You can reach her from the U.S. or Canada at 1-760-481-7694, or in Cabo at 044-624-147-7541. You can listen to our 24/7 broadcast on http://www.livecabo.net for a mix of happy music, weather reports and local information.

© 2013 Carol S. Billups