Search results matching tags '2009' and 'Market Conditions'

The New Bric Hotel Debuts in Playa del Carmen

435836 — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:00:00 GMT

Last week, the Buy Playa team was invited to a special Open House introducing The Bric Hotel to the real estate community and the various booking agencies in Playa del Carmen. The hotel is a departure from the usual offerings from Bric, far and away, Playa del Carmen's largest property management company. With cheerful, bright rooms starting at just $75 usd a night, including breakfast in the poolside palapa restaurant, the new hotel,offers an economical alternative for travelers to a city that has long ago outgrown it's old reputation as a bohemian destination, catering to divers and backpackers.The Bric team has completely overhauled this property, transforming it into a charming oasis on the middle of the city. Located just 3 blocks from Mamitas Beach, this charming hotel is sure to please travelers looking for a bit of "Old Playa" at a reasonable price.

After breakfast and a brief presentation, we piled into a transport van and headed over the The Elements, the luxurious beachfront resort at Coco Beach in which Bric manages 40 ocean view condominiums and penthouses. As promised and expected the units are stunning and obviously meticulously maintained.The complex is really impressive with an enormous infinity edge pool, sun loungers both in and out of the water and a wide, clean swath of beach reserved just for owners and guests. Just to the north is the cool, new beach club Canibal Royale offering beach service with delicious food and cold beverages.

We are pleased to be able to offer both the hotel rooms at the new Bric Hotel and the beautiful Elements penthouses and condominiums to our customers. If you are considering a vacation in Playa del Carmen or a long term stay, we would be happy to help you reserve you a space that suits your needs and fulfills your desires. For more information, rental rates and reservations, email us at Rentals@BuyPlaya.com or call 518-250-1269.

Long Term Rentals in Playa del Carmen

435836 — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 03:52:00 GMT

The excitement of moving to a foreign country does not come without a host of challenges to overcome. Learning a new language, adjusting to a new job, a new culture, making new friends can be difficult and frustrating at times. One of the most stressful decisions you can make when trying to settle in a new country is finding a place to call home. Regardless of the length of your extended stay, whether it be for a few months or a few years, trying to identify and secure a long term rental remotely, with no opportunity to actually SEE the property before you commit to it, requires patience, due diligence and a certain amount of good faith. Finding an agent to assist you and act on your behalf can make the difference between an easy, smooth transition and one that results in a less than ideal living situation.

When Rob and I moved to Playa del Carmen with our young family, five years ago, we had a leg up on the process. Our partner and his wife had moved here a few months earlier and settled in well. They were able to find a great house for us and had it ready to move into by the time we arrived. Finding the right house, in the right area helped us to adapt quickly to our new way of life and assimilate quickly into the community. For this reason, we take the process of house hunting for our clients, very seriously. It must be undertaken thoroughly and with great care and sensitivity to each individual customer.

Whether you have visited Playa del Carmen before or you are coming for the first time, you will want to have a representative here, to scout out the various neighborhoods, look for rental properties, take pictures and relay the information to you in a timely manner. Because the Playa del Carmen vacation rental market is so strong, owners are often reticent to commit to a long term rental at a discounted rate. Many owners use their properties personally throughout the year, making it impossible to consider a long term tenant. While there are probably hundreds of villas and condominiums in the city being rented on an extended term, (generally meaning 6-12 months, sometimes as few as 3-4 months), the vast majority of these properties will never hit the open market as we know it. Playa is a small city with a very strong expat network. Good, well located, well priced rentals are easily filled as soon as they are vacated simply through word of mouth with no need for agency promotion. For this reason, as you initiate your search for a long term rental in Playa del Carmen, you may be surprised just how few you will find listed on the internet. It takes a tremendous amount of legwork on the part of an agent to find, photograph and post these listings. Most real estate brokerages have neither the time nor the manpower to invest in an activity that generates very little profit in comparison to sales.

When you do find and agent who will represent you, one who cooperates with the better, more reputable property management companies in Playa del Carmen, be sure to supply them with as much information as you can about yourself and your specific needs. A retired snowbird couple looking to relax for a few months will have different needs than a single person coming here to work or start a business. A family with young children will have different considerations than a couple with none. The more detailed information you can provide to your agent, the better job he or she will be able to do working on your behalf. When communicating with a rental agent for the first time, you will want to keep in mind the following criteria:

Dates of Stay: When are you planning to arrive and how long are you planning to stay. If you have some flexibility in your arrival date, be sure to say so. Being able to adjust your travel dates by even a few days may mean the difference between securing a great rental rather than one that is just "so-so". Rental rates will often vary depending on the season you are arriving and how many months you are staying. A 12 month lease will guarantee you the lowest possible rates.

Location: Are you a country mouse or a city mouse? Playa del Carmen may not have much to offer the true country mouse but that does not mean you can't find a rental with nice gardens and green space. If these things are important to you, say so! If you are looking for a stand along house or villa, your choices will be limited to Playacar and similar gated communities that have sprung up all along the Riviera Maya in the past few years. Playacar in particular is popular with families concerned about having plenty of space for their children to run, bike and make friends. Many newcomers love Playacar for the access to the Reef Beach Club and the reduced greens fees at Playacar's Golf Club. If you are a city person, there are various neighborhoods to consider as well. Be sure to ask what the demographic of the area is when you are considering a particular unit.

Budget: While there are certainly exceptions and rental rates will vary somewhat by area, you can expect to pay at very least $400 usd for a studio apartment, $700 usd for a one bedroom, $800 usd for a two bedroom and $1800 usd for a three bedroom condo or villa. These prices are representative of what is currently available, east of the highway, in this market, right now. These numbers represent rates for rental properties in areas generally considered favorable by foreigners moving to Playa del Carmen. Naturally, the closer to the beach a property is, the more expensive the rental rate. Unless specifically noted, most rentals do not include utilities. You may find a few owners who will include gas, water and internet but electricity is almost always separate. While everyone's usage will vary, electricity is expensive here in Playa. Renters coming for the winter months may not need to run the air conditioning very much and thus, avoid outrageous charges. Summer visitors should definitely keep electricity in mind when creating their household budget.

Pets: Many, many people these days are bringing their pets along even just for extended stays of 3-4 months. Finding owners who will accept pets in their home is quite a challenge. Expect your choices to be limited and expect to pay a separate pet deposit on top of the regular and customary damage deposit (generally the equivalent of one month rent). Dogs are not permitted on the beaches here in Playa, nor are they allowed in cabs or buses. That being said, most of Playa del Carmen and by extension, Playacar, is fairly pet friendly. Dogs can often be seen with their owners in offices, bars and restaurants. Once you find a pet friendly long term rental, if you clean up after them in public and make sure your pets are well house trained and socialized, you should have no trouble at all.

Amenities: Once you have started communicating with a long term rental agent, be sure to let them know what amenities and features may be important to you in a possible new home. If you or anyone in your family has mobility issues, we sure to ask for a ground level unit or one accessible by an elevator. Many buildings in Playa del Carmen are not handicapped accessible. Make sure your agent knows if you have any physical limitations to consider. Pet owners may also prefer a ground floor unit. Taking Fido up and down the stairs from your penthouse may get old after a few weeks. Television, either via cable or satellite, seems to be available in most rental properties these days but internet is still hit or miss. Be sure to confirm that the specific unit your are renting has internet already or that it can easily be set up or activated once you arrive. Pools are always high on the "most wanted" list for long term and vacation renters and with good cause. Many. residential complexes have large common pools maintained for the use of owners and guests. Even the newer condominium buildings in town are including pools, roof top and otherwise, in their designs. If you intend to use the pool for exersize, be sure to clarify the depth and length with your agent. Laundry facilities are a huge plus for long term renters. If there are no facilities either in the unit itself or onsite, be sure to find how how far away is good "lavandaria" is. Parking is nearly always available in Playacar and in the newer condominium complexes in town. If you are bringing a vehicle or plan to purchase one here, make sure the units you are considering have parking, especially if you are living in downtown Playa.

In the past three months, we have been contacted by over twenty individuals, couples and families who are planning a move, some permanent, some temporary, to Playa del Carmen. Each of these customers has a specific list of needs and desires in regard to housing and each of these details needs to be taken into account as we search for their new home. In each case, we do our very best to match up each customer with the villa or condo that is best for them based on the criteria we have been given. If you are considering a move to Playa del Carmen, make sure you have carefully though through your needs and those of your family. Look at your lifestyle choices and your social habits, both those you have now and perhaps new ones you may wish to adopt in your new host country. Always keeping in mind WHY you are moving to a new country will play a great part in the house hunting process and help to assure that you find the home that is right for you and your family.

Are you looking for a long term rental in Playa del Carmen? Feel free to contact us and also check out our Long Term Rental listings on www.BuyPlaya.com.

Playa del Carmen Construction Update August 2009

435836 — Sat, 22 Aug 2009 16:46:00 GMT

It seems to be kind of a slow summer in terms of construction. Lots of projects that we had been following are now completed and delivered, leaving just a handful still in the works. Still no movement at Blume and Vaiven. I'll be curious to see what happens there. We've got a new residential complex, Rincon, going up next to Rioja on the back side of Playacar Phase 2. They are working on the "entrada" but nothing really to show yet.

First up is El Taj Beachfront where we were recently treated to a lovely evening hosted by the developer to celebrate the opening of the model showroom. They are going full steam ahead here in hopes to be ready for the high season buyers. As are all the sister properties, El Taj Beachfront will be lovely and stylish with the developer's signature Balinese design elements. Plans for a beach club are in the works, complete with an onsite dive shop.

Sondokan - The Lofts is nearly completed on Avenida 10, just a few minutes from Shangrila Beach. Like all of the properties from this developer, it is sleek and chic.

By the same developer, Casa Blanca is moving along slowly as they race to complete other properties before the holidays.

Costa Fina in the center of downtown on Avenida 15, just next to Liv-Blu, has come up very quickly. Lots of glass and natural light in these units.

Doca on Avenida 10 near the stadium is just gorgeous. Notice the cool blue pool on the roof overhanging the street. The patios will all have jacuzzis! I'm looking forward to getting in to the model unit.

El Faro is till chugging along and putting on the finishing touches. They filled the pool but don't seem to have budgeted to have it maintained. Not a great impression if they are hoping to make sales. The crew at Wicky's is ready to go and just waiting for the green light from the developer. Wicky's will be catering the VIP tent this year for Taste of Playa. We are all looking forward to getting a taste of what this new restaurant will bring to Playa's culinary scene.

We have a few new hotels in the mix, the second In Fashion Hotel is going up quickly on Avenida 15, an interesting as yet unnamed hotel is moving along quickly on Avenida 1 at Calle 24 and we have finally identified the following property as Hotel Reina Roca. This one is next to Playalingua Language School on Calle 20.

For the next installment, I am going to head south to Puerto Aventuras to see what's new there. Also, I'd like to check out the progress at the new Melia being built in the north end. It looks to be mammoth!! Stay tuned.....

Drastic Price Reduction on Marina Front Penthouse!

435836 — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 16:49:00 GMT

Reduced from $479,000 usd - Now just $390,000 usd !!!

• 2,300 sq.ft, 3 Bedrooms, 3 Baths, Enormous Oceanview Roof Top Terrace with Jaccuzzi

Puerto Aventuras Waterfront - Due to the financial downturn in the rest of the world, one of our clients has been forced to drastically discount their beautiful sea view penthouse unit at Marina Turquesa. This is a secure, upscale condo development now close to completion in the gated resort community of Puerto Aventuras.

The exterior of this building is complete but this unit is still very easily customized to meet its new owner’s needs. This 2300 sqft multi-level penthouse will be finished with top quality materials including solid mahogany cabinetry, ticul (a lovely local stone), marble floors and baths and granite countertops. This unit offers an open floor-plan with a spacious living and dining area, large fully equipped kitchen, three bedrooms and baths and laundry room.

Upstairs, via an interior staircase, the private rooftop terrace offers the perfect place to relax, read, lounge in the sun or dine. Complete with Jacuzzi and grilling area, there is plenty of space to create a fabulous outdoor room under the stars. Enjoy gorgeous views over the pool and out to the crystal blue waters of the Caribbean.

These ten beautiful condominiums are located on the first marina, a quick walk to the Omni Beach Club and just around the corner from one of the region’s best private schools, the world famous Dolphin Discovery , a world class marina, golf, tennis, shopping and all of the great local eateries.

Click on the following links to see slideshows of some of the completed units:

Slideshow #1

Slideshow #2

Please contact me ASAP if you would like to schedule a private showing or desire more information on this amazing deal.

See more pictures and Property information on BuyPlaya.com

Playa del Carmen Construction Update - January 2009

435836 — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 11:30:00 GMT

We are back from a short holiday break with a fairly extensive update of the various residential construction projects going on in and around Playa del Carmen. The economic slump in the U.S. is definitely having an effect on the sales climate down here. Last year, at this time, we were selling luxury beachfront condos hand over fist. This year, the Buyers are still here, they have just tightened their spending belts. Developers with projects in the range of $200K - $300K are seeing the bulk of the action. So, it's good news for some, not so good for others. Many projects are reaching completion. Others are delayed. It seems that a few have come to a complete standstill. People are definitely starting to see the value in smaller boutique properties set off of the beach a few blocks. Let's take a look at what's going on in Playa: the good, the bad and the ugly.

First up is Papaya, now 100% complete and making deliveries. This is a smaller complex right in the middle of downtown Playa del Carmen, just 4 blocks from the beach. The interior finishes are clean and modern. The project features a pretty lap pool surrounded by tropical plants and a large jacuzzi on the roof overlooking Playa and out to the Caribbean.

Habita is 100% complete and nearly sold out. Very modern, almost minimalistic in style, this project is chic yet inexpensive. Located in the north end, 6 blocks off of the beach, this well priced building is ahead of the curve for this up and coming neighborhood, assuring good appreciation.

Casa del Mar at Coco Beach is getting its finishing touches. The exterior looks great, the landscaping is in and taking hold and all of the streets surrounding this and The Elements are now laid with pavers. They are close to delivery.

The Lotus will be the next project to reach completion from one of Playa del Carmen's most prolific developers. Each project, undeniably, is unique and always a departure from the norm. His attention to detail and his use of unusual materials make each property stand out from the crowd. We did a full tour of Lotus this week and were really impressed with the most of units. The ground level two bedroom we found dark and a bit claustrophobic in comparison to the other spacious airy apartments. The pool is still being completed as well as the water/element on the second level. The worksite was abuzz with activity, everyone hurrying to get this one buttoned up. A sign of the times, two of the 10 units (including the ground level flat) are up for re-sale at a steep discount from a Buyer who needs to liquidate quickly. This could be an excellent opportunity to buy a nearly completed unit at less than pre-sale prices! Contact us for details on this one.

Next up is Haab, another stylish, well made project from one of Playa's well reputed developers. The popular Coco Beach/Shangri La location paired with reasonable pricing has brought a lot of Buyers to their door. The unusual lines and materials used on the exterior, really make you stop and look twice. They are planning to be complete in 5 weeks. Sorry about the sketchy "sign-blurring". A girl's gotta make a living.

Next up, we've got Casa Blanca, a complete departure from the current norm in Playa. Rather than trying to cram in as many small units as possible into a project, the developer has chosen to build an in city "townhouse" with just four luxury residences, one per floor. The units will have a whopping 135 m2 (nearly 1500 sqft.) of interior space, practically unheard of in this market and at this price point. With large parcels in town getting harder and harder to come by, expect to see more and more of these smaller, more exclusive "townhouses" being built. Good news to those of us who would hate to see whole neighborhoods (and worse yet, previously protected green spaces) obliterated to make room for another giant condo complex.

It seems no Construction Update would be complete without a mention of Azul Fives. However, with many Buyers now taking delivery and the resort due to be officially open in February, this may be one of our last photo updates. The new lobby and reception area is complete and lovely. The majority of the units have been completed and are being furnished and outfitted for occupancy. The beach club is almost done. The kids club area is complete. The tennis courts are in. The finishing touches and final plumbing is being done on the pool bars. At the beach club, the large infinity pool is beautiful and the one full service restaurant that is currently open is pretty, the food tasty and nicely presented. The staff are very definitely still working through the training phase to get up to Karisma's exacting standards. The other restaurants are working steadily toward completion however, it appears the majority of the work force is concentrating their efforts on the enormous spa. The Buyers we toured the site with this week were very pleased with the progress and excited about their investment. You can expect to see more pictures of the beach club in upcoming entries. It will be open to the public and you can be sure, we will be back!

OK, now let's move on to some of the projects that seem to have lost stream or halted construction all-together. I don't imagine this is going to make me very popular with several developers. Sorry guys. I promise to be back when they're well under way and looking beautiful!

Blume. We love the innovative designs they have proposed, but so far, all we have is a bad water feature to show.

The Loft II has been temporarily delayed, construction halted. A victim of these new, more tentative market conditions, the developer still has unsold units in The Loft I.

Zaphira appears to be dead in the water. It has been months since I have seen any activity on the job site. Today, I noted that the sales van was gone and the only signage was for rental of the commercial spaces. It appears one had found a tenant as they were working inside when I came by. No work was being done on the rest of the units. Too bad. This great 5th Avenue location, next to the famous Cueva del Chango and just a few moments from Shangri La beach should have made it a homerun!

Well, that's about enough for this month. As always, I am happy to go out and drive around taking pictures on request. Feel free to send me an email or just leave a comment on the blog. I hope all of you have had a Happy Holiday season with your families and friends. Let's all look forward to an exciting and economically prosperous 2009!!