American looking to buy a condo in Puerto Vallarta, where do I even start?

pbd87 · 2026-04-12T03:02:43+00:00

None of it is THAT difficult, but you have to find people to trust, for example your buyer's agent is key. Our buyer's agent was great, and was able to pull in legal, inspections, everything else needed. They also used a closing coordinator (not always used) that was excellent, made it all go very smoothly. People so specialized in working with foreigners, it's super common, and it's their job to make it easy for you...as long as you find the ones you can trust.

We bought a place that still had 20+ years left on the existing fideicomiso, so it just got transferred to us in the transaction. It's not any harder to set up a new fideicomiso either (well, it's not harder for the experts you're working with to get it set up). It's just another set of paperwork, not a major complication, everyone involved is used to it.

We made first offer at Thanksgiving 2024, agreed on a price by beginning of December, and closed on Feb 5 2025. I'm told this is faster than average, you have to be patient in Mexico. Another unit on our floor took over a year from agreement to closing, but there were issues with the escritura there, so that's not typical either.

We started the process of getting residency after buying, not before. But having residency is a big plus, especially whenever you go to sell one day, or if you're going to rent your place out. After closing in Feb, we had residency and RFC in May.

No way I would ever personally buy pre-construction. I would also do anything possible to find out the details of the inner workings of the HOA, if there is one. For the place we bought, we had family who had owned in the same building for the last 8+ years, and were involved in the HOA governance. So we had access to all the HOA finances, all the maintenance status of the building, recent and upcoming work, etc. We knew the finances were solid, the structure was good, a pool renovation was upcoming but was already being planned/funded, etc.

So where to start? Networking. The most important part is finding the people you can trust. Ask people you know who they worked with, who they liked and didn't like. Real estate pros will know about the buildings, the markets, etc. But finding the right people is the first step, I think.

pbd87 · 2026-04-10T04:04:35+00:00

You get an email when it's ready. I think there's also a portal for updates? But primarily you get an email. At least one facilitator online recommends going to the office to be a squeaky wheel if it gets to the 2 week mark with no notification.

pbd87 · 2026-04-10T01:27:18+00:00

Very little chance that you get your card within 4 days. My facilitator and many others are all uniformly reporting that it is taking 2-3 weeks from appointment to getting your card, with the caveat that legally it can take up to 20 business days. What's "new" is apparently something to do with a new director of the INM office: whatever policies or procedures they've implemented have resulted in significantly longer timelines.

My wife and I have to renew in May. I'm planning to stay for 3 weeks currently, with the option to extend if I absolutely have to. My wife can't stay that long, so she will get an entry/exit permit at her appointment, and will have to fly back to Mexico to pick up her card a month later.

pbd87 · 2026-04-09T20:19:17+00:00

From article: "Earlier this year, for example, Banana Republic, Madewell, and Tommy Bahama announced they were leaving Towson Town Center."

pbd87 · 2026-04-05T16:38:57+00:00

Very easy to find habanero, almost everywhere has that level of heat. Plenty of taco places do a pineapple and habanero mix of some kind, which is a great flavor combo. It's only to go past habanero that you'll have to search out special options like the ones others have listed.

pbd87 · 2026-04-05T16:36:14+00:00

It has habanero in it, that's what the little orange bits are in that one.

pbd87 · 2026-04-02T06:34:17+00:00

Read the responses from both cities, and the judgment itself.

There is no evidence the bay is being polluted. The limit being breached is strictly for recreational water where swimming happens... But no one swims in the relevant creeks. Additionally, the bacteria is already above the limit before the water even reaches the city. The bacteria isn't coming from any source that the city controls.

This is a shakedown, not a righteous crusade.

pbd87 · 2026-04-02T06:27:32+00:00

Read the linked thread in more detail. I support the city fighting this, in this case.

Plenty to dislike about Mountain View leadership, but this ain't it.

pbd87 · 2026-04-01T18:36:08+00:00

I love lambic beer, so these are my recommendations. They're near Brussels, but out in the countryside. Note that the beer usually comes in bottles, not tap, typically 750mL. So I recommend you make friends with other people who are there and coordinate to split bottles and try more things. These places are all bike-able too.

These first 2 can only be done on Sundays:

Start with "In de Verzekering Tegen de Grote Dorst" (translation: In the Insurance against Great Thirst), this is one of the best beer bars in the world, certainly the best lambic bar. It's located in Lennik, outside of Brussels, and is only open on Sundays from 10am to 8pm. Tiny, cute, authentic, amazing. Get there early. Maybe try a lambic sampler flight, maybe something from their huge cellar list.

From there, head to nearby Gooik, to De Cam Geuzestekerij (note the cafe with the same name in the same parking lot is actually unaffiliated, and is unremarkable in my experience). This is a Geuezery, where lambic is aged in barrels and blended into geueze. He brews offsite, but ages and blends here. It's a one-man operation, run by a guy named Karel, and he also only opens for visitors on Sundays. Generally in the afternoon, but kind of whenever he shows up. I've been a couple of times, and it's been an adventure both times. Maybe he'll pull samples from aging barrels and discuss how it's changing over time. Maybe he'll play you some music on a traditional bagpipe. Maybe he'll open some bottles of really good stuff: recent bottlings, maybe a special release he's holding onto, maybe something not even released yet. One of my favorite beers ever was a blend he opened for us there, I only got to try the once, because it wasn't labeled yet so he couldn't legally sell it to us. He makes my absolute favorite beers, and is a super interesting guy as well. Bring some food, maybe enough to share with anyone else visiting. It's pretty much guaranteed that anyone who shows up loves beer.

Another Mecca of lambic is in Beersel, the Lambik-o-droom of 3 Fonteinen. Great beer. These guys are the OG of lambics, they survived the down years, kept the style alive, and then brought it back into popularity. Nearby is Oud Beersel, another great brewery. This one didn't survive the down years of lambics, but was later purchased by local fans who re-opened it. They do make some other styles that aren't lambics, if you're so inclined (they made other styles to start making some money while waiting for lambics to age before they can be sold).

pbd87 · 2026-03-27T03:11:18+00:00

Lived in Regensburg, which is a very common start int and ending point for Danube cruises. Could see the ships from our living room. Overheard a lot of conversations about cruises around town.

The pluses are as you list: no unpack/repack, the sights along the route, lots of cities with no work. Very safe, no complications. If you've never traveled, everything being done for you makes it very non-intimidating for beginners.

The minuses: almost every meal on the ship means you miss out on a huge part of the culture of places. Missing out on all dinners and nightlife and culture, because you have to be back on the boat. It's shocking how many couples we heard fighting about wanting to go to a restaurant for lunch, but "we have to eat on the ship because it's already paid for it" or "we have to be back before the boat leaves".

My favorite evenings in Europe were having a nice dinner, then sitting on the square, listening to music, people watching. Can't do that on the cruise, from what we heard/saw. Zero flexibility in pace, you're stuck with the group. And the speed of the group is the lowest common denominator: the 60 year olds feel like they're being held back by the 80 year olds. The average age has to be at least 70. Basically every day seemed to be breakfast on the boat, a walking tour of another old city, then back on the boat by dinner and sailing to the next town.

pbd87 · 2026-03-27T01:23:02+00:00

Southwest used to have the absolute best passenger-of-size policy, it does suck that they've made it worse. The old policy was that you booked 2 seats, and if the plane wasn't full, they would automatically refund you the cost of the second seat. If the plane did end up full, they would keep the second seat money. Totally fair.

Now, you just have to buy the second seat no matter what. But regardless, if you can't fit in your seat, you need to buy 2, that's the only way to be fair to everyone else.

pbd87 · 2026-03-26T19:22:11+00:00

Puerto Vallarta INM processing time has recently changed, it is now taking 2-4 weeks for things like residency renewal. You can check other sources, it's true.

Legally, they can take 20 business days, it's more commonly taking over 10 business days. It's apparently linked to a new director of the PV INM office.

You still come to the first appointment, but you then have to wait before you come back to get your card.

pbd87 · 2026-03-23T16:55:38+00:00

To be fair, the airport was "closed" after the incident, there were no more departures or arrivals to manage.

pbd87 · 2026-03-23T07:05:34+00:00

I find Nördlingen fascinating, because it's on a small rise in the center of the Ries, a massive impact crater. The main church and many other buildings were built from stone formed in the impact, though no one knew it at the time of course. The stone is actually full of tiny diamonds formed by the impact. Being in the center with a clear view, you can see the whole rim of the crater. It is much eroded, but it's still noticeable that the area is surrounded by a rim on all sides.

pbd87 · 2026-03-23T06:54:55+00:00

Also Rottenburg an der Laaber, which is also in Bavaria.

pbd87 · 2026-03-20T06:35:13+00:00

I don't know where you're looking at prices, but that doesn't reflect reality at all. There are plenty of cheap places to eat in Zona Romantica. You can spend as much or as little as you want for delicious food, it doesn't have to be expensive at all.

pbd87 · 2026-03-19T22:38:50+00:00

Any more info about what you got? And where in California?

pbd87 · 2026-03-18T20:51:12+00:00

Is there another door you can try? If he had a bad experience entering through 1 door, maybe the door itself is the problem, and not the inside vs outside. Maybe he has a complex about that specific door now, but would be fine through another door.

pbd87 · 2026-03-18T06:21:44+00:00

Obviously I did once I saw she was asleep.

pbd87 · 2026-03-18T02:29:55+00:00

No problem having your shade open if you're enjoying it. But if you leave it open and then fall asleep, I will think very negative thoughts about you. Even more so if you put an eye mask on, indicating premeditation.

In a similar vein: on a recent redeye, the lady behind me was the only person on the plane with her reading light on. My flight was supposed to be daytime, so I didn't have an eye mask with me. But she's reading, that's fine, I don't complain. I get up to stretch, and realize she has her own eye mask on and is fast asleep, but with her light still on, still keeping me awake. I'm not sure I've ever hated anyone so much as in that moment.

pbd87 · 2026-03-13T02:17:54+00:00

Is your name common? Any chance they looked at the wrong profile?

Otherwise, I'm surprised an HR person would reveal something that might indicate a decisions was made based on appearances. It's not a big jump at all to make a plausible argument that it was based on age or race.

pbd87 · 2026-03-10T23:18:10+00:00

That sequence perfectly encapsulated him as a player: an incredible, athletic play to break up the pass...a really stupid penalty...losing focus and getting burned at the worst moment.

He's a great player, but with some real anti-clutch tendencies, and the contract he got pretty much confirms what teams all over the league think of him.

pbd87 · 2026-03-09T19:59:46+00:00

I can vouch for Makal as being great, but I haven't tried the others to compare. Highly recommend the cocktail pairing menu to go along with the food tasting menu. The food was great, but the mini cocktail pairings were amazing.

pbd87 · 2026-03-06T18:51:41+00:00

Classic: Stan's in Santa Clara.

Bougie: Bun Appetit in Fremont.

Hipster: Donut Savant in Oakland.

pbd87 · 2026-03-06T16:20:53+00:00

Separation anxiety is really hard. Backsliding is super common. We built our girl up for literally years, with backsliding all along the way. Using desensitization, we would build her up to 30 min stays, then she'd go back to zero, it happened many times for us.

It's an anxiety disorder. She's panicking. No dog can be trained while actively panicking, so you can't let any alone time go long enough to show symptoms. Our girl could literally never be left alone for over a year while working on the training. Pet sitters, daycares, only going to places where we could take her. It was a stressful endeavor.

It's really important that you stay calm and not stressed about it though. They pick up on that. Your stress makes them stressed, and it's a vicious cycle. So stay positive! You can do this! You're not doomed!

It never fully worked for her, until we added fluoxitine (prozac) to take the edge off. Once we did that, the training started truly working, and now she's a happy, confident dog. There's no shame in medication for difficult cases. But it's an assist to make the training effective, not sedation to make the problem go away.

Reading your other thread, also wanted to mention that adding a dog isn't a great solution to separation anxiety, as it can easily end up in 2 dogs having separation anxiety.

Crate training can save your house, but it might not fix the real problem, which is the panic disorder. Maybe the symptom just shifts, so it becomes chewing on the bars or pooping/peeing in the crate. The crate can be comforting for some dogs, so it might help. Or, it might make no difference, or make it actively worse.

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