Investment Strategy for Retirement in Mexico

New condo buildin in Playa Del Carmen
New complex being built on 34th st near 20th Ave.

We get a lot of people emailing us and asking about investing in Playa Del Carmen and many people think about buying something now and retiring in a few years to Playa. While everyone’s situation is different, there is some general advice we give to all people. We wanted to convey some of this information in this article and insert some facts and opinions that might help you make a wise investment for your future.

To buy real estate or not, that is the question!

The first thing that usually comes to mind is, can you really plan that far in the future? What will Playa Del Carmen be like in 5 years or even 10 years? If you think back on how much Playa has changed in the past few years, it would of been hard to predict what Playa was to look like. Some have even decided that Playa has gotten too big or lost it’s small town charm in the past few years (For an interesting look at our predictions of what Playa Del Carmen will look like and how it will change, see our article here). Will Playa be the location you want to live in the future? Will current and future changes make it more or less attractive to you? These are things you will have to ask yourself.

Is a place that you buy now going to appreciate in value? Will you be able to make money off it to make it a wise investment? Is it better to buy now rather than in a few years?  A historical look over the past few years or even more, shows that people have generally done well with there investments and real estate continues to appreciate here. Rental demand is driving the markets currently. If you do intend on living in the property later it should be a question of where to buy, we discuss this next.

Our video about buying in Playa Del Carmen

Since we get many questions from readers, we put together this video about the real estate market in Playa Del Carmen. We cover many of the topics that investors think about and need to think about. We hope you find this video helpful. 

 

Where to invest in Playa Del Carmen

Are you thinking about a house, condo, or a beachfront place? All of these have advantages and disadvantages but the main question is, is this a place to own now and then live in the same property when you move to Playa? Since many people answer yes to this question we do have some advice for you.

If you want to purchase something now and then move into it later, the location is important for you. Having a rental property is one thing and actually living in a rental property is another. Many primetime rental areas are not where many residents would actually choose to live. It may seem attractive at first but the realities of life are something to consider when making such a decision. Here are a few things to consider when thinking about the investment property for living in later.

  • Is it near to services like grocery stores?
  • Will you have a car when living here? How is parking and if you will not have a car, how walkable is it from things?
  • Is the condo building mostly rentals and do you think it will continue to be rentals in the future? This can effect your quality of life because many people prefer to live in a building with other residents. Some condo buildings that are rentals often have people that are here to party for a week and you would end up having loud music next door or have other issues that the actually owners may not address for you because they are more concerned about making the money off the rental. It also gives you more a sense of community to live in a place with other residents that you can establish a relationship with rather than strangers you see each week.
  • What is the size of the building? Condos range from about 20 units to 80 units. Smaller buildings lend themselves to more private rooftops and less residents to deal with. Larger buildings tend to have more rental units but may also provide more services and have lower operating cost.
  • Do you really want an ocean view? Many people love the idea of living oceanfront but the realities are the cost of the places are much higher and the return on investment lends it to just being a rental in the future. You may look at nice new condos and think about the view more than the destructive salt air and the many monthly repairs you have to do. Many residents like to live in the center of Playa but only a few live oceanfront. It many be that you can invest in a property that is with an ocean view and rent it out for a couple of years to make a good dent in paying it off or banking some money to replenish your bank account. The good news is that Playa is allowed to build a little taller now and some building a few blocks from the beach have amazing views.
  • Will the property fit your needs in a few years? Are you looking at a one bedroom now but might want a two bedroom for family to come visit in the future? Is there an elevator or will you be able to manage living in the property with limited mobility in the advent of such?
  • How is the overall cost? Will it be affordable after you stop renting it out and start living in it? Are maintenance cost high? Is the electric costly? Electric can cost a lot depending on the condo or house and how it is designed and located. Also if the property is 100% electric and no gas is used for cooking or heating water it will cost more in electric. Most people have renters pay this, but will it come as a shock to your budget to start paying hundreds of dollars in electricity when you move in?
  • What will the neighborhood look like in the future? This is a hard question to answer but in general you are pretty safe being in the center of Playa because it is all improving and developing. You just might want to think about your view and will you loose it to a new building. If you are thinking about a fraccionamiento (a planned development of houses or townhomes, usually on the other side of the highway) it is good to see how some of the areas have changes since being built. Some of these look nice when new but often go downhill as people open storefronts in their houses and the paint fades. Some however improve with trees growing larger and people adding additions to their homes making it feel more like a neighborhood.

Playing the currency game in Mexico

Paper money is constantly changing in value and whether you like it or not you can loose or gain thousands in just a few days. The world is increasingly tied together financially and what happens in one country effects your bank account. Since you will be buying in Mexico the peso and US dollar are going to come into play. We mention the US dollar because most real estate is priced in US dollars in the center of Playa. This has been a custom because many international buyers use dollars and it is traditional in certain cities in Mexico to price in dollars due to fluctuations in the peso.

Since the US dollar has been strong against the peso some think about investing now but this is limited in advantage since many prices have always been in USD. There is some negotiating power but developers and sellers take the advantage in this, especially developers.

Where you can benefit from a lower pesos is more local areas out of the center. There are some houses in developments that are targeted to Mexican nationals where the prices have changed due to the floatation of the US dollar and peso. Here you can save upwards of $20,000 USD off the price of a house from just the previous year. This may sound like a good opportunity but it also has to be the option you are looking for. Are you looking for a townhome, or stand alone house? Are you willing to rent more long term to locals? Is this what you are looking for as far as a place to retire to? These too are important things to consider.

Poor Canadians that are looking to invest

Canadians on the other hand have had to deal with a lower Canadian dollar. They have experienced the same loss of buying power as Mexicans outside of their country. So the best bet might be to buy locally in Mexico (meaning look for property priced in pesos).  Unfortunately buying in Mexico when prices are based in USD  is hard and it becomes a bet against the bank. Should you wait to see if the Canadian dollar goes back up and that means you have better buying power or should you go ahead and buy now so you are not possibly paying more for the same condo in six months or a year from now? This is where passion comes into it, the other part of buying real estate. Buying can be part logical, financial, and part passion. Do you love a place here? Do you want to start on your dream or hold off for a better deal? It can be hard to make those decisions.

We will note that real estate prices have been stable and rising. Where is the top of the market? and when will it get saturated? We do not know, but it appears that we are not there and there is an appetite to buy up what is on the market. As we have said previously, the rental demand is driving the market and it seems like people just keep moving to Playa, both nationals and internationals.

Since most sales are cash sales it means you would have the money to invest in a property here. Interest rates are very low so you can consider your money is not making much in the bank. You also have to consider the alternatives for your investments. You can compare that to rental income here and see what may make the most sense for you. We will mention that most new condo developments say or suggest that return on investment can be anywhere from 5%-13%. It is up to you to examine this and count cost such as taxes and fees. It would also be advisable to talk to other owners to see what they are actually making. Of course some of these new developments are pre-sale and there is no historical standards to go by.

Rental income from an investment

Rent is another factor in the currency game. If you are buying a place for an investment and are planning on renting it out, who is your target market? Are you buying in the center of Playa Del Carmen and hope to do short term rentals? 

If you are buying on the other side of the highway, you might find it hard to rent to tourists and have to expats or locals. On the other hand, you have to consider the fact that more rentals that are priced in pesos usually means that it is more likely a longer-term renter and more stable income. You do not have to worry as much for management cost and the low season when there are less tourist renting.

Calculating the return on your investment is key and understanding the market is important (see our detailed article about ROI in Playa Del Carmen here). We will say that it is getting increasingly hard to get affordable longer term rentals in the center of Playa because more are becoming short term rentals. Airbnb has turned owners into entrepreneurs and makes it easier for people to rent their places out for short and long term. A good tool to check out online is described in this article and our video here

Get a good realtor

Not all realtors are the same. Some can be nice and you like them personally but they are not detailed on how to set up your investment as a rental and the additional questions you have before, during, and after a sale. Some are much more helpful and have good customer care. They should know the local market well and be able to give you examples of what rental income is like and give you hard information that you can make a sound investment on.

Because we get so many people asking about good realtors in Playa Del Carmen, we wrote this article on recommended agents to work with. If you enjoyed reading this article then you might also like to read our article on the Playa Del Carmen real estate market.  It talks about what areas are hot and possible predictions. We also have an article and lengthy video about the Tulum real estate market which is good to look at for investors.

We hope this article has helped you with some of the questions to ask yourself and it helps you move to an investment decision.

investing Playa Del Carmen

About The Author

23 Comments

  1. Thanks for this post. My partner and I have been looking to invest in Mexico and maybe buy a condo for renting. We like your real estate post and follow you on your site here. Thanks for the opinion and info.

  2. Its great as your other posts. We are looking to invest in some real estate in Playa Del Carmen so it is good to see what options we have and what real estate is like there now. Thanks for the article.

  3. You have brought up a very excellent details in this. I remember when it was fairly cheap and easy to by a condo within a few blocks of the ocean. Now there are so many choices and places in the city, yes I say city now. Playa Del Carmen has grown so much now.

  4. I’ve been thinking of taking the plunge into real estate in Playa del Carmen but am not sure what to look at. That is why I have been looking at your website. It is always good to get an outside perspective to see what might be a good decision for purchasing or renting property. Thanks

  5. There are so many new condo buildings going up in Playa it is so different each time I come. I was walking on the upper end of 5th Avenue and I think I saw about 6 new condo buildings going up. I see that rent is still in demand as well so that is a good sign the market is not over saturated.

  6. Merely wanna tell that this is extremely helpful, Thanks for taking your time to
    write this. We have been looking into real estate for a while now and are thinking about buying something in Playa Del Carmen.

  7. I like your style of writing because it is easy to translate. I don’t speak English as my first language but use google translator. I am looking to move to Playa del Carmen and want to buy a house but there is not much information in my language. I hope to meet you soon and live in Playa del Carmen.

  8. Thanks for this post, I am a big fan of this website. We love the Rivera Maya and come each year. We hope to invest one year if I can convince my husband to retire.

  9. I was just looking to buy something in the Rivera Maya. How many people live in Akumal? What is this town like? I want to live in a place that is a little smaller then Playa del Carmen but am not sure about how small towns are?

    • Akumal is a small town with some large attractions since many people like to swim with the sea turtles there and the beach is very nice. There is one supermarket that is on the highway that should fill your needs but a car is a must living there. More of the housing there is upscale so your investment will be a little more then some condos in Playa Del Carmen. In the center of Akumal there are a few restaurants but other then that you will be driving to Playa to do more shopping.

  10. My wife and I have been looking at buying a condo in Playa Del Carmen for a couple of years. We have almost pulled the trigger and are a little sad we did not a few years ago because we have friends that bought in the Anah building and we see how well they have done with renting it out and living in it when they are in Playa Del Carmen. The prices have going up some and we could in hindsight done well with our investment. I think it is still good and now with more people using some sites to book rentals that are easier then hotels sites it will be good to get a condo to rent out.
    Cheers!

  11. Thank you for every other informative website. We are coming to Playa Del Carmen on the 5th of October to look at property. Looking forward to getting out feet wet. We have read about all your articles and they are helpful to us, thanks again.

  12. Hi everyone at EverythingPlayaDelCarmen! I wish to say that this article is amazing, nice written and include
    approximately all vital info for looking to move to Playa Del Carmen or invest. I’d like to see more posts like this.

  13. Thank you for straight up info. There are a lot of realty companies that send out emails all the time to promote products and all the news. It is hard to know who to believe.

  14. We wish to thank you all for the good tips and things to think about. It is good to have someone there let us know what things to look at and consider when buying property. Thanks again.

  15. I would like to take the chance of thanking you for the professional guidance. My husband and I are looking to buy something for an investment now and then retire in a few years. Your insights have been helpful.

  16. We wish to thank you for all your tips. We are looking to move to Playa and invest in some real estate. We feel better about knowing the ins and outs ahead of time. Thanks to you.

  17. Hello
    Weve been looking for investement property in Playa for some time. Your articles are very informative and helpful.
    Can you give some insight into the financing aspect of possible property purchases in Mexico?

    Thanks
    Pete G

    • Hello Peter

      We just met with a realtor and got some interesting information about financing options. As you may know getting a loan in Mexico is pretty much out of the question. Some of the options people look into are IRA and retirement funds. We don’t have the full details on it but do want to interview them so we can get the details for you. As you also might know, cash is the number one vehicle for buying in Mexico. This can make it harder for some to jump into the market but there are some more creative ways to loosen money you might have access to . We hope to have more soon.

  18. I am looking to invest in a condo or two in Playa. My goal is to buy and rent for two years before moving down. I wonder what the rental return will be like. I am looking to buy near Constituyentes and 20th Avenue. How are rents now and what is your opinion of this area?

    • Hello Richard

      Thank you for sending us a message. We will send you an email with some detailed information and our opinions.

  19. I enjoy your take on things there in Playa del Carmen. I am retiring soon and love Playa. I am unsure if Tulum is the new direction or Playa but I like living in Playa More. Do you recommend one person to talk to?

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