Visiting PR July 11

Hummm....Friday afternoon don't be surprised if you have to reschedule. Remember you are on island time, we experienced that while building our home. Also, if they tell you it takes a couple of weeks, prepare yourself to double or triple the time.

adlin20 wrote:

Hummm....Friday afternoon don't be surprised if you have to reschedule. Remember you are on island time, we experienced that while building our home. Also, if they tell you it takes a couple of weeks, prepare yourself to double or triple the time.

I see it as their lost. I get to keep my money in the stock market and let it grow. They can then wait until I come back or they can sell to a different person for less since prices are dropping.

Well we made an offer in Ceiba, at the top of a hill with almost 1 cuerda of land (about 3600 Square meters). a little farm, very breeze. The offer was accepted so wheels are in motion, lawyer has been contacted and house inspection has been requested. I am having the current owners stay in the place until I sell my house in MA. I also get control and use of two additional cuerdas until the owner sells them, they are adjacent to the house that I am purchasing. Getting plenty of chickens also and lots of fruit plants and trees.

Wife is in love with the place.
Going to the beach for the first time for a couple of hours.
Been too busy doing business.

Yeah, sounds great!  So happy for you both!

Rey, the house sounds wonderful. Congrats. We also live on a hill in the somewhat country and have terrific views and breeze. Welcome to Puerto Rico. Hopefully your house in MA. sells as quickly as you want it to and then you can make the move. We have been here a year and love it.

BTW, we call my hubby Ray also so it could be a little confusing but once you are here full time, we can make it work. One will be Ray 1 and the other Ray 2. Ha ha.  Also do you and wife play cards? Where are you originally from? My hubby was stationed at Ramey in Aguadilla in 1969- 1971. He is originally from San German.

Take care good luck on your move.
Tonie

After I sell my house I will send invitations for all of you to come to a house warming party and BBQ at my new house.
Pool will not yet be in place but you can come for that once it is finished.

Thanks Rey, looking forward to it.

ReyP:  Sounds like your trip could not have gone any better. Way to go!  Keep us informed of the ups and downs.

Congratulations!!!! I'm glad you guys found a good place in the island. Let's the party begin!!!!

I requested the sale of a few stock shares for the money for the surety on the offer. The sale should occur on Monday (tomorrow), then I have to wait for the money exchange / clearance to occur, after that I will do a move to my checking and get a certified check that goes with the offer paperwork to make it official, that should happen on Friday unless something is delayed. Unless the seller blackout or there is a problem with the inspection or title we should be golden to exchange the final payment on the house in a few weeks.

I just arrived in MA, waiting for all of that to clear then back to the island to do the final papers and payment.

Unless the seller backs out it should be smooth sailing based on what I have seen and talks with the guy that is selling, I would be surprised if we have an issue..

Bottle of Champaign in the fridge and glasses ready.

Glad everything is going as planned. Keep us informed. Soon you will be drinking some mojitos from your new home!!

Early this morning I received the contract for the offer, it was signed by the seller and needed my signature. Needless to say, several of the handshake agreements were not being mentioned in the offer and it did not say anything about being contingent on the property inspection.

So no signature, I send them a list of the items that were missing and requested an updated copy to review prior to any signatures by the seller. I told them that if I approve the language, they can then give it to the seller to sign and send it then to me for my signature and offer surety funds.

Among what was missing was an allowance by me that the seller can stay rent free in the property until I sell my house here in MA with the condition that they maintain the property in the mean time. Not sure why the seller signed the previous version without that clause since it was offered to them on my part. There was a gentlemen agreement and I was not about to short them.

Lets see how badly the re-write delays things.
If not on paper, then it is not real!!!!
fingers crossed.

You are a true gentleman Rey!!! 

adlin20 wrote:

You are a true gentleman Rey!!! 

Just getting my browny points in so he lets me use his other 2 acres until he sells them.

Wishing you all the best, Rey!  Yes, keep your agreement as a gentleman.

Is this the big house you sent the link for? So glad for you! I'll be looking forward to seeing it since you're in the neighborhood! Penny

Rey, it looks like you know what you are doing. Better to get everything in writing so there is no confusion.

When we rented our house, the owner said that we would go to an attorney to sign the lease, which was fine with us. Since I read Spanish, I took my time and read the lease before anything was signed.
It has worked out well and we recently signed another lease for a year. We wanted one for 2 years but he said that the Atty advised against it. We were planning on buying then house in a couple of years but are not sure now of his intentions. I just pray that whatever we do, that it is the bright decision.

Good luck.

Schuttzie wrote:

Wishing you all the best, Rey!  Yes, keep your agreement as a gentleman.

Thanks

Sugarbird wrote:

Is this the big house you sent the link for? So glad for you! I'll be looking forward to seeing it since you're in the neighborhood! Penny

No, this is a small house 3 bedrooms 2 baths in an acre lot with a nice hydrophonic green house and a separate covered building with a kitchen and grill area. Owner is also willing to sell me 2 adjacent acres for an additional 150k. He said until he sells them I can use the 2 additional acres. There is a pond in one of those acres that has a LOT of tilapias. He is also going to leave like 40 bee hives if I want them and wanted to also sell me a few cows, but I told him no, that I wanted to retire not become a full time farmer. Property is in Ceiba, about 1000 feet over sea level. Great breeze. I have enough space to do some self sustaining, put in a pool and maybe build an additional 2 story house to rent. But one thing at a time. I may buy the other two acres in a year or two and maybe build on them 

The large house you refereed to was going to cost me too much to rehabilitate, so decited to pass on it.
.

tonie0750 wrote:

Rey, it looks like you know what you are doing. Better to get everything in writing so there is no confusion.

When we rented our house, the owner said that we would go to an attorney to sign the lease, which was fine with us. Since I read Spanish, I took my time and read the lease before anything was signed.
It has worked out well and we recently signed another lease for a year. We wanted one for 2 years but he said that the Atty advised against it. We were planning on buying then house in a couple of years but are not sure now of his intentions. I just pray that whatever we do, that it is the bright decision.

Good luck.

Only what is in writing counts, any items with a handshake are likely to be thrown out of court.
Thanks
PS. Closest neiborgs are 2 acres away and across a street.

Oh that's a great spot! Roosevelt Roads is going to develop  into a great recreation area and it's right in your back yard along with the back side of ElYunque. I'm sure everything will work out fine!

There is the possibility that in 2 to 3 weeks we may be signing the official papers. But .... not moving until I sell my place.

Sugarbird wrote:

Oh that's a great spot! Roosevelt Roads is going to develop  into a great recreation area and it's right in your back yard along with the back side of ElYunque. I'm sure everything will work out fine!

Hopefully they build something that attracts money to the area and not a poor housing project.

Here is a link to some photos.
https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B02532ODWXN4D5

They wanted 185K for house and 1 cuerda, I negotiated it down to 168k. I would had stayed lower but wife fell in love with the house and gave me a hard time.

It is comfortable, 1 bedroom and 1 full bath upstairs and 2 more bedrooms and 1 more bath downstairs. In large outside view of the house you can see a little of the outside building (extreme right), that is an outside kitchen, it has orange roof. Also in one of the photos you can see a long building, that is the hydroponic greenhouse next to the street.

Beautiful!! Hope it works out for you guys

Well after much fighting over the house furniture, we have a deal on the Ceiba house.
We wanted the furniture so we could just move in on day 1 and be comfortable while we take our time replacing it room by room instead of coming to an empty house. The only things excepted are two recliners and the living room TV, all else we get.

I should have the offer paperwork Monday or Tuesday to sign and after that we need to set a closing date, mean time title search and house inspection will move forward.

We are having the couple stay in the house until either they want to move or we sell the house in MA, this way the house will not be empty and it will be properly maintained. We are not charging them rent, only condition to just keep every nice.

The day of the close we plan to have a pool company help us design our pool and come see the ground and make their measurements and give us an extimate.

We are putting the house in MA in the market in about 3 weeks and hope it sells soon.

So happy for you Rey

Sugarbird wrote:

So happy for you Rey

Thanks Penny, We almost gave up. We were getting ticked off over the inability to reach an agreement. We told them today was it, take it or leave it,
Those recliners and TVs are going to cost him a lot to ship to Philly
His lost!!!!

But we should be set.

It is amazing how quickly this whole thing has gone, Rey.  I'm so happy for you both and wish you all the best!

Schuttzie wrote:

It is amazing how quickly this whole thing has gone, Rey.  I'm so happy for you both and wish you all the best!

Being able to speak the language, knowing the culture and how to charm people and connect with them, finding a great realtor who is willing to do what it takes and go above an beyond its job, and a little luck goes a long way to getting things done in the island.

Some more photos of the house, me, my oldest kid and 2 grandkids, also some of Playa Macho and Luquillo. Nice video also of my son and his kids interacting. He is a good father.https://www.icloud.com/sharedalbum/#B02532ODWXN4D5

Just looked at the house photos.  (Just got back from the BVIs).  WOW! Time to stock up on holy water for the house christening.

Cute pics!  Adorable kids!  Um, was that a snake in his hand?!?!?

frogrock wrote:

Just looked at the house photos.  (Just got back from the BVIs).  WOW! Time to stock up on holy water for the house christening.

I did not detected any poltergeist, but just in case not a bad idea.

etilley23 wrote:

Cute pics!  Adorable kids!  Um, was that a snake in his hand?!?!?

Yes a snake. My oldest son found it in the grounds of one of the houses we were checking. My wife would not go near it.
We like most animals including snakes, mice and rats, used to have some 10 pet rats. One was called willer.

I'm sure you will enjoy the iguanas of Puerto Rico

etilley23 wrote:

I'm sure you will enjoy the iguanas of Puerto Rico

Oh yea, but they are hard to catch. My dogs would love chasing them, they are fast!!!
I also like the Lagartijos - small lizards, when we were kids we would wear a pair of them attached to our earlobes. We would make them open their mouth and had them bite the earlobe, once they bite they have a hard time letting go. It does not hurt!!!
Need appreciate nature in all its forms.

We also used to fish for frogs, you probably seen those tan color beatles that fly (Caculos)?
we used to catch then, tie them with a string, and toss then near a frog, the frog would eat them and we pull the frog by the string.

When poor you invent all sorts of games, lots more stories for when I see you. Childhood in PR was a very nice adventure.

PR is a big jungle, you are going to find all sorts of animals, you will lose your fear and enjoy nature.
PS. There is nothing worse than trying to sleep when a cricket gets in the bedroom and hides, they are very noisy specially in an enclosed area.

Rey, the house is beautiful. I love the tile floor and the outside space. Good luck with the sale of your house in MA.

Also, I have some holy water here if you need it. I spread some on this house when we moved here. I am a firm believer that it can't hurt.

Take care.

Tonie

tonie0750 wrote:

Rey, the house is beautiful. I love the tile floor and the outside space. Good luck with the sale of your house in MA.

Also, I have some holy water here if you need it. I spread some on this house when we moved here. I am a firm believer that it can't hurt.

Take care.

Tonie

Thanks, we like it also. You can bring some when you come and visit us.

Nice to see more photos of the home.  You have a lovely family and adorable grandkids.