“Take Me… I’m Free” the Sign Said!

A Friend of mine related a story to me recently. He was on the way to dinner one evening with his wife. They passed a house that had put out on the side of the road an old swing.

Taped to the front of the swing was a sign that said ..

“Take Me, I’m Free.”

He slowed down the car, rolled down his window, and checked the condition from the driver’s seat.

He dropped his wife at the restaurant, and then I went back up to the house to take a closer look at the old swing.

He picked the swing up on one side and noticed why the swing was put out on the side of the street.

The swing was in real bad condition. The paint was chipping off.  It was loose, wobbly, and unstable. The screws were rusted and old.  Part of the back support was broken.

Nevertheless, he lifted the swing and tried to fit it into the trunk of his car. It almost went in, but not quite.

Then, he tried to slide it onto the back seat.

He got it in, but the door would not shut completely.

So, he left it on the side of the road and went back to dinner to join his wife.

He told his wife that he wasn’t able to fit the swing into the trunk or the back seat of their car.

He confided in me that his wife really wanted that swing.

She talked about the swing at dinner and when they came home she was still talking about the old swing.

She was even thinking about that old swing when they went to bed. When she woke up the next morning she was still thinking about it.

So she went back to the house and somehow brought back the old swing. Then she asked my friend, her husband, if he could help fix it for her.

He told me he didn’t want to fix the swing, he would rather just buy a new swing.  So he told her, “it’s old, it’s unstable, it’s not safe! “

But she would have none of that. So reluctantly he started to plan how to fix that old swing.

He made a list, went to the Home Depot, got a few parts and a few tools he didn’t have, but would need including some paint.

Back home he scraped, brushed, and drilled some holes and inserted some stabilizing screws. Next, he tightened up the loose bolts.

Then almost done he cut a piece of wood and nailed it to support the broken frame and now the old swing was looking good.

Then he painted the old swing an attractive hickory wood brown color.

Soon,  that old rusty swing was transformed into a
respectable hickory brown porch swing any home would be proud to own.  And, he had the perfect place to hang it.

He told me while he worked on the swing  “I visualized sitting in the swing with my wife.”

He seemed rightfully proud of himself after finishing the work.  He obviously had a feeling of accomplishment.

After hearing his story I thought of the many seemingly old run down homes here at Lake Chapala Ajijic Mexico that could be made into modern first class beautifully renewed stately homes with a little imagination and work.

Unlike my friend’s swing however these homes would require more than average skilled hands… they’re more than an old swing that’s need patching, but I think the comparison is fair.

There’s the same great feeling of accomplishment and pride which accompanies the successful completion of restoration of these homes. I know as I’ve done it.

These old homes do have all the basics like the old swing did, but they need some bolstering up. I’ve heard the phrase used to describe such homes as “The Bones Are Good”. I’m blessed to have a brother in law who’s an architect and he pronounced the structure of the house I bought as basically sound (good bones) and definitely repairable.

Meaning there are no major structural cracks, the soil is properly compacted,  and the roof is not in need of structural repair, but probably needs a good new water proof sealing job, etc.

In other words like the swing, all the pieces were there. They just needed some attention, a plan and some fixing.

Many of these good bone homes were formerly “week end Mexican homes” and  just need someone to take the time and TLC to make them better, newer looking and aometimes a bit stronger.

The above video is of course from the USA, but the idea is exactly the same.

And there are homes like this all over the Lake Chapala Ajijic area waiting to be transformed …  at least for now.

If you have the desire (can you see yourself sitting on the veranda of the house looking out over your beautiful garden with your other half), the determination, like my friend’s wife did, and the right contractor…

there’s no better way to wind up with a beautiful and very affordable home here at Lake Chapala AJijic, Mexico.

I invite you to come to Lake Chapala Ajijic Mexico and see my home which had good bones and which I’ve remodeled substantially. I’ll show you just what I did and tell you what it all cost me.

The transformation process was fun to watch, was a bit challenging, but very rewarding.

You can do it too. I can help. Just choose me as your personal Exclusive Buyer’s Only Realtor and use me as your personal consultant.

There are, as I mentioned a number of these homes now, but I doubt that this will  always be the case. The Baby Boomers are coming. You may be one of them.

You may have some under or non performing assets, you may be worried that the dollar may not remain the reserve currency of the world and are therefore understandably concerned about just what effect that will have upon your personal nest egg.

I’m seeing what I believe is the leading edge of what will be a very large continuing migration of North Americans to the shores of Lake Chapala Ajijic Mexico.

The younger buyers are planning ahead; they’re buying now or soon will be. They’re renting out the homes they buy or buying them  and fixing them up.

Then, they come and visit their nest egg and spend as much time here enjoying it as they can… when it’s not rented… just waiting for the day in a few years when they can return as younger retirees.

In summary, these folks believe that our area of Mexico will continue to grow in popularity over time, that their investment now will pay big dividends in the future and that they will have acquired a lovely retirement home in the process.

So, don’t be left out. Begin to plan a trip here sooner rather than later. You can do it. I can help.

Send me an e mail Sid@ChapalaClub.com about any aspect of life here at beautiful and still affordable Lake Chapala AJijic, Mexico.

I promise to answer it right away because I want to help you get started as soon as possible on you future life he at Lake Chapala Ajijic, Mexico.