 April 4th, 2010
We first met Gary McQuin two years ago at a Resort Property Show in Calgary, Alberta. We were at the show to find out what options were available to us for vacation/investment ownership, and Gary was attending the show as an exhibitor.
We spent quite a bit of time with him and he imparted all sorts of valuable information about owning property in a foreign country, and particularly in Mazatlan which is his home. We weren't ready to make a commitment to a specific locale at that time, but we took Gary's contact information and filed it away.
The following year, we decided it was time to visit Mexico and see for ourselves what was available. We booked a week-long cruise in order to visit the three places we were interested in: Cabo San Lucas, Puerto Vallarta, and Mazatlan. We thought we would hook up with realtors in all three cities and have a look at what properties were available. It was more difficult than one would think to find realtors, but one email to Gary and we had an offer from him to spend the day being escorted around Mazatlan, and he introduced us to two of his colleagues in our other ports of call. We were set!
Gary picked us up at the cruise ship terminal in Mazatlan (not an easy feat) and devoted his entire day to us. He had meticulously planned out the day so that we could see the best of what Mazatlan had to offer, and each property he showed us met the requirements that we had shared with him. We went home undecided, but we knew that if we chose to buy in Mexico it would be Mazatlan.
A few months ago, we were finally ready. After searching for properties in Hawaii, San Diego, Lake Havasu and Las Vegas, and not finding anything near the value for money as in Mazatlan, we again contacted Gary and invited ourselves down for a visit. This time, we had the great pleasure of meeting Selena Cisneros, his Mazatlan Dream Team partner.
Gary and Selena greeted us very courteously, and this time spent days patiently showing us condominiums. They also introduced us to Mazatlan, not as a tourist center, but as a city that we hoped would become an alternate home for us. And then we found the one! Gary and Selena helped us to make an offer, and guided us through the process of purchasing in a foreign country.
Our offer was accepted, and we happily went back home to wait for possession. We didn't have much to do, but Gary and Selena sure did. They made all the arrangements - ensured that the paperwork was correct and completed on time; they made appointments with the Notario (lawyer) and with the bank (for the trust and for bank accounts); they coordinated the walk-throughs of our new property; and they did all of this with efficiency and a smile. They stayed with us every step of the way! And they still weren't done! After we took possession, Selena drove us to the utility company and set up our new account for us, and she took us back to the bank yet again so we could finish up with our banking. Without Selena and Gary to translate and to advise us, the entire process would have been far more challenging.
Gary and Selena are warm, gracious professionals who kindly shared their knowledge and their time with us. We would not hesitate to recommend them to anyone interested in property in Mazatlan. It was a great pleasure doing business with them, and an even greater pleasure to develop friendships with them both.
Sincerely,
Paul and Cara Jelleau |