Date: Thu, 20 Aug 2009

In the states and from what we hear Canada as well, your home closing is pretty predictable. The papers are all signed, keys and checks are exchanged, hand shakes given all around, and then off you go. Off to your new home with nothing but hearty congratulations ringing in your ears. And then reality strikes. What about the utilities, what about the phone, what about garbage collection? The list goes on and on. In the states, the homeowner must simply figure it out themselves. Oh sure – there are some helpful Realtors who will point you in the right direction – but more often then not the homeowner is on their own. The relationship with their Realtor is over.

This was our greatest concern when choosing Mazatlan, Mexico for our second home. How could we possibly go through the process of purchasing a home, with all of the incumbent documentation and paperwork, let alone getting the home ready for occupancy, when we didn't even speak the language? Well – our desire to reside in Mazatlan turned out to be greater then our concerns - and our adventure began.

A friend of ours from Minnesota, who had recently purchased a home in Las Gavios Residential, suggested we contact Gary McQuinn and Selene Cisneros. He said they were great to work with and provided service above and beyond expectations. We soon found out just how true this was!

We started by sending emails back and forth in January of 09. My husband and I were doing extensive research online, checking out current listings and trying to decide on a neighborhood. Because we had visited Mazatlan so many times, we were fairly familiar with what it had to offer and what we wanted in home there. Due to the recent downturn in both the US and Mexican economy, there was plenty of offerings to choose from in our price range, many with more amenities then we had originally hoped for. In short, it was a buyers market.

We typically come to Mazatlan twice a year, once for a week or 10 days at Christmas, and then for two weeks at the end of February/beginning of March. With our February vacation coming up – we asked Gary and Selene to start setting up some viewings. We told them we would definitely be making a purchase before we left so it was going to be a whirlwind visit.

Gary and Selene picked us up at our hotel and off we went. Aside from being very professional and informed, Gary and Selene are just fun people to be around! Their banter back and forth about everything from driving and directions, to where to eat was both entertaining and affirming. These were good people, who enjoyed what they were doing, who welcomed us to Mazatlan with open arms, and sincerely wanted to put us in the home we envisioned. Any anxiety we had about purchasing in a foreign country was quickly put to rest.

After many home and site visits, and a few re-visits to get opinions from friends at our timeshare, we made our decision. We made an offer on an unfinished, 3 bedroom, 2 bath unit at Vistas DeLa Marina. With an accepted purchase agreement in hand and our two weeks in Mazatlan up, we headed home to frigid NE Minnesota. Our closing date was set for June 1st, and we couldn't wait to get back.

When we arrived in June, there was still much left to be done. And there is NO WAY we would have been able to get it done without the assistance of Gary and Selene. Even though we had been sending necessary documentation back and forth via FedEx, there was still paperwork to be done to complete the transaction. Gary and Selene were with us the whole way – setting up appointments, translating documents and doing our talking for us.. We took possession of our new home about a week after we arrived. Now in the states – this is when we would say thanks so much, shake hands, and go our separate ways. But in Mazatlan, this is when you need your Realtors the most!! You need to set up your gas account and your electricity and you need to set up a bank account, and get insurance, and much more!

For us there was follow up work we needed to have done in the unit. We were having furniture delivered (that needed to be paid for in cash and in pesos), we were having draperies hung (which needed to be paid for in cash and in pesos), we had to have our water filtration system installed (which needed to be paid for in cash and in pesos), and the list goes on. With our departure only a few days away – it was imperative to have someone that we could trust to not only be at the unit - but to also handle the cash! We put our trust in Gary and Selene without hesitation. Perhaps they were hesitant – but if they were – they sure didn't show it. “Of course we will take care of it” they said. “We will be happy to do it” they insisted. “No problem, part of the deal” was the standard reply. My husband and I were overwhelmed with their generosity.

To say that Gary and Selene have gone above and beyond is a gross understatement. We owe them a debt of gratitude that most likely can never be repaid. To this day we continue to be in touch with Gary and Selene about our unit. They stop by and check on our home, making sure the dehumidifier is running and that all systems are working. They continue to work with contractors on little projects we wanted done. Gary even went over to check on our unit following a recent storm to make sure no water was getting in and that our unit did not sustain any damage from the high winds. Selene just wrote to say that she was successful in getting the utilities transferred to our names.

Gary and Selene worked hard for us during our search for a new home. But the real work started when we got on the plane and they stepped in and took over.

When you start looking for a new home, of course you want a well informed, professional Realtor, but what was most important to us was the service after the sale. We would recommend Gary and Selene to anyone who is looking to purchase a home in Mazatlan. They are not only wonderful Realtors, they are now good friends.

Sincerely,

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