Saturday, April 6, 2013

Business: Quinta in the City For Sale


As I have done occasionally in the past, I offer for sale an interesting piece of real estate in Mérida.

A quinta is a country home, often with sufficient space to keep a few animals or have a garden and fruit trees. In Yucatán, the term is typically applied to a place smaller than a ranch, but larger than the average city lot.



This quinta is a slice of the countryside in La Ermita, one of the most popular neighborhoods in Mérida's centro historico. The atmosphere of this large urban property is green and tranquil, despite being located in a mixed-use area on public transportation routes and within easy reach of downtown's cultural activities, shops and services.



For a person who is torn between country and city life, this might be the perfect solution.

Set back from the street there is a small, one-bedroom, one-bath house with kitchen/dining and living rooms. The sala retains its original pasta-tile floor in good shape and an interesting archway leading to the kitchen. The house is in habitable condition and everything works, but most buyers probably would install modern upgrades. Attached to the house at the rear is a covered workshop area with a second full bath.

The lot itself measures 11 x 83.5 meters, or about 36 feet street frontage with 274 feet in depth. A large entry gate on the street opens to allow parking for several cars inside.

And the great depth of the lot is what makes the possibilities so interesting. There is ample space for the construction of a private home in the rear away from the street, plus room for guest houses or to accommodate a small business, such as a plant nursery. Or the property could be enjoyed as it is, with lots of open space for pets, a garden and fruit trees.

Speaking of plants, here is a partial listing of mature trees on the land: lemon; sweet and sour orange; mandarin; avocado; anona; guayaba, guanabana; guaya; cayumito. There also is nance, ramón, ziricote and a large flowering plumeria.



One of my favorite things here is the antique Chicago Aermotor windmill, used to pump water from the hand-dug well. The motor needs to be rebuilt (and I am told the estimate for this work is about US$1000), but the tower is in excellent condition. The windmill was originally installed to fill a large square water tank, which is in good shape and suitable for use as a swimming pool. The 12-meter well also is set up for installation a submersible water pump (at the cost of just a few hundred dollars) in order to fill the pool and water the garden.

The house has a large underground water cistern to catch and store roof runoff for use in irrigation during the dry season. An old cement block hen house could be demolished or easily renovated for use as a dog kennel.

All paperwork is up to date on this property for a trouble-free transaction.

Lot: 11 x 83.5 meters, with fruit trees, well, windmill, and water tank suitable for pool.
House: Living room, kitchen/dining, bedroom, full bath, with cistern and attached workshop with second full bath.
Price: US $79,000.

If you have questions or would like to see the property, please contact me at:
marc_olson@hotmail.com

Click on photos below to enlarge.














24 comments:

  1. Want to trade? OMGosh I love this space. When can you take me there?

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  2. Oh how much fun it would be to create.........with the existing house and all the stuff already there. Wish I had the money!!!! My creative juices are flowing.

    Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Yes, it's a place with possibilities and if you like rustic, it's pretty cute. I'd like to garden it, and that has been my plan. We'll see how things go.

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  3. For a person who is torn between country and city life, this might be the perfect solution.

    Describes me perfectly. But your humidity would do me in. Maybe I could hire Babs to change my mind.

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    1. There's enough room for the both of you. Come for a visit and bring Babs.

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  4. Temptation, thy name is Marc :)

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    1. It's a nice setup, and it tempted me until I got started on another project. Someone will make something nice here. I keep thinking it would be the perfect place for a single person or a couple who want to live "off the grid" but be in town. It's too small to be completely self-sufficient, but for handy people who like to grow things and raise a few animals, it could be a great spot.

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    2. Pretty place. Very relaxed vibe. I hope someone buys it and really restores it to its former "small farm" glory. (By the way, we bought your two houses on C 51. Renovating the small one currently. Once it's rented, we will start on the bigger one. Hope you'll come see the small house when its finished next month.).

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    3. Please let me know. I'd be interested to see what you've done, and to meet my new neighbors.

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  5. It is a nice set-up and exactly one of the ones we have discussed, but we are still determined to rent for a year or two first.

    Want to fix it up a little and rent it to us :)

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    1. It's a good idea to rent first. There are lots of interesting places around here, and when you've had lots of time to wander and look you'll find what you need. Unfortunately, renting it out does not fit with my plans.

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  6. What great space and potential. I was surprised while staying in La Ermita to see a man on horseback emerge from a sidestreet, and to realize there are properties big enough to keep a horse, hidden behind some of the high stone and mortar walls.

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    1. La Ermita is an interesting neighborhood. There are other large parcels nearby, and it's often difficult to detect what's there hidden from view. It's surprising sometimes to find horses, farm animals, or hear the racket made by geese or chickens in the center of the city.

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  7. Marc, your description does stir the imagination. I'd love to be able to really have a garden again not just pots on the terrace and patio.

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    1. It's great fun to have the space and to dream. I actually removed rocks and tilled some areas for planting, but now with many other things coming up I am not sure I will plant. I doubt I will have the time over the next few months to take care of a garden, so I may put planting off. Meantime when I am over there checking on things I always take time to sit down on the edge of the big water tank and enjoy the trees. It's like having a private park all to myself.

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  8. Nice job with the photos, showing off the potential Marc. I appreciated the chance to see this before I left town, and hearing your vision for the place. A bit much for a first effort for me, but a great location and so many possibilities. I love that you find these opportunities, and look forward to seeing what you come up with next, and beyond that...

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  9. That looks wonderful! With a little imagination the possibilities are endless. I wish I had the money!

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  10. Nice property! I really like the park-like feature with all the fruit tress. I'm sure it will go fast.

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  11. My favorite are the floors; those look like old-fashioned tiles that are practically indestructible and very costly nowadays.

    al

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  12. Oh I love seeing these properties. I live in Ohio (US) and fantasize about moving there and growing all the things I can't here! Thanks for the tour.

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  13. Paul Rodham, your comment could not be published for some reason. Please email me at: marc_olson@hotmail.com

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I appreciate comments, but will delete comments that are rude, offensive or off topic. Unfortunately, due to the heavy volume of spam, comment moderation has been enabled. I will try to approve comments promptly, but your patience is appreciated.
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marc_olson@hotmail.com
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