Walking on Sunshine
Chapter 12: A break in the clouds on our Mexican land deal
Hola, Amigos! In case you’re new, this week’s Mexico Soul presents a condensed chapter of Where the Sky is Born, my memoir on buying land and opening a bookstore. Earlier chapters in menu at top.
A rooster’s crow awakened us early the next morning and we bolted out of bed, anxious to test our newfound luck. We headed straight for Joe Marino’s and waited in quiet desperation after ringing the bell at his gate, knowing within a few minutes our fate would be sealed. Was the lot next to Alejandro’s still for sale or already sold? Soon Joe answered the bell, wearing a smile.
“Well, hello. Look who’s here,” he said. “Come in. I have good news for you.”
The cloud of uncertainty lifted. “Thank goodness,” I said.
“You sound happy. How about a cup of coffee while I go over details.”
We followed him into the screened patio past the caged birds. The peacock sunned itself at the pool’s edge barely acknowledging our entrance. I took a seat at the breakfast table. A Mexican tablecloth with brilliant blue embroidery on elegant white linen matched the cushions on the rattan chairs across from me.
Over coffee, Joe told us the lot was still for sale and the price was firm. We could call the sellers, get started in the sale of the property and then begin the paperwork for our fideicomiso. He used a notary/attorney in Merida who could set things up for us. Notaries in Mexico have law degrees and much more clout than U.S. notaries and are authorized to license land transactions.
In the meantime we discussed house plans and how to proceed with construction once the paperwork was finalized and we had the fideicomiso in hand. In Mexico construction loans did not exist as interest rates could be ridiculously high—about 40 percent at the time.
The way to build in Mexico is to estimate total construction costs, set up a schedule with the contractor, and make deposits to a construction account on a monthly basis. The contractor could then create his own timetable, order materials as needed, and hire workers for each aspect of the job.
We agreed to overnight express Joe a set of house plans once we returned to the U.S. so he and his engineer could give us an estimate and timeline. We figured one year would allow enough time to pay for the project.
Joe poured me another cup of coffee. It was a dark Mexican roast—delicious—with a hint of cinnamon. He said, “After you call the sellers and get a confirmation, why not go to Merida and see the notary, Reynoldo Garcia. He just finished the fidicomeiso for them and you can get a jump on paperwork, maybe give him signatures now. That way after you pay the sellers, everything will be on file and you can save yourselves another trip to Mexico.”
“Let’s call them, get their confirmation, and give the notary a call to set up an appointment,” Paul agreed, adding, “Maybe we can drive to Merida tomorrow.”
“Sure. Can we call them now, Joe?”
“Of course, let’s do it,” he said. Within a few minutes Paul was on the phone to the U.S., firming up our dream deal on Mexican property.
As he put down the receiver I asked, “Are we finally going to own a beachfront lot?” He was smiling so I was certain all had gone as expected.
“Yes, they want to sell and have accepted our offer. Now we need to make an appointment with your notary for tomorrow afternoon. What was his name?”
Joe moved towards the phone, then after rifling through desk drawers he pulled out a small phone book and dialed. “Reynoldo Garcia,” he said. “Believe me, you will never forget him once you’ve met him.”
Where was all this efficiency coming from? Within five minutes Joe had more good news. “Reynoldo has time tomorrow afternoon around one. He said he’ll be glad to meet with you. He’s at Bancomer on Paseo de Montejo. It’s an easy location to find. I suggest staying overnight in case he has more papers to sign the next day. You’ll like him, plus he speaks English. He’s a bit of a character and has always done a fine job for us. He’s worked on fideicomisos for everyone in Puerto Morelos. You’ll be in good hands and ahead of schedule, something rarely accomplished in Mexico.” He smiled and gave us a knowing look.
Within a matter of 24 hours we had accomplished what had not been done in more than five years with Alejandro. We were getting a fideicomiso, a Mexican title for land. But what was different about then and now? Were we more ready for it? Or did good things truly come to those who waited. God knows we had fulfilled that end of the bargain.
Right then a calm came over me. Things were falling into place and at last, there was no need to question why.
That’s how it finally came together on our Mexican land adventure. As we sped through Maya villages on our way to Merida, I took stock of the local countryside. Even though we were very near Cancun, a tourist metropolis, the back roads showed no evidence of its wealth nor the modern-day conveniences we took for granted. In many ways it was as though we stepped back in time, feasibly hundreds of years, with the exception of cars and the occasional electric pole.
Pigs and chickens ran everywhere, leading free-range lives in the Maya outback. Palapa huts made from chit trees, bound together with rope, floors of packed dirt, stood humbly amidst unplanned gardens of coco palms, limón and orange trees. In between the small pueblos occasionally a larger town like Chemax or Valladolid popped up.
These were characterized by a well kept zocalo—town square—with a central garden and ever-present church, cornerstone of civilization and culture. Charming and inviting as these places were, we hurried through with uncharacteristic haste as we had a date with destiny . . . or at least with a notary. We were one step closer to legally owning land in Mexico. We’d found someone who would help us create our title: Reynoldo Garcia.
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Backstory—Puerto Morelos sits within 100 miles of four major pyramid sites: Chichen Itza, Coba, Tulum and Ek Balam. By living in close proximity to this Maya wonderland we pyramid hopped on our days off from Alma Libre Libros, the bookstore we founded in 1997. Owning a bookstore made it easy to order every possible book I could find on the Maya and their culture, the pyramids, the archeologists who dug at these sites and the scholars who wrote about them, not to mention meeting archeologists, tour guides, and local Maya who popped into the store. I became a self-taught Mayaphile and eventually website publishers, Mexican newspapers and magazines, even guidebooks asked me to write for them about the Maya and Mexico. I’ll never stop being enthralled by the culture and history and glad there’s always new news emerging for me to report on right here in Mexico Soul. Please share this post if you know others interested in the Maya. Thank you!
It comes together at the "appropriate time"! this essay highlights the joy of overcoming challenges and the satisfaction of finally achieving a long-awaited goal. Thanks, Jeanine.
Reading this makes me feel the excitement you must have had at the time when it finally all came together.