Meet The Gang From Mexico
We won’t be able to meet in person at this year’s Mexico event, so I thought I’d take the time to virtually introduce you to some of the key speakers who’ll come together online next week.
These guys are the real deal—expats who have lived in Mexico for years and experts who are the best at what they do and have the experience to show for it.
Lee Harrison is our main man in Mexico… but Lee’s experience goes far beyond. He’s been living overseas for nearly two decades. From Ecuador to Uruguay to Colombia, our Latin America Correspondent has been living south of the border since 2001.
Lee is so smitten with his latest adopted home of Mazatlán, Mexico—where he’s been based for the past four years—he claims it represents one of the best lifestyles he’s found in his broad experience living overseas.
In addition to correspondent, though, Lee is also an expert when it comes to buying overseas property. His network of property insiders from his time abroad, along with his understanding of local cultures and languages, has helped him develop insight into local property markets that only the locals usually possess.
Whether you’re interested in Mexico’s northern Pacific Coast, which Lee is intimately familiar with, or are thinking about buying a home for personal use or for investment anywhere in the country, Lee is the guy to talk to.
Just south of Mazatlán lies the state of Nayarit, where Carlos and Sandra Munguia have chosen to settle. Thirteen years ago, this couple moved from California to Nayarit and purchased 40 acres of ocean-view land. They dreamt of creating an ocean-view jungle resort—a huge undertaking that has been achieved one step at a time.
Carlos’s passion for the project brought the attention and support of the municipal, state senate and Federal government. Vista Encantada Eco-Club is a model development for the Municipality of Compostela, Nayarit, Mexico. With the support and friendship of the municipal government of Compostela, Nayarit and strong backing from Carlos’s friends in the Senate, the vision of Vista Encantada Eco-Club has become a reality.
Carlos and Sandra will share their experiences on what it’s like to move to Mexico and how to successfully integrate into the local community… and you may find that their gated community is the kind of place you’d like to hang your hat.
Going south again, just below the Nayarit state is Puerto Vallarta, a long-time favorite among North American tourists and expats alike. You likely already know plenty about this dynamic town. If you think PV might be your perfect paradise in Mexico, Wayne Franklin is the guy to talk to…
Known as “Franklin” in the real estate community of PV, he has been in the real estate industry for 28 years. Trained and licensed in California, Franklin practiced real estate for nearly 10 years in the Bay Area. Over the past 15 years, he has nurtured his start-up, Tropicasa Realty, to one of the leading real estate agencies in the region. Attention to clients’ needs and the highest professional reputation in the industry are hallmarks of both Wayne Franklin and Tropicasa standards. Tropicasa is a member of AMPI (the National Real Estate Professionals Association), while Franklin is a former AMPI President for five years and the current standing Chairman of the Honors and Justice Committee of the PV Chapter of AMPI.
If you’re more interested in the Caribbean side of the Mexican coast, then you won’t want to miss Gregory Derksen. One of most trusted and top-selling brokers for his regions, he counts among his clients numerous distinguished international business and community leaders. A high-touch broker known for his extensive market knowledge and his unmatched devotion to clients, Gregory’s success was built almost exclusively on positive referrals. He earns the respect of his clients by working tirelessly on their behalf and by always offering them candid advice.
Gregory works with individuals, investors, and developers interested in Mexico’s most coveted properties—with a particular focus on Quintana Roo, Cancún, Playa Del Carmen, Tulum, Mayakoba, and the colonial city of Mazatlán. Because he has experience in several of the top destinations on the eastern coast (along with Mazatlán on the Pacific), this guy is a one-stop shop for real estate shopping. He can tell you all about how to safely invest in any of the cities he works in. And, because he splits his time between Mazatlán and Cancún, he has true inside knowledge for both sides of the country…
But aside from being a go-to real estate expert, Gregory is deeply connected to Mexico. This Canadian transplant has lived in Mexico since 2008, when he and his family decided on a whim to move to Mazatlán after vacationing there. They called him crazy back home, but he’s never been happier.
Perhaps, though, the beach life doesn’t appeal to you at all, no matter which ocean it’s on. If you’re more interested in the cooler highlands, then San Miguel de Allende might be just the place for you…
If so, don’t miss your chance to hear from Jim Hardesty. Jim bought a house and moved to San Miguel in 2006. Since then his family has also spent 18 months in Chetumal, so Jim could be close to Belize for work. He’s also been toing and froing between Mexico and the United States as he and his Mexican wife put their son through high school. But San Miguel remains their main home and they plan to return to live there full time later this summer.
If the capital city is more to your taste, then try to get some time with Roberto Castellanos Omaña, who was born in Mexico City. He lives in Puerto Vallarta now, but he can share some valuable insights into the go-go-go lifestyle of Mexico’s sprawling and diverse capital. He can also offer advice on getting insurance in Mexico if you’re considering it, being a local broker with over 25 years’ experience.
And those are just a handful of the Mexico experts we’ve lined up for next week’s event…
From cost of living… to visas and residency… to renting and buying a home… to getting to grips with Spanish, our Live and Invest in Mexico Virtual Conference is your one chance this year to get the full story on your closest, most convenient live-the-good-life-overseas option.
Kat Kalashian
