Before moving here I had promised myself that I would live here for a year before making a decision as to stay or not. My resolve has weaken.I have an appointment Monday with the owner of this 7 unit apartment building to examine the property. The building is within a few blocks of where I now live in the Santa Ana neighborhood, which I like very much.
Behind the building is a fairly good sized courtyard/parking area accessed by a drive through, the gate of which you can see behind the SUV at the right of the picture.
UPDATE 3/6/06: The agent of the building owner called this morning to inform me that the building is no longer for sale.
6 comments:
Lordy, YNM, you've been busy!
I can hardly keep up with your blog, so many new (and outraged!) postings. I'm still here in DF, and have passed by the Sheraton Hotel several times-- the one that has Mexico-Cuba / Mexico-US relations going hither and tither. Any thoughts on that story?
Congrats on finding a place you might want to buy.
Hi Kat,
Sounds like DF agrees with you.
I posted realtive to the DF Sheraton matter on February 10. Here's a link.
http://expatriateruminations.blogspot.com/2006/02/ugly-american-strikes-again.html#links
Here are some additional outrage I tried to post on the MI discussion forum when the subject was raised; but, alas, I was unable to cut the Word document and paste it into the forum.
The Helms - Burton Act prohibits USA citizens and businesses, including foreign subsidiaries from trafficking in lands expropriated by the Cuban government. Trafficking is very broadly defined and includes:
"(1)sells, brokers, or otherwise disposes of confiscated Cuban property;
(2)engages in commercial activity using or otherwise benefiting from confiscated Cuban property; or
(3)causes, directs, participates in, or profits from the use of confiscated
Cuban property by or through a third party."
The Sheraton was hosting executives of the Cuban petroleum enterprise which, presumably, operates refineries (3 I think) that were expropriated from USA firms in the early 1960s when the USA government instructed those USA firms to not process crude oil that the Soviet Union had sent to Cuba.
Presumably, the brown shirts in the USA state department determined that the Sheraton was "benefiting from confiscated lands" by accepting payment from Cuban oil enterprise executives.
Helms-Burton also provides that the government of the land of the free, home of the brave can revoke travel visas held by foreign companies that "benefit" from confiscated lands and did you in the case of executives of the Canadian mining company Sherritt International and Mexican telecommunications company Grupo Domos.
Keep in mind that the USA oil executives who were meeting with the Cubans have not been sanctioned since they were just talking to the Cubans as opposed to entering into commercial transactions, like renting a room to a Cuban.
The Helms-Burton Act is another atrocious example of the USA "might makes right" foreign policy and of the cynical nature of USA electoral politics. The Act was enacted and signed by Clinton in 1996, an election year. Florida and New Jersey both have large, politically active Cuban expatriate populations and also have large numbers of electoral college votes.
To Mexico Bob I say I think the hands off approach is good. Those who can't handle a bit of lather will seek there reading entertainment elsewhere. Thanks for providing us with a place to play.
Wow, this is a big step, Chris. The fact you're actually looking at property now says something about your comfort level in Merida. I've been watching real estate there, too, through one of the links you sent me to a local real estate agent. Prices still seem pretty low, especially compared to U.S. costs - I'm mulling over buying something too. Not right away, but not too long either.
Buena suerte!
Neil
Neil,
Gracias mi amigo.
However, today the owner's agent called and informed me that the building is no longer for sale.
I am very comfortable here. I don't have to look at compensator trucks that guys there keep buying even though they never learn that the trucks don't have the desired effect. There are a bunch of other reasons I'm glad I'm no longer there, but for now I'll leave it at that, because everytime I go into a rant I seem to offend someone. By the way, I pulled the same SUV gaffe on a couple here that I pulled on you. Talk about never learning.
Saludos a Jody. Cuidate.
Cristobal
What are compensator trucks? Fancy term for an SUV or, worse yet, a Hummer? I'll rant on your behalf if you want. Hummers are bummers. (Okay, maybe I'll leave the ranting to you, since you're more practiced at it ;)
Compensator trucks are those great big pickup trucks and monster SUVs that guys buy in hopes that it will make them more of a man, if you know what I mean.
I maintain there is an inverse correlation.
This is a phenomena where I used to live in rural WA state. I believe it is less prevalent in urban,
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