This month’s featured listing presents a totally SOLAR POWERED home with spectacular lake views. The complete solar system is brand new, built to current demanding U.S. standards, and comes with a   25 Year Transferable Warranty.

Roof mounted Solar Panels.

Linda Fossi

	lfossi@hotmail.com linda@absolutfenix.com www.absolutfenix.com
	Phone: (376) 766-0303 In Mexico (214 )774-2818 USA Click to View Complete Listing!
My clients are my friends, and I’ll do what it takes to make you happy!

Unsurpassed Million-Dollar Views -

Panoramic Lake Views

from every bedroom, all terraces, and the sprawling, perfectly manicured grounds! This home, built only 10 years ago, is totally “green” - featuring brand new SOLAR ELECTRIC and HOT WATER SYSTEMS! Electric bill is $4 a MONTH!! This exquisite 3-bedroom, 3.5 -bathroom home, is move-in ready. Completely furnished - including a full satellite system, remote gate w/camera, purification and pressure systems, underground utilities, mature fruit trees, working aqueduct, butler’s pantry off the fully-equipped kitchen, tons of storage, covered two-car parking, magnificent stone retaining walls, and so much more. There is not a better value! This price is a bargain.  Listed by Linda Fossi.

State Of The Art  Solar System…Brand New Installation using the Latest Green Technology…Engineered and Installed by Guadalajara based ALTA ENERGIA - RENEWABLE ENERGY.

Hidden from view…

Nine Solar Photovoltaic Panels are mounted on the roof of the Casita.

The panels produce DC Current, which is routed to the Power Centre. Since most modern appliances and devices are powered by AC Current, the high end Inverter System converts the stored DC Current to AC which powers the appliances, computers, televisions and microwave. Producing perfect 120 Volt AC Current, the system actually “sells back” excess power to CFE, the local power grid through the use of a high-tech digital meter dedicated to this home exclusively.

The resulting power savings reduces the monthly bill from CFE to virtually pennies.

Although the home uses the free power from CFE at night, the back up batteries store enough independent power to run the home for three days continuosly.

With our system and the new CFE "sell back" meter on the right, the cost for power was reduced from $1,500 pesos per month to just $50 pesos per month.

In addition, a secondary smaller system provides all of the hot water for the entire house. The entire Solar System is easier to maintain than a standard swimming pool, and carries a 25 YEAR COMPLETE TRANSFERABLE WARRANTY. The engineering company that recently installed this system to the highest US standards is located in Guadalajara and California, so any service or homeowner questions are easily answered locally.

The second smaller unit is dedicated to providing ample hot water supply for the entire home.

The converter system produces exactly 120 volts AC Current

Nine integrated panels provide more than enough power for the entire home.

Hi, we’re Elliott and Linda, THE DREAM TEAM

Welcome to Lake Chapala and Ajijic Mexico. Have you been thinking about owning your dream home in Mexico?   I’m sure you must have lots of questions about living at Lake Chapala, just like we all do before moving to Mexico.

Call us toll-free at 1-866-306-9353 or contact so we   can chat about it!

About Elliott:

A working realtor in Ajijic, Mexico for over three years, Elliott was previously a top producer at Keller Williams Realty in Northern Virginia, just outside Washington DC.  Her recent affiliation with Absolut Fenix, one of the best and most highly respected brokerages in the Lake Chapala area, brings an abundance of new opportunities and services for her clients. A former ballroom dance instructor and competition winner, Elliott brings a lifetime of interpersonal skills to her expertise in real estate. In Washington DC, Elliott worked as a telecom consultant for many years, but opted in to the new lifestyle in Mexico when she and her husband came to visit a few years ago.

About Linda:

While traveling throughout Mexico in 1999, Linda Fossi found - and fell in love with - Ajijic.

It wasn’t long before she bought and renovated her first home here - her eighth remodel! When she became an ABSOLUT FENIX Real Estate agent, she sold that home, and bought and rebuilt a home in The Village of Ajijic, where she now lives with her partner along with all of the various animals they have accummulated! Linda brings lots of real estate experience with her - several years as a top agent with ReMax Advantage in Northern California, a fine arts professor, repertory theatre owner and artistic director in Southern California, natural and gourmet restaurant and store owner in Washington, and small business owner in Sedona, Arizona. Additionally, Linda has completed her studies in design and architecture using AutoCAD. She offers all of these special skills to her sellers and buyers.

Be sure to browse all of the properties available in the Lakeside area here, using the Free MLS Listings search…a copy of each listing you select will be sent to your email inbox for further review.

The  Holy Weeks in Mexico celebrating Easter begin on Palm Sunday, and are marked by the weaving of palm fronds into decorative bouquets often sold by street vendors. At Lake Chapala and   Ajijic, local residents enjoy creating their own palms. In the Lakeside village of San Antonio Tlayacapan,  a lady appropriately named Virgin, weaves a palm decoration while waiting with her family for the parade depicting Christ’s Triumphal Entry to Jerusalem. Moments later the procession conveniently arrives right in front of her house, complete with Jesus riding his donkey.

Palm Sunday Morning Welcoming The Arrival of Jesus as the local Passion Plays Begin in Mexico

The Semana Santa, or Holy Week ends the following Easter Saturday when Pascua (Easter Week) begins. Both of these weeks comprise a major holiday observence in Mexico and involve much travelling and family vacations. In Lakeside there is a seasonal surge in population and traffic, when Mexican tourists frequent the area. It is a very festive time for all. Shops and restaurants close for Easter Sunday, but are open the rest of the holiday.

Spring Break, Really?

Despite the recent bad press about travel to Mexico, Ellott’s eighteen year old niece Michaela decided to spend her vacation time here in Lakeside.

Question: We are concerned about all the news about the recent violence in Mexico, and are wondering if this would make a difference in our deciding to move to Ajijic?

Answer: First of all, if you have serious concerns about crime in Ajijic, Lake Chapala and the Guadalajara area, please contact the US State Department for more information. But I can give you some insight based on having lived in the Lake Chapala area for a few years and my own research and opinions.

Glenn Beck TV

March 2, 2009 - 13:01 ET

Another Man’s Sombrero
by Darrell Ankarlo

GLENN: We go to Darrell Ankarlo now who is in Phoenix with a couple of updates for us on the border now in Mexico. Things are completely out of control. On Meet the Press yesterday Gates said, you know what, we might start doing some joint military action.  http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/196/22155/

Mexico’s worsening drug war

February 9, 2009 - 1:01 ET

TIJUANA, Mexico (Reuters) - Mexican drug gangs near the U.S. border are breaking into police radio frequencies to issue chilling death threats to cops which they then carry out, demoralizing security forces in a worsening drug war.

“You’re next, bastard … We’re going to get you,” an unidentified drug gang member said over the police radio in the city of Tijuana after naming a policeman.

The man also threatened a second cop by name and played foot-stomping “narcocorrido” music, popular with drug cartels, over the airwaves.

“No one can help them,” an officer named Jorge said of his threatened colleagues as he heard the threats in his patrol car.  http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/21197/

Dear Glenn,

As a fellow recovering alcoholic and concerned citizen, I have found that it is important to me these days to keep world events, politics, and societal issues in perspective.

Thankfully the days of cocktail party banter and furious public argument regarding  topics like “Rising Crime In Mexico” and related themes are over for me personally. My wife and I have lived in the quaint Mexican village of San Antonio Tlayacapan, in the Lake Chapala Riviera, for several years now as successful expats from the United States.

Independencia Parade Lake Chapala

Our little town is composed mostly of native Mexicans, with a sprinkling of Gringos thrown in for local color.

The picture here shows the most threatening evidence of gangs I have ever seen in the region.

Although everything I need to sustain an affordable lifestyle is easily accessible within a two mile radius of my home, we also frequently travel the 25 kilometer route to Guadalajara for fancy mall and Costco shopping by car, and take week-long trips to the seaside resorts of Barra di Navidad and Puerto Vallarta. Far from finding these popular destinations to be “ghost towns,” they are thriving with tourists and residents alike, and show signs of an economy which is certainly healthier than that found north of the border.

An Important Question from a Vidalago.com Reader:

“One question I have is that we are not totally retired yet but our business is mostly done by phone and internet - is the service there reliable enough to run a business? Will it cost us a fortune to get the type of phone service/internet service we need to have people able to call in and us call out on a regular basis (Maybe an 800 #)?”

Answer: If you are reading this right now, you are looking at our Vidalago.com website that I set up on my home-office PC here in the Lakeside Village of San Antonio Tlayacapan with local Mexico Prodigy internet service, and the site server is somewhere in California furnished by a US web hosting service. When not working feverishly at real estate, marketing and writing we watch our favorite evening shows on the 42″ flat screen TV I purchased here at Home Depot Guadalajara (tip of the hat to Stu Browne for finding that great deal!). We have a TV satellite on the roof with a PVR dual channel receiver furnished by a provider in Ajijic, and get all the same channel packages here that are available in the US along with the local New York and national news. I set up a Vonage account before we moved, which retained our local phone (703) 349-5021 and then added a toll free number after the move (866) 306-9353.  That way Elliott can keep in touch with her clients 24/7 -while I make local calls to friends who are jealous that I am playing golf every morning.

Click on the picture for more info.

The service providers pictured are all located on or near the main road in Ajijic - Riberas.  They provide reliable installation, and usually accept credit cards for online billing.

Here are a few examples of communications services in Mexico, based on my personal experience and information…

Desktop PC’s and laptops

Fulltime residents usually bring their computers with them when moving to Lakeside.  All systems and peripherals are compatible with the DSL and cable internet services.  Mexico does not run on European electrical home service, so you can just plug in your electronics and boot them up right away.  Part-time residents can bring a laptop with them for the time they spend in Lakeside, getting wireless access at various points in the area. There are also several cyber cafes located in the town plaza’s, where you can get online for a few pesos an hour.

Computers and laptops are sold at retail outlets like the local Ajijic Walmart, and at electronics and department stores in Guadalajara. Telmex in Ajijic also sells PC and laptop systems. The only caveat being that hardware in Mexico uses Spanish language operating systems and keyboards; but if you need a new printer and supplies, for example, it is not a problem to add on to your existing system.

Internet Service Providers

Telmex - Provides high speed DSL on the local phone line utilizing Prodigy Infinitum. The service is very reliable, and does not interefere with your phone service. DSL modem and software is provided when you sign up for service at the Telmex office in Ajijic, where the customer service folks speak English and are happy to explain everything in detail. The monthly charge for unlimited DSL - which is on 24/7 - and local phone service is approx. 650 pesos ($42 US). For peso to dollar conversion, at current rate divide pesos by 14 per dollar.

Telecable

With this service you can opt for 9 different TV channel packages with the initial 72 channel package at 235 pesos per month ($16.78 US). The monthly subrsciber line charge is 99 pesos with automatic debit, or 199 if you go to the office and pay cash pesos. Adding internet to your cable package ranges from 149 pesos for 512kbps to 449 pesos for 6mbps.  In summary, basic 72 channel cable TV plus 3mbps broadband bills at 633 pesos ($45.21 US).

Cellphones at Telcel

The modern Telcel offices with glittering arrays of the latest cell phones and accessories can be found in several locations in Lakeside as well as in the Guadalajara shopping centers. Prices for cell phones and minutes are comparable to those in the US. You can subscribe monthly or pay as you go with phone cards as well. We like the Amigo free phone to phone feature, since we use them as “intercoms” around Lakeside or if we travel. The service is excellent just about anywhere in the country, and you can make international calls on your cell too. This really comes in handy if you are meeting someone at the airport, and they can’t figure out where the Starbucks is to meet you outside the international arrivals area.

Be sure to leave a comment or more questions about Internet in Mexico or anything else you can think of….

In today’s challenging economic times, an increasing number of baby boomers are considering full or part-time living in Lake Chapala Mexico as a way to budget and conserve their nest eggs.

Living in the Lake Chapala region, with the nearby international city of Guadalajara, has been steadily gaining in appeal to to many of the estimated 70 million North Americans who are in or approaching retirement age. Here at Vidalago.com we strive to give you a personal, honest insight into the daunting question of making a major move, not just down the street or to another city or state, but to Mexico! For this article, we have compiled a few of the more frequent questions that many people ask about lifestyle, finances, and health concerns as they make decisions about their future:

Question: Is the cost of living in Lake Chapala really that much of a difference?

Question: “I’ve heard that golfing in Mexico is very expensive. Is that how it is in the Lake Chapala and Guadalajara area?”

Answer: “Yes, and No. But like most things Mexican, there is a work-around…”

For expert and casual golfers alike, the Guadalajara Mexico area offers a number of outstanding championship golf courses. The beautiful weather provides for a year-round golfing season in Lakeside and Guadalajara. Many  of the the championship 18-hole courses in Guadalajara - Guadalajara Country Club, El Palomar, Atlas, Santa Anita, Las Canadas - are either Members Only or Resort Courses. Read on to find out about the work-around if you don’t want to stay in a resort hotel in order to play the golf courses…

In Lakeside, we have Chula Vista Country Club,  a charming 9-hole Executive course, which is short on yardage but long on challenges for golfers of all skill levels. Nestled in a hillside overlooking Lake Chapala

Chula Vista Golf

(”Chula Vista” means “Beautiful View”), you will find some exceptionally long par 3’s and short par 4’s that gobble up golf balls belonging to many seasoned golf afficianados. Chula Vista features extremely affordable year-round membership rates, or a daily greens fee of 400 pesos (less than $40 US). There are no carts, but lots of friendly and skilled caddies if you don’t want to lug your own bag up and down the hills. I recently signed up for annual greens fee membership with another golfer, for a cost of 10,300 pesos (around $1000. US) which covers unlimited play 7 days a week.  Finish off your round with a drink or lunch with friends at the terrace restaurant and you have a nearly clublike experience for very few dollars.

Chula Vista Golf Club Rates updated January, 2009

# of months                1 person (Pesos/DollarsUS)            2 person (Pesos/DollarsUS)

1                                    4000 / 308                                       8000 / 616

3                                  10500 / 808                                    18000 / 1385

6                                  13000 / 1000                                  23000 / 1769

12                                18000 / 1385                                   27000 / 2077

Monthly memberships include unlimited play, caddies required weekends and holidays. This is a hilly walking course with lots of trees and hazards. Pullcarts permitted, no riding carts.

Single play 18 holes       350 / 26.93

Caddy fee                       150 / 11.54

“OK, OK, but what if I want to play a regular 18-hole championship course?”  Oh yes, now for the work-around: You don’t have to be a member or resort guest in Guadalajara to play those great courses. Instead, say hello to the friendly pro at Chula Vista, tell him you would like to play at one of the courses in nearby Guadalajara, and he will call their pro shop to give you an introduction.  You will find 18-hole greens fees with carts and caddy there to be anywhere between $80 - $150 US.

Another local course is Chapala Country Club a full-sized 9-hole course, also with breathtaking views and private homes surrounding the golf course. Contact the club directly for membership information and rates.

The Atlas Country Club, with a championship 18-hole layout, also features a state of the art clubhouse with banguet and convention facilities, tennis, swimming and many other amenities. Atlas is located just past Guadaljara Airport, about a thirty minute drive from Lakeside.

Currently Atlas is offering full memberships starting as low as $5,500. US.

For serious club golfers, Atlas offers the best value in the Guadalajara area. The course and clubhouse facilities rival any top-shelf golf club anywhere in the world. For more information about golf in Lake Chapala and Guadalajara, be sure to contact us.

Bruno is an avid golfer and would enjoy playing a five-peso (fifty-cent) skins game with you when you come to visit Lakeside, or if you just need a break from house hunting with Elliott! 

Consultations and laser surgery in Guadalajara = $645   In US = $6,450 and up….

Happy to report the follow up exam after the laser surgery for Bruno’s diabetic retinopathy came out very well. Dr. Pinto in Riberas prescriped Ocuvite to take daily for three months, which should improve the age-related : Floaters appearing in vision. So adding the exam: 300 pesos, and the prescription: 150 pesos.

This makes the total for everything, including the exams and surgery in Guadalajara, to about $645 USD. Add a zero or two to that number and that would be the cost in the US!

Cost of living comparison…

Stay in this luxurious in-town Ajijic Casita for a few days or a few weeks…while exploring the area with us for your new home in Lakeside!

AFFORDABLE In-Town Rental - Casita Richmond

Bright and luxurious, this charming Casita is available for short-term
rental while we help you find your dream home. Perfect location in
Ajijic Village, walk to everywhere.

Fully Furnished! Private entrance, Living Room, Dining Room w/Fireplace, Sitting Room, Full Kitchen, 1 Full Bath, 1 Bedroom. Two Level

Contact Elliott Joachim or send private email for details and special Vidalago rate!

Click…Free MLS listings search for properties in Lake Chapala, Ajijic Mexico!

NEW!! Check out the Fabulous Casa Flores  Bed & Breakfast in Ajijic!

Holy Guadalupe, I think out loud. I had laser four years ago in the States and the cost was over Five-Thousand-Dollars.