Credit: Sarah Sinclair

Hola! I’m on vacation this week in sunny Mexico. I hear there have been sprinkles in Santa Barbara, so I thought I would share a couple of scenes from my locale: Puerto Escondido, located in the state of Oaxaca on the Pacific Coast in southern Mexico. No posh resorts or all-inclusives here. December in Puerto is 88-degree days with beautiful beaches, friendly people, delicious food, and travelers from all over the world. 

THE TREE HOUSE

Credit: Courtesy of Mellow Puerto Escondido

Boy, did I luck out — this is my home! It’s the top floor of a brand-new house in the Rinconada neighborhood, within walking distance to five different beaches. Called the Tree House, it has a separate living room and bedroom, a kitchenette with a fridge, a tiled bathroom, and a sweet little balcony. A locked gate opens to a courtyard with stairs up to my place, all on a super-quiet street two blocks away from shops and restaurants. It even comes with a bicycle! I found it through the super-friendly Lara at Mellow Puerto Escondido. Highly recommend!

This edition of The Home Page was originally emailed to subscribers on February 4, 2024. To receive Sarah Sinclair’s real estate newsletter in your inbox each Sunday, sign up at independent.com/newsletters.


SO FAR YET SO CLOSE

Credit: Sarah Sinclair

The biggest topics in real estate here seem to be the rapidly rising prices of rentals; the challenges of finding, buying, and building anything to own; and the difficulty in finding employees. 

Foreigners have discovered Puerto Escondido and want to stay for extended periods, so locals are being squeezed out of the housing market because they can’t earn enough to continue to live here. The surrounding terrain — mountains near the coast — poses its own set of challenges. All of these issues sound familiar?

BACK TO THE BEACH

Credit: Sarah Sinclair

This is more than enough critical thinking for one day. I’ll be back with your regularly scheduled programming next week. Right now, it’s time for me to head back to the beach!


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