Diversifying Neighbourhoods of Bucerias Offer Many Investment Options
I think our readers will find it interesting that, while it’s natural to have a preference for a particular niche location when it comes to looking for property—usually on or within blocks of the beach and specifically in the “Zona Dorada” of Bucerias are the prime requests I get as a local realtor—in fact, the town and adjoining communities have developed to offer incredible diversity beyond the ocean-side strip.
Bucerias has also had amazing growth in the buyer pool, which presents people with different buying power. By this, I mean that, in addition to the foreign second-home part-time resident, many nationals have come of age as our young buyers, attracted to single-family homes in a safe and fun location to raise their kids. It suffices to have an affordable property from which they can walk their dogs and family to the beach in minutes for after-work and weekend play. The median age of the population is now 29 and people aged 29 to 60 represent almost 30% of the population.
Add to that, a substantial number of foreigners who are choosing our part of Mexico as their primary residence. That same beach proximity makes it easy to take and park a chair and umbrella and enjoy the best of Bucerias within a very reasonable investment.
With these dynamics, we’re seeing what one may have considered fringe locations, and areas that may have been completely unpopulated only a dozen years ago, have developed physically and socially to be very appealing to the younger nationals and to those foreigners who really want to settle in.
This has a synergistic result of increased services and the circle of “buy-live-sustain”. This is healthy in what has been considered a second-home market, which can be vulnerable to world economic situations, as the fabric of the community becomes stronger and services are supported on a more consistent, rather than seasonal, basis.
Where am I talking about?
These would be pockets or extensions of Bucerias—usually referred to as barrios, colonias or zonas and fraccionamientos (for master-planned subdivisions)—such as the Camino Viejo al Valle. On this connector from Bucerias to our municipality’s city hall, you have a growing number of pretty subdivisions offering larger lots, mature foliage in a rural setting, where the elevation offers nice breezes and views of Vallarta in the distance. Interestingly, among other services, this zone has the most established of our growing number of respected private, bilingual schools.
Just across the highway from Centro and the Zona Dorada, the Manuel Obando, Loma Bonita and Buenos Aires neighbourhoods, are, in reality, just 5 to 10 blocks from the beach. Besides an exceptional increase in numbers of single-family homes, we are seeing small multiplex buildings being constructed (i.e.: from four to 10 units) in the midst of the homes.
At Terralta and Los Amores, on the north side of Centro across from the Playas de Huanacxtle zone of Bucerias, we have an example of what started with one subdivision of affordable housing designed for younger national families 20 years ago, morphing into multiple gated complexes with varying levels of construction and growing services. It has come to attract snowbirds for price and proximity to the beach and has maintained values well. The most recent addition is Quadrant, a handsome, high-quality condominium complex that is enhancing this zone.
Los Arboles, which is on the ocean side and was sold originally as lots to self-build, has developed into a lovely self-contained neighbourhood of single-family homes—a “light” version of a gated community, almost like transporting a few town blocks into a slightly more gentrified setting, where it’s quiet and homeowners have the benefit of a common pool rather than the need to have their own pool and also have security and a playground.
The quite-established Flamingos Residencial master-planned community is equidistant between Bucerias Centro and Nuevo Vallarta. Palm and bougainvillea-lined boulevards lead to its gated entrance behind which is a collection of subdivisions of houses and apartments set up with lots of amenties. It and Los Arboles are where the most of the growth in additional services has taken place with three supermarkets, many banks, sports facilities and more.
Everything gets “closer” as such services, entrepreneurial businesses and restaurants start to fill in what was once a barren gap.
All of this makes for an interesting blending of community as people of all backgrounds find their distinct needs and preferences met within common settings. Among other benefits, wonderful associations have been developed to aid education, underprivileged children, women and seniors and our furry friends as well as the arts, nicely supported shoulder-to-shoulder by nationals and expats.
This diversity and consolidation makes for a healthy real estate market, which I see as being less fragile than “eggs-all-in-one-basket” where people are focused on just a few pockets or investors come from a single dominant demographic. I like it!
Victoria Pratt is a certified AMPI agent and the North Shore manager of Timothy Real Estate Group. She contributes regularly with insight on real estate-related matters and “nice-to-know” topics for both residents and visitors alike. Contact her for more information on this topic and real estate in general at: victoria@timothyrealestategroup.com
Copyright: Victoria Pratt 2020
