Settle into a relaxed, tropical lifestyle at Santillana del Mar or at the Santillana Sea Ranch. Whether you wish to acquire a rare commodity in the form of a front line or second row beachfront home site, or a larger Sea Ranch Estates home site fit for a Yucatan style Hacienda, you can have a great life along the Campeche Gulf Coast. Join a neighborhood offering all the services you need, in an unspoiled Yucatan environment, where you can still have maids, gardeners and other domestic help for a surprisingly low cost. The same is true for top quality medical and dental care, with several large, American style hospitals now opening in Merida, and excellent private company medical insurance is very reasonable as well. Both Campeche and Champoton have modern medical clinics and very good physicians for immediate attention. Fresh fish and seafood are available right off the boat year round, and local farmers markets provide delicious fruit and produce. Less than one mile away, the $400 Million megaproject Campeche Marina & Golf Resort means that world class amenities are now becoming reality.

Or Choose the Sea Ranch

Santillana Sea Ranch…. For those who want the pleasure of being close to the beach and ocean, with a little more space to relax. Just a few minutes walk from the beach, you can own a large Estate Home Site, in most cases around one-half acre, and in some cases up to one full acre. You will have full access to the beach and all the community facilities nearby. The Sea Ranch will also be fully enclosed with 24 hour security and gated access only for residents and guests. We are creating a set of home designs meant to take advantage of this extra space, mostly one story, in typical Yucatan Hacienda style. The lush, tropical climate means you can create a paradise in your garden area, with palms and other plants and flowers available from local nurseries, along with excellent gardeners to care for them, all at a most reasonable cost. Prices for these very large home sites begin at $75,000 this year.

A word about construction….. All construction is solid, steel reinforced concrete block, with heavy steel reinforced concrete beams forming the frame for second story floors. Roofing is done with terra cotta style tiles, and underneath we install ample foam insulation to help with energy conservation. Other insulation coatings are applied to all exterior walls for the same purpose. All floors, bathrooms, and countertops are finished in deluxe quality ceramic tile from Interceramic, Mexico’s premier luxury ceramic tile manufacturer that has a strong international following. We also have the flexibility to add some touches of luxury upon request….. marble floors, granite countertops, local stone fountains, hand made wrought iron railings and more. We are able to create a top notch luxury standard home for you, custom built according to your choices in materials, for under $100 per square foot, depending on what optional materials may be added.

Ownership, Management and Other Matters

There are still a few restrictions on foreign ownership of coastal land in Mexico, but thanks to NAFTA and recent changes in laws, it is now relatively easy and painless, as one can accurately conclude from the hundreds of thousands of non-Mexicans who now own coastal homes and condominiums. You can hold title to coastal land through a Trust, in which a leading Mexican bank handles the paperwork, and in some cases, you can form your own Mexican corporation, in which you control 100% of the shares. The trust system has been around for over 30 years now, and the term of the trust was recently lengthened to 50 years, with automatic renewal rights. In either case, the total cost of legal and transfer fees for the land generally runs around 5% of the purchase price. We have leading attorneys in Merida who can handle the bank trust or a Mexican corporation for you.

Taxes…. Property taxes in Mexico are extremely low, mainly because most people across Mexico who own property can’t afford to pay much. The federal government relies on oil income for over 40% of its entire budget, and much of this income is passed along to states and cities. Large homes in cities such as Campeche generally pay around $500-1000 in annual property taxes, and sometimes much less than that. Unimproved home sites can expect an annual property tax of well under $100. If you decide to sell your home one day, you’ll be pleased to learn that there is NO capital gains tax on the sale of your personal residence. If you receive and declare income from activities in Mexico, the federal income taxes are not greatly different from U.S. rates, and after proper deductions, you’ll probably end up paying around 15-20% of what you actually received. Mexico does not assess any income taxes on money earned outside of Mexico. We can arrange for you to meet with experienced Mexican tax accountants if you wish to discuss tax matters.

We are prepared to handle property management and maintenance upon request. We anticipate a great rental market in the future, especially due to our location, and the obvious demand for warm weather beachfront rentals during the winter season. The Yucatan region is also fast becoming a favorite family vacation destination from several European countries, where two months of paid vacation time is now almost universal. Maintenance of your home is also easily accomplished, since we will have teams of maids, gardeners, and general repair personnel available, either on an annual contract or a case by case basis.