Buying and Renovating a Fixer Upper Home in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico | Retirement and Home Renovation 

Ramon shares his Do's and Don'ts for buying and renovating his ocean front retirement home in Mayagüez, Puerto Rico Learn more about Mayagüez, Puerto Rico at jentheredonethat.com/mayaguez-puerto-rico-architectural-gem/

I lived in Mayaguez for several years with my parents after moving from the states. My family is from that town which has a lot of history. Many artists, writers, business people, politicians and the first jewish synagogue was founded in that town.

I would love to find out the purchase price, cost of renovations, and see a home tour.

Hi Jen. I bought my house in San Lorenzo on February 9th 2021. Being Puerto Rican born in Corozal, I have heard the madness in buying a home in Puerto Rico. I felt at ease when I saw your video because I did everything that Ramon did to buy his home. I hired an attorney, payed cash for the house and renovated the house with a very good contractor. This video is very good advice for anyone that is thinking of buying a home in Puerto Rico. I wouldn't let the negative parts deter anyone from buying a home in Puerto Rico. There are lots of fixer-uppers here. Some that need more work than others. Thank you so much for your amazing video. I have retired in my home and still working on it. All the inside work has been done and now working on the outside. I will also be having a solar system installed in the next few weeks because you really can't depend on the electrical company to supply constant energy. If you ever have any questions please don't hesitate to ask.

...jen...nice place to move is..san sebastian...is a beautiful city...houses are beautiful...plenty of restaurant to eat...we also have beautiful sport park...the has everything even a zipline... another thing...if you come from the states like my parents did..with..a..good social security benefits..and..a pension you live great here in Puerto rico...

I wish you would have show the house to see what you two were talking about

So enlightening! I'm in the process of buying in PR and the tips in this video are outstanding...

Ay chica! Loved this but I was looking forward for a tour of this house 🏡🌺 Lindo día!

Very informative. Thank you.

Jen, Great video as usual!!! Thank you for your channel.

I loved this video,I close this week on a house that needs everything replaced, You inspire me 💕

Thanks for sharing this video with us Jen, the view from the house is really gorgeous. God bless you and your family.

I was Waiting for a peak inside 😊

Thanks! Loved the video!

Hi Jen.. I miss you.. stay safe please.... keep up the good work.. I'm still in NY.. be safe n. Hugs...

Jen I love your videos but every time I watch them, I get home sick and makes me want to make rash decisions lol

I purchased a Condo last year and found an inspector that surpassed all my expectations. 40+ page report with detailed pictures and explanations. She even inspected the common areas shared in the community. She made the Realtor and seller very upset because they were not used to the brutal honesty.

Jen, thank you for being respectful towards our way of life and embracing our culture. Am sorry if you are receiving any undesirable comments.

Jen thanks a lot for this important information about housing in Puerto Rico and also thank to Ramon for be with you. Please keep it up and I’ll be waiting for the new video.

Inspirational!

Thanks for the info!

I just visited PR in Feb and I'm seriously thinking about moving down there. Thank you for these videos. Very insightful

Muchas bendiciones me encantan tus video gracias 😘

Tsk for another great video!

AS-38 is an application form you can file with the CRIM to get a tax exemption on property tax for your main residence. Sounds like he could file it and save the $1,200.

Great info.

Always doing a great job go girl 👧 👏

Awesome Video, great interview, I just closed on a house last week in Combate... Love the Area. It took me 4 months to close on the house. My story is different, I did work with a realtor and mortgage company... No Bueno... On a side note, my sister lives across from Ramon. Great guy in Mayaguez. Take care! Angel

My parents/ Family live in the island! And I will Be BUYING for sure!!!!

Nice interview Jen, thanks for sharing. The view from Ramon's home is stunning. Is that the Bahia de Mayaguez in the background? Lucky for Ramon, Home Depot is close by!

I’m retired in PR for the past 4 years, purchased a home for a reasonable price. But spend a good amount of money fixing up the house. Still working on the house almost done most of the work was done by myself. The house is equipped with a solar system that runs the whole house including AC units. Water reserve system and water purification all completely installed by owner. Refrigerator runs 24/7 on solar never off. Learned my lesson after Maria, the cost of living here is cheap comparing to other states. I did use a bank here but the interest is around 4.6 percent.

I've purchased several homes within my 30+ years living here. I didn't have any problems with the financing. Currently, I live in Barranquitas and only own one home. Love your videos

Great videos very informative. Ignore the hate. I understand the video style & what you were trying to achieve. I’m looking now and hate classificado as many listings don’t exist. I wish they can sort it by listing date. Anyway will continue to look for my compound.

Hi girl.. What's up?.. Keep up the good work... Blessed

I purchase my house in San Lorenzo and it took me 5 whole months to do the closing!!! And true, I had to fix up the place a bit so that it could pass inspection adding several thousands of dollars to be able to go forward with the closing. In the end it was worth it. I have the best neighbors. Living in the countryside is quite an experience. It is less expensive than living State side that's for sure.

Love your videos. The information you provide has helped us as we prepare to return to Puerto Rico after 27 years living abroad. We bought land in Cabo Rojo and have the blue prints ready to build our dream house. Our biggest challenge has been finding a contractor to build it. Would you consider doing a video about building a home in Puerto Rico? Again, thank you and good luck with your own house hunting! Luis

In 2 weeks.. That's a record.. Well deserve guy.. Good luck.. You encouraged me now...

When he stared to speak I knew he was from New Orleans. Just like me born and raised. I live in Mayaguez and and fixing up my dads house in Mayaguez.

Why does he pay property taxes? Is that not his first home? I was under the impression that in Puerto Rico you do not pay property taxes on your first home.

i am from PR and trying to buy a house to move back home. found my dream home and the bank that the realtor recommended never approved me, they literally ghosted me which i found so disrespectful and unprofessional. i still waiting to hear whether or not the pre-qualify me. the realtor never showed me the house and i lost it. found a new house, and within hours got approved with a different bank, home morgage banker is called actually Arismendi is the best. Still in the process, so i really hope i can do it and move home like i have been dreaming for 11 years.

Great video. I’m actually renting in Mayaguez. I’m here to stay and want to buy property.

I disagree on the inspector comment. Our report was 35 pages long, included pictures of all rooms, roof, pool, pool pump house exterior. They told us all the code issues and things that needed to be fixed. The owner gave left us many pieces of furniture and outdoor items as a compromise for not fixing some of the items. It was worth the extra 3 emails and conversations.

This is huge Jen glad I came across your channel. I'm finishing a refi with Penfed right now for a condo in Guaynabo. They take forever. This will probably be my move when I reloc from Texas. Insightful. Thanks for the Scuba dogs tip. Meeting with them next Friday.

Well at least he did say he has nice neighbors!!!!

Fixing a house in Puerto Rico is so much easier, unless you're basically rebuilding the whole structure or adding new rooms you don't need a permit from the government, just get a local contractor or do it yourself.

I wish you had shown the house. but very informative

@jentheredonethat Would you consider making a video of how veterans use a VA Loan in purchasing a house out there in PR? That's my plan going out there. Hope to hear from you soon.

Smart

Hi Jen, thanks for your videos and interest in our Island. Did you move Palmas del Mar?

My parents passed down to me the house I grew up in. I've been remodeling and renovating for over a year. I'm now behind with covid restrictions last year. This week I've been working hard after it was closed for a year. I'm not looking forward to getting a loan for windows and floors that are 40 years old. 😕

I am planning to move next year. Have a acre of land and started the building process. I want to take my car from Florida any suggestions? Love the information you provide. Thank you

Dang it, could have at least show the property. I was curious what it looked like

Rafael Leonardo, you might find this particular video quite interesting!

Hi Jen ! Thank YOU so much for all you do ! Can you explain what you meant by "the crem" to he house ? In other words whats a Crem ? Thank YOU!!!

Jen, if you could do it over again, would you still move to Las Palmas or elsewhere on the island?

So what does it look like?

Jen I saw your video and I'm curious.. It sounds like PR property taxes may be lower than in the US, so if I move to PR and buy a house but my Puertorican residency takes several months to go threw wont I be paying American property taxes on that house in PR? and secondly once my residency goes through will that property tax on the house in PR go lower then as a resident, becoming a PR property tax only (not an American property tax)? Could you clarify this for me?

Great interview...and tips for the BUYER !!!@

👍

Noticed two homeless dogs in the background. Very sad that people there are numb to it

Was good info. But fell short no sales price or home shown ?? 🤔 ??

Jen, I watched your video on buying a car, or a jeep I should say, congratulations, I’m looking to buy a jeep myself, and I went to a dealer in Bayamón, I remember watching your video and it said that the sticker price has the Marbetta and tax and license all put into the price already, not like the US where you have to pay after the sticker price, they told me at the car lot in Bayamón that this is not true, that I would have to pay more than the sticker price, is this what you meant or did I misunderstand you, I just don’t want to get ripped off, thank you.

Remind your “relator” friend in Mayagüez to stop referring to “back in the US”. He IS in the US!

For people that are retiring there or moving there. How are the banks. Do you guys keep your money back where you are from is it safe to keep in the banks on the island

Why didn’t he show it?

Hello..can you please send me a link to that site for houses..I'm retired. Looking to come back home....I love your house

Wise investment, wise decisions and kudos! I want to do that very thing.. Fixer upper, all concrete house for cash money with no realtors or banks. Oh the electrics in PR.. the ONE thing that angered and frustrated me so much when I rented houses there in 2011! Here is the thing: It does not matter if the electrical grid is old and the wiring is ungrounded. If the modern day electricians are wiring the LIVE wire as a NEUTRAL, and the NEUTRAL as the LIVE(reversing the connections at the lights and receptacles), then you are screwed 6 ways till Sunday when you try and use your appliances and electronics there! And do not get me started on getting shocked by touching metal conduit and wall plates! YES, shorts happen due to the corrosion of metal in the concrete but my friends, I am talking about NEW surface wiring being wired backwards!!! In all 3 houses I had rented in the 6 months I lived in PR, the first thing I had to do was rewire all the receptacles and lights. Why? Cause my microwave would not power on when plugged into a "working" socket! Why? Cause the neutral and live leads were wired reversed and a microwave needs neutral to be wired neutral on the socket and live to be live on the socket. Oh it was a nightmare. Then there was the corrosion of socket and light socket contacts even in NEW receptacles and lights! PR is a great place though, and yes, you have to be a DIY guy first thing even on Rentals.. Life is very different from the Main land, but if you are willing and able it is well worth it. I am thinking to move back home to PR but with Covid restrictions being so draconian in PR, it may be too risky to even try right now. But hopefully in the future PR will be free again and I can move back.. If prices do not get so high by then that is! And speaking of houses, repairs and Home Depot? With Covid laws being so strict and scary, how on earth can you go shopping for materials? And the prices of materials being so high here in the mainland, I can only imagine it being faaaaaaaaar worse in PR. I heard ALL hardware stores and electronics stores, clothing stores and other "non essential" stores being closed right now in PR due to covid laws. How do you get supplies then? I have not returned to PR to buy my windows and doors to ship them to my house in Western PA due to the stories of no hardware stores open in PR and the prices being so high it is not even possible to buy anything there right now to fix or build any structures.. What is the real scoop on all that?

I think you need to move back to New Orleans, I only hear complaints.

Do's: Be an American Don'ts: be a Puerto Rican Im seriously am struggling buying a home. I can't even find a house that want w/o getting ripped off

I wish I could hit like b/c Ramon is a awesome.. so knowledgeable and well spoken and learned, but huge fail to not show the property.

What lawyer did he use? Does that law office speak English? Thanks

Is Ramon available for hire? I have some projects that need to get done on the island

Yea a lot of gringos will move in and try to raise pricing and evict Puerto Rican’s eventually

That looks like "El Seco" neighborhood.

Puerto Rico 🇵🇷 is the best place to live 🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷🇵🇷

All complaints from this guy 🤣🤣🤣 can't be that bad I live before in Cabo Rojo was amazing. I love Puerto Rico By the way great video.

Can we get lawyers name? Price?

The incomes are low because no one wants to work. Just like your guest, we can’t find anyone to do construction unless they are “ Pay now disappear forever” contractors.

why didn't you show before and after of his house?

Except for tsunami

Why didn't you show the house??

You didn't pan thru the upgrades.

Some good advice from Ramón. However he should focus more on the positives of the experience than on the negatives. In all places there are pros and cons. Ex. Florida, sink holes, up north, winter storms. He is right about some of the things he mentioned in regard to the infrastructure, however, he did relocated to the island even though all those factors, I'm assuming, taking into consideration. The bottom line is Puerto Rico is a beautiful place to consider when the opportunity for retirement present. Jen , your videos are great, very insightful and educational for those like myself considering to relocate in the future. Thank you. So far I have chosen Palmas del Mar as a #1 oj my list.

You never showed the house!

.

There are No jobs in Puerto Rico. Because Puerto Ricans do everything in their own homes. But if they have to buy it instead of cultivating it or recycle something. Is when the cash flow is not good. PUERTO RICANS are known for the amazing barrio or tribe unity and attentiveness to each other IS why Boricua are WELL KNOWN FOR.... Since before columbus.

Right when she said the house should be worth more, a grown man on a bmx bike wheeled past in the background. That's a sure sign of a bad area to live in.

Of course a stray walks by! Horrifying aspect of Puerto Rico.

Don’t no police dangerous

it's so nice to see colonizers back at it again.....