Focus on Quality when Building your Rocky Point Dream Home

By Joseph Sanchez
President, Rocky Point Home Builders

Building your dream home in Puerto Peñasco aka Rocky Point is an important decision and you want to make sure that the quality of the home is given as much attention as to the price to construct the home. Materials are the most important aspect of any construction project, so consumers should demand the best quality to ensure long lasting satisfaction but all too often the focus tends to be only about price. If price is your only concern and not so much quality then buyer beware, because it can turn your dream home into a nightmare for years to come. Here are some quality issues to focus on when building your dream home in Mexico.

CONCRETE

Concrete is one of the most important components of most construction projects here in Puerto Peñasco but whether you are building a driveway, setting fence posts, or placing a foundation for a home, it is important that you or the contractor uses the best concrete product available according to the job you are doing.

Concrete is one of the most important components of a construction project here in Puerto Peñasco it is important the contractor uses the best concrete product available according to the job you are doing.

Concrete mix has many different types, strengths, and compositions and it is important that you or the contractor choose the correct strength according to the project application. Concrete strength is determined by Pounds per Square Inch (PSI) and range from 2500 PSI up to 5000 PSI. For example, 2500 PSI concrete is typically used for driveways, walkways and floor slabs. At the top end of the scale, 5000 PSI would be used for specialized construction projects with commercial applications. Whatever project you are working on, it is important to ensure that your contractor uses the correct strength of concrete needed for your project application to ensure a high quality and long-lasting finish.

WINDOWS

The sustainable material for windows here are aluminum framed because aluminum is three times stronger than vinyl window frames and withstands the heat, salt and sand environment.

rocky point home builders
If you are considering building your dream home now is the time to make your move because prices are slowly rising in 2017 but and when the terminal is completed prices are expected to spike due to the influx of tourism and new demand.

When installing your windows make sure the aluminum frames are rated for marine conditions. This is very important because windows not rated for marine environments will lead to corrosion and rust. Make sure your builder is installing aluminum windows grade 5052 or 5083 or they will corrode very quickly. These grades, for the most part, have additional chromium and manganese to help protect them from corrosive marine conditions and are the highest quality available.

ELECTRIC INSTALLATION

One of the major causes of deadly house fires here in Puerto Peñasco is faulty electric installations. If you are building a new home, you must ensure contractors are not installing cheap wiring. A proper installation will reduce your energy costs by increasing the overall efficiency of the system and will ensure the safety of your home.

A proper electrical installation will reduce your energy costs by increasing the overall efficiency of the system and will ensure the safety of your home.

The worse the wiring installation looks inside the panel, the less likely the installation was completed correctly by a professional electrical contractor. An electrical panel installation should be clean, neat and orderly and not like a bowl of spaghetti as we sometimes witness out in the field. Open your panel and if it is not neat and orderly then we recommend contacting an electrical contractor for an inspection immediately.

 

WATER SYSTEM DESIGN

Your home’s potable water system is an important aspect of your home’s design that ensures you have adequate water pressure to all your fixtures while maintaining an emergency supply of water in case of any shortages.

The use of a water cistern is an important element of your water system design because it protects the home from any unwanted water outages giving the homeowner a two to three-week supply of emergency water during any water shortages in the city.

Having adequate water pressure at all your fixtures is an important quality and most will agree that taking a shower with little or no water pressure coming from the fixture is frustrating. To ensure your home has adequate water pressure it is necessary to install a water pressure boosting system that consists of a pump, a bladder-type pressure tank and a cistern.  The addition on the water boosting system will boost your home’s pressure to 40 to 60 PSI leaving you enough pressure to take a shower, wash clothes and water the flowers all at the same time.

Another important aspect of this design is incorporating a cistern tank or well. The use of a cistern is an important element of this design because it protects the home from any unwanted water outages giving the homeowner a two to three-week supply of water during any water shortages in the city.

 

About the author: Joseph Sanchez is president of Rocky Point Home Builders a design/build contractor specializing in custom home design, construction and renovations. He resides here in Puerto Peñasco with his wife and two children and is originally from Chicago. For more information email him at sales@rockypointhomebuilders.com

Considerations when Building or Purchasing a Home in Puerto Peñasco

By Joseph Sanchez
President, Rocky Point Home Builders

Each year, many Americans and Canadians decide to make Puerto Peñasco their home away from home by either purchasing an existing home or by purchasing an empty lot in order to build their dream home in the future. Whichever route you pursue, there are important things to consider for each.

Building a New Home
Building a home on a lot that you purchased is great way to get exactly what you want but most people are intimidated by the process and think it’s difficult. Building your dream home in Puerto Peñasco is not a difficult process and there has never been a better time to start construction given the strength of the dollar and the competitive lot prices.

Building your dream home in Puerto Peñasco is not a difficult process and there has never been a better time to start construction.

Building a home in Rocky Point Mexico is a big decision that makes most Americans nervous. You need to choose a company you can trust to not steal materials, cut any corners and stay on time with the schedule and most importantly on budget. Make sure the company you choose has a presence and notoriety in the community. Ask for a list of references that you can call to investigate before you sign a contract.

In order to protect yourself during the process you want to contract with a company that holds an American corporation in the United States. This is important because if there is ever a disagreement or breach of contract you would have the ability to take legal recourse in the United States versus Mexico.

A typical home build is in the six-figure range so you want to protect that money by working with a company that utilizes a 3rd party American escrow bank accounts that are responsible for the distribution of funds per your contract agreement to the construction company.

Purchasing an Existing Home
Purchasing an existing home has many benefits as well but one thing to consider is having a renovation budget set aside to upgrade the home to modern standards. Many of the existing homes for sale can be 15 years or older depending on the location so you will want to consider upgrading some things such as the electric, plumbing, installing a new kitchen, bathroom, maintenance repairs etc.,

Renovating a home is serious business so you must have a plan that helps to accurately quote the project and to determine the steps for completion. When I say the word, “plan” I mean an engineered drawing or blue print, depending on the scope of work that will guide your contractor from start to completion. Choose a company that has design services so you benefit from single source responsibility and can see the results before you begin work. Not all projects require a design but if you are adding an addition or renovating a bathroom or kitchen for example, we encourage you to spend a little extra money on a design. You will make up that money saving on materials, time and eliminating any costly mistakes.

When it comes to making major renovations to your home you will want to ensure you are hiring a reputable company that follows all Federal labor laws, who acquires all necessary permits and knows and understands any HOA rules and regulations. Most Americans do not realize this but Mexico is highly protective of worker’s rights and medical wellness and it’s the hiring company’s responsibility to ensure those rights are respected. If you hire a company that does not follow the labor laws and a worker gets hurt on your job you are liable for their medical bills and you can be fined.

About the author: Joseph Sanchez is president of Rocky Point Home Builders a design/build contractor specializing in custom home design, construction and renovations. He resides here in Puerto Peñasco with his wife and two children and is originally from Chicago. For more information email him at sales@rockypointhomebuilders.com

Three Reasons to Invest in Puerto Peñasco Today!

By Joseph Sanchez
President, Rocky Point Home Builders

There has never been a better time to invest in Puerto Peñasco and if you are sitting on the fence wondering where to retire or if you should invest in a vacation property then this article will give you three good reasons why you should jump off that fence as quickly as possible and take advantage of the buyer’s market here in Rocky Point.

REASON #1: CRUISE TERMINAL COMPLETION
The long-awaited completion of the cruise terminal that will soon bring the world’s cruise ships to the shores of Puerto Peñasco got a boost of great news back in June when Ariz. Gov. Doug Ducey and Sonora State Gov. Claudia Pavlovich had a meeting to discuss the project and created a memorandum of understanding that askes the Mexican government to contribute the remaining funds for the completion of the cruise port and allow firms in Arizona to service the cruise ships docking at Puerto Peñasco. Currently, the port is about 50% complete, and construction on terminal can now be expected to resume given the recent meeting. The bottom line is that the Sonoran government expects to begin docking cruise ships at Rocky Point in 2019.

Rocky Point Home Builders
A rendering of the Puerto Peñasco’s cruise terminal that will soon bring the world’s cruise ships to the shores of Puerto Peñasco starting in 2019. (Photo courtesy of the Comision de Foremento al Turismo del Estado de Sonora)

It is expected that when the terminal opens that prices for condos, existing homes and vacant land will all spike in price due to the new influx of tourism and demand. Currently in 2017, prices for vacant land, existing homes and condos are all on the rise and are moving up to 2008 levels before the real estate crash. With the addition of the cruise port you can imagine the impact it will have on real estate.

REASON #2: INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME
Most of us have experienced an opportunity to invest in the past but for whatever reason we didn’t but now given hindsight that investment could have funded our retirements today.  For example, if you bought $10,000 of Apple Stock just ten years ago that investment would be work approximately $700,000 today or 70 times what you paid for it.

Rocky Point Home Builders
Whether you are looking to buy an oceanfront lot to build your dream home as pictured above, or buying an existing home or condo there are many deals available.

Well the good news is purchasing real estate in Puerto Peñasco is your next investment opportunity because you are buying low which is key and it’s one of the fastest growing tourist destinations in Mexico.  Back in the early 2000s, you needed three partners just to afford a two-bedroom condo because prices shot so high it was nearly impossible to afford that two-bedroom condo on your own. Then 2008 came and prices bottomed out to historic lows and today they remain close to those levels but they are slowly ticking up again. The point is don’t be left behind on this next opportunity because prices are steadily increasing and when the cruise terminal does open it will be comparable to owning that Apple stock ten years ago!

REASON #3: GREAT DEALS ON LAND!
Whether you are looking to buy an oceanfront lot to build your dream home, or buying an existing home or condo there are many deals available and I recommend working with one of our many real estate professionals who will find you exactly what you desire. Beach front lots in Las Conchas start at $199,000 and if you choose a lot with a short walk to the beach prices start as low as $19,000 and with the average cost is $25,000 plus closing costs. Other communities to consider are west of the city such as Playa Dorado, Playa Encanto and La Joya which also offer pristine beaches and excellent bargains on lots or near or on the water. The bottom line is whether you are considering building your dream home, purchasing a condo or an existing home prices are as low as they are going to go and now is the time to lock in the deal of a lifetime!

Rocky Point Home Builders
If you are considering building your dream home, purchasing a condo or an existing home prices now is the time to lock in the deal of a lifetime!

About the author: Joseph Sanchez is president of Rocky Point Home Builders a design/build contractor specializing in custom home design, construction and renovations. He resides here in Puerto Peñasco with his wife and two children and is originally from Chicago. For more information call 815-553-2683.

Rocky Point Home Builder-Secrets to Building your Dream Home in Puerto Peñasco

Building a home in Puerto Peñasco a.k.a. Rocky Point is not a difficult process but you must choose a company IMG_9238with an outstanding reputation, a company who abides by Federal Labor Laws, a company who does not use sub-contractors and finally a company who uses American Construction Contracts and American Escrow accounts.

When deciding to build a home in Rocky Point Mexico you must ensure the company you choose follows the Mexican Federal Labor Laws. Here in Mexico, the labor laws are strict as they are in the States. However it is much easier for companies to skirt these laws and most every home builder here in Puerto Peñasco do what they can to skirt these laws. If you hire a company that does not follow the Federal Labor LawIMG_9236s the government can fine your or worse seize your home and you can be responsible to pay any medical bills for any injuries that occur on the job-site.

A company that follows labor laws will pay into the Federal medical insurance system for their workers so if a worker gets injured the company along with government will pay the medical bills. Think of it as workers comp insurance as in the States. However, Beware of companies that hire sub-contractors because 99.9% of the time they are being paid cash with no benefits and you will be on the hook for an injury or if the sub-company does not get paid by yIMG_9183our contractor. An easy way to ensure this does not happen is to hire a company that does NOT hire sub-contractors. At Rocky Point Home Builders we DO follow all labor laws and all our workers are direct employees. We pay into the social security system for each worker and also pay what’s called Infanovit which is another labor benefit. We pay our workers what is mandated by the Federal Government and this protects our clients from any embarrassment. Never use a company who hires sub-contractors or you will be sorry that you did.
Building a home in Rocky Point Mexico is a big decision and makes most Americans nervous. Most Americans do not live here full time so you need a company you can trust with a presence and notoriety in the community. When yo are read to build a home look around town for billboards, check local papeIMG_8003rs for advertisements, make sure the construction company has a website and most of all an office. We have seen it too many times, people will hire a friend off a recommendation. The friend has no office, no contracting, no website nothing. What ends up happening is the job does not get completed, the workers will steal all the materials, there is a lack of communication therefore major mistakes and on and on.

Another requirement should be a list of references that you can call to investigate. Also, it is important that the company has an office in town that is staffed during the day. A company without an office isn’t really a company, so buyer beware. Finally look at their media presence in town, does the company have billboards, to they have a website, what about a Facebook page and finally do they run ads in local newspapers. A no” to any of those things should be a red flag for any American looking to build a home in Puerto
Peñasco, Mexico.

IMG_8009Rocky Point Home Builders is the largest home builder in Puerto Peñasco,Mexico. With offices here in Rocky Point, they directly employee over 50 workers significantly impacting the local economy. Rocky Point Home Builders does not use sub-contractors. Best of all, they are an American Company who uses American Contracts with American Attorneys and American Escrow Accounts. The accountability is a no-contest when compared to the competition. If you are nervous about building a home here in Rocky Point then talk with Rocky Point Home Builders, we guarantee you will fee assured that you will design and build the home of your dreams.

For more information about Rocky Point Home Builders call 815-553-2683 U.S.  or 638-383-6524 M.X. today or visit our website at http://www.rockypointhomebuilders.com on the internet .