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01/21/06 - Puerto Vallarta, MX Booking up Casita Encantada proves to be a full-time job (okay, maybe not a real full-time job) |
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Our VRBO listing has been bearing fruit for us recently, as we managed to book up the next five weeks in our Puerto Vallarta condo. We've had quite an influx of interest, and spend an hour or two every day replying to emails, laying out our terms, collecting money, coordinating housekeeping and the keys... It's been a bit more work than we thought it would be. But what else are we doing, right? We're just happy to be finally bringing in some cash to cover all of our costs... when you add up housekeeping, maintenance, condo dues, property management, utilities, trust fees, property taxes - it's not all that cheap to own a second home. At least these next five weeks should pay for more than a year of costs.
There's still space available! Ask about our friends & family rates! Join the Casita Encantada Gold Rewards Club Today! |
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| Puerto Vallarta... Via Morelia & Patzcuaro | |
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01/04/06 - 01/18/06 - Puerto Vallarta, MX (Photos - of Brisas del Mar neighbors) Quick visits in the state of Michoacan before our working vacation at the beach |
(Photos - of Morelia) |
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For the past two weeks, we've been in Puerto Vallarta, taking care of some condo business and enjoying a little beach and pool time. The primary reason for our visit this month was to attend the first-ever condo association meeting for Brisas Del Mar Condominiums, where our beloved but sometimes ill-behaved condo, Casita Encantada, is located. The association is still in the process of being set up as it slooooowly separates from the operations of the Brisas Del Mar Hotel. Scott has been rather busy this trip, as he was wrangled into volunteering for the interim board, which has the challenging task of setting up the association and preparing for the first official condo association meeting, to take place this summer. Meanwhile, in between the administrative work involved in booking the condo and putting a few finishing touches on it, Caroline has been enjoying working on her tan...
We decided to make a slight detour on our way to PV, when we left San Miguel a couple of weeks ago (Caroline's handicraft magnet was kickin' in). With Chevy-Girl loaded nearly to the brim with stuff (mostly decor) for the condo, we stopped for a couple days in Morelia and Patzcuaro, where the handicraft shopping is to-die-for (and much cheaper than PV and SMA). We still had a few remaining cubic centimeters to spare in the car, after all, that just couldn't go to waste! We spent an afternoon in Morelia, a pleasant but un-touristy university town and the capital of Michoacan state, before moving on to Patzcuaro to spend a couple nights in our favorite hotel (and condo namesake), La Casa Encantada, and do some shopping for the rustic brown pottery, woven baskets and Day of the Dead figurines (Catrinas) that the area is known for.
While spending the afternoon shopping and strolling around the Plaza Grande in Patzcuaro, we stumbled upon a small shop that was selling furniture in the style we'd been looking (unsuccessfully) for to furnish the condo in SMA. The shopkeeper, Maria-Elena, told us ( in very fast Spanish!) that her husband, Fernando, makes the furniture and she invited us back to their house to meet with him later that evening. So off we rushed to design 7(!) pieces of furniture, complete with dimensions, in order to get a quote from the carpenter-husband for the pieces before we had to leave the following day! So much for relaxing!
The next morning we left bright and early, and nervously tried to predict the price estimate we were expecting to receive. Seven pieces is a lot of furniture, we figured. As it turns out, we had nothing to worry about; the prices were so reasonable that we almost had to laugh and the pieces are in production (so they tell us) as I write this. |
"Tourist" walking a typical street of Morelia Cathedral and main plaza in Morelia |
