24 replies to this topic

[kristashawn]

Hi all! For a few months now, my husband and I have been looking into moving to TJ. We just got our Sentri passes in the mail yesterday (essential, since we both work in SD) and so now we are trying to learn more about neighborhoods. Playas seems like a good option, but are there other neighborhoods that we should check out? We are looking for a child-friendly area. Also, any leads for houses to rent would be most welcome! We are looking for a 3 bedroom/ 2 bath.

[tijuanahopeful]

I'm doing the exact same thing. I've already applied for my SENTRI pass, so I hope that I have it before I move.

[Zoe J.]

Hi all! For a few months now, my husband and I have been looking into moving to TJ. We just got our Sentri passes in the mail yesterday (essential, since we both work in SD) and so now we are trying to learn more about neighborhoods. Playas seems like a good option, but are there other neighborhoods that we should check out? We are looking for a child-friendly area. Also, any leads for houses to rent would be most welcome! We are looking for a 3 bedroom/ 2 bath.

Congratulations. That was such a smart thing to do and relieves a LOT of the stress. Best of luck to you and you should have no problem finding something wonderful in this most enjoyable and kid friendly country. '-)

[Chamaco]

I'm not sure Playas is a great option, but it's by far the most gringo-filled area with more Americanos than other locations. Best though? I don't think so. Do you speak Spanish? How much rent can you afford to pay? Are you going to take your children across the border for school? You should take a tour through some of the better neighborhoods in Tijuana. La Cacho, Chapultapec, Hipodromo, etc.

[kristashawn]

Yes, as we learn more, we are realizing that maybe Playas is not our best bet. We have had recs of some good bilingual preschools, one of which is in La Cacho and the other nearby. Since we actually want to send our son to preschool in TJ, schools will be a major factor in where we decide to live.

As to what we can afford... we would prefer $500-800 per month.

As to the Spanish--I am a beginner but I love to learn languages (I speak four) and am highly motivated to add Spanish to the list of languages I am proficient in. I am an advocate of immersion as the best way to learn a language, so a less gringo-filled area also sounds appealing for that reason.

We will definitely be making some trips down in the coming weeks. I am starting a list of areas I want to check out...

I'm not sure Playas is a great option, but it's by far the most gringo-filled area with more Americanos than other locations. Best though? I don't think so. Do you speak Spanish? How much rent can you afford to pay? Are you going to take your children across the border for school? You should take a tour through some of the better neighborhoods in Tijuana. La Cacho, Chapultapec, Hipodromo, etc.

[Keyno]

Yes, as we learn more, we are realizing that maybe Playas is not our best bet. We have had recs of some good bilingual preschools, one of which is in La Cacho and the other nearby. Since we actually want to send our son to preschool in TJ, schools will be a major factor in where we decide to live.

As to what we can afford... we would prefer $500-800 per month.

As to the Spanish--I am a beginner but I love to learn languages (I speak four) and am highly motivated to add Spanish to the list of languages I am proficient in. I am an advocate of immersion as the best way to learn a language, so a less gringo-filled area also sounds appealing for that reason.

We will definitely be making some trips down in the coming weeks. I am starting a list of areas I want to check out...

Great site for learning Spanish....http://www.spanishdict.com/

[Chamaco]

You might want to focus on looking for a place inside a privado with a secure entrance. One of my neighbors is renting a couple of doors down from me for $900/month. I think it's a 3/2, plus has an enclosed two car garage with roll up remote control garage door, and a second two car "car port" for additional covered (but not enclosed) parking. The neighborhood has a swimming pool, spa, tennis court, event hall, and, more importantly, a secure guarded entry gate. The only way in other than the security gate is to scale some very high retaining walls. Close to the downtown area and I'm pretty sure I saw a bi-lingual school in the area too.

These are the types of places I'd recommend looking for. I'm sure you could beat the $900/month price and still get most or all of the things listed. With kids, I'd make security your main concern. A real estate agent I worked with told me in the US it's "location, location, location" that sets the prices. He said in TJ, it's "security, security, security."

[kristashawn]

I see... what about proximity to the border, though? Does 5 minutes vs 15 minutes from the border make any difference in price?

We could still afford $900, it would just require some re-prioritizing in our budget. Here in the US, gated communities have never appealed to me. However, if we're moving to TJ I may need to reevaluate my views on such things. Security is very important to me, and if a gated community provides real security (rather than just the illusion of it) then for sure it would be worth paying more.

You might want to focus on looking for a place inside a privado with a secure entrance. One of my neighbors is renting a couple of doors down from me for $900/month. I think it's a 3/2, plus has an enclosed two car garage with roll up remote control garage door, and a second two car "car port" for additional covered (but not enclosed) parking. The neighborhood has a swimming pool, spa, tennis court, event hall, and, more importantly, a secure guarded entry gate. The only way in other than the security gate is to scale some very high retaining walls. Close to the downtown area and I'm pretty sure I saw a bi-lingual school in the area too.

These are the types of places I'd recommend looking for. I'm sure you could beat the $900/month price and still get most or all of the things listed. With kids, I'd make security your main concern. A real estate agent I worked with told me in the US it's "location, location, location" that sets the prices. He said in TJ, it's "security, security, security."

[kristashawn]

Thanks! I just joined and signed up for their "word of the day"

Great site for learning Spanish....http://www.spanishdict.com/

[Cyanide41]

I wouldn't worry about "gringo populations" The more affluent your neighborhood the more chances that your neighbors will speak English regardless of which side of the border they are from. I would focus more on schools and housing. Behind the golf course are some VERY nice houses, but probably a little out of your price range. The trick is finding a place where you feel comfortable with out breaking the bank. Good luck in your search.

[kristashawn]

I wouldn't worry about "gringo populations" The more affluent your neighborhood the more chances that your neighbors will speak English regardless of which side of the border they are from. I would focus more on schools and housing. Behind the golf course are some VERY nice houses, but probably a little out of your price range. The trick is finding a place where you feel comfortable with out breaking the bank. Good luck in your search.

To clarify: I am not trying to avoid gringos. Someone asked me if I preferred Playas because of the number of Americans there and asked about my Spanish. So my point was, I don't need to be surrounded by Americans and English speakers to feel comfortable. It would actually be a bonus to have some neighbors around that I could speak Spanish with. But if it doesn't work out that way that is ok, too. We have not completely ruled out Playas, but so far we don't have any recommendations of good preschools anywhere near there. So that is the main reason we're now looking as La Cacho--two highly recommended schools.

[kristashawn]

You might want to focus on looking for a place inside a privado with a secure entrance. One of my neighbors is renting a couple of doors down from me for $900/month. I think it's a 3/2, plus has an enclosed two car garage with roll up remote control garage door, and a second two car "car port" for additional covered (but not enclosed) parking. The neighborhood has a swimming pool, spa, tennis court, event hall, and, more importantly, a secure guarded entry gate. The only way in other than the security gate is to scale some very high retaining walls. Close to the downtown area and I'm pretty sure I saw a bi-lingual school in the area too.

These are the types of places I'd recommend looking for. I'm sure you could beat the $900/month price and still get most or all of the things listed. With kids, I'd make security your main concern. A real estate agent I worked with told me in the US it's "location, location, location" that sets the prices. He said in TJ, it's "security, security, security."

Would you recommend using a real estate agent?

[Chamaco]

I wouldn't worry about "gringo populations" The more affluent your neighborhood the more chances that your neighbors will speak English regardless of which side of the border they are from. I would focus more on schools and housing. Behind the golf course are some VERY nice houses, but probably a little out of your price range. The trick is finding a place where you feel comfortable with out breaking the bank. Good luck in your search.

 

Agree about the english being common in the more affluent areas.  My house is (sorta) behind the campestre (golf course) you mention, but a bit North.  Great view of La Recta and part of the golf course.  I started a conversation with my next door neighbor in Spanish and it quickly became apparent that her English was far better than my Spanish (not even an accent, she went to school in San Diego).   The house for $900 rent is two doors down from me.

 

Krista,  One thing about using a real estate agent is that you're going to be limiting yourself to the houses they list for rent.  You should use as many agents as you can.  Things work differently down there.  When I was shopping for my house, I used an independent agent ( a friend of a Mexican friend).   They don't have the equivalent of our MLS listings.  Each broker lists the houses they have and no others.

 

Many rentals don't even use an agent, but I suspect the higher end ones are more likely to be listed with some real estate service.  You should also tour the neighborhoods you're interested in to look for "For Rent" signs.  I hired a taxi libre a couple of times for the day just to tour various neighborhoods before I bought.  You might want to do the same thing for renting.

[Miggiesmallz- TEXMEX]

Ooooooohhh, nice area chamaco.  I took some videos last year from this area that you can watch in the link below.  You must live somewhere around here.

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkuIFfh7_-Y

[kristashawn]

We took our first trip south of the border today. This time we focused on the neighborhoods along the toll road between Playas and Rosarito. We met four different realtors and saw ten places. One realtor was hands down the best--he networked with other realtors he knows to show us more listings, and showed us six of the ten places we saw today. The listings he showed us were also considerably better priced and more for the money than what the other realtors showed us. We liked Hacienda del Mar and Brisas del Mar better than San Antonio. Better security, paved roads, better maintained. It seems like we would be able to get a secure three bedroom with a beautiful view in one of those places for ~$700 per month. If we wanted to forego the view, we would pay more like $550. For someone who is very concerned about security, Brisas seems like the best bet. People don't have any bars on their windows and they just park their cars on the streets in front of the house. Very quiet and peaceful!

 

Next weekend we plan to check out some of the nice neighborhoods off of Agua Caliente...

[smac]

We took our first trip south of the border today. This time we focused on the neighborhoods along the toll road between Playas and Rosarito. We met four different realtors and saw ten places. One realtor was hands down the best--he networked with other realtors he knows to show us more listings, and showed us six of the ten places we saw today. The listings he showed us were also considerably better priced and more for the money than what the other realtors showed us. We liked Hacienda del Mar and Brisas del Mar better than San Antonio. Better security, paved roads, better maintained. It seems like we would be able to get a secure three bedroom with a beautiful view in one of those places for ~$700 per month. If we wanted to forego the view, we would pay more like $550. For someone who is very concerned about security, Brisas seems like the best bet. People don't have any bars on their windows and they just park their cars on the streets in front of the house. Very quiet and peaceful!

 

Next weekend we plan to check out some of the nice neighborhoods off of Agua Caliente...

Thank you so much for this information...

[smac]

are there public schools in Hacienda del Mar ?

[smac]

I just confirmed that the nearest public schools would be in Rosarito 11 min away

[kristashawn]

Yes, that's right about the schools.

 

We took another trip down last weekend, and I think this is the area we're probably moving to. The security at Brisas del Mar definitely seems the best. But, it does seem like a secure house in some of the other neighborhoods in this area would also be fine. Guards at Hecienda are not as strict as Brisas, but at least there is just one entrance/exit (vs 2 street entrances at SADM, plus anyone can walk from the beach, of course).

[smac]

Yes, that's right about the schools.

 

We took another trip down last weekend, and I think this is the area we're probably moving to. The security at Brisas del Mar definitely seems the best. But, it does seem like a secure house in some of the other neighborhoods in this area would also be fine. Guards at Hecienda are not as strict as Brisas, but at least there is just one entrance/exit (vs 2 street entrances at SADM, plus anyone can walk from the beach, of course).

Looks like we might be neighbors if everything goes well for us... Hacienda Del Mar has two near school .. Bilingual one is http://www.cri.edu.mx/ and for little ones

 

Jardin de Ninos Anita Brener

Carretera Libre Tijuana Ensenada Kilómetro 49, Marbella, 22714 Rosarito, Baja California

01 661 614 3018

 

I am told one of is a few yards north of hacienda del Mar. The other one is lime 1.5 miles north.

Best of luck to your family,  the drive for me is going be harsh but saftey is important