Rita Sheese has been living and working in the Cozumel Real Estate Market for over 20 years. She is President of the Cozumel AMPI association which is the sister organization of NAR in the United States and CREA in Canada. Rita s background is as interesting as it is diversified, but basically reflects a dedication and passion in two fields: Real Estate and underwater activities.

RITA, WHAT IS YOUR BACKGROUND IN REAL ESTATE HERE IN MEXICO

I am a one-hundred percent Mexican Caribbean specialist! I began with my first sale of properties in Cozumel in 1985, and those led to more real estate transactions, which also led me into the area of property management. When I first started here on the island not too many properties were on the market. But as the years passed a demand from international buyers to acquire and invest here in Cozumel increasedI enjoy very much meeting and helping newcomers from outside of Mexico, and helping them find the perfect property match. Because I enjoyed these real estate activities, I started to becomes active in the community and in the realtor s association, called AMPI here in Mexico. I became a member of AMPI shortly after the Cozumel chapter was formed 7 years ago, and am now serving as it s President. I also serve on the Municipal Urban Planning Commission and the Foundation for Strategic Planning of the Island of Cozumel.

WHAT ARE THE POSITIVE ASPECTS OF BUYING A HOME IN COZUMEL

First of all, living here in Cozumel is an absolute blessing. I think many people came here for the same reason I did. That being: the water, the people, and the island air. There is still a small town atmosphere on the island that makes day to day living very comfortable and unpretentious in comparison to mainland life. And no matter where you go on the island, Cozumel s turquoise Caribbean is not out of site for very long! And, although we are quite a large town now, I feel this closeness to nature gives island residents an understanding of the importance of protecting the island s natural assets. In terms of living, it is a place where you can easily understand the local culture; it is aReal Mexico , without being an unreachable part of Mexico. At any time you can jump on a plane from many parts of North America and arrive quite easily to our island, and enjoy small-town living. And once you arrive at our International Airport in Cozumel, you have immediate access to all parts of our island. Everything is nearby.

HOW DO YOU SEE THE COZUMEL ISLAND INFRASTRUCTURE HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO SHOP AND GET YOUR EVERYDAY ITEMS OR PRODUCTS

It is no longer a problems here on the island to find products or things you need. It was, maybe 30 years ago when I first arrived, but today we have supermarkets, we have movie theatres, and many wonderful restaurants. Because Cozumel has been a major port for most of the last century, we have a wonderful waterfront town with wide sidewalks and a town square, it s shops and cafes busy with the Cruise ship passengers by day and peacefully ours again by night. Being the busiest cruise ship port in Mexico and the second busiest in the Caribbean, apart from servicing the vacation tourism coming from the States or Canada or other parts of M xico, we find it s not hard to get even luxury items anymore.

WHERE DO MOST OF YOUR CLIENTS COME FROM AND WHAT ARE THEY LOOKING FOR IN REGARDS TO COZUMEL REAL ESTATE OPTIONS

Apart from the local market, most of my clients are Americans and Canadians. They are looking for an island community, a life that is tranquil, they want beautiful waters. Some people who buy or invest here in Cozumel are divers or snorkelers and appreciate the accessibility to some of the best dive spots in the world, while others aren t necessarily sportive but just love to be surrounded by the gin-clear turquoise waters of this island. They are looking for a place that is not too urban and offers the comfort of their own homes, but in aReal Mexico surrounding. I find that many of the people who are buying and investing in Cozumel Real Estate are choosing us first because of the island itself, as a place to live, and then because of the specific property.

WHAT DOES COZUMEL HAVE TO OFFER IN REGARDS TO ACTIVITIES OR PASSTIMES FOR SOMEONE WHO IS LIVING HERE ON THE ISLAND

Cozumel Golf Course

We have a Jack Nicklaus designed golf course for those who love this sport.. It is an 18 hole professional golf course, 72 par. The facilities are operated by Golf Corp, and the Cozumel Golf Club is one of 200 courses that this group manages all over the world. The course is designed to intertwine with the wildlife, especially birds, in a natural setting. You need to watch out for the Crocodiles! A second golf course is in the planning stages and will probably be opened to the public within the next four or five years.

Cozumel Marinas and Water sports

This community has been a port town since it was settled 150 years ago. Decades of large ships carried thechicle of the Yucatan peninsula to the US to become Wrigley's chewing gum, and copra from it s plantations to become coconut oil. Today those cargo ships have been replaced by world class Cruise Ships (36 a week, including QE2!) with visitors from around the globe who stop at our island for the day for shopping, eco-tours, archeological tours, diving, golf or just beaching!

We are also well known to sport fishermen as the place to come deep sea fishing for sailfish, marlin, Wahoo, dorado, tuna, mackerel, and for bonefish in the northern lagoons. We have had an international billfish tournament here for over 30 years plus an annual local tournament which now draws 200 small boats!

We have 2 marinas in Cozumel, a third in the planning, to accommodate the dive and charter fishing boats as well as those of the private boaters, who also take advantage of the large dry storage marina.

As you know, Cozumel is a famous ocean sports center due to it s incredible reefs. We have over 200 dive shops on the island. Our safety record id strong and two hyperbaric chambers are operational and professionally administered.

Cozumel Culture

Cozumel boasts a small, state-of-the-art Regional Museum about the island, housed in the first hotel of the island, which opened in 1936. Our local artists also exhibit here.

The island also has a number of Mayan sites, and was extremely important in the Mayan world as the focal point of pilgrimages to the goddess Ix-Chel. Because of the Sanctuary of this goddess, the whole of the island was considered sacred by these ancient people. We think it is still enchanted!

WHAT ABOUT THE COZUMEL HOSPITALS AND FACILITIES

Ahh, excellent, for local people and tourists. We have two government hospitals, and also three private clinic-hospitals, two complete with operating rooms and doctors with medical specialties. Also, having an International Airport, medical emergencies can be handled through air ambulance to Houston, Dallas or Miami.

GETTING TO COZUMEL

Talking about flights, many people don t realize that Cozumel has many direct flights to the island from various cities in North America. Scheduled airlines include Continental, American, Delta, United, Frontier Airlines, and Mexicana. Plus we receive about 16 charter flights each weekend. And the airport is located only about 5 minutes from downtown Cozumel. So this makes it very comfortable and easy to fly in, swing by the grocery store, get to your island home, and be on the beach almost immediately.

ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD FOR THE READERS TO BETTER INTRODUCE THEM TO THE COZUMEL LIVING ATMOSPHERE

Yes, Cozumel is small, quiet, and exclusive in the sense of privacy and security. People come here from various backgrounds to relax, blend in, and to becomes part of this Caribbean island. We are only a 30 minute ferry ride from the mainland at Playa delCarmen and the Riviera Maya for a day-trips or touring the Yucatan but to tell you the truth, living on such a comfortable island, we getflojera and rarely leave!

If you are on Cozumel, we have a wonderful office in a 100 year old island home that we recently remodeled. We are located on the corner of 5th Ave and 5th Street (Calle), just a block off the waterfront and a very short walk from the town square and main ferry dock. Our door is open wide to welcome anyone to stop in, have a delicious cup of coffee, and meet and chat with us.

Rita Sheese is the Cozumel AMPI chapter president She is also a member of the Cozumel Urban Planning Commission and Foundation for Strategic Planning for the Caribbean Island. She began her career in Property Management and Real Estate Sales since 1985 www.TOPmexicorealestate.com 512-879-6546