Merida Real Estate is an enchanting city with much to enjoy and little to cause complaint. Approachable and friendly, the citizens find their roots in the Mayan, Spanish, French and Lebanese culture. This is a civilized city where people are civil to one another. Neighbors know each other and often, are related.  Family is not just important here, family is everything – as is a sense of community. People belong here in the city of Merida.

The Merida real estate region  is safe. Violent crime is practically unheard of.  As in any city of million people, there is petty street crime. However, no matter where you go in the city or at what hour, you will not feel intimidation. There is not that gut sinking fear that exist in so many cities. There is an overall gentleness that pervades.

Handguns are not permitted. There is a large police presence – traffic police, city police, tourist police, state police and federal police. This police presence does deter criminal activity. However, with all these police available, there is not an atmosphere of police repression. The police are here FOR you, they are not out to GET you.

The streets are energized with people at all hours. The city is alive and the citizens feel safe to be on the streets. People walk here. There is a constant flow of activity – buses, bikes, motor scooters, taxis and cars. Occasionally, traffic can be a test of patience in the center city, but it is a testimony to a vibrant community in an ancient city of Merida.

Architecturally, the Merida properties are a feast for the eyes.  From the grandeur of fabulous French style mansions, to the uncompromising grace of a perfect colonial arch in a small courtyard garden, few places rival the Yucatan homes or the architectural variety and charm. Wander the center city or the outer neighborhoods, and you are delighted when you suddenly stumble upon a turn-of-the-century hacienda, colonial casona, or a charming, worn stone church. There are places here where time literally stands still.

Merida offers an abundance of gastronomic delights. With Merida’s excellent location and climate, residents and visitors enjoy a grand variety of year-round tropical fruits and vegetibles as well as seafood and meat. Located just a 30-minute drive from the Gulf of Mexico, the local markets and restaurants provide a feast of fresh shellfish, mollusks and fish. Ranches that specialize in pork, poultry and beef surround Merida.

Almost any cuisine is available in Merida — French, Italian, Spanish, Lebanese, Vegetarian, Argentinian, Chinese and Japanese, Thai, Fusion and more!  The local Yucatecan cuisine is habit forming.  You will find yourself craving “cochinita, lechon, carnitas, barbacoa, pavo relleno, panuchos, salbutes, frijol y puerco and hundreds of fabulous local dishes and tacos. Yummy!

The cultural scene in Merida Real Estate is top notch! The soul also needs to be fed and Merida serves up a stellar menu of arts, dance, symphony, recitals, poetry readings, theatre, cinema, markets, parks, fairs and bazaars. The government and local residents patronize the arts.  Culture is important and art galleries are flourishing.  Every night of the week there is something “happening” in centro Merida:  Street dances or singing; art openings; wine tasting; music recitals; poetry readings; discussion groups; professional baseball and soccer games; annual festivals, color and fun. Don’t forget – Carnival!   Entry fees and tickets are very inexpensive and often are free. In the year 2000, Merida was named the first American Capital of Culture.

Merida is a vast metropolitan city that seems small. There is something here for everyone and every budget.  For more information on Merida or purchasing homes in Merida, please contact me.

Mitch Keenan has been a Licensed Broker in the United States since the 1980s. He holds a GRI and a CRS from NAR (National Association of Realtors). With over ten years of living and working in the Yucatan real estate industry, Mitch brings American business ethics and Mexico business experience together to give buyers unparalleled service. 512-879-6546

THE www.TOPmexicorealestate.com NETWORK

“Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely!”

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I am sure you have all wondered when vacationing down in Mexico, “what happens to me if I lose mytourist card , also known as a FMT ( Forma Migratoria Turista)” . The tourist visa is the document that you get on the plane or as you drive across, fill out, and then hand to the customs/immigration officer He then stamps it with the date you arrived and the number of days you can remain in Mexico.

We recently had a very interesting and yet worrying experience. For the first time ever, we took a domestic flight from Mexico City into Cancun (though our trip started in Canada) We never received an FMT card on either the flight into Mexico City, nor the one into Cancun We initially thought that perhaps these visas were no longer required This was until our friends arrived a few days later on a charter flight with tourist cards in hand!

We had thought it extremely unusual that we did not go through customs and that our passports were not stamped in Mexico City nor Cancun Upon arrival in Mexico City we did not change terminals; we just got on our flight to Cancun - bags checked through We have since been told that terminal one in Mexico City is an old terminal and it s possible to completely bypass customs

Advise one:When travelling abroad, your first port of entry will most likely be the area required to present your passports, visas, and travelling documents to obtain stamps from custom officials

Needless to say, we became very worried when we discovered our friends had one. From past experience we knew that you could pay for the tourist cards at a bank, but you had to have the card in hand. On further investigation we found out that we needed to go to the Cancun airport toexplain the situation to the Mexicana Airline people and immigration. As you can imagine, this took several hours and took away from our valuable Beach time.The airline was surprisedthat we did not receive one and immediately suggested we talk to someone at immigration.

At this point I knew we would meet up with either very professional/conscienceous personnel OR we would have topropina our way out of this We discovered the following information.

Advise two: you need proof of citizenship to obtain an FMT card, this can be either a passport or a birth certificate accompanied with a photo identification.

The official gave us the 2 FMT cards once we had shown him our passports We had to fill out the documents which asked where we were born, purpose of the trip, and our final destination.

Advise three: You will need to take your airline ticket if your Mexican FMT is lost, as well as your proof of citizenship

After filling out the documentation, we were required to pay for the administrative fees which have an approximate cost of $250 pesos per fmt

The FMT is a tourist visa, and can be obtained for a maximum period of 180 days Although hardly any Immigration officier will stamp approval for these amunt of days, they usualy will approve a 90 day FMT

Nancy Schneider -Deacon

www.TOPmexicorealestate.com

512-879-6546

Related posts:

1. What Documents are Needed When Travelling to Mexico
2. What Items Am I Allowed to Take With Me on my Trip to Mexico
3. Shared Information on Mexico VISA in Playa del Carmen