[chingon]

The current situation has created some opportunities if you have been living there for awhile.

A friend has rented the same house in San Antonio del Mar for over 20 years. If you aren’t familiar with the development, it backs up to the toll road just past Real del Mar and south of Playas de Tijuana. His rent for the 3 story has doubled in 20 years (which isn’t bad) but he told me recently that the owner (who lives in Puerta Vallarta) gave him permission to divide a large game room that is located off the garage (that he never uses) on the street level into 2 separate bedrooms, each with their own bath/shower. He says the entire project cost him less than 3,000 dollars as all he had to do was build a dividing wall, install 2 baths with just a shower/sink and toilet. He did all the work himself – framing, electrical, plumbing, drywall, tied into the house sewer pipe that passed conveniently right outside, tile work, painted and laid down some new carpet. He installed some used cabinets he picked up off craigslist along with some bedroom furniture, microwaves and coffee makers.

He now rents out both bedrooms which covers 90% of the rent of the house and he rarely sees them as they have separate entrances down below at street level. He recouped his investment in the first 3 months and now he’s living beachfront and almost rent free.