Dave Perry-Miller Real Estate’s Lance Blann is a man about town. If he’s not in his Park Cities office, he’s out there in Uptown, Downtown, Oak Lawn, Lakewood, Lake Highlands, East Dallas, or North Dallas getting it done for his clients. And if that’s not enough territory to cover, he specializes in one more area you wouldn’t expect. Puerto Vallarta. Whaaa? That’s not even in Dallas.
Exactly. But the Pacific coast city in Mexico is a destination for Dallasites looking for a second home, retirement destination, or just a really, really cool place to work remotely.
Under The Radar
On his first visit to Puerto Vallarta in 2005, he fell in love with the city, the beach, the people, and most definitely the way of life. Back then, Blann said it was a little more under the radar. A bit of a fantastic secret that you know was going to get shared.
Now the word is definitely out. Blann said it’s well on its way to becoming South Beach. Tons of growth means tons of opportunities and even more reason to head south.
While Dallas is still Blann’s main market, he’s ready to make his daltxrealestate.com international debut. He’s been selling real estate in Mexico for a few years, but now that it’s on daltxrealestate.com, it’s OFFICIAL. He specializes in Puerto Vallarta or PV as he calls it with an emphasis on Zona Romantica (it’s a place, not a state of mind).
Home Shopping in Puerto Vallarta
He said looking for homes down there is different and the same. The architecture and the way real estate works are obviously different, but he said showings are similar. “Instead of driving people around town looking at potentials,” Blann said, “we hop on a plane and have a working vacation.” Sounds like the perfect way to buy.
Now if you need a nudge on why you should buy, sit tight, friends, because Blann made an enumerated list and I elaborated.
1. It’s a Top Expat Relocation Market
Live among your fellow expatriates in the lap of lujo. That’s Spanish for “luxury.” Three cheers for a built-in community!
2. Rising Home Values
Home values have gone up and up since COVID. Once everyone figured out they could work remotely, the appeal to do it with an ocean view proved irresistible.
3. Rental Income Potential
If you’re not a full-timer, you can rent your home while you’re away. I mean, hello, there’s no shortage of people looking to soak up some sun south of our border.
4. A Two-Hour Flight
In Dallas, we’re pretty lucky to have two airports, both serving international destinations. What makes Vallarta even more attractive to frequent flyers? It’s only a two-hour flight. It’s quicker to get there than either coast. GEOGRAPHY!
5. An Incredible Food Scene
Iconic restaurants, top-tier cuisine, and creative takes on traditional Mexican food make Puerto Vallarta a hit among food snobs, er, those with a distinguished palette.
6. Cost of Living
You know I come from advertising, and we never say cheaper. We say “better value.” Puerto Vallarta is a “better value” than most American cities. The cost of living is low-low or at the very least, lower.
7. New Construction
You know it’s poppin’ when there are new homes going up seemingly daily. For those that like something fresh, you can pretty much take your pick. Oh, and loads of them come with the aforementioned ocean views.
8. Expertise With an AMPI-Certified Agent
Okay, this last one isn’t a “why” to buy, but a “how” to buy. Basically, AMPI is Puerto Vallarta’s version of the National Association of Realtors. With NAR It’s very difficult to get the certification — it requires a residency, a work visa, a national tax ID number, and 115 hours of Mexican law education — but Blann completed the requirements and stuck the landing. He also warns, “In a lucrative market, you have a lot of people posing as ‘real estate agents’ from your cab drivers to other vacation goers, but you need to work with someone who’s experienced and certified, just as you’d use a licensed Realtor in the States.” Go pro, don’t go it alone!
And now, one final fun fact from Blann: “Richard Burton made Puerto Vallarta uber-famous when he filmed Night of The Iguana there. Elizabeth Taylor had an amazing house there, Casa Kimberly, and you can feel her influence throughout the city.”
