I’ve noticed that there are many more people making
inquiries about renting or buying a house in San Miguel before they arrive in
the city. I believe this is a mistake. You cannot rely on what realtors and
sellers tell you about living in the city – you’ve got to see it for yourself
in order to decide if living here long term is right for you. Whether you are
planning to rent or buy, the old adage about location-location-location certainly
applies here in spades. San Miguel’s neighborhoods are very diverse.
Many people want to live in centro, the historical downtown,
but they will have to pay a premium, the highest rates in the city for the
privilege of being within 15-minute walking distance of just about everything
except the large supermarkets. There are plenty of livable neighborhoods on the
fringes of centro, but they each have their pluses and minuses.
You must consider the major housing options:
1) A
traditional house built of bricks and concrete, often but not always with small rooms, a patio and/or
a roof-top terrace, some kind of greenery
2) A
modern house in an upscale neighborhood such as Los Frailes, Balcones or
Atascadero. For the artist on a budget, these are quite pricey at $150,000 to 300,000 USD.
3) A
condo usually for adults only with green spaces and often a communal area, such as El
Secreto or Las Ventanas. There are quite a few of these in town, also pricey.
4) A
pre-fab style development of mostly 3-bedroom, 2-bath houses with patios and
terraces on the roof that you will probably want to customize to suit your
needs. There are many of these, primarily on the outskirts, and more seem to be
erupting all the time. Priced in the $80,000 -100,000 USD range.
As
an artist, you will of course need studio space, and many of the houses here
have an extra bedroom that can be converted into a comfortable work area. The older houses here
have many different layout configurations, and you will be pleased with the
wealth of variety and the many options for studios.
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