Everything is just a little different here in Vallarta, so it's no surprise that houses are, too. Here are the most common questions our clients have for us, and our answers:

1) Will my house really be warm enough in the winter without a furnace?

¡Yes! During the coldest part of the year here, the average high temperature is 25°C/ 78°F and the low is 16°C/62°F . That’s one of the nice things about buildings made out of concrete. They are slow to heat and cool, so while you may wake up to a little morning chill, it is never cold, and you won’t really need central heat. That’s why you probably won’t find a chimney, either. On the other hand, summertime temperatures and humidity are very high (35°C /95°F and higher) and most gringos consider A/C a necessity. Remember, this is the sub-tropics!

2) Why aren’t there any screens in the windows?

Because during the summer, anyone who has air conditioning is going to have the windows closed and the A/C cranked. Most of the time there are very few bugs anyway. Screens are nice, but you don’t really need them here, and you’ll get more light into the house without them.

3) Why is the water heater so small? Why is it outside? And is that OK?

It’s small because in warmer clients, people use less hot water. In fact, the cold water stored in the tanks on many rooftops gets so warm in the summer, that many people find that perfect for showering. Most people take showers here, not baths, too. You’ll want to have the water heater replaced with something larger if you want to be able to fill the bathtub, but chances are very good that you’ll use much less hot water here than you did at home.

It’s outside because it’s easier to install, repair, and replace them that way. Plus it doesn’t take up any interior space.

And yes, it’s OK. It’s best to have it sheltered from the rain as much as possible, because we still get over 50 inches of rain every year here in PV (and 80% of it falls between June and September). Since most water heaters don’t vent into chimneys here like they do at home, you’ll also want yours located somewhere where it won’t allow combustion products into the house.

5) Is it safe to shower, cook with the water here?

That’s one of the cities best features. Unlike the vast majority of Mexico, the water is filtered by the municipality and is very safe. It consistently exceeds the World Health Organization’s standards for drinking water. Most people drink bottled water here, just like at home, but cooking, showering, and brushing your teeth are all about as safe here as they are where you live.

6) There are so many locks on the doors and bars on the windows¡¦is Puerto Vallarta safe?

Vallarta is one of the safest cities in Mexico. However, like all resort towns, there are loads of people coming and going all of the time. Add to that the fact that the local population is poor relative to the boatloads of tourists that flow through town every day, and you can see why locking your doors, and being discreet with your cash is a good idea. That said, violent crime is a rarity here.

Casas del Mar PV is your Vallarta real estate resource. They perform home inspections and manage vacation properties for people who are serious about their vacation home investments. You can send your questions to: info@casasdelmarpv.com.