Despite the dire warnings of the nay-sayers and the lackluster world economy, many people long to live in the friendly, and yes, safe, land of mañana: Mexico.

Choosing a place to live can be challenging and time-consuming. To be considered are location (okay, let's be more specific: location, location, location!) as well as the integrity and security of the building and its suitability for your lifestyle and needs. These and other considerations become 10 times more important if you investing in the property rather than renting. Building or remodeling a home can increase anxiety tenfold.

Perhaps you'll build from scratch. Or maybe the plan is to reinvent a sagging colonial, modernize an austere adobe, or restore the dignity to a 1970s-era nightmare. Whichever your particular design challenges, you'll have many dozens of questions---and decisions to make---as you work with your architect or albañil. (Many first-timers are surprised to learn that an architect is not really needed if you find an experienced albañil (which means "mason," or, in this case, "builder" or "project boss.") And finding a qualified, honest, and professional albañil should be at the tip-top of your priorities list.

These pages contain a number of photos showing typical Mexican designs and describe the materials that are available. This section is still in development, so please bear with us as we evolve. If you have any suggestions, ideas, or photos to share, please send them to us at