Buying a Piece of Baja's Paradise

With an idyllic, year-round temperature averaging 78°F (26°C), and a location just hours away from many parts of the United States, who wouldn't want to own a piece of Baja? Here is some valuable advice from agent Axel Estrada of Paradise Properties (www.searchincabo.com), in Los Cabos. Having a broader view of "Los Cabos"—once delineated in the industry as the two Cabo-city bookends and the corridor between them—will open up options for you. Growth is heading up both capes: to La Ribera on the east, and on the Pacific side, up to Todos Santos.

A one-bedroom condo in a good area, but a few blocks from the beach, can still be had for $80,000-$100,000 USD, Estrada explains. For a medium-size house in the same locale, you're looking at $200,000-$400,000 USD. Being on the beachfront pushes prices up to seven or eight figures.

Since most expats who purchase Baja property don't live here year-round, a good system of property management makes it easier to be an absentee landlord.