Rental agents -- how to find them?

[ptrichmondmike]

I recently joined a Yahoo group focused on Michoacan, and immediately got emails from two "rental agents" showing me some available rentals around Patzcuaro (actually, trying to sell me a house). I don't know this term -- is going through one of these agents the common way to find a place to rent? (Craigslist has rentals for the bigger cities and tourist traps only, and probably is slanted toward the high end.) Can one assume an agent is honest/reliable? And how do you find them -- just ask around?

[conklinwh]

There is basically no regulations on whom can be an agent, rental or sale, and you should not assume that any are honest. The best way is word of mouth and even that tricky unless you know the word of mouth person. My suggestion is that whatever you do, make the initial rental short, say 30 days, as that will give you time to look around and see for yourself as that gets the best rates.

[sparks]

Get a hotel for a few weeks and ask around. People should be easy to meet around the downtown area. I would never rent anything without seeing it unless a good friend recommended it.

Different idea ... take a couple of weeks of Spanish at CELEP and they will find housing. Great school
CELEP

[ptrichmondmike]

Originally Posted by sparks

Get a hotel for a few weeks and ask around. People should be easy to meet around the downtown area. I would never rent anything without seeing it unless a good friend recommended it.

Different idea ... take a couple of weeks of Spanish at CELEP and they will find housing. Great school
CELEP

Thanks for all replies thus far...assuming I do end up in a big town like Patzcuaro and not somewhere else (more remote), CELEP looks like a great bet, and even offers reasonable accomodations while you learn. So far I've been assuming that my rusty Spanish will be adequate and will improve rapidly with daily use, but perhaps directed learning is also a good idea.

[circle110]

Sparks' suggestion is excellent. I studied here in Guanajuato back in 2002 and made so many connections through the school, both with locals and other students. That has helped me over the years when I would return to Guanajuato to visit and when I finally moved here 2.5 years ago it gave me a ready-made network of friends and contacts that has been invaluable.

The school might help you in three ways: 1) force you to kick up your learning speed a notch or two beyond what you'd develop in day to day usage 2) give you temporary housing so you can seek good long term accommodations 3) help you meet more people who can assist you with 1) and 2).

[circle110]

In fact, a young lady that was my Spanish conversation teacher in 2002 (who I stayed in contact with over the years) later married a doctor. On a visit here in 2008 the doctor introduced me to one of his patients and she is now my wife!

You never know...

[ptrichmondmike]

Originally Posted by circle110

In fact, a young lady that was my Spanish conversation teacher in 2002 (who I stayed in contact with over the years) later married a doctor. On a visit here in 2008 the doctor introduced me to one of his patients and she is now my wife!

You never know...

Lol...been there, done that (marriage). But congrats to you!

[sparks]

The two times I studied at CELEP I chose to have my own apartment and they offer those. Lived with a family in Cuernavaca and it was fun but I prefer my own schedule. The school is downtown so a hotel would works as well. Great bunch of people that run the school and it helps support environmental programs in the area.

[circle110]

Originally Posted by ptrichmondmike

Lol...been there, done that (marriage). But congrats to you!

Lol! Thank you.

I wasn't meaning to promote spouse hunting as much as touting the benefits of widening your network of contacts here because you never know what might happen. It could be something as life changing as marriage or as simple as finding that ideal place to rent.

If the saying "It's who you know" is true in the US it's much, much more true here in Mexico.