If you intend to renovate an existing structure or commence new construction on raw land, Yucatan Mexico Beach Realty Construction Liaison Services are a godsend.

The beauty of this service is three fold: it is totally customizable, totally interactive and ridiculously inexpensive when compared to the alternatives.

The great Donald Trump said it best: "The contractors will pick your pockets a lot less when they know- that you know, what is going on at the job site.

Overall, my personal experience dealing with Mexican construction crews has been totally enjoyable, but I was working along with them .... not thousands of miles away.

In very plain language: if you are going to get involved in renovation or construction you should prepare yourself for one of the following:

A - To fly down weekly to verify the progress of the job and verify the legitimacy of the contractors' requests for more money based on completion of ongoing work.

B - Be prepared to do a lot of re-work before the job is finally finished to your satisfaction.

C - Retain the services of a liaison, reporting to you on a regular basis (or as instructed) , via a written report supported by photos, in a manner which clearly identifies the progress at the job site, and conveys your further instructions to the contractor.

Why pay an architect's rates, airline tickets, hotel costs and car rentals if all you really require is someone, not connected to the contractor, representing your interests? That "someone" can visit the job site and tell you what is really going on there in the form of a regular report.

YMB Realty Ltd. starts by reviewing your project requirements and determining with what frequency site visits are best scheduled, during each phase of the project. In addition, this system of reporting allows the client to compile a pictorial catalogue of the entire transformation, which comes in very handy later on, when you can't remember exactly where the underground pipes to the swimming pool are buried, etc., etc.

How does it work?

Our report consists of digital pictures (as requested) which are time/date stamped as well as a written update which includes responses to specific client questions.

Upon receipt, the client may print the photographs and sketch any desired changes onto the photos, then scan the amended photo into an e-mail application (if you're not computer savvy, we'll show you how to do this) along with any new questions or instructions which we then discuss with the contractor. This is a very powerful tool. Often in the evolution of the project, the appearance or functionality of the intended improvements is not turning out exactly as you thought it would.

This process allows for small corrections to be made during the project instead of discovering you have a nightmare on your hands after it is to late . Typically, owners who find themselves in this situation spend their next vacation trying to fix the mess, instead of enjoying the benefits they had hoped for.

The finishing work is generally what requires the most attention. Monitoring the job site during this phase helps minimize damage to newly completed areas by careless work practices and ensures client satisfaction prior to final payout to the contractor.

What does it cost? Our fees are based on individual client requirements, and services are rendered on a prepaid basis. A standard visit to the property with report and pictures to the client will cost approximately 5% of the cost of an airline ticket per visit.

What this program is not!

Please be advised of the limitations of this service, in that YMB agents are not representing themselves as architects, engineers, electricians, plumbers or general contractors. The sole purpose of the service is to provide a liaison service which conveys information between our client and a third party, as instructed by our client.

Pop-ups

During the construction process it is inevitable that there will be times when the contractor will "stop work" because he is unsure of how to proceed without receiving instructions from the owner.

If required, we will visit the property on a priority basis to take pictures and e-mail the photos of the issue in question. If language is not a challenge, the client may wish to talk to the contractor directly. Otherwise, e-mail the revised photos to our offices and we will return to the job site and convey your comments to the contractor and advise you of the outcome.