Job Discussion Forums

Gab · Joined: 09 Apr 2008 Posts: 26 Location: Canada

Hi everyone, this is my first post here, and will also be my first time teaching in Mexico D.F. this July 2008.
My girlfriend is Mexican and lives in D.F., however she is having a VERY hard time finding an apartment to rent since she needs a fiador *(someone who owns a house to co-sign for rent).
I was wondering if anyone could give me advice or discuss their own challenges in regards to finding an apartment in Mexico City.
How have previous ESL teachers found apartments to live in?
Thanks for your time!

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Let's start with this...furnished or unfurnished?

Furnished places are easy to get without a fijador, though segundamano.com.mx Unfurnished take a little more looking locally.

Gab · Joined: 09 Apr 2008 Posts: 26 Location: Canada

Yeah, I've been thinking about that choice.
Currently I was hoping to be paying 3000-4000 pesos/month for rent, I can only assume this means an unfurnished apartment... I will check that website though, thanks!!
P.s. My Mexican girlfriend tells me it's more common for them to waive the fiador requirement for foreigners, anyone have input on that?

corporatehuman · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 198 Location: Mexico City

Yes you can get by the fiador thing. All we had to do is make a copy of my girlfriends credencial de lector...but it depends on the building. Look for smaller family owned or independent buildings, many times they are better anyway (if you get a good one) and they aren't as strict. Especially if you have a mexican girlfriend that will make it easier cause they won't assume you'll leave quickly I think.

So sometimes you need a fiador but if they ask for it I'd just say hey listen we'll make the deposit and pay the rent on time promise you are a good person etc. etc. etc. and it should work!

Gab · Joined: 09 Apr 2008 Posts: 26 Location: Canada

Thanks, I'll make sure to have a few months worth of rent available if that's what I need to avoid the fiador.

Also, my girlfriend works in the delegacion ''Cuauhtemoc''.
She says it's close to these zonas: Condesa, Escandon, Roma and Anahuac.

I know that Condesa is expensive *(I want to pay 3,000 - 5,000 pesos per month), so could anyone recommend a good location in regards to safety, price and location *(close to delegacion ''Cuauhtemoc'' or with easy access to metrobus station insurgentes y hamburgo)

I know I'm asking a lot, but any information helps, and once I'm familiar with the city, I'll be sure to keep posting here,
Thanks

MO39 · Posted: Thu Apr 17, 2008 4:16 am Post subject:

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

BJardIm · Joined: 02 Sep 2007 Posts: 32

I've just moved to D.F(3 weeks) and found a flat to move into via segundamano. Its in colonia escandon which is relatively close to condesa and that. Patriotismo metro is a 7 min walk and chilpancingo metro isn't far either. I'm paying 5500 a month for a two bedroom flat in a modern looking building but bills are not included and its unfurnished. Intially the landlandy was big on fiadores, but that can be "discussed". If you have the savings, offereing a few months rent in advance along with a deposit might do it.
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Phil_K · Joined: 25 Jan 2007 Posts: 2041 Location: A World of my Own

thelmadatter · Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 2:56 pm Post subject: neighborhoods

I agree with Phil about the advantages of Escandon. If I hadnt fell in love with the apt I bought... I would have looked harder there.

I just closed on an apt in Col Doctores. Now for those of you who are rolling your eyes, be aware that it is very centrally located, and they are rebuilding on just about every block in this colonia. Not only did I love the apt I found (lucky enough to find a place with a balcony!!!) but Im betting this neighborhood is moving up. This is as city neighborhoods tend to do when the city really cant grow outwards more and DF is getting limited by mountains and regulations forcing developers back into the city itself.

Im one block from Metro Obrera and 3 blocks from Metros Lazaro Cardenas, and Ni�os Heroes... all on different Metro lines. Im one block from Eje Central, making it easy to get to my apt but Im not on the main road, so its quiet.

I believe that if you keep your eyes open, trust your judgement and dont believe all the hype about anything outside of certain (expensive!) neighborhoods to be savage jungles, there are a lot of opportunties in DF. Even Tepito, with its deserved bad reputation is experiencing a large influx of Chinese (so says the local guy Im dating) who are opening up businesses there. So nothing stays the same and sometimes they even get better!

Oh and Col. Anahuac was another area I was looking into that I think has a lot of promise too.

M@tt · Joined: 16 Jan 2003 Posts: 473 Location: here and there

juarez is the real name of zona rosa, and it tends to be expensive.
anahuac is a dangerous ghetto, stay out of it.
any of the others are fine but they're all expensive. roma sur might be the cheapest of the ones you mentioned.
good luck

MO39 · Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 6:58 pm Post subject:

corporatehuman · Joined: 09 Jan 2006 Posts: 198 Location: Mexico City

I live in Col. Juarez. If you walk a little bit past the Zona Rosa you will find a quieter less crowded area. It's very safe here too no matter what time of night...where I live there are many, many Koreans. However do not live INSIDE the Zona Rosa unless you like to party and pay 11,000 pesos a month for rent.

Guy Courchesne · Joined: 10 Mar 2003 Posts: 9650 Location: Mexico City

Samantha · Joined: 25 Oct 2003 Posts: 2038 Location: Mexican Riviera

Speaking of areas and names, I came across this article "Muddled in Mexico" and thought it would be a fun read for those searching for housing in the big city.

http://www.gulf-news.com/explore/Journeys/10206593.html