Here’s an updated version of your article using more conversational language for better readability:
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Time for an update on your favorite Guatemalan telenovela! The big news last time was that our land development’s deeds got approved, complete with property titles. This was a huge win for us, especially since the council had demanded a lot of pointless and expensive studies. They even told me outright they wouldn’t read them but wanted a bribe to speed things up. We didn’t cave and didn’t give them the bribe. Now, out of 100 plots, we’ve got 95 deeds approved. The remaining 5 plots are still under inspection because they are less than 200 meters from the lake shore. The shore is land we lease from the government for 30 years at a time, so you can’t have full ownership of the shore itself. Since the land was previously a cattle farm, no one bothered with getting a lease. Luckily, we’re not required to pay any back dues because the authorities are pleased we’re making everything legal. We could have kept quiet, but that would have complicated things for future buyers and possibly subjected us to new, stricter laws.
We’re now figuring out what services to offer buyers. Water and electricity seem obvious, but if we sell the plots closest to the village first, the new owners could connect to public utilities themselves, saving us the cost. However, this would lower the sales price.
Last week, while driving back from Miami with the cars we imported, we stayed at a hotel and met two men who volunteer for Water for Life. They drill wells around the country for free when they aren’t doing paid work like ours to fund their charity. They checked out our land to find a good spot for a well to serve our first customers. The basic cost for the first 125 feet is $10,000, and it’s about $70 for each additional foot. It’s a bit of a gamble since there’s no guarantee of hitting water.
Options include drilling near the lake on the leased land, further up on our owned land, or on top of a hill to save on pumping costs. They recommended drilling on our land near the lake, close to a power line for easy access to electricity for the pump. The other option is to ask a neighbor to use his shore to pump lake water, but that comes with risks like theft and the cost of an expensive submersible pump. We’re still weighing our options.
Things are moving in the right direction, though slowly. But the longer we wait, the more the land appreciates in value. I also have some extra cash to invest and have been considering putting more money into this area. Some people advise against concentrating investments in one place, but we noticed incredible changes when my partner and I recently explored the nearby shores by boat. New hotels have sprung up in just 18 months, transforming the area.
One new hotel has charming bungalows, while another more luxurious one offers all the comforts with AC, flat screens, and plush bedding right in the jungle. These hotels charge $200 and $300+ a night. Compared to simpler hotels which were the norm not too long ago, my fully finished luxury double room offers a great deal at $70 a night, especially given its lakefront location and privacy.
I’m considering investing in more waterfront plots for future development, either more rooms or a single-family home for resale. I’m also thinking about building a smaller stone room to avoid moving my personal items when renting out my current one. A new room would cost about $15,000, and I’d need about 200 rented nights at $70 a night to recoup the investment. With an average of 15 nights rented per month, I could make back the investment in around two and a half years, even accounting for slower rental periods during the rainy season.
However, the downside would be enduring a few months of construction noise and chaos just when I thought things had settled down. I’m not sure I want to go through that again just yet.
That’s it for now! What’s new with you?