Frustración

Since we last wrote, not much has happened.  We have spent many hours in first one financial institution and then another, trying to get an account set up so that we can transfer money here from the US.  Need this in order to pay for a house--it sure is never portrayed as this hard on House Hunters International.  One must live here six months and have more than a tourist visa to have a bank account.  Since we qualify in neither case, we're casting around for some other way to skin the cat.  So how to pay for a house and be sure of a receipt?  When we were in Córdoba last, we stopped at InterCam, but have not yet been contacted as to whether they can set up an account for us.

Fri, 25 Nov. Today we visited Banamex, associated with BanamexUSA where we have a US account, and where we've been withdrawing our peso funds to live on while here. After speaking with the Banamex main office in Mexico City, the account manager said it was not possible to open an account without having lived here six months.  But one of the staff we talked to whispered that we should try the next bank up the street.  We would try that tomorrow.

We next took a bus to Sam's Club and next to it the Walmart.  Is it worth paying $35 a year for the few items we might purchase at a Sam's Club store?  Cat litter and cat food is cheapest there, just about US prices.  Much more of a selection of large tools, ladders and such, here than Walmart.  Large units, a la Costco style.  We had come here today because we found a mattress we would like on Sam's Club website, but apparently this brand is only stocked in the USA. Next we went to Walmart, where we tend to buy our meats. Good prices and the butchers as in other meat departments are in all whites, with heads and hands covered.  Shrink-wrapped US-style packages makes it seem, at least, very sanitary.  Most other stores' meat departments display the cuts on open trays, though refrigerated also.  Umm, more lamb, ground pork and ground beef.  The problem with their ground beef is that it has no fat.  Can you imagine having to grease a pan to fry a burger?  Also found a fish that we really like here.  It happens to be frozen instead of fresh, but it goes into freezer when we get home anyways. Also found there are some canned veggies here that are not presently in season.  Dan bought a pair of jeans so that he could feel better working around our house, that is not our house yet, and not ruin his easy-to-hand-wash light-weight traveling pants..  When checking out, the only bags at this station were tiny ones.  The clerk had no intention of finding any larger.  Dan became the talk of the area as he went charging off looking for larger bags.  He returned with a box and packed our purchases in it.  Turns out that the next register to the other side of us had larger bags, but our checker did not care to inquire.  Was exciting for a few moments, and the policeman on duty did not interfere.  Again had to wait maybe five minutes for a bus back to Fortin central.

Sat, 26 Nov.  Today we approached Santander Bank, a half a block north of Banamex, also facing the park in Fortín.  Yes, the branch manager María thought they could open an account for us, so we left copies of our important ID's and documents.  Come back Monday and she would see what she could do, and bring a few more pieces of info, including local references and a bank reference in the USA.

Feeling cheered by the progress we were making at Sandander Bank, Carmen suggested that we walk to a huge open air shop that sells ceramic items, including large flower pots.  Really large selection.  It is on the main route between Fortín and Córdoba, just east of the autopista overpass and then past the point where the railroad tracks cross to the south of the road.  Dan was really impressed that she wanted to walk that far.  This Carmen could not understand, until we kept walking and walking.  Hmmm - was a bit further than she remembered.  And a bit further.  And a bit further.  My land, where did the shop move to?  Finally made it -- and on a hot sunny day, which gave us our vitamin D for sure.  Wandering thru the shop, a fellow tried to help us and informed us that he knew no prices, but the lady who did would be with us shortly.  She had blondish hair from a bottle, but not dark skinned.  The first price she gave us was 2,000 pesos, for an ornate heavily glazed large item.  Carmen remarked to Dan that that was way too high.  Obviously she understood a bit of English, or, the expression of shock she elicited.  The quote on the next price item was 600 pesos and finally down to 350 pesos for a smaller but ornate glazed one.   The woman would discount everything if we bought a number at one time.  We'd have to pick them up here, she had no way to make deliveries.  Again, Dan and Carmen agreed on the same sorts of designs. It is wonderful that we so very much like the same things. Looking for large pots to put along the step down from dining room to living room.   Won't purchase them til next September. We took a bus back to the center of Fortín.

Mon, 28 Nov.  Now here we discovered that all banks are not created equal.  No seats to wait in and no numbers to take to be sure you are taken in order of arrival.  After standing for a goodly time, a woman with small child pushed ahead of us and the one ahead of us.  What can you do, but grin and bear it--despite the inherent politeness of the culture here, apparently when you're in a cola (waiting line) you hold your place steadfastly, or lose it.  Yes it looked as if we could get an account, and since we needed proof of domicile (evidence of current & taxes utilities paid) she decided we could take from info on the current owner of the house.  We said we'd have the realtor email it to her, and with that she said to come back the next day.

Tuesday, 29 Nov.   Back to Santander Bank we went.  This time we did not wait long to be talked to.  We got comfy in our chairs, expecting the worst.  María, started filling out forms on her computer and kept coming up with entry errors, as presumably the questions the screen asked were difficult to negotiate in our special case of circumstances.  She was on the phone zillions of times, but, voila, after nearly three hours of this, she pulled out two new ATM cards and handed them to us, to our complete surprise.  Thought for sure we were being legally denied again.  After signing more papers than you can imagine, which of course we did not read in much detail, we now have a checking account in a Mexican bank.  Oddly, the final paper work was done before we went to the teller to make our opening deposit of MXP $12,000, about USD $850. The woman who struggled through all this in order to help us, reminds us very much of Carmen's sister Cindy.  Very efficient.  Able to handle all the other folks coming to her with all sorts of problems and still with a smile on her face.

Now all should go smoothly for the house purchase, with a place to stash our funds from which the check to the seller will come.  We came back to motel.  Dan started the process of moving our money funds to the bank that we have set up with Mexican pesos.  The seller is hoping for closure on this Friday, but it seems as US banks are no faster than Mexican banks.  Ideally these things should take a couple days, tops, but now, realistically, we are hoping to have the funds here in Mexico by next Friday.  All this time we are waiting impatiently to put things in house (so that we can camp out there on our next trip SoB), check out the roof near the water holding tank, further test all the house systems, change the locks, etc.  The major problem seems to be that impatient Carmen is more impatient than Dan.  This is not news to anyone that knows us, but does tell you how we are individually dealing with it all.  And also, the notario does not seem to have the paperwork finished that we must sign to get the permission to buy Mexican real estate, to be able to progress further.  With this real estate investment in Mexico, we will have to consider putting together Mexican wills sometime soon, another task for a notario.

Now, just so you know that life is not perfect here--the weather has taken a cooling dive.  The nights have gone into 50s and days only upper 60s.  Chilly.  Sun is still warm and sky is for the most part blue, but does not warm the inside of the house until later in day.  Dan just tried sitting outside in the sun (yes, it got hot) and shortly returned inside.  But, the air is still cool in the mornings.  He is now struggling with understanding the packet of papers from the bank.  Wonder if we're signing our lives away?  If so, they won't get much more than 30 years worth (or whatever we have left).  We think this is a small price to pay for an almost perfect year-round climate, a constant array of flower blooms and the view of green-covered mountains stretching off into the distance all around us.

It was nice to skype this evening with Steve & Ingrid Ferris.  Steve called for some insight in pulling together last month's bookkeeping on Quickbooks.  The only disadvantage in dealing with with stuff like this remotely, is that Dan doesn't get a chance to sample some of Ingrid's luscious cookies fresh out of the oven.