I got a guy for that....

So, we closed on our house in Ajijic last week with the usual going’s on.

“Why doesn’t the bathroom have a mirror anymore?”

“It was accidentally sold at the auction – along with all the potted plants – and apparently a half-eaten lunch from the fridge”

“Why is there no hot water?”

“The hot water tank never really worked very well – you should replace it”

and on and on…

But, through all of this what I am finding amusing – other than knowing that somebody reading this probably has my mirror and plants and is finishing off someone’s second-hand lunch  - is that inevitably the answer to all problems seems to be,

“I got a guy for that!”

Everyone, I mean everyone, has a guy for whatever the problem is.  No cold water “I have a guy” no hot water, it’s a different guy, clogged drain – well that’s another, roof, doors, light switches, different light switches – each comes with a guy.  The previous owner actually left us a book of ‘guys’ often 3 or 4 for the same problem with notes on what variation of the problem might best match up with one or another of the ‘guys’.

At one point earlier this week – we had 3 guys at the house at the same time – maybe working on the same thing – I lost track…
Anyway – I’m sure this is pretty normal for all of you that have lived here a while – but I thought I’d share my observation.

td’s

Ps: And a pitcher of margaritas only makes it more amusing… and don’t worry - I am actually the guy for that!

Thank you for sharing your observations. You are spot on!
You need a Go To Guy. He is the one Guy who can fix many of your problems. For those he can not, he has a Guy who handles whatever it is. The Go To Guy is like the general practitioner and he has his specialists that he works with. One of The Guys in your book (and bless the previous homeowner for leaving that for you!) may turn out to be your Go To Guy or not. He might show up one day to handle a problem or you could meet him in the hardware store one day. It's like falling in love. You can't force it. It just happens because it is meant to be.
Please continue to share your observations. It is wonderful reliving the beginning of this adventure. Love your attitude!

I agree with Lady Otter, find a great Go-to-Guy who can either do it himself, or with his crew, or knows who to call when it's out of his realm. I don't do anything at my house without talking to my Go-to-Guy and seeing if he agrees and letting him handle it. Haven't been disappointed yet.

Ahh... the pleasures of purchasing in Ajijic. We encountered similar anomalies in our purchase (sans the half eaten lunch) including a list of "Go to Guys". However, we were fortunate to extend the services of the previous owner's property manager... She is the ultimate "Go to Guy"... All of the tradesmen have performed adequately and were for the most part on time and not manana...

To expand on your findings...
On competent advice we had "The premier" home inspector do an inspection prior to closing... Unfortunately we were not present which ,while the report was extensive and covered a number of items that were insignificant, failed to mention that it takes 10 minutes to get any kind of warm, not hot, water to the kitchen and laundry...Also there are a number of ungrounded outlets throughout the house ("Shocking")..

Bottom line find your "Go to Guy" and living through the transition will go a lot smoother. PM me if you want a referral on our property manager.

Welcome to Paradise..

To clarify, what rvan first had was a list of Guys like dipper received. Then he found his Go-To-Guy who is a woman.
I am a renter and have lived different places here. My first GTG was my landlord's GTG. The second was my landlady's gardener who became my GTG. Now, I have a bicultural/bilingual Jack of All Trades who is knowledgeable and connected in very handy ways.

Lady Otter Latté wrote:To clarify, what rvan first had was a list of Guys like dipper received. Then he found his Go-To-Guy who is a woman.
I am a renter and have lived different places here. My first GTG was my landlord's GTG. The second was my landlady's gardener who became my GTG. Now, I have a bicultural/bilingual Jack of All Trades who is knowledgeable and connected in very handy ways.

There were so many undiscoverable problems with our ancient house that no home inspection could have found, even though we had one done, that a GTG was a must. Friends recommended one. In his opinion, the house should be leveled and a new one built. Not the best attitude, but we had him take care of some essentials anyway. The next GTG was recommended by a neighbor. Much easier to deal with and less costly. He went to work for the City and suggested one of his young guys for necessities in the future. The "kid" developed into a super GTG for electricity and plumbing issues and acquired helpers for other jobs. He's a winner GTG whose business card simply announces his name with "Master Electrician and Plumber" below.........and it's justified. All that, and he's pretty reliable about showing up. Speaks very good English, if that's important. Anyone who needs one who doesn't already have one, PM me.