Desert Builds an Ocean Condo

Building Bag End? Did your front fall off? More leaks than a Chinese steamboat? Show us your pinterest projects!
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Congrats, you earned it!
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In4pics.
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D Griff wrote: Mon Jan 11, 2021 6:13 pmIn4pics.
I'm waiting for the remainder of the furniture to be delivered vs. piecemeal pics. It is 95% there. We are extremely pleased with our decision.
Got our Global Entry/SENTRI cards last week so getting out of MX is as easy as getting in.
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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Ok, guys, pretty much got this thing buttoned up. Pleased with how it turned out. A lot of the furniture cost way less than it should because of a master craftsman on site that builds :waxer: stuff and :scrooge: prices. It's going to a great transition out of the heat and into a phased lessening of the workload. I will augment these photos with local flavor but here she is.

Office:

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Guest room. The second is a bit blurry because I suck but the mirrors on the wall were custom made by a local glass artist. We put a desk in so guests can still manage their work from away if needed. I

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Guest Bath

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Kitchen Door for Pantry is to the right of the fridge.

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I show this horrible pic of the pantry to show size and because there are two jugs of ANIMAL Brotein powder in the lower left
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Spice Rack in Pantry. Cool starry bra....you can order every single spice Morton and Bassett makes online..so I did....their jars are EZ to read. They charged me $650...and then refunded the charge. Free.com.

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Living Room

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View from the Couch:

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Powder Room

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Bar

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Dining Area

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Master BR

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Master Bath, plenty of sink separation.

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Master Closet. Ridiculous that the first really nice closet I have ever owned has a rack for flip flops, but it is what it is.

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We had a local artist do this Ensenada night port scence for us to help fill out a really large main entry wall. It is behind the kitchen bar stools. Super happy with how it came out.

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Patio, both directions. Parota Wall behind the couch added quite a bit of warmth. I was going to do it above the grill but I'm going stainless after some pretty serious flame left the back of the grill on a ribeye.

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Grill area. The grill sink and faucet are all 316L stainless to fight the rust in Coastal air. It's all made for an oceangoing boat.

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Obligatory Glamour shot of the Summit Beer Froster. Note Digital temp gauge in lower right.

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Fanciest laundry room I've ever owned.

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One of the most attractive features of this condo for me was the double underground storage. One space is long enough for a Suburban/Full Size Double Cab Truck. New home for the QPB.

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Because my wife and I were so easy to work with during Covid delays, the owners gave us the storage unit behind our parking spaces, don't have to rent it. Comes with POWER, meaning I can put my rig on a trickle charger and put a compressor in there. One side will be garage stuff, the other will be a surf rack.

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View of the rocks below, the K38 Surf break, good waves on both sides.

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Straight down is the main pool/gym area which is....................coming along. To the far left in the picture is the future lap pool, with the pumps and what not to create a current. It will be :neat:

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That's it doods. I will update with my local adventures.
Last edited by Desertbreh on Sat Jun 19, 2021 6:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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:fuckyeah:

Another epic update in this place this week! :megusta:
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Wow....super :nice:
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:wap: Where are these mangos?
Detroit wrote: Fri Apr 16, 2021 1:19 pm I don't understand anything anymore.
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That view is SIIIICK! Nice Pad dude!

Office desk is definitely a formidable spot for DFD updates!

It freaks me out to see the ocean so close to the building.
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Tarspin wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 12:48 pm That view is SIIIICK! Nice Pad dude!

Office desk is definitely a formidable spot for DFD updates!

It freaks me out to see the ocean so close to the building.
There is actually a significant elevation drop from the ground floor to the ocean. I factored in global warming.
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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:science:
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Holy shit man. This is 1000% epic. Stoked for you!
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SAWCE wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 1:28 pm Holy shit man. This is 1000% epic. Stoked for you!
Thanks man. We looked in Southern Baja and almost pulled trigger there but as you know San Diego weather is hard to beat from a year round perspective. We are so done with desert summers. My positive outlook upon returning to the oven on Thursday lasted.......2 days. It was 97 degrees @ 8:30 a.m. The fact that we can drive here is huge from both a business standpoint/the ability to scale retirement AND from a supply logistics standpoint. We really enjoy Northern Baja and I look forward to sharing that with you guys.

Although this place is pretty :waxer: for Mexico..........if you live in SoCal and you are never going to be able to afford U.S. oceanfront property, you (meaning a lot of guys on this forum) probably can in MX. Also, unpopular opinion, I would much rather live where I do than have his exact same thing in Newport Beach, because I am not inundated with raging douchebags.
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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:jelly:
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This is insanely fantastic. :amazing: has never been more deserved. Excellent work.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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Detroit wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 1:28 pm This is insanely fantastic. :amazing: has never been more deserved. Excellent work.
Thank you and I plan to enjoy it this summer! My kid think it's a little too sterile/VRBOish ATM, but that makes it feel vacationy to me so I will try and avoid filling it with the inevitable personal flotsam and jetsam.
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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[user not found] wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 2:16 pm
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 1:57 pm

Thank you and I plan to enjoy it this summer! My kid think it's a little too sterile/VRBOish ATM, but that makes it feel vacationy to me so I will try and avoid filling it with the inevitable personal flotsam and jetsam.
Give it time, it'll develop some charm.
It is my first ever ownership of new construction.
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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Desertbreh wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 2:21 pm
[user not found] wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 2:16 pm

Give it time, it'll develop some charm.
It is my first ever ownership of new construction.
First :jizz: everywhere! :megusta:
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Desertbreh wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 2:21 pm
[user not found] wrote: Tue Jun 22, 2021 2:16 pm

Give it time, it'll develop some charm.
It is my first ever ownership of new construction.
Would love to feel this feel one day.
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DUDDEEEE :fuckyeah: that place looks 5/7
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Man, the place is epic! Congrats, that is quite a sweet :dill:
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Desertbreh wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 3:28 pm
SAWCE wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 1:28 pm Holy shit man. This is 1000% epic. Stoked for you!
Thanks man. We looked in Southern Baja and almost pulled trigger there but as you know San Diego weather is hard to beat from a year round perspective. We are so done with desert summers. My positive outlook upon returning to the oven on Thursday lasted.......2 days. It was 97 degrees @ 8:30 a.m. The fact that we can drive here is huge from both a business standpoint/the ability to scale retirement AND from a supply logistics standpoint. We really enjoy Northern Baja and I look forward to sharing that with you guys.

Although this place is pretty :waxer: for Mexico..........if you live in SoCal and you are never going to be able to afford U.S. oceanfront property, you (meaning a lot of guys on this forum) probably can in MX. Also, unpopular opinion, I would much rather live where I do than have his exact same thing in Newport Beach, because I am not inundated with raging douchebags.
I'm way more intrigued by MX than California. Always have been, curious how your long term impressions develop being in a...less stable country. I'm sure you're more than safe at your place and directly around it, but I'd be concerned about feeling like I'm in a prison in my own lux space. Maybe that's the point?

I'd love to move to MX at some point.
Desertbreh wrote: Tue Oct 10, 2017 6:40 pm My guess would be that Chris took some time off because he has read the dialogue on this page 1,345 times and decided to spend some of his free time doing something besides beating a horse to death.
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Detroit wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 10:26 am
Desertbreh wrote: Sun Jun 20, 2021 3:28 pm

Thanks man. We looked in Southern Baja and almost pulled trigger there but as you know San Diego weather is hard to beat from a year round perspective. We are so done with desert summers. My positive outlook upon returning to the oven on Thursday lasted.......2 days. It was 97 degrees @ 8:30 a.m. The fact that we can drive here is huge from both a business standpoint/the ability to scale retirement AND from a supply logistics standpoint. We really enjoy Northern Baja and I look forward to sharing that with you guys.

Although this place is pretty :waxer: for Mexico..........if you live in SoCal and you are never going to be able to afford U.S. oceanfront property, you (meaning a lot of guys on this forum) probably can in MX. Also, unpopular opinion, I would much rather live where I do than have his exact same thing in Newport Beach, because I am not inundated with raging douchebags.
I'm way more intrigued by MX than California. Always have been, curious how your long term impressions develop being in a...less stable country. I'm sure you're more than safe at your place and directly around it, but I'd be concerned about feeling like I'm in a prison in my own lux space. Maybe that's the point?

I'd love to move to MX at some point.
If you put the "you are crazy for buying a place in Mexico, the government will nationalize your property, you will be killed by cartel bandits" people on one side, and the "I look forward to driving to remote parts of Baja with just myself or my wife and finding isolated surfing camps/life is just one big Corona ad" on the other, the truth is definitely somewhere in between. I have basically restricted my investigation of Baja to a triangle that has TJ on one end, Tecate on the second, and Ensenada on the third. And probably will for quite some time. That area has enormous American investment, and I feel safe in all of it (obviously, some parts of TJ are not to be visited). I would be very much interested in driving south to LaPaz and Cabo during the winter, there are numerous places of interest along the way, including whale spawning lagoons, towns of historical interest, etc. The QPB is essential in this task as it draws little attention, and I would think twice and 10 times about driving a high value vehicle on a long trip. I don't drive outside of known areas at night and don't plan to start. There is definitely strength in numbers and I would probably plan a long trip with one or two more vehicles. And I also acknowledge that Mexico is a failed state in some of its geography, places where AMLO has de facto ceded control of certain areas of MX to criminal organizations, an unimaginable thought in the U.S. outside of certain urban areas like bad spots in Chicago where the cops have just given up. I would be lying if I said that did not trouble me. But those areas are currently far removed from Baja, and particularly northern Baja, and based on the amount of U.S. investment I see coming in, and general business development down here, I have no concerns about Baja becoming a lawless land. But it IS a land to exercise prudence in. In any event, I will say that we love pulling our sliding doors open at night and letting the white noise of the ocean provide us a sleep that just doesn't happen inland, and that we love the build quality of our place, and that all of this would NOT be affordable for us in the U.S. I will work on a pros and cons list for you, which will continue to evolve. Even my sister in law, who is a high strung type A right wing busybody, took a two hour nap on our deck yesterday. Her husband has not witnessed such an event in 20 years of marriage. So I'm not making this shit up. Also, for me Northern Baja is really the only place in MX that makes any sense as I am DONE with extreme heat. I do like Puerto Vallarta a fair bit but it is too hot and humid, and..........is fly in only and suffers from safety issues outside its immediate environs. More to follow.
Detroit wrote:Buy 911s instead of diamonds.
Johnny_P wrote: Thu Feb 09, 2023 3:21 pm Earn it and burn it, Val.
max225 wrote: Mon May 01, 2023 5:35 pm Yes it's a cool car. But prepare the lube/sawdust.
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Desertbreh wrote: Mon Jun 28, 2021 7:12 pm
Detroit wrote: Sat Jun 26, 2021 10:26 am
I'm way more intrigued by MX than California. Always have been, curious how your long term impressions develop being in a...less stable country. I'm sure you're more than safe at your place and directly around it, but I'd be concerned about feeling like I'm in a prison in my own lux space. Maybe that's the point?

I'd love to move to MX at some point.
If you put the "you are crazy for buying a place in Mexico, the government will nationalize your property, you will be killed by cartel bandits" people on one side, and the "I look forward to driving to remote parts of Baja with just myself or my wife and finding isolated surfing camps/life is just one big Corona ad" on the other, the truth is definitely somewhere in between. I have basically restricted my investigation of Baja to a triangle that has TJ on one end, Tecate on the second, and Ensenada on the third. And probably will for quite some time. That area has enormous American investment, and I feel safe in all of it (obviously, some parts of TJ are not to be visited). I would be very much interested in driving south to LaPaz and Cabo during the winter, there are numerous places of interest along the way, including whale spawning lagoons, towns of historical interest, etc. The QPB is essential in this task as it draws little attention, and I would think twice and 10 times about driving a high value vehicle on a long trip. I don't drive outside of known areas at night and don't plan to start. There is definitely strength in numbers and I would probably plan a long trip with one or two more vehicles. And I also acknowledge that Mexico is a failed state in some of its geography, places where AMLO has de facto ceded control of certain areas of MX to criminal organizations, an unimaginable thought in the U.S. outside of certain urban areas like bad spots in Chicago where the cops have just given up. I would be lying if I said that did not trouble me. But those areas are currently far removed from Baja, and particularly northern Baja, and based on the amount of U.S. investment I see coming in, and general business development down here, I have no concerns about Baja becoming a lawless land. But it IS a land to exercise prudence in. In any event, I will say that we love pulling our sliding doors open at night and letting the white noise of the ocean provide us a sleep that just doesn't happen inland, and that we love the build quality of our place, and that all of this would NOT be affordable for us in the U.S. I will work on a pros and cons list for you, which will continue to evolve. Even my sister in law, who is a high strung type A right wing busybody, took a two hour nap on our deck yesterday. Her husband has not witnessed such an event in 20 years of marriage. So I'm not making this shit up. Also, for me Northern Baja is really the only place in MX that makes any sense as I am DONE with extreme heat. I do like Puerto Vallarta a fair bit but it is too hot and humid, and..........is fly in only and suffers from safety issues outside its immediate environs. More to follow.
Really interested write-up and curious to hear more over time.

I would love to move somewhere with a nice beachy vibe one day, but also with hills/mountains, but obviously SoCal/CA Coast in general isn't an option for most.
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Damn this place is beautiful. Congratulations!

I'm with you on the vacation rental vibes inside. I like it to be immediately obvious that I'm on vacation so I don't have to remind myself to enjoy it.
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