ROSARITO BEACH, Mexico -- Sandra Mehas was enraged when she woke up one morning and saw the front entrance to her housing complex blocked by a steel beam. Mehas, the homeowners' association president, went straight to the mayor and demanded that the beam be removed. Soon after, workers reopened the road.
So when Mayor Luis Enrique Diaz decided to open a new city office to help international residents living in Rosarito, he knew exactly whom to call.
Mehas now runs the service center, designed to help Americans and other foreigners purchase and lease property and establish legal residency. The mostly American volunteer staff also assists new Baja California residents with paying taxes and obtaining electricity and phone service in their homes.
"It's our job to make sure that the Americans get the right scoop," said Mehas, who was born and raised in San Diego. "Sometimes people leave their brains at the border."
More than 6,000 Americans live in Rosarito Beach, a city about 45 minutes south of San Diego known for its beaches, seafood and rustic furniture. Altogether, about 60,000 Americans live in Baja California.
The mayor said he wanted to ensure that Americans knew they had a reliable place to get free assistance -- in their own language. The center, believed to be the first of its kind in Mexico, opened in April in a bright corner office of Rosarito's City Hall. Since then, other border cities have called for advice on establishing their own centers.
Brochures about Rosarito and Mexico are neatly displayed on the donated furniture, and posters of upcoming events decorate the walls. Banners in both English and Spanish welcome international residents. There are stacks of business cards -- for recommended attorneys, real estate agents and translators.
"The Americans live here, so we need to give them the support and security so they will stay here," Diaz said. "It's worth the effort."
Diaz is counting on foreigners who have good experiences in Rosarito to pass the word to their friends and family. City officials also hope that the center will prevent foreigners from getting defrauded or from entering into property agreements that aren't legal. Although foreigners are allowed to own land in Mexico's interior, they can only lease land along the coasts and borders. Even with leases, Americans and others say they need to be cautious about the risks of investing in Mexican real estate.
