April 14, 2015
Álamos, Sonora, Mexico

Properties in Álamos trade in U.S. dollars

Dear Overseas Property Alert Reader,

I’ve just found a small treasure trove of authentic, historic properties from the Spanish colonial era. I’ve been traveling the Americas and looking at colonial homes since 1998, and I’ve never seen anything remotely like Álamos, Mexico.

I’ll put this into perspective. My first choice among the properties I saw here is a mansion that was built by a wealthy silver baron during the presidency of George Washington. It’s from a time when the first book was copyrighted in the United States, and just after New York gave up its claim to the Republic of Vermont for US$30,000.

This home is just one of many similar properties in town… and prices have dropped to the lowest levels in years.

Dramatic Silver Wealth Resulted In Magnificent Colonial Architecture

Álamos was founded in the late 1600s, after silver was discovered in the area. The huge wealth generated by the mines allowed the residents of Álamos to build dozens of colonial mansions and hundreds of colonial homes throughout the downtown.

The silver eventually ran out, and the silver barons and their crews moved on. Álamos began to decline after Mexican independence from Spain, and was invaded numerous times during the Mexican Revolution in the 1920s. When the city finally fell during the revolution, its population was Continue reading →