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 The San Felipe Real Estate
Market has been booming the past few years. People from all
over the USA, Canada, and the world have found a delightful mixture of
the old and new in the San Felipe area. They especially like
the 'undiscovered' aspect of the area. Below are just some of the
attractions that are drawing people to the area.
San Felipe is a
picturesque town facing the beautiful Sea of Cortez and is well-known
for its excellent fishing. Jacques Cousteau once called the sea of
Cortez the "aquarium of the world" due to its
abundant sea life. The famous fish shrimp tacos were in invented right
here in San Felipe. The town gained much of its popularity with the
invention of the three day weekend. This charming beach-side community
is close enough to the U.S. border to make it a long weekend
destination, and far enough from the big cities for tourists to feel
away from it all. San Felipe is an easy two and a half hour drive south
of the USA border (about 120 miles) on a good paved road, and worlds
away from any typical gringo environment.
San Felipe and Mexicali
Mexicali is just south of the USA border. The road from Mexicali is
four lanes for the first 25 miles through the Mexicali suburbs and
farmlands, and then it narrows down to two lanes when it reaches the
wide open spaces. Shortly after the road turns to two lanes, the unique
Baja scenery begins and the stark open Baja frontier is nothing short
of spectacular! The waterfront areas around San Felipe are very active.
The city has recently initiated a plan to beautify the waterfront area,
and dozens of new palm trees have been planted in 1998 on either side
of the main drive.
Both visitors and locals like to cruise the Malecón, the beach-front
street near the center of town, and vehicles of all kinds can be seen
parading by. There are dozens of campgrounds located on sandy beaches
north and south of town, and San Felipe offers a number of nice hotels.
Basic services such as gasoline, ice, beer and food are plentiful in
the  various
markets located throughout town. One of San Felipe's claim to fame is
the extreme tidal changes. When the tide goes out, it goes way out!
This is excellent for beachcombers but makes launching a boat more of a
planned event than a random act.
San Felipe Weather
The weather in San Felipe is very pleasant most of
the year, but can be hot and humid in the summer. Fortunately, the Sea
of Cortez is never too far away for a refreshing dip. Strolling along
the seafront walkway under the stars is a great way to enjoy the
evenings all year long. The Port of San Felipe traditionally depended
on fishing and shrimping for its economic base. In a little more than
two decades the economic base has changed from fishing to
tourism.
You'll find camping north and south of town, as well as in town,
several hotels and resorts, many restaurants, and watersports. The
natural attractions of this area, it's beautiful beaches of temperate
water during the spring, summer 
and fall, plus it's pleasant winter weather, is the major draw for both
Snowbirds (retirees who live part-time in Mexico during the fall and
winter months) and weekend vacationers from southern California and
Arizona. The high tourism season seems to be October though May when
many Snowbirds arrive, to wait out the winter blizzards in the northern
USA.
Early fall thru late spring offers the best weather. Being about 2
hours southeast of Ensenada, the weather in San Felipe is usually about
10 degrees warmer and has much bluer skies than her Pacific coast
neighbor during the cooler months. The average temperature year around
is about 78F. San Felipe is located in a unique eco-system, where the
desert meets the sea. Therefore, temperatures have ranged from 115F in
the shade during the summer months of July and August. In December and
January, the temperature can drop to about 40F at night. These are the
extremes, and most of the time you will find the weather very pleasant
in San Felipe. The altitude of the Bay of San Felipe is 3 meters above
sea level (or about 10 ft.). The population of San Felipe is estimated
at 20,000 people. This number can increase by up to 5,000 depending on
part-time residents (retirees & vacation home owners) or
popular weekends such as Spring Break or Memorial Day.
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You can visit sites of ecological and
cultural interest. You may swim, snorkel, or dive in the Sea of Cortez,
or get a tan on lonely beaches. You may also visit mysterious cave
paintings, or the ruins of ancient gold and silver mines. Visit the
first missions on the continent, or simply tour the desert, far away
from any civilization.
- Baja has a lower 10% value added tax
compared to 15% mainland.
- Property taxes are still extremely low
and stand at about 0.2% per year over commercial value.
- Baja population is growing at 3.8% rate.
For mere pennies on the dollar you could own
your own ocean front lot and live there for much less than living
anywhere else in the United States
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San Felipe Real Estate Market
The desert of Baja California
is one of the last unspoiled and little explored places on earth. 
