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    Paradise For Sale

    Buying a piece of paradise: A Mexican penthouse brings a $1.2 million price tag and tropical wows

    Barbara Kuntz
    Barbara Kuntz
    Mar 29, 2014 | 4:01 pm

    Editor's Note: Houston, the surrounding areas and beyond are loaded with must-have houses for sale in all shapes, sizes and price ranges. In this continuing series, CultureMap snoops through some of the best and gives you the lowdown on what's hot on the market.

    Are you ready to pack your bags? A luxurious penthouse in the planned residential resort community of Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico, is ready to whisk adventurous home buyers away with open-air architecture, sweeping beachfront views and tropical charm.

    The price to stop being a tourist and become an owner of a piece of paradise? A cool $1.2 million.

    At least, you can always dream about it.

    About Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico
    Located a scenic 15-minute drive from Puerto Vallarta's international airport, Nuevo Vallarta is home to luxury villas, condos and estates, many with canals leading to private docking piers. The marina development features a 3,000-slip, state-of-the-art facility. Many malls, stores and eateries in the area are popular for day and evening excursions.

    The white sand not only attracts sun worshippers and beachcombers, but endangered Caguama turtles as well.

    The white sand not only attracts sun worshippers and beachcombers, but endangered Caguama turtles as well, who lay their eggs each winter on the beaches of Nuevo Vallarta.

    Walk through
    Winding down Nuevo Vallarta's boulevards lined with palm trees and exotic vegetation, owners turn into the drive at 1143 Nayarit nearby The Grand Mayan Nuevo Vallarta. Residents of the mid-rise have assigned parking, so it's time to leave the car — and worries — behind and head up to the penthouse.

    A dramatic two-story-tall entry seamlessly becomes the main room, where ocean breezes from the back terrace flow throughout the first floor. Dining is always al fresco here, with designer all-weather dining table and chairs located on the oversized balcony. The panoramic view from this vantage point seems endless, and below, a private pool and sandy beaches await.

    Back inside, the chef's kitchen opens to the lofty great room. The master bedroom is tucked away on the first floor, complete with private access to a secluded sitting area on the terrace. Tropical wood, exposed wood beams, locally sourced stones and tiled floors found throughout the penthouse find balance with the contemporary architecture. A modern stairwell takes visitors upstairs to a formal living room and casual dining room, and a catwalk connects one end of the second floor of the house to the other.

    In addition to the master bedroom, the penthouse includes three other bedrooms with full en suite baths and a full bath off the great room. An working elevator is available, as are an exercise room and large outdoor whirlpool tub for soaking under the stars.

    Step outside
    Ah, Mexico.

    Square footage: 4,801

    Asking price: $1.2 million

    Listing agent:Colleen Phalen, John Daugherty, Realtors

    Just one of the other four spacious bedrooms in the penthouse, all affording ocean views.

    On the Market 1143 Nayarit Nuevo Vallarta Mexico March 2014
      
    Photo by © Ruben Hidalgo
    Just one of the other four spacious bedrooms in the penthouse, all affording ocean views.
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    hot 'hoods

    Cozy Houston neighborhood ranked No. 1 best place to live in Texas

    Amber Heckler
    Apr 4, 2025 | 3:03 pm
    Cinco Ranch neighborhood in Houston
    Cinco Ranch Life/Facebook
    Cinco Ranch is a tight-knit community outside Houston.

    A master-planned community on the outskirts of Houston has been ranked the No. 1 best place to live in Texas by rankings and review website Niche.com: Cinco Ranch climbed into the top spot in Niche's annual rankings for 2025.

    The survey determined the best places to live in based on crime rates, public school rankings, the local cost of living, job opportunities, and more using data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the FBI, and others.

    This isn't the first time Cinco Ranch has been lauded as one of the best places to live: In 2024, Travel + Leisure ranked the neighborhood the No. 2 best suburb to live in America.

    In Niche's national rankings of the best places to live in the U.S., Cinco Ranch ranked 16th overall.

    Cinco Ranch is situated 30 miles west of downtown Houston, and less than 10 miles southeast of Katy. Niche gave the neighborhood an "A-plus" rating thanks to its family friendliness, its high-ranking public schools, its diversity, and more.

    The neighborhood also boasts a population of more than 19,000 residents, though it still maintains a close-knit community.

    "I liked seeing the diversity of different communities coming together to help each other put in times of need," wrote one Cinco Ranch resident in a review of the area.

    Families can also take advantage of the many outdoor recreational activities that are offered by the area, including three lakes, 11 pools, more than 70 playgrounds, and 231 miles of trails.

    Cinco Ranch, Katy, Houston suburbCinco Ranch has over 200 miles of trails to explore. cincoranch.life/

    A Cinco Ranch home is worth a median $459,500, which is far higher than the national median home value of $303,400. Median rent prices land at just under $2,000 per month.

    "Living in Cinco Ranch is awesome and comfortable place to reside in because the schools are very high ranked with a lot of competition," wrote another resident. "In addition to that, there are many great places to hang out, whether that may be shopping centers or parks. Great restaurants are situated in Cinco and it is a great area to go travel to other places."

    Houston-area suburbs dominated the top 10 best places to live in Texas: The Woodlands (No. 5), Sugar Land (No. 6), Taylor Lake Village (No. 7), Museum Park (No. 8), Neartown - Montrose (No. 9), and Midtown Houston (No. 10).

    Rounding out the top 10 best places to live in Texas are: Triangle State, a small neighborhood in Austin (No. 2); the Dallas-area suburb of Coppell (No. 3); and Alamo Heights in San Antonio (No. 4).

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