Chuck and his wife Jenna are the owners and agents of RE/MAX Legacy Rocky Point in Puerto Peñasco Sonora. Get to know more about their day to day life as realtors in this part of Mexico.
Name: Chuck Urrea
Website: www.ourrockypointrealtor.com
Title: Owner/Agent of RE/MAX Legacy Rocky Point
City you live in: Puerto Peñasco, Sonora (aka “Rocky Point”)
Most recent city visited: My wife and I visited Guadalajara last year to join in the celebration of a relative’s 60th birthday. What a beautiful city! We stayed in an amazing old hotel called Quinta Real Guadalajara, and our favorite neighborhood was Tlaquepaque for the restaurants, shopping, and people-watching.
We also extended our visit to Jalisco and drove to the “magical” mountain town of Tapalpa, about 2 hours outside of Guadalajara. The town’s cool, forest weather was wonderful, but it was the curvy, cobblestone streets, traditional Spanish architecture and bustling town square that made it so captivating. From there we moved on to Ajijic on Lake Chapala. Ajijic is home to a very large population of ex-pats, much like our own home of Puerto Peñasco. We had a good time swapping stories with other non-Mexicans who have happily made Mexico their home.
A typical day in my life: I always wake up early, drink a cup or two of my special Arabic coffee (it’s strong!) and in a newer practice for me, meditate. I also make sure to workout 5-6 mornings per week as it helps me focus throughout the day. One of my goals for 2023 is to become fluent in Spanish, so I also spend time studying via Fluenz, an internet platform, as well as watching YouTube videos in Spanish.
During the day, I run my real estate business in Puerto Peñasco, Sonora which is where my wife and I live fulltime. Also known as “Rocky Point, this wonderful little beach town is only a 3.5 hour drive from Phoenix. I also work as a real estate agent for my company which keeps me busy. In the evenings, my wife and I frequently get together with friends and co-workers for carne asada. Usually though, we spend quiet evenings at home just relaxing and playing with our rescue cats, Chico and Chewy.
I was born in Phoenix Arizona: However, my family and I lived about 2 hours northwest of Phoenix on a farm in the very small town of Wenden, Arizona.
When I was younger I wanted to be: Initially, I wanted to follow in my parent’s footsteps by owning my own business of growing crops and caring for livestock.
My first job was: Not surprisingly, my first job was working for my parents on the farm. This taught me the value of hard work as we often worked from 6am until 5-6pm. While I later realized this wasn’t the life for me, the strong work ethic I learned from my parents serves me well to this day.
My favorite thing about traveling is: Getting off the beaten path to experience culture authentically is always my goal. Not being afraid to drive in a foreign country really helps me to discover what most tourists don’t!
I’m currently listening to: I spend a fair amount of time watching YouTube videos to learn Spanish. My favorite YouTuber is Luis Comunica, who reminds me of food expert, Anthony Bourdain. Luis is funny, entertaining and his videos explore cultures all over the world.
I separate myself from others in my field by: I believe what sets me apart from many is my commitment to always serving the best interests of my clients. As a real estate agent, I pay thorough attention to every detail of a transaction and always tell my clients what they need to hear, not what they want to hear. As the company’s owner, I make sure all my agents operate with the same client-centered work ethic. Also, we also only hire full-time agents who live locally. Too many agents in tourist towns work part-time and split their living arrangements between the U.S. and Mexico. You can’t pay adequate attention to transactions this way which unfortunately, makes transactions go awry.
My greatest career achievement: Thus far throughout several careers in my life, buying a real estate company in a foreign country and tripling its sales volume is my greatest accomplishment. I’m also very proud of my dedication to creating and maintaining a positive ‘team’ environment. RE/MAX Legacy has very devoted employees and agents. We truly feel we are a family.
People would be surprised to know: Prior to my wife and I purchasing RE/MAX Legacy, we had never sold real estate or owned a business. Yes, it was a bold move! However, we had been passionately investing in real estate for years from owning rental properties to flipping homes. In fact, we had purchased 3 investment condos in Puerto Peñasco before the opportunity to buy a local real estate company presented itself. We were also very fortunate that the owner who sold us the business mentored us every step of the way. Big risks, but big rewards.
I draw inspiration from: My wife and I both draw our greatest inspiration from Puerto Peñasco itself. We reside in a condo that’s right on the beach, and we just can’t believe it. We go for walks at sunset, entranced by the sounds of lapping ocean waves and the calling of seagulls. Living by the beach is the ‘why’ for all of our hard work. As a very close second, we are also inspired by the people of Mexico. We find the locals to be exceptionally humble, genuine, and generous. I think many foreigners who move to Mexico do so because they want to surround themselves with people who embody these beautiful qualities. Mexico is without a doubt, our forever home.