Homes for Less Than $50,000 in This Peaceful Riverside City

The clean and friendly central square in Mercedes is the hub of social activity.

Thursday, May 29, 2008
Cancun, Mexico

Read more about Uruguay in International Living Postcards—your daily escape

I’ve enjoyed a lot of great benefits while traveling and writing for International Living over these past few years, but what I enjoy most of all is attending the conferences. Here is where I get a chance to meet face-to-face with hundreds of interesting people, pursuing truly fascinating ideas.

Today I’m writing from the Ultimate Event, in Cancun, Mexico. I’m about to give my presentation on Uruguay, and plan to show the attendees my favorite little city in the entire country: Mercedes.

Mercedes is the kind of place where everyone knows everyone, people are friendly, and you can leave your bicycle unchained on the sidewalk. Best of all, I found an apartment in a great location going for $47,000 and a house for only $45,000.

Serving as the capital of the department of Soriano, Mercedes sits on a curve of the Río Negro, a clean, lazy river that’s less than a mile wide. It has a permanent population of about 40,000, and the few tourists who visit come mostly from Argentina. The huge, green and shady riverfront park is usually bustling with families out for a sunny afternoon of grilling, swimming, or tending to their boats in the quiet, sheltered marina.

The wide rambla runs along the waterfront, and is perfect for cruising or strolling past the beaches and the boat harbor, or just admiring the beautiful homes along the water. Most times of the day or evening, you’ll find an endless procession of antique cars from the '30s and '40s, as well as the normal fleet of Vespas and small motorbikes.

Mercedes is not the place you’d come to enjoy all-night tango clubs, shows, or hot nightlife. Although there are a number of good restaurants in town, its main attraction is the feeling that you’re removed from the stresses of the everyday world. Those who appreciate the wholesomeness of the American Midwest will like it here.

Since my last visit to Mercedes, there are obvious signs of revitalization. There’s a modern hotel being built on the main square, and a number of streets have been converted to pedestrian walkways, lined with nice shops and busy with people strolling and window shopping.

We looked at a 700-square-foot apartment on one of these pedestrian walkways, located a half-block from the main square on the second floor. It had two bedrooms and two baths. The asking price was $47,000.

A 1,600-square-foot, three-bedroom home with one bath and a garage, is on offer on a quiet, tree-lined street. The asking price is $120,000, and you can get more information by calling +598 (53) 22718.

My favorite was an 80-year-old colonial-style house that needed restoration. This 1,610-square-foot, three-bedroom, two-bath home, has tall ceilings and doors and is just a few blocks from the riverfront park. For more information call the owner, Gladys Medina, at +598 (53) 25611. (You will need to speak Spanish.) Her asking price is $45,000 (even though the local realtor will tell you $60,000).

Mercedes is peaceful, uneventful, and fairly remote, located two hours inland from Colonia. Although I love the city myself, I was almost certain that it would not be of interest to North Americans…that is, until one reader wrote to tell me that he’d decided to live here and had just bought a home.

Personally, I think he’s made a great choice.

Lee Harrison
Roving Latin America Editor, International Living

Editor’s note: As regular readers already know, Lee Harrison lives in Uruguay and has recently been scouring the entire country in search of secret new locations to tell us about. At the Ultimate Event he's speaking about every aspect of living and investing in Uruguay, as well as sorting out your overseas retirement plan, banking, and finance abroad, and he’ll talk a bit about Ecuador and Brazil, as well.

Even if you’re not at the Ultimate Event, we’ve arranged for a way for you to get this information...find out how.

Read related articles:

- The Best Place to Invest in Uruguay

- Where to Find Colonial Homes for $80,000

- A Seaside Apartment for $75,000 in This Friendly Beach Town