U.S. retiree in Mexico: I could’ve earned 4 months’ rent with an eclipse side

Tourism officials in the state of Sinaloa expect 120,000 visitors, according to local news, and Mazatlán’s hundreds of hotels are almost fully booked for the event. I’ve seen Craigslist and local Facebook pages glutted with rooms, apartments, condos, and homes for rent. 

But I’ll be far from Mazatlán during this celestial phenomenon, and I decided not to rent out my apartment for an astronomical amount of money. Here’s why.

Rumors started circulating roughly three years ago about people renting their places for inflated prices during the eclipse week. I heard about bookings made and paid for in full, sight unseen, and rentals going for far above their normal prices.

One local friend’s family charged up to four times the regular rates for their 10 vacation rental condos for the eclipse week. 

My friends Eric and Jenna Streit, who moved to Mazatlán from Los Angeles during Covid with their son, have two rental units on their property in Centro Historico that usually rent for $40 – $50 a night on Airbnb. They told me they were offered $400 a night for the eclipse week. But since they have family members coming for the event, Eric said, “we won’t be cashing in.” 

Another friend who works for a real estate management company tossed out the idea that I could stay with her that week and rent out my two-bedroom apartment for $300 a night. Four to seven days at that rate would mean a total of $1,200 – $2,100 — enough to pay my rent for two to four months.

I’d be lying if I said I didn’t consider it. 

Mazatlán is known for regularly hosting big events that draw thousands of visitors.

Its Carnaval includes a week of parades, concerts, and fireworks. International Motorcycle Week draws more than 10,000 motorcycle enthusiasts. And holidays like Día de Los Muertos and Easter week (Spring Break) bring tens or hundreds of thousands of visitors.  

You’d think I’d have gotten used to these swells of tourists, and the traffic, noise and congestion that come with them. But over time, it’s become increasingly irritating to have my life revolve around the latest traffic patterns, street closures, and crowds in town for the next big event. 

Whatever its celestial significance, the eclipse felt like just one more thing to deal with. 

As the eclipse got closer, I was already plotting the next chapter of my life, a plan that didn’t include Mazatlán and its big-city energy. By February, I’d decided to move about seven hours away, to the small lakeside town of San Antonio Tlayacapan near Guadalajara.  

My best friend wanted to take over my apartment and buy my furniture and appliances, and the landlord was open to making the switch before my lease was up. The house I’d found to rent had a flexible move-in date.  

The timing was up to me. I could easily have kept my place long enough to cash in on the eclipse and walked away with some pretty full pockets. So why didn’t I? 

Like anyone else, I could certainly use the extra money. (Even as I write this, I feel a pang of regret.) But money has never been a big motivator for me. Peace of mind and ease of life matter more. That’s part of why I moved to Mexico in the first place.

I knew I wanted to move before the eclipse. When the city is so full of tourists, there are often water shortages, sewage and garbage issues that can go on for days, and horrendous traffic. I didn’t want to be on call for renters facing those likely problems. 

I was focused on moving to another state — a huge endeavor that had me busy closing and opening utility accounts, getting my car and cats ready for the long drive, and letting go emotionally of the place I’d called home for so long. 

I decided the extra income wasn’t worth the aggravation during an already stressful time.

I packed what I was taking, sold what I wasn’t, and left for my new home on March 12. Since then, I’ve watched online and heard from friends that Mazatlán, the “Pearl of the Pacific,” has grown predictably more chaotic as multitudes of visitors begin to arrive. 

Eclipse viewers and locals alike will have to deal with all that — but I won’t. I’m happily setting up my new home, grateful to be in a setting that’s rural, quiet, and peaceful.

Janet Blaser is a writer who has lived in Mexico since 2006. A former journalist in California, her work now focuses on expat living. Janet’s first book, “Why We Left: An Anthology of American Women Expats” is an Amazon bestseller. Follow Janet on Instagram and Facebook.

Want to make extra money outside of your day job? Sign up for CNBC’s new online course How to Earn Passive Income Online to learn about common passive income streams, tips to get started and real-life success stories. Register today and save 50% with discount code EARLYBIRD.

Plus, sign up for CNBC Make It’s newsletter to get tips and tricks for success at work, with money and in life.