How I Found My Way to Real Estate in San Miguel de Allende

Sometimes, the most meaningful chapters of our lives begin when we take a chance on something new. For me, that chapter began in San Miguel de Allende, a city that captured my heart and ultimately led me down a path I never could have imagined: real estate.

As a fifth-generation South Texan with deep Mexican roots, I have always felt a connection to Mexico. But moving to San Miguel de Allende in 2019 was about more than reconnecting with my heritage. It was about embracing a different way of life, discovering a new community, and finding a place that would eventually feel like home.

A New Chapter in a City Like No Other

San Miguel de Allende has a way of drawing you in. Its cobblestone streets, colorful colonial architecture, vibrant arts scene, and extraordinary blend of Mexican traditions and international influences create an atmosphere that is difficult to describe until you experience it for yourself.

Over time, I fell in love not only with the beauty of the city but also with its people, its culture, and the sense of community that makes it so special. I began to understand that living in San Miguel is about much more than owning a beautiful home. It’s about embracing a lifestyle that can be lively and sometimes noisy, with church bells ringing throughout the day and fireworks lighting up the sky, while learning to appreciate and settle into a different rhythm of life.

And then there was my own home.

From Homeowner to Interior Design and Remodeling

In 2020, I purchased a property on Calle Quebrada in Centro. What I had was essentially a rooftop space without walls, but what I envisioned was a home that reflected my personality, my style, and the way I wanted to live in Mexico. For me, that meant creating a generous outdoor living space with sliding glass doors that opened completely, blurring the line between indoors and out and allowing me to fully embrace the spectacular sunset views.

I worked with a local architect to design my first home in Mexico and took on the challenge of overseeing its construction. It was an exciting, sometimes complicated, and always educational experience. Building in Mexico was different from what I had known in the United States, and I quickly learned the importance of patience, flexibility, relationships, and working closely with local professionals.

That experience gave me a new appreciation for the process of creating a home. I learned firsthand that a property is more than its walls, finishes, or architectural details. It is an opportunity to create a space that reflects who you are and how you want to live.

It also reignited my interest in design, renovation, and the possibilities hidden within a property. What began as a personal project became an important part of my journey toward real estate.

A Career Built on Communication and Relationships

Before real estate, I spent more than 35 years working in communications, public relations, media relations, and crisis communications. My career took me across Texas and Mexico, working with organizations and businesses in industries ranging from energy and banking to tourism and telecommunications.

I also worked with several nonprofit organizations, including a zoo in South Texas, where I hosted Zoo Tales, a weekly live television segment airing at noon on two affiliates that introduced viewers to a variety of animals, like the waxy monkey tree frog.

Those years taught me how to listen, ask the right questions, solve problems, tell compelling stories, and build relationships with people from different backgrounds. I didn't realize it at the time, but these were skills that would become invaluable in my next career.

Real estate, after all, is about people as much as it is about the property. Buying or selling a home can be one of the most significant decisions someone makes, especially when that decision involves moving to another country. Understanding a client's needs, communicating clearly, navigating unexpected challenges, and helping people feel confident throughout the process are essential.

In many ways, real estate brought together the skills I had developed throughout my professional life with my growing passion for San Miguel de Allende.

Where Love and Design Come Together: Building a Business and a Life in San Miguel

Buying the property on Calle Quebrada led me to an unexpected and wonderful chapter in my life: meeting my husband, Ruben. After selling a unit below mine, the new owners, who are now close friends, asked me to take on the interior design of their condo. It was a blank slate and so much needed to be done to turn it into a cozy home. I knew I needed a partner to help bring the vision to life.

I had just landed an opportunity to work with a marketing firm on a project for an energy company in San Antonio, Texas. With my attention divided between the two cities, I needed someone on the ground in San Miguel – a skilled project manager with experience, trusted relationships, and connections to the talented local craftsmen who make this city so special.

That’s where Ruben came in. We started working together as professionals, combining my eye for design and communications experience with his construction expertise and knowledge of local tradespeople. Somewhere along the way, our professional partnership turned into something much more personal. We fell in love!

Together, we created San Miguel Living, a boutique interior design and remodeling business that brings our complementary talents together to transform houses into homes. Five years later, we’ve completed more than a dozen projects, built a business we’re proud of, and recently celebrated our third wedding anniversary. What began as a professional collaboration has grown into a shared life and a creative partnership that continues to inspire us every day.

More on this later in a different blog post!

Helping Others Find Their Place in San Miguel

By 2021, I began helping clients find homes in San Miguel de Allende. I understood what it meant to arrive in a new place, fall in love with its possibilities, and try to imagine what life might look like there.

For many of my clients, the decision to move to San Miguel represents a major life transition. Some are looking for a retirement home, others want a second home in Mexico, and some are ready to embrace an entirely new chapter. Buyers may arrive with a clear vision of what they want, while others need time to discover which neighborhood, architectural style, or lifestyle best suits them.

I enjoy helping people make those discoveries.

San Miguel offers so many different ways to live. There are historic homes tucked along the cobblestone streets of Centro, contemporary residences with expansive views, charming properties in artistic neighborhoods, and homes in the peaceful countryside and vineyards just beyond the city.

Each property has its own personality, and every buyer has a different story. My role is to bring those two things together.

Being bilingual in English and Spanish also allows me to help bridge cultural and communication gaps for clients from the United States and Canada who are navigating the process of purchasing property in Mexico. Having lived here and experienced many of the same questions and challenges myself, I can offer more than a list of properties. I can share perspective, local knowledge, and an understanding of what it takes to make San Miguel feel like home.

In 2023, I joined Keller Williams at KWAllende, further developing my real estate career.

The recognition I received along the way, including the KW CAPPER 2025 award and recognition for having the most new listings in July 2025, was meaningful. But the greatest reward has always been helping people find the right property and watching their own San Miguel stories begin.

In December 2025, I began an exciting new chapter in my real estate career by joining The Agency San Miguel, where my passion for helping people find their place in San Miguel de Allende has continued to grow into a thriving business. This opportunity has allowed me to combine my professional experience, deep appreciation for the city, and personal understanding of what it means to make a home in Mexico.

Earlier this year, I earned my real estate license, an important milestone that reflects my commitment to professional growth and to providing my clients with knowledgeable, dedicated service. I am also a proud member of AMPI, Mexico’s professional association for real estate agents, which reinforces my commitment to industry standards, ongoing education, and ethical practices.

Looking Ahead

When I look back, I can see how each chapter of my life prepared me for this one. My Mexican roots, my communications career, my experience building my own home, and my years of living in San Miguel all contributed to the real estate professional I have become.

I didn't arrive in San Miguel de Allende with a plan to build a real estate career. I arrived ready for a new chapter, and the city helped me discover a passion that brought together so many parts of my life.

Today, I have the privilege of helping others begin their own journeys here. Whether I am working with a buyer searching for a dream home, a seller preparing to move on to a new adventure, or someone exploring the possibility of investing in San Miguel, I understand that every transaction represents something bigger than a property.

It represents a dream, a decision, and the beginning of a new story.

And that is what makes this work so rewarding.

San Miguel de Allende became my home long before it became the place where I built my real estate career. Today, I am grateful to help others discover what makes this city so extraordinary and find a place of their own within it.