This Couple Took a ‘Leap of Love’ and Moved to Mexico After Dating for Nine Months

Power couple Akhil and Amy know what they like when they see it. “When you know, you know,” Amy says. For these two entrepreneurs from Canada, that translates to their successful businesses, their love life and their home base.

“I was the one that had the idea for us to move to Tulum. I have an investment in a project here, and naturally it made sense for us to set down some roots here,” Akhil explains of their plans to find a permanent home on the Yucatán Peninsula.

As entrepreneurs, Amy and Akhil have the flexibility to move from Canada to Tulum, Mexico, with little disruption and much better weather. “I don't think I've ever worked in a bikini in Vancouver,” Amy says. Aside from the seamless work transition and the business-casual (bikini-casual?) dress codes of Tulum, the dollar stretches far here, especially if you are willing to look in the parts of the city that are still being developed.

Akhil and Amy are joined on their house hunt by mutual friend Lev Makievsky, who also happens to be responsible for introducing the pair. “He had said, ‘Hey, why don’t you come out to lunch with me?’ not telling me that Amy was going to be there, and the rest is history,” Akhil recounts.

“Knowing the two of them, I knew they would be perfect for each other,” says Lev. As a Tulum-based real estate agent, Lev is confident that he can also find them their perfect love nest.

Amy and Akhil’s Wish List

• $600,000 budget
• 4 bedrooms
• Rooftop space with a view
• Spacious kitchen
• Closet space
• Close to town

Amy would like to stay closer to town so that the amenities she's used to back in Vancouver are still feasible. “I really want to be walking distance to getting a matcha in the morning.”

“I want the opposite of that. I want to be … on my rooftop looking at the treetops … I don't want to see my neighbors,” counters Akhil.

Is this the beginning of a lover’s quarrel, or can Lev magically deliver both?

The first house Lev takes the couple to see is located in an area called Aldea Zama. It is centrally located close to downtown Tulum and the beach. “This to me feels really good,” Amy says. The four-bedroom, three-bathroom penthouse is listed for $650,000, so slightly over their budget. Lev reminds them that, “When you're purchasing in an area that's already developed, that has all of your amenities nearby, it does come with a premium.”

Amy and Akhil tour the next property, which is located in an area called Region 15. Tulum designates different regions by numbers to plan for urban development, and Region 15, while quickly growing, is a slightly less developed part of Tulum. This likely explains why this home is priced at $589,000 and has all of the same amenities as the previous home, only with a more updated vibe.

“OK, this looks like Tulum,” says Amy, clearly impressed with her first peek of the house.

Akhil immediately notices that you can see nearby neighbors. “Keep an open mind,” Amy answers.

The third property the couple tours is a four-bedroom, four-bathroom townhouse. Lev promises Akhil that even though “this is a multifamily of four townhouses … it is private in the sense that behind us it's all green.”

Lev delivers on the promise, showing the couple the incredible pool and outdoor pergola. “There’s no one looking in.”

On the roof, Akhil is pleasantly surprised to see a second pool. “This is a cool touch.”

“I like it,” Amy says with some hesitation. “It’s just seeing our neighbors,” she gestures to the shared roofline.

“Put some plants, put some fencing. Compromises … we can’t have it all,” Lev reminds them.

In the end, Amy and Akhil did what any power couple would do. They analyzed the market and decided that the biggest bang for their investment buck was to purchase the jungle home in the up-and-coming part of Tulum. “Who knows, maybe in five years, Region 15 will be as developed as Aldea Zama,” Akhil reasons.

“I’m not really in the city,” Amy says of her compromise to give up being close to town. “But he makes it easy for me and brings the city to me.”

Sounds like these two are well on their way to a happily ever after.