Do not be timid in asking to see houses in specific areas as well as in specific price ranges. Live where you are most comfortable and don't spend beyond your means just to impress your friends up North. For my second trip I contacted a half dozen agents and set separate schedules with the most promising three. In addition to seeing as many houses as possible, in all price categories, I was determined to see the area, warts and all, from my point of view. After all, it would be my money, not the agent's, that would buy the house and it would be I, not the agent, who had to be happy with the decision.
Houses are like personal relationships.
Think before you sign on the dotted line. The housing market is always in a state of flux, especially in Mexico. Give yourself enough time to play tourist first. Put on your walking shoes and, with guide book in hand, get to know the pros and cons of each of the villages. You can live in the country in splendid isolation, with only the water birds from the lake for company, or you can live in a white castle on the mountain and pretend that you are the master of all you survey.