menu +

Visit Site Title IT'S SO NICE TO MEET YOU •

meet the team

Go from dreaming to actually living out your dream– we’ll be here to guide you, step by step.

Run Away Realty is a boutique real estate agency in the best little beach town in Mexico - Puerto Morelos! 

We see you Google searching, researching on YouTube, asking around, and trying to figure out the answer to your nagging question—Can I legally buy property in Mexico? And if so, HOW? Where do I even begin?

We get it! We’ve done it. We’ve helped over a hundred others do it, in fact. And now we’re sharing all of our knowledge and experience with you so your dream can become a dream come true, without any of the chaos or confusion. 

As a small team, we’re close-knit, always up for a good time, and never mess around when it comes to taking care of your business. Because buying a property in a foreign country is a big deal - it’s the kind of thing you want to have professional assistance with to ensure it’s done right (and to your advantage). 

Beyond just the legal, financial, and industry-specific aspects of your purchase, our job is so much more than just selling you a home. We’re helping you join a community and start a new way of life.

Here you get to experience something different than America (or Canada, the UK…wherever your home country may be) - and isn’t that the whole point?

It’s about rolling with the tides & timelines, the unique ways of life, the initial language barriers—it’s all part of the adventure you’re about to embark on. The adventure of a lifetime, at that! 

So tell us your dream and we can help you with the “how” — preferably sitting somewhere with a view, sipping cocktails.

how it all started

Co-Founded by Husband & Wife, Gabriel & Kim

Real Estate Agents & Members of AMPI (MX) & NAR (USA)

Featured on House Hunters International & Mexico Life

From Colorado Attorney to Real Estate Agent in Mexico

The whole story will have to happen over a few margaritas someday, but here’s the (kind of) abbreviated version: I (Kim) fell in love with Puerto Morelos at first sight, two decades ago. I was obsessed.  Then I saw that the bookstore on the square was for sale.  Sure that this was a sign from God, my mom and I decided to buy the bookstore, pack up our lives and move here. Well, we did that, but when we got here, very shortly after 9/11, our deal for the book store fell through.  I ended up going back to Colorado and my law practice.  But my amazing, artistic genius mom?  She stayed another ten years, and built an amazing life.  Then cancer changed all that.  

My mom passed away, and in early 2012, I came back to Puerto Morelos to plan her celebration of life.  During that time, I met with a real estate agent about potentially selling my mom's house.  In a completely unexpected turn of events, the agent floated the idea that I should stay in town and sell real estate with her.  What?!  I had zero sales experience, wasn't in a great financial position. and certainly wasn't in a position to semi-retire, which is kind of what it sounded sales would be like. But I was at a crossroads - I had closed my law practice to care for my mom and had zero desire to go back, my son had just left for college, there was snow on the ground in Colorado and I had a place to live in Puerto Morelos…I realized that this was it…this was my time to try something new. So stay & sell homes I did.

Best decision ever.  I loved it, and all my fear of switching careers later in life vanished.  As it turned out, I didn't need to "sell", I needed to listen and use the other skills I already had to bring a critical eye to the legal transaction.  So what came next, you ask?

When Fate Made Run Away Realty

4 years later in 2016, the stars aligned and I met Gabriel—a busy high-end restaurant manager. Sparks flew and our shared love of all things Star Wars, 80’s music, and Veuve Clicquot helped seal the deal.

The next thing we knew, we had fallen in love, decided to become business partners (!!), founded Run Away Realty, filmed a bunch of episodes of Mexico Life, adopted another dog, and got married.  From single to living & working together 24/7, all within a little over a year.  Talk about taking risks! 

As a Mexico native, Gabriel was integral to the start-up process. A fellow real estate agent, he also manages the day-to-day business operations and serves as the company’s talented in-house photographer. He wears a lot of hats, but he really shines with his heart of service - Gabriel does nothing halfway and is always looking for ways to make our client’s experiences even better.

Why We Keep at It

This is the most soul satisfying work we’ve ever done.  There's just no better feeling than helping people make something they thought they would only ever dream about, come true.  It's not always pain-free - some deals are more difficult than others, and with an unfamiliar process there can be stress.  But we've learned that even at the end of what may have felt like a difficult road, when we are finally at the closing table - magic happens.  Everyone is happy.  A new chapter is beginning for both buyers and sellers. 

 There is nothing we love more than the friendships that form over contracts and a cup of coffee or a margarita.  We work hard to make sure all of our clients feel like they have a trusted local expert and friend, and that doesn't end at the closing table.  We are neighbors now, and we are going to help you settle into your new home, your new community and your new life in Mexico.  


MORE ABOUT US

Select a team member to get to know them!

Meet Kim

Meet Gabriel

Kim Tempel - Broker/Owner

Gabriel Ortega - Broker/Owner

Meet Keith

Meet Austin

Keith Smith - Real Estate Agent

Austin Lee - Real Estate Agent

can't live without

Iced coffee, wine, my Kindle & my 80’s playlists.

favorite weekend activity

Curling up with a good book and/or floating in the sea.

favorite puerto morelos spot

Any quiet spot on the beach.

favorite cocktail

A toss up - Carajillo or Paloma, but really it's all about the champagne

favorite tv show

Can't pick one - Star Trek (all time favorite), Ozark, anything on Bravo

fun fact

In my mind I’m a writer, but the only thing I’ve published is a book on regulations relating to the disposal of hazardous waste back in my lawyer days....

Meet Kim

Hi there!  On the off chance that you haven't read our giant story above, I'll hit the highlights - I'm a recovering attorney from Colorado, who fell madly in love with Puerto Morelos in 2000, had a premature attempt to move here in 2001, but finally made it here full-time in 2012 and I've never looked back!  My life is full with my husband (and business partner) Gabriel, our two rescue dogs Coco and Toni, and my son Austin, who finally saw the light and has joined us here in Puerto Morelos.  And here in our little agency! To say my heart is full is an understatement!  Puerto Morelos is home in a way that no other place has ever been for me.  I love her soul, I love the more sane pace of life and the quality of life that I've found here.      

can't live without

Spicy peanuts, Nutella, Mexican wine, music

favorite weekend activity

Playing Sniper Elite

favorite puerto morelos spot

My house

favorite cocktail

Embrujo 

favorite tv show

All Star Wars movies, The Mandalorian, Lord of the Rings

fun fact

I worked in food and beverage for 20+ years and once built a wine cellar featuring 207 different labels of Mexican wine!

Meet Gabriel

Hola! I'm originally from Mexico City, but I came to Cancun on vacation thirty plus years ago, fell in love with beach life, and never looked back.  My background is in business administration with KPMG and JW Marriott, but along the way I fell in love with the restaurant business and spent years managing high end restaurants throughout the Riviera Maya.  I still love the restaurant business, but building Run Away Realty with Kim, and working with the most amazing clients to introduce them to our culture has been incredibly rewarding.  Getting to live and work in Puerto Morelos  is like a dream come true.

can't live without

My phone

favorite weekend activity

Working out and enjoying the pool.

favorite puerto morelos spot

My house!

favorite cocktail

Bloody Mary

favorite tv show

The Star Trek Universe, Friends, and James Bond movies 

fun fact

In the US I worked for 20 years as a Sign Language Interpreter 

Meet Keith

I joined the Puerto Morelos community in the summer of 2020. Bruce and I came to Puerto Morelos to find a simpler, slower-paced environment where we could focus on living our best lives and contributing to our community. We sold or gave away everything we owned and made the move to Mexico in order to find a better quality of life where we could slow down and enjoy time together. For me, a big part of living your best life means finding a place where you can breathe, relax, and enjoy everything that life has to offer. For us, Puerto Morelos is that place.
.

can't live without

Iced coffee from Matilda's

favorite weekend activity

I love a good beach day with a book & keeping up with Colorado sports

favorite puerto morelos spot

Blue Morelos for tacos & margs

favorite cocktail

Carajillo!

favorite tv show

Game of Thrones, Band of Brothers, and Alone.  I'll give Love is Blind an honorary mention as well...

fun fact

I spent my summers in college as a camp counsellor in the foothills of Denver

Meet Austin

Howdy!  I'm Austin, a proud Coloradan who now has the pleasure of calling Puerto Morelos home.  I've been visiting this amazing seaside town since my grandmother moved here in the early 2000s.  When the opportunity arose for me to ditch the traditional 9-5 lifestyle in Denver and join my mom's real estate agency I knew that I couldn't pass up the opportunity to write my next chapter here in Mexico.  I'm excited to see how this adventure unfolds, and I'm looking forward to helping my clients find their perfect slice of paradise!

Feel the pull?

Become a Local & You'll  Never Have to Leave

We’ll show you the way to make it happen without the stress or worry along the way. Get in touch to book a free virtual chat & let's talk about your dreams, with a side of salt & lime!

Start the Conversation