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jerezano

Nov 16, 2008, 1:16 PM

Post #51 of 60 (2030 views)

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Re: [roni_smith] Differences among retirees by location

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Hello,

This thread is indeed interesting.

Yes one can generalize from what has been reported so far:

Reasons given and not in order of importance:

1) Cost of living
2) Climate
3) Location
4) Amenities of life
5) Family reasons

So, the first thing is for a person to sit down and think deeply about what he/she wants in life. Then if that person is not free and independent but has a partner to consider, then how to meld the two different ideas.

There is no easy method. Particularly because what a person thinks he/she really wants from life will change from day to day. So of the 5 reasons given that person MUST prioritize each and every one. Rank them from the one he/she can't possibly live without to the least desireable on a scale of one to 5. Let that ranking jell for a month or so and do the same process all over. Let that jell and do it again. If you do this four times you will have over the course of the year made perhaps 4 different rankings based on the climate, weather, mood, and financial circumstances of the time of your rankings. But you will have made those rankings with different attitudes so that the real priorities will rise to the surface.

As for me some twenty years ago my priorities were:

Based on my career desire to live in Mexico after retirement. This desire raised its ugly head way back in the 1950's and my wife and I planned for such a future until in 1980 she decided that Mexico was not for her future.

1)Location. I needed to live close to the frontier where I could get back to see my heart doctor every three months or so.
2) Amenities.
When I found several locations which were within 9 hours of driving time I then made the decision on amenities of life.
3) Climate was my last consideration.

I have been very happy with my choice but as I grow older I am finding that the winters here in Jerez, Zacatecas are just too cold for me, so for the past 4 years I have been spending December, January and February in warmer areas. One year in Melaque on the beach. Another year in Tepic, Nayarit. Two years in the Rio Grande Valley in Texas, and this year will be another year in Tepic.

So how do I choose my winter vacation spot?

1) Amenities of life.
2) Climate
3) Cost because vacation areas tend to be expensive.

Climate. So that priority of climate is becoming more important to me as I grow older. Just as health issues will become more important to many of us. Priorities do change.

jerezano.

kwschopf

Nov 16, 2008, 6:34 PM

Post #52 of 60 (1990 views)

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Re: [jerezano] Differences among retirees by location

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This is a very useful thread, and may help people make decisions, or a least point them in a direction to explore. When we decided to retire in Mexico, our first choice was Chapala/Ajijic. After we visited several times, we decided it was not for us. Nothing against the beautiful area, or the fine people who live there, but after we decided to visit in the winter, we found it to be too COLD for our liking. Also, maybe a little too structured toward the gringo population. I understand the demographics may have changed, but most of the people we met seemed a little more conservative than us, and perhaps a little older. We had vacationed in Vallarta and decided to move there, despite the hot summers. After renting in Vallarta for awhile, we decided that the pace of life was too brisk for us, and the transient nature of the ever-changing tourist population was not the kind of stability we were looking for. Like Sue and Harold (Sioux4noff), we ended up choosing Bucerias. It is a small town, and in the area we live, it is a "real" community, not a tourist destinantion. There is a pleasant mix of expats and we have found many good friends (inclluding Harold and Sue). The expat population here is not ostentatiously wealthy or generally politically conservative. We seem to fit in nicely. We have adjusted to the summers (although, like everyone here - including the Mexicans - we complain occasionally about the heat and humidity come September). Now, of course, it is growing, and we have amenities here that did not exist when we first arrived - a mixed blessing. But we love our little casa and our neighbors and friends. And we have no plans to ever go anywhere else. This feels like home.

jerezano

Nov 17, 2008, 9:08 AM

Post #53 of 60 (1939 views)

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Re: [roni_smith] Differences among retirees by location

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Hello all:

roni_smith has asked:>>>Allowing for individual differences, are there some general statements that can be made about the type of folks who choose to move to different parts of Mexico for retirement? <<<<<

The answers to this question have been wide-ranging and continue to be of interest to all of us, whether we live here or are just considering that possibility.

roni_smith points out that he is not yet here but is seriously considering that move. So I summed up in a different post what he seems to have harvested so far:

Retires have settled here for the following reasons, not in order of priority:

* Location
* Cost of living
* Amenities of life
* Family
*Climate

But ron_smith's question has led me to do a little exploring. My research has led me to a gem of an article by Barry and Thia Golson, a 50 year old couple, who in March and April of 2004 explored Mexico for potential retirement homes. They explored Guadalajara, Lakeside (Chapala and Ajijic), San Miguel de Allende, Puerto Vallarta (no consideration), and Sayulita (by accident) where they fell in love and bought a property even though they had no intentions of doing so.

The decisions made were: Guadalajara; no / Lakeside; no / San Miguel de Allende; Thia, yes, Barry, no / Puerto Vallarta; no / Sayulita; YES.
That article is listed here:

http://www.aarpmagazine.org/...1-21-mag-mexico.html

An interesting conclusion that can be made after reading the article in its entirety is that each of the two, Thia and Barry, were looking for different things but finally melded their priorities to settle on Sayulita. And what was the final priority which led to that selection? LOCATION. They both fell in love with the beach and the village of Sayulita. And that decision based on Location was influenced by the life style of the expat americans they encountered there.

Of course the question that ron_smith asked about the TYPE of folks who choose different locations in Mexico has not been addressed at all--mainly because ron_smith doesn't seem to be interested in the various types of ex-pats who have come to live in Mexico but in WHERE they live. As to the types of folk there is one safe general conclusion:

They (We) are people who are not afraid of change.

jerezano

Gringal

Nov 17, 2008, 10:21 AM

Post #54 of 60 (1912 views)

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Re: [jerezano] Differences among retirees by location

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I got a chuckle from that article. Read it when it first came out, and wondered how many people would be trudging off to Mexico as a result. It turned out ....A LOT!

Meanwhile, we decided to vacation last year in that charming little beachside village, and my oh my how it has developed since 2004. Construction everywhere. Mobbed beaches. Could hardly find a seat at the famous Rolly's.

So, if you find a gem, put it in your safe and tell no one.

I think Roni was implying that he was interested in the type of people who chose where, based on his field of interest. One could imply a lot about the individuals, based on their choices. Their age, their priorities, their personal thermostats and their backgrounds.

The common thread is that we are not afraid of change or we wouldn't be here, even if economic considerations weren't a factor. As someone pointed out some time ago, you could live in McAllen, Texas, just as cheaply as most places in Mexico. That was a lively thread.

It's interesting to note that some popular expat choices have changed dramatically, even in the short years since that article was written. Lakeside turned "blue" politically; the lake has risen to flood the city park, and we're seeing young families moving in. Walmart arrived, too.

SMA now has MEGA, Bodega Aurrera and new parking garages. Puerta Vallarta just keeps expanding.

So, even if we make a choice we are happy with at the time....who knows what the future will bring? Some people are adapting to those changes...some are already thinking of moving on.
Viva la Differences.

sandykayak

Nov 17, 2008, 1:03 PM

Post #55 of 60 (1879 views)

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Re: [jerezano] Differences among retirees by location

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From my book list:

Gringos in Paradise – An American Couple Builds their Retirement Dream House in a Seaside Village in Mexico Barry Golson 2006 (“Not just a useful tale of house-building in the Mexican tropics, but a funny, touching story of how both men and women can be reinvigorated by the challenge of change in their lives.” Karen Blue) I REALLY enjoyed this book. It’s up to #1 in my mind. He explains how his job opportunities were decreasing when he was in his mid-50s, how he pitched the “Retire in Mexico” article idea to AARP, ending up buying property himself. Then how they packed and drove to Mexico, bought another lot and built a house with the inherent “trials and tribulations.”

Sandy Kramer
Miami, Fla & El Parque

roni_smith

Nov 17, 2008, 6:43 PM

Post #56 of 60 (1836 views)

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Re: [jerezano] Differences among retirees by location

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It is the interaction between place and ex-pat person within Mexico that interested me, and still does.

From reading the responses, it does seem that climate is one important factor, which I find interesting because of the human body's ability to adapt and acclimatize within a year or so of being in a new climate. This does not mean that the human psyche wants to acclimatize, though :). I do agree with jerezano's point about that changing with age, and with his tactic of spending the coldest period in a warmer area. In our case, it might be spending the hottest months in a cooler place, though

There are some things that we (Kathy and I) think might be important to us in our discussions, based on multiple vacations to Mexico in the past 5 1/2 years. That obviously means that we have not spent enough time there to make any claims about deep knowledge in any of this, but we know what we know and based on that, here are thoughts in a couple of areas.

1) An urban environment, but not but probably not one of the two mega-cities. The reasons for this include the availability of good medical care, culture (live theater, dance, university and adult education), a pro baseball team, public culture - music, dances etc. in parks and places like that This is not important to everyone, but we think it might be to us.

2) A city that has a English-speaking ex-pat presence, but not one that is as apparent and - well, dominant may not be the correct word, but as omnipresent as that in Ajijic and San Miguel de Allende, for example. This may fall under having your cake and eating it too, but having grown up in a Latin American country, I want immersion, but also opportunities for friendship with and interaction with native English speakers. Does that sound weird? Maybe.

3) I grew up in the tropics and even though I have lived in the Pacific Northwest for the past 8 years, I lived in the steamy Midwest summers for quite awhile. I am confident, mostly, that I could acclimate to a variety of climates, but it seems like the one around Guadalajara does not have extremes of temperature and seems attractive.

So, of the places we have been so far, we like two very, very different cities the most, Guanajuato and Merida. We lean Merida now, and frankly are not going to spend years visiting a variety of other cities before we retire in 2-3 years and start out somewhere. Mazatlan seems interesting, and do some other mid-size to largish cities.

I'll tell you this, I have enjoyed this thread and hope it keeps up. As long as I keep paying the annual subscription to Mexconnect, ya'll will find out what we decide, where we start out, whether we stay there and so on.

------
Planning for Mexico Move Blog

(This post was edited by roni_smith on Nov 17, 2008, 6:57 PM)

jerezano

Nov 18, 2008, 8:10 AM

Post #57 of 60 (1786 views)

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Re: [roni_smith] Differences among retirees by location

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Hello roni_smith,\--Your requirements for a suitable location in Mexico.----

You state:>>1) An urban environment, but not but probably not one of the two [*three] mega-cities. The reasons for this include the availability of good medical care, culture (live theater, dance, university and adult education), a pro baseball team, public culture - music, dances etc. in parks and places like that This is not important to everyone, but we think it might be to us.

Tepic, Nayarit is a very good candidate. It has everything you list with the exception of the pro baseball team--but then I don't think Mérida has one either. Amateur is a different matter. Tepic has a very active culture program with its 2? 3? 4? universities and very active city programs. Not comparable with the nightly activity (repetitive except for the concerts) of Mérida.

You also state:2) A city that has a English-speaking ex-pat presence, but not one that is as apparent and - well, dominant may not be the correct word, but as omnipresent as that in Ajijic and San Miguel de Allende, for example. This may fall under having your cake and eating it too, but having grown up in a Latin American country, I want immersion, but also opportunities for friendship with and interaction with native English speakers. Does that sound weird? Maybe.

Tepic, Nayarit is a very good candidate. English Speaking community existant but small and shy. Many Mexicans also speak English. Very friendly and efficient Immigration service.

You also state:3) I grew up in the tropics and even though I have lived in the Pacific Northwest for the past 8 years, I lived in the steamy Midwest summers for quite awhile. I am confident, mostly, that I could acclimate to a variety of climates, but it seems like the one around Guadalajara does not have extremes of temperature and seems attractive.

Tepic, Nayarit again exactly meets you requirements. Just a bit warmer than Guadalajara because it is at about 2000 ft altitude instead of a mile high. A friend who lives there and lived years in Honolulu, Hawaii says it is most nearly like Honlolulu of any place in Mexico where he has lived. He lived in Guadalajara for some 15 or more years.

I also like Mérida but could not possibly live there because of the extreme heat which requires air conditioning year-round. No air conditioning required in Tepic.

You also say: It is the interaction between place and ex-pat person within Mexico that interested me, and still does

I wonder if you are gettin on this thread a feel for that interaction. You are getting lots of interesting reasons for an individual to choose a location in which to live, but is that really giving you a feel for the characteristics of that individual? Perhaps I'm a bit dense but I am not getting that. The only thing that is coming clear to me is that we (as a group) are not afraid of change. We (as a group) are adaptable people. We (as a group) are not averse to reasonable risk. What more have you found out?

jerezano

yucatandreamer

Nov 18, 2008, 12:23 PM

Post #58 of 60 (1754 views)

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Re: [jerezano] Differences among retirees by location

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http://www.leonesdeyucatan.com.mx/index.php Merida does indeed have a fine professional baseball team, and watching them in April, May, June, July and hopefully August is about the the only thing that makes Merida worth living in throughout those months. Generally you can catch a small breeze in the evening at the stadium and only despair of your decision to live full time in Merida when you return to your home that is still 95 degrees Farenheit at 11:30 pm.

We chose Merida because we had visited often and felt both comfortable and welcome here. Real estate agents were aggressively marketing the homes over the internet and we could daydream. Home prices were affordable in good "walk to town" locations and there was an English Language Library. Since moving here we have been fortunate to have a very fine Symphony form. Much of the other entertainment is wondereful but grows old as it is the same every week. The first hundred times watching people dance with bottles on their heads is great but after a while you only go when you have out of town guests.As it has become more attractive to expats the house prices have risen enormously and much of Centro has been bought up by foreigners which has changed much of the neighborhood feel. At this time in my life I feel that the positives of living here outweigh the negatives but I haven't commited to the rest of my life. The heat and humidity is a killer. The climate and the insects destroy almost everything and I quickly learned why there was so much selection of plastic ware.

roni_smith

Nov 19, 2008, 7:42 PM

Post #59 of 60 (1674 views)

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Re: [jerezano] Differences among retirees by location

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Thank you for your detailed and thoughtful reponse, jerezano.

Sounds like we'll need to visit Tepic, Nayarit someday. Colima has also sounded interesting to us, as I have written before, but not on this thread.

I think much of our further exploration of new to us places will happen after our move to Mexico - but since we have no plans to buy soon, that is do-able.

I'd add to the list Xalapa and probably many other places.

------
Planning for Mexico Move Blog

jerezano

Nov 20, 2008, 8:41 AM

Post #60 of 60 (1628 views)

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Re: [roni_smith] Differences among retirees by location

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Hello roni_smith,

You said that you would be interested in visiting Colima,Col and Xalapa, Vc. Both cities and areas are interesting. I have visited both and like both of them very much.

For living Colima has one of the most active and higher rated state universities in all Mexico. Their library is famous among the other universities. The climate tends to need air condioning. It is close to the beach but the beaches are overcroweded on weekends, rather ratty and expensive and some are not good swimming beaches. The city itself is very attractive and the surrounding areas are also attractive. Part way up on the volcano the climate gets better. It is a large city with all the attendent health, social and other amenities.

Xalapa is also very attractive. It also is home to the University of Veracruz. Climate is usually hot and wet. Older houses and hotels tend to be smelly and dank. Northers in winter can be a problem. Lots of cultural activity. Be sure and talk to Gringo Jalepeño on the Gulf Coast forum here on mexconnet.com before you go. He has rental units available and has lived in Xalapa for several years. The Veracruz style of cooking mariscos can give you some of the best meals you have ever eaten.

Now, having said all that, for an actual place to live, my own opinion is still Tepic, Nayarit. But that is a personal thing. You might choose otherwise. I had a friend, now dead (qepd) who lived in Colima for several years and loved it.

jerezano

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