Forums > General > Living, Working, Retiring

jomac48

Jun 25, 2003, 10:34 AM

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Researching Retirment in Mexico

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My husband and I are intereted in the possibility of retiring in Mexico - for at least part of the year. We are basically starting at ground zero - only knowing Mexico from short vacation trips. Our primary reasons are weather and cost of living. We would be grateful for some pointers on how and where to begin. We currently live right on the ocean in the Northeastern US (just north of Cape Cod) so it is difficult for me to think about moving away from the sea. But I hate the humidity, so we should probably look into higher altitude areas with lake. We have the usual questions like: should we ultimately buy or rent? Is kidnapping really as big a problem for gringo retirees as the press makes it out to be? What areas should we start looking in? What are cost considerations for cell and telephone contact with family back home? Should we plan to bring most of our belongings with us or does it make more sense to buy them in Mexico? What are the most common culture shocks facing us? We are pretty well traveled (and I spent most of my life before age 30 living outside the US) so we know enough to know we have much to learn. Any suggestions, tips or advice would be very gratefully received. TIA

PS - I am brand new to this group so please forgive any mistakes I made.

email: jomac48@mindspring.com
JoAnn
mailto:jomac48@mindspring.com

skwala

Jun 25, 2003, 10:57 AM

Post #2 of 21 (1713 views)

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Re: [jomac48] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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You, we and countless others have asked the same questions, and there are about as many answers as questions. Look back through all these forums (fora?) and you'll find lots of replies, and get some ideas you haven't thought of yet. It's a really interesting place to spend some time.

Skwala

esperanza

Jun 25, 2003, 11:15 AM

Post #3 of 21 (1707 views)

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Re: [jomac48] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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Welcome to MexConnect! There's lots of information here, lots of considerations, and as many opinions as there are people who post. Do a search on the site for the information you want, yes...and look at any of Rolly's posts for the link to his website, which offers a wealth of information.

You might consider a trip to visit some of the locations in Mexico with good-sized expatriate communities, if your life would be enhanced by the opportunity to use both English and Spanish. San Miguel de Allende and the Lake Chapala areas have sizeable English-speaking communities.

The kidnapping of retirees need not be a worry.

There are computer programs available for internet telephone use that work extremely well and cost practically nothing. You can, for example, use www.delta3.com and call from your computer (using a headset) in Mexico to a normal telephone in the USA or Canada for approximately one cent per minute.

Culture shock is different for everyone. What makes your eyes go wide may not be what causes others to react.

To buy or to rent: IMHO, it's good to rent for a while first and decide what area of the place you're in you really like best~or whether you'd rather choose another place altogether. Others come to visit and buy a home their first weekend in Mexico.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

jomac48

Jun 25, 2003, 11:38 AM

Post #4 of 21 (1697 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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Thanks for the suggestions. I plan a visit to the Guadalajara area (Colonial area?) in the coming months. I have spent most of the day reading the posts and devouring Rolly's wonderful website. As predicted, many questions have been answered and many more have arisen. I was surprised to read that the cost of living in Mexico is not lower than here. We pay nearly $US6,000 a year in property taxes and another $500+/mo for heat and electricity. Those expenses alone (because they are rising so quickly) frighten me when I think about retiring.
JoAnn
mailto:jomac48@mindspring.com

Don

Jun 25, 2003, 12:00 PM

Post #5 of 21 (1693 views)

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Re: [jomac48] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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I think you will find the cost of living much lower here in Mexico. I own two homes here and the property tax for both is about $70.00 U.S. per year. That is with a senior citizen discount on one of the homes. My electric bill (which also includes heat) is under $85.00 U.S., per month, for both homes. Propane for cooking and water heater runs about $35.00 U.S., per month, for both homes. One home is not used on a regular basis. We pay our water bill once per year and it runs about $80.00 U.S. per year for both homes. That too includes a senior citizen discount on one home.

Cost of living here depends on where one lives, where one shops and your needs.

johanson

Jun 25, 2003, 12:17 PM

Post #6 of 21 (1685 views)

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Re: [jomac48] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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My real estate taxes in Ajijic on a very nice house are $200 per year. Although my heating,and or cooling costs are a fraction of yours, there are other items that are more expensive. Expect to pay about a dollar more than you do now for a gallon of gas. Electricity costs me three times as much per kilowatt hour, about 20 cents. But I don't use as much as you, so I have never had a monthly electrical bill of over $200 and most of my friends bills are closer to $60 to $100 per month

But then again I would have to pay more than $15 per hour to have someone help clean my house up North near the Microsoft headquarters. In Mexico you could get someone for all day for that.

Many Mexicans live happily on what you pay just for electricity each month. If you have to have that American can of V-8 juice you know, the one with American writing on it rather than the one with Spanish written thereon, you are going to pay more.

I know, when I go shopping, I'm always picking up the soup can with American writing on the side, looking at the price, and immediately putting it down and picking up the Cambell's soup can from Mexico, which I can buy for a fraction of the cost.

We all warn you that living down here can be just as expensive as living up North. But it really depends upon your situation. Yes I pay just as much in Mexico to live as I do in WA. But I do so by choice. Up north I can't afford to have a maid and a gardener.

Come take a look. You will find that you can live quite economically if you need to.

juan david

Jun 25, 2003, 2:15 PM

Post #7 of 21 (1670 views)

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Re: [jomac48] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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Agree with Don that costs are lower in Mexico overall. We moved from Ottawa which is less expensive than the northeast. We figure that day in day out stuff we do and buy is 15-20% lower in Ajijic. Housing is 35-40 percent less for us. Gas is more, but we drive fewer mile per week. There are anomilies of course. A bottle of vodka costs the same as a small jar of Skippy peanut butter. But vodka and toast seems to screw up my golf game.

Good luck on your research.
" let sleeping dogs lie"

gpk

Jun 25, 2003, 3:59 PM

Post #8 of 21 (1657 views)

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Re: [johanson] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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Many Mexicans live happily on what you pay just for electricity each month.

They live--not so happily. Mexican people can endure more suffering, discomfort, etc. than "we" can, but they know the difference.

johanson

Jun 25, 2003, 6:16 PM

Post #9 of 21 (1645 views)

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Re: [gpk] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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I don't respond to the last posting to take exception to your last post but to learn. In Ajijic a well paid construction worker or laborer makes about 800 to 900 pesos per week while the higher paid maestro makes 1,500 per week. At todays exchange rate that is maybe $300 + per month for the pion and $600 per month for the Maestro. I'm told that the pay is maybe 20% less in other parts of Mexico. These workers also have free medical insurance. That is what my architect pays the folks who are doing some building for me.

Isn't $600 US a good salary? Can't a native live happily on that? Many have teenage sons most of whom who also work usually sharing 50% of their salary with their parents. Again I am only speaking about those who work for me. And most of them seem very happy and better adjusted to life than I am. Maybe they are just good actors.

Sure it would be better if they all made more money and everyone could go to college. Yes they and I realize that there are people that are richer than them, than me. But, with absolutely no expertise on this matter, I think that often they live much more happily than many of us so called well off folks. Your comments please.

One other thought. The wages paid in much of Central America for the same work seem to be about 1/2 of what is paid in Mexico.

gpk

Jun 25, 2003, 6:38 PM

Post #10 of 21 (1640 views)

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Re: [johanson] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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I wasn't try to start anything, but I do believe a lot of foreigners see "happy" Mexicans everywhere. Yes, I agree--overall, most are/seem happier than many Gringos.

However, they often live with 3 generations under one (rather small) roof; a bicycle is the main source of transportation; tortillas make up a large part of their diets; medical care is "free", but at the general hospitals (these are the free ones) patients must provide their own bandages, medicines are in short supply, and food must be provided by family members.

My point was more that they are happier despite all these problems, but they do see how others live. Many of the more "prosperous" families also rely on money sent home from the US or Canada.

johanson

Jun 25, 2003, 8:25 PM

Post #11 of 21 (1625 views)

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Re: [gpk] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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I didn't take your post negatively. I may have been in Mexico for 5 or so years, but I have much to learn. I was just trying to better understand.

raferguson

Jun 28, 2003, 9:10 AM

Post #12 of 21 (1564 views)

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Re: [jomac48] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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I will put in a few comments:

For those planning to live in Mexico, perhaps the best source for
information, especially on the cost of living, is the AIM (Adventures in Mexico) newsletter. It has a practical focus, with each issue
covering a different town or area. $19 per year, Apartado Postal
31-70, Guadalajara, Jalisco, 45050, Mexico. (My 2002 renewal
included an envelope addressed to 1761 Hotel Circle S, Suite 100,
San Diego, CA, 92108, USA). Ask for the back issue list.

Most people advise renting before you buy, even in the USA. This advice probably goes double in a country that you do not know well.

Kidnapping is a serious problem in Mexico, but has not been a problem to date for expatriate retireees. This may be partly because the expatriates do not tend to live in Mexico City or other centers of crime. For example, Morelos state is usually high on the crime statistics, but probably not huge numbers of expatriates in the Cuernavaca area. So far, the Mexican kidnapping industry has not been targeting foreigners, with a few exceptions.

http://www.fergusonsculpture.com

pat

Jun 28, 2003, 1:15 PM

Post #13 of 21 (1535 views)

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Re: [raferguson] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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I just did a Google search for Adventures in Mexico, and nothing resembling a newsletter subscription came up. Do they have a web site? I was hoping to see a sample of the newsletter before dropping a check for $20.00 into the mail.

Pat

jennifer rose

Jun 28, 2003, 5:24 PM

Post #14 of 21 (1519 views)

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Re: [pat] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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Ernie Lewis, who publishes and edits the AIM newsletter, is a very old-fashioned guy. No computer. No website. And no advertising. No fluff and no puff. He does sell back issues for something like $4-5 each, but I think you'll find the subscription price worth it. This newsletter covers the gamut of each city, from the barebones to the infra dig, has no political agenda, no hype, and is the most tightly written around.

(This post was edited by jennifer rose on Jun 28, 2003, 10:58 PM)

jennifer rose

Jun 28, 2003, 7:33 PM

Post #15 of 21 (1504 views)

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Re: [jomac48] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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Wow! You’ve got a lot of questions, and you’re bound to receive a range of opinions. And you’ve got a broad range of options in Mexico.

Pick three areas which appeal to you, and visit each. “Mexico” Mike Nelson’s “Live Better South of the Border,” reviewed at http://www.mexconnected.com/...exmikbookreview.html, has some excellent thumbnails of various venues in Mexico. (Yes, he’s in desperate need of a good copy editor.)

I notice that you’ve qualified the rent-or-buy decision with “ultimately.” And even that depends upon a lot. Are you and your husband, by nature, renters or homeowners? Will your move to Mexico be a permanent one? Where do you plan to land? Are you the kind of folks who’ll pack up and move as part of that constant quest for something better over in the next valley, or do you learn to love where you land?

Now, about what George Carlin would refer to as “stuff.” How much “stuff” do you have? Are you the kind who likes to buy new stuff all the time, or do you re-upholster?

Splitting out those questions and posting each separately may keep the threads more responsive to your queries.

Tom

Jun 29, 2003, 8:07 AM

Post #16 of 21 (1466 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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I went to there website and entered Mexico to USA and it came up 2.9 cents/min. (still not bad, but not a penny either).

Does anybody use this service? How is the quality (chopped words, etc)? Do you need a broadband connection to have it work well?

esperanza

Jun 29, 2003, 8:21 AM

Post #17 of 21 (1462 views)

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Re: [Tom] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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The plan I have costs $4.95USD per month and allows for 400 minutes of call time.

I have regular ole dialup service and the quality of calls is GREAT. Once in a while I get a bad connection, but I just hang up and dial again. I've used several other services and this one is definitely the best.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Tom

Jun 29, 2003, 8:25 AM

Post #18 of 21 (1460 views)

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Re: [esperanza] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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Good to hear! I used this technology in the USA 3 years ago on DialPad when it was free for in country USA calls. They had a more problems. I've bookmarked the site. Thanks.

jomac48

Jun 29, 2003, 11:23 AM

Post #19 of 21 (1437 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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I am so sorry to have asked so many questions of you. I will follow Jennifer Rose's suggestion and ask one question at a time in the future. Thank you all who have posted responses here and the many who have replied privately. You have given us so many answers and spawned so many more questions. We are scouring these forums every day and will continue to do so as we progress towards our goal.

One question that seems to beg asking is for those of you who are expatriates. How and more specifically why did you choose to live where you are?

JoAnn

mailto:jomac48@mindspring.com
JoAnn
mailto:jomac48@mindspring.com

Marlene

Jun 30, 2003, 5:33 PM

Post #20 of 21 (1395 views)

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Re: [jomac48] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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Hi Joann,

Good question! I have lived in Mexico (Mazatlan to be specific) for nearly 3 years now. I had traveled about the country, but I think the internet is really helpful in "bringing" people to places these last few years. I found the right combination of ingredients that were important to me....ease of getting back north in event of a family emergency, great opportunity for inexpensive and laid back living, the ocean and last but not least, the Mazatlecans are just super people. I have a whole family of inlaws here that would go to the ends of the earth to help me if I had a problem. There is plenty of opportunity for business upstarts here too as Mazatlan is being rapidly discovered by the rest of the world. It is a great city for networking as it still has that small town feel to it. Quite honestly, I love it here.

Good luck with your decision.

Ed and Fran

Jul 1, 2003, 8:13 AM

Post #21 of 21 (1366 views)

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Re: [jomac48] Researching Retirment in Mexico

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jomac48: "I am so sorry to have asked so many questions of you. I will follow Jennifer Rose's suggestion and ask one question at a time in the future. "

It's not a problem to ask a lot of questions or to ask them at the same time, in fact lot's of the regulars here have been complaining that they haven't had enough topics to respond to lately. The suggestion is just to put each one (or related ones) in separate posts. When a post has a number of different questions it often happens that people respond to one particular question and the thread turns to a discussion of that particular item, leaving other parts unaddressed. When each topic has its own post, there is a better chance that each thread will get answered and discussed. I'm not sure if that was clear, but hope this helps.

Regards

E&F