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NCGIRL

Oct 6, 2009, 10:20 AM

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Where to Visit/Move?

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Love the forum. I have spent countless hours reading, what a great resource!

I have always loved to travel and decided long ago that one day I would probably retire outside the US.
Mexico is looking to top the list of possible places right now. I plan to do this in the next couple of years.

I'm in the process of learning Spanish. Taking classes at the university and going to Guatemala (due to low cost) for some hopefully intense immersion then will continue with my university Spanish once back home.

OK - I have traveled all over the world and found something to love in almost every place.... but let me get this on the table right upfront! I have never been to Mexico except the tourist areas, Cancun, Cozumel, Playa del Carmen, and a Cruise stop at Costa May a couple of times. yea yea yea..... LOL

Here are my stats. Single Female mid-40's. Open-minded, live and let live. I own a couple of rental houses, income of about $1,000 after expenses. taxes/insurance etc. $50,000 is what I would feel comfortable spending on buying a house leaving myself a fairly good amount of money stashed away for extra expenses that will no doubt pop up. I live simply now and enjoy that and will continue that wherever I go.

I prefer to not HAVE to have a car. I like medium to large cities, sitting in the parks and people watching. Enjoy local events especially music. I LOVE the Caribbean beaches where I can swim and snorkel. I do not love extreme heat or cold but if I had to choose, I would choose heat over not being able to get to a nice swimming beach in a few hours time every few weeks or maybe even more often. I prefer an area where I can walk safely around my neighborhood without constant worry of anything more serious than a pickpocket. I would prefer not to be the only expat in town but don't want a city where the locals seem to be the minority.

Yes, I do plan to rent for at least a few months somewhere before purchasing.

I will visit Mexico next year for a couple of weeks and would like to get a feel for a couple areas. Any suggestions as to what Cities or areas to check out?

Thanks in Advance!

mcm

Oct 6, 2009, 12:04 PM

Post #2 of 13 (5985 views)

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Re: [NCGIRL] Where to Visit/Move?

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Merida, the capitol of Yucatan state, fits most of your wishes, EXCEPT that it is hot as blazes for about half the year. It's not intolerable (in my opinion), especially if you can adapt to a schedule of being active in the morning and evening/night, and comatose in your hammock the rest of the day. Winter is quite pleasant (and even seems chilly after a few years).

It's a 4-5 hour first class bus ride to the Caribbean coast, but only half an hour or so to the Gulf coast (no turquoise water and few if any reefs, but (still) less developed than the Caribbean side of the peninsula). There are lots of "cultural" offerings, from a very good local symphony orchestra (tickets from under $10USD), to various permanent and visiting art and theater events. There's also a pretty good Museum of Contemporary Art (MACAY), with rotating exhibits, as well as a small permanent collection. Many other smaller museums, and a good handful of galleries, as well.

To learn more about it check out www.yucatantoday.com, or www.yucatanliving.com Both these websites focus on promoting the state as a tourist or expat destination, but do provide good information -- they just don't include any of the downsides). Read the local paper The Diario de Yucatan online (www.yucatan.com) for a more realistic view (in Spanish only).

There are probably several hundred permanent foreign residents, but in a municipio of close to a million, it's easy to avoid them. There is a US consulate, which is useful for things like passport renewal or getting something notarized US-style. There is an English-language lending library (where you will run into a lot of expats), but that is a big plus in my view.

Like many areas, property prices have gone up up up in the last ten years or so, but places in your range can be found. It's a big city (though doesn't feel like), with a huge variety of neighborhoods (some 600 named neighborhoods or developments).

NCGIRL

Oct 6, 2009, 12:39 PM

Post #3 of 13 (5959 views)

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Re: [mcm] Where to Visit/Move?

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Merida is at the top of the list of places I was going to visit, the long months or 90+ temps scare me a little. I wonder how much worse it would be than what I am used to here in NC? I may want to wait until say April or May to see if I can stand the heat there or not.

If I did end up in a place where it is 90+ dropping only into the 70's at night, how much do your electric bills normally average if you run the A/C in the bedroom at night? Can someone give me a guesstimate? I mean am I looking at $50 USD a month or $300 USD a month?

I am not against smaller towns as long as they have decent public transportation, a nice walkable downtown with lots of activities, so anyone have any suggestions in that regard I would love to hear it also.

I know nothing about the Central or West coast of Mexico, should I consider that? Again, a town or city with a nice beach within a few hours bus ride, that has nice calm waters for swimming and or snorkeling would be ideal.

yucatandreamer

Oct 6, 2009, 2:49 PM

Post #4 of 13 (5927 views)

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Re: [NCGIRL] Where to Visit/Move?

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We live right downtown in Merida and run the air conditioner in the summer months at night. Unfortunately our bedroom is upstairs and has poor airflow so air conditioning is a necessity. Our monthly bills, with the summer subsidy, run between $125 to $150 per month. We also run 2 computers almost full time, refrigerator, freezer. various fans, washer and dryer, pool pump, pressure pump and an average number of small appliances and lights. We are not nearly as frugal as we could be. Winter months without the subsidy and no air conditioning run around a $100 per month. And I am pretty sure you would find Merida a good bit hotter than North Carolina.

Mcm lives outside of Merida proper and it is definitely cooler on the outskirts without the heat holding concrete. In fact I think on the outskirts or in the country you would only need air conditioning occasionally. Your trade off is busing into town for events and library. I envy her in the summer months but am glad I live downtown in the winter.

tashby

Oct 6, 2009, 4:38 PM

Post #5 of 13 (5901 views)

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Re: [NCGIRL] Where to Visit/Move?

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Hi and Welcome NCGirl,

I would encourage you to at least visit Western Mexico, since it looks like you've never been? I have my own personal preference toward the Western part of the U.S., and as it turns out, that preference translates and I feel the same way about Mexico. But that's just me, and if you're from N.C., you may feel the opposite. No way to know until you explore.

I think one of the key questions you need to ask yourself, and I mean really ask yourself, is how intoxicated you are by the turquoise caribbean water. That ocean experience doesn't really exist on the Pacific side (though there are a couple of spots on the Pacific, and certainly in the Sea of Cortez, that come close for calmness and clarity of water). For myself, I happen to prefer the very different, open Pacific Ocean, but that's just me.

The Central and Western highlands of Mexico win hands down for a choice of cities and towns, and climate, that meet the rest of your criteria.

So, if being within a slingshot of the caribbean is really that important, then you can effectively limit your search enormously. If not....

Happy hunting!

(And P.S.: Your well-articulated "Where?" question comes up a lot on MexConnect.....you might do a search of the forums, such as "Where to live?" etc., and you'll find several discussions, some of which are information rich.)

chinagringo

Oct 6, 2009, 6:51 PM

Post #6 of 13 (5862 views)

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Re: [NCGIRL] Where to Visit/Move?

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Certainly a wide open question that is open for a great deal of interpretation and personal preferences!

We bought into the Lake Chapala hype and Kathy had a house built there back in 1998. At the time, we were living in Oregon and viewed this house as a vacation home and future retirement home. All the years that we lived on the Oregon Coast, we used the house as a getaway from the horrible weather. Then in 2004, we moved to Albuquerque, NM and learned what nice weather was all about. The motivation to head to Lake Chapala was diminished since we felt we had ideal weather here. In 2006, we sold the house. Now we make drives to MX to see the rest of the country. So far, Michoacan has really struck us with its natural beauty and cultural heritage. While we have driven fairly extensively through the State, we have a great deal more to experience. So far our favorite spot is Patzcuaro and given the altitude, I would liken it to Boone, NC.

While no one has commented, I would guestimate that your budget of $50K for housing may be a bit low.
Regards,
Neil
Albuquerque, NM

NCGIRL

Oct 6, 2009, 7:18 PM

Post #7 of 13 (5851 views)

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Re: [chinagringo] Where to Visit/Move?

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I am definately in the exploratory phase currently and as I visit I will narrow down the areas I am most interested in.

$50,000 is on the low side of things I realize but I am pretty simple really and was hoping to find a small reasonable priced home in a not so expensive area. I could double that but the higher I go on the real estate purchase the less of an emergency fund I have to play around with. And I have a feeling that once I get up to that kind of a price range I might end up being better off financially simply renting.

My main concern with renting is my dog, not sure how easy it would be to find places willing to rent to someone with a large dog? Crazy dog people, LOL amazing how we arrange our lives around our canine friends...

I will probably visit Merida on the Eastern side then fly over? And see Mazatlan, Morelia, and the Guadelajara areas. Will 3 weeks give me long enough to get a general idea of what areas I like? I can then make plans to come back later for a more indepth visit to the places I like best.

jerezano

Oct 9, 2009, 10:20 AM

Post #8 of 13 (5718 views)

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Re: [NCGIRL] Where to Visit/Move?

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Hello NCGIRL,

From what you say you want, Mérida seems to be a good choice, but for your simple tastes and planned housing budget you might consider the Progreso seaport for Mérida. It is of course on the beach. Nice long beach. You can most likely find a house for sale there in the $500,000 pesos range or even lower, since it is not a tourist town. No real night life, not many tourists except day tourists (many, especially on weekends) , but Mérida itself is only 33 kilometers away (somebody said 1/2 hour) and bus fare to and from is cheap. Overnight accommodations in Mérida are available at reasonable rates, etc. But day trips are a piece of cake. Unfortunately the concerts--excellent--and the folklore shows--excellent--and the plays--unfortunately in Spanish are all at night, so that an overnight stay is realistic.

Because of the onshore breeze at Progreso, the unbearably hot Mérida summer temperatures are a bit moderated, you can walk to the beach, and spend as many hours there as you want. You will probably still want at least one air conditioned bedroom in your house and you will want to install fans in the others. The cost of living will be a lot less than in Mérida proper. You will not need a car. Try renting there for a while and you can explore the Carribean coast including Cancún and points south by bus at your leisure. Housing on that side of the peninsula tends to be outrageous because of the tourists. I know nothing about your dog, but it could be a problem anywhere and there must be kennels and veterinarians who can help you.

Dog. I hope you will be exploring for a couple months without your dog. You mention flights to the west coast so I assume you will be leaving it home in the care of friends while you do the preliminaries.

Progreso is not properly on the Carribean. It is on the Gulf of Mexico side of the Yucatán peninsula.

In Mérida itself the Institute of Modern Spanish is run by two people of Mexican ancestry from Illinois? Ohio? who speak excellent English. While their main purpose is teaching Spanish they can, of course, and will be more than happy to help you decide where to live, etc. And by the way, I think with a lot of footwork you will be able to find a simple house in Mérida itself at less than $50,000 us dollars. Not a US style of house, of course, but native Méridiano style and construction.
Hasta pronto, jerezano.

(This post was edited by jerezano on Oct 9, 2009, 10:33 AM)

yucatandreamer

Oct 9, 2009, 11:12 AM

Post #9 of 13 (5700 views)

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Re: [jerezano] Where to Visit/Move?

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If you are interested in giving Merida a try, we look after a friends house here. He rents it out at a very reasonable $400.00 US per month when he is not here. It is fully furnished and equipped with most everything you would need including internet. Pets are OK and it is very much the type of home in the type of area that is in your price range. It is nice but not fancy and in a wonderful, but not gringo-heavy area. He is usually here over Christmas and in the Summer months. He doesn't have air conditioning but seems to get a good breeze. February through June are available and you would find out pretty quickly if Merida was for you.

If you are interested contact my husband Greg at fishfrier58@yahoo.ca for more information and pictures.

NCGIRL

Oct 9, 2009, 12:54 PM

Post #10 of 13 (5659 views)

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Re: [yucatandreamer] Where to Visit/Move?

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Thanks so much everyone! I have been given lots of great advice and will start narrowing down my choices.

And yes, until the actual move, my pup will stay NOB being spoiled by my doggy-loving neice!

Hound Dog

Oct 9, 2009, 3:21 PM

Post #11 of 13 (5626 views)

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Re: [NCGIRL] Where to Visit/Move?

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NC Girl:

There are fewer places on the planet where advisors are less aware of what they speak than those who blindly define "Southern Mexico". Many people who think they are in "southern" Mexico are not at all in southern Mexico for instance but in Mid-Eastern Mexico. Both Mérida and Cancun are on a parallel with Leon, Guanajuato for example and Leon is not in southern Mexico by anyone´s reckoning. That would be like calling a Chicagoan a Memphisian. Therefore, these towns are not in Southern Mexico at all. The geographical ignorance is appalling.

(This post was edited by Hound Dog on Oct 9, 2009, 3:24 PM)

tashby

Oct 10, 2009, 3:50 PM

Post #12 of 13 (5498 views)

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Re: [Hound Dog] Where to Visit/Move?

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In Reply To

There are fewer places on the planet where advisors are less aware of what they speak than those who blindly define "Southern Mexico".

Ummmmm.....did I miss something? Who in this thread is/was talking about Southern Mexico?

Anyway, NCGirl I think you could at least get a taste for Morelia, Guadalajara and Mazatlan in three weeks. If you use GDL as your fly-in point, then Morelia is only a 3-4 hour luxury bus ride away. Mazatlan is further, but you might be able to grab a cheap flight between GDL and Mazatlan. (That's a long shot - the cheap internal flight - but even a bus would be fine. Maybe 6-7 hours??? 8 hours???? LUXURY BUS.)

Morelia, by the way, offers easy access to the Pacific beaches of Michoacan and Guererro, about 5 hours away by bus. (Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo in GRO, and the largely undiscussed, less developed coast of Michoacan to the north. Boy.....I can't wait to see the coast of Michoacan which I hear is spectacular.)

Guadalajara also offers easy access to the coast, about 3-4 hours to Manazanillo, and maybe a little more to Puerto Vallarta, etc. The area north of Vallarta in Nayarit State has several (currently) small beach towns that are pleasant, but there is a lot of development in the works there so who knows what the future will bring. (See the series of articles currently on Mexconnect that discusses them all.)

And as others mentioned, Merida would be a great base to use for exploring that city (I've never been! Ouch!), and other places within shot like Progresso.

Pick your pleasure and have fun! This country is phenomenal.

< Including Southern Mexico.....wherever that is. 8-) >

Hound Dog

Oct 10, 2009, 4:49 PM

Post #13 of 13 (5476 views)

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Re: [tashby] Where to Visit/Move?

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Ummmmm.....did I miss something? Who in this thread is/was talking about Southern Mexico?

Tashby is an amusing person and poses a good question.

Who, indeed, was talking about southern Mexico?

Dawg