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juan david

Mar 28, 2003, 7:11 PM

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get into it

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We're bombing on this forum folks. We've achieved some quality since the $ thing became reality, but nuthins goin' on in this forum. We gotta get some things started and the solution always starts at home. This is a great place to live. Why wouldn't people take the next step. What's holding you up in your decision to jump into Mexico? Can we help you in a plain and honest manner? We spent a year gleaning great info from this forum before moving here and we are not the least disappointed now that we are here. Our struggle was about timing...what's yours?
" let sleeping dogs lie"

jennifer rose

Mar 28, 2003, 7:35 PM

Post #2 of 27 (1728 views)

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Re: [ian] get into it

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Ian, would you like me to move this post over to the Living, Working & Retiring Forum?

In answer to your post, even though I don't live in Ajijic/Lake Chapala, I think a lot of people who would like to pack up and move are kept from doing so right now because of the US economic climate. Many who had contemplated comfortable investment incomes now have their dreams dashed, and others are still waiting for white elephants of homes to sell.

Speaking of...., has anyone heard from Uncle Jack since he left for Ajijic? He's been strangely quiet. Has he been abducted by aliens (or worse)?

jsandrock

Mar 28, 2003, 8:12 PM

Post #3 of 27 (1717 views)

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Re: [ian] get into it

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Greetings all -- you can count me as one of the folks who is counting the days till I can "outta here" and come down to Mexico...our house is on the market and we can't wait. But you all are right when you say the climate in the States just HAS to be slowing people down. We keep hoping someone will buy our house and liberate me and my husband -- we are going to try (gulp) to live on his Social Security and a little bit of other $$$ we have. But till our house here sells we're stuck. It's amazingly depressing in the States right now. Meanwhile we are coming to Ajijic next month so we'll be able to meet some folks and do some real estate research! And I'm loving being on the forum and learning new stuff every day while we wait to make our escape!

See you all soon I hope,

Jsandrock

Ed and Fran

Mar 28, 2003, 8:27 PM

Post #4 of 27 (1710 views)

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Re: [jsandrock] get into it

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Yeah, working for a living cuts into the time available for posting. Hopefully it's only for another eight months.

Still targeting end of November for the big move (+ 2 months / - 1 month). Actually with the time starting to count down, I hope I can actually get everything wrapped up and ready so as to not delay things. Still trying to figure out how to deal with the mail problem, as where we are located there's no such thing as either MBE or regular mail delivery. We're now renting a P.O. Box and will try that out for a few months.

Ed and Fran (trespassing on this forum until we get the Veracruz forum up and running.........)

jsandrock

Mar 28, 2003, 8:57 PM

Post #5 of 27 (1706 views)

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Re: [Ed and Fran] get into it

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Boy, am I jealous that you actually are on your merry way! I guess we, too, will at some point sell our house and really be faced with the reality of the packing, the ditching stuff we don't want to pay to store and transport, getting our car, stuff, two cats & dog down there, and crossing our fingers and praying we haven't made a horrible mistake. I actually lived in Mexico City for a couple of years as a kid (had to be dragged back to the States kicking and screaming) so I've had SOME exposure to Mexico & speak Spanish -- but for my husband, this is a MEGA-adventure! I am sure that at some point it will seem like we have totally run out of time with everything one has to do when the fantasy suddenly becomes reality!

Sounds like you are going to Veracruz -- are there lots of Gringos there? I was there once as a kid and remember it as being very beautiful and fascinating (and I went through a hurricane there that was so terrifying that even now as an adult our thunderstorms here in Santa Fe still scare me!)

Good luck with your progress toward getting down there! Meanwhile I keep slogging it out at my day job and hoping for the best...I will of course be curious to see how you solve the mail-and-package problem. I guess everyone has different solutions they ultimately find will work for them after much trial and error.

---Jsandrock

esperanza

Mar 28, 2003, 9:37 PM

Post #6 of 27 (1703 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] get into it

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I spent some time with Uncle Jack this morning. He looks like he's alive and well and that the aliens haven't treated him too badly. I believe he's been a little busy since he got to Ajijic, but he should surface pretty soon.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Roses5410

Mar 29, 2003, 3:40 AM

Post #7 of 27 (1690 views)

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Re: [jsandrock] get into it

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<...crossing our fingers and praying we haven't made a horrible mistake...>

Interesting...You know that must go through many minds - what if????

"What if we were transferred with our job and had to move to another location in the States, and hated it, then oh well we had to move because of work and we will just have to adjust."

I guess the difference here is that we (speaking in general) don't have to move to Mexico and if we don't like it we can move back...but hate the costs that go with it and the admission that Mexico wasn't for us...and it isn't for everyone!

My husband and I came and lived in the Lakeside area first before we bought. We will be moving within the month and am so looking forward to it. And, yes, we do have that tiny "what if" that pops up from time to time, but I continue to remember what made us love the area so much in the first place.

For one, the energy I had while there. It appears to have abandoned me since I've returned home (the weather HAS been terrible here!). For another thing, it seems that the quality of life was much improved while living there, Lakeside.

None of us know the future, of course. But we're planning on working to make our future the best that it can be and from what we know so far, that includes Lakeside!
I love taking pictures...check out my prints for sale @ http://Rosacalaca.dpcprints.com/

jsandrock

Mar 29, 2003, 6:01 AM

Post #8 of 27 (1682 views)

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Re: [Roses5410] get into it

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Hi all -- We of course have lots of questions about the actual move itself, the logistics of getting everything done and down there, but the more we think about it the more we feel it will be the right decision. It DOES seem like a good idea to rent first for a while (how long did you do it, a year? six months?) before we buy anything, just to be sure. A lot of our uncertainties probably have as much to do with retirement as anything else...what will we do? Can we really make it on a fraction of our previous income? Will I be able to set up my little ceramics studio there and pursue my dream of doing art (day job has kind of prevented this!) We now live in Santa Fe, New Mexico, also a wonderful place to retire IF you have lots and lots of money! Having worked in the arts most of my career this is definitely NOT me, so Mexico seems like the ideal choice. I have put some posts up about moving my kiln, installing it, etc. etc. and gotten lots of really helpful information and as other questions come up this will be the first place I turn!

Obviously we'll have much better sense of things after we get down there for this first visit, but the more expensive and complicated things get here in the States the easier this decision will be for us, I bet! I have a feeling that just as you said happened to you, both our energy levels will be far greater without having to hassle with the exigiencies and politics of day jobs, for starters!

Thanks everyone for your help and advice!

jsandrock

Georgia

Mar 29, 2003, 7:37 AM

Post #9 of 27 (1664 views)

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Re: [jsandrock] get into it

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HI, my advice to you now that you have your house on the market is to have those yard sales NOW! The last time I sold a house I suddenly ran out of time and ended up packing and moving things I never used again. This time, we were fortunate in that we were able to buy our Lakeside house before we sold our US house. We go back and forth every couple of months. We ignored all the good and sound advice about renting first, and haven't regretted our impulsiveness. We had pretty much determined ahead of time that we wanted to retire in Mexico. It was only after we had our home there for a while that we realized we wanted to live there full time - thus our US home is on the market now. But I've been weeding out for the past YEAR prior to putting my house on the market and it still looks cluttered to me. We've even invited our grown children to come this summer and take whatever they want and enjoy their heirlooms while we're still around.

I wouldn't advise anyone else to take the course of action we have. The advice to rent and check it out is still good advice. I'm just not prone to taking good advice ........ and I've never really had any regrets either. (It's hard to tell my kids what they should do - assuming they would be crazy enough to ask - when I've never been particularly prudent myself!)

But, when the time comes for you to move and get visas and stuff, you'll find, as I did, that there is loads of valuable advice on this forum. I had to take a little verbal beating up from time to time because of my time constraints, but it was worth it. (We had a limited amount of time to move, register our visas, and get back to the US for some family events. People were outraged that we were "rushing" our visa registration, etc. etc. etc. It was kind of silly.)

So, anyway, welcome, good luck and we all look forward to accompanying you through the forum on your new adventure!

Georgia

Mar 29, 2003, 7:39 AM

Post #10 of 27 (1666 views)

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Re: [esperanza] get into it

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Hi, Esperanza, give Jack our regards and tell him we'll be down at the end of May. Hope to meet him in person! We just missed him this month - he came down a couple of days after we left.

esperanza

Mar 29, 2003, 7:43 AM

Post #11 of 27 (1661 views)

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Re: [Georgia] get into it

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I surely will, and I look forward to seeing you again when you get here.

http://www.mexicocooks.typepad.com

Uncle Jack

Mar 29, 2003, 10:20 AM

Post #12 of 27 (1645 views)

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jennifer!........jennifer!.......Help!

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Miss Patty and I are being held captive at the Swan Inn in Ajijic where we are being subjected to daily tequila and heated swimming pool personality reajustment sessions. Oh, God, it's terrible! They thrust me into the pool every afternoon and force me to consume copious amounts of that vile tasting El Tesoro. I don't know how much longer we can hold out. Patty is dealing with the ordeal better than I.

Send help.............but not too soon.

UJ

Bill_N

Mar 29, 2003, 11:51 AM

Post #13 of 27 (1629 views)

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Re: [ian] get into it

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Here is our story and current status.

My wife and I are planning our first trip to Mexico this summer (mid-July to end of July). We will spend majority of our time in Morelia with side trips to various places we have read about on these forums. We are considering Mexico as a potential retirement destination. And, I guess like many others who are considering it or who may already live in Mexico it is climate, economics and a reportedly friendly and welcoming people that make Mexico attractive.

Our plan...

We sold our house last October and moved to a rental, town house in the Rochester NY area. I am a University professor, age 55. We will not buy another house here because this will leave us much more free "to make the move" when we decide to do so and when we are able to do so. Like many others we couldn't move now because of financial considerations. The stock market needs to recover a bit... My retirement savings need to recover a bit etc etc.

As I stated earlier, we will visit Mexico this summer. My wife spent some summers in Mexico as a child and has fond memories of Mexico. She is from Houston Texas.

I plan to work full time until age 60 and then use my University's "transition retirement" option which basically allows a person to work two thirds of the school year (2 quarters) and be off one quarter for three years prior to permanent full time retirement. We would use these three years of "semi-retirement" to spend Winters in Mexico and really determine how we like Mexico as a permanent retirement location. This would also afford us the opportunity to try various locations and get to know the "ins and outs" of real estate etc. while "on the ground" in Mexico.

In the meantime, I plan to take Spanish classes and see if I will be able to learn Spanish. I think I will. I grew up in Miami Florida and so my ear has been exposed to the Spanish language and I do know some very basic courtesy phrases and sentences etc.

So for us possible permanent residence in Mexico is about 7 years away. But in the meantime we plan to visit a few times for vacations and in the last three years for a few three month stints. Of course all of this is dependent on whether we generally like our experience after the first couple of times we visit.

We are very much looking forward to our first visit to Mexico this Summer and these forums have been invaluable as a resource in learning much about Mexico in general and all of the issues that face people who may consider retiring in Mexico.

We are "counting the days" to our first trip. We have a very active plan that we are implementing to lead toward retirement, so in a sense, I think my wife and I feel even though a permanent move is probably several years away, we are already implementing that move now. This gives us a nice project to work on together and we discuss it frequently, read these forums everyday and check the temperature and weather conditions in Morelia daily (especially in the throes of brutal Winters in Rochester).

Hasta luego.

Bill

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Uncle Donnie

Mar 29, 2003, 2:40 PM

Post #14 of 27 (1613 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] let sleeping white elephants...

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jj, Uncle Jack and I had several meetings this time down. He still insists on ruining the taste of tequila by use of a sangrita chaser but otherwise he's about as normal as the rest of us.

We finally discussed how we came to be "Uncles" and his excuse is more embarrassing than mine.

Miss Patty is very happy about the impending move and UJ still doesn't believe that you're a wonderful soul and a definite asset to Mexconnect. I'm working on him though. He fits right in.

ian, I'll post a "crime report" later tonight or tomorrow. Some folks sent some interesting NoB "news" about the dangers we face down here. Interesting reading.

Shameless self-promotion:
http://www.headformexico.com

spiderwoman

Mar 29, 2003, 4:09 PM

Post #15 of 27 (1593 views)

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Re: [Roses5410] get into it

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We cross the border tomorrow morning, on our way to our new home in Ajijic. We've sold, given away, or thrown away almost everything we had acquired during our 27 years of marriage. Everyone kept telling us to store our things,,, just in case, or 'what if?'. My attitude, is,,, 'What if' I never dare to try? One of my favorite quotes is by Mark Twain, "Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do, then by the things you did." Regardless of how things work out, I will always know that I had the courage to try it. We are very excited about our new life!

Diana

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."

jennifer rose

Mar 29, 2003, 5:41 PM

Post #16 of 27 (1578 views)

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Re: [spiderwoman] get into it

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Felicidades! I've celebrated the anniversary of my own crossing over every year.

May you and your husband have a safe trip to your destination, and enjoy many, many happy anniversaries in your new country.

Rolly

Mar 29, 2003, 6:08 PM

Post #17 of 27 (1566 views)

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Re: [jennifer rose] get into it

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"I've celebrated the anniversary of my own crossing over every year. " Me too, that's when I renew my car insurance. Smile

Three years here, and I'm more convinced than ever that I made the right decision. Going back seems out-of-the-question (and it has nothing to do with politics).

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

"El Gringo Jalapeño"

Mar 29, 2003, 8:20 PM

Post #18 of 27 (1550 views)

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Re: [Ed and Fran] get into it

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Ed & Fran:

Give me a call when you get to Veracruz. Send me an e-mail and I'll give you my phone numbers.

¡Hasta pronto!
Roy B. Dudley "El Gringo Jalapeño" See more about Xalapa at www.xalaparoy.com

jsandrock

Mar 30, 2003, 5:34 PM

Post #19 of 27 (1498 views)

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Re: [Georgia] get into it

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Thanks Georgia and everyone for that sage advice! We really have taken it to heart and yesterday took a trunk full of books to donate to the public library and we'll have lots more stuff to "weed out" as the months go on. I just cannot imagine the cost of hauling the detritus of 23 years of marriage (plus we were both "grownups" when we got married in the first place so we ALREADY each had sets of dishes, etc.) down to Mexico. So let the garage sales begin!

I love your story about being impulsive and buying instead of renting. The same thing may happen to us. We have almost never regretted any of the really insanely impulsive things we have done. Usually there was some deep-seated psychological reason why we did whatever it was and once we sorted it all out we realized we WANTED to go in that direction anyway and just weren't giving ourselves permission.

We will keep you posted on our journey & plans!

Thanks all --

Jsandrock

Rolly

Mar 30, 2003, 6:54 PM

Post #20 of 27 (1489 views)

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Re: [jsandrock] A suggestion for your new adventure.

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Keep a diary. You will treasure it later. And you can inflect it upon family and friends.

I did that for my first year in Mexico. I sent weekly updates to family and friends (most of whom thought I was crazy), and they pretended to enjoy it. I have reread it from time to time and am really glad I sat at my computer every night.

Have a good one.

Rolly Pirate

E-visit me http://Rollybrook.com
On Facebook as Rolly Brook

Georgia

Mar 31, 2003, 4:51 AM

Post #21 of 27 (1469 views)

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Re: [Bill_N] Best Laid Plans, etc.

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Two years ago my husband and I had a seven year plan: my daughter had three years of high school remaining, and then college. We thought we'd work until she finished college - at least part time, maybe winter in Mexico. We thought we'd "look around" Lakeside - just to get a taste of the area and see if it might be a possibility. We had a "Plan." The whole family trooped down to Tlaquepaque for a week. Well ....... Mexico grabbed us by our souls and wouldn't let go. We found "the" house. We were just browsing, mind you. Three weeks later we went back and signed a contract. Three months after that we were the bemused owners of a house out in El Chante. My husband is now semi-retired, we've sold off half of our rental properties in the northeast and a year from now the umbilical cord will be cut: we've listed our house and the first showing is this week. No, the house is not really ready to show, but we hope these are imaginative buyers. We're hoping that the rest of the rental properties sell easily. This winter, of course, was the coup de grace to this whole former great plan we had. It was such a nice, sensible plan. I don't know what ever made me think we would follow a sensible plan.

As far as the stock market is concerned, we determined that the road to wealth lay in diminished expectations and needs. So, we seek less and have declared ourselves wealthy.

Ed and Fran

Mar 31, 2003, 5:33 AM

Post #22 of 27 (1466 views)

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Re: [Georgia] Best Laid Plans, etc.

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That's very similar to our view of our life in Mexico vs the market and our retirement savings needs. We have found that we live a much simpler lifestyle (as in much less compulsive purchasing of unnecessary items) in Mexico than we do when we are north of the border. That's not to say that we do without what we need to be happy. I think it results in part from being less bombarded with ads for new stuff and maybe seeing less new gadgets around. That translates into us being able to decide that our current savings are probably enough to satisfy our needs, and that we can pull the pin later this year.

Bill_N

Mar 31, 2003, 10:47 AM

Post #23 of 27 (1436 views)

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Re: [Ed and Fran] Best Laid Plans, etc.

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Georgia, Ed & Fran,

I hear ya all!

:-)

Bill

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anna

Mar 31, 2003, 2:10 PM

Post #24 of 27 (1420 views)

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Re: [ian] get into it

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Hi

We bought our property in Nayarit two years ago, on impulse we hadn't rented there much (we work full time) But we have friends that bought there a few years before us and are very happy. We are not retirees, we are in our late twenties with one toddler and another baby on the way. We are planning to support ourselves in mexico by renting to vacationers. In Canada the housing market is great for sale so we plan to have our house on the Market in June and the "new addition" to our family is due in August.

Now I am in panic mode thinking about all the junk that I need to get rid of by June and all the while working full time and chasing a toddler around.(and getting steadily more ungainly every week). We are planning to move in with my parents after the baby is born and initially flying down and renting while we begin construction on our "Posada". We are nervous but also very excited about the move. We are also in contact with another young couple with a small child that live nearbye and looking forward to meeting new people. It is scary leaving a town that I have lived in since I left home when I was 18 but it just feels right.

The time seemed to crawl by for the last couple of years but now it seems as if there is not enough time to get everything done! By this time next year we should have enough built to move out of the rental into our little piece of paradise and opportunity.

Any advice from anyone on what they did to keep themselves sane as the move steadily approached would be greatly appreciated! So happy to read all the great stories of the big move! This is just what the forum needed!

Saludos!

Anna

jsandrock

Mar 31, 2003, 5:12 PM

Post #25 of 27 (1405 views)

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Re: [spiderwoman] get into it

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Boy, your tale is inspiring! We are also hoping to make the big move soon -- we'll be right behind you as soon as our house sells and we can pack everything up and get "outta here". We may not have as much stuff as you -- it's only been 23 years of marriage and accumulation of stuff for us! But it sure is a lot of junk to deal with! My husband keeps saying "why did we need all this stuff, anyway?"

We totally agree that you just have to screw up your courage and try it and don't look back! I lived in Mexico as a kid so I have at least SOME sense of Mexico but for my husband this will be a giant experiment! Slowly and steadily, while our house is on the market, we are piling up books to give to the library, stuff to give to goodwill, stuff to give away. We figure we'll just keep at it until the house sells, then seriously deal with whatever is left at that point. And we'll be heading to Ajijic ourselves at least for a few days to scope it all out next month. I hope you put up lots of posts on your first adventures in your new home -- it'll be an inspiration to the rest of us back here trying to be patient till everything is done and we are also ready to leave...

Good luck,

Jillian Sandrock

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