Some of the tall tales about government bureaucracy and red tape are probably exaggerated but some are tragically true.
I and others got a chuckle out of the recent government campaign to identify "the most useless procedure" in delivering public goods and services.
Ordinary people jumped all over the opportunity to fuss about paperwork in triplicate which bogs down registrations, health care, education, social security, property transfers, tax administration, almost everything, even banking and discount cards — at state and local levels.
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As it is anywhere else, real estate is a major investment. What about shifting foundations due to the earth's movements? Who is at fault? This is not a discussion of legal liability but rather a discussion of geology.
In Mexico, the term "fault" has been used to describe a special soil condition that has caused damage to some homes here at Lake Chapala. The damage was generally caused by an uneven settlement of the foundations.
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Readers often ask, "Is Mexico safe? Can I do anything about it?" Security anywhere can be a very sensitive issue, and security in Mexico is no exception. Sometimes we need to rethink how to keep our homes safe. There is much that we can do.
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Mornings in our village begin around 5. If we go to the third floor of our townhouse, we can look in several directions and watch the neighborhood come to life. The first flight of fishermen walk beside the arroyo, on their way to their boats moored on the western shore of Lake Chapala.
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End of year holidays in small Mexican towns have a very special meaning. Folks come home. Milking cows and growing corn or coffee isn't everybody's idea of making a good living, so they try to realize their golden dream and head for the cities, but Christmastime and Mother's Day call them back home.
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Here is a gift for you, good news, a mid-term report from my favorite little Mexican school.
Several years ago I told you about Edd Bissell, pharmacist from New Market, Tennessee, who retired to the high-rent district, Punta Pelicanos, in the town of La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, on the beautiful Bay of Banderas, in the state of Nayarit.
That spot may or may not be something like Heaven. Gentle breezes come and go. The Pacific lovingly laps the sandy shore. Sunsets through palm trees range from spectacular to unbelievable.
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In Mexico, the Capital Gains Tax (CGT) is the Impuesto Sobre la Renta (ISR), which is paid by the seller of the property. It translates to a tax upon rent, profit, yield or income and in other financial circles it is called an income tax. In recent years, Mexico's federal government had modified the regulations governing the Impuesto Sobre la Renta.
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One reader asked a generic "Anything going on?" which gives me a different opening: Indeed there is. It appears that Mexican holidays are undergoing Americanization.
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Perhaps you have heard that illegal immigration is down. The economy up north is supposedly discouraging. More and better border surveillance, patrols and the fence could be factors. Up, down or sideways, illegal immigration is, well, illegal. It is breaking and entering followed by an occasional game of hide and seek. All that said, sometimes bad ends up good.
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Recently I had the pleasure of visiting with some of my wife's family in northern Mexico. The old house where we stayed is approaching 100 years in age. I won't say the plumbing was poor, but the real estate was obviously dated and there were some noted problems and historical issues with the plumbing.
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