Just in case anyone is considering Mexico as a place to live/retire.

[Starboard Tack]

I am, by no means, an expert on Mexico, but I'd like to share some thoughts I have about it, especially in terms of living here. We've been in Mexico for a little over six months. We've sailed 2,000+ miles of the coastline, Pacific and Sea of Cortes, and we've driven 5,000+ miles through 20 of the 31 states.

Some of you may have considered moving here, especially those who are retired, or close to retirement. If there is nothing tying you down, I highly recommend it, for many reasons.

Here are a few:
1. The cost of living is a fraction of what is in the US (20%-30%), depending on location and other preferences. You can live like royalty on less than $1000/month. You can live frugally on less than $500.
2. The culture is rich in history and art, and the climate is great.
3. The people are unbelievably friendly and gracious.
4. Stress is virtually unknown outside of Mexico City and a handful of other places, where you wouldn't want to live anyway.
5. The choices of great places to settle range from Gringo enclaves like Puerto Vallarta, Cancun, Cabo San Lucas and Puerto Vallarta, to self sufficient, off the grid locations where you'll seldom encounter a gringo, from desert to jungle, and everything in between.
There are a myriad of towns and villages throughout the country, with small expat communities, usually comprising artists, writers and musicians. An interesting mix from all over the world.
6. Cell service and internet is good, virtually everywhere.
7. The food is amazing.
8. The markets are abundant with fresh organic produce.
9. In spite of what one hears on MSM in the US, Mexico is very safe. The violence is extremely localized and rarely random. I is mostly between the cartels and other gangs and local vigilantes. My wife and I never felt threatened at any time and we took a lot of back roads throughout the country.
10. The language is beautiful and not difficult to learn with a little effort.

That said, if Mexico is not to your taste, you may want to consider Belize. We only spent a few days there, but enjoyed it immensely and learned a few things. Even cheaper than Mexico. English is the official language, if language is an issue. Real estate is cheap. The currency is locked into the US$ ($2 Belize=$1 US). They welcome expats. People are friendly, but Mexicans are even friendlier.

[Hoyt]

1. Thanks. That is good info for us aging folks looking for a good place to land.

[Starboard Tack]

2. Another plus is the absence of the NRA and gun nuts.

They take gun possession very seriously down here and I've yet to hear anyone complain about it.
I'm also impressed by the ubiquitous use of solar power, both passive (which is huge) and photovoltaic. I also drove through the largest wind farm I've ever seen in Oaxaca, thousands of turbines, all state of the art. Very impressive, though there is political controversy involved, as the indigenous people appear to have been royally screwed on the deal.

[Hoyt]

3. That's a real plus. My lady friend is fluent in Spanish, and I love siestas.

[Starboard Tack]

4. Sounds perfect for you.

Let me know when you're headed this way.

[Sherman A1]

5. I had been thinking along these lines a bit

with regard to Belize. Never been there, but it sounds interesting.

Thanks!

[Erich Bloodaxe BSN]

6. There are a lot of TV ads on right now about Belize

seems to be a push to lure wannabe expats down there, presumably to boost the local economy.

A fellow over on Daily Kos (One Pissed Off Liberal) is currently diarying his move down to Costa Rica, I think it is.

I've thought of emigrating for quite some time, but I've been thinking New Zealand if I could swing it.

[Starboard Tack]

7. I hear great things about both CR and NZ

The only negative I hear about Costa Rica is the huge influx of expats, which seems to have caused a certain amount of resentment among the locals. The gringos tend to live in gated communities, separated from the indigenous people. These communities also exist in Mexico, but many gringos who live here blend in and embrace the local culture. Costa Rica is a very small country, about 4 million, with close to 100,0000 expats.
I'd like to visit NZ. I hear only good things, but I doubt the cost of living is comparable to Central or South America.

[Curmudgeoness]

8. Just when I was making the comment

about "America, love it or leave it" memes, that if it gets much worse here, I may just give up the fight and leave. I have always thought that Belize sounded good, since I don't know Spanish. My brother visited Costa Rica, loved it and even bought a piece of property in some out of the way place, came back up here to get the move ready, and had a massive heart attack before he could return there. I thought he was incredibly brave to be ready to uproot himself and move to a foreign country.

I do have a question.....isn't the cost of living around the tourist areas high? That is what I would expect.

[Starboard Tack]

9. Wow! Sorry about your brother. Hope he survived.

To answer your question about cost of living. No, in either Belize or Mexico, the cost of living is not high, even in tourist areas. For example, we stayed with a Canadian couple in Belize. They have a beautiful home, with pool and a couple of rooms they rent, B&B style. Their monthly expenditure, including everything, car insurance, taxes, food, utilities, transportation etc. is $400 USD.
Where we are currently, in La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, a small fishing village about 15 miles north of Puerto Vallarta, you can rent a 1 or 2 bedroom apartment for about $300/month, utilities, A/C and internet included. But it is hot here in the summer, 80's and 90's. We just spent 3 nights visiting friends in Chapala, which has a very temperate climate, averaging in the low 70's year round. I have a friend who has been there for 5 years, living on $700/month social security. His 1BR apartment is lovely and costs $200/mo in the best part of town.
Nice 3BR homes start at around $80,000 in tourist areas, but the sky is the limit, like anywhere else.

Food is really inexpensive, especially if you prepare your own meals, or eat where the locals eat. Tourists who want to eat the crap they eat back home will pay more. There is always a market for suckers who want to drink coffee at Starbucks, or buy time-shares. Occasionally, we splurge and eat out in a fine restaurant, where you will be hard put to spend more than $30/person, including wine and cocktails. Language should not be an issue. Rudimentary Spanish goes a long way, if you make an effort.
Feel free to ask for more info.

[Curmudgeoness]

10. That is incredible.

I am ready to start packing up now. I suppose it is time for me to take a vacation and see what you are seeing.

The thing that my brother said was so impressive to him was how there is no starvation in Costa Rica---food is everywhere and the people could just pick fruit from trees. Where he was, they were poor, but not impoverished (if that makes sense).

No, my brother did not survive the heart attack. It is a tough life. He was really excited.

[Starboard Tack]

11. So sorry about your brother, but at least he went for it.

If you want to get a taste, I suggest using www.airbnb.com a great website which we use when on the road. There are better times of year for different places, but I guarantee you will not be disappointed, especially if you have a sense of adventure and are not locked in to chain restaurants and the rest of the consumer madness that has taken over in the so-called "developed" countries.
The best way to travel in Mexico is by bus. We drove, but toll roads are expensive. Buses are inexpensive and some have movies/TV reclining seats and bathrooms. Half price for seniors, but you need a card for that.

[Curmudgeoness]

12. Thanks. I will check that site out.

I envy you for all your travel.

[cap]

13. Medical care is an issue

You get the big problems like heart attack and the medical care isn't what you get in the US. Problems in old age are crisis driven and not easily planned.

Hate to say it but for acute care, big medicine and all that technology is the way to go.

[Starboard Tack]

14. I disagree, but there are no guarantees in life.

According to the site www.internationalliving.com, health care in Mexico is described as very good to excellent while being highly affordable, with every medium to large city in Mexico having at least one first-rate hospital. In fact, some California insurers sell health insurance policies that require members to go to Mexico for health care where costs are 40% lower. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_Mexico

For those of us without medical insurance, Mexico is an excellent option. I contracted a very serious staph infection last month from a cut on my leg. My doctor's visit, exam, diagnosis and treatment, which included a courses of both injectable and oral antibiotics cost a total of $23.

If you are worried about having a heart attack, then you probably should never venture further than 5 miles from a hospital, regardless of what country you live in.

Of course, a healthy diet and lifestyle is always a key to better health, not to mention low stress. All of which are found south of the border.

Personally, I'm into enjoying life while I can, rather than worrying about getting sick and dying.

[avebury]

15. Costa Rica has really good health care. A

friend's sister-in-law went there for several weeks for a series of medical procedures at a fraction of what she would have paid in the states. She received excellent care and fell in love with the country at the same time.

[IrishAyes]

16. Costa Rica is also a wonderfully socialist country

with many advanced ideas. If memory serves, their constitution requires alternating male and female presidents.

[IrishAyes]

17. Thanks for an utterly beautiful OP.

I think if I weren't already retired and so dug in here, I might wander on down south of the border. It's a little late for me, though; I couldn't afford to move. I got my house so dirt cheap because they don't sell very well in this area. Don't know if I 'd even get my renovation $ out of it, and that's been a ton with no end in sight.

But since I also can't afford replacement value insurance, if anything ever happens really bad, I could have that dome home kit I could afford delivered somewhere down there just the same as here.

Let's keep in touch!

[Starboard Tack]

18. As they say "It's never too late."

As long as we're breathing, that is. If you really want to do something, don't look for reasons why you can't, but seek solutions to make it happen.
I've met so many people during my travels who do not have stock portfolios, trust funds or fat pensions. Many own nothing, and are among the most content. Many, like yourself, own homes in the States, Canada or Europe, and rent them out to finance their travels.

When we are not on our boat, and traveling, we either stay with friends or find rentals, mostly through www.airbnb.com
If we still had a house somewhere, we would definitely rent it out on airbnb.com.

[IrishAyes]

19. According to some state laws, you can also wind up with a 'temporary renter' who

legally becomes a tenant it can take up to a year to dislodge while he wrecks the place and refuses to pay rent besides. You might be an ideal tenant yourself; not so for everyone. Please do think of the differences involved as well between singles and couples, homeowners and those unattached to real estate. The upside to where I retired is that houses are comparatively dirt cheap. The downside being that only a fool buys here to flip. And I knew all that beforehand. At some point the real estate boom might hit here, but who knows how old I'll be then? Old trees and old people are hard to uproot.

That said, this is still tornado alley and we're dead center atop one of the major earthquake faults in the country. Should disaster strike and I survive, however, I won't forget where I could move and pick up the pieces of my life quite well. I really love dome home kits. In the digital world one must wonder who needs a thousand-volume personal library no matter how much actual books may be preferred.

I wish you and all ex-pats the best of everything. Save a place at the table for me in case I ever do show up.

[Starboard Tack]

20. Update on financial requirements for residence permit in Mexico

Here is a link to the new law which drastically reduces financial requirements. Approx. $25,000 in the bank or $1500/month income.
http://www.bajabound.com/livinginmexico/immigration_law_changes.php