Looking for our home in Mexico....

Sorry... I posted this in the forum first, then realized that this is a more appropriate board....(newbies)......

Wow! This website is a great find!! What a fabulous wealth of information!

We are a semi-retired Canadian couple planning our first road trip to Mexico. We will be looking to buy a home but not sure where to go! there's sssoooo many beautiful places! The Pacific side is all I know at this time...don't like hurricanes!

We are on a limited budget....(does that sound familliar?), would like to find a quiet spot near the beach to rent while we look for our home.

Any and all suggestions/warnings would be appreciated! What do you love/hate about your community?

The very, very green gringos!!!

StrykerGT2001 kindly replied to my first post in the forum with......

I would say where you live is ultimately probably going to be more about who you are than about the place. For example:

Do you know spanish, or are you willing to learn enough to live in a town that has few english speakers?

Are you looking for a large expatriate community, or would you rather live in a more purely Mexican setting?

Any temperature/climate problems (heat, humidity, cold, allergies)?

Do you need to be near the border for frequent visits? Near a larger city for doctors/hospitals/special needs?

Are you planning on permanently moving down at some point in the future? What timeframe?

What interests you (about Mexico)? Beaches, ruins, crafts, climate, etc. ?
(I'm not a realtor, nor do I play one on the internet, but it would help to get an idea of what kind of community you are looking for)

Now, to answer you..... My partner was born in France and has lived in Canada for 22 years. He learned to speak English when he worked in South Africa in the '70's. We spent last winter in Europe, mostly Spain, and he picked up enough to be able to communicate and is looking forward to learning to speak fluently. I, on the other hand, hablaze Englaze solo (I speak only English and I'm sure that I spelled that wrong!) but I'm sure I will pick it up thru ozmosis eventually.

We'd like to be in an area where there are both expatriates and Mexicans. One of the big draws to Mixico for me is the people. I have found them happy and friendly but would also love to have people to socialize with that speak English.

Yes, I have problems with heat, humidity, cold, allergies!!! I like 75 degrees, sun, no wind, no humidity and no pollen. I know....there isn't a place in the world that will give me this everyday but that's my wish list....

We don't need to be near the border but do need to be by the beach! The view is very important to us. We live a very quiet life, prefer a rural community, and do not like any big cities. We have no special needs (knock on wood) but good health care is always a concern.

Our plan is to buy a camper van asap and leave Toronto by mid November. We will be looking to buy property when we find the right location and plan to live in Mexico 6 months a year until we decide whether to move permanently or not.

Everything about Mexico interests us. The warm weather, the natural beauty, the history, the people (Mexicans and travelers) and a laid back life style.

So, again, thanks for any help/information you can offer!!!

Please feel free to email us!!

[Quién Soy Yo?]

We have no special needs (knock on wood) but good health care is always a concern.

You've already eliminated about 75% of Mexico from consideration, which will make your search easier.

Given the "beach" requirement, you probably ought to concentrate on northern Baja (close to the USA border), Vallarta and the port city of Veracruz. Not much else in the way of good health care along the coastline, from what I see.

On the inland side, which you may want to consider for "water" and "view" locations: don't quickly discount the Lake Chapala communities or in or near Valle de Bravo in the State of Mexico (it can get cold there in the winter, though).

One of the big draws to Mixico for me is the people. I have found them happy and friendly

They're not house pets, and they're not all "happy and friendly."

This site and other Mexico-specific websites are full of questions and answers about moving to Mexico - have a look around, just about anything you can think of asking has been answered many times before.

And, you're smart to rent before you buy. Mexico as a home can be very different than the Mexico you experience while on vacation.

Have fun!

[bear]

Don't buy anything until you have lived where you think you want to settle in Mexico for at least 6 mos. to one year. Rent first.

The weather you describe exists only in Mexico's Central Highlands.

Enjoy your trip. Bear

Actually, you are not Gringos. It appears you are Canadians, tho Mexicans will consider you Gringos.

Rent for quite a while before buying. This is important.

Beaches, with some rare exceptions up close to the U.S. border, are very uncomfortable in the summers, relentless heat and often insect hordes. The farther south you go, the worse it will get. Both the Pacific and Gulf coasts are hurricane territory. The Gulf Coast gets smacked more often than the Pacific, I think. Air-conditioning is much less common than you are accustomed to.

Mountain views are nice too. There are alternatives to ocean views. Indeed, much of Mexico is pretty.

A rural environment in Mexico generally speaking will be primitive. This is more interesting in the movies than it is in real life. I agree with your dislike of large cities, very large cities, but there are lots of advantages in Mexico to living in or near medium-sized cities.

Visit Jerez, nearby Zacatecas, Morelia, Querétaro, or Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, which is very near Morelia. Also San Miguel and Lake Chapala. The majority of Gringos in Mexico do not live on the coasts. There is a reason for this.

Though you often will hear otherwise from the delusional, Mexicans as a whole are not "friendly and happy." This is a myth. They are, however, obsessively polite. It is social armor.

If you do not speak pretty serviceable Spanish, living somewhere other than where there are lots of Gringos could be difficult. Perhaps not. Depends on you two.

There are lots of advantages to living in popular places like San Miguel and Chapala. The disadvantages are that prices frequently are higher.

Do not think that Mexico is some tropical paradise where you will spend your twilight years sipping tequila sunrises as mariachi bands croon in the background. It is not. It is an economically distressed nation with lots of poor people. That alone gets to be a downer, at least for me. Roads are often bad, phones difficult to obtain, the list goes on.

From my perspective, the main draw is the cost of living. This is a huge plus. The health-care system, which will increase in importance as you age, is very good and very affordable. The quality, however, outside cities will be questionable.

But Mexico is never boring. Good luck.

I guess you could take what I said that way.... of course they're not all happy and friendly.... but in comparison to the Spanish people (and this is a generalization) I found them happier and freindlier.

I am definitely looking for a rental for December and perhaps longer if we like the place.

I would be satisfied if the winter months were warm. We can always head to the north for the summer is it's too hot.

Thanks for the info, the tips and the good wishes!

This doesn´t address too much the issue at hand, but it is amusing, I think. My eyeballs are still rolling around after five years.

You wrote, SanJean, that "We'd like to be in an area where there are both expatriates and Mexicans."

Of course, you will find Mexicans everywhere.

But here is the nutty part. My sister, about age 58 at the time, came down to visit me in 2000. She had never set foot out of the U.S. in her life.

As we were driving out of the Guadalajara airport that evening, she looked around her and asked, "Are most of the people here Mexican?"

[StrykerGT2001]

air-conditioning is much less common than you are accustomed to.

And given the cost of electricity, you probably would have trouble affording to run it.

If heat/humidity is that much of a concern, I would say beaches might be out of the picture. HOWEVER, if you only intend to live in Mexico Sept-April, the Pacific beaches (Vallarta, Ixtapa/Zihua, and points in between) might work out. Chapala might be a nice compromise, and maybe this lake community in Michoacan is worth a look. If you have sinus/allergy problems, then another probable issue is pollution, especially in the winter months. Veracruz is probably out, it gets incredibly hot there in the summers (Louisiana/Florida hot). Its a great town with a fabulous cultural history and tradition, but there is no getting around the heat.

Perhaps you can find a town that is in the highlands to live with a short drive to one of the beaches. There are plenty of towns that fit in that "box".

And I for one agree with your assessment of the Mexican people, especially strangers. If you're kind to them, attempt to speak their language and show concern for them and their family, they are FAR more welcoming than most folks I know north of the border.

I have only been to PV and Cancun in January and found the weather woderful near the ocean...if I have been able to tough out the Canadian winters for half a century, I can probably manage a little heat instead! I'm planning to start a B&B and that's why I think we need to be near a beach with a view or do you think it would work inland on one of the lakes?

bear - good sound advice.... We plan on being on the move until we find the right place. Hopefully we won't make a mistake and jump in too soon but we're also anxious to get started asap.

Quién Soy Yo? - Where do you suggest in northern Baja. I haven't taken a look at that area yet.

StrykerGT2001 - I think you're right about the summers being too hot for me. I roasted (or would it be steamed) in Florida in July but at this point we plan to spend the winter there then come back to Canada for the summer. If things change and we decide to move permanently, I'll still have a property that will (hopefully) escalate in value to sell and then buy something more suited to year round living.

DonPalomares - Funny thing....most people who live in Canada are Canadians.. ... the Mexicans will probably call us gringos...guess we'll find out! I was surprised that my partner, with a French accent, was called a gringo in Spain!! BTW does the word gringo mean 'Go home'? or was I misinformed? From what I've experienced many Mexicans like Canadians and have given me a warm welcome when they find out I'm a Canuck. No kiddin' about the hurricanes on the Pacific side?...I didn't know that...geesh I have alot to learn!

Thanks for all the input. There's still a huge amount of research to do before we set off and you've given me some starting points.

Thanks for your help!

[bear]

You are welcome, San Jean. My good friend, Carl, from Toronto, and his partner (also a
gentleman of french descent) are headed here to retire along about November
First, just in time to miss another Canadian winter. Good hunting. Bear

[jimmorrison]

hello i hope this might help with your adventure , i made this same trip sadly to say 2 years ago , but i am happy to say going again this year , i started out in northern Ont , in a 40 ft, converted bus/ rv to Arizona in Oct, down the Pacific coast to Mazatlan , when the weather started to get cooler i went farther south i had no problems to speak of but i should have taken a spannish speaking course before and read more from Mex, one line lol, i found that the topees were very hard on my rig and me , some of the roads were not to good and night driveing was out of the picture [way to many animals on or near the road] the locals were great and went out of their way to help if needed , the longer i stayed in a location the more i saw and learned , i fell in love with Mexico , i wish i could have shared this adventure with someone , but i was solo that was another problem as the road signs are not the best at times and at times they are gone before you see and translate them thats if you see them , and then ya hit a topee , a copilot sure would have help, the farther i went the warmer it got and more exotic it all became , sadly it all had to end [my plates had to be renewed the end of March] i forgot to get new ones before heading out , you just can't remember everything , thats when i went to the gulf side and started heading home , this year i'll be going to the Yucatan some time in Jan. untill Apr, then back to Canada have a great adventure, and remember to get Mexican insurance you may need it, injoy .. Jim