Retirement in Mexico

Why, Where, and How North Americans Relocate

Article & Photo by Habeeb Salloum

During the cold winter months at least 700,000 North Americans bask in the tropical warmth of Mexico. Some return each spring while others are year-round residents.Some resident travelers head for the hot coastal zones; others prefer the temperate zones, 3,000 to 6,000 feet above sea level.For those seeking spring-like weather all year long, Guernavaca and Guadalajara and the nearby lakeside towns of Chapala and Ajijic are the preferred locations. Guadalajara, along with Chapala and Ajijic, is home to 50,000 North American expatriates, the largest colony of retired Canadians and Americans in Mexico. Many more snowbirds travel to the area to spend the winter months. Both towns maintain a small-town and relaxed atmosphere. Ajijic, one of the most picturesque towns in Mexico, offers cobblestone streets, gourmet dining, and excellent shopping.The nearness to the large and livable city has advantages for retirees, some of whom prefer to live in the city itself, a metropolis filled with Mexican cowboys, tree-lined boulevards, fountains, parks, and plazas.

Other cities becoming more popular for North Americans are San Miguel de Allende, Morelia, and Oaxaca. San Miguel de Allende, declared a national monument in the 1920s, is a legendary town of artisans and poets. It is filled with colonial mansions, terraced cobblestone streets, and flower-filled patios. Its North American expatriate colony of 10,000 organizes plays and lectures and even publishes a newspaper in English. It is said to be the perfect town for English-speaking retirees in Mexico who are looking for ties with North American social groups.

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The Solution to Sky-High Taxes and Rocketing Health Care Costs

By Suzan Haskins .Latin America Editor for International Living

Over cocktails with a friend recently, discussion soon turned to real estate. My friend was a real estate broker for 30 years in the U.S. before moving to Mexico six years ago. Here in Merida, he’s back in the game…couldn’t stop himself, he says, since he sees so much potential here.We talked about the real estate debacle in the U.S. right now…how prices have fallen and may continue to do so. In some places, U.S. real estate prices are now comparable to prices in Mexico. For what you might spend on a luxury home in Merida these days, for example, you could buy a very comfortable home in Tulsa, Topeka, Omaha (where I’m from), and even Dallas, where my friend lived for awhile.“But who wants to live in those places,” my friend asked, “especially after living here in Merida?”What makes living in Merida so special? The always-warm weather, the lively cultural scene, the happy people, and the affordability. Sure, property prices aren’t that much better than some places in the U.S., but when you compare apples to apples, the Merida resident comes out far ahead. Living in Merida is, in fact, more akin to living in some of the most fashionable U.S. cities…

For more information, please visit  International Living Postcards in http://www.internationalliving.com of Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2008

Mexico: Notorious Real Estate Leadership In Latin America

Once again the Urban Land Institute, ULI, brought together experts in real estate and this time in Monterrey. The country’s future perspectives in real estate matters were discussed and it was an excellent opportunity not only to call together professionals in the field, as ULI always does, but also to create bonds of friendship and business, typical of these kinds of events. The Urban Land Institute is already beginning to prepare its Annual Convention which will take place in Los Cabos this year.

The ULI has 22 active members in Monterrey, from a total of 265, and this figure keeps increasing month after month. The Urban Land Institute decided to carry out this event in the capital of Monterrey, because of what the city means in real estate development matters… More information on: http://www.inmobiliare.com/articulo-35-696-59.html

Real Estate South of the Border

By Catherine A. Simpson

Is your local market feeling a bit saturated? Then take a look down south—way down south to Latin America. This market of more than 430 million people (including the Caribbean) is attracting more foreign investors as its economies have stabilized and cultural, legal, and political barriers have begun to crumble.“Things are just changing so rapidly and there’s so much opportunity, it’s just staggering,” says Tom F. Howard, CCIM, SIOR, JD, a real estate project manager for Hewlett-Packard Company in Atlanta. While investors clearly are cautious about investment in Brazil, Argentina, and to a lesser extent, Mexico, after the speculative attack primarily on Brazil’s market at the end of October, most say just to wait it out. The markets will improve—and the opportunities outweigh the risks….For More Information Visit : http://www.ciremagazine.com/article.php?article_id=529

We got a date and a place for 2B Alive 2008

The event that will gather the investors, developers, entrepreneurs and the Mexican State to build the Assisted Living Industry, has a date: May 1 and 2, 2008, at Estancia La Jolla, California. Want to know more about it? Sign up for our newsletter, on the top right of this page.

More numbers to boost ideas

Checking some of my files, I found this information I got from a past issue in USA Today.The article stated that living in México during retirement, means more services for less money.  The warmth of people plus the low cost of life makes México a good choice for retirees. Let’s share this information. 

 

Private room

USA: $ 260

Mexico: $ 18-$ 50

Number of for-profit nursing homes:

USA: 9,900Mexico: 288

Cost of a home health care aide: (per hour)

USA: $ 19Mexico: $ 9

Cost of a homemaker-companion: (per hour)

USA: $ 17Mexico: $ 2-$ 5

 

Sources:  MetLife Mature Market Institute; Mexico’s National Institute of Statistics, Geography and Information Processing; U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; USA TODAY research

Magic in México

The Mexican Board of Tourism is promoting the idea that there are magical towns in the country. Judging by the presence of myths and age-old traditions, customs and costumes, that seems to be true.

Some say that living in México gives you the opportunity to regenerate yourself, get in touch with your long-hidden passions. Now, that’s magic, too.

In the last few days, México celebrated the Second National Meeting of Magic Towns, in San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas. The purpose of this was to promote Mexican touristic destinations and, by those means, create employment and basic services to residents.

Currently, there are 32 areas considered in the Pueblos Mágicos Program:

Centuries-old fears vanish in México

I have a friend who lives in La Paz.  He is an american, married to a mexican girl.  He’s been living in Mexico for over 20 years, in at least to states surrounding the Sea of Cortés.  His business is Real Estate.

Now, you’ve seen sales people, professional-looking attires, ties, suits sometimes, shiny shoes, very white smiles.  He has the white smile, but that’s it.  He will greet his clients, wearing kaki shorts, a short-sleeved sea-motif shirt, sandals and the easiness of working a few steps from the Malecón, the dock.He is at ease in La Paz.

It was only in recent years that his mother came to visit with them, in her first trip to Mexico.  To her suprise, her son had running water, and a bathroom inside the house.  Water and a bathroom.

My friend was suprised.  How could someone really think México was still where Pancho Villa left it?  Specially when he was living and booming, calling his family in the States once in a while, and being in contact with the rest of the world via Internet.

If this was 1900, her surprise would have a place, but in the XXI Century, Mexico has come a long way, and has all the commodities and amenities you would expect in America.

Happily, there’s still millions of people still to discover México beyond the news, beyond the age-old sombrero and cactus image.

Help us spread the Mexican reality.  Spread the word. 

2B Back

It’s been a long time since our last post.  These have been busy times, people comment in person, a lot of them require information.  We do not have all the answers, we are honest with that.  What we have is a proposal comprised of a beautiful country, lots of opportunities and the inspiring experiences from many of our friends.Do you have your own experiences?  Wanna talk about them?  Share them here, please. 

Real Estate South of the Border

Welcome Readers …today we recommend an excerpt of an article written by Catherine A. Simpson who collaborates with the Commercial Investment Real Estate Magazine which is the flagship publication of the CCIM Institute, an international association that confers the elite Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation.  The article is about Real Estate South of the Border.We have removed the article due to CIRE Magazine’s copyright policy.For More Information Visit : http://www.ciremagazine.com/article.php?article_id=529