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