# mexico work



## mr g53 (Jun 19, 2017)

Any expats work in mexico? start a business? What type of work? THX


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Sure, some do, if they have the correct visa status and INM permission, plus all the necessary state and federal documentation required for whatever they wish to do.
Others work online only, with no payment or customers in Mexico.
Requirements to start a business are best discussed with consular officials, but will also have a lot of similar requirements.
Work that would possibly take work away from Mexican is not likely to be approved.
Note that wages are a tiny fraction of those in the USA.....really tiny!
Basically, if you really need to work in order to live in Mexico, you probably are not going to qualify to live there. An expat in direct competition with a local may find more trouble than pleasure, and it can get pretty serious.


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## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

RVGRINGO said:


> Sure, some do, if they have the correct visa status and INM permission, plus all the necessary state and federal documentation required for whatever they wish to do.
> Others work online only, with no payment or customers in Mexico.
> Requirements to start a business are best discussed with consular officials, but will also have a lot of similar requirements.
> Work that would possibly take work away from Mexican is not likely to be approved.
> ...


The only thing I would add is there are lots of younger, i.e. non-retired, expats in Mexico working for various international companies, large and small. In those cases the company assists with obtaining visas with permission to work.


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## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

mr g53 said:


> Any expats work in mexico? start a business? What type of work? THX


What kind of work were you contemplating?


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## mr g53 (Jun 19, 2017)

Not sure but, i'm retiring soon @65 & don't know what its like not to work. Would like a part time just to keep busy. Maybe buying dilapidated houses & rebuild them to sell & make some extra $$.Anyone tried this?


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Stick-built houses will not be found. Construction is steel-reinforced post and beam with brick or block masonry infill, plastered and painted on both interior and exterior surfaces. Bobeda arched ceilings with poured flat roofs are common. Masons and their assittants are very inexpensive to hire. So, your hands-on particiipation would not be welcome, if discovered. However, you could certainly supervise your own projects. Note that there are heavy tax implications on the resale of a property that you have not used as your own primary residence for some years. That could take the fun out of it. However, if you lived in a place while it was being renovated for a few years, then sold it, you might do OK; but.....and a big but....it can take only a few days to buy a property, but a few years to sell it.


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## circle110 (Jul 20, 2009)

The only thing I'll add here is that since mr g53 is a Mexican National, many of the things mentioned above won't apply to him. He would be completely free to work, start a business etc. without the added burdens of doing so as an expat.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Yes that is a major but.. unless you live in an area that becomes very popular the prices do not increase much , it is easy to buy and hard to sell and you have to pay cash for everything including the house so flipping houses in Mexico is a whole lot harder and even riskier than in the US. 
You have to ask for facturas which means taxes are included) and getting facturas( not receipts) is not that easy to get from artisans and workers.. Also it would pay to be a mason as the houses are made of bricks or blocks..
You can only sell a house every 3 years right now if you do not want to pay capital gain tax and it has to be your primery residence. You are your wife if you buy each 50% can each get a 4 million pesos capital gain tax exemption.. If you own the house by yourself you get only one exemption.

Unless you buy in the right area and are very lucky your chances of making money at that are probably less than your chances of losing money


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## mr g53 (Jun 19, 2017)

Thanks for all the replies. Looks like its not worth all the hassle. Guess i'll have to adjust to retirement from scratch.


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## sunnyvmx (Mar 14, 2010)

Your concerns about adjusting to retirement are not to be taken lightly. Especially if it's to be in a foreign country. For this reason I strongly recommend life in the Lake Chapala area. There are a lot of hours to fill everyday. Some of us have gotten over the guilt of not being particularly productive, like me and simply enjoy the freedom to do exactly as I wish. Reading, gardening, painting, walking the dog, playing video games or watching Netflix fill my days and I can be social or reclusive as I choose. Many expats volunteer and work for different charities. Others play golf, tennis or hike and many travel and explore. Some say there's not enough hours in the day. Lakeside has evolved for and because of the large expat community. The choices are too many to list and there is no excuse to be bored which probably drives many to return NOB. I thought I had to have the "real Mexican experience" and moved first to a small town in Veracruz. I was able to enjoy my interests and more with only a handful of expats, but not my husband. You can only polish a Harley so much. I sometimes think if we had moved to Ajijic first he might have stayed. Afterall we now have pickleball which is his true passion. So my best advice is to give yourself every chance to succeed in this expat life, learn to relax and enjoy your retirement. You earned it, but don't bite off more than you can chew.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

The op was born in Merida so he may have family there and there is an expat community down there, so he he is moving to a nice city that already have expats not, nowhere Catemaco , his lack of Spanish maybe a handicap but he probably will find things to do down there. 
I agree and it is especially true for men who are more disconnected as a rule from the dauly chores women have to do.. find something to do get a hobby if you want to stay healthy
I totally disconnected from my previous life once down here but used what I had done for 30 years and used it in my hobby and now at age 70 was offered a job..which I turned down as I do not want to be tied down to a job but that offer came after I had learned Spanish and was familiar with the culture..

Figure out what you like to do, do it with or without money to start with , get familiar with the culture and the language and you will find a job but do not make that your primary goal if you do not have to.It is all up to you to figure out what you will do with your free time, each person is different.

If you like fixing houses buy a house to fix for yourself and if you sell it if you do not enjoy it.. then after you have had the experience help other expats do the same..be aware that doing it for others can be a nice headache , though..

I agree with you sunnyvmex..go to a place where you can fullfill your needs.. There are lot odf nice places to visit and spend a little time but living there long term is a different proposition.. Some people are fine living in isolated areas and being somewhat isolated from their original culture but the majority of us are not..


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## UrbanMan (Jun 18, 2015)

sunnyvmx said:


> Your concerns about adjusting to retirement are not to be taken lightly. Especially if it's to be in a foreign country. For this reason I strongly recommend life in the Lake Chapala area.
> 
> The choices are too many to list and there is no excuse to be bored which probably drives many to return NOB.
> 
> I thought I had to have the "real Mexican experience" and moved first to a small town in Veracruz. I was able to enjoy my interests and more with only a handful of expats, but not my husband. You can only polish a Harley so much. I sometimes think if we had moved to Ajijic first he might have stayed.


I'm personally shying away from Lake C, as I am worried about how cliquey I have heard it is.

Re: your husband not staying, retirement sometimes makes a couple realize they are not as compatible as they once were. Spending up to 16 waking hours a day with a person, quite a bit different than what life is like when working.


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## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Lake Chapala too cliquey??? According to whom? I have not noticed it and I have lived here for 17 years..but then I have not ever joined any group in any place I have ever lived so really if people try to exclude me ,,I do not notice it...


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## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

I was reading a WSJ article about retirement and their survey said......US citizens spend more time researching a vacation than they do planning their retirement..The conclusion is they were caught short on savings etc. to retire in the way they have been accustomed too and had to keep working to a later date...que lastima.
After ten years down here I have found plenty of things to keep me busy, watercolor painting, working Amber, Opals and now Obsidian...I have put over 300,000 Mexican Miles on my cars and visited every state and major city, now I am trying to complete all the Pueblo Majicos but they keep adding more each year,LOL.......yea plenty to do down here, just gotta do it.....
P.S. Never sat on my a$$ and played a video game in my life, and that's 70 YO.......


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