# How Did You Do It... Leave the US?



## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

Okay, so how did you all do it? I mean, actually make the move to Mexico…?

For years over 30 years I have anticipated & envisioned a retirement divided between existences in the US and in Mexico. I planned & guided our finances carefully with the idea of having a smaller home in the US to be near family, kids & grandkids; and a “main base” residence in Mexico. I figured we’d make a pilgrimage up to the states at least once a year, maybe every 2 years, during holidays or good weather times for no more than 2 to 4 months a year. The rest of our time would be spent in Mexico.

Finances should not be a problem – we’ve saved nearly $50k free & clear in the bank and will have another $40-60k equity when we sell our house. Add to that another $10-15k upon selling off the motorcycles & second car; we have no others debts except for our current mortgage. The plan was to use our equity & cash to buy or build something in Mexico; and to use my VA loan guarantee benefit to buy a smaller house here with little to no money out of our pocket… nothing over about $100,000. Currently, our monthly net income from pensions & social security is about $5,700.00 without my wife taking her social security yet. For once, we are not struggling to live here – but should be able to enjoy a more active, nicer & less expensive life in Mexico (nothing ostentatious) with better savings potential for further travels & adventures.

However, now that the kids are moved out and we are very close to actually making such a decision – some other thoughts & concerns have taken over. I’ve been wondering about the wisdom of keeping a house, at all, here in the US. How many of you set up a similar arrangement for yourselves… or did you just plunge into Mexico without looking back or leaving a “bridge”? As I look at it now, I think my biggest concern & reasons for wanting to have a place here has been for: 1) keepsakes that we couldn’t easily transport or move to Mexico; 2) maintaining a verifiable address here for mail or postal deliveries that can’t be easily received in Mexico; 3) somewhere to keep an extra US-plated vehicle; 4) somewhere for our own privacy when visiting or entertaining family, guests and (eventual) grandkids.

Of course, there are other things that might come up to make the idea appear advantageous, but then again, maybe not. I am under the impression that most of you sold off your possessions (or put them in storage) and headed south to build your lives in Mexico, without looking back or retaining physical ties to the US. I’ve read & tabbed most of the good references & information on here about moving household goods; what to keep, throw away, or bring with us; vehicle considerations upon immigrating; and what to consider & how to pursue the immigration situation once there. We know NOT to buy until we’ve been there at least 6 months to a year, and my intention is to seek permanent residence status (and, eventually, Mexican citizenship).

At 59 years of age, this has come at an earlier time in life than I had planned – but I hadn’t anticipated being retired on disability, either. My wife is now retired, too – so really, I don’t see much reason to waste the time we could be spending in Mexico… just wondering how much we need to or should plan to maintain a US presence or tie, as part of our life, once we make the major move South.

Your thoughts, opinions, recommendations & experiences would be greatly appreciated!


----------



## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

Our situations are totally different. We have never had (nor contemplated) owning more than one property at a time. We have a few friends in the US but not really any family to speak of. No kids. Both worked - and saved. No pensions. Not claiming SS yet. 

We dragged a trailer down here with our stuff and if I regret anything it is that we left/sold too much stuff up north. I should have brought the generator and a lot more tools. We gave away a beautiful solid mahogany table to our neighbors. Should have brought that. Had a tough time selling that trailer here - but did with a friend's help.

When we left there were so many things that I was (let's say) uncomfortable with going on in the US. I'm not a dissident, but I have feelings/opinions. I looked at what we had managed to save, I projected our annual expenses in the US going forward. We could have made it work - but for what ? We have a very comfortable life in Mexico at perhaps 25% the cost.

Edit : We have our Mexican wills. Whatever is left upon our demise goes to the Shriner's hospital in Polanco...


----------



## chicois8 (Aug 8, 2009)

I have a friend that sold everything and moved south, after about a year he decided he did not want to anymore and wanted to move back NOTB , he then found he could not afford a house in his old neighbor hood and it took him 3 years to sell his place in Mexico...I would keep the USA house for a couple years just in case......


----------



## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Every situation is different. I never planned to move to Mexico. I joined the Peace Corps at a later than usual age (by about 40 years) and they sent me here, to Mexico that is. After the first year here with the Peace Corps, I realized I saw no reason to leave. So, when my tour with the Peace Corps ended, I bought a house here and I am still here 9 years after I first arrived.

I stored a lot of stuff when I came here first, assuming that when the Peace Corps ended I would be moving on to somewhere else. So I arrived with just what would fit in the weight limit for luggage on a commercial flight, two bags of 50 pounds each. After I decided to stay, it was easiest to just keep the storage space in the US. Every year when I visited my son, I got rid of more stuff. Finally a couple of years ago, I rented a van and made a trip to the US to clean out what was left in the storage locker, mostly tools and paperwork.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it. :fingerscrossed:


----------



## TundraGreen (Jul 15, 2010)

Howler said:


> …Your thoughts, opinions, recommendations & experiences would be greatly appreciated!


My only comment is that it is not clear to me how much time you have spent in Mexico. If your Mexican experience is limited to short trips, it might be wise to not completely burn all your bridges behind you until you have been here long enough to know it is what you expected. I have a couple of friends who moved south, one to Panama City and one to Guanajuato expecting it to be a permanent move. Both of them changed their minds after a year.


----------



## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

TundraGreen said:


> My only comment is that it is not clear to me how much time you have spent in Mexico. If your Mexican experience is limited to short trips, it might be wise to not completely burn all your bridges behind you until you have been here long enough to know it is what you expected. I have a couple of friends who moved south, one to Panama City and one to Guanajuato expecting it to be a permanent move. Both of them changed their minds after a year.


Now that you mentioned it TG, I should have included that in my narrative. Since we got married nearly 30 years ago, my wife & I (and the kids) always hoped to return or find an excuse to move to Mexico to live. My wife has always been proud of her Mexican heritage and represents it proudly in whatever she does & wherever she goes throughout the world. Likewise, our family & home have been a reflection of our love for Mexico and the culture. Both of us love the US and are grateful for our lives here - but Mexico has always been a passion & source of endless fascination for us. Hence, our desire to somehow establish ourselves there permanently.

To start with, I spent 2 years as an LDS (Mormon) missionary back in '78 & '79, which is how I became fluent in Spanish. Another 7 years passed before I returned to marry my wife, who I met in Martinez de la Torre, VER in '79... when I thought I'd wouldn't return to Mexico for a long time, much less to get married there. We got married in Delegacion Venustiano Carranza del DF in '87 and set up house in the US, then I returned to active duty with the Army. From then on I always found myself "pigeon-holed" for missions & functions involving my knowledge & fluency of Spanish and Latin-American cultures.

Through the years, we've made the trip to Mexico at least every other year or so, sometimes more often. Our first child was born there among my wife's family in '89, and our vacations were usually at least 3 weeks long in order to take advantage of the time & cost of usually driving there. It was important to us to raise our kids to be bilingual & bicultural, so the trips there was an important part of that goal. It worked out great! When I retired from the Army in 2001, I did a semester abroad in a UNAM program in Taxco (where I could take the family with me) which lasted 6 weeks during the summer of 2003, then became a middle & high school Spanish teacher. Because my wife also worked in the school district (ELL teacher), that left our summers open to long stays in Mexico with the kids, family and a lot of travel & exploration.

Since my wife retired this past May, we are even more open to & available for going to Mexico at other times of the year, besides Summer - or whenever we have an "excuse". Honestly, I've lost count of how many times I gone to Mexico, or the total amount of time I've spent there. Even so, I think many on here will agree, that it is never enough!


----------



## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

TundraGreen said:


> Every situation is different. I never planned to move to Mexico. I joined the Peace Corps at a later than usual age (by about 40 years) and they sent me here, to Mexico that is. After the first year here with the Peace Corps, I realized I saw no reason to leave. So, when my tour with the Peace Corps ended, I bought a house here and I am still here 9 years after I first arrived.
> 
> I stored a lot of stuff when I came here first, assuming that when the Peace Corps ended I would be moving on to somewhere else. So I arrived with just what would fit in the weight limit for luggage on a commercial flight, two bags of 50 pounds each. After I decided to stay, it was easiest to just keep the storage space in the US. Every year when I visited my son, I got rid of more stuff. Finally a couple of years ago, I rented a van and made a trip to the US to clean out what was left in the storage locker, mostly tools and paperwork.
> 
> That's my story and I'm sticking to it. :fingerscrossed:


I love your story - it shows it's never too late to discover something new & special in life!

We've considered the Peace Corps since my wife retired - it would be a great way to return there to live, or to go anywhere else in the world. However, she's concerned that such a commitment might interfere with the humanitarian work she does with other organizations elsewhere in the world. That would leave her less flexible and available for other projects (new & on-going) in other places.

It's interesting, albeit abrupt, how you ended up preparing & packing for Mexico.


----------



## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

chicois8 said:


> I have a friend that sold everything and moved south, after about a year he decided he did not want to anymore and wanted to move back NOTB , he then found he could not afford a house in his old neighbor hood and it took him 3 years to sell his place in Mexico...I would keep the USA house for a couple years just in case......


Oh no!! Poor guy! I don't think that would happen in our case, but I can understand it in other situations where the person hadn't spent much time in Mexico before making such a permanent decision. You'll see in another post on this thread where we've had a lot of time & experience to support our desire to live there.

I hope you are enjoying it better than your friend...!


----------



## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

Gatos said:


> Our situations are totally different. We have never had (nor contemplated) owning more than one property at a time. We have a few friends in the US but not really any family to speak of. No kids. Both worked - and saved. No pensions. Not claiming SS yet.
> 
> We dragged a trailer down here with our stuff and if I regret anything it is that we left/sold too much stuff up north. I should have brought the generator and a lot more tools. We gave away a beautiful solid mahogany table to our neighbors. Should have brought that. Had a tough time selling that trailer here - but did with a friend's help.
> 
> ...


What a way of making your own way! I'd call it admirable!! 

I'd rather see someone, like you, make a plan instead of spending a lifetime complaining or blaming "the system" for limiting them. In our case, we always planned on returning to Mexico for our retirement years... the current state of political affairs here in the US just makes it that much easier to justify and put our plans in gear!


----------



## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

Howler said:


> What a way of making your own way! I'd call it admirable!!
> 
> I'd rather see someone, like you, make a plan instead of spending a lifetime complaining or blaming "the system" for limiting them. In our case, we always planned on returning to Mexico for our retirement years... the current state of political affairs here in the US just makes it that much easier to justify and put our plans in gear!


I met my wife when I was on a business trip to Corte Madera 35+ years ago. Turns out we lived 20 minutes apart in New York. We moved in and at one point there was such a bad snow storm we could not see the car in the parking lot. First I said - let's elope to St Croix USVI She accepted. When we returned we decided to move to South Florida. At that time the Hurricanes football team was dominate and Miami Vice was prevalent. So we packed our piddly stuff, gave it to a shipper and started driving south on I-95. We were reading the overhead signs and when we saw one that seemed nice we pulled off the highway and found a hotel. Long story short we spent 30+ years within 5 miles of that turnoff. I had a 25+ year career and each place was within a 2 mile radius.

The US gave away my industry to India and China. I can only hope that when the decision was made there was a clear benefit to the US (however obscure that may be).

We did a lot more preparation for our move to Mexico. Not only did we vacation here over perhaps 20 years - when we were sure (and had an offer on the house) we took several trips to find a house. Ultimately we rented in the city that felt best to us (year rental). Near the end of that period we fond the house we are now in - and have been for three years now. No regrets at all.


----------



## Orfin (Sep 26, 2016)

Interesting stories. I left after volcano smoke drove me out of my favorite home.
I had to move after getting too sensitive to the volcano smoke where i had lived for 10 years. Beach bum life in Hawaii. 
So expensive in Hawaii and i also was paying lots of debts. To move back to continental USA would have been an expensive move back then and also expensive to resettle once moved. 
I decided to travel to cheaper countries and that began the expat trek for me. I settled for leaving home when the seasonal winds changed to bring volcanic fumes my way for exteneded periods. It happened to be fall and winter months that were the worst.
So i ended up in south asia for 2 years with short trips back home twice a year. I couldn't handle south asia well. They said stay a year and get used to it. No luck after a year, so they said wait a second year to get used to it. I was sick as snot every day for 2 years and realized i would die prematurely at that pace. As soon as i left the filthy place, i was feeling better but never fully recovered.
So i switched to central America where i spent a year based in Nicaragua and checking out from Panama up through to Honduras. It was much easier on me than south asia but still not worth it to set up a life there.
After that, i went to south america between Peru and Ecuador. Thats when i decided to never consider a full on Expat move- never again. I abandoned my home in hawaii and resettled in continental USA, bought a house, started business and was able to save money and get out of debt, with the cheap living skills i learned and money saved in the cheap countries. 
So now i still save money evey year, business is ok, i still love to travel but with only one foot in and an exit plan before i even arrive to the next destination. No one way tickets for me. 
No Expating for me but i am hooked on the travel. I would go back to south or central america for a 6 month stays in the winters, went to Africa(5 countries there) last year and now set for 6 months in Mexico after i vote for none of the above this election year. 
I want to visit Maritius and Uruguay some time in the next few years and i am more for clean air places after the trauma of living in volcano smoke. Mauritius is a very long flight out to an island in the indian ocean near Madagascar. 
I am open to making mexico a regular place for mi after this year's stay and maybe even staying longer than 6 months if i find it bearable for so long. I am also open to never wanting to go back again. Experience will tell. 
Ironic how i and many Americans ran off to cheap countries because we could not afford to move easily within USA, leaving for places where local people run from towards USA because they cannot afford to live in either place but decide its better to be destitute on the USA streets than in a thrid world country or Mexico. 
I am sticking to business in USA where i have all i need and am still young enough to look towards growing business and income. I have a lot of free time to travel though. I can reasonably be gone for 6 months or longer if i stop by once a year and keep online and phone contact going. 
I found out that no matter how rich i may seem in a poor country, if i live there long enough, i start becoming like the locals who stare at the US border wondering how to get across. And then i ask myself "what am i waiting for" with US passport and all. 

Will be going back to old home in Hawaii after this winter in Mexico. I haven't been back there since end of 2013 and my abandoned place is rotting away while i keep up on the taxes. Have to go back and figure out what to do with my place there, now that i am resettled and in a better financial position. Prices crashed there since i left. Half the value of my property is gone and then abandonment rot has acrued at a cost to clean up. But its all paid for, cheap property taxes and i have a new bigger place elswhere while keeping up savings to keep possibilities open for the future. 
Spending extemded time in cheaper countries helped me get to a better finacial position and still helps me go further in that, with the added benefit of travel, leisure and experience beyond small circle on the map.


----------



## DiverSailor123 (Sep 17, 2016)

I guess it all depends on where the homes are and what they cost etc etc maintaining a home in the USA can be costly.. Want to see how fast a building goes to crap leave it empty for 9 months a year.. Even just keeping the yard up is a weekly issue $$ + water electric etc etc . Being a snow bird can be VERY costly. Maybe best to rent an apartment in the USA?? Homes around me are running $300K to $600K and quite a few are owned by snow birds.. hum that relates to a passive income of somewhere between $100K and $200K a year. If I left here for 3 years as mentioned the jungle would be attempting to Eat My House and Pool...


----------



## perropedorro (Mar 19, 2016)

> Okay, so how did you all do it? I mean, actually make the move to Mexico…?


Simple enough question. 1) I've loved Mexico since my first trip here when I was 20, enough to keep coming back for long vacations every chance I got. 2) I ended up marrying a lovely, feisty and talkative _mexicana_ from a large loving family, which led me to become fluent in the language and culture, and acquire a nice little vacation house on the beach in Colima. 3) After a 25 year career in a job I wound up hating, I pulled the plug and took early retirement but... 4) Finances wouldn't permit anything but a step-above-homeless life in SoCal, not that I'd have stayed even if I did have the money. 5) Our adult kids are totally bilingual and bicultural, at ease on either side of the border, so it's not like we're abandoning them. Mission accomplished. So it all sort of fell into place, without a lot of thought, but we couldn't have planned it any better.


----------



## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

After most of our lives in California, we found that retirement choices didn't include staying in that hella expensive San Francisco Bay area. My husband had spent time on vacations in Mexico and thought it would be a fine place to try. So.......we got rid of the things we could live without through estate auction houses (much easier and more profitable than garage sales) sold our house, put everything we loved, including the keepsakes) into storage, packed the car with essentials and drove on down. Rented first (always a good idea) and later bought. Then the moving and storage company brought down the nine crates (big ones) to the house we bought. Never regretted having the stuff since it was like having "old friends" around us. That was over twelve years ago. We've only been back once for four days because of a family funeral. Our grown children and their spouses and offspring visit here on occasion and enjoy it thoroughly, since it's an adventure for them. They are spread over several states, so going north to visit isn't practical.

I am very glad we didn't attempt to maintain another residence and/or car or address, since that would have been adding worries, expenses and complications to life. When we need something not available here, we order online and having it shipped by one of the companies that brings it to our door. After a bit of deep searching, we've been able to handle everything without needing a U.S. address, though we maintain a P.O. Box in Texas with a mail drop in our town. The Mexican mail system has a ways to go so far. I get Christmas cards in July through them.

My life motto has been "bloom where you're planted". Life is good.

Your story leads me to believe you're going to thoroughly enjoy life here. Welcome!


----------



## citlali (Mar 4, 2013)

Our housekeepers were from Guatemala and Nicaragua and came back from a vacation in Oaxaca telling us how wonderful things were there..
We were looking for a place to retire , mostly in the States and France and like the idea of Mexico. I cancelled an appointment I had with a realestate agent in New Mexico and flew to Guadalajara with the idea of checking out San Miguel Chapala , Morelos and Oaxaca. Came to Ajijic fell in love with it and nought a house on my first week there, sent a picture to my husband and told him that is our new place.
Flew back sold most of everything we owned except for a few favorite and our kitchen stuff, backed the 3 dogs and 3 cats , put the house on the market and where on our way to Mexico 4 month later.
Did not have all the questions people here have, we figured we would figure things out.We did not speak a word of Spanish.
We have been living full time in Mexico and never looked back or would move back to the States. We have 2 places in Mexico and none in France or US We have been here for 16 years and are both Mexican citizens. 
If you want to make thigs work out , they will work out..if you are not sure and are hesitating , I say do not do it..
We have no assets there , no address no connections anymore except for the IRS of course..and if we leave Mexico we go to France or other countries where we have not been before. Never been so happy..

Obviously we could not afford anymore to go back to where we used to live but we do not ever look back, there are plenty of nice places to move to if that is what we want to do..


----------



## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

*(on leaving an empty house in the US)*



DiverSailor123 said:


> I guess it all depends on where the homes are and what they cost etc etc maintaining a home in the USA can be costly.. Want to see how fast a building goes to crap leave it empty for 9 months a year.. Even just keeping the yard up is a weekly issue $$ + water electric etc etc .


That's something I hadn't considered all this time! I've said the same thing to my kids about cars, in particular; but I've seen how it applies to houses, too. And, yes, there are the other costs to keeping it up, utilities and making it appear "lived in" while out of country. And no, I don't think my kids could live in it & keep it up responsibly (_al ojo del amo_ kinda thing, y'know)... **sigh**

Again, I was wondering if any of you did or considered doing the same thing and your reasons or thinking in your resulting action(s). I guess there's more of a psychological hold or pull from here than I realized, although it never bothered me to move around so much when I was in the military. It must involve a "letting go" process or mentality to be able to head south without looking back.

Great comments & stories... keep them coming!!


----------



## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

*making it work out*



citlali said:


> Did not have all the questions people here have, we figured we would figure things out. We did not speak a word of Spanish... If you want to make thigs work out , they will work out... if you are not sure and are hesitating , I say do not do it...
> 
> Obviously we could not afford anymore to go back to where we used to live but we do not ever look back, there are plenty of nice places to move to if that is what we want to do..


Excellent story & advice, Citlali! I always enjoy your contributions!!

There have been so many times in our lives, together & as singles, when that philosophy worked in our favor... funny how you can sometimes forget your own past boldness & determination. My gosh, it's been practically the story of our lives!

Both of us being fluent in the language & culture, we've never been afraid of living there - our concerns & conversations have always revolved around leaving here. I guess another aspect of my thinking has been a concern about affording a place to "come back to", much less just letting it all go in favor of a different adventure & scenario. 

This advice (yours) will probably resonate more with my wife than anything I could say or show her!


----------



## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Upon retirement, we became full time RVers in our motorhome. Then, heart attack and other surgery caused my wife to fear that she might have to drive the thing. We sold it and the “toad“, bought a Pathfinder SUV, filled it and moved to Ajijic. Within two weeks we owned a home and settled in. We knew nobody and spoke no Spanish, but I do not recall any problems. A few years later, we sold the house in Ajijic centro in favor of one in Chapala centro, where we remained for the next decade.
Sadly, worsening health and the associated expenses forced us to move to the USA for VA and Medicare availability. Frankly, I hate it and wish I had the energy and resources to return to Mexico.
My advice: Make the move, but only if you can give up your missionary ways. Otherwise, stay put.


----------



## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

*health care, missionaries, etc...*



RVGRINGO said:


> Upon retirement, we became full time RVers in our motorhome. Then, heart attack and other surgery caused my wife to fear that she might have to drive the thing. We sold it and the “toad“, bought a Pathfinder SUV, filled it and moved to Ajijic. Within two weeks we owned a home and settled in. We knew nobody and spoke no Spanish, but I do not recall any problems. A few years later, we sold the house in Ajijic centro in favor of one in Chapala centro, where we remained for the next decade.
> Sadly, worsening health and the associated expenses forced us to move to the USA for VA and Medicare availability. Frankly, I hate it and wish I had the energy and resources to return to Mexico.
> My advice: Make the move, but only if you can give up your missionary ways. Otherwise, stay put.


It's great to hear from you RVG!! Originally I had programmed & planned to spend a couple or three years on the road with an RV (I still want to!), but my wife, it turns out, is not too enthusiastic about the idea...! Nothing extreme to it - just wanted go until we'd seen everyone & everywhere we wanted, then sell it & head for Mexico. Oh well...

I remembered when you had to move back to the US and felt bad for you. I had wondered if / why you couldn't employ the in-home help you needed less expensively in Mexico than in the states. Or was it a matter of paying for treatments not covered in Mexico...? I have VA coverage, too - but also have Medicare & TriCare for Life from having retired & been rated 100% disabled. I'm not sure what will work for us in Mexico, but we've also discussed buying Mexican-based coverage. How has that worked for anyone else?

Of course, we want to make the move while we are still relatively young retirees, and while we can still enjoy it. Oh, and don't worry... no more missionary work for me - it played an important part in my personal development and introduced me to MEXICO! I have since taken a decidedly inactive role in my church standing, although I'm still proud of my time & service and respect those who still are active believers. It sounds like you've had missionaries knock on your door a few times in the past...? :amen: eep:

Thanks you for your input, I really appreciate it with everyone else's postings. I'll have to look you up for a visit when I'm out there in Phoenix again visiting with my cousins in Mesa. Stay as healthy as you can - I look forward to continuing to see you here in the forums!!


----------



## Gatos (Aug 16, 2016)

This sounds like a perfect fit for you :

https://www.chministries.org/

If you are without vices - I believe you can simply send them your receipts for your medical expenses in Mexico. Someone strongly endorsed it in the past - I never followed through - I probably should/


----------



## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

*Interesting! (For me?)*



Gatos said:


> This sounds like a perfect fit for you :
> 
> https://www.chministries.org/
> 
> If you are without vices - I believe you can simply send them your receipts for your medical expenses in Mexico. Someone strongly endorsed it in the past - I never followed through - I probably should/


Gatos -

Was this for me, or for RVGringo? If it's something available to him in Mexico, it might be the thing he'd need to get him back down there! For the rest of America: if ObamaCare or whatever else the government (or private industry) comes up with doesn't cut it or becomes too expensive, this could be another way of doing it. This is an interesting concept - sort of like a "privately socialized" plan (humor intended).


----------



## dwwhiteside (Apr 17, 2013)

My very first trip to Mexico was in March 2012, shortly after my 56th birthday. I had recently met the woman I would eventually marry and she had a house here in Colima. The trip was exploratory. I wanted to see how easy (or difficult) it would be to do my job from Mexico. It turns out, after adding a Mexico plan to my cell phone, working from Mexico was no different than working from my house in the US. So, we started making plans.

My wife, who was born in Mexico but became a US citizen in 2010, had a job in the US but did not like it all that much and was not making all that much money. And actually, if you factor in what we were paying in rent and other expenses (i.e. health insurance), and the fact that her house in Colima was debt free, it just made sense for us to move here.

So, In February 2013, we moved here, married and I got my RT. And I have loved just about every minute we've been here. I did keep a PO box in Texas because, as another poster mentioned, the mail in Mexico is a bit on the slow side. But other than that, we either sold, gave away or moved everything we had. 

We are not yet retired. I still have my job and do my work online with only occasional business related trips to the US or Canada. And my wife stays busy working on some real estate investments we are making together. But, we did not keep any ties to the US. I am now a Residente Permanente and may soon apply for Mexican citizenship. We plan to stay here the rest of our lives and I could not be happier that I made this move.


----------



## sunnyvmx (Mar 14, 2010)

In 2006 my husband and I lived full time in a 38' motorhome and made a three month trip around Mexico pulling a trailer with a Harley. On our return I started planning another trip to Mexico for six months. At some point I started playing with the idea of living in Mexico. I looked at the Lake Chapala area, but thought I wanted the "real Mexico experience" so when I saw lake and town of Catemaco in Veracruz, I was sold on the idea. I stepped out of the coach and asked my husband if he cared if we lived in the U.S. and visited Mexico or lived in Mexico and visited the U.S.. He said he didn't care and I said, "Start packing, we're going South." Never gave it another thought and never looked back. The best part of living in an RV is everything you own goes with you. He tried it for a year going back and forth to care for his Mom and visiting the kids in Houston, but we finally came to terms with the realization that our dreams were not the same and life was too short not to be happy so I rented a casita and he still lives in the coach out West in the U.S.. I spent five good years in Catemaco with less than 10 other expats, but decided I needed more and made the move to Ajijic. I love it here and have no plans to leave unless my ex returns to carry me back in a fancy jar.


----------



## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

*"It's My Wife's Fault..."*



dwwhiteside said:


> My wife, who was born in Mexico but became a US citizen in 2010, had a job in the US but did not like it all that much and was not making all that much money. And actually, if you factor in what we were paying in rent and other expenses (i.e. health insurance), and the fact that her house in Colima was debt free, it just made sense for us to move here.


Like you, my wife was born in Mexico... we'd met almost 8 years before we met again, courted (by correspondence & phone) and got married. She had supported her family since she was about 12 yrs old after her father died - and even bought the lot & paid to build the "house" where they were living when we got married. It's free & clear, but has never been something she / we wanted to retire to or live in again. It will probably become a part of our retirement savings when she decides to sell it now that her mother has passed away.

When we got married, I wanted to stay in Mexico and look at either finishing my college down there or to go on & complete flight training in order to find work as a crop duster or in the airlines. I found a lot of resistance at the time to any such considerations... for example I could PAY for all the flight training & classes, but could NOT be certified in Mexico or by Mexican authority. This & several other issues I investigated at the time were open / available only to "native-born" Mexican citizens. In the end, this only made it easy to return to an active duty career with the Army. Work opportunities were also very restrictive for me compared to being a permanent resident in the US.

When we got married, her intention was not to become a US citizen because of the property ownership laws in Mexico... she was proud of her Mexican heritage & didn't want to be seen as a "Malinchista". This was fine with me, until the Army required ALL of my immediate family members (spouse included) be US citizens by birth or naturalization upon upgrading my security clearance to Top Secret. This she did with tears flowing, and put the house & property in her mother's name. At the time, Mexico did not allow dual-citizenship, so there was no "middle ground" for her. She was finally able to "recover" her Mexican citizenship last year due to a change in the law.

After our kids were all in school she began to work in the school district and volunteer for different local causes involving educations, immigrant & public health issues. She completed her masters degree program in psych nursing after we got married, but never worked in it here. She has often said that she never planned to go to the US or marry anyone from there. She would have been perfectly happy to work her career there in Mexico and had planned her life accordingly.

I guess our only / biggest regret is that we didn't "take the plunge" sooner - like either when I retired from the Army or graduated from college. What stopped us was a concern for the quality of our kids' educations in Mexico, but that probably would have become a non-issue once we settled in to sort through possibilities between public & private schools. Even so, we just could not have foreseen how things would go (later) for my health or how it would have worked out, thanks to the VA.

Anyway, here we are now - getting ready to finally "come home"! :dance:


----------



## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

*RVs & Catemaco*



sunnyvmx said:


> In 2006 my husband and I lived full time in a 38' motorhome and made a three month trip around Mexico pulling a trailer with a Harley. On our return I started planning another trip to Mexico for six months. At some point I started playing with the idea of living in Mexico. I looked at the Lake Chapala area, but thought I wanted the "real Mexico experience" so when I saw lake and town of Catemaco in Veracruz, I was sold on the idea. I stepped out of the coach and asked my husband if he cared if we lived in the U.S. and visited Mexico or lived in Mexico and visited the U.S.. He said he didn't care and I said, "Start packing, we're going South." Never gave it another thought and never looked back. The best part of living in an RV is everything you own goes with you. He tried it for a year going back and forth to care for his Mom and visiting the kids in Houston, but we finally came to terms with the realization that our dreams were not the same and life was too short not to be happy so I rented a casita and he still lives in the coach out West in the U.S.. I spent five good years in Catemaco with less than 10 other expats, but decided I needed more and made the move to Ajijic. I love it here and have no plans to leave unless my ex returns to carry me back in a fancy jar.


Great story!! You guys were braver than us to take a trailer / RV down to Mexico like that. We did take a pick-up camper down through Veracruz & Oaxaca in '92, but times were very different then. Now that we can better afford it, we haven't felt "right" or completely "safe" with the idea of taking an RV down there... maybe at a future date - then maybe NOT! (If we're already living there, why bother?) 

One of our vacations down there included going further south to see Catemaco and the "brujos" down there - plus the monkeys on the island. It was a wonderful time for us all - and of course it was HOT as H*LL! I had alway wondered why more expats hadn't considered the area, except maybe for the heat & humidity typical of coastal weather. Like you, we've always enjoyed "a real Mexican experience" in our travels there. We've always spent time with family there, but also planned time to roam & see other typical scenery & people there. Veracruz has always been one of our favorite experiences!

Sorry your dreams didn't work out together as it all started, but I'm glad you've (both) found your happiness! You ARE right... "life is too short" not to go for what you know!!:thumb:


----------



## ffejcat62 (Sep 9, 2016)

And here's my story, just beginning....I have been married to my Mexican wife for 22 years, all living in California. For several years we have always planned on retiring in Mexico. For me it was always going to be in a beach community and it seemed she was alright with that. We have one daughter now 20 who would travel every single summer to Mexico (Chihuahua) with my wife for 3-4 weeks at a time. And every time she would cry when having to leave her cousins. About a year and a half ago she told us she wanted to quit college here in the states and move to Chihuahua with her cousins and continue to study there. We were very pleased with this decision. This past April my wife and daughter went to Chihuahua for a wedding. I told them while your there take a look around at houses over there to get an idea of the cost. I get a call from them and they are at a new development and have found a house that they are both absolutely in love with. It was the model home with all the furniture included. We had to put a pretty good size deposit down at that moment in order to buy the model home (the last one). while my wife was conversing with the staff, I was on Facetime with my daughter as she showed me the house. My wife never makes hasty decisions and when I asked are you for sure, she said yes yes. I have been to several places in Mexico and have really enjoyed every where I've been. The people the culture the land, I have always loved but had only been to Chihuahua once before. All my wife's family are there and have come to the states many times to visit us and I really enjoy spending time with them, but whenever we would vacation in Mexico I wanted to go somewhere else. So this year in July we went to Chihuahua for 2 weeks (to see our house) and I absolutely fell in love with the city. My wife and daughter always said I would. So , while there we actually finalized the purchase of the house and paid the taxes for the next year. We plan on moving in July or August depending on how long it takes to sell our home in California. My wife will be retiring in May and we will put the house up for sale at that time. Our plan is to completely start over. We are only taking essentials. No furniture and no cars. We are currently in the process of selling off what we can and cleaning out clutter. The hardest part is getting rid of stuff you have had for ever, but rarely use or look at and has sentimental value. The adventure ahead is huge, but I embrace it completely and can't wait to be happy in Mexico.


----------



## perropedorro (Mar 19, 2016)

> Originally Posted by dwwhiteside
> So, In February 2013, we moved here, married and I got my RT. And I have loved just about every minute we've been here....I am now a Residente Permanente and may soon apply for Mexican citizenship.


Many similarities to my case, but you've got over two expat years on me, and I'm reading that you were married in Mexico, which may be salient---we were married NOB and had it validated at the local registro on our silver anniversary. Just a question, if you'll pardon me being nosy: How long did you stay in RT status, and when/why did you go for an RP? I understood that married-to-a-Mexican gets an RT, and on that status one can apply for naturalization in two years, providing not more than 180 days have been spent outside the country. Regards.


----------



## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

*We had a talk...*

I've really appreciated your thoughts, advice & stories... all really heart-warming for me to read them, as I hope it was for you to share with us all. I've had a talk with my wife along the lines of what has been discussed here - chiefly the issue of "burning the bridges" and NOT needing a house in the US once deciding to go south. I was amazed (should I REALLY be?) at how quickly & completely she was in agreement with the repeated counsel to "make the decision", "just go" and to "not look back". She especially agreed with the one from Citlali that "everything will work out" once we decide & put the idea in motion.

Soooo... unless something comes up to further deter us, it looks like we'll be starting to sell off, donate & give away a lot of our things in preparation to putting our house here on the market in the Spring. Our son just moved back in last week, needing some "time to get back on his feet" and back to school. He says it will be for a "couple of months" but I think it might be more like next school year (in the fall). He's also interested in finishing school in Mexico, so selling the house may actually get him into gear sooner with a decision. All told, I believe we'll be spending Christmas 2017 permanently in Mexico.

I still wonder if anyone in the expat community still has kept a house in the US / Canada and their reasons for doing so. Has it worked out for you favorably... or has it been more of a pain than anticipated? So far nobody has posted who said they had another house up north or intended to do as I had originally planned. It would be interesting to hear their experiences, too.

Again, thank you to everyone - and keep the stories & suggestions coming!


----------



## xolo (May 25, 2014)

My story is a little different. I'm still in the US. After interest in the Spanish language and culture for my entire adult life I applied and was accepted into a PhD program at a top R1 university in the department of Spanish and Portuguese. I fund my program by teaching undergrad Spanish classes. I'm about to start field work in Mexico.


----------



## dwwhiteside (Apr 17, 2013)

perropedorro said:


> How long did you stay in RT status, and when/why did you go for an RP? I understood that married-to-a-Mexican gets an RT, and on that status one can apply for naturalization in two years, providing not more than 180 days have been spent outside the country. Regards.


I was on RT for two years before getting the status changed to RP. And that could be because of the fact that we married here in Mexico while I was here 180 day FMM. There was quite a bit of paperwork involved in the marriage; I needed a copy of my birth certificate and a copy of the divorce decree from my first marriage, and both had to be apostilled. Then everything, including the apostilles, had to be translated into Spanish by an approved translator (meaning my wife was not allowed to do this). And, even though we are both in our 50's, we had to get blood tests. 

But, once we had all of that paperwork together, and had rounded up four witnesses (two each), we were able to schedule the wedding at the courthouse and get the documents that I needed (marriage certificate) to get an RT through vinculo familiar, with the ability to convert to an RP two years later.


----------



## MJD13 (Aug 11, 2014)

Hi. We have lived in northern Mexico for about 9 months a year for the past 11 years and still have a home in the USA. We have been building/remodeling in Mexico for the last five years. Our USA residence can be rented out as a seasonal rental for 3-4 months during the winter months which pretty much covers the routine annual expenses. It's in the southwest. And, we have a comfortable place to stay when we return to visit family, friends or have certain medical procedures performed under Medicare. We have found that, in general, if we want to see old time acquaintances that we need to do so in the USA...many are freaked out about coming to Mexico. Someday we may sell it but, right now, it works for us. We have also thought of just taking out the furniture and renting it full time. 

Couple of thoughts that others may have mentioned: rent first...it's easy to buy in Mexico but not always so easy to sell if you decide to move to another area or back to the USA. Plans change. Building from scratch can be frustrating unless you have some experience in overseeing construction...husband is a retired remodeling contractor and, even at that, it can take 3x longer than expected. You can hire a "contractor" but satisfactory results are still not guaranteed. It sounds so inexpensive on the surface and, although less than the States, it can cost more than expected. Go slowly for the first year or two.

You have such an interesting personal story. We all find our own paths. Good luck on yours!


----------



## xolo (May 25, 2014)

I just re-read my post and I should add that some of you probably speak Spanish better than me. One shouldn't make any assumptions. I do love the language, though, just as many of you do.


----------



## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

Looking back on my life, something I've doing quite a bit of since turning 70 last year (yikes !), I think that I've been leaving the US (for greater and shorter periods of time) ever since I spent the summer of 1966 in Mexico City studying at the UNAM. In fact, perhaps I decided to major in Spanish in college because it gave me an excuse and a reason to spend time in Spanish-speaking countries (apart from Mexico, Spain, Ecuador and Chile). Since that fateful summer, I have returned to Mexico often, a few times to work as an English teacher and many other times for vacations. When I decided to take early retirement back in 2007, it seemed logical to move here permanently. I already thought of Mexico as a second home; I had a few friends here, including one of my oldest friends who had an apartment I could rent; and my modest pension income would go much further in Mexico than anywhere back in the States I would want to live. So here I am, nine years later, a permanent resident of this wonderful country, just another one of the _vecinos_ in my _barrio_ smack dab in the middle of the CDMX, and looking forward to living the rest of my life here!


----------



## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

*"Continuous Education"*



xolo said:


> I just re-read my post and I should add that some of you probably speak Spanish better than me. One shouldn't make any assumptions. I do love the language, though, just as many of you do.


I had originally thought to do the same as you and go for an advanced degree in order to teach Spanish in junior college or at a university. Instead I got limited by the VA to only completing a bachelors program... this led me to combining all of my disparate courses taken beforehand (and through the years) to rework my plan & graduate with a triple major/degree in Spanish, Education & Political Studies. Next I thought I'd go for the "money" in administration upon starting my teaching career - but I enjoyed the kids so much, I cancelled my masters program... By the end of that first school year, you could not have dragged me out of the classroom! *SIGH*

Now, to turn lemons to lemonade, once we settle in enough I'd like to go back to college again to take what is of interest to ME without regard for employment opportunities! I'll probably take advanced Spanish with a heavy dose of Political Science emphasizing Latin American History. My wife plans to do the same along the lines of her humanitarian service & interests. I'll look forward to your continued contributions to the forum!

One thing I've found over the years, as I'm sure many on here have found too - the more I learn about the language, culture & history the more I WANT to know & learn. It's one of the most consistent "passions" I've had all my life! Keep studying & learning, as I'm sure you know already - no education is really lost on those who continue to learn new things all their lives!


----------



## hyracer (Aug 14, 2011)

Howler said:


> I've really appreciated your thoughts, advice & stories...
> 
> I still wonder if anyone in the expat community still has kept a house in the US / Canada and their reasons for doing so. Has it worked out for you favorably... or has it been more of a pain than anticipated? So far nobody has posted who said they had another house up north or intended to do as I had originally planned. It would be interesting to hear their experiences, too.
> 
> Again, thank you to everyone - and keep the stories & suggestions coming!


Yes, we still have a house in the states as well as a 5th wheel. My wife and I most recently retired and are spending this winter in Ajijic. We had visited 5 years ago for an extended vacation, staying a couple of places Lakeside and getting to know the area. Our current mantra is to "Follow the Sun" and we are still too new at this to see if we want to stay anywhere permanently. So far we have liked living in our 5th wheel in the states not to give up that nomadic life style during summer. Eight years ago we purchased a "retirement home" in Arizona that we have been blessed to keep rented
for every month we've owned it. We have a property manager that handles the majority of issues so it has been a minor irritation when a repair is needed or something goes wrong.
Mind you we are not "rich" and have to live on a budget (SS & a small pension). Of course we all know that you can live a fairly good life in Mexico for less money than in the states. Our intent is to save some dollars here so that we can enjoy a little better life when we travel around the states in our 5th wheel when summer arrives again. We may change our mind in a year or two and finally settle down in one location. But in the mean time we are keeping an open mind and are enjoying the best of both worlds.


----------



## xolo (May 25, 2014)

Hey Marsha, did you teach Spanish courses when you were getting an MA? At my uni we grad students are the "professors" in the Spanish classes for A1 - B2 (first two years). Teaching was completely new to me but now that I've given well over a 100 class sessions it's getting a LOT easier. If all goes well I'll get my MA this year but my uni only takes PhD students so next year I finish up my coursework and take my quals so God willing I'll go ABD. That's where I want to be so I can write my book. 

As one young student said to her friend "you just think she's a professor because she's old"


----------



## Isla Verde (Oct 19, 2011)

xolo said:


> Hey Marsha, did you teach Spanish courses when you were getting an MA? At my uni we grad students are the "professors" in the Spanish classes for A1 - B2 (first two years). Teaching was completely new to me but now that I've given well over a 100 class sessions it's getting a LOT easier. If all goes well I'll get my MA this year but my uni only takes PhD students so next year I finish up my coursework and take my quals so God willing I'll go ABD. That's where I want to be so I can write my book.
> 
> As one young student said to her friend "you just think she's a professor because she's old"


While studying for my MA in Spanish many years ago, I worked as a TA (Teaching Assistant), teaching first- and second-semester Spanish to undergraduates. Since I had a BA in Secondary Education and Spanish, I had a semester of student teaching under my belt (done in a junior high school) before starting my graduate studies, so I sort of knew what I was doing when I got in front of my first Spanish class at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Good luck with everything!


----------



## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

*on teaching Spanish...*



xolo said:


> As one young student said to her friend "you just think she's a professor because she's old"


Xoxo - What university are you attending? Is this where you got your BA too?

Your quote reminded me of one of my assertions when my fellow SpanEd students were worrying about being "respected" or accepted by their students. Of course, I could understand - some of them still looked like they could fit into a high school class full of students. Because I was almost 50, I felt I had an advantage because my students & parents would likely think that I'd already been there for a long time... sort of a different type of "veteran". Must have worked! Sure there were some "problem" students (mostly "problem" parents) but they were the very small exception to so many wonderful kids I taught both in middle & high school.

My wife & I also taught several courses of "Spanish for Professional Groups" in the local "technology center" which was quite fun. It was more relaxed teaching adults who were more serious-minded about learning & practicing the language. The classes also involved a lot of role-playing to use their profession-related vocabulary & phrases. I wish I still had some of those sessions on video!! (Such a RIOT!!!)

*SIGH* (I STILL miss teaching...)


----------



## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

*RV life and empty houses*



hyracer said:


> Yes, we still have a house in the states as well as a 5th wheel... ...So far we have liked living in our 5th wheel in the states not to give up that nomadic life style during summer. Eight years ago we purchased a "retirement home" in Arizona that we have been blessed to keep rented for every month we've owned it. We have a property manager that handles the majority of issues so it has been a minor irritation when a repair is needed or something goes wrong.


I had hoped/planned to do the RV thing for 2-3 years to go back to see everyone & everywhere we had lived, and the places in between that we never saw. However, my wife confessed that she wasn't really all that "excited" to live in an RV (I think she is more concerned about my walking issues). Maybe later... Even so, as interesting as exploring the US has been, Mexico is even more exciting with more to see & experience - and costs less to do so more comfortably. Sounds like "Choice made already", ¿no? :lol:

The idea for a retirement house in the US was so we'd have a place to keep an RV (until we'd decide to sell it), an extra vehicle and our "things" that maybe we hadn't or couldn't easily move to Mexico. It would also serve as a place to stay while up in the states visiting family, friends & grandkids. Then the question of maintenance came up. No, the kids have not been very trustworthy to take care of our home, even now when we are away - and neither of my parents are interested in living there rent-free & independent for most of the year. We've had bad experiences with renters before - and posts by "orfin" & "DiverSailor123" reminded me of how expensive it could be, even if the house remained empty while we were out.

I guess it would be better if we could have a trustworthy caretaker to live there in exchange for rent, but it feels like a lifted burden when I consider just chucking the idea, packing what we want to take and heading south to Mexico. "Citlali"'s advice hit home with us that "...If you want to make things work out , they will work out..." That is a deep truism that is not easily understood except by those who have experienced it (usually unwillingly).

So we've started our list(s)... first item is to sell my motorcycles. ARGH!! :


----------



## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

First of all, congratulations on your thinking shifts. You have the quality most needed to be a happy expat in Mexico: flexibility.

When we first moved to San Miguel de Allende, we took advantage of the Lions Club tour program which, for a reasonable price, arranged regular tours to places all over Mexico. These were on luxury busses and at nice hotels. We saw everything from the southern coast to the highest mountains. But, best of all, we didn't have to DRIVE ourselves. I can understand a reluctance to RV-it. 
That's WORK! (GRIN)

Citlali gave the best advice about making it work. I'll just repeat mine; that keeping that house is just bound to produce some headaches you don't need at this stage of life. Or, to put it another way "the more stuff you have, the more stuff you have to worry about". 
Good luck!


----------



## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

*Lions Club Tours of Mexico*



lagoloo said:


> First of all, congratulations on your thinking shifts. You have the quality most needed to be a happy expat in Mexico: flexibility.
> 
> When we first moved to San Miguel de Allende, we took advantage of the Lions Club tour program which, for a reasonable price, arranged regular tours to places all over Mexico. These were on luxury busses and at nice hotels. We saw everything from the southern coast to the highest mountains. But, best of all, we didn't have to DRIVE ourselves. I can understand a reluctance to RV-it.
> That's WORK! (GRIN)
> ...


I've heard of the Lions Club on both sides of the border, but not about the tour program you described. Normally we drive ourselves everywhere in Mexico, but that would be a great relief - and a lot of fun with other people in on the adventure. Do you have a link to information about their tours? :car: (sorry, no bus in the icons!)

Also, thanks for the compliment! Mexico started me on that road, the military & marriage continued to help with my "development". It has sure made life easier along the way!!


----------



## lagoloo (Apr 12, 2011)

This was the Lions Club in San Miguel de Allende. I don't know how to contact them, but some serious googling should lead to the answer. I imagine they are still doing that, but I moved to Ajijic from San Miguel over 8 years ago. Couldn't handle the altitude. 
In this area, there are at least two tour companies who provide the service.
Buen Suerte.


----------



## Howler (Apr 22, 2013)

lagoloo said:


> This was the Lions Club in San Miguel de Allende. I don't know how to contact them, but some serious googling should lead to the answer. I imagine they are still doing that, but I moved to Ajijic from San Miguel over 8 years ago. Couldn't handle the altitude.
> In this area, there are at least two tour companies who provide the service.
> Buen Suerte.


Thanks! We've visited San Miguel de Allende while in Queretaro with family. I'll try the Google thing, then if that doesn't work we can check into it in February when we're down there again. I wonder if I might be able to get information from a local Lion's Club Chapter...? (I'll find out!)


----------

