# Another New Guy Looking for Advice



## hadnuf (Jun 27, 2009)

I know, there’s a steady stream of potential Mexico retirees who come to this forum seeking advice and I am yet another. My wife and I would like to retire to Mexico in 2.5-3 years. Here are our “statistics:”

I am 100% ******, speak some Spanish, and am continually learning.
She is 3rd generation Mexican-American and is reasonably fluent.
We would like to get along on about $2000 a month.
We would be renters.
Local foods are fine; we don’t require many “American groceries”
General lifestyle requirements are modest, but we would want TV, Internet, and a car.
We would like to travel around a little and see other parts of Mexico.
We’re pretty flexible and adaptable.
Our ages will be 62 & 64.

After a few years of study and vacationing in Mexico, the Lake Chapala area is emerging as a logical location for us, and we’ll be visiting there this fall to have a look around.

There are many questions to ask, but I’d like to start with climate: Unlike most, we would be moving down substantially in elevation. Our current home in the Colorado Rockies is at 7500 feet. While I don’t think we’ll miss the winter snow, we love our cool summers. Our average temps in July are about the same as Chapala in January. We know we’ll have to make adjustments, but we’re not very fond of hot weather.

With that in mind, would we be crazy to consider Tapalpa and Mazamitla? Small towns, I know, but both of them are twice as big as the town we live in now. Are there any expats at all living in those places? Other slightly cooler alternatives anybody can suggest?

Any advice would be much appreciated!


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

You'll do just fine if you manage your finances properly and don't go overboard on rent. We own our home and manage some travel, entertainment and eating out on a bit less than your budget. As a matter of fact, we just had two other couples for dominoes, snacks and a light supper; one couple is from your (303) area in Colorado. Mazamitla and Tapalpa are higher and cooler than Chapala but lack the infrastructure most expats seek. Both are weekend and vacation destinations for Tapatios and some have second homes or cabins there. Both are a good two hours from other than basic shopping. I'm not sure about DSL, Cable, etc. in either town. As you age, the altitude can become a problem, as you know. Come and explore all your options. As renters, you will be more flexible and can always change your mind.


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## sparks (Jun 17, 2007)

Tapalpa and Mazamitla as well as Patzcuaro are all about 7500ft and in the pine forests. Tapalpa and Mazamitla are definately worth a visit but you could probably count the gringos on two hands. All get lots of rain in the summer


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## Guest (Jun 30, 2009)

I heard there there was another town near Tabasco that was really high up in the mountains, and they are described as having weather like "London". Rainy, cold and cloudy most of the time. You might want to search for that place if that's the kinda weather you want.

There is also a mountain in Toluca that is a dormant volcano. That usually has ice on it pretty much year round. The town at the base of it keeps pretty cold.

Another mountian with ice is along the coast in Veracuz. 

Can't recall the names, but I had to track them down for skiing freaks one time.


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## Bob Cox (Jan 2, 2009)

$$$2K a month?? You could even have a mistress stashed away somewhere with that. Just kidding. If you dont have bad habits that should be enough to get by on. Small to medium towns are fine if you are within a couple of hours of a larger town in case you need something you cant find in a Pueblito.

Remember..where there are many gringos the prices will be higher.


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## El Toro Furioso (May 13, 2007)

Good luck in your search for your own ideal place. Out of curiosity, why do you list yourselves as Expats in Mexico, when you say that you aren't moving here for two years or so? An Expat in Mexico already lives here, I would venture. There are precious few full-time gringos in any high mountain town that I have ever heard of in Mexico, unless you call San Miguel de Allende "high mountain." Patzquaro, too, has a few gringos now, and it can get downright cold in the winter. Especially since most rentals will not have any form of heat. AC for a few weeks a year in Chapala would cost a lot less than firewood in the mountains. 
¡Que les vayan bien!


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## chilelover (Jul 29, 2009)

The sign up form asks where you are, or plan to be, living.


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## BajaGringo (May 11, 2009)

One thing that I have found in many who come to live here is that the need to be near "other gringos" diminishes over time. Especially if you have good assimilation / language skills. Focus your efforts more on where the ideal place for you would be without having to count how many other gringos shared that choice, would be my ever be it so humble advice...

YMMV


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## El Toro Furioso (May 13, 2007)

without having to count how many other gringos shared that choice, would be my ever be it so humble advice...

I agree for those who already speak Spanish well enough to converse about just about any topic with your neighbors. If you need to learn the language, you may want to consider an area with a lot of gringos to get a little acclimated. Those places will also have a concentration of Spanish teachers, so go to it and learn. Then the whole country becomes your oyster. Before we bought a place on the Costa Alegre (where we speak quite a bit more Spanish than on Lake Chapala) we lived for almost four years one town away from one of the greatest concentrations of expats in Mexico--Ajijic. But living just one town East meant that our neighbors were all Mexicans. We still rent a place on Lake Chapala and are visiting right now. We have been invited and had la comida with two of our Mexican family friends already in the six days we've been back. They speak basically no English. So I guess, too, that you can be in an area of lots of gringos but still interact to your heart's content with locals. BTW, when we say "lots of gringos," we mean up to 5% of the population, no more.


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## mexfan (Apr 5, 2009)

*Another destination for you*



hadnuf said:


> I know, there’s a steady stream of potential Mexico retirees who come to this forum seeking advice and I am yet another. My wife and I would like to retire to Mexico in 2.5-3 years. Here are our “statistics:”
> 
> I am 100% ******, speak some Spanish, and am continually learning.
> She is 3rd generation Mexican-American and is reasonably fluent.
> ...


Hi There:
I haven't yet posted anything on this site, howerver after seeing your post, the city of Xalapa, which is the Capital city of Veracruz jumped out. We visited there a few years back and were amazed at the beauty. It is also higher up in the mountains, so the climate in summer is nice and cool. Please research Xalapa, I'm sure you'd love it!!
Good luck,
Mexfan


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Here at Chapala, we are in the mid 70s during the summer. It does get warmer in Apr-May at the end of the dry season. Since you have time to visit, please explore your options before making a decision.

Mexfan, welcome to the forum.


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## hadnuf (Jun 27, 2009)

*why do you list yourselves as Expats in Mexico?*



El Toro Furioso said:


> Good luck in your search for your own ideal place. Out of curiosity, why do you list yourselves as Expats in Mexico, when you say that you aren't moving here for two years or so? An Expat in Mexico already lives here, I would venture. There are precious few full-time gringos in any high mountain town that I have ever heard of in Mexico, unless you call San Miguel de Allende "high mountain." Patzquaro, too, has a few gringos now, and it can get downright cold in the winter. Especially since most rentals will not have any form of heat. AC for a few weeks a year in Chapala would cost a lot less than firewood in the mountains.
> ¡Que les vayan bien!


Toro - The reason we show ourselves as "Expats in Mexico" is because that's the way the system sets you up -- there is no option for "non-expat." I just tried to change it to US Flag / US Flag. We'll see if it "takes."


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## hadnuf (Jun 27, 2009)

Thank you. The climate there seems indeed to be what we're looking for and we'll check it out!


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## El Toro Furioso (May 13, 2007)

hadnuf said:


> Toro - there is no option for "non-expat." I just tried to change it to US Flag / US Flag. We'll see if it "takes."


My post was from July. Since then, I have learned that the forum "steers" people to choose expat in Mexico, even if they are just thinking about becoming so sometime in the future. ¡Qué le vaya bien!


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## Hound Dog (Jan 18, 2009)

A few words about some of the places mentioned in this thread.

It seems to me based upon your inquiry that you would be happy living at between 4,000 and 7,500 feet and you have a number of choices in that altitude range but keep in mind that altitude is only one determinant of climate. For example, somone recommended Jalapa (Xalapa) , the state capital of Veracruz State which sits at about 4,700 feet. Jalapa is a big and quite sophisticated city with many fine restaurants and varied cultural activities. It is also close to the Gulf of Mexico and the famous city of Veracruz. However, Jalapa is famous for one other thing and that is known locally as "chipi-chipi", or an often foggy, drizzly condition resulting from the city´s mountain backdrop and moisture blown in from the nearby Gulf. This commonplace overcast condition may get on your nerves after a while and I say that as one who lived for a number of years in San Francisco which is infamous for coastal fog and drizzle. Be warned. Also be aware, however, that this somewhat wet climate results in some often very beautiful, green, mountainous countryside.

Other places you may consider in Veracruz State include the cities of Orizaba at 4,200 feet and the Tuxtlas and Lake Catemaco at about 1,000 feet which are lower than you may wish to dwell but are beautiful places.

Towns you may find of interest at, say, around 5,000 to 7,000 feet more or less include, San Cristóbal de Las Casas, Chiapas; San Luis Pótosi, SLP; Cuernavaca, Morelos; San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato; Guadalajara, Jalisco; Oaxaca, Oaxaca and those are places that just come to mind as charming with warm to coolish springlike weather to, at times, coldish climates but we are not talking snow or any of that sort of thing here.

As for moving to the Lake Chapala area known locally around here as Lakeside, this is a very nice region with a splendid climate at about 5,000 feet. We do need heat in the winter but not much and we never need air conditioning except for homes that get direct summer sunlight. The mountain towns at higher elevations can be very attractive and charming and I am thinking specifically of Tapalpa which is a very nice town but mighty small and a bit isolated. Keep in mind. however, that no matter how isolated some towns my seem to be around Lake Chapala, they are all within an easy drive of the beautiful city of Guadalajara where you will find all sorts of urban amenities you may desire.

One problem with "Lakeside" which I define as extending along the northern lakeshore from about the Chapala/Poncitlan municipality line on the east to Jocotepec municipality on the west, is that the area has a large foreign population of mostly retrirees - not that there is anything wrong with that but that demographic profile may compromise your quest to become somewhat absorbed in Mexican culture if, in fact, you are on such a quest. In other words, you may find living in a foreign retiree community a bit tiresome after a while but then again you may really like it. I, for example, own homes in both Ajijic at Lakeside and San Cristóbal de Las Casas in the Chiapas mountains and these two communities are very different to say the least. I find living in two very different communities to be highly entertaining and might get bored with just one environment. To each his own.

More later if you have any interest in the areas I have discussed.


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## El Toro Furioso (May 13, 2007)

That's a good summary by Hound Dog. We live most of the year on the Costa Alegre north of Manzanillo, with three to four months Lakeside in San Antonio Tlayacapan. La Manzanilla on the southern end of la Bahia de Tenacatita is a beautiful smallish fishing village with a small year-round expat community. The weather between Nov. 1 and the end of June is warm but mild. The ocean is spectacular and the swimming is good year round. The rainy season weather can get hot and humid. It isn't bad except that sometimes it just stays that way, wearing one down. That's why we have kept a place Lakeside. We hope as the years go by that this arrangement continues to work as well as it has so far. ¡Qué le vaya bien!


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