# Moving to Lake Chapala



## Skywalkmaverick

My wife and I are in our 40s, we have 3 dogs and we no longer have any desire to live in the Pacific Northwest. We're selling everything, packing up the dogs, and driving South. Destination Chapala. Hoping our $2500/ month income will be enough to live on. Would love to work the odd job every now and again. Want to stay busy and active yet warm, relaxed and laid back. My wife fears I'll have nothing to do and that there will be power lines everywhere. I know, she has this crazy power line phobia. Whenever she sees power lines all over the place, it makes her think 3rd world. There's power lines everywhere around here so I'm not sure what the difference is!
Anyway, any suggests, comments, words of advice would be greatly appreciated.


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## m55vette

Get ready for power lines and phone lines! My wife and I are in our early 50's and can't wait to make the move full time. Working will be an issue, so you will need to keep that in mind. Lots of volunteer work is around and don't forget travels around the country to keep occupied.


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## sparks

Gheesh ... have you ever been to Mexico? If power lines set her off ... she'll be on the next plane back. Much of Mexico is real 3rd world and they may live next door.

Take a vacation and try it once before getting serious. If you want warmth Florida may be your option


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## DNP

Skywalkmaverick said:


> My wife and I are in our 40s, we have 3 dogs and we no longer have any desire to live in the Pacific Northwest. We're selling everything, packing up the dogs, and driving South. Destination Chapala. Hoping our $2500/ month income will be enough to live on. Would love to work the odd job every now and again. Want to stay busy and active yet warm, relaxed and laid back. My wife fears I'll have nothing to do and that there will be power lines everywhere. I know, she has this crazy power line phobia. Whenever she sees power lines all over the place, it makes her think 3rd world. There's power lines everywhere around here so I'm not sure what the difference is!
> Anyway, any suggests, comments, words of advice would be greatly appreciated.


Not sure that power lines should be any more of a a concern in Mexican than in other countries, but her phobias should stop you from moving here! They aren't left behind.


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## Skywalkmaverick

My wife yelled at me for saying she has a phobia of power lines.  She said she doesn't want to live someplace where there is garbage in the streets and she feels either guilty or harassed whenever she leaves the house.

We have been to Mexico all over many times but never specifically to Chapala. We love it there but must admit that we have primarily been in tourist areas. Been to Florida too. It's alright I guess, but we love Mexico.

I guess we are looking for the best of both worlds. Tourist looking without all the tourists. Is that possible 

Flight booked. lane:


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## Oldjuggy

Chapala / Ajijic is not touristy, and by and large pretty clean. There is some litter but nothing you wouldn't see almost anywhere. People are very friendly (local and expat) but, as always, there are a few that aren't. If you come here I advise you have an exit strategy in case this isn't for you or your wife ... most people do. Not much work that actually pays what your used to in the states but volunteer opportunities abound. $2500 a month is a realistic monthly budget but you can spend like a drunken sailor if the mood strikes, again, like anywhere else in the world.


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## pappabee

*Lakeshore Area*

My wife and I have been here over a year and love it. Yes it is not the cleanest place in the world but each morning you can see people sweeping the front of the house. Yes there are piles of garbage on the certain corners but that's because (at least in West Ajijic where we live) the village collects it every day.

There are some gated communities like Chula Vista Norte where the streets are flat and you almost feel like you're in the states and then there are the villages where you know you're in Mexico. You get a lot more house and a lot more interaction with your neighbors in the villages. 

My suggestion is to come down and rent a house for a few months and take a look around. Decide if this is really the place for you and if so where you'd like to live.


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## johnmex

What kind of work do (did) you do? Is there anything specific that you would like to do?

I go through a heck of a lot more than 2.5K a month, but I have 2 kids in a private school.


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## dubioustranger

Once I had the desire to snowbird when retired to Ajijic and the Lake Chapala region, but eventually I opted for Costa Rica because :
- I checked the climate charts and it seems to get chilly in Jan-Feb
- it's not possible to swim in the lake (polluted, no beaches), so as a swimming/snorkeling buff, no way
- the security situation in Mexico with the Narcos warfare
On the other hand, real estate doesn't seem more expensive than in CR (maybe even cheaper)
I wonder what are the reasons why US and British expats/snowbirds are so attracted to Lake Chapala?


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## Mainecoons

If you are a neatness nut, Mexico is not for you. It is a very littered up place. Some of the villages are not too bad but the roads outside of town are lined with litter. The Pacific NW is incredibly clean, this is going to make for a big adjustment here.

Best come down and spend some time before you get serious about it. See if you can board the dogs so that you can travel unencumbered and not have to look for pet friendly accomodations, which are not always easy to find.


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## Wanderful

*Try a house swap?*

I think your set income of $2,500 is enough to live an extremely comfortable lifestyle in one of the Lake Chapala area communities. I agree wholeheartedly that you should come down here for a couple of weeks (at the minimum) before moving. 

Here's an idea... Go to this local web forum: chapala.com Web Board

Post an offer for a temporary (2 weeks or more) house-trade. Say that you'll take care of "their" dogs, if they take care of yours. (That will save you kennel fees while you're gone.) There may be people around here that would love to trade with you. It's worth a try.

If not a house-swap, in your post you might mention that you'd be glad to house-sit. There are lots of people who go away during the summer, and you might be able to find a nice house-sitting situation.

However you arrange things -- DEFINITELY come down and try living here for a while before moving.

We love it here, btw, and hope you do too.


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## Gringo Dog

I'm not an expert on this, but I seem to remember reading that you needed a special type of visa for a foreigner to be legally allowed to work in Mexico. And that the visa was VERY difficult to get. 

From a financial standpoint, working does sound like it might be a requirement for you - your young age and your wife's concerns about you "having nothing to do." You really do need to look into that Visa thing.


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## johnmex

I could live with "having nothing to do"... too bad I have to work for a living...

Really, you are my age...are you independently wealthy?


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## Gordito

It will be an adjustment for you for many reasons so carefully consider all your options. I moved to Gualadalajara centro to keep as much city life as possible and while it was an adjustment it can be done with ease. I love it here although i do get a bit bored since i am only 48 and would rather enjoy working and making some extra income. I have many american friends here and my mexican friends has way passed up my fellow americanos when i hang out or have people over.


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## Gringo Dog

Wanderful said:


> I think your set income of $2,500 is enough to live an extremely comfortable lifestyle in one of the Lake Chapala area communities. I agree wholeheartedly that you should come down here for a couple of weeks (at the minimum) before moving.
> 
> Here's an idea... Go to this local web forum: chapala.com Web Board
> 
> Post an offer for a temporary (2 weeks or more) house-trade. Say that you'll take care of "their" dogs, if they take care of yours. (That will save you kennel fees while you're gone.) There may be people around here that would love to trade with you. It's worth a try.
> 
> If not a house-swap, in your post you might mention that you'd be glad to house-sit. There are lots of people who go away during the summer, and you might be able to find a nice house-sitting situation.
> 
> However you arrange things -- DEFINITELY come down and try living here for a while before moving.
> 
> We love it here, btw, and hope you do too.


LOL! We actually first heard of Lake Chapala and Ajijic when someone approached us about doing a home exchange. We had recently become members of HomeExchange.com and Ajijic was our second exchange. We exchanged house, car and dogs! I love home exchanges.


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## Captain Ahab

What my wife (early 50's) and I (early 60's) also lived in the Pacific Northwest (Vancouver, BC, Canada) and hope to move to Mexico. We are planning to go down late this fall to check it out before we make a long term commitment.
We recently (2 years ago) sold our house, cars and just about all of our possessions and bought a truck and large 5th wheel trailer and have been living the RV lifestyle for the last 2 years. We haver traveled pretty much all over Canada and the USA but this coming trip will be our first trip to Mexico.
I too am looking for any and all information about the Mexican lifestyle as experienced by other like minded folks. We are also seeking information about where there are RV parks where we can stay while we look around for land to purchase.
I would appreciate whatever information anyone has on this.


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## HolyMole

Captain Ahab said:


> What my wife (early 50's) and I (early 60's) also lived in the Pacific Northwest (Vancouver, BC, Canada) and hope to move to Mexico. We are planning to go down late this fall to check it out before we make a long term commitment.
> We recently (2 years ago) sold our house, cars and just about all of our possessions and bought a truck and large 5th wheel trailer and have been living the RV lifestyle for the last 2 years. We haver traveled pretty much all over Canada and the USA but this coming trip will be our first trip to Mexico.
> I too am looking for any and all information about the Mexican lifestyle as experienced by other like minded folks. We are also seeking information about where there are RV parks where we can stay while we look around for land to purchase.
> I would appreciate whatever information anyone has on this.


I'm not an RVer, but I'm told you MUST have CHURCH'S RV GUIDE (or whatever it's actually called) as the definitive RV guide to Mexico. 
I've also heard that the quality of RV parks generally decreases the further you get from the US border. From my own observations, I wouldn't envy you pulling a large 5th wheel anywhere in Mexico. And I'd recommend living in Mexico for at least a year - better 2 or 3 - before you even thought about purchasing anything....land or dwelling.


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## Captain Ahab

HolyMole said:


> I'm not an RVer, but I'm told you MUST have CHURCH'S RV GUIDE (or whatever it's actually called) as the definitive RV guide to Mexico.
> I've also heard that the quality of RV parks generally decreases the further you get from the US border. From my own observations, I wouldn't envy you pulling a large 5th wheel anywhere in Mexico. And I'd recommend living in Mexico for at least a year - better 2 or 3 - before you even thought about purchasing anything....land or dwelling.


Thank you very much for your input and I have heard from others that the roads are not conducive to pulling a large 5th wheel trailer. I believe you are right also about staying in Mexico for a year or two before deciding to make it our permanent home.
Thanks again.


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## terryBull

Captain Ahab said:


> Thank you very much for your input and I have heard from others that the roads are not conducive to pulling a large 5th wheel trailer. I believe you are right also about staying in Mexico for a year or two before deciding to make it our permanent home.
> Thanks again.


I can offer some points on the 5er in Mexico.
We used a 31foot 5er for a few years there but mostly in Senora (last was in 2009). We used the Church's book and it was great but a bit dated even then (for example, much of Senora is 'hassle free vehicle zone' now, so no import permit is required at '21', and the new (as of 2011) bypass around Hermosillo to Kino is great and well marked). Having said that, the book really helps set the tone for RVing in Mexico and there may even be a newer edition now.

The highway lanes are a bit narrow from what you may be used to, especially on free roads (which I avoid as much as possible) and through cities; and going off of the main road towing a rig is only something I would do if I already knew the route (for example, we took a truck camper into the hot springs but in a convoy with 'been there done that' people and while the width and length would have been fine for our 5er, some big cottonwoods meant very low clearance and would have pretty much been a show stopper for the 5er - with no place to turn around either).

We started with the same idea of RV around and find a place. For sure you have to explore a bit. Rent first is great advice! You will find the right place for you. (We first pulled into kino planning on staying a few days. Ended up there for 3 months. Love it. Chapala is on our 'want to check out' list as Kino gets pretty hot in the 'summer').
good luck/t


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## Mainecoons

Roca Azul is the best place lakeside to park your RV. Convenient to Jocotepec and the Costco/Sams/Walmart/Mega/Superama on the NW side of Guard. A really beautiful RV parking place. Our friends from Albuquerque absolutely loved it.


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## Hound Dog

Mainecoons said:


> Roca Azul is the best place lakeside to park your RV. Convenient to Jocotepec and the Costco/Sams/Walmart/Mega/Superama on the NW side of Guard. A really beautiful RV parking place. Our friends from Albuquerque absolutely loved it.


And the nice thing about Roca Azul is that everybody there has long since passed away or, if they are still alive it´s hard to tell so if you die they don´t have to bury you, just leave you there in your trailer to mummify along with everyone else who ever parked there for more than five minutes.


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## pappabee

Hound Dog said:


> And the nice thing about Roca Azul is that everybody there has long since passed away or, if they are still alive it´s hard to tell so if you die they don´t have to bury you, just leave you there in your trailer to mummify along with everyone else who ever parked there for more than five minutes.



On second thought, it's not worth comment.


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## RVGRINGO

Must be trying some new and stronger 'sauce'.


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## FHBOY

We visited Ajijic in April and were escorted around by a nice couple who were with a real estate company...we won't be moving until the first quarter of 2013. We are early 60's retirement age. Originally we were considering Puerto Vallarta but after careful consideration now see Ajijic as our destination.

I do not believe that you will find the fastidiousness of the US almost anywhere else. We are clean freaks as a nation, but the price of our sanitized world is like vanilla ice cream. Ajijic is a clean place, people and shop owner take care of their property.

As far as living, you can buy a beautiful 2 bedroom house, in a gated community - if that is what you want - for USD$175K, then pay USD$100 a year in taxes, USD$40 a month in telecommunication, USD$300 year for health care and so on.

USD$2500/month is more than adequate, based on what we learned, to live a moderately comfortable life style, we feel like middle or even upper middle class.

The trick is: Ajijic is a small town, not a big city like Guadalajara, only 40 minutes away, or a large town like PV (5.5 hrs on the coast). You will become part of a community and how you live depends on how much you want to get involved. Visit the Lake Chapala Society enclave while you are there. That was clincher for us, the people are all friendly and the camaraderie is apparent, being everyone lives within 20 minutes of each other.

Ajijis is not a tourist town. It is not a resort town. And yes, you can live there amongst the gringos and never learn Spanish (which is a shame). 

To close, for former hippies. like my wife and I, it appears to be the culmination of the life we enjoyed in the 60's, with the sophistication we enjoyed as we "grew up" - and the culture of Guad. is never too far away (neither is the international airport. As one poster said: beware, and be prepared...it wil be an adventure and for some adventure and adaptation is a very difficult process. Be prepared to change, be prepared to shed your US ways. But we'll meet you down there when we arrive.


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## Gringo Dog

FHBOY said:


> As far as living, you can buy a beautiful 2 bedroom house, in a gated community - if that is what you want - for USD$175K, then pay USD$100 a year in taxes, USD$40 a month in telecommunication, USD$300 year for health care and so on.


Disclaimer: I do not live in Ajijic, but have spent summers in rentals there.

I think your numbers are off a little. If you add internet, I believe you will be adding another $40-$80/month to your telecommunications bill. And Vonage, if you want it, would also be more money. 

But, most striking, is the USD $300 per year for healthcare???? Others can give much better information than I can, but I think that's assuming you remain 100% healthy (or nearly so) and don't carry any medical insurance (which is obviously a huge risk, even in Mexico.)


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## Hound Dog

FHBOY said:


> We visited Ajijic in April and were escorted around by a nice couple who were with a real estate company....
> Ajijis is not a tourist town. It is not a resort town. And yes, you can live there amongst the gringos and never learn Spanish (which is a shame)....*To close, for former hippies. like my wife and I, it appears to be the culmination of the life we enjoyed in the 60's, with the sophistication we enjoyed as we "grew up"* -


Well, FHBOY, as an ex-hippie who took the Midnight Flyer out of Birmingham heading for the Promised Land in The Summer of Love AKA 1967 and who hung out in The Haight in San Francisco and the marijuana fields of Sonoma County among the hippie generation from 1967 until it all turned to crap around 1980, I can assure you that Ajijic is not Hippietown; it´s Sun City Geezer Enclave in any language you have mastered. This place is about as hip and sophisticated as an RC Cola with a Moon Pie. Well, actually, less hip than that.


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## johnmex

I've always called the Chapala area "Miami in Mexico", but the "Sun City Geezer Enclave" is a better description. Thanks!


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## TundraGreen

****** Dog said:


> ...
> 
> But, most striking, is the USD $300 per year for healthcare???? Others can give much better information than I can, but I think that's assuming you remain 100% healthy (or nearly so) and don't carry any medical insurance (which is obviously a huge risk, even in Mexico.)


An IMSS (Instituto Mexican del Seguro Social) membership is about $3300 mxn/year, about $300 usd/year. There are no copays and they cover most medical expenses. There are a few exclusions in the first year. I have been lucky enough not to have to use my membership much, but the little that I have used it has been fine. Not a lot of hand holding but competent care.


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## pappabee

TundraGreen said:


> An IMSS (Instituto Mexican del Seguro Social) membership is about $3300 mxn/year, about $300 usd/year. There are no copays and they cover most medical expenses. There are a few exclusions in the first year. I have been lucky enough not to have to use my membership much, but the little that I have used it has been fine. Not a lot of hand holding but competent care.


There have been some very serious changes in the IMSS policies. First of all you must take a physical prior to being accepted. Second, and this is the most important of all, I was told by an IMSS Representative that if you have ANY major pre-existing illness you will be turned down. I was also told by my doctor that IMSS is very strict on any pre-existing conditions. Both my wife and I have diabetes and we have been told that neither of us can get accepted into the program.

Here at Lakeside there also have been some real problems with the staff and management at the Chapala location.

In short, a real bummer for those of us trying to get coverage now.


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## RVGRINGO

We paid for IMSS for years and were 'without restrictions'. Then, on renewal, were provided with false, forged documents and our money, and that of many others, stolen. When the plot was discovered and the victims asked IMSS to be made whole, threats were made. We had to go through the process again, waiting two more years for 'sin restricciones'. Then, a facilitator or an IMSS clerk made 'an error' in dating documents and we were out again. We never used the system, but wanted it for 'back-up'. We now have no coverage and, at our age, private insurance is not available. Asi es la vida; temporal.


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## TundraGreen

Maybe I have been lucky. My experience has been just the opposite. I joined IMSS about a year ago. I had to fill out a questionnaire about my health but did not take a physical. By mistake I paid at the wrong bank (Banamex instead of HSBC). I was told there was no way for them to accept that payment. So I paid again at HSBC. It took about 6 months but eventually they refunded my Banamex payment. I have only used them to get my teeth cleaned but it was convenient and easy. It is time to renew.


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## gregtulum

*try San Carlos, sonora*



Captain Ahab said:


> What my wife (early 50's) and I (early 60's) also lived in the Pacific Northwest (Vancouver, BC, Canada) and hope to move to Mexico. We are planning to go down late this fall to check it out before we make a long term commitment.
> We recently (2 years ago) sold our house, cars and just about all of our possessions and bought a truck and large 5th wheel trailer and have been living the RV lifestyle for the last 2 years. We haver traveled pretty much all over Canada and the USA but this coming trip will be our first trip to Mexico.
> I too am looking for any and all information about the Mexican lifestyle as experienced by other like minded folks. We are also seeking information about where there are RV parks where we can stay while we look around for land to purchase.
> I would appreciate whatever information anyone has on this.



Try first San Carlos Sonora. 4-5 hours south of Nogales, huge community of Americans and Canadians, great harbor, Guaymas , the large city about 8 miles away has everything you need. Your close to the border, lots of friends and get fishing and boating and watching sea life.


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## Hound Dog

TundraGreen said:


> An IMSS (Instituto Mexican del Seguro Social) membership is about $3300 mxn/year, about $300 usd/year. There are no copays and they cover most medical expenses. There are a few exclusions in the first year. I have been lucky enough not to have to use my membership much, but the little that I have used it has been fine. Not a lot of hand holding but competent care.


Do be cautious with IMSS these days, especially in Chapala. In Chiapas where we also live and there are very few foreign geezers, this is not a problem. Keep in mind that the fee for IMSS health coverage is approximately the equivalent of $300USD a year per person and lately, as the IMSS is in serious financial straits, the Chapala director has been reputed to have expelled certain expat members when they applied for medical care even after years of their having faithfully paid their annual dues without making any claims. This is, at present, a looming controversy in the Chapala municipality which includes Ajijic. I personally think the Chapala IMSS clinic is feeling overwhelmed by all the ancient expat foreigners living hereabouts and the administration there is trying to unload them as, as one would expect, a community being serviced demographically skewed statistically toward an older crowd of retiree clients is a losing proposition for a health care provider since we old folks tend to get sick and croak more often than a clientele of more representative communities with more balance among the young and old.

I would not be surprised that, as INM (Instituto Nacional de Migración) and its federal bosses rethink who is and is not serious about migrating to Mexico in a serious manner rather than on extended tourists visas, that they cut out all these old folks moving down here in a non-immigrant status to take advantage of cheap medical care among other things and demand that only extranjeros under inmigrado status are eligible for this service which is meant to serve middle class Mexicans and middle class Mexican residents. This becomes a compelling issue while IMSS remains on the brink of bankruptcy and this is not a triffling matter. Do you want to pay annually into a health care system for years only to be turned away at the gate when your life is finally in danger - an experience we all have looming in our future if we should live so long.

There is plenty of fine major medical insurance available here in Mexico as long as you apply and join the ranks early enough rather than wait until you are a bedridden near-corpse singing "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" which is not the time to apply. When I say early enough, my wife and I acquired great private major medical coverage when I was 61 and she was 56. Wait until you are 75 or 80 and fill out the application - then bend over and kiss your ass goodbye.

If any prospective expat to Mexico wants to talk about alternative medical insurance that can save the retiree from financial ruin, let me know here on the public forum and we can talk about it. By the way - I´m not selling anything so I have no pecuniary interest in anything you elect to do.


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## Hound Dog

johnmex said:


> I've always called the Chapala area "Miami in Mexico", but the "Sun City Geezer Enclave" is a better description. Thanks!


Glad you enjoyed that, John. My favorite appellation for Ajijic (as you know but others may not, a delegación of the Chapala municipality) is "Peoria Upon Sump". For Jocotepec, "Yokeltepec". One has to have fun whereever one ends up in life.

Not a bad place to live behind high rustic walls and with a great climate. No place is perfect.


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## FHBOY

johnmex said:


> I've always called the Chapala area "Miami in Mexico", but the "Sun City Geezer Enclave" is a better description. Thanks!


Oh wow, man! I thought PV was more Sun City Geezer, like a little Miami Beach only with a little lmore Spanish. You see, I did see a lot of chronologically older people when we were there, that's true, but I listened to the vibes, and those we met gave off young vibes, you know? Look here in the US, my 36 year old son is older than I am, you know? Many people a lot younger than me are older also. So I suppose it will take a bit more investigating, but the vibes of the people we met, they were great. We also met younger people 50's - 40's who were opening up businesses. Maybe Ajijic will become demographically younger as the economy of changes.

We've got time. Peace.


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## DNP

Hound Dog said:


> Do be cautious with IMSS these days, especially in Chapala. In Chiapas where we also live and there are very few foreign geezers, this is not a problem. Keep in mind that the fee for IMSS health coverage is approximately the equivalent of $300USD a year per person and lately, as the IMSS is in serious financial straits, the Chapala director has been reputed to have expelled certain expat members when they applied for medical care even after years of their having faithfully paid their annual dues without making any claims. This is, at present, a looming controversy in the Chapala municipality which includes Ajijic. I personally think the Chapala IMSS clinic is feeling overwhelmed by all the ancient expat foreigners living hereabouts and the administration there is trying to unload them as, as one would expect, a community being serviced demographically skewed statistically toward an older crowd of retiree clients is a losing proposition for a health care provider since we old folks tend to get sick and croak more often than a clientele of more representative communities with more balance among the young and old.
> 
> I would not be surprised that, as INM (Instituto Nacional de Migración) and its federal bosses rethink who is and is not serious about migrating to Mexico in a serious manner rather than on extended tourists visas, that they cut out all these old folks moving down here in a non-immigrant status to take advantage of cheap medical care among other things and demand that only extranjeros under inmigrado status are eligible for this service which is meant to serve middle class Mexicans and middle class Mexican residents. This becomes a compelling issue while IMSS remains on the brink of bankruptcy and this is not a triffling matter. Do you want to pay annually into a health care system for years only to be turned away at the gate when your life is finally in danger - an experience we all have looming in our future if we should live so long.
> 
> There is plenty of fine major medical insurance available here in Mexico as long as you apply and join the ranks early enough rather than wait until you are a bedridden near-corpse singing "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" which is not the time to apply. When I say early enough, my wife and I acquired great private major medical coverage when I was 61 and she was 56. Wait until you are 75 or 80 and fill out the application - then bend over and kiss your ass goodbye.
> 
> If any prospective expat to Mexico wants to talk about alternative medical insurance that can save the retiree from financial ruin, let me know here on the public forum and we can talk about it. By the way - I´m not selling anything so I have no pecuniary interest in anything you elect to do.


Great post.


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## FHBOY

Supplying the links and contacts would be a great help. Thanks


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## karinamex

*moving to lake chapala*



Skywalkmaverick said:


> My wife and I are in our 40s, we have 3 dogs and we no longer have any desire to live in the Pacific Northwest. We're selling everything, packing up the dogs, and driving South. Destination Chapala. Hoping our $2500/ month income will be enough to live on. Would love to work the odd job every now and again. Want to stay busy and active yet warm, relaxed and laid back. My wife fears I'll have nothing to do and that there will be power lines everywhere. I know, she has this crazy power line phobia. Whenever she sees power lines all over the place, it makes her think 3rd world. There's power lines everywhere around here so I'm not sure what the difference is!
> Anyway, any suggests, comments, words of advice would be greatly appreciated.


Hi there,
I just moved back to Canada temporarily after six and a half years in Ajijic on Lake Chapala.
Yes there are power lines and tangles of wires everywhere but you get used to them. If you are a clean freak it may not be the place for you. It is very dusty in the dry season. October to mid June. As far as keeping busy is concerned, there are many organizations happy to have volunteers ranging from the Red Cross through organizations which assist Mexican children with health issues and education. There is also a golf course and a thriving amateur theatre group.The Lake Chapala Society has an english lending library and hosts lectures on various subjects.
Prices in Ajijic have risen in the past couple of years. You will pay about $700 a month USD for a house there. I would strongly advise you to rent for at least a year before you even consider buying. Some people thrive on life there, others simply cannot cope with what we call the "manana syndrome" In Mexico manana does not necessarily mean tomorrow. If your electrician says he will come manana to fix a problem it means maybe tomorrow unless of course his sister in law needs a ride into Guadalajara. He will come but it may be at some later date. He will, however come at seven o'clock one evening prepared to fix whatever it is. And his fee will be very reasonable. Restaurant prices have risen also but they are still less expensive than in Canada or the U.S. You can still get a good steak for the equivalent of $12.00. 
If you must have U.S. products you will spend a lot on groceries. If, however you buy veg. & fruit at the small markets and fish & meat at the Mexican stores you will find food prices quite resonable. 
Hope this has given you a bit of useful info.
Karine


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## Mexico Babe

*Huh?????*



Hound Dog said:


> And the nice thing about Roca Azul is that everybody there has long since passed away or, if they are still alive it´s hard to tell so if you die they don´t have to bury you, just leave you there in your trailer to mummify along with everyone else who ever parked there for more than five minutes.


What does this mean????????


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## m55vette

My assumption ( not knowing the area) is that the poster is insinuating people in Roca Azul are either very old or dead and mummified. Not know Roca Azul this is what I assumed from the post, a jab at the areas residents, tongue in cheek.


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## Mexico Babe

*Clean country*



FHBOY said:


> I do not believe that you will find the fastidiousness of the US almost anywhere else. We are clean freaks as a nation, but the price of our sanitized world is like vanilla ice cream. Ajijic is a clean place, people and shop owner take care of their property.
> 
> Germany is a clean country. No trash beside the highway or in people's yards.....


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## TundraGreen

Mexico Babe said:


> Germany is a clean country. No trash beside the highway or in people's yards.....


Not sure if this is tongue-in-cheek as well or serious. Germany also has enough graffiti to supply the rest of the world.


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## m55vette

TundraGreen said:


> Not sure if this is tongue-in-cheek as well or serious. Germany also has enough graffiti to supply the rest of the world.


Could be part of their GDP, any export value? Europe has quite the graffiti culture...


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## Mexico Babe

TundraGreen said:


> Not sure if this is tongue-in-cheek as well or serious. Germany also has enough graffiti to supply the rest of the world.


When I lived there in 1983 it was all clean and the government made everyone keep it clean and where I lived in bamberg I didn't see any graffiti, nor the places we traveled to.


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## TundraGreen

Mexico Babe said:


> When I lived there in 1983 it was all clean and the government made everyone keep it clean and where I lived in bamberg I didn't see any graffiti, nor the places we traveled to.


I don't think there is a single flat surface in Berlin without graffiti. Don't know about the rest of the country.


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## chicois8

We are straying from the thread title: Moving to Lake Chapala, where Dia de los Muertos is observed everyday...........


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## FHBOY

*Buena o Mala*



chicois8 said:


> We are straying from the thread title: Moving to Lake Chapala, where Dia de los Muertos is observed everyday...........


IS that a good thing? I hope it is. can you elucidate?


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## RVGRINGO

Chicois8, 
Are you insulting us old folks? Yes, I've lost a couple of very good friends in the last month, but both were in their 80s and were vibrantly intellectual until the end; unlike most of the younger crowd.


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## m55vette

I have found that I socialize with a much more diverse group of people at the lake. I have met people both older and younger than I ( I'm 54) that I find interesting. You will tend to gravitate towards people who you have common interests with and because people tend to move about a lot in public your paths will cross. Unlike our home in the states where most daily tasks require driving in a car, at lakeside, I walk most everywhere and meet people in the process. Also have the advantage of staying fit as opposed to being a "car potato" and driving everywhere.


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## FHBOY

*In Defense of Maturity...*

...at the Lake.

So it was sarcasm, huh? I agree with RV and m55, the people I saw when I was there were more alive than dead, living how they want, happy with their choices and heck, I hope I can keep up.

When you can live your life knowing that the basics are taken care of, you can then use that effort to take care of yourself: physically, mentally and intellectually...and that keeps you young.

Age is not a matter of chronology, it is a matter of attitude! :cool2:


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## golfer-Hicks

Just do what you want to. Then there is no regret in the future.


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## edgeee

*i think...*

..."Age is not a matter of chronology, it is a matter of attitude!"

fits me much better than...

"Just do what you want to. Then there is no regret in the future."

what i want is usually not the same as what i need, but i want no regrets, which never happens. i just need to live with them.

thanks for all the great advice here, most of it is on topic.


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## Detailman

edgeee said:


> ..."Age is not a matter of chronology, it is a matter of attitude!"
> 
> fits me much better than...
> 
> "Just do what you want to. Then there is no regret in the future."
> 
> what i want is usually not the same as what i need, but i want no regrets, which never happens. i just need to live with them.
> 
> thanks for all the great advice here, most of it is on topic.


One thing we definitely know about you now. You think twice before you speak. 

It's been ten months since those last two quotes.


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## edgeee

you're right detailman, at least i try to, but i only just read them today. (joined yesterday)


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## Detailman

edgeee said:


> you're right detailman, at least i try to, but i only just read them today. (joined yesterday)


We welcome you. 

I read the forum for over three years before I finally joined. I have found it an invaluable source of information with many posters having years of experience in Mexican living and so many other facets of life as well.


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## edgeee

*i agree*



Detailman said:


> We welcome you.
> 
> I read the forum for over three years before I finally joined. I have found it an invaluable source of information with many posters having years of experience in Mexican living and so many other facets of life as well.


i have learned so much in the last 2 days reading here, it excites me to no end.
one of the best forums i've seen. the site looks and works great, the info is top-rate, and the people are so friendly and helpful.

but i'm running out of threads!! no expert on forum manners, but i think it's bad forum form to bump things real old. i'm back to year-old posts and getting antsy for more. woe is me.:confused2:


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## mickisue1

edgeee said:


> i have learned so much in the last 2 days reading here, it excites me to no end.
> one of the best forums i've seen. the site looks and works great, the info is top-rate, and the people are so friendly and helpful.
> 
> but i'm running out of threads!! no expert on forum manners, but i think it's bad forum form to bump things real old. i'm back to year-old posts and getting antsy for more. woe is me.:confused2:


If you get too bored, or you just want a question answered that you haven't found in the archives, you can always start your own thread.


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## Detailman

mickisue1 said:


> If you get too bored, or you just want a question answered that you haven't found in the archives, you can always start your own thread.


Excellent idea mickisue1. :clap2:
He could call it "Comments and questions from past threads."

That way old threads would not be prioritized again.


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## dkg767

*Moving to Chapala....*

June 2012 is the newest we have on this subject?
I've been going to Ajijic area for 11 years now and loved it so much that I finally bought a nice house there. I am looking forward to being a part timer there and the continued enjoyment of the people, climate and activities.
Hope the Lake level finds its way back up one day!!
Cheers


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## RVGRINGO

The rains have just started and the Lake is welcoming the new water. 
We are welcoming the lush green mountains and the clean, fresh air without the dust of the dry season.


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## suegarn

RVGRINGO said:


> The rains have just started and the Lake is welcoming the new water.
> We are welcoming the lush green mountains and the clean, fresh air without the dust of the dry season.


I was in Ajijic in May, when it was at its driest. I'd love to see some photos of how everything has greened up, if someone is able to post a pic or two! Thanks!


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## sputnik

hello. my husband and i will move to Chapala in two years, already have a house there and come twice a year for a month at a time....were planning to get the IMSS but because of your post about it and other things we are hearing, can you tell me what private insurance you have and approximately what you pay? thanks so much


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