# What coastal area would you choose?



## Roxxy774

While the choice of where to call home is quite personal, my husband and I are considering relocation to Mexico. We are looking for a coastal community, on the water if at all possible. We love the beach: the sound of the waves, the birds, the sand, all of it. And it's been my experience that beach side living is made tolerable by the coastal breezes while living "near" the beach is just hot.

We want a place that has a local expat community, reasonable access to modern conveniences (medical facilities, shopping), and yet not beyond our reach financially.

We are (or will be) retired so not looking for employment or to operate a business. We just want a slower paced, less expensive lifestyle.

I would love to hear from more experienced expats. Your own experiences and advice would be great...


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## citlali

None

If I had to stay on a beach or on the water in the Yucatan I would be on Laguna Bacalar as there is no sand and vegetation rather than sand. If I had to pick a beach I would pick a beach on the gulf so I could escape to Merida on a regular basis but I would not buy because of hurricane.

I would rather pick a beach on the Pacific where the ocean is much wilder and more interesting and where the sand is not so overwheming probably somewhere in Jalisco/ Nayarit north of Puerto Vallarta but not too far from Puerto Vallarta. I would also look around Zihuatanejo or around Puerto Escondido.

But honestly none of these places I would consider for year around living, the beach is someplace I visit not something I want to live on.

One hing I hate about beach community is the lack of a stable community. I hate the condos or rental houses where your neighbors change every week or every month. Do not like , especially in the Yucatan the way the beaches are most populated by toutists and the locals live somewhere in a dump inland,..I like the inland villages way better than those onthe coast.


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## Roxxy774

citlali said:


> None
> 
> If I had to stay on a beach or on the water in the Yucatan I would be on Laguna Bacalar as there is no sand and vegetation rather than sand. If I had to pick a beach I would pick a beach on the gulf so I could escape to Merida on a regular basis but I would not buy because of hurricane.
> 
> I would rather pick a beach on the Pacific where the ocean is much wilder and more interesting and where the sand is not so overwheming probably somewhere in Jalisco/ Nayarit north of Puerto Vallarta but not too far from Puerto Vallarta. I would also look around Zihuatanejo or around Puerto Escondido.
> 
> But honestly none of these places I would consider for year around living, the beach is someplace I visit not something I want to live on.
> 
> One hing I hate about beach community is the lack of a stable community. I hate the condos or rental houses where your neighbors change every week or every month. Do not like , especially in the Yucatan the way the beaches are most populated by toutists and the locals live somewhere in a dump inland,..I like the inland villages way better than those onthe coast.


Hmmm...all very valid points. You're right about the tourist trade...we usually spend two months (May and Sept) per year at the beach in Florida so we love beach living. We feel more like locals than tourists as we have made several friends that live in that condo year-round. 

I can see your point about the contrast between locals and tourists...we don't have such class differences here in the states so I can add that to my list of attitude adjustments and acclimation requirements. Yet another reason for our plan to rent for a while before committing to a purchase.

I'd love to hear from some expats who actually enjoy beach living. What do you do every day? Frankly, when one is retired, I'm guessing you do whatever you darn well please with the hours! We're not afraid of the solitude but then there is a difference between solitude and boredom....


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## chicois8

I have a home in a small beach town about 40 miles north of Puerto Vallarta but I am only there from Oct. through March each year, just too hot and humid for me...It may be 103 in central Texas but I will bet the humidity is no where near 98%...Rincon de Guayabitos, Nayarit does have quite a few American and Canadian expats living year round, and have a residential section, beach front bungalows and restaurants, banks,clinics with Dr.'s, dentists and some big box stores about 40 miles away in PV...
Here are some pictures from Google;guayabitos mexico - Google Search


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## sparks

I find that living ON the beach and living NEAR the beach is not all that different 'climate' wise unless you like salt and sand spray in a real blow. As far as a "less expensive lifestyle" .... if you are ready to live without air conditioning, or install solar electric to compensate. That's after paying many hundreds of thousands of dollars for house or lot. Living ON the beach is rare for gringos here. I'm quiet happy having the beach a few minutes drive away


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## chicois8

I agree with Sparks, my house is 5 blocks from the beach,a nice walk in the morning to purchase fresh fish from the arriving fishermen.......


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## Jolga

Please take this response with a grain of salt ... or should I say grain of sand Ha! Ha! as we have very limited experience with beach living. We have purchased a new condo in a Canadian-American condo building in Mazatlan's El Centro district and will be moving permanently there at the end of August. We are right on the malecon with another 2 beaches within a 10 minute walk. 

We chose Mazatlan because it is a beach town with a soul. Yes there are many tourists with lots of celebrations, parades and fiestas right in front of our building, but Mazatlan is mainly a working family city and a real port. It has many schools, churches and cultural centres. Another advantage is that many first class condos with infinity pools, underground parking and excellent security are available for significantly less than what they cost in Puerto Vallarta. Also Mazatlan is between the active hurricane zones of The Cabos and The Mayan Riviera so most of them miss; although we will experience the tail ends of some (more rain, higher tides,waves and wind).
Mazatlan was not built like Cancun by the government to service the tourist trade. Nor is it like Cabo i.e. more American than the USA. It is a thriving, vibrant, Mexican coastal city with a rich cultural and historical heritage.

I could talk for hours about the advantages of and the many attributes of Mazatlan, but at the end the day the main thing to do is to go and visit various beach towns and like us you will eventually find one, as we did, that has you smiling most of the time and feeling the energy of starting a new positive chapter in your life. Good luck and happy landings!


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## Hound Dog

While we, as highland dwellers, would not live full time on a beach fronting the sea in Mexico, we love visiting the sea for short periods of time whether the Pacific, Caribbean or Gulf. Perhaps the least known and most interesting beach areas in Mexico is the Yucatan Gulf from about Celestun to Isla Holbox. Truly white sand beaches, clear, warm and mostly calm aquamarine waters and many isolated small fishing villages. Very few tourists compared to the nearby Caribbean. I wouldn´t buy there in that hurricane zone or anywhere on the coasts but we like to go there in the winter and, perhaps, rent for a while. A charming place in our opinion.


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## kino

We came to Kino Bay about 6 yrs. ago and purchased a small house to see if we would like it.
We love it, so we ended up buying a larger house here. I also agree with Sparks & Chico,We are 6 blks back and think that is the better deal due to the weekend renters that do some seriuos partying on the beach. Also the maintenance on a beach house is a never ending job due to the salt spray. You can look at our Social club web page at kinobayclubdeportivo dot com. Kino is on the Sea of Cortez in Sonora. We are in what they call a free zone so you do not have to mess with any car permits.


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## Roxxy774

sparks said:


> I find that living ON the beach and living NEAR the beach is not all that different 'climate' wise unless you like salt and sand spray in a real blow. As far as a "less expensive lifestyle" .... if you are ready to live without air conditioning, or install solar electric to compensate. That's after paying many hundreds of thousands of dollars for house or lot. Living ON the beach is rare for gringos here. I'm quiet happy having the beach a few minutes drive away


Yes, I've learned that most beach property is "off the grid" and have great concern for that aspect...I really enjoy my coffee maker, microwave and hairdryer and am not quite ready to give those up. I would, however, prefer to walk to the beach rather than drive if at all possible. I hadn't considered the salt damage although I do always get a thorough detail job done on my car when I return from the beach....another valid point.


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## Roxxy774

chicois8 said:


> I have a home in a small beach town about 40 miles north of Puerto Vallarta but I am only there from Oct. through March each year, just too hot and humid for me...It may be 103 in central Texas but I will bet the humidity is no where near 98%...Rincon de Guayabitos, Nayarit does have quite a few American and Canadian expats living year round, and have a residential section, beach front bungalows and restaurants, banks,clinics with Dr.'s, dentists and some big box stores about 40 miles away in PV...
> Here are some pictures from Google;guayabitos mexico - Google Search


Ah yes, a 103 dry heat isn't as hot...well, we have a lake house in East Texas, where the climate closely mimics Florida in that it's not unusual to experience 100+ temps with humidity levels in the 80's...

But the inside of my oven is a "dry heat" and it's still darned hot...hot is hot either way...hence our plan to rent for an extended period before making a final decision...


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## Roxxy774

Jolga said:


> Please take this response with a grain of salt ... or should I say grain of sand Ha! Ha! as we have very limited experience with beach living. We have purchased a new condo in a Canadian-American condo building in Mazatlan's El Centro district and will be moving permanently there at the end of August. We are right on the malecon with another 2 beaches within a 10 minute walk.
> 
> We chose Mazatlan because it is a beach town with a soul. Yes there are many tourists with lots of celebrations, parades and fiestas right in front of our building, but Mazatlan is mainly a working family city and a real port. It has many schools, churches and cultural centres. Another advantage is that many first class condos with infinity pools, underground parking and excellent security are available for significantly less than what they cost in Puerto Vallarta. Also Mazatlan is between the active hurricane zones of The Cabos and The Mayan Riviera so most of them miss; although we will experience the tail ends of some (more rain, higher tides,waves and wind).
> Mazatlan was not built like Cancun by the government to service the tourist trade. Nor is it like Cabo i.e. more American than the USA. It is a thriving, vibrant, Mexican coastal city with a rich cultural and historical heritage.
> 
> I could talk for hours about the advantages of and the many attributes of Mazatlan, but at the end the day the main thing to do is to go and visit various beach towns and like us you will eventually find one, as we did, that has you smiling most of the time and feeling the energy of starting a new positive chapter in your life. Good luck and happy landings!


First of all...THANK YOU...your response provides the kind of information I'm seeking! I hadn't explored the idea of Mazatlan but I definitely will. It sounds like the kind of place we could call home.

Again, I appreciate the positive response! Good luck with your move...


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## Roxxy774

Hound Dog said:


> While we, as highland dwellers, would not live full time on a beach fronting the sea in Mexico, we love visiting the sea for short periods of time whether the Pacific, Caribbean or Gulf. Perhaps the least known and most interesting beach areas in Mexico is the Yucatan Gulf from about Celestun to Isla Holbox. Truly white sand beaches, clear, warm and mostly calm aquamarine waters and many isolated small fishing villages. Very few tourists compared to the nearby Caribbean. I wouldn´t buy there in that hurricane zone or anywhere on the coasts but we like to go there in the winter and, perhaps, rent for a while. A charming place in our opinion.


Thanks, Hound Dog, for your reponse. I need to look more closely at that area. The other response suggesting Mazatlan has some real merit as well. In looking at Google Maps, the driving distance from Fort Worth, Texas is actually quite a bit closer to Mazatlan, although it's tough for me to give up the idea of the Caribbean coast or at least the gulf coast. So I thank you for the tip about the Yucatan Gulf.


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## Hound Dog

As a native of the Gulf beaches in Alabama and a long time resident of such California beach places as Hermosa Beach and Santa Monica and Jenner and San Francisco and Moss Beach and Aptos, I can tell you without equivocation that living a few blocks back from the beach just about anywhere on the planet is not even remotely the same experience as living right on the beach.

As a perspective, when we lived on the ocean for ten years at Moss Beach, California; the salt-laden sea breeze destroyed our television set and car and just about everything else and, after a while, the constant crashing surf gets on your nerves and you want to kill it. Better to settle in a meadow in some mountain village. There is a reason the Spanish could not wait to get out of Veracruz and migrate to the highlands.


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## Coachese

Tulum has always intrigued me.


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## Longford

Roxxy774 said:


> ... it's tough for me to give up the idea of the Caribbean coast or at least the gulf coast.


Mexico's a big country, lots of coastal areas. Don't let anonymous opinions change your plans. Visit, explore and make the decision for yourself. Only you know what'll make you happy.


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## Roxxy774

Hound Dog said:


> As a native of the Gulf beaches in Alabama and a long time resident of such California beach places as Hermosa Beach and Santa Monica and Jenner and San Francisco and Moss Beach and Aptos, I can tell you without equivocation that living a few blocks back from the beach just about anywhere on the planet is not even remotely the same experience as living right on the beach.
> 
> As a perspective, when we lived on the ocean for ten years at Moss Beach, California; the salt-laden sea breeze destroyed our television set and car and just about everything else and, after a while, the constant crashing surf gets on your nerves and you want to kill it. Better to settle in a meadow in some mountain village. There is a reason the Spanish could not wait to get out of Veracruz and migrate to the highlands.


LOL well since I live in a remote area surrounded by meadows, ponds and timber I could live with the sound of ocean waves for a while at least...after all, you did it for 10 years...

Here with the dirt roads and current drought, the 10 miles a trip that I make on unimproved roads has meant we've replaced the front end of every car we've owned, replaced our a/c system once (it's ready for replacement again), sold off our cattle due to severe drought conditions (buying hay in July at inflated prices only if you can find it...normal time to start feeding is October or November), and now are dealing with an oil well going in 500 yards east of our bedroom...more noise and light than should be legal but hey, it's Texas...a place founded on the oil business...

In other words, it's a trade off no matter what area one chooses. I liked what another poster said, about finding a place that makes you smile all the time...our current home used to do that but not so much any more...I think it's time to deal with different issues and problems and benefits and trade offs...


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## Roxxy774

Coachese said:


> Tulum has always intrigued me.


I just watched a program on the travel channel today naming Tulum as having the 2nd best beach in the Caribbean...


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## citlali

It is a very beautiful spot no doubt about that.


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## OnTheRoadToMexico

Hi Barbara,

Just so you know, non-Mexican citizens cannot buy property in Mexico within a certain distance from the coast (50 miles??). So it's good that you've considered the possibility of being permanent renters. There are ways around this, but you still won't own the land.

If you love Mexico, of course, you may want to become citizens. Dual Mexican-US citizenship is possible, just like dual Canadian-US citizenship.


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## maesonna

OnTheRoadToMexico said:


> Just so you know, non-Mexican citizens cannot buy property in Mexico within a certain distance from the coast.


Update: that may be changing – a bill to loosen restrictions on foreigners owning property has been making its way through the houses of the Mexican congress.


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## Hound Dog

[_QUOTE=Roxxy774;1241863]LOL well since I live in a remote area surrounded by meadows, ponds and timber I could live with the sound of ocean waves for a while at least...after all, you did it for 10 years...

Here with the dirt roads and current drought, the 10 miles a trip that I make on unimproved roads has meant we've replaced the front end of every car we've owned, replaced our a/c system once (it's ready for replacement again), sold off our cattle due to severe drought conditions (buying hay in July at inflated prices only if you can find it...normal time to start feeding is October or November), and now are dealing with an oil well going in 500 yards east of our bedroom...more noise and light than should be legal but hey, it's Texas...a place founded on the oil business...

In other words, it's a trade off no matter what area one chooses. I liked what another poster said, about finding a place that makes you smile all the time...our current home used to do that but not so much any more...I think it's time to deal with different issues and problems and benefits and trade offs...[/QUOTE]_

I understand what you are saying completely, Roxxy. We lived in many places in the U.S. from the mouth of the Fowl River on Mobile Bay in a hidden tropical garden to that coastal bluff overlooking the wild Pacific at Moss Beach adjacent to aptly named wild cliffs at Devil´s slide south of San Francisco and numerous other places I won´t bore you with from Coastal Alabama bayou swamps to mountainous Northern California wine country but, since you brought up country living; for about ten years before we fled Northern California for Mexico back in 2001, we lived in the pine forests of the Mayacamas Mountains almost precisely between Santa Rosa and St. Helena in the Sonoma and Napa Valleys. About seven miles to either community but over twisting mountain roads so the purchasing of anything at all was a journey of at least 20 minutes in either direction and, while a beautiful drive both ways was, a pain in the butt just to pick up a stick of butter or quart of Scotch. The silence up there in the Doug Fir Forest stretching off into eternity and inhabited by only us and raccoons was deafening and a bit disconcerting and, I know this may sound strange to some, but after a while we just wanted the hell out of there so as soon as we could retire, we loaded that old Ford pickup truck and headed south with every possession we had including three dogs and two cats and didn´t stop for more than a rest until we spotted Lake Chapala. The difference is astounding. Here, the silence is broken by the tropical birds who wake us up at dawn, we walk our dogs on miles of deserted lakefront beaches and it´s a five minute walk to the store from our house for that butter or scotch. Add to that the fact that, while the cliimate in coastal Northern California is sublime, the climate at Lake Chapala is damn near perfect for humans all year round.

Wherever you move in Mexico you will find an improvement over Texas. That´s for sure but avoid those isolated areas such as those communities on the southern Caribbran coast of Qinitana Roo. Death warmed over and the nearest good doctor and fine restaurant meal on the other side of the moon.


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## Guategringo

I know this was mentioned earlier and you would prefer the Gulf Coast, but have you looked at Zihuatenejo? there is a beautiful bay, condo or townhouses are still priced right four to five blocks of the beach. Ixtapa is just 10 to 15 minutes away. The bay has been considered, and of course opinons are opinions and nothing else, but one of the world's most beautiful natural harbors. Zihua is still much more laid back than Ixtapa, but Ixtapa is so close you are never too far from nightlife, fancy restaurants, shopping and much more....


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## citlali

I guess you are going to have to take an extended vacation and drive down from Mazatlan then south to th eIstmus, cross it, check out Chetumal Bay, lake bacar Majahual and Xcalc up to Cancun and folow the coast back to the gulf and then you will have an idea of what everyone is talking about and what is attractive to you and what is not. Nothing like actually going to see the places to know if you would even consider them.
You cannot get farther by land than the Yucatan Peninsula so enjoy the tour...


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## chicois8

OnTheRoadToMexico said:


> Hi Barbara,
> 
> Just so you know, non-Mexican citizens cannot buy property in Mexico within a certain distance from the coast (50 miles??). So it's good that you've considered the possibility of being permanent renters. There are ways around this, but you still won't own the land.
> 
> If you love Mexico, of course, you may want to become citizens. Dual Mexican-US citizenship is possible, just like dual Canadian-US citizenship.


First of all the restricted zone is 100KM (62miles) from an international border and 50 Km (31 miles ) from the coast...

Secondly a foreigner can buy real estate in the restricted zone 2 ways:

!. forming a Mexican corporation......
2. foreigner buys real estate through a fidecomiso or a bank trust...

I have owned my beach home for 5 years........I am a citizen of the USA


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## Roxxy774

Yes I had read that...from what I understand ownership (albeit without actually holding a title) is done via a bank trust, i.e. the bank holds the title but the non-resident still has rights to buy, sell and rent...seems it was 31 miles from any coast and/or 62 miles from any border but not sure about those facts.

Having no experience with the Mexican real estate market I think it would be imprudent of me to invest the entire proceeds from sale of my property here in the states out of country. Would make me feel somewhat trapped...with two grown children in the states I'd like to reserve the right to change my mind...


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## Jolga

Roxxy774 said:


> Thanks, Hound Dog, for your reponse. I need to look more closely at that area. The other response suggesting Mazatlan has some real merit as well. In looking at Google Maps, the driving distance from Fort Worth, Texas is actually quite a bit closer to Mazatlan, although it's tough for me to give up the idea of the Caribbean coast or at least the gulf coast. So I thank you for the tip about the Yucatan Gulf.


This article may be of interest to you:


Espinazo Del Diablo, Mexico — Lavender-blue peaks of the western Sierra Madre jut as far as the eye can see, the only hints of civilization: a tendril of smoke from burning corn residue, a squiggle of dirt road.

Then out of nowhere, a flat ribbon of concrete runs like a roller coaster over giant pylons, burrowing in and out of the mountainside until it seems to leap midair over a 1,200-foot river gorge via the world’s highest cable-stayed bridge, called the Baluarte.

The Durango-Mazatlán Highway is one of Mexico's greatest engineering feats, with 115 bridges and 61 tunnels designed to bring people, cargo and legitimate commerce safely through a mountain range known up until now for marijuana, opium poppies and an accident-prone road called the "Devil's Backbone."

Even those protesting the project say the 140-mile highway, expected to be completed in August, will change northern Mexico dramatically for the good. It will link port cities on the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific by a mere 12-hour drive, and Mazatlán with San Antonio, Texas, in about the same time. The highway will eventually move 5 million vehicles a year, more than four times the number on the old road, plus more produce and goods from Asia to the Mexican interior and southern United States.

Sinaloa state tourism officials predict an "explosion" for the resort city of Mazatlán, hard hit by drug violence in recent years, as the new road gives 40 million Mexicans in interior states an easy drive to the beach.

"It will change the landscape of this part of the country," said Tourism Secretary Francisco Cordova. "It's an opportunity to develop these areas and diversify the local economy."
Read the full story at SeattleTimes.com


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## Jolga

OnTheRoadToMexico said:


> Hi Barbara,
> 
> Just so you know, non-Mexican citizens cannot buy property in Mexico within a certain distance from the coast (50 miles??). So it's good that you've considered the possibility of being permanent renters. There are ways around this, but you still won't own the land.
> 
> If you love Mexico, of course, you may want to become citizens. Dual Mexican-US citizenship is possible, just like dual Canadian-US citizenship.


Hi Barbara,

You might also want to follow this story as it evolves: 

PRI proposes eliminating the Restricted Zone for foreigners
Posted by Murry Page on 4 Apr 13 in Featured, National News | 6 Comments | Print Print | 
The coordinator of the PRI in the Chamber of Deputies, Manlio Fabio Beltrones, along with Rep. Gloria Nunez, have proposed a constitutional amendment to allow foreigners to directly buy land in México within the “Restricted Zone,” provided it is for home use, not for commercial purposes.

The initiative, presented today by Deputy Nunez and signed by Beltrones removes the prohibition against foreigners directly purchasing land within the restricted zone which forced them to break the law and resort to the creation of trusts.

The restricted zone is land situated within 100 kilometers along the border and 50 kilometers from the beaches.

The goal of the initiative is to amend article 27 of the Constitution in order to eliminate the middlemen in this real estate area.

The initiative was referred to the Constitutional Committee, and was signed by more deputies.


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## Longford

Actually, a non-Mexican can purchase property in a restricted zone, through a trust for which the non-Mexican is the sole beneficiary. It's done every day, and is how the government has established the opportunity. 

Here's a link to some basic information regarding real estate purchases in Mexico, applicable to foreigners: 

Finding a Place to Live -- Buying

Of course, consuling a competent Notario Publico (not to be confused with a _Notary Public_ as many of us know in the USA) is essential prior to initiating a purchase.


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## Longford

Guategringo said:


> The bay has been considered, and of course opinons are opinions and nothing else, but one of the world's most beautiful natural harbors.


I like Zihuatanejo, but the above statement seems to me to be a bit of exaggeration. :ranger:


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## OnTheRoadToMexico

chicois8 said:


> 2. foreigner buys real estate through a fidecomiso or a bank trust...
> 
> I have owned my beach home for 5 years........I am a citizen of the USA


But you do not own the land, correct?


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## chicois8

OnTheRoadToMexico said:


> But you do not own the land, correct?


I believe so, I don't lease it and can do anything I want on it, I know I do not have water or mineral rights, Mexico owns those rights......

I do have a ranch inland ( outside the restricted zone) and I own that land with an escatura..


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## Hound Dog

Ziihuatanejo is not even in the running for one of the most beautiful natural harbors on the planet. A small and crowded town of lttle significance to anyone. Sydney, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Capetown, Dar es Salaarm, Marseilles, Oran, you name it now those are wonderful and beautiful natural harbors. Trry to get aronnd more.


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## Guategringo

Hound Dog said:


> Ziihuatanejo is not even in the running for one of the most beautiful natural harbors on the planet. A small and crowded town of lttle significance to anyone. Sydney, San Francisco, Hong Kong, Capetown, Dar es Salaarm, Marseilles, Oran, you name it now those are wonderful and beautiful natural harbors. Trry to get aronnd more.


Dog re-read my post, no where does it say I think it is one of the most beautiful natural harbors... I said it has been considered and opinion are opinions.. about getting around, I do not have to prove on this site where I have been or what I know but let's just leave it at this... your are in your seventies correct? Well I have been to more countries than your age and I speak five languages fluently so getting around is not something I need to worry about. I have forgotten more about other countries than most people even know.


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## Hound Dog

_


Guategringo said:



Dog re-read my post, no where does it say I think it is one of the most beautiful natural harbors... I said it has been considered and opinion are opinions.. about getting around, I do not have to prove on this site where I have been or what I know but let's just leave it at this... your are in your seventies correct? Well I have been to more countries than your age and I speak five languages fluently so getting around is not something I need to worry about. I have forgotten more about other countries than most people even know.

Click to expand...

_I did not mean to insult you GG ut as one who has traveled the world extesenvily, mainly in The Americas, Europe, Africa, the Indian Subcontient and the Far East, I am amazed that you have traveled so extensivey in over 70 countries and "speak" five languages _"fluently_". Over seventy countries attended and five languages spoken fluently. A remarkable accomplishment. 

Perhaps you might amuse the rest of us with the names of those seventy countries you have visited and five languages you have mastered to the point of fluency just so we can marvel at your intellectual prowess and get to places you have been bef0re it´s too late. Jesus; 70 plus countries. I´ve been to some 50 and am exhausted.


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## Longford

Deleted by author.


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## Guategringo

Hound Dog said:


> I did not mean to insult you GG ut as one who has traveled the world extesenvily, mainly in The Americas, Europe, Africa, the Indian Subcontient and the Far East, I am amazed that you have traveled so extensivey in over 70 countries and "speak" five languages _"fluently_". Over seventy countries attended and five languages spoken fluently. A remarkable accomplishment.
> 
> Perhaps you might amuse the rest of us with the names of those seventy countries you have visited and five languages you have mastered to the point of fluency just so we can marvel at your intellectual prowess and get to places you have been bef0re it´s too late. Jesus; 70 plus countries. I´ve been to some 50 and am exhausted.


There may be one or two others, but my seven or eight passports that I went through in 40 years of traveling are not at arms length. I keep them in a safety deposit box in Guatemala. 
So you understand where I am coming from, my father was a travel editor for a major newspaper in the Boston area and I traveled often with him during my teens. I lived in Italy and Spain for three years after college and traveled for a publishing company. I became an editor of a magazine publishing company in Miami that published magazines in the Caribbean and I eventually opened my own publishing company in Guatemala. All of the publishing companies dealt with travel and tourism and were hotel guides you find in hotels.
My father is Italian my mother was born in the U.S. but to Portuguese parents. I was born in the U.S. therefore, I speak English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and French. I can understand some Creole from Haiti and some from Jamaica, completely different forms but I spent months in each. 

Africa
1.	Egypt
2.	Ghana
3.	Kenya
4.	Morocco
5.	South Africa
6.	Tanzania
Asia
1.	China
2.	India
3.	Israel
4.	Japan
5.	Maldives
6.	Philippines
7.	Singapore
8.	Thailand
9.	Turkey
Europe
1.	Austria
2.	Belgium
3.	Cyprus
4.	Denmark
5.	Finland
6.	France
7.	Germany
8.	Greece
9.	Iceland
10.	Ireland
11.	Italy
12.	Liechtenstein
13.	Luxembourg
14.	Monaco
15.	Netherlands
16.	Norway
17.	Portugal
18.	San Marino
19.	Spain
20.	Sweden
21.	Switzerland
22.	United Kingdom
23.	Vatican City
North America
1.	Antigua and Barbuda
2.	Bahamas
3.	Barbados
4.	Belize
5.	Canada
6.	Costa Rica
7.	Cuba
8.	Dominica
9.	Dominican Republic
10.	El Salvador
11.	Grenada
12.	Guatemala
13.	Haiti
14.	Honduras
15.	Jamaica
16.	Mexico
17.	Nicaragua
18.	Panama
19.	St Kitts and Nevis
20.	St Lucia
21.	St Vincent and the Grenadines
22.	Trinidad and Tobago
23.	United States
Oceania
1.	Australia
2.	Fiji
3.	Micronesia
4.	New Zealand

South America
1.	Argentina
2.	Bolivia
3.	Brazil
4.	Chile
5.	Colombia
6.	Ecuador
7.	Guyana
8.	Paraguay
9.	Peru
10.	Suriname
11.	Uruguay
12.	Venezuela


Total - 77


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## Isla Verde

Very impressive, Guategringo - what an interesting life you've led, and it's far from over, ¿verdad?


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## Guategringo

Isla Verde said:


> Very impressive, Guategringo - what an interesting life you've led, and it's far from over, ¿verdad?


Tienes razon.. I am only in my early 50s much more to go!!!!


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## Coachese

I'll bet you don't speak pig Latin!? ha!


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## Coachese

Hound Dog said:


> I did not mean to insult you GG ut as one who has traveled the world extesenvily, mainly in The Americas, Europe, Africa, the Indian Subcontient and the Far East, I am amazed that you have traveled so extensivey in over 70 countries and "speak" five languages _"fluently_". Over seventy countries attended and five languages spoken fluently. A remarkable accomplishment.
> 
> Perhaps you might amuse the rest of us with the names of those seventy countries you have visited and five languages you have mastered to the point of fluency just so we can marvel at your intellectual prowess and get to places you have been bef0re it´s too late. Jesus; 70 plus countries. I´ve been to some 50 and am exhausted.


I used to know a guy that drove gravel for a living. He'd come into the bar every Friday after work and laugh it up, have a pitcher of beer, play dice, etc. He seemed a good guy. He also came in every Sunday, only he brought brought his wife on these days. She drank iced tea and he pounded pitchers of beer like they were water. He never spoke to anyone on those days, he never let HER speak to anyone, and any conversation between them appeared to be him saying 'shut up' and her flinching.

Shocked they stayed married for so long.


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## Guategringo

Coachese said:


> I'll bet you don't speak pig Latin!? ha!


At times I feel like I am as I mix up consonants and vowels flipping from one language to another!!!


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## Hound Dog

_


Guategringo said:



Tienes razon.. I am only in my early 50s much more to go!!!!

Click to expand...

_Ah, yes, a thousand towns visited, none remembered, move on to the next soon to be forgotten burg and then back to placid and easily forgettable Antigua, Guatemala. Come on, Guate, Dawg has spent time in most of those places you dwell upon except all those Caribbean islands you list in alphabetical order but I do think you sound like an interesting character so look me up the next time you are in Ajiic or San Cristóbal. I´ll buy you a beer and we can yack about mutual experiences.! can´t wait to tell you about the time I was nearly executed for even looking at the presidential palace in Zanzibar Town in 1969. Since you have been to Tanzania (Tanganyika and Zanzibar as a loosly knit confederation) , you will know about the fundamentalist communist dictatorship on Zanzibar in those days. I look forward to finally conversing with someone who has experienced what I experienced long ago.


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## chicois8

Que is mas macho? Guate or dog, who cares, lets get back to the original posters question...


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## Isla Verde

chicois8 said:


> Que is mas macho? Guate or dog, who cares, lets get back to the original posters question...


Great suggestion, chicois8.


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## Marishka

Guategringo said:


> There may be one or two others, but my seven or eight passports that I went through in 40 years of traveling are not at arms length. I keep them in a safety deposit box in Guatemala.
> So you understand where I am coming from, my father was a travel editor for a major newspaper in the Boston area and I traveled often with him during my teens. I lived in Italy and Spain for three years after college and traveled for a publishing company. I became an editor of a magazine publishing company in Miami that published magazines in the Caribbean and I eventually opened my own publishing company in Guatemala. All of the publishing companies dealt with travel and tourism and were hotel guides you find in hotels.
> My father is Italian my mother was born in the U.S. but to Portuguese parents. I was born in the U.S. therefore, I speak English, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish and French. I can understand some Creole from Haiti and some from Jamaica, completely different forms but I spent months in each.
> 
> Africa
> 1.	Egypt
> 2.	Ghana
> 3.	Kenya
> 4.	Morocco
> 5.	South Africa
> 6.	Tanzania
> Asia
> 1.	China
> 2.	India
> 3.	Israel
> 4.	Japan
> 5.	Maldives
> 6.	Philippines
> 7.	Singapore
> 8.	Thailand
> 9.	Turkey
> Europe
> 1.	Austria
> 2.	Belgium
> 3.	Cyprus
> 4.	Denmark
> 5.	Finland
> 6.	France
> 7.	Germany
> 8.	Greece
> 9.	Iceland
> 10.	Ireland
> 11.	Italy
> 12.	Liechtenstein
> 13.	Luxembourg
> 14.	Monaco
> 15.	Netherlands
> 16.	Norway
> 17.	Portugal
> 18.	San Marino
> 19.	Spain
> 20.	Sweden
> 21.	Switzerland
> 22.	United Kingdom
> 23.	Vatican City
> North America
> 1.	Antigua and Barbuda
> 2.	Bahamas
> 3.	Barbados
> 4.	Belize
> 5.	Canada
> 6.	Costa Rica
> 7.	Cuba
> 8.	Dominica
> 9.	Dominican Republic
> 10.	El Salvador
> 11.	Grenada
> 12.	Guatemala
> 13.	Haiti
> 14.	Honduras
> 15.	Jamaica
> 16.	Mexico
> 17.	Nicaragua
> 18.	Panama
> 19.	St Kitts and Nevis
> 20.	St Lucia
> 21.	St Vincent and the Grenadines
> 22.	Trinidad and Tobago
> 23.	United States
> Oceania
> 1.	Australia
> 2.	Fiji
> 3.	Micronesia
> 4.	New Zealand
> 
> South America
> 1.	Argentina
> 2.	Bolivia
> 3.	Brazil
> 4.	Chile
> 5.	Colombia
> 6.	Ecuador
> 7.	Guyana
> 8.	Paraguay
> 9.	Peru
> 10.	Suriname
> 11.	Uruguay
> 12.	Venezuela
> 
> 
> Total - 77


Wow! Guategringo, I think you just won the prize on this forum for "Most Countries Visited." My husband and I have only been to 14 countries. Reading your list makes me hope that I live a long, long time in good health, so that I can visit many more countries. Looking back, my deepest regrets in life are the travel opportunities that I was offered and turned down.

Could I ask why, out of all the countries you have visited, you chose to live in Mexico?


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## Guategringo

Marishka said:


> Wow! Guategringo, I think you just won the prize on this forum for "Most Countries Visited." My husband and I have only been to 14 countries. Reading your list makes me hope that I live a long, long time in good health, so that I can visit many more countries. Looking back, my deepest regrets in life are the travel opportunities that I was offered and turned down.
> 
> Could I ask why, out of all the countries you have visited, you chose to live in Mexico?


Thanks Marishka. I did not "choose" Mexico. For the past 20 plus years I have lived in Guatemala. By publishing business is based there and that was where I started publishing first on my own. My wife is from Guatemala and is a lawyer. She specializes in international law and was contracted by a firm for two years in Mexico to represent them so we decided our two sons could finish school in Mexico it would give us a chance to live here as it borders Guatemala and we had visited dozens of time for long periods but never lived here.

Once I reach retirement age it will probably be six months in Antigua Guatemala and six months in Girona, Spain. Do not get me wrong, I love Mexico, but Guatemala is where I have lived the longest stretch in my entire life and after traveling so much it is what I consider home and it is where my wife was born and raised and our two children were born. We have also been lucky enough to meet lots of great people along the way in our travels and two of them we met 20 years ago in Girona and we bought homes near one another and now we only spend two to three weeks per year there, but plan half the year some day.


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## ElPaso2012

Jolga said:


> Please take this response with a grain of salt ... or should I say grain of sand Ha! Ha! as we have very limited experience with beach living. We have purchased a new condo in a Canadian-American condo building in Mazatlan's El Centro district and will be moving permanently there at the end of August. We are right on the malecon with another 2 beaches within a 10 minute walk.
> 
> We chose Mazatlan because it is a beach town with a soul. Yes there are many tourists with lots of celebrations, parades and fiestas right in front of our building, but Mazatlan is mainly a working family city and a real port. It has many schools, churches and cultural centres. Another advantage is that many first class condos with infinity pools, underground parking and excellent security are available for significantly less than what they cost in Puerto Vallarta. Also Mazatlan is between the active hurricane zones of The Cabos and The Mayan Riviera so most of them miss; although we will experience the tail ends of some (more rain, higher tides,waves and wind).
> Mazatlan was not built like Cancun by the government to service the tourist trade. Nor is it like Cabo i.e. more American than the USA. It is a thriving, vibrant, Mexican coastal city with a rich cultural and historical heritage.
> 
> I could talk for hours about the advantages of and the many attributes of Mazatlan, but at the end the day the main thing to do is to go and visit various beach towns and like us you will eventually find one, as we did, that has you smiling most of the time and feeling the energy of starting a new positive chapter in your life. Good luck and happy landings!


Your post was of great interest since Mazatlan or the city of Durango are the two locations I've selected to explore. Might I ask you a few questions about Internet service, if the summers are oppressive in terms of heat, and if apartment rentals are affordable if you happen to know about that market? Thanks in advance.


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## Jolga

ElPaso2012 said:


> Your post was of great interest since Mazatlan or the city of Durango are the two locations I've selected to explore. Might I ask you a few questions about Internet service, if the summers are oppressive in terms of heat, and if apartment rentals are affordable if you happen to know about that market? Thanks in advance.


I will do my best to answer your query but I am hoping the real experts will chime in with their much more extensive experience.

Internet service, from what I could gather talking to the residents in my future building, is similar to what we have back home in Canada. We have Wi-Fi around the smallish infinity pool which overlooks the ocean. 

The "oppressive heat of summer" depends on so many variables that it's almost impossible to answer. As you know the Expat community in Mexico, as it is in many retirement-friendly tropical countries, is composed of the "I love the Eternal Spring" types who don't mind cooler nights and some days in winter that can be very chilly" and our group, the "Life is a Beach Types" who, even though summers can be humid and hot we love the ocean air so much and think that cooling ocean breeze is so good that we forget about the downside. Neither side is right or wrong just that they have different tastes.

I can give you a good strategy for choosing a year-round condo. It was taught to me, I did not invent it. And it only works in certain buildings, not all. Our buildings have two sides; one with 180 degree views of the ocean and are situated on the sunny warmer side of the building. Naturally the 6-month, or short-term tourist rental snow-birds have gravitated to this side, as they wish to get all the warmth they can get before returning to the frigid north.

The year-round residents, such as Your Humble Servant, have purchased on the shadier side, the prices are more reasonable, as they are not inflated by .... for lack of a better word, the tourist-effect. We don't have quite the same views, although nothing to sneeze at, and our air-conditioning electrical bills will be much less that on the sunny-side. Also the condos on the sunny-side have a quick, temporary-look to the finishes whereas the permanent residents put much more care and energy in designing a real home for year-round living. 

Of course, every situation is different. In our case. In the unlikely event that the heat is a bit much, we can always go and visit our son for a month or so in Silicon Valley California and come back later. You might want to consider a temporary escape-route to cooler climes if things get too hot for you. I am sure we will love the heat but you never really know until you try it, "the proof is in the pudding" as they say. I have thought I would love many things in the past and they did not work out, so better hope for the best but prepare for the worst.

If you follow our posts on this board in the next few months, you will probably see us go through the various psychological phases such as The Initial Honeymoon (Gee Whiz) phase where I will be kissing the airport tarmac when we arrive and then it will go downhill a bit as reality creeps in. Then, if we are able to create an environment with meaningful human relationships and give to the less-fortunate in our community, we will adapt wonderfully. If we fail to connect with those around us we will most certainly blame Mazatlan and say "it wasn't for us" and move on.

Sorry this post got long-winded, but this is what you get when you ask a teacher a question. Hope these jumbled ideas had a grain of truth in them.


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## ElPaso2012

Jolga said:


> I will do my best to answer your query but I am hoping the real experts will chime in with their much more extensive experience.
> 
> Internet service, from what I could gather talking to the residents in my future building, is similar to what we have back home in Canada. We have Wi-Fi around the smallish infinity pool which overlooks the ocean.
> 
> The "oppressive heat of summer" depends on so many variables that it's almost impossible to answer. As you know the Expat community in Mexico, as it is in many retirement-friendly tropical countries, is composed of the "I love the Eternal Spring" types who don't mind cooler nights and some days in winter that can be very chilly" and our group, the "Life is a Beach Types" who, even though summers can be humid and hot we love the ocean air so much and think that cooling ocean breeze is so good that we forget about the downside. Neither side is right or wrong just that they have different tastes.
> 
> I can give you a good strategy for choosing a year-round condo. It was taught to me, I did not invent it. And it only works in certain buildings, not all. Our buildings have two sides; one with 180 degree views of the ocean and are situated on the sunny warmer side of the building. Naturally the 6-month, or short-term tourist rental snow-birds have gravitated to this side, as they wish to get all the warmth they can get before returning to the frigid north.
> 
> The year-round residents, such as Your Humble Servant, have purchased on the shadier side, the prices are more reasonable, as they are not inflated by .... for lack of a better word, the tourist-effect. We don't have quite the same views, although nothing to sneeze at, and our air-conditioning electrical bills will be much less that on the sunny-side. Also the condos on the sunny-side have a quick, temporary-look to the finishes whereas the permanent residents put much more care and energy in designing a real home for year-round living.
> 
> Of course, every situation is different. In our case. In the unlikely event that the heat is a bit much, we can always go and visit our son for a month or so in Silicon Valley California and come back later. You might want to consider a temporary escape-route to cooler climes if things get too hot for you. I am sure we will love the heat but you never really know until you try it, "the proof is in the pudding" as they say. I have thought I would love many things in the past and they did not work out, so better hope for the best but prepare for the worst.
> 
> If you follow our posts on this board in the next few months, you will probably see us go through the various psychological phases such as The Initial Honeymoon (Gee Whiz) phase where I will be kissing the airport tarmac when we arrive and then it will go downhill a bit as reality creeps in. Then, if we are able to create an environment with meaningful human relationships and give to the less-fortunate in our community, we will adapt wonderfully. If we fail to connect with those around us we will most certainly blame Mazatlan and say "it wasn't for us" and move on.
> 
> Sorry this post got long-winded, but this is what you get when you ask a teacher a question. Hope these jumbled ideas had a grain of truth in them.


No, it was quite helpful, actually. Not sure I want to buy any property, though, not initially anyway. I think I'll be looking for an apartment in the beginning. Best of luck with the adjustment.


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## BeachSearcher

Can someone please help me. I want to move from SC to a tropical or beach location to retire. I live alone. How in the world do you go about finding an inexpensive, nice place to live????
BeachSearcher


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## chicois8

It would help to know your budget and which coast you are interested in...


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## BeachSearcher

My budget is $2300 a month. I have money put aside that I don't want to touch. I have just started looking into this move, so I really don't have a coast in mind. I just know I love the ocean, preferably a beautiful one.
BeachSearcher


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## Isla Verde

BeachSearcher said:


> My budget is $2300 a month. I have money put aside that I don't want to touch. I have just started looking into this move, so I really don't have a coast in mind. I just know I love the ocean, preferably a beautiful one.
> BeachSearcher


Are you looking for a place to retire in Mexico or in Belize?


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## BeachSearcher

I am trying to get Belize off my profile. I live in the US now and have just started searching for the place I would like to move. At this point I am open. I just know I want to be on or near a beach and inexpensive cost of living.:fingerscrossed:


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## sparks

It would be foolish of us to suggest a place/beach .... but the best is to look around when you are here. Travel, find an area you like and then start shopping. 4-5000 pesos should get you a decent place


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## Hound Dog

_


BeachSearcher said:



Can someone please help me. I want to move from SC to a tropical or beach location to retire. I live alone. How in the world do you go about finding an inexpensive, nice place to live????
BeachSearcher

Click to expand...

_Why not retire on the beach in South Carolina with its huge expanse of very nice beaches. I grew up on the Alabama Coast where there are extraordinary beaches and coastal lagoons and bays and bayous with beautiful sugar white beaches and, in areas, crystal cear waters but I am a highlands boy destined to retire at 5,000 feet or more in the tropics of Mexico for many reasons. among then the pleasant and cool climate. If I were a beach boy, I´d live somewhere between Dauphin Island and Panama City Beach. Why, pray tell, are you so anxious to leave a state such as South Carolina with untold miles of nice beachfront? I think I understand; too many unlikable cousins.


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## BeachSearcher

I have read this whole thread and I am more confused than ever. Thanks to all that has answered. I have about a year to make my mind up, so I guess I have a lot of research to do. I just wish it was as easy as saying "That is where I want to live".
Thanks again....


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## makaloco

Mexico is a big country with a great deal of diversity. Try listing your preferences apart from the beach. What attracts you about Mexico that you can't find near (say) Charleston? How big a town do you have in mind? What access do you need to shopping, medical services, international airport? What about night life? Will you be living here year around or part-time? Do you feel you need to be with other foreigners, or are you willing to live in a Mexican neighborhood and use/learn Spanish? Drier weather, or more tropical, as you mentioned? Tropical can mean hot and humid in summer, with a chance of hurricanes. "On the beach" and "inexpensive" are mutually exclusive in some locations. Are you okay with living a short walking or driving distance from the water, or would a view of the ocean be okay? Once you come up with a short list of a few places that sound right, plan to visit the one that seems best for you, next best, and so on.


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## citlali

Yes figuring out where to live when you have the all world to pick from is a really tough one. Funny how we do not know what to do when faced with a choice to make rather than dream about it. 
That was the most difficult choice we had to make in our life. My sister and cousins are doing the same thing right now and everyone has a tough choice especially when there are no kids to think about.
My sister lives in Paris and he picked a place not too far from Paris and her kids o retire but where her husband has family although she hates the climate there, She travels a lot but would not consider living outside of France.
My cousins have a kid in Tapei so they spend 8 months of the year travelling in Asia and visiting the kid but they cannot make the move there and keep coming back to France for 4 months in the summer.
My other cousin lives on the coast in France and keeps dreaming about moving but always ends up spending a couple of months with us in Mexico will not make the move because of language issues and several months in Burkina Fasso but will not move there either so she keeps dreaming of nice weather and going back to France for the summer.
Making a decision is not that easy.


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## sunnyvmx

As I sat at my kitchen table planning a trip around Mexico in the motorhome, I came across a large lake and the town of Catemaco in Veracruz. Looking at photos of the area I knew if it was all true, I would never leave. I stepped to the door of the coach and asked my husband, "Do you care if we live in the U.S. and visit Mexico or live in Mexico and visit the States." He said he didn't care which so I told him to start packing up we were moving south. After a stop in Texas to say goodby to family, we made our way to Catemaco. I was happy, he wasn't and he followed his dream to Palm Springs. Life is now too short to sacrifice your dreams or live in fear of the unknown. I made Catemaco my home for five years and when the photos of the property where I lived no longer were true and after a falling out with my landlord, I again packed up and in two weeks I was living in Chapala. I am happier now than ever. The key is knowing yourself and asking the questions. For me it's done within an hour or less and I'm ready to go. It's looking forward to the adventure, being readily adaptable and able to roll with the punches. "It's a great life if you don't weaken" or "If you're dumb, you gotta be tough." Take your pick.


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