# Looking for Practical advice?



## sean252 (Dec 1, 2008)

What I am looking for is a practical starting point to get info on Possibly Moving to the Merida area...I have been traveling to many locations through out Mexico since 1984... In the last 12 years we have been hitting the Yucatan from Akumal to Isla Mujeres.. We really like Isla, but the last few years it has really been changing to a small Cancun and has become no longer quaint or very affordable.

With that as my background, we are planning anywheres from 5 to 15 years before we would pull the trigger and move. Obviously if we had enough now we would go ...But investments here in America are getting hammered..

So any real advice, experienced advice would be appreciated. We are in our 40s and have a 6 year old...Which comes into whether or not we invest now and wait until she is out on her own or do we pull up and home school? 


Thanks again, Sean


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

How difficult! I certainly can't predict the next 5-10 years and I wonder if you have investigated other parts of Mexico. The two coasts are usually not popular spots for year round living for expats. Those who can afford to 'escape the heat and humidity' often have second homes for that purpose. We only visit the Pacific Coast in the winter and have no interest in the east coast flatness and its hurricanes on top of the uninviting climate. For your child's education, you would probably want to live in one of the larger colonial cities where better schools would be available. Of course, you would have to have enough resources to support yourselves without working in Mexico, as getting and maintaining government permission to work on your visa can be very difficult without very special talents that can't be found in Mexico.


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## sean252 (Dec 1, 2008)

Thanks for the reply back and info....I guess what I am really looking for is any info ,,from books, articles etc....Of course real world experience also....Right now we live in Northern Calif....We are making good money and have property, We have the opportunity to do OK when the real estate gets going again...So hence the time frame I shot out there....In reality we probably would wait until our kids are out....Unless it was truly practical otherwise.....Would you say at the very least to buy something in the area we are interested? Or is it just a big crap shoot...We looked in Isla with a realator 10 years ago,,, we didnt buy and now we are kicking ourselves....Thanks again, and have a good day!

Sean


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Well, with a six year old, you are looking 12 to 16 years into the future. Of course, you can buy anywhere you wish but would have to have a property manager. That can be a real problem. Even buying a lot or raw land can be a problem while you are away. Squatters can take years to evict. If I were you, I would explore more and be absolutely sure of your location, at all times of the year, before investing. Then, I would only consider it if I could occupy the property several months of the year, have a *trusted* property manager and be able to maintain an FM3 immigration document.


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## sean252 (Dec 1, 2008)

Gotcha....that was my concern..

So in general there are no reputable property managers?

Thanks again for your expertise!!


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## RVGRINGO (May 16, 2007)

Certainly there are, but you will need to choose carefully when you decide on the area. Other absentee owners will be your best source of information. You will probably also need a maid and gardener to maintain a property on, at least, a weekly basis. Again, you will have to choose carefully.


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## verdeva (Sep 18, 2008)

sean252 said:


> What I am looking for is a practical starting point to get info on Possibly Moving to the Merida area...SNIPPED
> Thanks again, Sean


The practical thing to do is to take as many long vacations, in a variety of locations, that you can afford. Without a steady income to allow you to live at the level you are happy with, moving permanently to Mexico doesn't make much sense. 

If you (and/or your significant other) can continue your employment over the Internet you might find it practical to move sooner. Without employment (and the chances of you earning a living in Mexico is near zero) you'd need a seriously large nest egg, especially considering the 6 year old. I would have loved to have raised my three boys down here! Kids, the younger the better, adapt to Mexico like a duck to water. I've heard of sub-ten year old kids acting as interpreters for their parents after a short time here.

Buying down here is risky enough for full-timers. Many homes locally (the Lake Chapala area) are owned by snowbirds who are here 4-6 months out of the year. These homes are prime targets for ladrones (thieves). Also, many who after falling in love with an area then quickly purchase "the perfect home." Soon thereafter they find that one of the participants got homesick for kids, grandkids, family and friends. I remember meeting a new neighbor who moved in down the street from us saying "the house just spoke to us! I can't imagine living anywhere else," 3 months later there was a For Sale sign on it. I guess the house said "time to move on." Selling a house today (yes, even down here) isn't quick or easy. Rentals are plentiful and can be very reasonable, sometimes to the point that it doesn't make sense financially to go any other way.


Then there are those who just can't adapt. Explaining what adapting to Mexico is would take volumes. Trust me when I say that San Antonio, Texas or East Los Angeles, California are NOT Mexico. Read all you can, ask questions and visit.

VerdeVa - Just another ******


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## sean252 (Dec 1, 2008)

Thanks for the advice,,,like I said we have been going to Mexico for 25 years..So Mexico itself isnt a mystery....Just the process of acheiving it is....I truly appreciate all of your "REAL WORLD" advice...As some of these magazines etc make it seem so so easy......I will keep reading and asking questions,,,thanks again.

Sean


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## synthia (Apr 18, 2007)

Have you been to Merida when the temperature goes over 40C (104F)? I think deciding where you want to retire and investing in property even four or five years in advance is unwise, let alone 15 years ahead of time. You have no idea what you will want then.

I'm 63, and always thought I'd retire in a tropical beach town. I loved the heat. I don't anymore. I lived in a beach town for years, so I sort of got that out of my system. I loved Thailand, and I don't anymore. I like Panama City, but it got too expensive for me.

Save, invest, and keep your options open. Enjoy your life now, and don't tie yourself up with property in another country and all the worries that go with it.


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