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Here's a dirty little secret about MX and expats. Gringos don't get arrested. Maybe if you shoot the Mayor in the plaza in front of the Chief of Police, even then it'd depend on how popular the Mayor was.
Cops in MX are very deferential to expats; not saying that's written policy nor am I saying it's right, but it's the way it works.
I lived in MX 5 years fulltime; how long did you say you lived there?
PS: the expat communities in MX are quite tight; I met folks who had lived there for 30+ years. None of them ever spoke of imprisonment. Though we all have a lot of funny culture stories. It's not for everyone, but it's an adventure, living outside the US. We have always traveled internationally, been married for 45 years. My husband was the son of diplomats and lived in 4 countries before he was 15.
Just to add: Lawsuits are rare here. The lawyers just laugh at gringos trying to sue. Nothing happens.
I realize that can work both ways, but just sayin'.
Certainly it's not for everyone. But it works for DotheTwist, Alpineprince and us. Plus many of my relatives who lived here most of their lives. No imprisonment. To each his own!
Just to add: Lawsuits are rare here. The lawyers just laugh at gringos trying to sue. Nothing happens.
I realize that can work both ways, but just sayin'.
Certainly it's not for everyone. But it works for DotheTwist, Alpineprince and us. Plus many of my relatives who lived here most of their lives. No imprisonment. To each his own!
I have always been curious about the sheer number of posters that post about how horrible it is to live in other parts of the world, and point out every flaw in every other country on earth, but how many of them have actually ever been outside the US, let alone lived in another country or countries. Probably a question I will never get the answer too.
I lived in Argentina during the 70's, through a brutal military coup, and in Mexico, and in Nigeria, and have spent shorter time periods working in quite a few other 3rd World countries. Napoleonic law was never a problem. Is it going to be an issue when I am older and retired? I can't imagine it would be.
I have always been curious about the sheer number of posters that post about how horrible it is to live in other parts of the world, and point out every flaw in every other country on earth, but how many of them have actually ever been outside the US, let alone lived in another country or countries. Probably a question I will never get the answer too.
Well hopefully, having lived on 3 continents would count.
I lived in Argentina during the 70's, through a brutal military coup, and in Mexico, and in Nigeria, and have spent shorter time periods working in quite a few other 3rd World countries. Napoleonic law was never a problem. Is it going to be an issue when I am older and retired? I can't imagine it would be.
We can actually afford to live pretty much anywhere (we know we are very lucky).
But what bugs us in the US is the cost to carry a nice home. Yes, we can afford to pay those taxes, insurance, flood insurance, etc. but it's money out the window.
Our new home in MX is 1 block from MX's largest lake with view; 3800 sq. ft. on a 10K sq. ft. lot. Has a big inground pool, soaring stone interior walls (some are over 16 feet). A separate 1BR 1BA casita.
In FL we have a much smaller home, no pool at 1800 sq. ft. on 10K lot in a beach town, one block from bay, but no view.
Here's what our annual expenses will be house to house:
Taxes: $3200 in FL; $300 in MX
Homeowners ins.: $3500 in FL; $200 in MX
Flood Ins.: 780 in FL; not needed MX (Note: Flood insurance is skyrocketing, going to market rates and we guess ours will be over 2K in another few years).
After 10 years, we will have paid $75,000 to carry the FL home (and that doesn't include increases); in MX, the cost will be $5,000. If we were to upgrade our FL home to something more similar in size, with pool, etc., our overhead could easily double. We wouldn't consider living in FL without being within a block of the water/beach, so that's where we get hit with higher insurance, flood insurance and higher taxes.
We will keep the FL house for a few more years because my DH wants to have a residence in the US for a while longer. If it was solely up to me I'd go all-in with Mexico now.
I should also say that we LOVE the Mexican culture and the weather, it just suits both of us.
Floriday is not the USAy.
Here in Southern Oregon:
Property taxes - nice house and 90 acres - $1600.
Homeowner Insurance - $800 (no hurricanes here)
Flood insurance - not needed
No sales tax. There is an income tax, but SS is tax free no matter what your income is.
On the down side:
You can't live without a car.
Real estate prices may be higher.
If I were to retire somewhere else, I would probably pick Ireland.
Between 2004-2009 I took 12 "shopping" trips to both Central & South America, with an eye for the possibility to becoming an expat, and, being the restless type, my big worry is what would happen if I found myself climbing the walls, so to speak, getting any old job to help kill my restlessness. Could I even, so much as, work as a dishwasher in a restaurant for 50 cents an hour? I think not!
I had a nice long talk with an expat in Otavalo, Ecuador, who moved there 20 years ago, even with 4 children in the U.S., and she advised me if I did decide to take the ex-pat route to have a plan for that possibility of going crazy with all that freedom on your hands. Which, can happen, even if you retire anywhere in the U.S.!
Her plan was to open a restaurant, she makes no money on it, just breaks even, but, more importantly, it gets her out of the house 7 days a week, keeps her from going Kookoo! An expat friends of hers, also in Octavalo, started "climbing the walls" 6 months after his arrival, and started up a nonprofit construction company.
Me? Open up a bookstore, perhaps?
And, the big if, if I took the plunge, and I went through all that work of getting to wherever, it had better have the best climate known to man: no use ever for an A/C or heater or fireplace!
I got on WeatherUnderground.com, one time, researching Guadalajara/Lake Chapala (which I traveled to back in he mid 1980's) and, not surprised by the altitude, it can quite rather chilly during the winter down there, at night!
I thought, at one time, just moving short of the Border to Rosarito Beach or even Ensenada, but having traveled down there in January, yikes!, get close to that ocean, and it gets mighty chilly, just like the coastline of Southern CA in winter!
So that leaves Antigua, Guatemala City, Medellin or Cali or even Tegucigalpas? Certainly not Costa Rica, Thailand, the Philippines!
Between 2004-2009 I took 12 "shopping" trips to both Central & South America, with an eye for the possibility to becoming an expat, and, being the restless type, my big worry is what would happen if I found myself climbing the walls, so to speak, getting any old job to help kill my restlessness. Could I even, so much as, work as a dishwasher in a restaurant for 50 cents an hour? I think not!
I had a nice long talk with an expat in Otavalo, Ecuador, who moved there 20 years ago, even with 4 children in the U.S., and she advised me if I did decide to take the ex-pat route to have a plan for that possibility of going crazy with all that freedom on your hands. Which, can happen, even if you retire anywhere in the U.S.!
Her plan was to open a restaurant, she makes no money on it, just breaks even, but, more importantly, it gets her out of the house 7 days a week, keeps her from going Kookoo! An expat friends of hers, also in Octavalo, started "climbing the walls" 6 months after his arrival, and started up a nonprofit construction company.
Me? Open up a bookstore, perhaps?
And, the big if, if I took the plunge, and I went through all that work of getting to wherever, it had better have the best climate known to man: no use ever for an A/C or heater or fireplace!
I got on WeatherUnderground.com, one time, researching Guadalajara/Lake Chapala (which I traveled to back in he mid 1980's) and, not surprised by the altitude, it can quite rather chilly during the winter down there, at night!
I thought, at one time, just moving short of the Border to Rosarito Beach or even Ensenada, but having traveled down there in January, yikes!, get close to that ocean, and it gets mighty chilly, just like the coastline of Southern CA in winter!
So that leaves Antigua, Guatemala City, Medellin or Cali or even Tegucigalpas? Certainly not Costa Rica, Thailand, the Philippines!
FYI, on Chapala weather. I'm a weather geek (weather spotter with NWS since 2003) and have weather stations at all our homes. The lowest temp at our home in Ajijic over 5 winters was 46 degrees. Keep in mind that adobe/stucco homes hold the daytime heat from the sun....average highs in Jan. and Feb. are mid 70s. Mostly overnight winter lows are low to mid 50s. On WeatherUnderground, etc., the highs/lows are for Guadalajara, not the lake. It is hotter in the summer and colder in the winter in Guadalajara than at the lake.
You mentioned Antigua....we love visiting there. You may also want to consider nearby Lake Atitilan.
Last edited by dothetwist; 04-05-2017 at 04:42 AM..
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