Rosarito Bch > SD commute? (San Diego: sales, real estate, rent)

[geos]

I've always wanted to live in SD but I'm not fond of the taxes & real estate prices. I know there are quite a few expats in Rosarito Bch, MX so I'm wondering how realistic is it for an American living there & commuting to SD 4-5 times a month? How difficult and time consuming is the border crossing? Is there a ferry by any chance? Residency shouldn't be a problem for me. Jobs and schools are not an issue.

[moved]

I live in Tijuana, and work in San Diego. The border crossing can be really at bad times, unless you have a Sentri pass. It can take you anywhere from 1-4 hours to cross, and it's not difficult, just time consuming because you're just sitting in line waiting for the cars to move. There is no ferry to San Diego, and residency isn't required.

[sfosyd]

A few things to bear in mind:

If you are not fond of the taxes, you will still have to pay California income taxes (assuming you work in California) even if you live in Mexico. The Mexico border region has a sales tax of 16% and property taxes in California are actually quite reasonable so not sure if you should move due to taxes.

You have to be very careful with real estate in Mexico especially in a "restricted" zone like Baja. You cannot acquire land as a foreigner and it must be held through a Mexican corporation. Look into that.

For the commute, a Sentri pass is the only option.

[geos]

Originally Posted by moved

I live in Tijuana, and work in San Diego. The border crossing can be really at bad times, unless you have a Sentri pass. It can take you anywhere from 1-4 hours to cross, and it's not difficult, just time consuming because you're just sitting in line waiting for the cars to move. There is no ferry to San Diego, and residency isn't required.

How's the crime in TJ? I keep hearing about the drug wars in border towns.

[CNYC]

Rosarito to SD everyday would a nightmare commute even on a good day.

You should look into the Playas (beach) area of Tijuana where you can rent a place for under $500...lots of options in that area.

If you aren't familiar with mexican culture don't speak spanish and are used to american comforts with no flexibility don't move to mexico. If you want to live like an american in TJ because it's cheap the locals won't respect you.

If none of the above applies to you and you are adventurous by all means do it. Mexico isn't for everybody but for the right person it is a wonderful fit.

IMO the gringos who do well in TJ are the ones who are down on their luck financially (welfare ssi) or single men with no families. A few other groups fit the bill too like artists drug addicts america haters outcasts.

I do very well in Tijuana ! I don't live there but I do spend 5 weeks at a time just in TJ alone. When I do I couldn't care less about crossing back to the USA.

*** My only complaint with TJ is the fear of run ins with the police. It doesn't matter if you are a model citizen. You will need to confront them eventually and it gets really annoying having to watch your back all the time. The trade off needs to be worth it to you.

Fear of violence ? Absolutely possible. I've seen some really nasty street fights down there. Nothing like the USA when cops break it up in seconds. I've seen women and men beaten to a pulp. Street justice rules in TJ.

[geos]

Originally Posted by CNYC

*** My only complaint with TJ is the fear of run ins with the police. It doesn't matter if you are a model citizen. You will need to confront them eventually and it gets really annoying having to watch your back all the time. The trade off needs to be worth it to you.

Confront, as in bribe "requests"? My friend goes to Playa del Carmen regularly and complains about how the police stop his vehicle regularly on any flimsy pretext to get bribes.

[CNYC]

Originally Posted by geos

Confront, as in bribe "requests"? My friend goes to Playa del Carmen regularly and complains about how the police stop his vehicle regularly on any flimsy pretext to get bribes.

Anything is possible in TJ. Having said that I'd also like to mention that people in TJ are some of the nicest people you will ever meet. You just need to have your head on a swivel and watch what you do.

[bloom]

They just captured Shorty. Does that necessarily mean a new spike in violence until a new lord is crowned?

[moved]

Originally Posted by geos

How's the crime in TJ? I keep hearing about the drug wars in border towns.

The crime isn't any worse than San Diego. The media blows everything out of proportion.

[moved]

Originally Posted by CNYC

Rosarito to SD everyday would a nightmare commute even on a good day.

You should look into the Playas (beach) area of Tijuana where you can rent a place for under $500...lots of options in that area. Playas and Zona Rio are the most expensive areas of TJ, and a place can run well over $500 per month, especially since Playas is on the beach.

If you aren't familiar with mexican culture don't speak spanish and are used to american comforts with no flexibility don't move to mexico. If you want to live like an american in TJ because it's cheap the locals won't respect you. Not necessarily true.

If none of the above applies to you and you are adventurous by all means do it. Mexico isn't for everybody but for the right person it is a wonderful fit. This is true.

IMO the gringos who do well in TJ are the ones who are down on their luck financially (welfare ssi) or single men with no families. A few other groups fit the bill too like artists drug addicts america haters outcasts. This is definitely not true!

I do very well in Tijuana ! I don't live there but I do spend 5 weeks at a time just in TJ alone. When I do I couldn't care less about crossing back to the USA.

*** My only complaint with TJ is the fear of run ins with the police. It doesn't matter if you are a model citizen. You will need to confront them eventually and it gets really annoying having to watch your back all the time. The trade off needs to be worth it to you. I haven't had a problem with getting stopped yet, and I work nights.

Fear of violence ? Absolutely possible. I've seen some really nasty street fights down there. Nothing like the USA when cops break it up in seconds. I've seen women and men beaten to a pulp. Street justice rules in TJ.

If you want fights, just hang around the bars, you won't see them anywhere else.