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Moving to Monterrey

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MDavid
  2/5/2007 18:07 EST

I am a Real Estate Broker in California planning on moving to Mexico. I have 4 children all under 5 years old. I choose Monterrey primarily for safety and business. I have never lived in Mexico and have only visited a few times. Anyone live or work in Monterrey? Need advise for activities for young children and jobs for real estate other than starting your own company...

jag
  2/11/2007 10:34 EST

Hi MDavid,

I will be moving to Monterrey with my wife and new born son in March of 2007. My company is sending me there for a short term assignment. I would like to correspond with people who are either living in Monterrey or will be moving to Monterrey. I also need to understand what resources are available for my wife while we are in Mexico. Look forward to hearing from you.

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MDavid
  2/12/2007 16:58 EST

I'll be having my new born at the end of May and will be doing a lot of research on hospitals and infant care resources. I will either wait until I have the baby here, or fly back for that month to have the baby here in California. Ill let you know what info I find there. Do you know what areas are good to live in Monterrey? I have emailed two agents, one from Remax and the other from Century 21... it's been about two weeks and I have no response. Any info you have would be helpful. I will probably take a trip to Monterrey before we move. Thanks for responding. Keep in touch.
MDavid

RVGRINGO
  2/13/2007 11:43 EST

I hope that you realize that in order to live in Mexico, you will need to prove that you have financial resources sufficient to obtain the FM3 Visa. You may not work in Mexico without a work endorsement to that visa for a specific job at a specific location; very difficult to obtain without a sponsor company, perhaps even then. Basically, you can't work at something that a Mexican national can do. Here in Jalisco, such permits are almost impossible to obtain.

homesweetmexico
  2/13/2007 13:49 EST

I wish I could tell you about Monterrey, but I learned something here in Cuernavaca, that I think might be similar in Monterrey.

I had my baby here in Mexico and I found that it's really hard to find a gynecologist who won't do unnecessary C-sections. We actually had a scary experience when our gynecologist lied to us to get us to do an unneeded and invasive procedure (for which he'd charge a lot of money). Luckily a midwife that I'd met at La Leche League told me to get a second opinion and gave me a referral to a great gynecologist (who happens to be a US expat). The second gynecologist was a really God-send and all of my questions were answered with lab tests that indicated that we didnt need the procedure. (The midwife was also our birth class instructor, which was a good experience for us, too.)

In the end we had a wonderful delivery here in Mexico and I wouldn't change the experience for the world.

Ask around for referrals but then make sure that you get to know your doctor. The one who lied to us came highly recommended by another expat, but for us, he was not a good match.

MDavid
  2/15/2007 02:03 EST

My husband was born in Mexico, so if it is a problem for me to work there he can. My license doesn't mean much over there anyway. I could get dual nationality through my husband, but I heard I might loose some of my US rights that way.

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MDavid
  2/15/2007 02:05 EST

Homesweetmexico

Thanks for the insights, Ill contact La Leche Legue for their resources whether I have the baby here or there. Ill still need a good pediatrician the newborn and my other children, so I am sure they can give me various referals.

zyany
  2/15/2007 08:16 EST

Hi MDavid

If your husband is mexican, then you are entitled to an FM3 as a "familiar" and therefore you can work without sponsoring, however your husband has to demonstrate that he can support you and has to write a letter to the Foreing Relations Office (SRE).

homesweetmexico
  2/15/2007 13:12 EST

Your welcome MDavid.

I hope there is a La Leche League in Monterrey. If not someone in LLL here in Cuernavaca might know someone....

Congratulations on your next little one.

My husband was born here, too. It's quite an adventure. I love the way the cultural experiences help me to grow as a person.

Anyway, I thought you might like to know that I created a web site called www.home-sweet-mexico.com and I sell an ebook on it called Mexico: The Trick is Living Here. You might like to look at my web site and my book might be helpful for you. They both cover details that are a challenge that first year or so that you are in Mexico when you get culture shock.

Anyway, enjoy your adventure and have fun with all your little ones. Mexico is a great place to have kids because everyone talks to them and includes them.

jag
  2/17/2007 18:12 EST

In response to your question about 'areas to live in Monterrey', San Pedro is the first answer I get when posing the question to local residents. My assignment starts on March 5th and my family will join me within 3 weeks. I will be doing an extensive search of areas to live since San Pedro is more than an hour commute from my place of business (Apodaca).

Sorry for the delay in responding - I had no idea that so many people were plugged in to this forum.

frankmariela
  2/28/2007 00:20 EST

hi

Just a quick note on the FM3 that someone mentioned earlier.

I found it easy to get, i am married to a mexican national but i got it because I have a degree on the strength i was going to be self employed. So dont be put off.

It dose take about 6 weeks and some paperwork, but so long as you are organised you should have no problem.

It you need and help or tips please e-mail me

[email protected].

good luck

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pgv98
  3/6/2007 11:08 EST

You have to remember that Mexico has one of the strictest immigration laws in the Americas (it is a felony with deportation and possible jail sentence to be in the country or work illegally.)

I am married to a Mexican citizen (in Mexico), and it does NOT entitle me to a working FM3, and I have a graduate degree from ITESM (Tec de Monterrey).

As for working in Monterrey, it is very difficult. The salaries are very low (but better than most of Mexico except Mexico City). Your best bet is to be an engineer or technician for a US or Canadian manufacturing company and be transferred to Monterrey for a short term assignment.

You can also start your own business, but you need a lot of local knowledge and the cash to fund it, you will not get much financing.

I have seen Americans be successful real estate brokers here but only for Industrial Real Estate and you need some connections to break into that as well as a strong command of the Spanish language if you want to get any industrial or land listings.

MDavid
  3/7/2007 13:46 EST

Jag

Have you arrived in Monterrey yet? Still waiting from a response from those real estate agents on places for lease, so when you get there any insights on different parts of the city would be helpful. Especially around the San Pedro area. Thanks.

Decided to wait until June to move after babies born... thanks everyone for your help.

rsissel
  3/11/2007 10:02 EST

Hi,
Since Apodaca is located on the outskirts of Monterrey (or so it appears on my map), you may want to look for housing in a nearby small town. I have visited Carmen (just north on the way to Topo Chico) and found it very pleasant, a and, I believe, relatively inexpensive. (I stay with others so I'm not sure. I do know that I can study Spanish at a school there for $300 a month which includes everything.) It takes only about 20 minutes to drive downtown from there. You may be able to find a similar situation near Apodaca. Good luck.
-Rod

jag
  3/29/2007 06:17 EST

Hi Everyone

I posted a long response two weeks ago but it is not on the correspondence chain. Anyway, I am driving and shopping and living in Monterrey. I have been here for 3 weeks and my family will join me next week. I am living in a district known as Valle Oriente which is 3 blocks from the San Pedro district. My commute is 25 minutes in the morning and 1 hour in the evening. The traffic is not as bad as I heard it was, but its still going to be an adjustment. Since I am still learning my way around, I can only offer San Pedro as my location of choice. I drive through Gaudalupe and work in Apodaca. There are apartment compounds along my route that look nice, but there is a distinct difference between those areas and San Pedro. I'll keep you posted.

eliot1868
  7/12/2007 13:24 EST

I am a British National and have lived in Monterrey for nearly nine years. If you have any questions that I can help with contact me [email protected]
I work for a company of moving services her in monterrey.

SuzannaMaria
  7/13/2007 09:07 EST

Hmm, how did I miss this interesting topic? Too much time at the beach maybe? Just wanted to say that I am a Canadian who has been living in Mexiico for almost 6 years now. I have 2 kids so I can definately answer any questions about raising kids in Mexico. I am currently in Playa del Carmen though.

Suzanne Marie Bandick, Life Coach and author of: Only in Mexico, You Say? The Humorous Side of Living in Mexico. www.SuzanneMarieBandick.com

grossy144
  8/20/2007 17:06 EST

I saw your message and I was also offered a short-term assignment to go to Monterrey, Mexico. I have only visited Monterrey one time and am unfamiliar with the area. What type of housing/lodging arrangement did your company provide? I am very concerned about location and safety and living conditions.

adan
  1/31/2008 08:02 EST

excelent option for people who wants a nice departament with 5 strar hotel service www.ellegado.com.mx

Newtrail
  6/24/2008 10:08 EST

hi guys, loved this thread. I've been living in MTY for 2.5 years live in a very nice corner of San Pedro and work for an American Co. If anyone would like some help shoot me a line. To San Pedro is like a suburb of the states.

Luchy
  8/14/2008 08:54 EST

Dear Eliot, I am thinking to move to Monterrey, never been there. How is to work there? to live there? private school? housing?DO you know perhaps a safe area to,live? Thanks L

integra1
  8/18/2008 16:20 EST

Hi,

Glad to see all the discussion going on around moving to Monterrey.

I am British and live in Monterrey with my Mexican husband. I also have a relocation company here (Integra Relocation Solutions).

I wrote an article this week on this site about what to expect when moving to Monterrey which might be helpful. For information on relocation support available, please see my website: www.integra-mty.com

Good luck!

HMK
  5/7/2009 14:39 EST

My boyfriend, whom is Mexican, is taking over a company down here and I have been here awhile trying to find a position in a company, but no companies want to hire me without an FM3 and the govt doesn't want to give an FM3 without a confirmed position. I am not fluent in Spanish, but have been taking classes, so the positions I can work in here are limited due to my Spanish non-fluency. Are there many American/European companies here that would offer sponsorship or be willing to hire a foreigner?

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