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Mexico: f/n over whelmed ?:
I don't know if this will help but i will gladly offer you my two cents worth.
I have been living in Mexico since 2013 and have not purchased health insurance. There are two separate government sponsored / subsidized health programs and I have heard of expats availing themselves of both. There are private insurers as well. However, the costs for most healthcare services in Mexico are such that I simply pay out of pocket when I see a doctor. I also have some savings that I keep in reserve "just in case." All in all, unless you have an existing, chronic condition that requires frequent care, I would suggest you take a wait and see attitude toward health insurance.
Regarding banking, some expats immediately open a local bank account and others, who have been here for years, still have only a U.S. bank account. For the most part, unless you need to have ready access to relatively large sums of money (i.e. several thousand U.S. dollars), the best advice seems to be to keep your money in a U.S. bank and use an ATM for cash when needed and a credit / debit card for daily purchases.
Two things to mention here. First, you may want to find a bank that does not charge you fees for ATM withdrawals in Mexico. Several expats have mentioned a Charles Schwabb account. I have my account with Ally Bank. They let me make ATM withdrawals in Mexico with no fees and even reimburse the fees the local ATM charges me.
The second thing to consider about banking is maintaining a U.S. address. I have a U.S. mailing address through a UPS Store in Texas. But, many others use the home address of a close relative or friend. Either way, if you can maintain at least the appearance of a U.S. address, it could simplify banking and some other issues as well.
For the most part, I would say just don't overthink this. Take a few exploratory trips to places you think you might like. Get some first hand knowledge of the place, the people, the climate, etc. and then make a choice based on how you feel about the place. However, rent for a while before you purchase a home. This way, if you find after a few months that you're not entirely happy with your choice, you can up and move with few consequences.
Mexico: In answer to "have you eexperienced anti amercanism thread.:
I agree with you louixo. I too thought this was a forum where folks looking for information about emigrating to Mexico could ask questions and get responses from others who have already made the move. I have been living in Mexico full time for over four years now and I come here to see if someone new to Mexico or just thinking about moving here has questions that I might be able to answer.
About the most "anti-american" experience I have had since moving here is reading all the vitriol and hate, from both left and right, here on this forum; and specifically in the thread you are referencing. I am not a Trump supporter, in fact very far from it. But the inane prognostications of some people, again both left and right, are completely over the top and entirely out of place on this forum.
If you need a place to vent your spleen, I am sure there are many, many places on the internet that will allow you to do just that. So, out of respect for those of us who come here with either questions or answers regarding emigrating to Mexico; or even out of respect for the country where a great many of us still have friends, relatives and citizenship; can we please move the political rants to some other board?
Mexico: Crime in Mexico?:
I would recommend looking at crime in Mexico from two different perspectives; violent crimes and property crimes. Generally speaking, it appears that the vast majority of the violent crimes are committed by the cartels and against other cartel members or those attempting to disrupt cartel "business." If you are not involved with a cartel, and are not in a position where you are attempting to interfere with them, you have little to worry about personally with respect to this type of crime. It is true that innocents can get caught at the wrong place at the wrong time and become inadvertent victims but, this is not a very common occurrence.
On the other hand, property crimes are a bit more common and are not always restricted to the "dangerous areas." There are a couple of steps you should take to reduce your chances of being a victim of property crime. First, do not make a conspicuous display of your wealth. Walking around with a lot of gaudy jewelry, flashing large wads of cash, even driving an expensive luxury car (or having it parked in plain site at your house) can make you a target.
Second, invest in some protection for your house. Putting bars on windows, installing security cameras and / or electrified parameter wires, getting an intimidating looking dog are all relatively simple steps you can take to discourage would-be criminals from targeting your house.
Summing it up, concerns about violent crime are probably largely overblown unless you plan to become involved with a drug cartel. On the other hand, the poverty rate in Mexico does correspond to a significant number of property crimes. However, there are steps you can take to avoid becoming a target.
Mexico: income taxes:
Let me start by correcting something you wrote in the original post that is incorrect. Mexico DOES NOT tax residents on their worldwide income. The good 'ol USA is actually the only country on the planet that does that. So, if you end up having income in Mexico, you will have to declare that income on your U.S. tax return and you may possibly have to pay a tax on that income.
Now, I am not an accountant or a tax attorney in either the U.S. or Mexico. However, my understanding is that Mexico does not tax retirement income from the U.S. I know from personal experience that Mexico does not tax ordinary income of either temporary or permanent residents if that income is earned outside of Mexico. I live here as a Residente Permanente and have been working on-line for the entire time I have been here. I spoke directly with a representative of SAT (the Mexican tax authority) and was told that Mexico does not tax income unless the "economic benefit" of the work that generates that income is delivered in Mexico.
Mexico: Mexico options:
You might want to take a look at Colima. I have lived here for four years and really love it here. Colima is not right on the beach; we are 30 minutes from Cuyutlan, a small beach area known mostly by locals, and an hour from Manzanillo. Since this is not a resort town and not a big expat enclave, prices here are very reasonable. You can buy a typically Mexican home here for about $800,000 MXN (around $40,000 USD). Or, a really nice house in a more "upper-middle class" neighborhood for maybe $2 million MXN ($100,000 USD). Of course, there are homes much cheaper $800,000 and much more expensive than $2 million but, in that range there is quite a variety of really nice housing.
This time of year, the weather here is almost perfect. The nights are cool and it usually warms up nicely during the day. According to the Accuweather app on my phone, it is currently (9:00 AM) 68 degrees; they expect a high today of 91 and a low tonight of 62. That is generally the kind of weather we get from November through March.
But, the summer months can be a bit brutal. It is not just the heat but the humidity gets bad here. However, we are also just a few minutes drive from some areas of higher elevation where, even in the summer, it is really quite pleasant.
So, it might be worth your time to spend a day or two in Colima to check things out before you make a final decision.
Mexico: SSA Benefits, deposit on USA bank?:
I have heard great things about Schwab also but I am also very happy with my checking account at Ally bank. This is just a simple checking account; no brokerage account attached or anything else. But, I can withdraw money from any ATM here in Mexico and Ally reimburses me any fees they charge. I occasionally need to call them and remind them that I am "travelling in Mexico for the foreseeable future." But otherwise, this account has worked very well for me. No monthly service charges, no ATM fees at any ATM in the U.S. or Mexico (I would imagine in other countries too but I have not personally tried it out). And I get great exchange rates.
Having said all that, I do have an account with a bank here in Mexico as well. At times I need to transfer rather larger sums and so having a Mexican bank account helps with that. This particular bank, Intercam, maintains accounts in the U.S. so I can make a domestic transfer to one of their U.S. accounts and then the money gets credited to my account in Mexico. Also, when I am anticipating making a transfer, I can contact my banker at Intercam and get that day's exchange rates. That way, I know what I am going to get before I make the transfer.
Mexico: Which Pacific Coastal Comminity?:
You don't mention where you are living now or what sort of budget you have for the property you want. But, let me mention a few things that you need to know. First off, unless you are a Mexican citizen, you cannot actually purchase land in proximity (within 50 kilometers) of the coast. Instead, you have to use a type of trust called a fideicomiso. You have all rights to use the land but, technically, you do not own it.
Also, residential lots tend to be much smaller in Mexico than in the U.S. Finding five acres along the coast is likely going to be a challenge. Residential land is priced by the meter and five acres is over 20,000 square meters. Anywhere near the coast this is likely to be somewhere in the range of $5,000 pesos per meter or somewhere around $5 million USD.
But, Mexico has a lot of Pacific coast and you may very well be able to find exactly what you're looking for. Buena Suerte.
Mexico: expenses in mexico:
It is almost impossible for someone else to tell you what it will cost for you to live comfortably in Mexico. This is because everyone's definition of a comfortable living is different. For some, it might be a small one bedroom house or apartment with no yard or garage to speak of. For others, it might mean a 4000 sq ft house with large yard in a gated community. Obviously, the costs of those two "comfortable" livings will be different. But, there are a few things you should know.
There are income requirements to get a resident visa in Mexico. I am not sure what those are at this moment but, $1,300 USD per month per person is probably in the ballpark. And with that kind of money you can live quite well in many parts of Mexico. I am just not sure the Cozumel area is one of them. The tourist enclaves and resort areas are always going to be more expensive than the less frequented cities. And larger cities are going to cost more than smaller ones.
I am living in Colima and here you could live quite well on the minimum amount required for a visa; particularly if you have the money to purchase a home instead of renting. Here you can buy a nice size home, say around 1,800 sq ft in a decent (not gated) neighborhood for less than $2 million pesos (just under $100,000 USD). But even if you rent, you can find decent accommodations for $5,000 or $6,000 pesos a month ($250 - $300 USD).
Regarding the Jeep, I have not priced those here. But, it is possible to get a decent, late model used car (nothing fancy but serviceable) for $120,000 to $140,000 pesos ($6,000 to $7,000 USD). As for other expenses, we (my wife and I) spend less than $80 USD a week at the grocery store and maybe another $35 or so eating out. We may spend $20 a week on gas. Our electric bill is usually less than $4o per month and phone is about $20. All told, when adding in all the incidentals, we are probably spending about $1,100 to $1,200 USD per month without paying rent or a car payment.
Mexico: Moving Questions:
I have never tried to find a mortgage here in Mexico so I cannot give you any firsthand information. However, I do know that private mortgages are fairly rare here even for Mexican citizens. I rather doubt you will find anything as a newcomer here.
You may find some owner financed property available but that would probably come via word-of-mouth when you're actually in that area. It is unlikely you would find anything like that advertised.
Moving a house full of furniture from the Pacific Northwest to Mexico would very likely be cost prohibitive. You can certainly check with the national name-brand movers like Mayflower and Atlas, or just google "international moving companies." But, most expats moving to Mexico find it much cheaper and better all the way around to sell / give away most of their furniture in the U.S. and replace it after moving to Mexico.
All in all, your best bet is to come to Mexico on a 180 tourist permit and rent a place in your desired location. Spend some time there and really get to know the area. The Lake Chapala / Ajijic area is Mexico's largest expat area so, while there, you can meet and talk with other expats who have already made the move. That will give you the best, first-hand information you can get.
Mexico: Cuyutlan colima:
I live in Colima, Colima and have visited Cuyutlan only once. I will say that I was actually very pleasantly surprised. For such a small town, the malecon seemed fairly large with lots of seafood restaurants, bars and other vendors. It is an older looking town and I have no idea what it would be like to live there full time. Things like grocery shopping, seeing a doctor or dentist, getting car repairs, etc. might mean a trip into Tecoman or even Colima.
If I wanted to live right on the beach (not really my thing) and had limited means (I do), Cuyutlan would definitely be one of the places I would consider. I have no idea the prices for beach front lots or finished houses there but I would guess them to be considerably less expensive than Manzanillo and way less than places like Puerto Vallarta or Cancun.
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