My girlfriend and I have been drooling over SMA as depicted on the web and consequently have a few questions. Our status is such that I have ample funds to qualify for a temporary resident visa. Essentially, I’m retired with a pension. My girlfriend does not have ample funds, but can certainly visit unrestricted for 180 days. She speaks some Spanish and has an art background. I speak no Spanish. We’re living in Chicago. Ideally, we would like to close out our apartment here at the end of May, come to SMA for the 180 day period, take some classes, get the lay of the land and get a sense for real estate, with an eye toward nice rentals initially, then ownership once the experience proves appealing on a long-term basis. Given that I will certainly qualify to stay a year and can even extend that, are there work-arounds for my girlfriend? My understanding is that even leaving the country at the end of 180 days and trying to return before another 180 days has passed is NOT an option. I don’t know if this is firm, or if there’s a reigning contrast between the letter of the law and the spirit of the law in this matter. I also don’t know if there would be a way for her to be employed, though she doesn’t need employment to live. In short, I have enough money for both of us, but we’re not married and the money is in my name. And in a different area of inquiry, is Guanajuato something of a “San Miguel that goes by another name”? In other words, are the two cities very similar? On some of the expat forums I see that more than a few people have left SMA for Guanajuato, but can’t tell if this is relatively uncommon, done for economic reasons, etc. I wonder if you have input on that. I realize that we can explore Guanajuato once we get to SMA, but I would be interested in your thoughts ahead of time. And speaking of arriving in SMA, I had thought of arranging something through AirBnB, but wonder if you’re aware of a source for looking at rentals (very nice small furnished rentals in a nice area in which a car is not required) that include the items one would not normally pack in a backpack, such as linens, cutlery, kitchen goods, etc. I suspect AirBnB is the best for all-inclusive rentals, but six months seems like a long time for AirBnB.

I moved to Mexico from Colorado in September. Love it. There are many things to learn. I had heard that the Mexican mail system was unreliable. I have taken a box with MailboxesEtc. They have several stores in Puerto Vallarta. It costs about $40 per month and if you receive more than two kilos of mail and packages it becomes prohibitively expensive at a cost of $16/kilo. I checked FedX and UPS. They are horribly expensive too. With UPS a letter costs $54 US. Packages are ridiculous. What other options are there. Customs is another conundrum. I have been unable to come up with a really detailed list of what can make it through Mexican customs. I am under the impression that medications, medical devices, computer printer ink, and a host of other items will not survive the trip through customs and be confiscated. There are many items commonly available in the US that I have not found in PV after a through search. I am interested in gleaning the experience of other ExPats.

A lot has been written about Lake Chapala but there is also places like San Miguel Allende, Cabo, La Paz and Loreto. It's all becoming a bit hard to decide where to retire to. Has anyone been to this places and able to tell me what the differences would be?

Hey, everyone. Name's Tim. I live in the frozen North, up in Minnesota and I have sworn and vowed to move AWAY from this God-forsaken ice factory as soon as I can possibly afford to after I finish school. Naturally, I have a few questions I'd like to ask, so here goes. My tentative plan is to teach English there. I know, I know. Go ahead and laugh. Get it outta yer system. I've read about how that's nearly impossible to live on, but here's the thing; I think have a bit of an advantage, here. I get veterans disability benefits every month. It won't be enough to live on by itself, but I'm pretty sure it means I won't have to work AS MUCH to get by down there, but I need to figure out just how much I WILL have to work. What's the average pay for just one teaching gig down there? Just one. Or maybe I should say "EACH teaching gig". I'm trying to figure out how many jobs I'll hafta hold down to live comfortably, hopefully without going insane. I have experience teaching Engish. I did it in South Korea for four years and I still do it online today. My plan is to go to one of those schools where they get you certified with a CELTA or something similar and then they help you find your first job. Sound good? I'm currently going to school to study computer graphics; illustration and animation. Two things about that. First, could I possibly get a job related to that field down there instead of teaching English? Second, if I CAN'T get a job in that field down there, I'd like to do my own freelance work on the side. I plan to do a lot of business online. What's the internet service like down there? Is it fast enough? Is it reliable? I might actually wanna continue teaching English online, since it probably pays better than most of the jobs I'll get there. To do that, though, I need a reliable internet connection. Am I gonna be able to get one there? Also, what do all of you do for a living down there? I understand a lot of you are retirees, but those of you who DO have jobs, what do you do there? I'd like to keep my options open as far as what kind of job I would have there. I don't actually speak much Spanish yet, but it's going to be a while before I'm ready to move down there, so I plan to study it and I plan to move some place where there's a large community of gringos to help me get by until I've got a handle on the language. Of course, I'll do my best to make friends with the locals, too. That's about all I can think of, for now. I know you're gonna shoot a few holes in my plans. That's fine. That's why I'm asking all this. Fire away. Thanks everyone. Hope to see some of you there in the next couple of years. ^_^

any adventurous mom interested in moving to state of Chihuahua,Mexico near border, to live in a community of women ? wiede,john@gmail.com

I would like to bring a Polaris Ranger down to Ajijic on a trailer. I was told that one person cannot cross the border with two vehicles. ie: you have to have two drivers in your car if you cross with two vehicles. Does anyone know if this is true?

Anyone have any suggestions on resources where I can do some reading on banking in Mexico? Am thinking of moving there and want to figure out a reliable bank relationship first. Thanks in advance.

My wife and I are now 65 and thinking of retirement in the Lake Chapala area. I've been reading everything I can find for a few months and brushing up my TexMex Spanish. We have a son with Down syndrome who is now 38, although he is the size of a 12 year old. He's a very nice, polite young man, who is functionally blind and non-verbal. (He doesn't do stairs well, likes Mexican food - and just about everything else! - and loves a swimming pool to wade in.) We are planning a little vacation/inspection trip to Chapala in the next couple of months, and would love some input from the forum. We expect to rent a house similar to what we would live in, should we relocate there. We know of many such homes for rent with VRBO, but would like to hear from someone local to help make a choice. We like traditional architecture and want to be able to walk to the Malecon and some places to eat. (We don't expect to cook much while visiting.) Our budget would be something under $500 USD for a week. So, if anyone has some suggestions for us, for a smaller house or casita with a pool and no stairs, close to cafes and in an area quiet at night, we'd love to hear from you. Here's a couple of websites which tell about us and what we have been doing for the last 5 years: http://texanempire.com/iscfhome.html https://www.facebook.com/pages/Idaho-Special-Camps-Amazing-Amigos/182479185097844?ref=hl Thanks in advance and we look forward to perhaps being members of the Lake community, Lon, Freddie and Kit longallas@yahoo.com