30 June 2006

Planning to retire in Mexico?

Anyone living or planning to live on a fixed income has to be becoming concerned with the rising cost of living and looking for ways to cut expenses and still live a comfortable life. For many Americans (the US State Department estimates as many as 1 million), the answer is retiring in Mexico. In the article US Population in Mexico Forecast to Grow they quote the Dallas News:

“Up to 10 million Americans live abroad, according to U.S. CensusBureau figures. Because of its proximity, Mexico has drawn asignificant portion of that group. The exact number is an elusive statistic, despite the efforts of researchers - governmental as well as academic - on both sides of the border. American and Mexican developers are building condominiums, resorts and in some cases entire communities in hopes of enticing Americans south. Foreigners, regardless of their immigration status, can now own homes in their own names.”

A good website to start your research on retiring to Mexico is The People’s Guide to Mexico by Carl Franz and Lorena Havens, where they suggest to “Move To Mexico - Retire, Live, Work & Study.” Included on the site are useful pages on many topics about a decision to retire in Mexico, including:

• What will it Costs?

• Where will I Live?

• Rent/Buy/Build

• Working In Mexico

• Best of Mexico

• Puerto Vallarta, Lake Chapala, Ajijic, San Miguel de Allende, Mazatlan

• Buying Property

• Condos

• Real Estate Ads

And that’s just a sample of what you’ll find at the People’s Guide to Mexico. One section of the site to make sure to read is the reader’s stories about their adventures in Mexico. If others can enjoy their retirement in beautiful sunny Mexico, why not you?