Living in Mexico

[madmusic]

Anyone got any hints? Passport/visa advice? Are they necessary? What about the Mexican authorities? Are they strict on "illegal aliens"? Best places to live with the least hassle from the Federales?

Just thinking, no solid plans, and just curious.

Any suggestions and success stories welcome.

EDIT: hints

[FloridaPat]

1. One country on my list.

http://www.escapeartist.com/ has got a lot of information on living a lot of different places.

There are American enclaves in Mexico. We can't buy property, but we can rent a home with a cook and/or a gardener - depending on your source - for around $350-$400 a month. Health care is free, but if you want the better insurance it's $250 A YEAR!

To move there you need $15,000 in the bank. That is an old figure. Not sure what, if any, is needed now.

[madmusic]

2. Thanks for that.

No chance of the $15,000 though. Does that kill the possibility?

[spag68]

3. Thinking of moving?

Try Panama or Ecuador, Costa Rica is good, but expensive, relatively speaking.

[madmusic]

15. Hadn't considered either. Thanks. n/t

[Art_from_Ark]

4. Wow. $350-$400 a month might get a one-room apartment

in some places here in Japan. *sigh*

Oh, well, at least Japan has no hate radio to speak of (although Pigboy's daily snorts can be heard on AFRTS radio)

[brook]

5. I'm very leery

of "350-400 a month" in Mexico. It wasn't even that cheap in the 50's and 60's. Homes in Baja, Chapala and San Miquel Allende are at least 3x that...and gone are the days when you could get a housekeeper for $75-$100 a month.

The immigration laws are also somewhat stringent. You have to leave and re-enter every 6 months as an immigrado and it takes 3 or 5 (I forget which) to get an immigrante status. There are a couple of DUers who live in Mexico...maybe they can supply more up-to-date information.

[FloridaPat]

10. Most of the figures I got from an AARP article I read within

the last year.

[OffWithTheirHeads]

9. try Silicon valley. you "might" be able to rent a storage unit

in that range but it won't come with a cleaning lady.

[alittlelark]

13. The storage unit you rent would be 10X10 under a freeway for that.

[madmusic]

16. Sounds great! Maybe a homelss wino wouldn't mind doing the maid work.

You know, for some cash under the table.

[alittlelark]

20. The homeless wino would do maid service if

allowed to live in it.... hopefully they wouldn't use grandma's punchbowl as 'the facilities'.

[mmonk]

8. There's a community you can buy into

in Baja but the government holds it in trust for you.

[UTUSN]

6. You can live royally, maids/yardsmen/cooks

If you've got a pension/Social Security/whatever. Your money will go a much longer way. Just don't be a FOOL/WISEASS/FLAMBOYANT. Blend-in. As of right now, the U.S. enjoy NO passports/visas. But PENDING in the next couple of years, courtesy of SENSENNBRENNER/TANCREDO et al., everybody's going to have a passport or somesuch. If you've got a pleasant disposition, not make waves, Mexicans will LUERVE you and go out of their way to accomodate your (whatever) needs. This is what Shrub, growing up in TX knows, that all you gotta do is say something like, "Mi casa su casa" and they will LUERVE you. That's why Rethugs of Shrub's party from non-border areas do NOT understand why he didn't go for their Minutemen agenda. Uh, I don't know what I'm answering...

[madmusic]

14. Whatever it was, it was a good answer n/t

[Art_from_Ark]

7. Kind of off topic, but one of the Google ads on this page

was pretty interesting. I'm posting from Japan, and one of the Google ads was directed at Japanese who want to apply for immigration to Canada!

Love those Google ads!

http://www.canadavisa.jp/?gclid=CNT8moCCtIgCFRmlTAodUntB7A

[FloridaPat]

11. Canada is great except for one tiny detail - the below zero temperatures

during most of the year. I lived in Minnesota for 7 years. That is all I want to see of cold weather out my front door.

[karlrschneider]

12. I lived in MN for 2 years...which was 2 years too long.

I love the people and the general ambiance but minus 40 degrees ain't my thing. No offense, I PROMISE!
:D

[qwertyMike]

17. You be the judge

http://www.bctravel.com/vicsunny.html
===========================
http://countrystudies.us/united-states/weather/minnesota/minneapolis.htm

[qwertyMike]

18. FREE

Healhthcare too

[Art_from_Ark]

19. Much of British Columbia is not so cold in winter

Along the coast, the weather is a lot like Seattle's. And northern Arkansas gets more pipe-freezing weather than Victoria or Vancouver.