Christina

You know, when I was just there in Guanajuato (now I could see that much more than PDC), I met an American young retiree couple and what they did was go to Guanajuato for the summer when it was so hot back home (they were from New Orleans). They rented a house or villa or something. So they lived in Mexico about four months, but then went back to the US for the winter. Made sense to me, as at that age, you should have your primary residence mortgage paid off anyway. And if you are retired, you wouldn't need an income-producing job. They actually drove down there from New Orleans every year (through Texas), said it took a couple days.

emd3

Christina, to each his own. A lot of people enjoy living in PDC. I have lots of non-MX friends who live and work there and are raising their kids there too, and who not want to live anywhere else. Many people do not want to live in a smaller town, they enjoy Playa's proximity to all the Yucatan and QR offers, and they have a good work and a strong community in Playa, both with the other non-MX folks and with the Mexicans as well.

As for you better have a lot of money if you want to retire to MX full time, well, you better have a lot of money saved if you are going to retire in the U.S. full time too.

Your mention of health insurance is thought provoking. I am not sure how people handle that. There is very good dental care in MX in larger towns and cities. And very good medical care that costs significantly less than in the U.S. But I am not sure what people do when they move there full time if they want to have health insurance.

Suze, I know a youngish European man who has opened and run several very successful bars (with food too, but primarily bars) in Playa, and he has sold them off after he gets them up and running and popular (including the very popular Tequila Barrel on 5th Ave). He has done well financially from that. If you are thinking about investing in an endeavor like that in PV, try to learn some abt the investment business laws down there and start getting recs for a good lawyer who could review your investment contract if the time comes, and who can help you if anything goes south (well further south, you know what I mean) with your investment deal- that is key.

If we move to MX after retirement we would live there half of the year and return to the U.S. the other half- with what months are spent where depending on the weather in both places.

suze

Thanks emd3, wise and sound advice. I also am not planning a full-time retirement in Mexico, rather for part of the year, keeping the condo I own, finances, health care, based here in Seattle.

The idea of some kind of investment in a PV business seemed possibly a way to get more into the local community, rather than expecting it to be a big money-maker or sole means of support.

cabron

Re: Health Insurance, I'm with IMSS here, you can not have any preexisting conditions, but for me, being over 60, it costs me approximately US$300 a year! it covers everything including drugs.
I take care of my health, this is just for emergencies, like when the bus hits me

Rohelio

Well said emd3, I do believe Christina has been to PDC and got stuck in the tourist area, (which is easy to do) simply unaware that there is more to Playa than 5th ave. Just like PV, if you stay in the Hotel zone (which in my opinion is just like Cancun), you will come away with the idea that it is but a tourist destination and nothing more. If you take the time to visit or stay in other areas of Playa on either side of the Caratera federal, you will come to realize that there is a whole world of communities and neighbourhoods with regular schools and malls and services for common folk who run their daily lives as we do back home. When you vacation in Mexico for 1 or 2 weeks at a time, you see what the tourists see, but if you live there for months at a time (as I have and still do) it becomes flagrantly clear that Mexicans (wether in Playa or PV) are just like the rest of us who live and work as best they can and hopefully can retire to a more relaxed and comfortable way of life.

baldone

For our health insurance, we use Clements Worldwide. It's about $250 a month for my wife and I. She's 62 and I'm 59. 5K deductible per person per year. Any doctor or hospital in Mexico, and any in-network dr. anywhere in the US should we choose treatment there. Routine stuff, (dental, chiropractor, meds) we pay out of pocket and re-imburse ourselves with our US HSA. Maybe someday we'll go the IMSS route, but for now we can afford not to.
As for having a lot of money saved up, that's kinda vague. I suppose we spend about $2400 a month, and could do with a lot less, as we eat out several times a week. But our house is paid for.

emd3

I agree about the other side of Hwy 307 in Playa! I go to the mall over there and shop at the Chedraui and Walmart over there also. I have been to fairs ( with amusement rides, etc) over there also, nice events for local families. There is a new motocross course now just on the other side of 307 at the CTM (which I think is Calle 48). When there are races there, lots of good food vendors set up and it is a big community deal. There is a university over on the ejido side also. Lots of very cool neighborhoods over there. Definitely not touristy, it's the real heart of Playa for locals. When the locals want to go to the beach, they drive there, lol.

Thanks for the insurance info, I am off to look up IMSS and Clements. That info should come in handy for the OP as well.

Stewbear

Once I was sure I wanted to live full time in Mexico, start a business, even had a business plan until I started to talk to people who had done so. FAR FAR more complicated & difficult than I imagined.
A dear friend who is of Mexican decent & speaks Spanish as a first language had a rough time. It took her almost 18 months to get opened. She now has one of the most successful business in PV but it took years of hard work.
I have since come to realize 4 months of a year is perfect for me. Then 4 in The Trinity Alps of wilderness California split in between at my San Francisco Bay area home of 2 times a year each of 2 months duration.
So no fuss, no residence requirements & my life is almost perfect!

jamie99

Old thread

emd3

It does not matter that it is an old thread, the info here is still good and relevant. And Stewbear is a beloved contributing member of this forum.

Stewbear, thank you for posting and bringing this thread back to the top, as I have just reread it and need to look up info on some things shared here. We are loving our 2nd condo in PLaya del Carmen and are spending a lot of time there, and thinking more about spending 5 months a year there.

janisj

>>Stewbear, thank you for posting and bringing this thread back to the top,

cybor

Re: Starting your own business. We found the incorporating our business process to be very easy. Course, we did use a lawyer, needed at least a temporary residence, proof of renting or house ownership and a few other things. We also need to go to a notary (Mexico's version of a serious lawyer). The notaries are what slowed our process down because they're very busy and need to file all your paperwork for you.
Anyhow, we're in Merida and can work for ourselves or others as contracted labor if we choose. There's lots of opportunity here in Yucatan's capital city.

baldone

Yeah, I didn't think it was that big of a deal either. Essentially, I did mine as the equivalent to a sole proprietorship in the US. Simply went to immigration and applied for a lucrativa, then to Hacienda to get my RFC (tax ID). And that was it. It's even easier now, since if you can qualify for the Residente Permanente from the get-go, you don't need the lucrativa. And as far as the tax filings went, I hired an accountant for $100 MXN a month to do the filings. I could have done it myself, but I'm a flojo.
Since this thread also touched on Mexican health care, here's an interesting link:
http://mexiconewsdaily.com/mexicolif...e-differences/
As for being a full-time expat, we too started out on the 4 month plan, 2 in the winter, 2 in the summer to escape the cold and heat respectively in the US Midwest. That plan lasted all of 2 weeks. There's something invigorating about going through the process of the move, immigration, building a home, and just day to day living, and for all intents, having nothing to go back to in the states. We get to go places that few tourists ever see or can easily get to, since we have a car and are fluent Spanish speakers. So far, no regrets. Now, I may change my mind when it comes to end-of-life decisions (sounds like I'm talking about Windows XP, ugh). But for now, as Jimmy Buffet sang, I'd rather die while I'm living than live while I'm dead....

Badmojomn

Hello. Does anyone know if I can still work for US hospitals using their internet down there? I am a medical biller and I access hospital accounts. I wasn't sure so I thought I would put this question out there. We plan to retire mainly on my husbands retirement and we wanted to eventually establish permanent residency and my extra income would just be an added extra bonus. Setting up a residence address in the states with my daughter and just working from my pc in Mexico. Thanks for any input !

baldone

If your employer (or whatever your arrangement is) will allow it, then sure. Sometimes broadband internet can be unstable, so be sure you've got a good ISP. Where we live now, we have to use wireless/microwave which is not 100% reliable. But it lets me do what I need to do most of the time. I do have a VOIP phone and their app lets me make calls from my cell and calls appears as a US number so that's handy. And a VPN router is a good idea.