So you want to move to Mexico???
More info on Mexico can be found at :
http://www.suite101.com/query.cfm?qt=Mexico&col=a+t&qc=t+a+l+d+h&Go.x=21&Go.y=9
and at www.iaqi.com/mexico
and at http://www.mexonline.com/websites.htm
and at http://www.mexicoanswers.com
and at http://www.escapeartist.com/efam/70/Living_In_Mexico.html
and at www.detailshere.com/tenacatita.htm
where I devulge our favorite beach to you - lots of pics & info
If you are traveling to Mexico with minor children you need to read the information and requirements here
AND - I received this letter from a fellow very familiar and versed with Mexican culture and knowledge of the thought process on both sides. And after living here for almost four years now I find his letter so blatantly accurate that I have to post it and share it with you. I do not consider this letter derogatory from either side. But it explains how the situation is probably better than any other resource I have come across. We love it down here. Yes, we gave up some things to make the transition. But people here treasure what is truly important; family, time, God - even if their affiliation for most here deals with a pagan religion for most part. And I would have to say the average Mexican will stop to help you if you are in trouble long before an average American will.
and www.liveinmexico.com
and http://tomzap.com/main.html
- Pacific Coast of Mexico
and http://www.mexonline.com/
and http://www.miguelsmexico.com/Real_Estate.html
regarding owning property in Mexico. Also see www.casasyterrenos.com
I moved to Mexico for the climate (it's 70-85 year round where we moved to); to get away from atmospheric pollution affecting our health by the US Gov't (see www.detailshere.com/chemtrails.htm) , for food that doesn't contain pesticides and chemical sprays because for most part they can't afford them, for economics - my property taxes here are less than $100/year compared to over $4000/year in the states, food is cheap - you can buy an 85# sack of oranges here for about $7 and have fresh squeezed OJ every day - fresh produce is extremely abundant and competitive; there is NO minority racism here as is found in the US (that I have come across yet anyway) - the people here are very friendly and helpful; the school I send my kids to in Guadalajara (Lincoln School) teach God and the bible right along with the academics and the parents have to attend sessions on how family, God, and children all tie in together. Mexico has not stuck it's nose in other people's business around the world like the US has; no one has an axe to grind with Mexico. There aren't fifteen countries gunning for Mexico to attack them with nuclear suitcase bombs and biowarfare. There are no resources to speak of worth fighting over and confiscating. It's just a peaceful country trying to go about it's own business. America has become the United States Empire. See http://www.rense.com/general21/USvsAmerica.htm for a good explanation of what I mean. That's a shame because the American people are good people, most have no idea what their government does behind their backs and how the gov't is setting them up for martial law and confiscation of life and property soon (see www.detailshere.com/worldaffairs.htm for more on this subject). We like it here; a lot. For us it was a one way trip. With several hot springs waterslide parks nearby in 80 degree weather, everything you could want from a major city within a half hour away, and the warm water ocean beaches four hours away; who wouldn't like it.
So you want to move to Mexico? Be sure and click on ALL the links at the top of this page to get more information. Moving to a foreign country, either permanently or for part of the year, is a big step, and often people teeter on the edge for years, see-sawing back and forth, not able to make up their minds. Even if you’ve traveled around Mexico and love it, you’ll find that living here is quite different from visiting.
You may need to make a test run before making a permanent move. To do this, carve out a time period of several months when you can actually live in Mexico. Take a few of your favorite things, rent an apartment and get a feel for the area. This experience may differ from the one you had as a tourist. You can stay in Mexico 180 days on a tourist visa (FMT that you get on the airplane or at the border). If you want to stay longer, apply for a Non-immigrant Visitante-Rentista (FM-3). You can get this type of visa at a Mexican Consulate in the U.S./Canada, or in Mexico. It merely allows you to live a year in Mexico, and it can be renewed. I am talking here of a non-work type FM-3. Getting a work permit in Mexico is more complicated and difficult. To get an FM-3, You’ll need a passport, two passport photos, and proof of income (currently $1,000/month for an individual, and $500/mo for each dependant.) Cost is around $115 each for the FM-3. For more specifics.
In preparation for the big move, you may also talk to people who live there (on discussion forums, by e-mail, in person). This way you can find out some basics, but you won’t know if living like an expat is for you, until you DO IT.
You'll discover that things that are simple in your hometown take time and energy in a different country, especially if you aren’t fluent in the native language.You’ll have to find not only good restaurants, but markets stands that have the freshest fruits and veggies at the best price. You'll have to learn how to prepare them so they’re safe to eat. You need to know where to pay your bills (telephone, electric, Internet), how to dispose of garbage, where to buy five-gallon jugs of drinking water, who to call when the faucett leaks, what time the English language newspaper arrives each day, and more. If you drive, you need to find a parking space.Or, you need to learn the bus routes and schedules. Simple stuff isn’t so simple in a foreign land.
Even more importantly, you’ll have to adjust to a new culture. You can read about this culture and you can experience it as a traveler, but to live in Mexico happily ever after, you must become part of a new way of life, a new way of thinking, a new way of doing. You’ll always be an outsider, a foreigner, but to what degree? There’s no money-back guarantee that you’ll integrate into the daily rythmn.
For books on how to live in a foreign environment, The Intercultural Press offers a variety of publications from “Survival Kit for Multicultural Living,” and “Doing Business in Latin America,” to “Intercultural Marriage” or “The Art of Coming Home.” (Yes, you should expect re-entry adjustment once you return stateside after living in Mexico, even if just for a visit). For other books: Expatriate’s Bookstore or Virtual Mexico’s selection of 600 books.
Prepare for your Big Move with this checklist of Things To Know Before You Go. Or, surf around Mexico Mike's website. This guy is an acknowledged expert on living and traveling in Mexico.
For tips and insights into living abroad, subscribe to free e-mail newsletter. This is particularly helpful if you’re interested in the political and economic aspects. To subscribe, send e-mail to: irg@expat-repat.com. Put “subscribe repatnewsletter” in the body of your message.
Body language and gestures are important when you’re in a foreign environment. In addition to the ones here, let me add another. If you really mean “NO,” instead of shouting or getting frustrated because pesky vendors won’t go away, merely wave your index finger back and forth, calmly, gently. It works.
We love living in Mexico. For most part you are going to have to learn Spanish; but it doesn't take much along with charades and sign language to get you by.