LaloSMA
American looking for information about Mexico
Forum posts
54
About me
American
Speaks English
Registration: 24 November 2018
Cheapest cities in Mexico by Bhavna
Hello everyone, Budget is an important consideration when moving to Mexico. Ideally, expats would settle down in a city in Mexico where the cost of living is low but where they could also enjoy a decent quality of life. Would you be able to give ...
I think there are many similarities to Ajijic and SMA but the point is you can control the experience instead of letting it control you. Higher rents in high season in tourist areas is to be expected. Cheaper living is possible off the beaten track ... Read More
Long term rental in San Miguel de Allende by bereid710
Looking to rent a furnished house in San Miguel de Allende for a minimum of a year. At least a 2/2 w/ outdoor terrace. Moving to SMA late fall 2019/early 2020.
Marty and Steve. I read and re read your comment and can鈥檛 help but ask the question if the 鈥渢wo old dogs鈥� are the canines, or you ? Jajaja. Read More
Housing market in San Miguel May 2019 by KLOremus
Just came home from a 10 day trip to San Miguel. My trip was mostly to educate myself on what's available for housing costs, best location for my money, price range options etc. to determine if San Miguel could be a do-able option moving ...
Packman - have you ever heard the joke, New York is a wonderful city, only one problem, it鈥檚 filled with New Yorkers!! Jajaja. I think that鈥檚 one of those fill in the blank type jokes. Insert any city and it still works like Chicago and ... Read More
Housing market in San Miguel May 2019 by KLOremus
Just came home from a 10 day trip to San Miguel. My trip was mostly to educate myself on what's available for housing costs, best location for my money, price range options etc. to determine if San Miguel could be a do-able option moving ...
En una boca cerrada, no hay moscas! Read More
Cheapest cities in Mexico by Bhavna
Hello everyone, Budget is an important consideration when moving to Mexico. Ideally, expats would settle down in a city in Mexico where the cost of living is low but where they could also enjoy a decent quality of life. Would you be able to give ...
It would be naive to think that because ajijic and SMA have large numbers of English speakers that the towns are void of Mexican culture. They are still 90% Mexican populations in those towns. And in those towns one can choose which components of ... Read More
Housing market in San Miguel May 2019 by KLOremus
Just came home from a 10 day trip to San Miguel. My trip was mostly to educate myself on what's available for housing costs, best location for my money, price range options etc. to determine if San Miguel could be a do-able option moving ...
I was actually responding to Steve and Marty. I鈥檓 sorry if you thought I was talking about you and your girlfriend. I also wasn鈥檛 putting down you or Steve and Marty. My comment was really based on the many senior citizen you tube ... Read More
Moving to San Miguel, good idea or bad idea? by jbills1953
My wife and I are planning to come to San Miguel for the first time to explore the possibility of moving there on a permanent basis. Any advice or helpful tips would be appreciated.
You definitely don鈥檛 want to move to Chicago then, ja ja ja. By the way, you might want to read my comment more closely. I was supporting your right to have a contrary viewpoint while offering perspective on the wide spectrum of opinions ... Read More
Housing market in San Miguel May 2019 by KLOremus
Just came home from a 10 day trip to San Miguel. My trip was mostly to educate myself on what's available for housing costs, best location for my money, price range options etc. to determine if San Miguel could be a do-able option moving ...
Wouldn鈥檛 it be an advantage to remodel an existing structure to limit the overall scope of the project? In doing so wouldn鈥檛 the dependence on timeliness and overall project length be reduced? Mexicans aren鈥檛 lazy, far from it, ... Read More
Single Retiree Receiving a Pension of $1,900 USD Per Month by Halfwaytree
If I choose to take early retirement now at age 58, my monthly pension would be 1,900 USD and will increase each year indexed to inflation. Realisticly, after paying for health insurance, rent for a studio or one bedroom apartment in a beach ...
The caravan is headed from the USA to Lake Chapala/Ajicic and ThAts where ALL future American and Canadian expats should go!! They have all heard how awful San Miguel de Allende is!! (And because I love SMA and want it all for myself) I will ... Read More
Housing market in San Miguel May 2019 by KLOremus
Just came home from a 10 day trip to San Miguel. My trip was mostly to educate myself on what's available for housing costs, best location for my money, price range options etc. to determine if San Miguel could be a do-able option moving ...
You think the crime rate in SMA has skyrocketed? Ten days ago in Chicago 21 people shot in one three hour period. It鈥檚 all relative. Mass shootings are increasing across the USA. SMA鈥檚 recent problems seem centered around the drug ... Read More
flying to San miguel from Austin, Texas by SlV2393
Any suggestions on the best fares for flights from Austin to Leon?
75 is private ride and 25 shuttle in Bajia go. Viajes de San Miguel was 35 private car single person. Competitive market, negotiate in advance. I booked through viajes US partner GO airport transportation online. Read More
Real Estate in Mexico Is NOT Cheaper?? by 4theloveofsun
For those of you who own property please correct me if you think I'm looking at this in negative light, or not seeing the "big" picture when it comes to buying a home in Mexico. The cost of living in Mexico is much better, no question ...
It very much depends on two things. Where you live in the US and where you are looking in Mexico. Somebody from SF will find ANY homes for sale in most if not all Mexican locales to be very inexpensive. However if you are from Chattanooga, TN only ... Read More
Housing market in San Miguel May 2019 by KLOremus
Just came home from a 10 day trip to San Miguel. My trip was mostly to educate myself on what's available for housing costs, best location for my money, price range options etc. to determine if San Miguel could be a do-able option moving ...
I think the slow down can be looked at as a market correction. SMA real estate is very expensive by Mexican standards. In neighboring Guanajuato city and Quer茅taro the prices are significantly cheaper. I also think SMA has been overdeveloped ... Read More
flying to San miguel from Austin, Texas by SlV2393
Any suggestions on the best fares for flights from Austin to Leon?
You may want to check viajes de San Miguel. Excellent car service. $35 from Quer茅taro airport to SMA and a 100 peso tip. Clean car professional punctual service. Drivers speak a little English. I highly recommend them. Read More
Moving to San Miguel, good idea or bad idea? by jbills1953
My wife and I are planning to come to San Miguel for the first time to explore the possibility of moving there on a permanent basis. Any advice or helpful tips would be appreciated.
Black snot ! That鈥檚 crazy talk. Houston is bad but can鈥檛 hold a candle to Gary, Ind and people don鈥檛 have black snot there. It鈥檚 unbelievable what kind of fairy tales people will make up. YES there is pollution in SMA just ... Read More
Will Sleep Apnea Be a Disqualifying Pre-Existing Condition For IMSS? by Halfwaytree
My hope is to apply for IMSS medical insurance after I get my permanent residency status for Mexico. I realize that some pre-existing conditions can prevent you from qualifying. I can't seem to find any info on the web to confirm whether or ...
Sleep apnea is not a respiratory disease. It is a neurological syndrome like narcolepsy. I have asked questions about availability of care for apnea and cost and availability of medication (modafinil) on this forum with no response. I have been on ... Read More
Emergency medical care in Mexico by Barbilou
We live fulltime in Kino Bay, travel frequently to Tucson for our medical care at the VA there. Here is my account of our recent experience with emergency medical care and surgery in ...
$400 would be a travel policy, not an expat policy. See my comment above related to ex pat policy premiums. 10000 dollar deductible M茅xico only policy $190 month if 60-64 doubles at 65 then double again at 70. It鈥檚 a very tricky space and ... Read More
Emergency medical care in Mexico by Barbilou
We live fulltime in Kino Bay, travel frequently to Tucson for our medical care at the VA there. Here is my account of our recent experience with emergency medical care and surgery in ...
Anthony, I understand and agree with your assessment of US medical system but think twice about ditching Medicare. For every year you opt out you will pay a 10 percent per year penalty for the rest of your life if you go back on Medicare. So for ... Read More
Traveling to San Miguel and Guanajuato ideas and people to meet!
For transport to or from the airport try Viajes San Miguel. To meet expats visit the zocalo (centro) or just about any restaurant or coffee shop near the centro. On Monday nights there is a gringo bingo fundraiser at Los Milagros restaurant on Calle ... Read More
Emergency medical care in Mexico by Barbilou
We live fulltime in Kino Bay, travel frequently to Tucson for our medical care at the VA there. Here is my account of our recent experience with emergency medical care and surgery in ...
With GeoBlue you only have certain providers where you don鈥檛 have to pay in advance. When I had a travel policy visiting San Miguel de Allende the only hospital that I would not have to pay upfront. And it was in Quer茅taro. I did not have ... Read More
Fishing? by SteveandMarty
A few days ago there was a message on the SMA website that a person wanted to be contacted. I did, thinking they might need help. Here is what I received today, including several pictures of a pretty young woman. I asked her to go fishing on a ...
I reject all contact requests as this an intellectual forum from my perspective. Sharing information is a positive. Any contact here seems to be with an agenda. Therefore I think it unwise to share any personal information like email address or ... Read More
Moving to San Miguel, good idea or bad idea? by jbills1953
My wife and I are planning to come to San Miguel for the first time to explore the possibility of moving there on a permanent basis. Any advice or helpful tips would be appreciated.
Maybe not a troll but definitely a person with unrealistic expectations from both a financial and sociologic perspective. I don鈥檛 know many that would list 鈥渄og poop鈥� among the major reasons to move away from a city. I also think ... Read More
Moving to San Miguel, good idea or bad idea? by jbills1953
My wife and I are planning to come to San Miguel for the first time to explore the possibility of moving there on a permanent basis. Any advice or helpful tips would be appreciated.
Not at all. I wanted to share the info for all whom are concerned. I share your view in safety as it applies everywhere not just Mexico. Read More
Moving to San Miguel, good idea or bad idea? by jbills1953
My wife and I are planning to come to San Miguel for the first time to explore the possibility of moving there on a permanent basis. Any advice or helpful tips would be appreciated.
The San Miguel times article I mentioned was regarding the murder rate for Guanajuato state in total not any particular incident in SMA. Read More
Dental work in Mexico 2015-2016 by IT1
What dentist(s) do you go to in Mexico? It's costing over $1000 a crown in the US (replacement crown) and I'm wondering if it's worth it to travel to Mexico for dental work. How does your dentist and their prices compare?
Of course, thanks for the reminder. What I was trying to say for those whose Spanish is not strong. Be cautious with matters of health and choosing providers of potentially large and expensive and/or dangerous procedures. Read More
Accessing Money from US by mejms
Moving from Boston to Queretaro in about a month and will continue to have income deposited into my US bank account. Would love to hear how people access their money. I will likely open a bank account in Mexico but am unsure whether I will ...
Thank you for the excellent information. It is very consistent with the other info that people have shared with me in person when traveling in Mexico. Especially the notion of buying as early as possible and financing basic care on a cash basis. Read More
Accessing Money from US by mejms
Moving from Boston to Queretaro in about a month and will continue to have income deposited into my US bank account. Would love to hear how people access their money. I will likely open a bank account in Mexico but am unsure whether I will ...
Excellent info Bubba. I have a Schwab brokerage and checking account that I recently opened. I took the paperwork for International status but will not act upon it until closer to moving. I was hoping to use these accounts INSTEAD of Mexican bank ... Read More
Accessing Money from US by mejms
Moving from Boston to Queretaro in about a month and will continue to have income deposited into my US bank account. Would love to hear how people access their money. I will likely open a bank account in Mexico but am unsure whether I will ...
Six months at a time is no problem. It鈥檚 if you stay outside of the country for more than six months that things get sketchy with USBanks. I have never had trouble when visiting but am preparing to move to Mexico in 2020 Read More
Accessing Money from US by mejms
Moving from Boston to Queretaro in about a month and will continue to have income deposited into my US bank account. Would love to hear how people access their money. I will likely open a bank account in Mexico but am unsure whether I will ...
Do you advise your bank in the US that you are living in another country? What is their response. I have heard of people having their accounts frozen when the US bank figured out they lived in Mexico. Some of those affected said they had to fly ... Read More
Is SMA city management working effectively with expats by RobertoDeVallarta
How is SMA Mayor and others working effectively with the expat community. Is it a safe place? Is it Clean, Is Traffic well managed. How is the infrastructure for clean waters, sewers, etc
Hospitable not hospital, damn autocorrect!!鈥� Read More
Is SMA city management working effectively with expats by RobertoDeVallarta
How is SMA Mayor and others working effectively with the expat community. Is it a safe place? Is it Clean, Is Traffic well managed. How is the infrastructure for clean waters, sewers, etc
And if you read the article in San Miguel times it spells out that over 90% of the areas killings happened outside of SMA in Celaya, Salamanca and other outlying areas. I鈥檓 sure the primary reason for locating in SMA is the infrastructure that ... Read More
How to sell Suburban 2011 in Cancun by Hotel zone
I inherited a gorgeous Suburban 2011 in Cancun, driven 96,000 miles. I'm a US citizen and need help with selling it. It was bought in the US but now has a Mexican license plate. I was in Cancun briefly but since the car is not in my name etc ...
No way a 2011 with 96000 miles has a $17000 blue book. Maybe at retail sale after being reconditioned professionally. Sounds like you inherited a problem. Sorry for your loss. Read More
Moving to San Miguel, good idea or bad idea? by jbills1953
My wife and I are planning to come to San Miguel for the first time to explore the possibility of moving there on a permanent basis. Any advice or helpful tips would be appreciated.
Different strokes for different folks Read More
Mexico travel warnings by katesparks
How are people reacting to the US travel warnings to Mexico? Is anyone concerned about the drug cartels in Michoacan moving into Guanajuato in particular SMA? Is anyone concerned about what the warnings will do to the housing market in SMA? I was ...
Prairie garden is a troll. Been posting this garbage all over this site. I responded to them that perhaps they should give up driving or riding in motor vehicles of any kind because they are among the most statistically dangerous things to do and ... Read More
Moving to San Miguel, good idea or bad idea? by jbills1953
My wife and I are planning to come to San Miguel for the first time to explore the possibility of moving there on a permanent basis. Any advice or helpful tips would be appreciated.
Good idea!! Move to Chicago or Los Angeles or New York City because there is no crime in any of those places. Let鈥檚 fan the flames of paranoia and play one of the favorite games of the Internet. The 鈥渏ump to conclusions鈥� game is ... Read More
Is SMA city management working effectively with expats by RobertoDeVallarta
How is SMA Mayor and others working effectively with the expat community. Is it a safe place? Is it Clean, Is Traffic well managed. How is the infrastructure for clean waters, sewers, etc
The place is the worst Stay away because the rest of us want to have this beautiful place to ourselves!!! LOL Read More
Weddings in San Miguel de Allende - Safey Concerns by SMAbride
Hello All, My fianc茅 and I will be hosting our wedding in the beautiful SMA! We visited a few months ago and knew this was a very magical place and wanted to have our wedding there. We stayed in SMA for 5 nights, we felt very safe, and ...
Media reporting drives paranoia. Like anywhere else in the world you need to maintain awareness and not engage in risky behavior. Flashing money, jewelry and other obvious bling is unwise in most locales in or out of Mexico. SMA is among North ... Read More
New members of the Mexico forum, introduce yourselves here - 2018 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Mexico forum? Don聮t know how to start? This thread is for you聽;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
Good for you Walter and Debbie! I would quote Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull 鈥� you鈥檙e never too old for rock n roll if you're too young to die鈥�. Many naysayers and nattering nabobs of negativism out there! Just filter out the ... Read More
New members of the Mexico forum, introduce yourselves here - 2018 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Mexico forum? Don聮t know how to start? This thread is for you聽;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
But that being said, Johnny, even the gringo areas are much more affordable than in the USA. You can be in a gringo community but live with more connection to the native culture relatively easily and enjoy the best of both worlds. The expat ... Read More
New members of the Mexico forum, introduce yourselves here - 2018 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Mexico forum? Don聮t know how to start? This thread is for you聽;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
I want to expand on my last post. No good research is free. So it鈥檚 not a question of trying to avoid paying, it鈥檚 spending wisely, whether it be your time or your money. I have bought several books, and although authors have an agenda, ... Read More
New members of the Mexico forum, introduce yourselves here - 2018 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Mexico forum? Don聮t know how to start? This thread is for you聽;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
I am a fan of the forums although the advice has to be researched because they are not vetted sources. The blogs and websites are useless because the bloggers have a vested interest in the subject they blog about (for example professional real ... Read More
New members of the Mexico forum, introduce yourselves here - 2018 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Mexico forum? Don聮t know how to start? This thread is for you聽;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
I think I should clarify. I meant that the application to turn Temporal to permanent will not require financial disclosure but it will automatically be accepted once applied for. I reread what I typed and realized that I didn鈥檛 explain it ... Read More
New members of the Mexico forum, introduce yourselves here - 2018 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Mexico forum? Don聮t know how to start? This thread is for you聽;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
My understanding is that a Residente Temporal automatically changes to Permanent after 4 years and you only have to demonstrate financial ability the first time. It鈥檚 certainly conceivable that it鈥檚 different for Canadiens because the ... Read More
New members of the Mexico forum, introduce yourselves here - 2018 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Mexico forum? Don聮t know how to start? This thread is for you聽;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
Cuba has always been on the banking hit list since the mid 50鈥檚. The reason you had ATM problem in Mexico is that you didn鈥檛 advise your card issuer that you are frequently in Mexico and routinely use ATMs. It鈥檚 a fraud prevention ... Read More
New members of the Mexico forum, introduce yourselves here - 2018 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Mexico forum? Don聮t know how to start? This thread is for you聽;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
Treena you are correct that you don鈥檛 want to overstay on a visitors visa. I will be entering on a Residente Temporal visa which allows a stay of up to four years. If you stay four years the visa turns to a Permanent resident visa with no ... Read More
New members of the Mexico forum, introduce yourselves here - 2018 by Julien
Hi all, Newbie on the Mexico forum? Don聮t know how to start? This thread is for you聽;) We invite you to introduce yourself on this topic, to share with us your expat story if you are already living in the country, or to tell us more on ...
I had a similar epiphany last year and realized I could work until I die because I can鈥檛 afford to retire in the USA. So I started doing the same things you mentioned. I have spent a year so far, learning Spanish, researching etc. I made my ... Read More
Relocating to San Miguel de Allende questions by nikbus99
Hello, I am planning to take a couple of trips to SMA in the next few months and see if it's a place I'd like to relocate to for retirement. I currently live in Texas, but only because my job is here. I've never felt like I belong in ...
It seems that throughout Mexico transportation strategies strongly differ from city to city. With that in mind, it seems to me that a person or persons trying to decide on where to live in Mexico, should pick the city or area that checks the most ... Read More
Exploring Options by Elkhound
Some time in the next few years I will be retiring, and am considering moving to Mexico. My undergraduate degree is in Classical & Romance Languages, so I don't expect language to be a problem. I don't want to be on the coast, and I ...
What SMA is overrun with is wealthy Chilangos (Mexico City residents) who use SMA as a vacation and weekend getaway location Read More
Exploring Options by Elkhound
Some time in the next few years I will be retiring, and am considering moving to Mexico. My undergraduate degree is in Classical & Romance Languages, so I don't expect language to be a problem. I don't want to be on the coast, and I ...
Don鈥檛 let the naysayers tell you that SMA is overrun with gringos. Yes, there are a lot of gringos but the majority of them are isolated within their own community. If you choose to learn the language and avoid the inclination of many expats ... Read More
Deciding on the right city for me by P7m:K39%bQ9a
I plan on visiting Mexico in the spring. I'm a single woman of retirement age. I want to befriend Mexicans and enjoy the culture but would like to get to know some expats who would be able to make suggestions and offer advice. I spent a couple ...
I鈥檓 planning to retire to SMA in two years. I recently visited and met and talked with numerous ex pats most who have been there for 18 months or more. They said that a car can be a detriment. Public transportation and taxis are widely ... Read More