Retire Before the Age of 50

Imagine sitting on a deck overlooking the blue Pacific ocean with a cold beer in hand, every day for the rest of your life. You can do it. Imagine never having to go to an office, never getting stuck in traffic, never feeling tied down, never being tired, never needing to make another deadline or never shoveling snow again for the rest of your life. And doing it all while you are still quite young enough to enjoy it. It IS possible. Thousands are doing it every year.

One day we were faced with the horrible reality of losing our family business. Everything we had worked so hard for over many years was gone. We had branched out and were living in a very small vacation/retirement community (one stop light) where there were very few jobs and wages were low. We had nowhere to turn for employment unless we moved and that was not an option at the time. We had big mortgage payments to make.

Luckily, we had been saving money. Our business was seasonal but in the summers we were able to put away money for a rainy day. My husband and i had started doing home fix-n-flips, on the side, and doing all the work ourselves. So we were able to stash away a little extra cash before the econonic downturn and people were still buying homes. Fortunately we were big savers and not big spenders. We had no debt whatsoever besides our home mortgage. We paid cash for everything and bought gently used merchadise, including our cars; whenever feasible. Everything in our lives was second hand but didnt look it ! We didnt mind going to the local thrift shop and buying furniture. It was all brand new stuff !. You can't imagine the things get people rid of.

My point here is that it is possible to live on very little while you are still young, and that's what we did so we would not have to work hard forever. But work hard we did, there were days we could not stand up anymore. We would collapse into bed from sheer exhaustion from laying new roofs, setting tile or concrete, or hammering nails. We knew we couldn't do that for very long and did not want to.

My husband loves to fish. He fishes almost every day now. Where were we living before all this though, there were no good fishing holes. We were land locked and no good bodies of water (with the kind of fish he loves to catch) could be found. They were all fished out or dried up. He wanted to be near alot of water. We began to think about moving to a coastal area, but we could not afford to. We talked about all the different possibitilites and pulled out the laptops and began researching Mexico. That is when our lives changed forever!

Here is what we did.

We chose Northern Baja Mexico because it was closest to where we were living AND it was close enough to the U.S. if for any reason we needed to go there (for medical or family reasons).

We typed "baja real estate" in the search bar. We were quite simply very amazed at everything there was to offer in Baja. it is a gold mine right now. There are so many properties available (with the land) for so little that we could not hardly believe our eyes. There are three major cities in Northern Baja Mexico, BC; or Baja California and they are:

Tijuana, Rosarito and Ensenada. TJ first, then Rosarito, then Ensenada about 1 hour south. All are fairly large populated cities that have everything, and i mean everything, under the sun to offer, just like in the United States. There are Walmarts, Costcos, Home Depots, Dollar Stores, Burger Kings, you name it, these cities have it all and more. Plenty of sunshine, warm weather, friendly people, happy smiling faces, family oriented communities. And a very low key, laid back lifestyle which is what we were looking for.

A word on the crime we are all hearing about:

I FEEL SAFER HERE THAN IN THE UNITED STATES. I never ever, not once, feel threatened or scared to walk to my vehicle at night. I go out at night all the time. The crime we are hearing about is contained to only the bad areas of the border towns (yes each city will have a "bad" area just like any city in the world) and to the drug trafficking world. And it is only in the border towns, such as TJ and Mexicali. The crime we are hearing about is all DRUG related. Nothing more. Period.

There are never any random shootings, car jackings, drive bys, child kidnappings, rapes, murders, or any kind of violence of any nature that you hear about every day in the States. You simply stay away from the "bad" areas just like you would anywhere. This is a very peaceful country and its citizens are warm, kind, thoughtful, caring, helpful and welcoming.

After typing in BAJA REAL ESTATE into Google, we were directed to lots and lots of sites. We were amazed at the choices and the sheer amount of available properties. It was mind boggling! The best thing was the low cost. We focused on Rosarito and South. After several weeks of research we unexpectedly came across a plain old text advertisement, in paragraph form only; with no pictures, that read something like "Ocean front Fixer Upper, $30,000, magnificent ocean views near Ensenada, reply to following email address."

We had to reply. We got an answer within a few days. The answer had photos of the property with more details. The excitement level kicked up a notch as we researched that particular area on the internet. We were thrilled to learn that the area was located in a quiet, unassuming part of northern Baja, but offered everything you could want in terms of facilities. It was remote, but not without amenities, it had phone service, electricity, shopping, restaurants, etc. We met with the landowner, met with the prior owner, All of us went to the attorney. we paid for the house, got the paperwork transferred and bata bing - batta boom we owned a house in Mexico. We sold all our assets in the US, sold our house, took all our cash out of the bank and left the country for good. Everything in Mexico is so lax. There are no rule enforcements. People get away with alot of things you could not do in the US, and retiring here is as easy & simple as 1.2.3. There are really no guidlines or steps to follow. You just DO it.

My husband decided to fly out and go take a look for himself, without me. He went, he saw, he was hooked and the rest is history.

A BIT ABOUT CITIZENSHIP :

You do not have to be a citizen of a particular country to live there and that applies to Mexico. There are so many expatriates living in Baja especially the northern part, it is crazy. You are supposed to get a temporary "travel visa" if you stay longer than 30 days, but the rule is not enforced. To be exact, NOTHING in Mexico is enforced. Nada.
They have a rule that you can apply for citizenship after living here for 5 or 10 years, but you better have your papers in order. By papers I mean your FM3.

FM3s

In a nutshell, these are documents that prove you live legally or work in Mexico. The process to obtain one is expensive, time consuming and a huge pain. You have to go to a notary to do this, which is the equivalent of a American lawyer. They cost hundreds of dollars. To obtain a "working visa" or working FM3, it is double the amount. The hoops they make you jump through are ridiculous. But in the end, it behooves anyone living or working here full time, or even part time, to have this document. If you are ever in a car accident or you die in Mexico, you better have it. You cannot get Mexican car insurance, bank, work, buy land, or many other things without one.

Language

there are so many Americans living here, and it is so close to the U.S., that most Mexicans here speak some form of English. They actually understand alot more than they let on. Don't let that stop you from living here. You can pick up the language quickly because you are immersing yourself in it. You can always use pictures, pointing, hand gestures or a dictionary to get your point across. Many Mexicans here study English in school. Many retired Americans volunteer to teach English to children and adults.

Home Ownershsip

in Baja, you can buy a house and own it. In most cases, however, you will not own the land your house sits on, unless you get a Bank Trust or Fiedicomoso (fee-dee-ko-meeso) This is being done more and more in recent years.

It IS very possible to own the land too! You absolutely MUST have a attorney draw up the paperwork for this transaction. If you do not get permission to own the land, you lease your land on generally a 10 year lease. I beleive you can do this for 100 years. You pay the landowner a monthly rent or lease to use the property. A bit like living in a trailer park when you buy your trailer. Every situation is different depending on the land owner. You cannot however own land on the "federal zone" which is 60 meters from the break waves. You buy the house from the lanowner. in most cases you must pay cash up front, but i beleive in recent years the laws regarding home ownership have changed greatly to mimic the U.S., to attract business and stimulate the economy.

Check out these sites for more information....

http://www.blueroadrunner.com/ownprop.htm
http://banderasnews.com/real-estate/ownership-info.htm

OK--- HERES THE SECRET BEHIND HOW WE RETIRED! (semi-retired) :

We purchased the house on the ocean with the magnificent views --100% CASH. We got full title and ownership rights. We sold our home in the States, had a huge auction and sold most everything we owned. we loaded up the 2 vehicles to the brim with our remaining junk, took the boat and left. We put all our money in a Mexican bank where it is currently earning 6-7% interest, far better rates than any bank in the States. We live off the interest. We live very simply and dont need alot - food, (we eat alot of fish we catch) water, gasoline, propane, land rent, cellular and internet. Thats all there is to it. What is life if you dont take a risk or two? Go for it! We still work, but not very hard.

Health Care

Health Care in Mexico is absolutely as good, if not better, than in the US, without all the red tape. Dont let anyone tell you otherwise. And the best part is that is much less expensive. The quality of care rivals that of the best doctors and facilities in the U.S. and anyone can receive care. The one difference is that in most cases you must pay for your care up front, before services are rendered. Military hospitals will take you in and the care received there is wonderful. They have terrific ambulance and emergency services. Life is sacred in Mexico and health care is taken seriously, even for strangers. Dentistry is notoriously cheaper and just as good as any service you will find in the states. You can still go see a dentist for $20. There is even health insurance for those that choose to go through the paperwork.

Food

Buying food in Mexico is not necessarily cheaper than the US., but it is plentiful and produce is fresh, inexpensive and it is everywhere. Restaurants are clean and serve every type of cuisine you can imagine. Chinese is popular here as well. You can go to the outdoor markets and get fresh produce for next to nothing. Meat is expensive and you dont get huge cuts unless you ask and pay for it of course. The most popular thing to eat here are tacos. Outdoor taco stands are everywhere, one on every street corner. They only cost $1. You can fill yourself up on 2 or 3 and you are good to go till the next meal. Just watch the vendors for cleanliness, and how they handle the food.

Water

We have our house water trucked in. It is contained in a large tank up the hill called a Pila (pee-la) For $40 we have a month or more supply of water. Do not ever drink anything other that bottled water in Mexico.

Driving

This is also not a problem. They have the same rules we do as far as driving (right turn on red and so on). Stop signs are the same and their stop light system is actually BETTER than in the US. The green stop lights will actually blink 3 times before changing to yellow. This gives you ample warning to see a changing light. We love this. One problem with driving though is that in Baja you will not see street signs very often. I think they get stolen or run over. It is easy therefore to get lost. Get great directions before you leave. They require drivers to take a writen and driving test every so often. The legal age for driving is 15 or 16, but we see many younger kids driving in the country side on dirt roads.

Mail

there are several options for receiving your mail from the US. All are easy and hassle free. it is picked up once a week from SanDiego or you can pick it up yourself. There are wonderful post offices in Ensenada. Packages are usually extra. The mail services are reliable and timely.

Weather

Northern Baja California Mexico has basically the same weather as SanDiego, which is mild and warm all year round. However, with that said, it can get chilly at times here, you are after all very near the ocean. We actually had snow in February here. May and June are known for gloomy weather, as warm air collides with cold ocean air and you get what is referred to as May Gray and June Gloom. the best months are September - December. (70's and 80's) This is when it is the sunniest and warmest, and you have the beautiful ocean breezes to keep it just perfect. If you go south of here, into the southern Baja regions, (Cabo, LaPaz) summer time is brutal. But the Sea of Cortez ocean is swimmable, whereas it is chilly all year round in the Bajas northern Pacific regions. Just watch out for sharks! Winter time temperatures can dip into the 40's and 50's because of the humid wet air.

Shopping

As mentioned above, you will never want for anything here in Baja. There are general stores galore, that offer everything from brooms, to shoes to toiletries and even yes, prescription drugs. You can buy prescription drugs wtih NO prescription anywhere, all the time. There are Walmarts, Costco, Home Depot, Burger King, several McDonalds, Carl Juniors, Pizza Huts, KFC, Ashley Furniture, True Value, Smart and Final, GNC, Dairy Queens, internet cafes, coffeeshops and more in the major cities. They are well stocked, organized and clean. Bring small change, no stores ever seem to have change. Most stores in Mexico have security guards working in the parking lots as there is alot of car theft. You can pay a parking lot attendent a few pesos to watch your car extra special or your dog while shopping. Many poor people will be there trying to wash your car with a dirty dry rag for money. This just scratches your car. Don't do it.

There is in every town a place called "segundas" or seconds. This is a large shopping area filled with anything and everything. Essentially like a huge outodoor flea market or outdoor garage sale. Nothing is really priced and you have to haggle with the shopkeeper to get a good bargain, but they are used to doing this. In Ensenada the segundas are named "los globos" ...There are the weekly outdoor "swap meets" where you can buy anything from fresh, just picked vegetables to clothing to am-fm radios to furniture to pizzas. The prices here are even cheaper. Essentially you can buy anything in Mexico that you need or want. There are very few things you cannot find here, one of them is saurkraut. The stores here, while clean and well stocked, are not as full as stores in the states. while you might find 10 different brands of scissors in the states, you will only find 1 or 2 selections here. Not a big deal at all. Makes my life simpler.

Television and Internet

you can get cable, dish or direct TV and get all the same channels you would in the US. We have a satellite internet connection which is all that is available at this time in my neighborhood because we have no phone lines here yet. it's not unusual for Mexico to be a step behind the US in everything. Most neighborhoods do have phone lines and regular internet service. Vonage is popular here. We use Magic Jack telephones in my neighborhood. http://www.magicjack.com

Currency, Banking and ATMS

at this writing the peso is dropping to 12.8 to every 1 dollar. 3 years ago it was 10 pesos to every dollar. With the American recession and the swine flu outbreaks; the peso has taken a nose dive. EVery day it changes and banks will always post the current exchange rates for buying and selling. Banks in Mexico rival the most modern sophisticated banks in the US. They are beautiful and modern. Most of the employees do not speak alot of English, so its best to take a dictionary or find someone to translate so there is no confusion when you are doing a transaction. They have regular banking hours but not open on Saturdays. Most have an ATM machine indoors. you wont see ATMs outside anywhere in Mexico and there is always a guard stationed near the ATMS. The ATMS in Mexico are notorious for malfunctioning. I tend to never use them. People have their cards gobbled up, or do not receive the correct amount of cash, get shorted, etc. Best to avoid them if at all possible. ATMs can be found in most grocery stores, banks, and Farmacias.

Farmacias or Pharmacies

You can buy any drug at any time, prescription or not. it is usually always a generic brand, and much much cheaper than the same drug bought in the US. These stores are found everywhere. Bring in the box from your old prescription so theres no mistakes. They will have a reference drug book that they can look up the corresponding Mexican name. You can buy anything, from Viagra to Celebrex without a prescription and very cheaply.

Border Crossing

there is alot to cover under this heading. There are 3 or 4 borders in which to cross into Northern Baja from California. There is SanYsidro (made famous by the McDonalds massacre) there is Tecate, Otay Mesa and Mexicali. You should have your passport and dont even attempt trying to cross without one. it is just plain dumb to not have it. There is usually not a long line to go into Mexico, for they are not as strict or regulate the traffic coming in as much as they do going into the states. Rush hour or holiday traffic going into Mexico can get a bit long -- but it's not really bad at all (10-20 min wait). they randomly pull over a car once in a while if you look full or have a truck overloaded with goods that are visible.

NOW, the wait going into California is another story altogether. this can be 3-4 hours long at times. Those times would be for instance, rush hour, a holiday or summer, or Sundays, or Fridays. never try to cross into CA on a friday say at 5 or 6 PM!! or on Mothers day, Christmas, Thanksgiving, Easter, etc.

Border Patrol are getting more strict as far as letting people into the US and with just cause. They will check your trunk. They will confiscate all plants, live birds, fruit, ham or pork products. They will run a check on all your passengers passports and even take a picture of your car and license plates. They can hear the conversations in the car as you near the guard. You cannot take gasoline across unless it is in your tank. i always take off my sunglasses which makes me look less suspicious. They ask you where you are going and where you came from. They will ask why in some cases. If they suspect anything at all, they will pull you into "secondary" which is not a nice place to be. Sometimes even if you are not suspect, you can get pulled over there. i have been there 2 or 3 times. This doubles your wait time. If you are a criminal don't move to Mexico and don't be going across the borders.

Gasoline

Filling up your tank in Mexico is easy because you never pump your own gas. It is done for you for free and you even get a window wash. it is calculated in liters so watch your gages. You can tip the attendant if you want and he will give you an extra window wash and a wink if you're a pretty girl. The gasoline attendants will even fill your tires with aire for free.

Mexican Wages and Help

the average mexican field worker makes about $5 a day. They work in brutal heat and hot blaring sun. Most make barely enough to buy bread for the table. Most have large families. You can get your entire house cleaned very nicely for around $20. You can find wonderful car mechanics who will work on your car for less than $2 an hour in some places.

Public Transportation and Mass Transit

there is a little bus system that takes workers to work, students to school, and tourists to town. they are not large buses, and they are called the Micro (mee-cro). They are usually pretty full of field workers. Field workers harvest the countries fruits, vegetables and flowers for export or local sales. There is another large bus that travels to Ensenada and Tijuana called the ABC busline. They are very clean, inexpensive and they show movies.

HERE ARE SOME LINKS TO RETIRING IN MEXICO:

http://www.peoplesguide.com/1pages/retire/1moveindex.html
http://www.solutionsabroad.com/en/retiring/retring-category/where-to-retire-in-mexico.html
http://www.mexicolive.com/

TIPS AND WARNINGS!!!

1. never go out alone at night.
2. never leave your car unocked, even in your own driveway.
3. never leave your purse in the car even if its locked up tight.
4. never hire any help without a sound referral first.
5. never ever leave your house unlocked. Hire a dependable housitter while away.
6. expect everything to take much longer than what it takes to accomplish in the US.
7. always carry alot of change with you. Stores never have enough change when you use a large currency.
8. you will see many stray dogs on the streets. It is a very common sight.

This is a very basic outline of a few issues that will arise when you are considering the big move to Mexico. Do not expect to retain your American lifestyle on Mexican soil. That is simply not possible. I hope these tips will help you make your decision and consider it an option. You can have a very nice lifestyle here, and own alot of home for the money. All in all, Mexico is a wonderful place to live and visit!