Featured Posts

Cost of Living and Other Info From Jerry In The Chapala... Cost of Living Info Mexico Jerry kindly supplied me with the info that prompted my article for today and even supplied us with cost of living info in his area. Hey Cathy, I told you that my readers are...

Read more

Buy Real Estate In Mexico Mexican Real Estate Fideicomiso Think you can't buy real estate in Mexico? Think again! In places formerly off-limits, foreigners can now acquire irrevocable and absolute ownership rights to property through...

Read more

Lake Chapala, Mexico - Retirement Paradise Lake Chapala I just received a wonderful email from Verl, a retiree who is considering Lake Chapala for his retirement paradise. Verl writes: "Thanks for your correspondance. We are planning a trip...

Read more

Explore Mexico on $430, Part I: Cruise Cruise Going on a cruise is a great way to tour the coastal cities of Mexico and “explore” without going out of your comfort-zone. A few months ago, my husband and I were both at our computers...

Read more

Mexico HealthCare, IMSS Mexico Healthcare, IMSS Let me tell you about Mexico's version of Medicare. Age is not a consideration for IMSS Healthcare. It's the closest thing you can get to universal healthcare in Mexico. And yes,...

Read more

  • Prev
  • Next

Lake Chapala, Mexico – Retirement Paradise

Posted on : Sep-13-2009 | By : Barbie | In : Ajijic, Chapala

16

Lake Chapala

I just received a wonderful email from Verl, a retiree who is considering Lake Chapala for his retirement paradise.

Verl writes: “Thanks for your correspondance. We are planning a trip in July to possibly purchase in the Lake Chapala area. It is difficult from here to get the real scoop on the most desirable retirement spots and then the best neighbourhoods, we’re shooting in the dark.  And we think we should purchase now before prices go through the roof.”

Lake Chapala

Shopping the native markets

And so, I introduced him to Charlie after assuring him that to hurry the process is not wise – prices have leveled off just as they have in the States – relax – shop around.

Charlie has  rented a three bedroom, two bath home, with a maid’s casita and bath, garage, patio and nice yard about 30 miles south of Ajijic on the other side of the Lake Chapala for $200 a month.

He lived in Ajijic while looking for a permanent place and paid the Ajijic prices for everything and out here it is about half.  Even the food, and pharmacies are cheaper a little distance from the Lake Chapala, because it seems that here everything is priced for the economy of the town.

A few months with the Gringos in Ajijic and it was an easy decision, Charlie said. It wasn’t an economic move but being away from the Gringos who do drive the prices up where ever they go it certainly turned out that way.

You may remember the article in AARP magazine that offered Lake Chapala at $800 a month.

Well the Gringos drove it up to an easy $1200 to $1400 a month at Lake Chapala.

Charlie is here to tell you that if you don’t desire the hubbub of the crowd and you don’t mind a 25 or 30 minute drive to the larger towns tell your folks that $800 a month is a breeze.

He writes, “You know the climate & beauty here, the people in the country, like in the U.S., are more friendly and helpful than city folks and the only thing we don’t have out here is the noise of the city.

 ”My advice to a prospective person coming to Mexico is to rent for a few months and look around for what fits their economic and social desires. There is something here for every one. In my community I don’t spend or act like a Gringo and I am accepted as a member of the community.”

Lake Chapala/Ajijic article by Barbie.