Retirement Issues from Ajijic, Lake Chapala, Mexico
Retiring to Ajijic, Lake Chapala, Mexico
I have blogged about the wonderful retirement opportunity in Ajijic, Lake Chapala but I thought it is well worth blogging about again.
There have been three things that lately have, to some, put a damper on travel and retirement in Mexico and I would like to address those three issues.
First, there was the global economic crisis that hit in September 2008. We opened Collins Real Estate in July 2008 and have received lots of comments about our brilliant timing. I am happy to say, however, that we have had a steady stream of clients and sales since opening albeit perhaps not as many as we might have had without the economic crunch.
People are still retiring in droves as the Baby Boomers move through the market. Good deals are available and people are still buying here even though there are some cheap deals in Arizona and Nevada it is still not Mexico and when the economy recovers even slightly as it already has our weather and cost of living will remain very attractive for those seeking ideal retirement locations.
Second, there was a lot of buzz about the “drug wars” on the border of Mexico and the U.S. Both Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and President Obama have visited our Mexican President Filipe Calderon and have agreed that this problem is a shared responsibility. The fact that 95% of the guns in Mexico are imported from the U.S. and the voracious appetite of the Americans for drug consumption are both fuelling these drug wars. Ajijic, Lake Chapala is largely an expat community and here the only drug of choice is Viagra so we have been largely untouched by the violence reported in the papers. Both Mexico and the U.S. are committed to eradicating this scourge on humanity and as a result instances of violence are markedly reduced. The legalization of Marijuana would go a long way in easing the problem as well.
Thirdly, H1N1 (Swine Flu) caused many to change their plans to come to Mexico as they thought instant death awaited for them as soon as they set foot here. This was not quite the case, as it turned out. Although the number of H1N1 cases did reach 30,000 worldwide the scare was blown completely out of proportion causing unnecessary financial stress to many in Mexico City. H1N1 is not as serious a strain as the normal seasonal flu and can be easily managed with the proper medication – Tamiflu.
The upshot of all this is Ajijic, Lake Chapala is still a wonderful and safe place to retire. Our weather is the best in the world and right now we are enjoying the rainy season which the best season of the year. (Not that any of our seasons are bad.) Lake Chapala is high and the Sierra Madre Mountains are green and the colors of the flowers and flowing trees and shrubs are magnificent. The mangoes are heavy on the trees and the aromas are wonderful.
To get up every morning to have ones coffee (or morning drink of choice) on your terraza while watching the sun sparkle on Lake Chapala is truly great for the soul.
So if you were considering retirement in Ajijic, Lake Chapala but because of the above reasons became reticent worry no more. Retirement in Ajijic, Lake Chapala still is everything you want it to be and so much more.