Retiring in Mexico : The Good , The Bad , and The Ugly

I have read this Book and would like to offer the following comments to those who are wondering if they should buy and read it.

By way of background , I do not live in Mexico but I have been a snowbird visitor every winter since 2004 , spending more than 3 months each winter season in Mexico . A close family relative has lived full time in Mexico for four years , purchased a house when she first moved to Mexico and is currently renovating it . I have visited the Lake Chapala area once for a 2 week period.

Putting aside any personality perceptions that one will form about the Author while reading this Book , and based on my experience gained from visiting Mexico for extended periods of time , I find this Book to be a fairly accurate representation of the conditions that anyone residing in Mexico as a homeowner or as a renter would have to deal with.

Mexico has its own personality and it is distinctly different from either the United States or Canada ; and it will continue to be so for many , many years ( maybe decades , maybe forever ).

In my opinion , this Book is indeed a highly recommended read for anyone contemplating living in Mexico. Reading this Book well before your move to Mexico will make your adjustment to living in Mexico a lot easier and probably a lot less costly , especially if you are thinking about buying a house in Mexico.

By the way , I posted these comments on TOB ; they were posted for a couple hours ( or less ) and then removed.

I just read a few reviews on this book, and am fairly unimpressed. Does it cost less to live here, damned right it does, and anyone who says otherwise is flat out lying or doesn't know how to shop.

Scams, do they exist, yes. We got scammed by a NOB realtor. There's a cost to getting an education, we paid it and have learned how to do business here. There are scams everywhere, don't think for one minute it's any better NOB, because it isn't, it's just less obvious.

Is it a better lifestyle, you bet it is.

Would I go back north? Only if forced to by ill-health.

Would I buy this book, no. We get all the information we need from websites such as this one, which is not run by a real estate company.

Clearly the person who wrote this book has an axe to grind. Major complaints about security, such as bars on windows etc, which is common in most parts of Europe. Clearly this guy was not well traveled before he came here, and will remain ignorant of how the rest of the world lives for life.

I'm wondering if you are the author of this POS. Because that individual showed up on the other board, pretended to be a reviewer and then it was found out he wrote it.

You should have stayed in Flori-DOOH! There's nothing in your book that anyone who frequents both this and the other boards doesn't know. The author spends a good deal of the book bitching about other expats.

PLEASE, do not waste your money on this thing.

I don't think he wrote it because his English usage is definitely not as professional as you would expect from a published writer. On the other hand........there is self-publishing as well as self-promotion available. LOL.

even Susan has moments of lucidity....moments where it sounds more like Terry.... enjoy

i read parts of the book on another web sight. think its excellent. its not meant for you, its for people who do not know much. many americans who move here ARE sleeze, & scam as much as the mexicans do. always was, nothing new. also florida has a reputation for sleeze as well. as anyone can reopen a business w/any kind of criminal record. some old friends of mine from jr. high, paid a 10 million dollar fine, as they were almost indicted by the rico act. left NorthE, back in biz near miami. theres something about warm climates, it attracts what it attracts.