Asking the tough question

Many thanks to all that responded. I hope that my wife and I get to meet you in person. Maybe at Swarm XX. Thanks again.
Ron

Ron I would just add a few thoughts. We have lived here over 4 years. If the recent events had happened right after we got here, I would have been a basket case. As it was I have learned to feel at home here, and while my heart broke for the friends who lost relatives in May, I won't consider leaving.

[for several years, I lived about a mile and a half from the Aurora theater where the shootings took place. Sort of puts things into a different perspective]

Include in your list of where to live thoughts: country mouse vs. city mouse. I was a big city person until I lived 5 years in the Colorado high country. I have tried and I can't go back to living in even a town. We have lived in Brisias, Roca Azul and Chapala Haciandas. For us a country setting is almost a necessity.

Come down, rent for 6 months and get a feel for the place. Hang out at the neighborhood markets, the weekly tianguis, the little hole-in-the-wall restaurants, and see how you like it.

I've lived here 4.5 years now. Haven't been back to the US in that time.

I came here when I saw the housing bubble start to burst. I sold my house and headed here because I had to be somewhere and this suited me at the time. My original plan was to just sit out the recession and then go back. Still waiting on that to happen.

Now, I'm not inclined to go back because I don't like what is happening in the US. Don't like the way the government is going etc.

No place is perfect and when the violence here picked up, I certainly thought about moving somewhere else but the question was "Move where?"

This place seems to be as good as any and better than most so I'm staying put. Good healthcare, good local people, big airport 30 minutes away, good shopping in Guad, easy immigration and you can't beat the weather or cost of living.

I don't think I can find that combination in the states anywhere.

My advice is to visit, visit, and visit some more. I visited various parts of Mexico for 20 years prior to moving here. I made friends in Guadalajara - Mexican and from the US. I also researched the medical situation in Guadalajara since I knew at my age I would need to utilize medical services (some of the best I've had). When I moved here I had a very good idea of what to expect.

Does the crime concern me - yes. But I was robbed more often in New York City that here and was beaten over the head by a crazy lady with a soda bottle in NYC (no bodily harm here).

So like CBob you can read the board and it will give you a feel for this area. But come and visit often to make your decision.

In July we drove from here to Wyoming and back, and I felt safer in Mexico than I did sometimes in the states. People are not friendly up there at all.

People would ask us about how safe it was and my reply was well no one down here walks into a movie theater and shoots everyone, that shut them up.

Glad to see family and friends but great to get home.

I don't know why people compare crime in Mexico to up north. We don't live there we live here. I have lived in Mexico for over twenty years and I have had my car stolen and my house robbed numerous times. Security offered by the police here is non existent. I was well aware of the security and corruption in Mexico before I moved here. Yet I still like Mexico and plan to continue to live here. I believe people should know what they are getting into before cutting all ties up north and moving down here. The majority of people I knew with FM2's have moved back to the U.S. The reasons were, newness wore off, health/medicare, and missing their families.

Jerry00 wrote:I don't know why people compare crime in Mexico to up north. We don't live there we live here. I have lived in Mexico for over twenty years and I have had my car stolen and my house robbed numerous times. Security offered by the police here is non existent. I was well aware of the security and corruption in Mexico before I moved here. Yet I still like Mexico and plan to continue to live here. I believe people should know what they are getting into before cutting all ties up north and moving down here. The majority of people I knew with FM2's have moved back to the U.S. The reasons were, newness wore off, health/medicare, and missing their families.

I've been here 11 years and most all my neighbors have been here 8 + years. They have never had their cars stolen or attempted to be stolen. We have never had robberies either. It doesn't make sense why anyone would have numerous house robberies. It's definitely not the norm here.

johninajijic wrote:

Jerry00 wrote:I don't know why people compare crime in Mexico to up north. We don't live there we live here. I have lived in Mexico for over twenty years and I have had my car stolen and my house robbed numerous times. Security offered by the police here is non existent. I was well aware of the security and corruption in Mexico before I moved here. Yet I still like Mexico and plan to continue to live here. I believe people should know what they are getting into before cutting all ties up north and moving down here. The majority of people I knew with FM2's have moved back to the U.S. The reasons were, newness wore off, health/medicare, and missing their families.

I've been here 11 years and most all my neighbors have been here 8 + years. They have never had their cars stolen or attempted to be stolen. We have never had robberies either. It doesn't make sense why anyone would have numerous house robberies. It's definitely not the norm here.

Unless U lived next to The Whore House

Yes John it's perfectly safe here because you and your friends haven't been victims.
I guess thats the reason lakeside crime was started.

Viajero said, "Stuff happens everywhere, like in a movie theater in Colorado."

We live in central Illinois, about 2 hours south of Chicago.  The high crime rate in Chicago is always in the news.  Here in our town of Champaign/Urbana - about 100,000 people - there were a recent flurry of shootings in the "north end" - we happen to live there.  There was a lot of publicity.  We hadn't had anything like that for some time.

It seems there can be outbursts of violence everywhere, even where they haven't had much recently - we heard about some murders in a small town in Iowa recently.

I like the idea of several short-term visits and a longer term visit to Mexico before the official move.  There are a lot of other factors besides the crime that one needs to learn about and to adjust to.

I plan to visit the Lake Chapala area in December and we hope to move there in a year or two... from everything I've read so far, the pluses far outweigh the minuses...

                                             Jack

"...the pluses far outweigh the minuses..."

That sums it up for me too.

when u get here... yer instant " upper class "

Make multiple trips, get to know the area a little bit, get together with some of those who actually reside there full-time and listen to their experiences.
You'll find it easy to meet people and form friendships, those friends provide for a much easier transition.
Nice place, nice lifestyle, but not for everyone. So test drive it.

Hocks:

That depends on the quality of your "border promotion"!