New members of the Mexico forum, introduce yourself here — 2nd quarter of 2016

I already have and into. But I am in PV and will be traveling to queretoro.

Hi
I'm in Ecuador ,headin for Panama in June. Also an Albertan from Stony Plain (west of Edm.). Ever thought of house-sitting ? There have been a couple of extended (3 to 6 month) sits, in the Baja in past weeks. From Panama I'm planning to go to Manzanillo, Mx.
My major fear of potentially driving to Panama was Quatemala. Don't really know if the fear was justified. Watched too many documentaries of those poor guys riding the rails I guess.
If I can be of assistance don't hesitate.

¡Hola! My name is Dee. I'm a retired Spanish teacher, still working one semester a year. I'll be in Chicxulub for 6 months starting in June.  This will be the longest stint I've stayed, and I'm wondering about mail. I pay most bills automatic debit, or by phone ,but how long will it take to get paper bills forwarded? Should I just have them stick everything in a box and hold it?
Thanks for any input
Dee

It has taken me over 3 months to get 1st Class from the US.  I do everything online.  I still have an address in the US and the pile I see every 3 months has shrunk greatly.  If you can get everything paid and don't get frequent important mail which you have to address in less than those 6 months.  Let it pile up at the post office.

Thanks. That's what I was afraid of.

Some mail services can scan your 1st class mail and send it to you via email.
They can also forward packages with assurance that they won't "disappear in customs.
UPS/FedEX ground international is not cheap.

Hello all,

I just joined this group and am looking for some advice for moving to Mexico. Particularly, if anyone has recommendations for a good moving company that can arrange to pack our things in San Diego, handle the customs work at the border, and transport our belongings safely to Morelia, Michoacan, please let me.  And advice on any other aspect of this move.

I am originally from Dallas, Texas and my wife is from Morelia (which is a main reason we have decided to move there). I just completed a career that took myself and family on a number of foreign assignments (Brazil, Taiwan, Japan, Monterrey Mexico, and Switzerland) and we retired to San Diego. Now we are off to Morelia - attracted by the beautiful colonial atmosphere, wonderful quality of life, great weather, and lower cost of living; having an immediate network of family and friends helps a lot as well. As soon as we get settled (planning for mid or late summer), we will be more than happy to provide tips and advice for visiting Morelia and sharing experiences with your own.

First, we have to get there. I'm trying to find a moving company that won't charge and arm and a leg and insures the shipment. What about cars? I just learned that I can't take my Japan-made Toyota Rav4 (apparently, only NAFTA-manufactured cars can be imported into Mexico). BTW - I already have my permanent residency card.

Expat Taxes? Hopefully, I can find a forum with Expat.com that discusses this issue. One question that I have is whether I will need to completely end my domicile in California to avoid paying future state taxes even though I won't be living there.

Well, this should be enough for now. I'm looking forward with chatting with you.

Best wishes,

Dan

I used United Van Lines out of Las Vegas, Nevada who coordinated with an international logistics company who handled all the paperwork and dealings with Mexican Customs.  Both companies did a super job.  Give United a call.  I had friends in Morelia who have since moved.  The city has many charms but I'm sure you know its connection with the cartels.

Thank you very much! Actually, my wife called UVL 3-4 days ago and was told that they would have one of their international specialists call to set up an appointment for a survey. I may have to call back. Was your move very expensive (I know that's very relative to each individual case) - just wondering whether we should try to find a Mexican company and compare costs.

Regarding Morelia - we had thought of moving there before (a few years ago) but changed our minds because of the security situation. We have visited several times more recently and if though there are military vehicles cruising the streets and several other "public safety" agencies with their own security personnel, everyone we spoke with seems to say that the situation is very much improved; rural areas in certain parts of Michoacan still have lots of problems however.

I had quite a small move consisting of 1 "van" and a crate for a plasma TV.  Total cost from Las Vegas to Zacatecas was $5,000 in 2008 including packing.  Unless you have a lot of stuff you just can't give up, they tell me it might be cheaper to sell everything except memorabilia you just can't give up and buy new in Mexico.  I can't offer any advice in that regard.

Thanks for the advice! I guess we'll wait to get the estimate from UVL and assess then.  I contacted one Mexican mover based in Monterrey who works both sides, but refuses to send his trucks into Michoacan (b/c of the potential for hijackings). I also have the option to send everything just to Salamanca (a friend's warehouse at no cost to me) then take things to Morelia piecemeal. If that

When I retired a couple of years ago, we were living in Virginia and we paid about $11,000 to move our entire household to San Diego. The distance to Morelia is about 1,000 miles less, but now we'll have custom handling fees (but no duties), transfer costs, and less competitive (I'm thinking) Mexican transport fees to deal with.

I moved within Mexico about 6 months ago.  About 600 mi. including  packing and crating the total cost was around $1500.

A good part of the expense is making the bill of lading in Spanish and valuing it so you avoid import duties or hold ups at customs.

You may also find the routing strange.  Possibly by boat to Puerto Vallarta.  With loading and unloading, it bumps the price.  You can ask all those questions from United.  I'm giving you what I remember.

If you haven't heard it already, in Mexico every situation and every set of government officials is different.  Local officials have a lot of autonomy no matter what the rules say.  Personally, I have had excellent treatment but have heard stories from others.  Morelia being a big city, you may have long lines but the people should be professional.  On the other hand, if the local head is on the outs with Mexico City, it could be an entirely different story.

Wishing you an uncomplicated move.

Thanks again for the advice from personal experience -- and for the well wishes!

Hi to all of you! I am Debbie and I currently live in Mexico. I love it here. And I would love to read about your experiences. Thank you for letting me part of Expat.com Saludos, Debbie

Hi everyone,

thank you for being active and representing San Miguel and other expats on this site. I am moving to San Miguel de Allende next week. I have most everything I need squared away except living arrangements. My job is looking to secure me a place within the city but in the meantime, I want to see if anyone knew of any house-sitting that was needed in the fall/winter this year. I can provide references.

I spent a week in San Miguel in May and loved it. I can't wait to return and start life down there.

I hope everyone is doing well. If you have any information about housesitting, please message me or email me at ***


Best,

Dylan Parkes

Hi...I never can figure out how forums work...way beyond my meager skill set. Anyway...maybe this will magically get where it is supposed to. My Airedale, Martini and I are Zihuatanejo bound about the first of August. Plan to stay there for 6 months, what the hell, maybe a year and then move somewhere else in Mexico. I feel much better about living in MX now that Amazon has its new distribution facility there! Trying to focus in those areas, preferably on the water (Pacific or Gulf) where there are the smallest number of expats....so suggestions are welcome. Best of luck on your adventures.

Welcome to Mexico Bound for bvi,

So after Zihuatanejo you are thinking about a coastal city On the Pacific or Gulf  Coast ?  with few tourists ( expats) narrows things down.  Most of the places you hear about are pretty heavy in the tourist department. It's the smaller places that appeal to me. Yucatan is a great state to visit for the most part, but except for a few small towns it's too tourist focused for me.  I live in Campeche the capital of the state of Campeche, north of the popular tourist areas. It does not have an established expat community at all and I like it that way. I also like Chetumal down by the Belize border. I have traveled the Pacific and Gulf states looking , and wind up staying in Campeche. The locals here are always ready to show new friends other little towns so I'm checking them out also. On the Pacific side it might be cooler, but it is pretty tourist and expat dense and then there is the radiation potential from Japan. On that side I liked Mazatlan more than the others.

As for Amazon, it is not the U.S. Amazon, you can not get all of the same things you get in the U.S. and they don't necessarily accept all of the same cards. There are some companies that do ship to Mx though and postal services that ship.  Mercado  Libre is sort of like E-bay and I have had good success with them.

Enjoy your trip

Hi and thanks very much for the info. I like the sound of your destination selections. I just can't see the purpose of getting out of the US just to re-associate with people from the US. Thanks too for the suggestions as to shopping.My main interest in Amazon was a way to get quality dog food and they have a great selection. I'll have to check out the other site as well. Before choosing Zhua, I went to San Juan del Sur in Nicaragua, Bocas del Toro (panama), Roatan and Placencia in Honduras and Ambergris Caye is Belize.....preferred the gulf to the Pacific, but found Roatan and Ambergris to be, well, dirty. I was blown away by how clean Zihua is...NO litter in the streets and the town in big enough 100K to have all the services and even a Sams if you need it. Want to party Ixtapa is 10 miles away. Will keep your email and let you know how it goes...thanks agani.

Allen

Sup y'all,
Kellyberto here. I have been living in Tijuana for the last year. Best decision I have made in years!  I like to answer questions about life here and used to be on gringos. C o m. Anyways, I truly love the food, culture, and the cost.
I celebrate those that visit, or move here. For their ability to see through the BS of the 1st world rat race. I love America but the Culture of spend every dime you have and borrow has led me to enjoy the freedoms the Mexico so readily offers. I am a faithfully husband so I didn't move here to take advantage of women.
I wish you all safe journeys and a rewarding future!

HI. I have just moved from San Luis Potosi to Puerto Vallarta to teach at the British American school. I will be teaching Social Studies, Business at the high school level and English at the 7th grade level.

I am interested in meeting fellow expats who currently live in Vallarta.  Email me directly at **Thanks, Craig.

I like anything out doors and enjoy all types of people from current or former business professionals, to creative types. Enjoy eating out, biking, hiking, and taking drives in the mountains.

I am also interested in meeting people who know more about the Mexican health care system. I have just this month gotten a Curp card and a Nut number? etc. I do not know anything yet about , the popular something, forgot what it called

I have a ClaveUnica de Registro de Poblacion Clave etc. I also just got a Tarjeta Inapam card too.

Would love to hear how you are using these programs. Thanks.

My name is Ruben. Although I am not going to retire for another 13-15 years, my wife and I are thinking of retiring in Rosarito or Ensenada. We have been there a few times, but will try to go more often now that we have started talking about retirement. I am thinking of renting when we do decide to retire.

Hi,

I invite you to follow this topic on this new thread:
https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=601634

Thanks!