Three Tips for Your Property Buy in a Maturing Market

August 14, 2008
Campeche, Mexico

Hola Mexico Insiders,

I recently visited a popular beach resort town where I overheard some developers talking about the state-of-the-art construction and amenities they plan to use in their project. Their knowledge of exactly what U.S. and Canadian buyers want intrigued me, and I discussed it with a realtor friend in the area.

Your August Issue Is Now Online: Is This Value-for-Money Destination the Next Big Thing?

August 8, 2008
Campeche, Mexico

Hola Mexico Insiders,

This month we’re celebrating a birthday. Mexico Insider enters its sixth year—61 months of bringing you insider information on the best places to live and invest in Mexico.

A Home in a Cultural Mecca for Less Than $100,000

July 31, 2008
Mérida, Mexico

Hola Mexico Insiders,

A year-round mild climate, gorgeous mountain views in all directions, chic restaurants and cafes, and more leisure activities—everything from concerts to kayaking—than you could possibly do.

You’re probably thinking, “Sure, I’d love to live in a place like this—if I could afford it.”

Buying Modern in Mexico? Three Things to Look for

July 24, 2008
Mérida, Mexico

Hola Mexico Insiders,

If you dream of buying a colonial house in Mexico, you’re probably looking forward to all the ways in which it’s different from your home in the U.S. or Canada. You expect high, wood-beamed ceilings, for instance—and tile or wooden floors, and gracious covered terraces. You’d be surprised if the kitchen—last renovated 40 years ago—didn’t need an overhaul, and you know you’ll need to add closets in the bedrooms. Different times, different customs, you figure.

And what about buying a modern house with all the conveniences? You think it will be just like one back home, right? Wrong.

Three Ways to Get Money to Mexico

July 17, 2008
Mérida, Mexico

Hola Mexico Insiders,

Now that the renovation of my colonial house in Campeche is almost complete, I’m in Mérida for a few days to shop seriously for household goods. I expect to be buying a lot—and the big question is how will I pay for it?

Four Ways to Earn a Living in Mexico

July 10, 2008
Campeche, Mexico

Hola Mexico Insiders,

When you dream of moving to Mexico, does your dream include having a job? Mine did. I wanted to make a lifestyle change, to give up the 9-to-5 rat race, to lower my costs while raising my quality of life…but I also wanted to keep working.

Sure, I had some money saved. But in today’s economic climate, where the cost of everything is skyrocketing, how many of us actually feel comfortable saying, “Right, I have enough saved to last me for the rest of my life, come what may”? Not me. I figure it never hurts to keep a little money rolling in. Besides, I like staying busy.

Beachfront Bargains in Mexico's "Big Easy"

July 3, 2008
Campeche, Mexico

Hola Mexico Insiders,
This month in Mexico Insider we take you to the city that crashed my diet.

But sinfully good food is only one of its many charms. This is a place where living well is an art—where the music is lively, the mood upbeat, and even oldsters have the stamina to dance till dawn (with a little help from the excellent coffee).

Add to that list big-city sophistication, great shopping…and miles of beachfront…and you have the recipe for a city that’s been called “the New Orleans of Mexico.”

Looking for Mortgage Financing in Mexico? There Are Now Some Attractive Options

June 12, 2008
Mérida, Mexico

Hola Mexico Insiders,

Not everyone can afford to pay cash when they buy a property in Mexico. I was reminded of this anew as I was researching some properties in Mérida recently, like a fully renovated, two-bedroom, two-bath with pool and parking for $165,000, or a small hacienda on the road to the beach town of Chicxulub for $150,000. Properties like these are great deals for the money—but it’s still a lot of cash to fork out in one lump sum.