The major thrust of the changes will be online applications, new tourist forms and the issuance of credential-size ID’s for FM 3’s and FM 2’s.

Through this nationwide modernization program the INM seeks to end the arbitrary decision making that has prevailed at regional delegations for so many years.

Under the new centralized system foreigners can take their immigration requests to any INM office in Mexico.

Obviously, it is going to take some for all INM offices to get up to speed, as it were, and some office may still ask for additional documents not listed on the official INM web site for applications. (Tramites)

Chief among the changes launched April 30th is the obligatory online application system which includes all visa changes, FM extensions, work and marriage permits etc.

This means that prier to going to an INM office with all necessary documents one must first log on to: www.inm.gob.mx and fill out an application form that corresponds to their particular immigration request.

On the site they must find the appropriate form and fill in all the necessary fields. Once completed it must be sent electronically. They must print out this form which contains a reference number (numero de pieza) and take it together with all the required documents to their nearest INM office.

The INM web site lists all of the required documents for each immigration application (tramite) such as extending a tourist visa becoming and FM 3 (rentista) retired person living on their own income, switching from temporary resident (FM 3) to permanent resident (FM 2), studying working here etc.

An advantage of the new system is that most applicants will then only have to make one more trio to the INM office to pick up their visas. Everyone will be given a password so they can follow the progress of their applications online. They will be able to see when approval has been given to go in the INM office and pick up their visas.

This will end the long lines of those just to ask how one’s application is doing.

A major drawback is that the English section of the INM registration site is not yet up and running and to date there is no clear indication of when English instructions will be available. Non- Spanish speaking applicants will require help not only for translation but also for understanding of the immigration process.

There are positive aspects to the changes such as wallet-size ID’s for all FM 3’sand FM 2’s and this will make it easier as all foreigners must carry the immigration documents at all times.

Another advantage is that if a person loses an ID or has it stolen they won’t have to fill a police report as in the past and there will be less information on the card that criminals could use.

Patience is going to be required as the new system takes effect but overall it will be a much better system of obtaining ones necessary immigration documents.

Retirement and Investment in Lake Chapala

CEO of Goldman Sachs, Lloyd Blankfein, has reported a 3.5 billion profit outperforming competitors and remaining on top after weathering the financial crises.

Lloyd Blankfein adds that he is enlisting the aid of former White House Counsel, Gregory Craig to help deal with the ins and outs of the Washington machine during this investigation.

Further Britain’s F.A.S. (Financial Services Authority) their financial regulator, has opened a formal investigation into allegations that the Wall Street investment bank has defrauded investors.

Goldman Sachs profit has doubled to 3.5 billion and out of this they are paying billions in bonuses after receiving tax payer funds. 5.5 billion in salaries and bonuses have been paid which is down from 50% to 43% according to Blankfein.

The charge is that Goldman Sachs was selling sub-prime mortgage related investments in 2007 that were secretly designed to lose value.

The F.S.A. will be working closely with the SEC during the investigation into the Goldman Sachs fraud case.

The SEC has accused Goldman Sachs of structuring and marketing a financial product without letting its clients know that Paulson & Co., a prominent hedge fund, had helped the bank assemble the investment while at the same time placing bets it would lose value. The bank received 15 million from Paulson &Co. for its services.

A poll says that, although Americans do not want anymore government regulation, the one area they do want regulation is in financial institutions at a rate of 2 to 1.

The GOP is planning to filibuster any legislation regulating the financial institutions.

I am no financial genius, but is would seem to me that trust in Wall Street and investment banks is, at the moment, not a safe bet.

It is hard enough to earn enough money to retire comfortably in this or any financial climate without your own bank virtually stealing from you and taking bets against the product they have sold you to fail.

Although the byword seems to be “Too Big to Fail” is this a realistic assessment for institutions that we entrust with our futures?

Retirement and Golf in Lake Chapala

Yesterday 12 of us decided to play three foursomes of best ball at the Chula Vista Country Club in San Antonio Tlacayapan on the carretera in Chula Vista.

I used to be a member of this wonderful executive golf course and was delighted to be playing there again.

It is a beautifully kept course with a very nice club house where breakfast and lunch is served along with all kinds of liquid refreshment. There are several holes with breathtaking views of Lake Chapala.

I had not played golf in almost two years and was a little nervous about how I would fare but I worried needlessly as I put the ball on the green off the tee on the first hole, a par three, of course. I had only done this twice before prior to the green being raised and, I must admit, it got our foursome off to a very good start. The beauty of best ball is there is virtually no pressure as there are four members of the team to make a decent shot.

Our team was 2 over after the first nine but with an eagle putt and two birdies on the back nine we had a total score after 18 of -4 giving us the win.

Then we all enjoyed a delightful lunch on the terrace of the club house and had a lovely time catching up with all our friends.

We are planning to do this again at the Chapala Country Club in San Nicholas on the other side of Chapala and then later on at Atlas which is the second longest golf course in Mexico and is on the way to Guadalajara.

My father was a scratch golfer who once played with Gene Saracen in the Canadian Open and he taught me a lot about the game of golf. The first time I stood over a golf ball at a lovely course near the Tanglewood Music Festival in Massachusetts, everything he had ever said to me came into my head and I hit a wonderful drive which surprised my husband and I completely. I remember thinking “What an easy game!” which I have since learned is not quite the case.

My father also said that when you have not played for awhile you tend to forget all of your bad habits and seem to be able to hit the ball with more ease.

This was certainly the case for me yesterday. I hit some of my best drives ever, actually chipped well and sank some very important putts including an off the green double breaking putt for a birdie.

I was thrilled and now, of course, I can’t wait to get back to playing on a more regular basis. Golf is such a mental game and being under no pressure is terrific for your confidence and enjoying yourself and not trying too hard is one of the keys to this most complicated of games.

I remember one of the British golf announcers saying, after some pro had made a particularly spectacular golf shot, “This is an easy game really. It is us who make it difficult”.

So dust off your clubs and get there out and enjoy this wonderful sport that most of the world can only play a couple of months a year. Indeed it is another great benefit of Retirement in Lake Chapala.

Now we have most things we need right here lakeside and it is no longer necessary to go to Guadalajara for items we are looking to purchase.

For example recently I was in the market for a new queen sized mattress.

There is the furniture store in Chapala that sells mattresses and this used to be our only choice.

Now, however, we have several options right here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

Naturally, I was going to comparison shop for the best mattress at the best price.

First I went to Barbara’s Bazaar on Independencia and also Carlos’Bazaar on the street groing up from St.Andres Church. Sometimes one can get lucky but this was not one of those times.

Next I went to Walmart and after waiting, for what seemed like an interminable amount of time to get someone to help me, I was told they do not carry queen sized mattresses nor could they order that size.

I then proceeded to a little place to see what they had to offer. It was called Mr.Rest in San Antonio, Tel. 331 330 7116.

Next I went to C & D’s, also in San Antonio Tel. 766-4972 which is a very nice store that also sells beds, furniture, good quality sheets and various other linens and they had a 40% off sale. They also told me that there was the US queen size and Mexican queen size which is 190 x 150 and this was very useful information as I had not yet ordered the frame for said mattress.

I bought a very good quality Mexican queen sized mattress at 40% off which included delivery. They also had a waterproof fitted mattress cover in the correct size which was in itself a miracle.

Also in the casino compound at the corner of the carretera and the libremiento there is another new mattress store called Durmimundo.(Sp.)

I was delighted at all the choices we now have here in Ajijic, LakeChapala and over a 2 day period was able to purchase the necessary queen sized mattress, bed and 9 drawer chest. The bed and chest of drawers I got at a very good price at Mexico Rustico in Riberas del Pilar Tel. 765-7074. I did check out a number of places to look for a bed but they had the best prices. It is a wood bed stained to your taste but they do have some very nice iron beds at Mateo (formerly Duke;s) also in Riberas del Pilar if wrought iron is more to your liking.

Although this blog is not in the truest sense about Retirement in Lake Chapala I took poetic license as I thought this would be useful time saving information for my readers.

Everything is supposed to be delivered tomorrow and I am hoping this will in fact be the case.

I am happy to report that the Ajijic Real Estate market continues to flourish. We did have a dip after the market fell globally in late 2008 but are now rebounding nicely and would be retirees are still flocking to Ajijic, Lake Chapala.

We still have arguably the best climate in the world, an affordable cost of living, a slower gentler pace and an infrastructure that satisfies even the most discerning of people.

One can come to Ajijic, Lake Chapala and enjoy a vibrant retirement or, thanks to the internet, continue to work if one so chooses.

We have many styles of properties at a price range to suit you from condos to elegant estates. Also one may buy land and build the home of your dreams with many reputable architects and construction crews to ably assist you in achieving this goal.

We have gated communities for those who wish to be able to lock up and travel, many different sub-divisions in or just outside the village and, of course, there the village itself.

It all depends on what you want. Some people have a good idea of what they are looking for as they have done their research on the internet before arriving but many are unsure of just what it is that would suit them.

This is where a real estate company with a good reputation for honesty and diligent follow up can come into the picture to help you familiarize yourself with what is available.

A good broker or agent will show you all the different and varying communities or land available for purchase and this is a good way to find out exactly what you are looking for in your price range.

Once you contact a real estate company they should listen carefully to your requirements and then arrange a tour of properties for you to start getting an idea of what suits you.

Many people think that they might like to rent first but end up buying. Once of the main reasons for this is if you are not quite ready to be here full time your property can be rented out with the help of your chosen real estate company and it is better to put money into your pocket rather than someone else’s.

It is a good idea to have a wish list of what you would like in a home here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala. For example, how many bedrooms, bathrooms do you require? Do you want a pool, view, parking, gardens and, of course, what you can afford to spend is a factor.

Do you want to be in the village of Ajijic, Lake Chapala, so you can walk everywhere or will you have a vehicle so you can consider some of the other areas available?

Your broker/agent will then make a selection of properties for you to see and you will find out what you can do without or what you may wish to add to your list of must haves.

On these tours your broker/agent will take you on they will also point out certain attributes of our village in the sun such as schools, shopping, restaurants and medical facilities and acquaint you, in general, with what retirement in Ajijic, Lake Chapala, can offer you as far as golf, tennis and various other activities.

It is important to find a broker/agent who will listen to you, be honest with you and help guide you through the process of purchasing a property in Mexico. A relationship will be formed and I am proud to say we are friends with all of our clients and our repeat and referral business levels are extremely high.

Buying a property in a foreign country can be a scary business but dealing with a broker/agent who has lived in the area for a long period of time can help make this process as seamless and pleasant as possible..

I can honestly tell them that in over 15 years I have never been bored and there is indeed plenty to do.

You can be as busy or as idle as you would like,

In Ajijic, Lake Chapala there are two garden clubs, The Garden Guild and The Garden Club. There are cooking competitions and lessons available. There are bridge clubs and cribbage clubs.

There are all types of cultural events such as symphonies, plays both local and imported and I can honestly say my children have been more exposed to culture than they ever were in Toronto.

We have the Auditorium in La Floresta which stages many events and also the Little Theatre in San Antonio Tlayacapan and they are always looking for people who wish to get involved in theatre.

There are local golf clubs and tennis clubs in Ajijic, Lake Chapala as well as many more in Guadalajara. Lessons in both sports are available and tournaments to participate in.

There are many very worthwhile charities to get involved in and churches for all denominations

We have wonderful restaurants and a movie theatre boasting 3 cinemas with all the current movies available in English.

There is a writer’s club, Club Amigos for newcomers to meet new friends and enjoy old ones.

We have the Lake Chapala Society which offers all kinds of free medical testing, insurance seminars, a vast library and video library. This is an association devoted to the ex-pat community as well as helping the local population. LCS has a wonderful yearly directory, mail service and many other services needed by ex-pats. There is not a question you many have that they cannot answer.

There is Laughter Yoga which has 6,000 clubs all over the world To get listings for all of the activities that are available you can check out the weekly Guadalajara Reporter or the Ojo del Lago. Also you can google your specific interests and web sites will pop up giving you the information you need.

There are all kinds of special events held almost nightly from formal dinners to casual get togethers.

We have found the most rewarding activities are those that include the Mexican people who always welcome you to any event they are having and this is a wonderful way to get involved in our amazing community.

Also we are 30 minutes from the second largest city in Mexico, Guadalajara which is twice the size of Toronto and has everything you would expect from a major city including shopping, culture, history and restaurants and night life.

Also we are just over three hours from the beach on an excellent toll road and day trips and longer excursions are available to many other wonderful Mexican towns and cities.

I have only mentioned a few options of what is available to us here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala and many other activities and pastimes are waiting for you to discover them.

Whatever you would do to fill your time wherever you came from is available here. Perhaps the only difference is a slower pace reminiscent of kinder, gentler times.

Now with the internet and high speed wireless one can carry on any business ventures you care to be involved in.

So don’t worry about what you will find to do here instead worry about how you will find the time to do everything you wish to be involved in.

The expression is “One goes to Florida to die but one comes to Ajijic, Lake Chapala to live”.

This is your chance to step out of the shadows and be a shining light to animals in need.

The cost is $250.00 pesos per person which includes a sit down dinner of roast turkey and roast ham with all the trimmings, all drinks, music by our very own Noe and a chance to win one week in a fabulous Beachfront Condo in Puerto Vallarta. It is said of this 2 bedroom condo, with a palapa on the terrace, that if it was any closer to the ocean you would be in it.

Party starts at 6:00 p.m. and the draw for the condo will be held at 8:00 p.m. on December 8th.

This amazing dinner will be held at the beautiful private home of Steffany Arnoldi at Del Manglar #166 in Villa Nova and for tickets please call Steffany at 766-0008. This gives us all yet another opportunity to see behind the walls of a private Ajijic home.

Living away from family and long time friends can sometimes make the holidays a sad affair and this dinner is an alternative to being melancholy while supporting an extremely worthwhile and much needed organization.

We have attended Steffany’s Christmas Parties in the past and can highly recommend the location, food, drinks and mix of interesting people. The fact that, this year, it is being held to support the animals in our area of Ajijic, Lake Chapala is an added bonus to an already wonderful affair.

So pull out your best bib and tucker and join us for an amazing dinner and the opportunity to meet new people and support in a meaningful way the wonderful work of the Lake Spay & Neuter Center.

See you there!

Retiring to Ajijic, Lake Chapala, Mexico

We will explore some of those lowers costs today.

The cost of a very nice rental is between $800.00 – $1,500.00 US depending on the degree of luxury you are looking for. The price range to buy a house here is from $250.000.00 – $500,000.00 US again depending on your taste. This will buy you a very nice home with two or three bedrooms, 3 baths, and various other very attractive amenities.

Many people buy homes here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala and then rent them until they are ready to retire. Your real estate broker can manage your property for you and help you find renters. Prices are very good at the moment and will only go up as the economy improves.

Food is cheaper too and the selection of year round fresh fruits and vegetables locally grown is a wonderful option.

At the supermarkets you have the choice of buying local brands which are extremely reasonable or the imported brands which, of course, are more expensive. Our family of 5 eat like kings and we spend easily half of what we did on groceries in Toronto.

The pork here is wonderful and very inexpensive and so is the local beef. However, all cuts are available as well.

Long distance telephone charges can be expensive with Telmex but most people have overcome that with the use of Skype or Vonage which are computer long distance programs and are very reasonable. With Skype you can also transfer funds all over the world online.

Cable charges are about $30.00 US a month with Telecable and other tv choices such as Shaw, Direct etc. are available through several satellite system outlets such as Michael Merriman at 766-1117. Being from Canada we subscribe to Shaw and pay under $100.00 CDN per month for a very complete array of channels.

Electric is also a variable charge payable every 2 months and the number of fridges, computers, color televisions and pool pumps you have will determine the cost.

Water is very inexpensive in the village of Ajijic but can be a little more for potable water in the specific districts such as Chula Vista, Villa Nova etc. Again, if you have a pool you will spend more on water.

Realty taxes are the best surprise ever. When we left Toronto, Canada 15 years ago the taxes on our downtown home were going up to $4,000.00 CDN per year. Here in Ajijic, Lake Chapala our taxes for our 5 bedroom, 4 bathroom home with a pool are approx. $150.00 US per year.

Gas for our home is approx. $75.00 US every 5 or 6 weeks. Bearing in mind we have 5 very clean people in our house using a great deal of hot water for bathing and laundry.

Gas for you car is another matter. In Canada is cost about $50.00 CDN to fill a mid-sized car and here is costs me $18.00 US to fill a small car. You can go online and google a complete comparison chart of US and Canadian to Mexican gas prices. Some sites will tell you that US, Canadian and Mexican gas prices are comparable at times.

Buying or leasing a car can be a little more costly. The best thing to do would be to contact reputable dealers and shop around for your best deal. We use S & S Auto as they sell new and used cars and have access to all the dealers in Guadalajara. Karen or Spencer can be reached at 765-4800 and are located on the carretera beside Puritan Poultry in Reberas del Pilar.

All in all you will find that your dollar, euro or pound goes a lot further in Ajijic, Lake Chapala for a very good quality of living.

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.

Retiring to Ajijic, Lake Chapala, Mexico

Here are a few of ours in no particular order:

International Airport
Access to a large city
Excellent Medical Care
Good Schools
All denominations of Churches
Good Shopping
Good Restaurants
A wide variety of activities and cultural events
Climate
Warmth of the people
Good Housing Prices

All the above can be checked off your list in Ajijic.

We are 40 minutes or less (depending on your driving speed) from the International Airport in Guadalajara.

Guadalajara is a city twice the size of Toronto, Canada and, therefore, has all the amenities a big city has to offer.

The medical care in Guadalajara is world class with many fine hospitals and also the medical facilities lakeside are excellent with doctors coming out from Guadalajara regularly to see patients. Maskaras Clinic is very good with all the specialties well represented.

There are good schools in Ajijic. From them our children went to bi-lingual schools and both went on to universities in the US and Canada.

All denominations are here in Ajijic. Thee are Catholic churches, of course, Anglican, Baptist, Jewish, Non-Denominational, Presbyterian etc.

The shopping in Ajijic is very good and is excellent in Guadalajara with all the designer labels available.

There are many good restaurants in Ajijic for all tastes and pocketbooks and of course, there is fine dining available in Guadalajara.

There are activities to suit all tastes in Ajijic. Golf, tennis, bridge and cribbage clubs, garden glubs, writing clubs, theatre, arts and crafts to name a few. Also the cultural experience is wonderful with many world class theatre and musical groups coming to our own auditorium.

The climate is the best in the world and is only rivaled by Kenya. However, for my money, this is a better bet politically.

The warmth and welcome of the Mexican is second to none in the world. They truly live the expression “mi casa es su casa” which means “my house is your house”.

Finally, attractive housing prices are what bring many people to Ajijic along with the wonderful year round climate but it is the people that make us stay.