Retire to San Miguel de Allende

In the early 1970's, my husband and I took a trip throughout most of Mexico in a Volkswagen Camper.  Yes, we were a lot more adventurous back in those days!  The investment company where my husband was working at the time went bankrupt and I hated my job as a legal secretary.  We sold our surburban home outside of San Franciso, bought the camper and took off for the open road.  It was a fun and illuminating trip.  Although we were in our early 20's at the time, one of the things we noticed was the fact that even four decades ago many Americans were retiring to Mexico. 

Life in San Miguel de Allende

During our trip, one of the places where we stayed was San Miguel de Allende.  We were charmed by this historic town.  If there were American ex-patriots living in the area at the time, however, we didn't meet any.

Today, however, San Miguel de Allende has become a mecca for thousands of retiring Americans.  Located in the state of Guanajuato, it is considered a colonial city with such charming architecture that it was nominated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO.  It is located about a three hour drive from Mexico City.

Activities in San Miguel

There is something for everyone in this lovely town, including boutique hotels, spas, and a main square that is a hub of lively activity with its carefully trimmed trees and an abundance of benches.  Live music is frequently performed in the town square.  The town also has art galleries, a museum, restaurants, nightclubs, boutiques, and craft shops.  Some of the local products that are for sale include furniture, stained glass, pottery, and metalwork.  In other words, most of the things you will need to furnish your retirement home can be purchased locally.

High temperatures range from about 60 degrees to 68 degrees the year around.  Expect rain in the summer.  

Retirement Info for Mexico

Currently, there are an estimated one million American retirees living in Mexico.  About 15% of them have purchased their residence and the remainder have found inexpensive places to rent.  San Miguel has attracted approximately 12,000 of those retirees with housing available in a variety of price ranges.

Unfortunately, many Americans have begun to feel uncomfortable in recent years about retiring in Mexico because of the increase in violence.   As always, I highly recommend that people who consider moving to another country check the State Department website for advisories and warnings.  In addition, if you do choose to move to another country, it is always wise to move to an area where there are many other Americans.  You are much more likely to feel safe and comfortable in such a location. Even in San Miguel de Allende, however, you should be alert, especially when you are traveling outside the town.

Housing Options

There are a variety of retirement housing options available in San Miguel de Allende.  Many of the developments have  facilities similar to what you would find in U.S. retirement communities, including fitness facilties, swimming pools, play rooms, movie theaters, beauty parlors and more. There are a number of real estate agencies in San Miguel that can help you rent or purchase an appropriate residence in the town.

Another housing option is the Complete Assisted Life Service, which offers specialized health care for those who need it, even if they have a terminal or degenerative disease like Alzheimers.  This is very appealing to those who cannot afford assisted living in the United States and has proven to be a viable option for many seriously ill Americans.  The facilities in San Miguel are built to meet the standards of Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) standards.  In these communities, residents can start out living an active lifestyle that includes golf, swimming and tennis; as their health worsens they will be moved to assisted housing where they can receive specialized care for their illness.  Complete Assisted Life Service facilities in San Miguel have proven to be a life saver for families that cannot afford expensive nursing care for their loved ones in the United States.

Real Estate in San Miguel

It was interesting to me to check out the real estate companies in San Miguel.  Although I cannot suggest a particular one, I highly recommend that people check out several on the internet before choosing one to deal with.  According to the website of the San Miguel Real Estate Agency, not only are retirees moving to their city, but younger American and Canadian adults are also moving there, especially since many of them are now able to work for businesses in their home country via the internet.  I found their website particularly helpful because it was written in English as well as Spanish, and home prices were advertised in dollars.  You will find their website listed in the resources section, below.  Featured homes that they advertised on their website ranged from $139,000 to several million dollars in 2013.  Obviously, buyers get a lot for their money when they are spending millions.  However, even the less expensive homes will give retirees the opportunity to enjoy the pleasant San Miguel lifestyle.

In addition, the various real estate websites advertised an abundant supply of homes and apartments for rent.  To show you the range in choices, I found a one bedroom apartment listed for rent at $500 a month and a number of homes in the $2000 to $2500 a month range.


If you are considering a move to San Miguel de Allende, you will want to check out the resources shown below:

In addition to the websites listed below, if you are going to be traveling to this area, you may also want to order travel guides about San Miguel de Allende from Amazon.com.

Information about the community came from the following websites:

http://www.visitmexico.com/en/retirement-in-san-miguel-de-allende

http://www.cielitolindoassistedliving.com/

http://www.sanmiguelrealestate.com/

If you are considering retiring soon, check out the index articles below.  They contain links to additional information about those topics:

Gifts, Travel and Family Relationships

Great Places for Boomers to Retire Overseas

Great Places to Retire in the United States

Health and Medical Topics for Baby Boomers

Money and Financial Planning for Retirement


You are reading from the blog:  http://baby-boomer-retirement.blogspot.com

Photo of San Miguel de Allende courtesy of wikimedia.org/commons.

Best Places to Retire Outside the US

I recently wrote a post about the advantages of retiring in the country of Panama, and I have also written posts about the most affordable places to retire and the sunniest places to retire in the United States.  Now it's time to broaden our horizons and consider some places where Americans are moving overseas in order to retire overseas.

While moving to another country is not to be taken lightly, it is not an unusual decision.  Currently, over 600,000 Americans are receiving their Social Security checks in another country.  This figure does not include those people who have their checks deposited into a bank in the U.S., and use ATMs to withdraw it in other countries.  This is especially popular for people who only live overseas part of the year ... a growing trend.

AARP.com has recently compiled a list of countries that are affordable, beautiful, have good health care and that welcome retiring Americans. 

Here is the AARP List of Best Places to Retire Abroad:

Argentina:  Buenos Aires is called the Paris of South America.  It is an elegant, European style city.  Rents in neighborhoods that are popular with ex-pats range from $800 - $2200 a month.  It is a sophisticated city for people who want to live in an affordable, upscale urban area.

Belize:  Formerly known as British Honduras, this Central American paradise is famous for its beaches and beauty.  The official language is English.  Retired persons can be put on the fast tract to residency.

Costa Rica:  The outlying towns in Costa Rica have temperate climates, exceptional beauty, lovely beaches and misty rain forests.  A friend of one of our daughters moved to Costa Rica from New York City three years ago to teach school, and has decided to stay permanently.  She constantly tells us how lucky she feels to live in Costa Rica.  She and her husband live comfortably on less than $2000 a month.

France:  The Mediterranean region of France is particularly popular with American retirees.  The Languedoc-Roussillon area in the Southwest is more affordable than many other regions, yet it is only three hours from Paris by high-speed rail.  In fact, living in Europe is very appealing because it is so easy to use the rail system and travel all over the continent and into Great Britain.

Italy:  In this country famous for its art, culture and beaches, Tuscany has long been popular with Americans.  However, Tuscany has become quite expensive, so now ex-pats are discovering LeMarche on the Adriatic.  Here you will find lovely vineyards, fabulous beaches, and snow-capped mountains, as well as amazing food. 

Mexico:  When my husband and I were young,we seriously considered moving to an American community in the Lake Chapala region of Mexico, in the mountains between Guadalajara and Puerto Vallarta.  Since then, however, we have been to Puerto Vallarta several times, and have heard that this beautiful city on the sea is drawing more retirees than ever.  Real estate is a bargain, compared to similar locations in the United States, and you can enjoy the gorgeous beaches and modern amenities.  Other areas of Mexico are also still popular with foreign retirees, including Lake Chapala, which still has a thriving American community, and San Miguel de Allende.  In fact, San Miguel has a bustling community of American ex-patriots and boasts retirement communities, assisted living facilities, hospitals and more.

Nicaragua:  The dollar goes particularly far in Nicaragua, making this one of the more affordable choices for American retirees.  While the capital city of Managua is rundown, the historic city of Granada or the resort town of San Juan del Sur are both lovely and affordable.

Panama:  I wrote a blog post specifically about retiring in Panama just a few weeks ago.  That article mentioned that many American retirees are moving to the affordable beach communities that are some distance away from the capital of Panama City.  This AARP article mentions the advantages of moving to the mountain village of Boquete as another possibility in Panama.  One aspect that Americans in Panama appreciate is that the U.S. dollar is the official currency in Panama, which makes it easy to handle your finances.

Portugal:  Retiring in Portugal can feel a bit like going back in time, with its castles and cobblestone streets.  However, you can also find plenty of golf courses, beaches and popular resorts, so you do not need to do without modern amenities.  Portugal is also less expensive than other areas of Western Europe.  The town of Cascais seems to be particularly popular with retiring Americans.

Spain:  Many American retirees are attracted to the quaint villages and spacious beaches in the Costa del Sol region of Spain.  There are currently some exceptional real estate deals in Spain, which makes it particularly affordable for relocating Americans.  There is no sales tax, and property taxes are very low.  There are golf course, hiking clubs, and a large ex-patriot community.

If there are other countries that you believe would appeal to retiring Americans, feel free to mention these places in the comments section below.

If you are interested in additional information about where to retire in the US or overseas, financial planning, medical issues that could arise, and changing family relationships, use the tabs or pull down menu at the top of this page to find links to hundreds of additional articles on these topics.

You may also be interested in reading one of the following articles:

Americans Retiring in Panama
Why Retire in Puerto Rico, the US Virgin Islands or Guam
Live in Ecuador Comfortably on Social Security
Retiring in Luxury to Hua Hin, Thailand

You are reading from the blog: http://www.baby-boomer-retirement.com

Photo is property of author, Deborah-Diane.  All rights reserved.