Retired Early in Mexico [San Jose del Cabo]
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 28 มิ.ย. 2024
- Check out Leenie - a younger-than-average retiree in Mexico. She retired from the airline industry earlier than planned. And that's possible because she sold her condo in Canada and moved to San Jose del Cabo where expenses are so much lower.
Are you ready to follow in Leenie's footsteps and move to the fun side of the wall? Mexico is waiting for you!
You don't need to wait until you are 65 to retire and move to Mexico. You can work from Mexico remotely or you can retire earlier than planned.
Leenie is just one example of Canadians and Americans moving south. There are great locations all around Mexico that could be your future home. Be sure to subscribe for future videos about life in Mexico as an American (or Canadian.)
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The Mexico Relocation Guide is the perfect resource for moving to Mexico. We've partnered with them and you can get the guide here: mexicorelocationguide.com/?re...
I totally LOVE This story! I am sitting here in Oregon with Snow/Hail all week! I am waiting for my documents that I have already paid for to be translated into Spanish and Apostilles... So my passport is renewed and I think I am nearly ready to make the leap... so encouraging to hear this story! I am also waiting for the sale of property. So very nice to hear Leenie's story.. she is Awesome!
Oregon has been nasty this week! My apostille was lost in Salem. So if it's taking too long, be sure to give them a call. Leenie is awesome! I'd definitely be hanging out with her if I lived in SJD!
I'm also an Oregonian moving to Mexico. Keep at it, you'll get here!!
If you open a bank account in Mexico you can pay your bills you just have to tell then that you want to "domiciliar los servicios" bring your water, electricity, Cable etc. And they will pay every month from your account all the utilities that you want and it's free and very convenient
So this is a service from your bank? I know it’s possible to set up monthly payments thru some utilities, but doing them all in one place would be awesome!
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico yes any Mexican bank offers this service, Im Mexican and we do it the way, as long you're a costumer they give you the free service, you can open an account with 5,000 pesos 250 dólares. I think for foreigners they just need to show your residency, but just contact the bank, Bancomer, Banamex, Banorte, Scotiabank etc.
Thanks MR - I talked to Banorte today (I had to call customer service for another problem.) It seems like they can pay a lot of different services. But I think the forms are in Spanish (and my Spanish is limited.) I may need to bring someone with me to make sure I'm doing it correctly. And once I get it done, I'll make a video. This is a great option - especially for those of us who live part time in Mexico. Thanks again for sharing!
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico great 👍 also you can do bank on line and pay all your bills with your Mexican banking account. It will be good if you can bring a bilingual person with you to the bank so you can choose the best option for you.
Best of luck, honey. Have friends on Sea of Cortez. Keep us informed of your success.
I’m glad it worked out for Leenie. She seems like a really nice person
I agree!
I'm Canadian as well and want to leave! I'm fed up!
Same here!
Same! I’m watching these videos to research the human stories, helpful hints and places that seem to work for people. I’m only been once to M and am ready to try again, with a plan to find ‘home’! Canada is in a steady state of decline.
Congratulations Leenie, you got out before our political situation got a lot crazier! Many people are looking to leave for the same reason. I would love to join the Canadian expats so I am watching and learning. Enjoy your new life 🙏🏼❤️
Thanks Ashatan - best of luck with your journey south.
Agreed! Another Canadian here wanting to move to Mexico! The big decision seems to always be where to go ??
Congratulations to Leenie for making the big move! We wish you all the best on your new journey in SJDC. Cheers
Thank you for this perspective!
Glad you enjoyed it Catherine
Ironically, Leenie and I just met at the SJ farmers market! 🤗
That's awesome! I'm going to have a little club of "expats featured on TH-cam." ;-) Your video is looking great. I'm just trying to time everything perfectly.
When you said you sold everything you had in Canada in 17 days I was like Wow! I’m in a 1 bedroom apartment in Brooklyn NY that I’ve lived in for 20 years and I have to get rid of everything but it’s so daunting to even think about, but I need the money for the move to Mexico. I’m so glad it worked out for you. 💕
It's a big move to sell 20 years worth of stuff! But it's so worth it if it opens up a new path in life!
Congratulations Leenie , you are so brave!!!
You knew it was time for a change and did it. Period!!!
I have a few more years before I can retire and start enjoying Mexico.
Can't wait; thank you for the motivation.
Leenie is crazy brave! My jaw dropped when I heard her friend who talked her into this trip cancelled 10 hours before their flight!
I encourage you to start "shopping around" Mexico so that you'll know where you want to live when you retire.
Great interview. Would like to see more of these.
Thanks Jerry. More coming your way. This Wednesday I'm doing a live interview with someone who moved to Mexico temporarily for cancer treatment. I hope you'll join in.
Congratulations, you certainly picked the right location, Cabo is magical, and San Jose del Cabo would be my 1st choice also. There are endless business opportunities for those interested, at whatever investment level you're comfortable. Lots of tourists with money visit, and the majority are there to spend their cash, so no problem earning a living. Have met people from all over the world, especially Europe who have visited once and moved to Cabo, plus quite a few that just found Cabo online and moved without ever seeing the place. There are so many ways to make the move, especially from Canada, I would have flown back to Calgary bought a nice Toyota 4x4 and driven it back to Cabo. Another option for others looking to move from Canada, is to keep your home in Canada, rent it out, and rent in Cabo. Values typically increase much faster in major Canadian cities than Cabo. Once you've made up your mind Cabo is where you want to live, you can officially move. You should spend time hanging out at Zippers, that's the spot where all the coolest people hang out, pick up a surfboard for the top of your Toyota 4x4 ............ for extra coolness, enjoy.
Great video again. We are starting are residency May 10 with immigration here in Las Vegas Nevada and will finish it and Cabo or LAPAZ. Thanks for the video I was getting a little concerned with the worlds issues right now and this video reassured me to go for it !
Thanks Mike! Congrats on getting an appointment with your consulate - that's the first step ;-) It's great being in Mexico where it seems like all the troubles of the world are so far away!
Nice interview and guest.
Thank you!
Great story. Thanks
Glad you enjoyed it Peter
Fabulous. Greetings from Ottawa. Congratulations
Greetings Derrick! Lots of Canadians moving to Mexico - a flood of y'all after the Canadian border reopened!
Your channel is great and you have such a nice attitude
Thank you so much!
Hi Brighton! This is really a great talk. Thank you for sharing Leenie's experiences. Since I live in a resort-ish town in Colorado, we enjoy hearing the stories of what brought people here. They always are so interesting!
Out of all that I heard, I think the most important part is to "just do it"! I haven't did what I just preached yet, but, it is definitely a goal. As I indicated in a different comment, I think we would be renters initially. So, all that we need to do is find a place that kind of works, and do it! Then, once there, it is much easier to travel around and continue to explore.
The best of luck to Leenie. It sounds really awesome that she has been able to get linked up with some great friends down there to help her get situated. Listening to her talk, it really just sounds awesome down there. She mentioned live music. THAT will be high on our list as we do our exploratory trips.
Safe travels!
Just do it! I'm working on a new video and the message it ends with is "you never know when your time is up, so start planning and then when the right opportunity presents itself, you'll be ready to move.
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico yes yes yes!! Mack trucks...viruses...bad disease.....$$....etc. They are all out there to bite the plans. I was serving overseas, getting ready for our night missions, which means most people were eating breakfast at the local dinner hour. Some coworkers would him and haw about getting some ice cream before they headed out. And I would always tell them they would pissed if they got severely injured and didn't have some ice cream.
Also, I used to talk to other army guys that were interested in our unit. I would tell them that they have to consider their current work situation, family scenarios, and their personal status and readiness. I would then tell them that if they waited until all 3 components are in line, they would probably be 50 yrs old...retiring ...and regretting they never gave it a try.
Safe travels!!
I love the ice cream mentality! I might need to get some tonight!
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico Absolutely!! To throw some words back at you......just do it!! It would really stink to drown in a margaritas and not have had ice cream!
What a coincidence, I live in the community right next to Leenie's old one, Bankview (she was Marda Loop, which btw, has a Cinco D'Mayo celebration every year) and am planning on moving to Mexico for the exact same reasons she did. I wish her the best of luck.
Small world! Thanks for sharing.
Great video you guys! Curious, does purchasing property expedite or relax qualifications for attaining a temporary visa? Thanks, we enjoy your content very much.
Thanks GC! I'm not exactly sure about residency, but I don't think our owning property made any difference. However, each embassy office is different. And I think you can use your property as a reason you can get residency (if it's above a certain value - but we just used our bank accounts to get residency.)
very nice. My wife andI bought an ocean front 4000 sf condo in Cozumel. We paid 470 and it is now worth 750 in two years. Mexico is booming.
Wow ' that sounds like a nice place! And nice appreciation. My wife and I never expected to make money on real estate in Mexico, but it's looking pretty good!
Great story
Good for you girl💪💪💪💪
Glad you enjoyed it!
I recently retired from a US airline and am considering moving out of the country due to the politics here, as well. And to be clear, I don't like either 'side'! SJD will definitely be on my radar now...thanks for sharing this story.
A lot of folks in Mexico are there to avoid the political mess of the northern neighbors. If you're out of the US or Canada, then you don't need to worry about their issues. And non-citizens can't get involved in Mexican politics, so you can be completely politics free.
I use Baselang for Spanish training. Unlimited one on one classes. I have been a student for 5 years and I am conversational in Spanish. I use it now for daily conversations to practice since I live in Texas and English is the primary language.
Thanks for sharing!
Wow Leenie; I know this Video is a year ago, but You bought a condo before being a Resident? That's brave! Curious were You a flight attendant with the airline? I am happy for You.
Congrats!
Regardless of any frustrations/challenges one inevitably experiences in a new place, this is a very smart move!
I wonder about healthcare? I am assuming it is easily accessible (especially compared to Canada) and also affordable.
I'm planning to make some healthcare videos. For the most part, healthcare is easily accessible. And it's also affordable. Cheap compared to the US... maybe expensive compared to Canada. I went to the doctor (got an appointment the day after I called with a specialist) then got chest x-rays and an ultrasound the same day (15 minute wait max!) All for a couple hundred dollars US.
We fell in love with La Paz. Our plan is to vacation for a few months each year and really get a feel for life in Mexico. We just came back from a 10 day trip and already planning our next. We met so many awesome expats and locals. !0 days driving and not a single ticket or cop stop, guess we just got lucky.
Good timing! Still in Calgary but working on getting to PV, and thinking SJD for summers. Calgary is now soooo expensive!
PV in winter sounds great, but SJD in summer? Most people go inland or north… unless you like hot weather!
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico so true, but hard to decide where.
Good vid. Informative. Clear. Grrr8. Now we need 1 for us folk that may melt there in the summer. When Pam and I make the move , it will be year round. The fur babies do make travel a tad more difficult. PS we will be watching tomorrow.
Good idea on melting! You may consider somewhere like Lake Chapala where it doesn't get so hot. It does get hot here during the days in summer. But in La Paz it seems to cool off at night (I never needed AC at night this past summer.) "See" you tomorrow!
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico I've read about Lake Chapala, some benefits but also drawbacks. No thanks. I've dealt with the "cottage crowd" before. Besides it's a real hike for happy hr.
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico, what are the usual high temps in La Paz during the hottest months of summer, over 100 Fahrenheit? With low humidity levels? I live in the high desert of California and would be totally fine with temps in the 90’s as long as the humidity is low. Otherwise, I’ve been considering San Miguel De Allende or Querétaro for the hot summer months.
@Amy Hollingsworth. Temps in La Paz seem to be in the high 90s in the summer during the days. But they cool off nicely at night. There is some humidity around September / October. But I've only been here on and off during the one summer, so I'm far from an expert.
There is no doubt that Canada has changes a lot over the past 5 years.
When it comes to colors associated with liberal versus conservative, is it the reverse of the US? In the US, red (eg red MAGA hats) is the color for conservatives and blue is the color for liberals.
Yes, in Canada red is Liberal and blue is Conservative.
Hi Brighton my wife and I were in La Paz last week of March and we bought a lot in El Centenario
Congratulations! Did you make it to the Sunday happy hour? I'm never sure who is who based on "real names" versus "screen names."
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico no we didn't make it to sunday beers
So nice to see how happy you are settling in SJD Leenie! 🇨🇦🇲🇽
Very interesting and informative video, watching from England, and yes Mexico is calling me 🎉
Come on over - I’m guessing it’s sunnier in Mexico :-)
My partner and I are in the process of purchasing a place in San Jose del Cabo. We're excited about the new adventure ahead. Thanks for the various insights.
Congrats on your purchase! Glad to share. Maybe you can share your experience in a future video with me ;-)
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico We are purchasing a pre-construction condo so once we get the keys, I'm sure I'll have lots to tell. I'll make sure to keep notes.
Great story. Loving, a lady that can afford themselves. Job well done. Stash it back. Enjoy the grand life.
I would love some way to ask her a few questions to move in that area ? I am 65 and lobe the beach and the life style. I also like music.
Am glad you sold your place and use that money to buy a house and enjoy life instead of struggle and letting your equity fade away! And that area looks pretty cool
So true!
Are you still in San Jose, we will be there soon, would love more intel on the area and cost.
Leenie is still in San Jose del Cabo. I recommend joining local Facebook Groups to connect with locals and get lots of information. Here's on (but there are a number of additional ones): facebook.com/groups/1574129946122526
How frequent and how severe are the hurricanes? Brighton, could you do a video sometime in the special trade and tax status of Baja California, why it exists, and the benefits?
I'm guessing a Category 1 or 2 hits every year or two. And a category 5 is every 15 years. Maybe?
I've been trying to find the benefits of Baja California Sur and it's totally confusing! I think there are benefits to the northern half of the peninsula tho...
Hi Leenie, we are also from Calgary and planning to spend this winter there and explore our retirement options. I’d love to get together with you for lunch while we are there. I’ll look you up on FB!
You'll often find here in the San Jose del Cabo Expats Facebook Group: facebook.com/groups/1574129946122526
Love this place
Lots of memories
Would renting be cheaper option? Sell her Canada condo, invest the funds, then rent. Then she can move around more within Mexico/world if she wanted.
Renting would be a good option. But it seems like Leenie is putting down roots and connecting with the community, so she may be there for a while.
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico yeah makes sense if she’s looks to put down some roots. If she does want to move around obviously she can and keep her place as a base.
Looks like great town, I’ll be there in October!
what do you have to pay if you want to rent something
Good advice about bringing a car!
It's easy to bring a car to the Baja Peninsula. On the mainland it can be a bit more tricky - especially if you have permanent residency in Mexico. But it's really nice to have a car!
The best decision in your life to move to a nice little town in Mexico. Everything cheaper , great weather and great people. Nothing to regret. Now just enjoy your life!!. Very simple. Congratulations.
So true! Thanks Rick
Lovely story and girl :)
I agree!
How safe is it to road trip down if you want to bring your car?
It's pretty safe as long as you only drive during the daylight hours. After dark, the chances of hitting a cow skyrocket! Or a goat, or a burro, or an unmarked tope.
I've met a few women who've traveled alone with a dog. I'm not sure I'd want my wife driving completely alone, but with one other person or a dog would be fine.
Will you help me talk to this lady because I love Mexico and want to move there and I am just retired and I think she can answer my questions?
Por esta gente estadounidense, México se vuelve más costoso, ellos viven su sueño mexicano y los mexicanos que no pueden pagar esta vida tan costosa y son los que la pasan mal. Inadmisible
Gracias por su comentario. Si vives en Mexico y hablas ingles - quieres hacer un video conmigo sobre gentrification?
Cabo is heaven on earth. So happy for you! My goal one day 🌊☀️💗
You can do it Cathi!
Is the tap water drinkable? How safe is it for women to live and travel alone there? Are the locals friendly to foreigners? Is the local government maintaining city well?
Can’t drink from the tap.
It’s a pretty safe city - including for single women.
Government is probably average for Mexico.
Most locals are friendly… even those not happy about gentrification.
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico thank you!!
We just sold our house in Hawaii and we’re on our way there for the same reasons.
That’s great! I’ve met other folks who’ve moved here from Hawaii. Not a lot of people, but a few :-)
I was almost ready to buy property on the big Island after cashing out a 401K So very glad I didn't!! The politics in Hawaii have been the worst since the pandemic started... I also noticed the issues with the Native people on the Big Island over the past few years and seriously shed tears over the whole peaceful protest being met with GOV Ige's insane fear mongering. Hawaii is lovely to look at , but unfortunately there needs to be more than good looks.
@@hivolco151 we are leaving for all reasons you mentioned. We moved here 4 1/2 years ago and lost our home to the volcano, then it’s been one thing after another ever since. We are ready to leave this unfriendly island and state and the communist USA. It’s so sad what has happened to our nation. 😢
@Lori Meximenko Sorry to hear you lost your home. Kat and I were thinking about moving to that area of the big island, but moving to Hawaii was complicated, plus the volcano risk. One thing to consider, Mexico is way less political, but in places like La Paz, the residents all mask up and just follow the government regulations (which fluctuate weekly based on the virus / hospitalizations / etc.) Expats here mostly follow what the locals do. I think in Cabo it's a different story...
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico thank you for the tips!
Glad you got out of Canada. I’m looking at Cabo towns too. I’m 55 and don’t plan to ever be vaccinated.
Same! I moved back to Canada in early 2021 and have spent this whole time deciding on how to leave and where next! These videos are super helpful and hopeful!
Are Ubers easy to find here?
There are Ubers, but the more popular car sharing services are DiDi and InDriver. Be sure to download them if you're going to be traveling in Mexico.
This Canadian can only handle the heat for six months
As someone originally from Calgary and relocating back there I'm interested whether Leani has a Facebook or web page to contact her.
facebook.com/gayleneleenie.anderson
WOW, what a lady
I agree!
I don't think she paid condo fees and sold her condo in US dollars. She only mentioned US dollars buying and paying in Mexico
I'm not sure if she translated the sales price in Canada, but it's still $500k vs $130k to buy and $475 vs $200 monthly (all USD).
@@AlmostRetiredinMexicoThanks for clarifying. I thought she said the SJC condo cost 130k less than what she sold her Canada place for. Great price!
Is it safe to drive there when you don’t know the country?
Yes - it's safe to drive if you follow some simple rules. #1 - never drive at night. More reasons here: th-cam.com/video/WHnNHNVRNo8/w-d-xo.html
She appears to in the same condo development as Bert? 👍
Good eye - yes she is!
@@AlmostRetiredinMexicowhich complex is this? Trying to find out if there are some apartments available. Got my temp residency this year, but still in California.
On our way!
I'm sure you'll enjoy the place. Luckily you are used to the heat. But a dry 100F ish in the summer ? I'm a little afraid we might melt. Pam n Dave
Hawaii has such an ideal climate. Summers get a little hot here, but you'll definitely enjoy the prices of cold drinks!
Hawaii is so expensive now
i'd leave authoritarian Canada too!
Does Leenie have an instagram? I am also with the airlines and feel the same way. would love to connect with her
I don't know about Instagram, but she's on FB facebook.com/gayleneleenie.anderson
Wonderful interview!…..I’m also Canadian and planning to do the same soon ….I want to be your friend… can we?….😊Luc from Montreal
You can message her on Facebook here: facebook.com/gayleneleenie.anderson
Dear lady, do you speak spanish?
Leenie doesn't follow the comments here. But if I remember correctly, she only spoke a little Spanish.
Come on I being n hakifax nova scotia and n Toronto up there people are crazy driving sooo not generally says mexico this mexico that..if you sys this to any méxican no one's going to like you anymore soo respect where you live
Will you connect me with her please?
FA, divorcee, an “ocean view”. SJD is wonderful, I own a couple of timeshares there, but wouldn’t want to spend more time there. It’s the shower that breaks the heat.
I agree that SJD is more of a place to visit. La Paz is the place to live ;-)
Shes basically rich no money worries
Ain’t it illegal for non Mexicans to own condos in beach fronts in Mexico?
Not exactly. Non-Mexicans can own thru a bank trust called a fideicomiso or a corporation. But you’re right, non-Mexicans can’t own directly the way Mexican citizens can.
The work-around is the Bank holds the title, but it's really the same as ownership and much cheaper than mortgage in the USA.... probably Canada as well... Truth is none of us truly "own" anything
@@hivolco151 So true.
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico oh ok!
So glad Lee ie was able to leave crazy Canada- wondering how she was able to leave since they basically forced any un- j-abbed ppl to stay in the country. I live in USA near Canadian border and couldn’t believe what that Trudeau was doing there (bad enough in USA!). Also have temp residency in Mexico but haven’t moved there yet. Need to sell my house first.
Did you live in Mexico in the past? Interesting that you have temp residency - come on down! But note that outside the tourist areas, when Covid surges, the government responds.
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico I decided I want to live in mexico a couple years ago, so I went ahead with applying for temp residency last year and then went to PV for the first time to mexico for a month and got my 1 year temp residency. Then this year in September I went to PV for 3 weeks and renewed it for 3 years. I'm 57 and need to find an online job before I quit current job and move down there, but figured I can be accruing the residency time while waiting for all to fall in place! :) Re covid - yes, but MX never made anything mandatory in order to keep working or traveling in or out of Mexico, even if some cities within MX did perhaps have some strict measures in place within their city. Viva Mexico!
@@Lizz7711 Great plan on the temp residency! The requirements keep getting more strict. And you can easily move to permanent when your 4 years are up. Best of luck on the job search. I'm hoping to do a video about finding a remote job, but I haven't quite figured it out yet.
@@AlmostRetiredinMexico Thanks! I enjoy your videos and interviews alot, keep it up! :)
Learning Spanish is a plus but no necessary
Yes!