TalkBaja.com » Baja Mexico Forums » Moving to Baja Full/Part Time

advice please.

im new here and wandering if can get advise ..im 48 years old with a wife and 2 kids 4and 5 years old have been in disability for the last 6 years due to an injury at the job ( air conditioning) damage my low back ,knees.and diagnose whit diabetis a year ago im mexican american have both citizeships and planing to move some where in baja couse is close to us but the farter i beeen is rosarito its expensive to live in california , i curently getting social security disability.and workers com .about 2 thousand por month can i make it with that money?what city or town is best to raise a family?

Welcome to the forum moso...

Sorry to hear about the problems you are going through and I do understand the financial hardships you and your family must be experiencing right now. Moving south of the border may be a way to save money but I think there are a few things you need to consider in whether it would be the right choice and if so, where it would be best for you and your family.

1) Do you need require regular, ongoing medical care / therapy / prescriptions?

2) Do you have the money available to buy / build a home in Baja?

3) How far away from the border would you feel comfortable?

4) Do your kids speak Spanish?

Give us a little more info and you will find a lot of folks here happy to give you some sound advice. Good luck to you!

moso, BG is right in that more info is needed, I will assume that you have already thought this through so yes Rosarito is very do-able on your income, you also will need to decide on schooling for your children some go to locals schools so they will need to know Spanish, others are home schooled. With your on the job injury I will also assume that your medical needs are covered by your previous employer or a law suit. Next you will need to determine if you will buy or lease, of the two would suggest leasing at first to be certain that you and your family will like your new town. You will also need passports or passport cards and if you will be living here an FM-3. There are also many good Doctors and Dentists.

Welcome to the board!!!!

Plenty of help here, all you have to do is ask.

Based just on the info you provided, I would suggest Ensenada and to be more specific, possibly the Punta Banda area. In the Ensenada area there are schools, medical and shopping. You still would be about 1 - 1 1/2 hours from the border/San Diego area.

If you provide detailed answers to the questions above, we will be able to narrow down some choices.

Good luck

Do your kids speak the lingo? How about your wife?

Two thousand per month will be adaquate, depending on how involved you get in to renting a house. .

If you're willing to live this far south, you should look at La Paz. It would be a wonderful location to raise a family and offers quality medical care. Your income should be adequate to live here, and I think you'd find the people very welcoming (both Mexicans and foreigners).

Kate

I was wondering if his disability coverage requires trips north of the border???

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

I was wondering if his disability coverage requires trips north of the border???

I was wondering how he gets SS Disability and Workers Comp at the same time. Wkrs Comp is a state thing and usually lasts no longer than one year. If the person is still disabled after that, he/she goes on SS Disability.
I don't know if that's been changed or not.

A good attorney...

Originally Posted by DENNIS

I was wondering how he gets SS Disability and Workers Comp at the same time. Wkrs Comp is a state thing and usually lasts no longer than one year. If the person is still disabled after that, he/she goes on SS Disability.
I don't know if that's been changed or not.

Work comp disability payments last for one year, but depending on the conditions of the final settlement, he may have been awarded lifetime medical coverage for the injuries sustained on the job as well as a cash settlement. The settlement is rarely paid in a lump sum. It's usually divided up in payments over time. That's how he may be getting both.

My question would be: If he has lifetime medical coverage, and the injuries require frequent follow up, will it pay for treatment outside the U.S.?

I had the same question Big Woo, however he indicates he and his wife have dual citizenship which should give him access to government sponsored health care in Mexico.

Moso. if you believe you will want to make frequent trips to the US, Teniente's suggestion is good. However if that isn't an issue for you....Kate is right, La Paz is a great place to raise a family, and doable on your income.
I don't see language as an issue for the children. At that age they learn so quickly that in a year it will be their "native tongue".

Welcome to the board....and good luck with your decision.

Originally Posted by BajaGringo

Welcome to the forum moso...

Sorry to hear about the problems you are going through and I do understand the financial hardships you and your family must be experiencing right now. Moving south of the border may be a way to save money but I think there are a few things you need to consider in whether it would be the right choice and if so, where it would be best for you and your family.

1) Do you need require regular, ongoing medical care / therapy / prescriptions?

2) Do you have the money available to buy / build a home in Baja?

3) How far away from the border would you feel comfortable?

4) Do your kids speak Spanish?

Give us a little more info and you will find a lot of folks here happy to give you some sound advice. Good luck to you!

Originally Posted by moso

Sorry if it seems that we are overwhelming you with questions moso but to give you some good answers it certainly would help. There are no simple answers and understanding your situation a little better would go a long way to helping us help you...

tank you for your respond. im planing a trip dawn there may be ensenada and check some properties may be a lot whit utilities i have some saivings, some guy here sugested to look in punta banda but not sure where that is. about more info , yes my family speaks espanol i provablyhave to came once a month for dc visits,its ok.my case its not setle yet.and i think if move down there im gone lose my kids ssd(social security disability check) but still want to do it. tank you again , moso

Moso

The Punta Banda area is just south of Ensenada. Follow Highway 1 south out of town and turn right in Maneadero......Just follow the signs to La Bufadora.

Houses for rent and for sale are always being listed in the Punta Banda Newsletter:

puntabandanewsletter : PUNTA BANDA COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD

Originally Posted by moso

i think if move down there im gone lose my kids ssd(social security disability check) but still want to do it. tank you again , moso

I don't understand. Are your kids getting Social Security disability? That's what you say above.
I'm assuming you are the one on SSD. If you are talking about SSI, you are correct. You can't live out of the country.
You can live out of the country if you are collecting SSD.
---------------------------------

Supplemental Security Income benefits (SSI)
Supplemental Security Income benefits or SSI are paid to individuals who are low level income and disabled whether or not the individual has worked in the past. SSI child's disability benefits are paid to children who are under 18 years old, are disabled and the parents or guardian are lower level income.
-----------------------------------


I'm confused. Help me out here, please.

Hi, BajaGringo:

This is Seajay44. Hello, I've been gone for a while, but my plans to move to Ensenada have not changed. I have four jobs currently, so I have not had a lot of time what with keeping up with them, clearing through 30+ years of personal possessions, papers, etc, to determine what I need to have and what to dispose of (a lot). I am still hoping to make my move in late November or early December.

You have been very helpful (and I still need to buy your book), and I am hoping you can again give me some input on the following:

I am now at the stage where I have to take specific (and immediate) action to obtain my resident visa. It is in that regard that I am seeking advice regarding how specifically to go about that process. Which should I go for, the FM3 or FM2. I am over 60 and have a provable income of about $2,000 per month from outside Mexico and some financial assets. I would like to pursue business interests in Mexico, but do not have a great amount of money to invest. I am currently a professional teacher. I do not currently hold a TEFL certificate, but can get one. Should I get it before I move or should I get a FM3 and apply for the FM2 “professional” later after I am there? Can I apply for FM2 status as a teacher? Maybe, I should just go for the 6-month tourist visa and then apply for the FM3 or FM2 after I am there. Do I need a Mexican immigration lawyer? How much will that cost? There are also probably a lot of questions that I have not asked here that I should have, but that is why I am posting here, hoping for some expert guidance. I am seeking relevant and useful information, please!

I also have other questions. In this thread, I learned that it is best to wait until you're established before trying to bring most of your possessions across the border, and that you can get a special "import" license for that purpose, but I'd like more information about that procedure. By the same token, I'd like to know how much to bring with me on the initial move down--a pickup truck with only the bare essentials (clothes, cooking utensils, etc.), or what? What can I (should I) bring on that initial trip down after which I will begin my residency? (I'm not talking about an exploratory trip, but "moving in.") How should I bring it? Recommendations? suggestions? etc? Please....

Thank you.

Seajay44

It is easy to find an inexpensive, fully furnished rental with a nice view these days in Ensenada. That way you wouldn't need to bring too much at the beginning. For your big move a customs broker is worth his weight in gold as bigwooo and oladulce will confirm.

Then I would get a local attorney to help you with your immigration / work visa needs and then see how Ensenada fits you. Even if you end up really liking Ensenada there are several different areas to choose for your home and I suggest you take the time to get to know them all and see which one fits you best.

Thanks, BajaGringo. Should I just get the tourist visa for 180 days, and then, when I am down there, find an attorney there to help me regarding the FM2 or FM3 (I mean their new equivalents). Or should I get the FM2 or FM 3 before I come down. I'm sorry if I may sound like I am repeating myself or talking nonsense, but I am still trying to get this straight so that I can prioritize what I must do, what I should do, and what I could do.

Thanks for your patience.

Seajay44....

seajay44, under the new rules which were implemented earlier this year, I believe in May....it is no longer possible to apply for or obtain an FM2/FM3 outside of Mexico. You can get the FMM at the border when you initially cross & then once you're settled in, apply locally for your FM2/FM3, anytime within the first 180 days.