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Hi All
my name is Lizzie I am from Canada EH and my husband and i have been all over the Baja. We are thinking of retiring there full time anyone have any ideas on were and how please talk....

If you guys have been all over the peninsula the answer as to where should be obvious by now. Or not...???

Welcome Lizzie,

I, and many others on this and other forums, have thought this over at some length. There is a thread on this forum that shares several experienced people's criteria for finding their own "perfect" place. I'm sure that someone who knows how can post a helpful link here for you.
A short list of introspective questions should help.
What do you like to do for recreation?
Do you do better in heat or cool temps? (as a Canadian, your definition of "heat" may differ from someone from Tuscon)
What is your budget, both to buy and live month to month?
Do you invision regular trips out of the country, will you drive or fly?
What satisfies your medical care needs? Some here need to be close to US medical, some prefer to use their local vet.
Do you prefer to live in the midst of people, or do you prefer to be on your own?
Will you be hosting many friends or family, or mostly on your own?
What is your level of mechanical, electrical and automotive repair expertise?
How many miles of dirt road can you accept between you and town services?

That's just a start, you and others can fill in the rest? Above all: Enjoy the process!!

0hola,
This should be interesting! Please keep us posted as you go through your decision process.

Originally Posted by lizzie

Hi All
my name is Lizzie I am from Canada EH and my husband and i have been all over the Baja. We are thinking of retiring there full time anyone have any ideas on were and how please talk....

Lizzie, taking Islander's excellent beginning to the next level....no one place is going to be a perfect fit for everyone! One person's paradise can be another person's hell! There are potentially hundreds of important considerations/issues that you may not have yet taken into consideration. For starters:

• What age are you?
• Are you fully retired or do you still need to work to keep a roof over your head & food on the table?
• Will this move involve just you & your spouse? Kids? Pets?
• Would your move be permanent & full-time, or would you live with a foot in each of the two countries, spending time in each?
• What kind of life-style are you looking for? How much monthly income will be required to support your expected life-style? Do you want to live in town amidst the hustle, bustle & noise? In a quieter, possible more remote area? Do you want to live in a tourist destination, gringo enclave, or a smaller quieter (or NOT!) area among the local people?
• What activities/hobbies/amenities do you enjoy? Are they available in the area(s) you’re considering?
• How’s your health? Your spouses? Do either of you have any pre-existing medical conditions which may require ongoing or specialized care or medication?
• Any special dietary requirements?
• Are any of the following important to you....easy access/distance to international airport? Availability & quality of hospitals, medical, dental, and/or veterinary care?
• How do you deal with heat? Humidity? Wind?
• Have you ever experienced a hurricane?
• How do you do around snakes, spiders, scorpions & a myriad of other creepy crawly creatures of various sizes....some harmless & some poisonous?
• Do you have any idea of the cultural differences?
• Do you have any idea of what's involved in getting permission to immigrate to Mexico? The initial process & associated costs, the annual renewal responsibilities & costs?
• Would you want to rent? Lease? Purchase existing structure? Purchase land & build your own perfect casa?
• Are you aware that the cost of living can & does vary greatly from place-to-place? Local utility costs, food & clothing items, vehicle insurance, homeowners insurance....the cost of living in Ensenada would be vastly different than the same life-style if you were living in Cabo San Lucas versus La Paz, versus Loreto, Santa Rosalia, El Rosario or San Quintin....etc.?
• Are you aware of any potential tax implications of your home country as an expat living abroad? The laws of your home country can & do follow you, despite the fact you ain't in Kansas any longer! For instance, I know that Canadian health care coverage will be null & void if you reside outside of the country for more than 6 months of the year.
• Are you aware of how different Mexican laws may be compared to what you're familiar with in your home country?

There are huge differences between spending 1-2 weeks vacationing in an area versus living there, presumably full-time. In your travels "all over the Baja", was there any one particular place that spoke to your heart? Your husband's heart? More importantly, did the same place speak to both of you? Only you can decide, based on your own unique criteria on what areas you liked best, concentrate on those areas & through process of elimination narrow your choices down to the area that seems best-suited to you & your spouse.

The above questions are just the tip of the iceberg & not at all meant to be discouraging; rather to get you thinking. I’m not asking (nor expecting) you to answer all those publicly. But if you expect viable advice from people, you do need to share to a certain extent, otherwise, you’ll most likely end up getting blind-sided by things you never thought to ask. Strangers on a forum can’t decide what’s best for you, only you can, but if you want some guidance, you’ll need to be prepared to share to whatever degree you’re comfortable to receive meaningful feedback for you to sort through.

In my opinion, possibly the two most important questions I can ask....do you have strong pioneer spirits & do you have the ability to leave your home country standards & expectations at the border? Because you will definitely not be in Kansas (or even Alberta!) any longer, Toto!

There are many Baja forums & even some town-specific forums which might give you a much more Baja-specific overview; Google “Baja forums” as a good starting point....research, research, research & then ask specific questions for any issues or questions you may still have.

Baja is your oyster!! You have virtually thousands of miles of vastly different areas to choose from....research the hell out of it & choose wisely!

Welcome to the Talk Baja community!

Wow thanks you guys...Really got me thinking...I have done a lot of research...
We love outdoors we have kayaks and did a lot of the sea of cortez...we also love people
love to have a few pops....would like to be close to water...our health is not an issue as of yet as we are 51/60 ..we will still be touching base in canada airport is kinda of an issue but a couple hour drive is no problem..we are thinking of just driving in our rv again for the first 6 months to ceck out areas....My husband is a very good all around guy that can fix almost anything...we used to flip houses for a living so buying something that needs a little work is good we do get bored and need things to do...we dont want to be in an remote place...And yes we do have a few places in mind but it is nice to get other peoples input about places in the Baja......

Listen to 'Legs....
We COULD live in baja and be content and we do have a small casita there but for us, when we've found ourselves there for a month at a time,we do find ourselves wanting a few things that we weren't accessing.
It is not good or bad or indicative of what YOU may want but for us those things were pretty significant when thinking about them for a years on end lifestyle.
My wife likes greenery... kind of a big deal in the overall life-scheme.
We like access to some city stuff, which is there.
Surf is important..... many other things that have become part of who we are.
So, define your top 10 or even top 5 and see what you come up with.

Wow. Wise words from a person who has great experience. Great post LL!

One constant in all the threads on all the forums when dealing with this sort of question is that a person on a similar quest RENT FIRST! There are month to month, or longer term rentals all over Baja. Do your homework, as LL suggests, then rent a place there for at least 6 months, a year would be much better.

The only way you'll know the local micro-climates, which builder to use, which gringo to avoid living next door to, which mini-community seems to loose power before everyone else or even if that place that was soo pretty and warm in January is, in fact, a convection oven in July.

Renting for a year should be part of a wise ex-pats plan and budget. In fact, you'll probably save far more than the years rent just by getting a couple of layers deeper in the real estate market by becoming a member of a community rather than an unknown outsider.

Some can't decide on a specific place, and find that the semi-nomadic motorhome lifestyle is their prefered compromise.

In any case, enjoy the search, enjoy the people you'll meet along the way, and WELCOME to the forum. Please share your journey with us, because after all, we're all in this together.

Don't make a decision until you're really really really and really sure of what you're looking for. Some of these areas, at the right time of year, can be intoxicating. Six months later, they'll feel like your worst hangover.
Get an RV and spend some time looking around...and asking questions.

Welcome aboard ... your retired ... ya can do anything ya want ... take it easy .. take it slow... plus, what they® said....

I would spend as much time as possible in the place you are thinking of living to really get to know the area, the people, the services, the negatives, etc. Don't drop anchor until you are sure... there is a LOT of Baja to pick from!

Talk with fellow Canadian Shari Bondy at Bahia Asuncion where she has a Bed & Breakfast, campground, fishing business with husband Juan Arce: bahiaasuncion.com - Home Lot's of discussion on BajaNomad.com forums on this, as well.

Thanks everyone for the words of wisdom....We have an rv and have decided to just travel and rent in rv spots until we find something...Will keep posting...For xmas we are hedaded to puerto penasco for a month with friends that live there....We have never been there and it is not far from us here in arizona....
lizzie

Sounds like a plan.... take care and travel safe...

Originally Posted by lizzie

Thanks everyone for the words of wisdom....We have an rv and have decided to just travel and rent in rv spots until we find something...Will keep posting...For xmas we are hedaded to puerto penasco for a month with friends that live there....We have never been there and it is not far from us here in arizona....
lizzie

You can always buy my place!

Originally Posted by bob r

You can always buy my place!

Is the location secret?? Is this like "buying a pig in a poke"?

Originally Posted by longlegsinlapaz

Is the location secret?? Is this like "buying a pig in a poke"?

ahhhh my marketing skills have created interest. San Quintin!

ok bob were is it .......

Lizzie, it appears bob r is the strong silent type of guy that you gotta drag info out of!! Maybe ask for GPS coordinates & pics upfront....rather than dragging it out of him bit by bit & turning this into a 60-page thread!

bob r

Originally Posted by longlegsinlapaz

Lizzie, it appears bob r is the strong silent type of guy that you gotta drag info out of!! Maybe ask for GPS coordinates & pics upfront....rather than dragging it out of him bit by bit & turning this into a 60-page thread!

bob r

It is in Pedregal, let me scrounge some pictures up. I assume you are familliar with the gringo Community. It is at San Quintin Bay and a few miles from the Ocean near baja Gringo. less wind etc... small airstrip, community water etc..

Here is a couple pictures I think.