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anapurna
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Todos Santos, Pescadero/Cerritos, Loreto or Bahía concepcion for retirement - would love your opinion f
Hey there! This is a long post so I apologize in advance
I’m 44 with a three year old and my husband and I are very active (in fact we used to be climbing guides and worked in Baja as sea kayak guides out
of Loreto and La Paz) - we are looking for a place to buy for current use and future retirement since right now the dollar is strong and we don’t
like to work more than necessary so it seems a great time to buy.
For the life of me, despite repeated trips to various areas over 20 years, we can’t decide. Part of it is we consider that we may think right now
that we’ll want to do x, y, and z when we retire but what if we are just Way off? For example we love to sea kayak, paddle board, kite surf, snorkel
and camp on the beach and live really simply - so in that way Bahía Concepción seems perfect (except for kite surfing perhaps). But then I wonder if
in the future those things will be less important and I’ll want to do more strolls along the beach and have a beautiful town to hang out in and be
closer to medical care and shops etc and be ok with day trips for kayaking etc and not need them in town (thinking of todos Santos in that
scenario)...I think it would be easier if only had to thinjnof what we wanted now vs for the future (but maybe that’s not true either)
For us here are the pros and cons of some places. If you know of someplace I’m not thinking of please do mention it (we prefer BCS). Please let me
know what your thoughts are!
Todos Santos - love the town and hanging st nearby Cerritos beach for surfing and parties on the beach with friend, sunsets . don’t like that
there’s only one or two nearby swimmable beaches (but how many beaches do you need?), however the beaches are gorgeous for sunsets and hanging out.
can’t walk to the beach easily from town (so mostly need to drive if short on time). While the immediate town has lots of gringos we like that most
of the rest of the area still has a great Mexican community. I grew up in Santa Cruz so like the hippy vibe of TS and the people I’ve met there have
been great. For town hanging it’s my preferred spot. Can snorkel and kayak in a nearby bay by have to drive. Otherwise can drive to La Paz beaches
for great kayaking but still a 90min drive. If there’s a spot in the area that would be a great compromise to this please let me know.
I like the Pescadero and Cerritos beach areas and their proximity to TS but feel they might be on an unplanned development rampage that will be
regretful later...and you have to truck in water to Cerritos which feels weird since water will likely be the next oil. But love the beach there.
Loreto - don’t find the immediate beach sand that attractive, but the water is beautiful and warm and clean and swimmable Bahía Concepción is
not too far a drive away (about Same as TS to Bahía Conce. ción). Nice that there’s a swimmable beach right there. If there’s a more groovy
community like TS in the Loreto area I haven’t found it yet but t would be great...Mostly I love the sleepy vibe of Loreto and the access to
Concepción and beach is right there. Don’t like the extreme Gringo factor in the areas w better beaches like Loreto Bay abd Nopolo
Bahía Concepción- my favorite beaches and activities to do there by far. Lack of access to healthcare is an issue there, and not sure if I’d want
to live “remotely” in retirement age vs be closer to a bigger town and more community. Ive considered Mulegé but turned off by the floooding
(maybe it’s not a big deal?) and get really bad reactions to bug bites and worry the river will make bugs worse (it’s been windy when I’ve been
there so not an issue at the time)
I’ve considered Los Barillas but feels a little too “dude factor” for me with the sports fishing and kite surfing. But I suppose it’s still an
option if there were a groovier part of town.
Ok thank you for the tips! (And for reading this far
PS we both speak fluent Spanish in case that’s a factor for anywhere. We are also in excellent health from being climbing guides for most of our
adult lives. Now I’m a midwife and he’s a physician assistant.
[Edited on 12-26-2017 by anapurna]
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drzura
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With all the drug violence in BCS, it may be good idea to hold off moving to Mexico full time for the time being. Just my $.02 for what its
worth.....
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anapurna
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drzura I thought the violence was more in the north but it does seem to be rising in the south now ... thanks for your 0.2c
[Edited on 12-26-2017 by anapurna]
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David K
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Punta Chivato (Shell Beach) may be a good compromise? Nice beaches in the area, near Concepción, and more importantly, near Santa Rosalia for medical
needs/ hospital.
Los Barriles, "dude factor" That's pretty funny!
San Felipe is another option... great sand beaches and only 2-3 hours from the border. No clear scuba water there... but gets clear south of
Puertecitos (50 miles).
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anapurna
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Yes! I’ve considered Punta Chivato - I guess I’ve always considered it too far from a bigger place but seems I’m wrong. Is the community there
nice?
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AKgringo
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Like you, I have visited many parts of Baja and have found communities, and remote areas also that I would love to have a place of my own.
The problem I would have in making a decision right now, is that all of my visits have been between October and May. I would need to spend a summer
in one of my favorite areas (mostly on the east side) before I could commit.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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mtgoat666
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Avoid the SOC side of the peninsula. The summers are really too hot, uninhabitable for 4 months of the year.
Your retirement is 20 years away. Be aware that climate warming means the area will only get warmer, and hurricane severity/frequency will increase,
it appears....
I doubt RE prices will be going up much in 20 years, so consider waiting until retirement and choosing a place, buying property at that time.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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bajalinda
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Location: Pacific Coast, BCS
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x2 what AKgringo says. You have considered lots of factors (which is great) except year round climate. Was your kayak guiding out of La Paz and
Loreto in the summer? If so, you should know if you can tolerate the heat and humidity. If not, you need to spend time there in the summer before
making any decision.
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willardguy
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I think Shari and Blanca have the answer....
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anapurna
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Excellent points! I’m so glad I asked here. Todos santos seems more appealing for summers although I know it canstil be hot and humid - I will
definitely need to check out Summer there. I guided in septmerba few times and that was wicked hot but bearable. But as you said climate change will
make things hotter. We live in Alaska now - maybe in 20 years it will be like Southern California except I hate the mosquitoes!
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David K
Honored Nomad
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It would be a great area, year-round... except she wanted to be near a hospital/medical facilities (I thought I read?). Guerrero Negro maybe has minor
care available, but I think Santa Rosalia is better regarded. Naturally, neither would offer what is available north of the border, so I threw San
Felipe into the idea mix, as it is 2 hours + from the border.
Climate change a concern? Well, it has been getting cooler the past 18 or so years, so the Cortez side might not be so bad for you weak Baja desert
travelers! LOL We love the summer, bathing in heat and all our aches and pains vanishing as we float in the gulf waters!
If a nearby hospital is not as much an issue, take a look at Udo's place for sale, at Bahía Asunción. It is worth consideration, as Woody suggests!
Year-round comfortable weather, offshore diving, fishing, desert exploring, seafood is wonderful... etc.
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anapurna
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Thanks for the ideas! I don’t feel the need to be near a medical facility now since we’re so healthy and I expect good health as we age but am
just trying to think of “but what would I want maybe even 30 years from now...”
Do you know if most folks start off retiring I. Mexico then move back to the states eventually?
Also, I could certainly delay buying but right now we have the cash, the dollar is strong in Mexico, and I plan to work less as time goes on, which is
why I’d rather by now than later...
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willardguy
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Quote: Originally posted by anapurna  | Thanks for the ideas! I don’t feel the need to be near a medical facility now since we’re so healthy and I expect good health as we age but am
just trying to think of “but what would I want maybe even 30 years from now...”
Do you know if most folks start off retiring I. Mexico then move back to the states eventually?
Also, I could certainly delay buying but right now we have the cash, the dollar is strong in Mexico, and I plan to work less as time goes on, which is
why I’d rather by now than later... |
heck, 30 years from now there'll be a Kaiser hospital in La Bocana!  I'd start
looking now....things are getting expensive down here!
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surabi
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Todos Santos has a lovely Montessori school, which might count towards a positive as far as your 3 year old goes.
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rhintransit
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Registered: 9-4-2006
Location: Loreto
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20 year’s to go is a long long time, and everything changes, even in Baja. Now that I’ve joined the old timers group in Loreto, 12years, I can
look back to the good old days when we walked upshill in the snow twenty miles to town to be happy to wrestle a shriveled tomato from a giant
c-c-ckroach in one of the few tiendas in town. Now..., well, where do I start? I can’t even begin to imagine what another eight years will bring.
I started in an off the grid palapa on the (rocky) beach of El Juncalito, moved to a small casita in Loreto and now (very happily) live in extreme
gringolandia (Loreto Bay)and I currently love having electricity, not filling propane tanks, and arugula at Leys Yes, I plan to move back to the
states when health becomes an issue. Infrastructure, medical services, and the activities...who can predict? Climate change, for sure...and those
beautiful beaches and sunsets, too. Extreme gringo factor? Dude factor? Today’s sleepy village could be tomorrow’s hot spot. Nowhere is
perfect, and nowhere will remain the same. If you want to buy now, buy for today...no place will stand still for you, and as a human it’s pretty
much guaranteed your needs, wants, and desires will change over the years. Good luck,
[Edited on 12-27-2017 by rhintransit]
reality\'s never been of much use out here...
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anapurna
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These are great tips - I have thought a lot about all your advice. I do think buying more for what we’ll use for the next 10-20 year will be a good
idea, and go from there if we decide to stay even longer. I do think our needs willl change and it does appear no one place will necessarily fit all
that. I’d love for my daughter to grow up knowing Baja well. I am leaning towards Bahía Concepción as a result... fingers crossed!
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TMW
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Living in a hot climate can be managed. The heat on the east coast of Baja is not that much different than here in Bakersfield, except for humidity.
I've lived here almost 20 years. Air conditioning is the norm for the hot times for car, home and business. If you work outside do it in the morning
before noon. Remember there are people that live there year around and some without A/C.
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BigBearRider
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| Quote: Originally posted by anapurna | | These are great tips - I have thought a lot about all your advice. I do think buying more for what we’ll use for the next 10-20 year will be a good
idea, and go from there if we decide to stay even longer. I do think our needs willl change and it does appear no one place will necessarily fit all
that. I’d love for my daughter to grow up knowing Baja well. I am leaning towards Bahía Concepción as a result... fingers crossed!
|
Punta Chivato is similar to Bahia Concepcion in terms of natural beauty, minus the crowds and traffic noise. I love it.
Like you, I am 44. (You'll probably find that most gringos living in Baja are retired.) Our son is 4.5 years old. If it weren't for him, I would
live in Baja already.
Now for some questions out of my own curiosity. Where in AK do you live now? Where have you guided? I've done some smaller climbs here and there,
and I'm hoping maybe Elbrus is in store this summer.
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mtgoat666
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If you are going to buy a vacation home to enjoy while still working, then buy within 3 hours of home. If it’s further away, say 5 hours, you
simply won’t use it much, you’ll just be paying to maintain a house you don’t use much.
Don’t buy a house now for retirement decades away... you got no idea what you’ll want decades from now.
And don’t invest anything in Mexico you are not willing to lose. Don’t plan on Mexican real estate appreciating. Plan as if property will be
stolen from you, such happens often enough that it may happen to you,... so the advice: don’t invest anything in Mexico you are not willing to lose.
So buy a trailer today, an park it in idylwild or Mohave desert to enjoy today. When retired, tow that trailer to baja, and enjoy it there while it
lasts....
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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anapurna
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All good thoughts!
I can work remotely for teaching so I would be able to be there for longer stretches of time
BugBearRider please do U2U me about climbing so I can answer your questions and not bore Baja folks w Alaska stories (which I have plenty of!)
How do you feel about Punta Chivato for kids vs closer to coyote beac etc? My main concern w Ojnta Chivato is there didn’t seem to be that many
other kids to play with...
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