BajaNomad

Retiring to Baja

Bajahowodd - 4-24-2009 at 04:55 PM

I was motivated to start a new thread after having followed the recent one concerning Asuncion. I'm looking for some advice. Seems than there are many folks out there who have more than one residence. Baja being just one. I'm seriously contemplating relocation to Baja full time. I've been all over the peninsula, so it's not a matter of where, so much as what.

As I mentioned about the Asuncion thread, there are obviously many happy folks who are willing to live the very remote lifestyle that Asuncion provides. Of course, I know several who are part timers.

Whether you live North of the border, or, say, in La Paz, there is the ability to access the finer amenities. Looking at La Paz, beyond the universities and museums, there are the big box stores, CCC, Dorians, Etc. Plus a wide range of dining options, including fast food.

Just looking for some personal experience from you guys. I'm someone who cannot afford to maintain two residences. And frankly, have given great thought to Ensenada, as it has amenities, and is close enough to the border to allow frequent passage to and fro. Really would like to get some unvarnished perspective. Thanks.

Osprey - 4-24-2009 at 05:24 PM

You would think I could find my own old posts but it is c-cktail time and I'm lucky to be hitting these key. On the retirement issue I retold an epiphany I had on the L.A. freeway system. I could see miles and miles of stopped cars -- a freeway parking lot. I took out my imaginary space tazer and began to zap all the cars out of my way, allowing me to proceed at warp speed but, a big but, I had to not zap the people I needed to make my life liveable -- the butcher/baker/jazz singer/rod maker, etc. I left them alone and I was still able to travel at 80 miles an hour. I was learning that I did not need a lot to be happy. Now I live in a 3000 people town, my barber tells me jokes and I can still be in L.A. south in about an hour. I got the best of both worlds in East Cape. Wow, that's not easy behind 3 heavy greyhounds.

[Edited on 4-25-2009 by Osprey]

oxxo - 4-24-2009 at 07:20 PM

We retired to Los Cabos full time three years ago. Best decision we ever made. Los Cabos is not for everyone, but it suits us perfectly. Coincidentally, Oxxa commented to me just an hour ago that she has never been so happy and contented in her life as she is now.

dtbushpilot - 4-24-2009 at 07:55 PM

I'm with you George, it's hard to beat the East cape.

I've spent time in many places in Baja, Pacific and SOC and there is something very special about this place. I don't know if its the endless miles of clean pristine beaches, world class fishing, the warm calm waters of the gulf, the friendly people, the close access to an international airport, the first rate medical care, the sights sounds and smells or lack there of, the great food etc etc etc.

If I wanted to be in a city La Paz would win hands down. I could list all the great things about La Paz but I'll let a native do that (how about it longlegs).

Th East cape has some drawbacks but they are insignificant to us, we love it here, always hate to leave and start planning our return on the way home.......dt

Pescador - 4-24-2009 at 08:23 PM

I see people making some kind of emotional decision with no clear goal as to what they really want to achieve. I think you have to decide what it is you are looking for in terms of lifestyle and then go for the gusto. I did not want to settle into a tourist area and be a part of an expatriate community which I could have in lots of places in the United States. In the old days I loved Mulege, Loreto, La Ventana, and El Sargento but they have become, in my opinion, way too touristy and overrun with Norteamericanos who seem to take over the restaurants, stores, and general life. Other people gravitate to the norteamericano enclaves and love the social life that is provided. Oxxo loves the lifestyle provided in Cabo and that is wonderful for he and his family. There is no right answer to the question but only a glimpse and a reflection of who you are and who you are becoming.
And then like Osprey, about the time that you think you have reached some level of satisfaction and are well pleased with your surroundings both people and culture wise, the whole thing gets upset by development and things over which you have no control.
I spent years traveling all over Baja after having decided that the Mainland was way too developed for my lifestyle and the desire to be able to fish was obviously very important. When I first started to think of Santa Rosalia, I thought that this would probably be the last place that the developers could ruin because it did not have the raw, tropical beauty of places further south and your first impression of the town when arriving from the north was that it was an area of industrial waste. And I wanted an area that had a good mixture of natives as well as some Norteamericanos. So after a long and ardous search, I believe I have found my little piece of paradise but I also know that due to things that I can not control, it could be changed tomorrow.

fishbuck - 4-24-2009 at 09:16 PM

I concur with Pescador on this. I did sort of the same thing a few years back. I went all over Baja looking for a place to call my own.
It seemed like anything near an established town was already to expensive and anything I could afford was too remote.
But one thing became evident. Baja was changing from a Robinson Coruso type trailer on the beach to big fancy developement. It seemed like rich people were buying everything up.
Maybe that has slowed a little now with the world wide recession.
But I felt like I needed to get my piece of baja before it was all gone. Even though I don't get to retire for about 10+ more years.
Another thing. There is no one perfect place. There is however many places that are perfect at certain times of the year.
So my goal was to find a basecamp location that was perfect at a certain time but still close to the other "perfect" places.
My ace in the hole is that I love the Pacific ocean. I "grew-up" in Newport Beach, Ca and still live there now.
I do really like the SOC too but love the cool pacific breeze. The is no fresher air. My place is on the pacific.
I wanted to be driving distance to my home and work seeing as I need to work more but want to be able to get to my place on a weekend.
I suppose BOLA would be about the limit for that on the Cortez side and maybe El Rosario on the Pacific.
So you need to know what will work personally for you. I spent 4 months driving all over Baja. And many other shorter trips too. That helped alot.

MitchMan - 4-25-2009 at 09:05 AM

Great thread!
By 1999 I had fished Loreto for 15 years. I thought, tranquil and beautiful Loreto is great, I love it, but this is all that I know of the Baja. Sure, I was familiar with Ensenada and San Quintin up north, but those places had the same weather as my hometown of Mission Viejo, Orange County, CA. While the fishing was much much better in those two towns than any where north of the border, the weather was too cold and identical to that of Mission Viejo. Also, I prefer the Sea of Cortez’s warmth, tranquility, cleanliness, and abundance of fish over anything that the Pacific ocean has to offer. Sure, Cabo has a lot to offer, but even back then, it was too touristy for me; way too many Americanos (don’t forget I was living in the gringo enclave of the USA, Mission Viejo, and worse, I was working in Newport Beach).

Since I decided that I wanted my own place in the fishing paradise of BCS, I decided to take a month off work and search for town to settle in. I went to Guaymas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Hermosillo, Ixtapa/Zihuatenejo, Cancun, Mulege, La Paz, & Cabo. Did no fishing, just met with real estate agents and looked at a lot of property. You know what? The best place to settle into, for many many reasons, LORETO!

Then, I got some lots in Loreto in anticipation of building my own place when I could get the money to do so. When I finally got the money, I couldn’t find a contractor who would build a small casita on the lots. They all wanted to build the $300,000 + grand beachfront homes because Loreto Bay was in full swing and all the local contractors got greedy and were trying to cash in on the new influx of cross eyed rich Americans that were being drawn to Loreto by the Loreto Bay hype.

So, I gave up on Loreto and started looking in La Paz. Found a great deal, and established a house there. Very happy, very satisfied with that decision, and I love the property.

I am of modest means compared to the preponderance of well to do Americanos found in Baja. I can’t afford a $300,000+ USD beachfront property and I can’t come and go to the Baja at will. I believe that the vast majority of people are more like me than those that have a bunch of money and ALSO have unlimited time at will to travel. What percentage of people in the USA are more like me than those that have the big bucks and time is no problem? 99.999% I think. I call the reality of my circumstance the “real world”. I don’t say this with contempt, probably more out of envy. If I had the money, I would buy beachfront.

This experience has taught me a great deal. I learned how to get a house in Loreto or La Paz for well under $100,000, actually, you can get a small new home for as little as $55,000 USD, or a 900 sq ft 2 bedroom home on your own land for a total of $84,000 USD plus closing cost, just one mile away from the Marina while still in town with full city services and you own the land and the house, no condo baloney and no Monthly Association fee of $200 to $400 USD for life. This experience has taught me a great deal.

Things to consider. If you want a home of your own and you are of modest means like me, don’t limit your vision to beachfront property. Buy a property about one mile inland if in Loreto or four miles from downtown if in La Paz but only ¼ from the beach. Buy a place close to the airport so that the taxi ride from the airport to your property is of minimal cost, not to mention time. Get a property that is drivable from the US border. That way you can haul a household of used furniture to your place to furnish it instead of having to pay the exorbitant prices in Baja for poor quality furniture. Also, you have the option of driving to your place, which certainly can be cheaper than flying often times, especially if you are traveling with more than one person. Medical services are important, especially if you are old enough to retire. La Paz has several hospitals; Loreto just completed a new hospital.

The huge advantage of living in La Paz is that they have many, many giant stores to buy all the food that you want, all the furnishings and accessories and accoutrements that you need to live. Also, La Paz has all the government offices and agencies that you will need administratively. La Paz also has plenty of professional services: law firms, accountants, architects, and skilled labor. Loreto has comparatively few professionals and that leads to bad things. The Loreto professionals know that they are the only game in town and tend to be expensive and not very responsive…they don’t have to be…they’ve got you.

Also, La Paz has plenty of town to see for shopping and dining, a great Marina with upscale restaurants, and they have some great blowout festivals during the year. It’s a good thing if you will be having young people or adults that need a lot of entertaining. La Paz even has sushi bars and American chain fast food places, even a big movie theater that could rival Orange County’s Spectrum. In my opinion, the detriment of La Paz could be all the above-mentioned positives if you are like me and you like small town quaintness. Population La Paz – 240,000 Population Loreto – 14,000.

I like La Paz, it has everything that you could need or want, including great fishing. Since I like quaintness and fewer people, I love Loreto. All in all, I would prefer to be in Loreto than any other place in Baja. I know what to do to work around the detriments to Loreto Vs La Paz, it can be done. Also, since the Loreto Bay resort has essentially come to a halt, there is plenty of skilled labor and contractor talent looking for work who would be happy to do the small projects. Remember, you don’t have to have beachfront property. The price of beachfront property compared to 1 mile inland is a difference of 6 to 1. Come on, how long does it take to drive 1 mile? About 5 minutes!

Go to www.Baja-Lots.com/p03aper.html to see a write-up of the Perfect Town of Loreto and watch a video of Loreto.

Howard - 4-25-2009 at 09:12 AM

Your request is like asking someone where they should retire in the States.

Do you like snow or the warmth? Do you like the heat of Arizona or the mild weather of Montana, etc., etc., etc.

My suggestion is to get a vehicle and trailer/5th wheel or an RV and take your time and explore all of Baja and talk to people and discover for yourself what is best or you.

It would be a nice position to be in, taking 1 year off and finding out for yourslf. Tough job but someone has to do it!

Hope to see you at a happy hopur some day.

Howard

David K - 4-25-2009 at 09:24 AM

Howard gives good advice... test the waters at various places that interst you... Baja has it all!

To many, it is the ideal fishing place or surf break that attracts them.

If money was not a limiting factor, we would have places on both sides of Baja: We love heat, sand beaches and warm water... so the upper Gulf coast would be the ticket. Thanks to 'BajaCactus' we have discovered how nice El Rosario is and would like a rancho near there.

Both places have access to endless exploration, off road trips, history and geology... palm canyons and sand beaches... There's just SO MUCH BAJA!:bounce::bounce::bounce:

fishingmako - 4-25-2009 at 09:35 AM

I agree with Howard 110%, anybody can say I or we like it here, but maybe you don't, the old saying is different strokes for different folks, travel around and see what is for you, do you need to be close to the U.S. for medical reasons? and need to get back across the Border quickly?do you have Arthritis? where you need to be closer to the Desert conditions? do you like cold? there are so many many variables to your question that is why I agree with Howard. the correct answer, travel around first and see what would fit your fancy, It is the only way you will know, people say I like a Chevy or? are you going to purchase that because someone said it is good, judge for youself.

I'll tell you Mexico is changing rapidly, and I mean Rapidly, in a year or two when all the bull is over, State wise and otherwise, there will be change, I don't think a lot of us will like it, especially if you like the old Baja it will be gone forever, so pick wisely it will be a very important decesion, maybe the only one, so take your time. CHILL- CHILL

My two cents.

bajadock - 4-25-2009 at 09:36 AM

Moderate climate, ocean view, semi-rural area, electricity(whimp), titled land, $125,000 for house+lot, boat access, 1 hour to grocery and 2 hours to international airport were among my goals.

Only way to figure out what is best for you and yours is to sample as much as possible.

Though I made my purchase in less than 3 weeks during first Baja tour, strongly suggest as much Baja wandering and sipping with others as possible.

Udo - 4-25-2009 at 09:50 AM

IMHO, Mitchman has the most detailed perspective. However, here is my take in one sentence:
I have traveled from TJ to Cabo about 12 times. Have seen both coasts. There were just too many places that we wanted to move to (not the least that dream spot of Bahia Asuncion). We also loved La Paz with it's big city amenities but a small town feel. Our choice...a 45' RV with an enclosed car trailer, and park wherever we want for however long we want. Fish wherever we want.

Mulegena - 4-25-2009 at 09:52 AM

I've read in Sunset Magazine or some other fountain of sage advice about choosing a place to retire:

Spend a year there before you buy in. Your initial perceptions will change and you'll know exactly what you're getting into.

Its easy to buy, not so easy to sell.

Enjoy the Adventure!

DianaT - 4-25-2009 at 10:08 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by MitchMan


I am of modest means compared to the preponderance of well to do Americanos found in Baja. I can’t afford a $300,000+ USD beachfront property and I can’t come and go to the Baja at will. I believe that the vast majority of people are more like me than those that have a bunch of money and ALSO have unlimited time at will to travel. What percentage of people in the USA are more like me than those that have the big bucks and time is no problem? 99.999% I think. I call the reality of my circumstance the “real world”. I don’t say this with contempt, probably more out of envy. If I had the money, I would buy beachfront.



Yes, we have met gringos in Baja with money to burn, but many who are living there full and part time are on quite limited incomes. Some of us do seem to have lots of free time----we are retired!

Bajahowodd,

You don't even need an expensive RV---just a reliable vehicle and some time---there are still lots of very inexpensive places to stay in Baja, if you do not mind rustic.

If you really think Baja is where you want to retire, you will know the right place when you visit it. Sounds like you are already considering what is important to you----

Good Luck--
Diane

BTW---there are people who visit Bahia Asuncion and really dislike it----they can't wait to leave.

[Edited on 4-25-2009 by jdtrotter]

Udo - 4-25-2009 at 10:09 AM

This is another thread worth the Nomad membership!

The advice is priceless!

BajaGringo - 4-25-2009 at 11:15 AM

Many have said it and it is true - the ideal spot for you is based on what floats your boat, so to say...

We chose the the Pacific coastline outside San Quintin. It feels very remote, no noise or city lights at night, clean beaches full of sea life, great fishing and San Diego year round weather. But we are also less than a half hour drive to San Quintin where you can buy most of what you need. Another two hours north and you are in Ensenada and an easy four hour drive to the border.

It works for us and I can't wait to begin moving our stuff in very soon now...

YMMV

Bajahowodd - 4-25-2009 at 11:27 AM

Thanks mucho, boys and girls. You've all been extremely helpful and thoughtful. I first set foot in TJ in 1970. Made it as far as Ensenada in '71. By 1985, I driven to Cabo and back for the first time. With multiple trips yearly, sometimes all the way down, other times part way, I have come to realize that spending a few days or a week somewhere will not cut it when it comes to fully realizing where you are.

Each place has a set of its own positives and negatives. Guess it will just take time to sort things out.

I noted a couple of posts mentioned access to medical care. One referenced hospital facilities in Baja, while the other referred to access to the border. Many of you probably are aware of a nascent effort to have Medicare apply to the Mexican Health System. would that be a win-win, or what?

Cypress - 4-25-2009 at 11:28 AM

At one time it seemed like a dream come true.:D Spent a while checking things out. Beautiful! But? The property ownership laws are twisted and tangled. The fishing was a major letdown. Guess I'm just lazy. Like electrcity, etc. Also the prices of various essential items such as seafood are actually higher than in the states. Plus I can go hunting in the US.

Bajahowodd - 4-25-2009 at 11:34 AM

There's always got to be one dissenter!:biggrin:

[Edited on 4-25-2009 by Bajahowodd]

Bajahowodd - 4-25-2009 at 11:38 AM

Seriously, I'm happy to have received answers from folks located all over. Helps alot. Was wondering if anyone has any accurate information on the relative price differential between, say, Punta Banda and San Quintin? I have been somewhat fascinated in San quintin. Also have wondered, inasmuch as there is substantial population along a long stretch, much associated with the agri-business, why there are no evidence of chain stores in the area.

bajajudy - 4-25-2009 at 01:40 PM

I looked down at the bottom of the page and saw this:

"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen. The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez


We have been here for over 10 years and while we live in Los Cabos, anyone who has come to our place will tell you it is hardly a gringo enclave. We are totally happy here in our little choyero barrio.
Now that we have a boat, the marina is looking pretty good too. You used to have to drive to San Lucas for a boat ramp.
If you are not a flexible kind of personality, I cannot recommend moving here. The manana spirit can drive some people crazy.
Me, I am happy as a clam.....speaking of clams, I dont think that the seafood is more expensive here and the variety is wonderful. Did I mention fresh?

Bajahowodd - 4-25-2009 at 02:08 PM

Manana works for me. Fact is I've spent considerable time in your neck of the woods. My daughter got married there. She is also an artist who focuses on Baja. Her worked graced the front page of a Gringo Gazette edition, and through Chris Snell, got hooked up with Ida Victoria Gustavson, where she had an exhibition prior to the fire at the gallery. Her work was, for a time being sold on consignment at the Treasures Furniture Store.

Haven't done any pricing lately for homes. I blew a fantastic opportunity in 1988 that I regret to this day.