BajaNomad - Living in Mulege year round?

Living in Mulege year round?

healthdetective - 1-28-2013 at 07:48 AM

Hello all,

I am thinking of relocating to Mulege full time. Total time spent in Mulege in the past couple of years was 10 months rv'ing on Santispac. (5 months over two winters)

My questions are many and anyone with 'boots on the ground' in Baja Sur esp. Mulege feel free to chime in.

Are properties available with or without house on the outskirts of Mulege that have water and phone? (Quiet is important to me when I want it)

Is DSL available in/around town?

Are the summer months as brutal as people say?

Any general advice? (Broad question I know but unfortunately I don't know what I don't know...you know!)

A little background about me if it helps gauge anything.
47 year old straight single male
Grew up in NYC but I have lived in a town of 2000 for 8 years
Have spent a year living in Costa Rica
Have done a fair amount of travel outside the USA
I do have passive income that covers more than my needs

Looking to live my life in peace, raise a garden (important) , walk the dogs on the beach (but not live on it or in the flood plan) Ride my motorcycle and learn to fish. Have a glass of wine or two with my lunch and not worry about getting tazed.

Also should somewhere in the midst of me making my life there should I meet a quality woman to share it all with that would be the icing on my already tasty cake.

Any advice is certainly appreciated (I do plan on coming down the end of February for a while with the 'what if I were to stay hear long term' mindset.

Thank you

Russ - 1-28-2013 at 08:11 AM

Welcome to our world. I don't live in Mulege so can't answer your questions with any personal knowledge. But.... Summers are Hot & Humid so you want AC. A suggestion would be to google Mulege homes for sale. Good luck

BajaBlanca - 1-28-2013 at 08:34 AM

welcome to bajanomad - If I were you, I would spend more time renting in Mulege and check out other towns (Loreto) before you make that final decision. Stay thru the summer and see if it is brutal to you. Most people I know LEAVE the sea of cortez all summer long. The heat is unbearable, for most, but not all.

Good luck in your search for Paradise - we found our version !

David K - 1-28-2013 at 08:50 AM

Learn Spanish if you don't already speak it. You also need to go through the visa hurdles to live in Mexico. July is our favorite month down there but you should go in the summer to feel the weather in August and September!

shari - 1-28-2013 at 09:15 AM

welcome to the Nomad sanbox...we look forward to hearing about your journey to happiness moving to baja like so many of us have! Suerte...I'm sure you will get lots of advice.

By all means rent in Mulege in the summer before you buy...many people cannot stand the heat & humidity. Central baja is wonderful as it is still a day's drive to the USA or to La Paz...it's close to lots of great things to see and do and less populated than other areas.

Check out lots of places and you will find one that sings to you!
(check your U2U up in the top right corner by the log in)

bajacalifornian - 1-28-2013 at 09:22 AM

Welcome! Fortunate you are with your plan.

Live in the Baja full time. Share warmest time periods with the Pacific side, at your man cave.

Don't underestimate, for example El Pescadero, for a get away home.

Half of Baja is for sale. The other is for rent. You can find anything you want. What you want may have incomplete paperwork to achieve your ownership. If so, continue your search. My experience with more than a dozen in B.C.S., Mexican Law is your ally. Have correct paperwork. Drug war outa the news, economy as was worried about outa the news . . . many more folks venturing this way. No longer outwardly fearful about bringing Harleys on a ride. Beaches in your area of interest are largely often occupied. New cinder block is stacking up. Times they are a changing.

You will live life as you describe, along any coastline.

Turn up your noise filters. Much is written with a negative bend.

Pompano - 1-28-2013 at 09:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by healthdetective
Hello all,

I am thinking of relocating to Mulege full time. Total time spent in Mulege in the past couple of years was 10 months rv'ing on Santispac. (5 months over two winters)

My questions are many and anyone with 'boots on the ground' in Baja Sur esp. Mulege feel free to chime in.

Are properties available with or without house on the outskirts of Mulege that have water and phone? (Quiet is important to me when I want it) Yes, water, power, and phone available.

Is DSL available in/around town? Yes

Are the summer months as brutal as people say? Yes...and worse

Any general advice? (Broad question I know but unfortunately I don't know what I don't know...you know!) Rent first for a full year, especially experience summer months, then decide. Learn the language...and Buena Suerte!

A little background about me if it helps gauge anything.
47 year old straight single male
Grew up in NYC but I have lived in a town of 2000 for 8 years
Have spent a year living in Costa Rica
Have done a fair amount of travel outside the USA
I do have passive income that covers more than my needs

Looking to live my life in peace, raise a garden (important) , walk the dogs on the beach (but not live on it or in the flood plan) Ride my motorcycle and learn to fish. Have a glass of wine or two with my lunch and not worry about getting tazed.

Here's just one Mulege home for sale:

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=62505

Also should somewhere in the midst of me making my life there should I meet a quality woman to share it all with that would be the icing on my already tasty cake.

Any advice is certainly appreciated (I do plan on coming down the end of February for a while with the 'what if I were to stay hear long term' mindset.

Thank you

cessna821 - 1-28-2013 at 09:55 AM

Hi Pompano,

Thank you for the mention.

Details via email - fordintra@gmail.com

Mulegena - 1-28-2013 at 11:39 AM

Hi, and welcome!

Loma Azul in Mulege is out by the lighthouse and is a great place to live. You're walking distance to the beach or into town and its quiet. Amenities are readily available. The ejido is issuing full-title to all properties there and is opening up many acres for housing.

Come rent in town with your rv in Huerta Don Chano, also walking distance to town and the beach, also with wifi and other amenities, also quiet.

Give me a shout on u2u. I'm a year-'rounder here in Mulege, btw.

willyAirstream - 1-28-2013 at 12:19 PM

I live in Mulege full time. In August, I escape for a few weeks to the Pacific side. AC is a must.
Many properties for sale and rent in town and on the outskirts with utilities. Suggest you stay somewhere for a month to find a place to rent for a year. Arrangements for purchase or rent vary wildly, so you will need to get to know the area as well as sellers and landlords before you commit. Non Lucrative Immigrate Visa is easy. aka FM3.
Stop in when you come down and I can show around and give you some contacts.
My blog may answer some of your questions also.

absinvestor - 1-28-2013 at 12:33 PM

Regarding the weather, I agree with Pompano We have lived in Bakersfield Ca and Marietta, Georgia. In Bakersfield we went 63 days of never under 100 ie 110-115 during the days and cooling to around 102 at night. (We were hot but never miserable.) Georgia is famous for the humidity. (Again, humid and maybe uncomfortable but never miserable.) We thought we knew about and loved heat/humidity. People warned us about the Mulege heat but we thought they were exagerrating and we would adjust. It never cools and the humidity is brutal. Even though we lived on the beach within 6 feet of Bajia de Concepcion brutal does not adequately describe the summer heat!!

Bob and Susan - 1-28-2013 at 01:08 PM

the BEST advice given here was
you should come in the summer and check it out

summer is the BEST time of year
the fish bite and the water is warm

most of the snow-birds are gone and never experience summer
by the month of MAY it's too hot and they flee

people living in houses with tin roofs sre hot
places that are "protected" from the wind roast

of course...don't get me wrong...it's HOT and humid but...
we have air-conditioning...and a pool

plan ahead...

DavidE - 1-28-2013 at 01:30 PM

In Michoacan, I am building a small casita.

The bedroom will be the main room for computer, bed, and recliner for reading. The entire bedroom is insulated 100%. Ceiling, floor, walls, windows, including tint, and double pane. That way I can use a 5,000 BTU through the wall A/C unit and not have to run it 24/7. The ceiling has 4" of rigid insulation as does the floor. Two inches in the walls. The door is insulation clad and has an overlay of wood panel.

Whole house fans. The refrigerator is totally boxed in with convection condenser cooling.

The stove has a SERIOUS exhaust fan.

The Yucatecans had it right when they built with ten foot ceilings. Allows the concrete roof to heat up but enough space overhead to not allow heat to be radiated downward. Mulege is Point Barrow, compared to Merida or Valladolid. I use insect screen convection to allow house heat to escape. Also total shade on the north and west sides of the dwelling. Find a way to shade the roof. Whatever it takes.

One summer, I saw the temperature in Sta Rosalia at 120+, the locals evacuated up onto the mesas. They said the heat below was "peligroso".

Bob and Susan - 1-28-2013 at 01:42 PM

the average temp in the summer in mulege is only 100f...

its the humidity that people can't stand
you sweat bullets

i have never see 120f in mulege...
but that doesnt mean it can't happen one day

Pescador - 1-28-2013 at 01:48 PM

I have lived in San Bruno for over 5 years and the stories about the high temps are for the most part just stories. I love how some people make such a big deal out of the weather and temps. Well, guess what, the locals live here year round and they seem to be surviving and doing quite well. I used to live in Northern Colorado above 8500 feet and we had weeks on end where things never got above 0 degrees F and if you can learn to live with that, you can learn to live with anything.
You need to follow some of the great advise here and spend some time and then find out if it is your thing. I have had a lot of friends who did that and changed their mind and ended up in other places, but I have also had friends that thought it was wonderful and ended up as a permanent resident. I like small towns and Mulege is right on the edge of being too heavily populated (especially in the winter) but you have to decide what works for your needs. I like living in a small town with a mix of local people and a few tourists but others prefer living in predominately Norteamericano communities. Again personal preference. Some people prefer the Pacific side while others think the Sea of Cortez side is the very best. Again personal preference.

So, do yourself a big favor, travel around, spend some time in a place that catches your fancy, rent for awhile (cause there is a lot of property available right now) and see where you want to be on a more permanent basis.

mtgoat666 - 1-28-2013 at 02:03 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by absinvestor
Regarding the weather, I agree with Pompano We have lived in Bakersfield Ca and Marietta, Georgia. In Bakersfield we went 63 days of never under 100 ie 110-115 during the days and cooling to around 102 at night. (We were hot but never miserable.) Georgia is famous for the humidity. (Again, humid and maybe uncomfortable but never miserable.) We thought we knew about and loved heat/humidity. People warned us about the Mulege heat but we thought they were exagerrating and we would adjust. It never cools and the humidity is brutal. Even though we lived on the beach within 6 feet of Bajia de Concepcion brutal does not adequately describe the summer heat!!

sounds like the pacific side is the place to be! :light:

by the way, san diego has PERFECT weather. rarely heat the house, and don't need AC :bounce:

healthdetective - 1-28-2013 at 05:46 PM

Thank you all for being generous with your time in responding as well as offers to meet up and help out. I now have some points of reference to help make my decision.

David K - 1-28-2013 at 06:01 PM

Bahia Asuncion may just surprise you... it is on the Pacific, but free of the typical gloomy summer weather, and warmer in the winter than Ensenada as it is hundreds of miles closer to the tropics... many Nomads have homes there now.. and some are for sale (see Diana T posts)! Paved road all the way (some potholes, but being repaired)... just a thought!?

Udo - 1-28-2013 at 06:19 PM

Don't ruin the place, DK.

The are enough residents there now, and any more would put a strain on the domestic services now available.

AND...don't forget the craters they call "pot holes." :spingrin:

desertcpl - 1-28-2013 at 06:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pescador
I have lived in San Bruno for over 5 years and the stories about the high temps are for the most part just stories. I love how some people make such a big deal out of the weather and temps. Well, guess what, the locals live here year round and they seem to be surviving and doing quite well. I used to live in Northern Colorado above 8500 feet and we had weeks on end where things never got above 0 degrees F and if you can learn to live with that, you can learn to live with anything.
You need to follow some of the great advise here and spend some time and then find out if it is your thing. I have had a lot of friends who did that and changed their mind and ended up in other places, but I have also had friends that thought it was wonderful and ended up as a permanent resident. I like small towns and Mulege is right on the edge of being too heavily populated (especially in the winter) but you have to decide what works for your needs. I like living in a small town with a mix of local people and a few tourists but others prefer living in predominately Norteamericano communities. Again personal preference. Some people prefer the Pacific side while others think the Sea of Cortez side is the very best. Again personal preference.

So, do yourself a big favor, travel around, spend some time in a place that catches your fancy, rent for awhile (cause there is a lot of property available right now) and see where you want to be on a more permanent basis.

I think I like this reply the best,,
I came from Long Beach.Calif
and ended up in Yuma,az.. think heat,, you bet
the worst heat is the humidity in the summer months, Aug Sept,, but to be honest with you we have alot of fun during this time as we spend it on the river, its not that bad, its learning to adapt a little, and we dont have to put up with the snowbirds LOL just kidding,,

shari - 1-28-2013 at 07:15 PM

Udo, I'm not quite sure what you mean by strain the domestic services?

Bahia Asuncion has a vibrant economy with many new homes being built...by and for mexicans as families grow. I dont see that as ruining this beautiful place. It's lovely to get new blood and new ideas(and new pot luck dishes!!!hahaha)...growth can be positive.

With a growing population comes better services like a bank for example, gas station, more stores & restaurants and improved economy for the existing businesses. True, the phone lines are saturated but we are told that Telmex is extending it's service to accommodate 1,000 more phonelines.

Half the pot holed part of the road has been repaired and the 2nd half will be fixed also beginning soon.

David K - 1-28-2013 at 07:16 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Udo
Don't ruin the place, DK.

The are enough residents there now, and any more would put a strain on the domestic services now available.

AND...don't forget the craters they call "pot holes." :spingrin:

Ah ha... now that your there, right? LOL, well, if he buys Diana T's place than that is a not an increase in number of gringos there, right? :light:

Okay... forget I mentioned Bahia Asuncion... it's far too cool if you are thinking Mulege year-round! :lol:

BajaBlanca - 1-28-2013 at 07:52 PM

I second the vote for the Pacific side - you can always go and swim in the sea of cortez for the day but you will be living in very nice temps .... Bahia Asuncion is really beautiful.

bajalinda - 1-29-2013 at 08:33 AM

As a couple others have mentioned, you need to spend the summer months on the Sea of Cortez side - I can't stress that enough. We did and that's why we live year-round on the Pacific side. Some people thrive on the heat and humidity (and yes, it's brutal), others don't. There are also a few members of this board who live on the Sea of Cortez side and who have a place on the Pacific that they escape to in the summer - that's another option.

You might also want to find out how much electric bills run in the summer months in the area you are considering - air-conditioning can really run up your bill. We don't need it here - yes, it gets hot in the summer (but it's a good 10 to 15 degrees cooler than the other side) - and with the ocean breeze and a couple of fans....air-conditioning is not necessary.

Udo - 1-29-2013 at 08:43 AM

You read the remark as it was supposed to be DK!

Quote:

Originally posted by David K

Quote:

Ah ha... now that your there, right? LOL, well, if he buys Diana T's place than that is a not an increase in number of gringos there, right? :light:

Okay... forget I mentioned Bahia Asuncion... it's far too cool if you are thinking Mulege year-round! :lol:

vandenberg - 1-29-2013 at 02:57 PM

We live in Nopolo, which has the same summers as Mulege, nice and comfy.

The thing is, if you want to get out of the heat and humidity in July, Aug & Sept, you need either a second place somewhere or spend a small fortune staying somewhere. So, instead, spend te additional money on A/C, in our case, an additional $150 to $200 a month and be comfortable. Comes down to $5 to $7 a day. Where can you go for that kind of money?
And the ocean is nice and warm. Read a book under a palapa, walk on the beach and swim and snorkel to your hearts content. Not to mention the fishing is great and the kayaking out of this world, and gorgeous scenery.
We've been here for over 20 years and never a moment of regret.

Mula - 1-29-2013 at 03:55 PM

We have a place between Mulege and Loreto on the Sea of Cortez.
It is a nice dry heat with an afternoon breeze.
I was here for 4 summers with only a car fan - 12 volt - running at night over my bed.

Then we bought a place on the Pacific side - Puerto A. Lopez Mateos when surgery rehab and a paved road was necessary. It is VERY humid on the Pacific in Lopez.

We finally put an air conditioner in the Lopez house last September and got 10 gallons of water pulled out of the living room/dining room air every 24 hours.

And when we finally can not handle the heat every day in San Nicolas, we will pack up the mules, 2 wheelie, trucks, panga and dogs - and move back to the Lopez place . . . until it gets too cold and damp in December . . . and move back to San Nicolas. . .

a 4 hour drive.

Still better than living in the States.

DavidE - 1-29-2013 at 04:47 PM

It "depends" where you are in Mulege.

Downtown along the river with little breeze, it is a lot more uncomfortable than up on the mesa. Bahia Concepcion can get very warm and humid because the mountains block the southeasterly breezes.

I would think Sta Rosalia got to 120F because it is located in a ravine, with zero breeze. I would be very careful with the "never's" when weather is concerned after all the flooding the last few years.

And different folks have different tolerance for heat and cold. I am now too freakin' old and cold weather now bothers me when it never used to.

"Doesn't bother the natives?"
Yeah, right. Liked to have been around when a crack like that was made to the locals in Mulege around 15 years ago. August. They dragged all their mattresses and bedding outside to sleep with the zancudos rather than face another night of misery sleeping inside. A person cannot pontificate a "cover's it all" statement unless they have spent summers on the shore of the gulf, inside, on the bay of concepcion, and downtown. The climate and comfort level is markedly different. The least offensive late summer weather IMHO is somewhere exposed like El Naranjo, or Shell Beach at Punta Chivato.

When a person thinks he or she is "acclimated", a true blue "I can take it" transplant, take a trip to Santa Rosalia and spend an hour downtown.

The most dangerous hot weather I have ever experienced in Mexico was 122F in Ciudad Obregon 30 years ago, and the same temperature in Sonoyta just three years ago. But the killer was 119F in Merida Yucatan with 67% humidity. A lot of people died, including Maya indigenous. The DEW POINT was in the mid-nineties.

And not only no, but HELL NO, I can't take that type of extremes.

Udo - 1-29-2013 at 04:55 PM

I will second the heat in Ciudad Obregon when I was there on a business trip a few years ago.

unfrikkin believable!
About as bad as Heber, CA. during the hay season. It also was 122F and rode my motorcycle. Had to stop every 1/2 hour and hose myself with someones water faucet.

absinvestor - 1-30-2013 at 11:44 AM

MtGoat666- We lived on the pacific side but the winters were too chilly for us. (I needed a wetsuit to enter the water etc.) San Diego is beautiful but out of my price range. We still prefer the Sea of Cortez side for 8 months of the year.

chuckie - 1-30-2013 at 06:05 PM

I have lived in Mulege on and off for 32 years. I have lived on both sides of the river down in the fashionable district, and now live in Loma Azul. Many of the "fashionable" folks, denigrate Loma Azul..windy, too many mexicans etc...BUT BUT when they are up to their butts in mud, or when it is really hot,up the hill they come....AND when they leave for "the season" we hear, can I leave my car/truck/boat/stuff at your place? Do your research, excercise common sense, and do something based on that....

Kgryfon - 2-17-2013 at 05:59 PM

DavidE:
The Yucatecans had it right when they built with ten foot ceilings. Allows the concrete roof to heat up but enough space overhead to not allow heat to be radiated downward. Mulege is Point Barrow, compared to Merida or Valladolid.

What do you mean by the Merida/Point Barrow comparison? Just curious.

cessna821 - 2-17-2013 at 07:30 PM

We lived full time in Mulege for five years. To live happily through the hot summer days this is what we found we needed.......

1. Outside electrical points near shaded seating areas .....so you can have a pedestal fan that you can use in the garden if there isn't a breeze blowing.
2. Tall trees to sit under.
3. High ceilings in your home.
4. Your roof painted white ....amazing the difference this made.
5. An air conditioner to cool your bedroom at night.
6. A mosquito net over your bed so you sleep naked happily.
7. To go to bed wet, especially your hair and sleep on a large towel. Wearing a pair of wet socks is good too.
8. To have lots and lots of cool drinks.
9. An Australian cure for too much sun is to drink cold milk.... It works.
10. An outside kitchen.
11. To install an outside shower or hose yourself down.
12. Mosquito screens on your windows so you can leave them open, epecially at night.
13. On your sun facing windows ...... curtains you can close to keep the sun out.
14. Wear nothing but cotton clothing.

[Edited on 2-18-2013 by cessna821]

Bob and Susan - 2-18-2013 at 05:59 AM

these are all great ideas...that work

the temps rarely exceed 100f degrees but it's really humid...
i take pics of the temp all summer

the olny thing i'd add is build a pool :lol:

MitchMan - 2-18-2013 at 12:03 PM

People differ in their abilities to take the heat. Was at a nomad get together a couple of years back in La Paz in August. Most of the nomads that showed up were year round residents for the most part. I was surprised to see the amount of suffering and sweating that some of those nomads were going through. I, on the other hand, am only a Baja part timer but I was able to withstand the heat much better than most of those suffering year round nomads.

Everytime I go to La Paz during the summer, it is really a bit uncomfortable for the first two or three days until I get acclimated. It seems like it gets cooler after three days, but really it is just acclimation.

If you are going to buy a place to live on a semi-permanent basis in the hot part of Baja, spend the additional two thousand USD to get good, solid, and 'more than adequate' air conditioning. Have good quality an well installed screens and screen doors installed as well in order to take advantage early morning and night time cooler air. That will help save on electricity by 30% during the hot months.

When I get to La Paz in the summer months, I use 24 KWH per day of electricity mostly to power the a/c (about $1.75/day USD). After one week, I get buy with about 12 to 14 total KWH per day (about $1.00/day USD). Now if I were there for the entire 2 month billing period, I would be paying more per day for electricity (possibly 50% more) as I would be paying higher rates. My Baja house has only 850 sq ft of living space and I have 5.5 tons of minisplit a/c. Wished I had 6.5 tons.

[Edited on 2-18-2013 by MitchMan]

DianaT - 2-18-2013 at 12:16 PM

I don't know why, but I think some people just acclimate to different climates faster. Even living for over a year in the semi-tropics of Honduras, I NEVER acclimated while John did quite well in a short time.

Now we are where it is colder than we are used to and I am acclimating quicker.

I love Mulege, but for me, year round would not be good.

mtgoat666 - 2-18-2013 at 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by cessna821
We lived full time in Mulege for five years. To live happily through the hot summer days this is what we found we needed.......

1. Outside electrical points near shaded seating areas .....so you can have a pedestal fan that you can use in the garden if there isn't a breeze blowing.
2. Tall trees to sit under.
3. High ceilings in your home.
4. Your roof painted white ....amazing the difference this made.
5. An air conditioner to cool your bedroom at night.
6. A mosquito net over your bed so you sleep naked happily.
7. To go to bed wet, especially your hair and sleep on a large towel. Wearing a pair of wet socks is good too.
8. To have lots and lots of cool drinks.
9. An Australian cure for too much sun is to drink cold milk.... It works.
10. An outside kitchen.
11. To install an outside shower or hose yourself down.
12. Mosquito screens on your windows so you can leave them open, epecially at night.
13. On your sun facing windows ...... curtains you can close to keep the sun out.
14. Wear nothing but cotton clothing.

[Edited on 2-18-2013 by cessna821]

one thing you left off your list, sleep in hammock, it's cooler than sleeping on mattress. do people build hammock hooks into walls in local construction?

also, instead of white curtains, try awnings that extend from wall to shade windows, or try shade sails to shield whole wall of house and provide extra shade to yard

need to wear wet socks to bed? glad i live somewhere that does not get too hot :bounce:

DavidE - 2-18-2013 at 12:46 PM

Mulegé vs Pt Barrow...

Meant as comical sarcasm.

Mulegé is considered "hot" when the thermometer climbs to 100F

Mérida is considered "hot" when temps climb to 118F

In April, May and June, Mérida is far warmer than even La Paz is in July and August.

Cypress - 2-18-2013 at 03:35 PM

Grew up on the MS gulf coast without air conditioning. Mulege in the summer? No problemo. :lol:

desertcpl - 2-18-2013 at 06:08 PM

yes every one is different when it comes to heat

I live in Yuma year around, doesn't bother me at all

well some times to be honest, when the monsoons start

the humidity can make it pretty uncomfortable, but even then

I just go with it, and so does the wife