BajaNomad

Non full time expats where/how do you live ?

bajafreaks - 8-18-2020 at 02:37 PM

Kind of a wide open question but expats that don't live in Baja full time where/how do you live ? Do you own a second home, rent a second home, live in an RV ? Live with your kids...you get the picture. My plan is when we retire to live in Baja for 8 months out of the year but where to go when we head back to the states during the Hotter months ? Doesn't make since to me to own a home in the states paying taxes, upkeep etc. when were only going back 4 months a year. Living on a limited savings/social security per month I'm just trying to find the most economical way to make it all happen. We have a place in Baja that's paid for and plan to sell our house in the states when its time to retire and use that money to help with retirement. Thanks for your input

del mar - 8-18-2020 at 03:06 PM

have you considered living on the cool side?

bajafreaks - 8-18-2020 at 03:16 PM

I like our location in Baja but would like to go back to the states (Northern Nevada) a few months out of the year to see family etc. just trying to figure out the best method of living while there.

mtgoat666 - 8-18-2020 at 03:23 PM

Keep your house in the USA. You may want to return to it some day. You can rent it out, and it should pay for itself, and then some.

when too hot to live in baja, hit the road and live like a homeless bum in a tent or RV,... millions of retirees are transients (aka snowbird, wayfarer, pilgrim) wandering the USA in their vehicles, living in campgrounds or on public lands, plugging their RV in backyards of friends and family, etc.

after you get older, you might not like living like a tumbleweed, and you can return to that house of yours for your late sunset years

bajafreaks - 8-18-2020 at 03:59 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Keep your house in the USA. You may want to return to it some day. You can rent it out, and it should pay for itself, and then some.

when too hot to live in baja, hit the road and live like a homeless bum in a tent or RV,... millions of retirees are transients (aka snowbird, wayfarer, pilgrim) wandering the USA in their vehicles, living in campgrounds or on public lands, plugging their RV in backyards of friends and family, etc.

after you get older, you might not like living like a tumbleweed, and you can return to that house of yours for your late sunset years


Campground host.:light: Have definitely thought about the RV thing. In our area a lot of RV parks to hang out in or wander as you mentioned. Store the rig while away in Baja.
Need to sell the house for equity to live S.S isn't enough.

Stickers - 8-18-2020 at 04:31 PM

Build a granny unit (guest house) in the yard of your Nevada home. Or partition the house to split it into two units.
Rent the house out and the rear unit or partitioned unit is available anytime you want to come back even for a short visit.

SFandH - 8-18-2020 at 05:01 PM

I have friends that spend the winters in BCS and the summers in their RVs. Three are campground hosts during the summer. Two in California and one in Oregon. They all have class A, bus sized RVs. TVs, washers and dryers, full-sized refrigerators, microwaves, the whole enchilada. Buy a used one, they depreciate FAST.

El Jefe - 8-18-2020 at 06:00 PM

The most economical way to do it is to sell the house and keep a small RV stateside. However, as you age you may regret selling the house. Things and people change. It is nice to have a fall back plan if health or other issues cause you to come back to the states.

Our story is that we moved to the East Cape area and made it our 'full time' home for ten years. During that time we rented our California house out and bought an RV that we used during the summer months to visit family and friends in the states. We always bugged out in August and September and usually were gone half of July and October as well.

That worked for 10 years until we felt that we were just missing our grand kids and their parents too much. So we booted the tenants and moved back into the California house. Now we spend 7 months per year up here and five months down in our Baja house. It's the best of both worlds, but it took several years to get to a point where we could afford to make it happen. We are very glad we held onto the California house over the years. A good trustworthy property management company was the key.

I guess it all depends on how attached you are to your old house, family considerations and such. Many of our Baja friends are all in down there and some do the RV stored in the north thing. Seems to work well for them. Oh, and retirement is the bomb! Or as I like to say, "It's a good gig if you can get it."

SFandH - 8-18-2020 at 06:13 PM

Winter on the Sea of Cortez, summer on the Pacific, both in Baja, and a house/condo in the states that you rent out and can move back to if needed. That's ideal IMHO.

advrider - 8-18-2020 at 08:03 PM

Goat about nailed it. We have a small house next door and will rent out our main house for $$$$$! The tenant in the guest house has been there 18 years, if he ever goes we will keep it open for us.
In the mean time Baja and a travel trailer, with some VRBO or other rentals as we travel. As several have said, rent the house and keep the options open. Camp host or park volunteer sound pretty fun to us. We will have plenty of years to figure it out as we are only 50 and ready to retire.

Lee - 8-18-2020 at 08:36 PM

Lots of great ideas here. I like keeping the old house. You might want to come back to it f/t.

Still, selling the house and getting a RV works too, plug in at local Gardnerville RV park or family member home, RV storage somewhere.

Ck u2u.

paranewbi - 8-19-2020 at 05:32 AM

One consideration for having a home in the states is dependent upon your age, health history, DNA source (does your family history include problematic health conditions).

We have our home in San Diego and an RV as well. We have done Central America many times and Baja as well. Now we are headed out for five years to tour the US, Canada and Alaska. We leave the RV where it is and drive our tow car home from there, returning by driving the tow car back to the RV. This keep expenses and wear down on the RV.

We are toying with domiciling in South Dakota to get away from the destruction of taxes in Cali. We are only in Cali four months of the year and our home here will be considered a 'vacation home'.

So... Think about what will happen if one of you have 'the big one' and the other is left to life in an RV. Make sure your wife can drive that rig so she's not left on the side of the road. Make sure she's secure if you don't finish retirement with her. And being secure is not 'living with the kids'.

If you sell your house, invest the monies. Set a portion securely and get the rest in something that will enhance your SSI.

As to the RV... get something you can work on. If you don't know anything about diesel, don't get one. Get yourself a 'creeper' so you can lay down while you work on it and get a rig large enough to store that creeper in ;)

Mine has a beer holder.





[Edited on 8-19-2020 by paranewbi]

bajafreaks - 8-19-2020 at 06:56 AM

Thanks everyone for the great suggestions.
We plan to retire early (60) so wont have SS to count on for awhile. Being self employed most of my life I didnt do well with retirement planning so will need to sell the house, can't afford the mortgage since its not paid off. Would love to keep it but I don't think its in the cards. Lots of good points on never knowing what the future will bring, health, life changes, none of us have a crystal ball so I need to go with what makes since at the time and enjoy life as I/we can.

gnukid - 8-19-2020 at 07:22 AM

Permanent Residents can work as independent contractors in Baja to earn extra money.

wilderone - 8-19-2020 at 11:05 AM

Give it a trial run for the first year - rent the house. You might find you have a different perspective after that - you don't want to regret selling your home. Renting might enable you to get another year of SS, a little more on the sale. You have the lowest interest rate? 3 mo. a year in Baja isn't enough until you're 65? Seriously crunch the numbers.

msteve1014 - 8-19-2020 at 11:23 AM

Quote: Originally posted by wilderone  
Give it a trial run for the first year - rent the house. You might find you have a different perspective after that - you don't want to regret selling your home. Renting might enable you to get another year of SS, a little more on the sale. You have the lowest interest rate? 3 mo. a year in Baja isn't enough until you're 65? Seriously crunch the numbers.


X2
do not sell the house until you are SURE. You have a house in Baja, so do I. You know you do not want to be there full time, neither do I. You have to live somewhere else the rest of the time. I have known many people that sold homes in so. cal. to retire somewhere else, then changed their minds, but because of the rise in prices could not re buy the same kind of home they sold.

LancairDriver - 8-19-2020 at 11:38 AM

Lot of good suggestions and options here. Many different personal options to consider however. Personally I lean toward the well equipped larger RV, with the option of moving around at will to the many spots up and down the Sea of Cortez during the winter and either the Pacific side of Baja or the northwest US during the summer. A comfortable way to go with the most options. As mentioned in a previous post, the price of a good Class A RV is affordable today even though they are in big demand now.

advrider - 8-19-2020 at 03:27 PM

With loans at a record low now, refinance for a nice low rate so rent will pay the mortgage? I would give it a trial run like others have said just to see how it goes. Good luck and enjoy Baja, I know I can't wait!

[Edited on 8-19-2020 by advrider]

BajaBlanca - 8-19-2020 at 07:04 PM

Boy, what a challenge you have to make such an important decision before you can officially retire and get SS.

I have known many who have gone north for over 25 years even though their "home" is here in Mexico and they stay with family when they leave for the summer.

Some other folks end up buying after 25 years or so down south...things change and health is a biggie.

Best of luck fulfilling your dreams!

freediverbrian - 8-19-2020 at 08:05 PM

I plan on retirement in a few years and living in Baja but have an escape plan. Without would be unwise.

Lengua - 8-19-2020 at 08:53 PM

Never really understood owning down South. We have found rentals for 4-5 months at a time in late fall through winter.

I understand that you can call it your home , personalize it and build relationships within your community.

What I don't get is all the carrying cost , maintenance expenses and other related cost that go with owning property in Mexico that you stay in 4-5 months a year.-Not to mention the worry factor if everything is all right when you're not there.

There are so many long term rentals at an affordable price that it works for us. It also provides us with the ability to explore different areas of baja.

Lastly , when we get ready to leave we close the door and adios. No worries and we leave all the maintenance to someone else.

BajaMama - 8-20-2020 at 08:12 AM

We will fix up the property we have in BCS to spend time in Fall & Spring. We will sell our NorCal house and use equity to purchase a place in Nor. Nevada for holidays and summer. I prefer to utilize US healthcare for my retirement years. (LOL I currently have a neurologist, cardiologist orthopedic hand surgeon....) Renting would not be my preference, I like my own stuff and our place in BCS is fairly central to getting around the areas we want to explore (off roading will be involved, as well as paddling, snorkeling, fishing...)

bajatrailrider - 8-20-2020 at 08:41 AM

I retired at at 54 same house 21 years in rancho park California.i already had a house in in Baja north Mexico. Since I don't like the heat I prefer Pacific side. I liked it so much in Mexico . I did in fact sell my home in rancho park as boring to live there . For a outdoor guy with a 1/4 of the money I bought 4 cheap houses out of Los Angeles. Three of them I sold but I'm the bank . One is rented with only year to year lease. If I decide to return witch I don't plan on anytime soon. With virus riots traffic don't think I need that.

Jack Swords - 8-20-2020 at 09:43 AM

For close to 20 years on and off we lived on our sailboat in Marina de la Paz. We spent 4-5 months on the boat each year. What we observed among fellow expats is that change is inevitable. Many folks sold their home in the states to buy a nice boat and sail the world. Illness and death changed many plans. Losing a spouse curtailed many plans. Chronic illness caused some to return to the states for family or health care. Sadly, locating housing, selling the boat, moving back, was a major issue for some. Those who retained their stateside home had a more comfortable transition. We kept our home, always knew it would be there when we were done. When that time occurred, sold the boat and resumed life in our US home.

bajatrailrider - 8-20-2020 at 09:48 AM

Not married to Mexican if I thought unsafe to live here. I would return to states at the rate California. Is going down the tubes police standing on one corner. While rioters burning and destroy property on next block. What the hell

mtgoat666 - 8-20-2020 at 10:41 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bajatrailrider  
Not married to Mexican if I thought unsafe to live here. I would return to states at the rate California. Is going down the tubes police standing on one corner. While rioters burning and destroy property on next block. What the hell


Bajaretread:
Where do you get the idea that riots are happening all over california? Riots are pretty rare. Crime and murder rates here in USA are much, much lower than rates in Mexico.

bajatrailrider - 8-20-2020 at 12:04 PM

Please stay in your house drunk and open your eyes. As this year in California if you think was good 😂. You need all the help you can get.:?:

bajafreaks - 8-22-2020 at 08:56 AM

Once again thanks everyone for your input, definitely a lot to think about, looking forward to retirement. To bad some of the last replies drifted off topic a bit.

mtnpop - 8-22-2020 at 11:06 AM

we have done this for about a dozen years now...
purchased a place in Mulege and leave Colo. in Oct and return in late may or early June. kept the house at 8k elevation and had nice summers there until a couple of years ago then sold it paid off the mtg and bought a smaller place in town close to Dr.'s and other amenities.
one thing to be aware of when you go to medicare and some med ins there is some fine print about being out of home place for over six months... we manage, but pretty obvious that we are gone since all med claims are June thru Sept.
Now mid 70's and harder to do the travel thing , even with the purchase of the mx property even with Fideicomiso, taxes, etc our fixed expenses on that property is about $2k per year. of course food, beer, boat, party, party during the 8 months are not in that figure.. and the casita in Mx is a pretty nice home. so it is possible what you are talking about from our experience... good luck... Oh, we don't like renting either place while we are gone. just personal with us...

forgot a couple of things, we also have permanet resident status since you are supposed to only stay 6 months on a fmm "tourist visa" but also know some that ignore everything... usually tell new folks to rent for a year or so before buying to make sure they are where they like... learned the hard way...

[Edited on 8-23-2020 by mtnpop]

Ricky - 8-24-2020 at 12:30 AM

We sold our La Salina place last year and just closed on a condo in Rosarito. To fund the difference, we sold a rental condo we owned for many years. One plan, sell the primary house, purchase a smaller rental condo Then look for a place with the delta between the sale of the home and purchase price of a condo. You always need an escape plan.

CasaMaximus - 9-17-2020 at 09:33 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bajafreaks  
Kind of a wide open question but expats that don't live in Baja full time where/how do you live ? Do you own a second home, rent a second home, live in an RV ? Live with your kids...you get the picture. My plan is when we retire to live in Baja for 8 months out of the year but where to go when we head back to the states during the Hotter months ? Doesn't make since to me to own a home in the states paying taxes, upkeep etc. when were only going back 4 months a year. Living on a limited savingsCo/social security per month I'm just trying to find the most economical way to make it all happen. We have a place in Baja that's paid for and plan to sell our house in the states when its time to retire and use that money to help with retirement. Thanks for your input


Northern California is "home" 40 acres in North Washoe Co. Nevada Sometimes 35 acres in Churchill County Nevada once in awhile. 35% of the time in Todos Santos BCS and whatever left between Forrida and Italy.

Anyone want 2.52 acres in Southern Colorado?

CasaMaximus - 9-17-2020 at 09:41 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Lengua  
Never really understood owning down South. We have found rentals for 4-5 months at a time in late fall through winter.

I understand that you can call it your home , personalize it and build relationships within your community.

What I don't get is all the carrying cost , maintenance expenses and other related cost that go with owning property in Mexico that you stay in 4-5 months a year.-Not to mention the worry factor if everything is all right when you're not there.

There are so many long term rentals at an affordable price that it works for us. It also provides us with the ability to explore different areas of baja.

Lastly , when we get ready to leave we close the door and adios. No worries and we leave all the maintenance to someone else.



Its not for everyone. My house costs me $450 in trust fees $500 per year in taxes, $48 a year in water and $60 in power when we are away.

I paid $247,000 for it in 2018 and today it is worth $385,000.

[Edited on 9-18-2020 by CasaMaximus]

CasaMaximus - 9-17-2020 at 09:52 PM

I forgot the Gardener... $40 per month (2 hours a week) and a housekeeper $35 per month. For this princely sum we have a second family, a second community and a place to call home whenever I want where I can get off a plane and go to without bags.

Priceless.



[Edited on 9-18-2020 by CasaMaximus]

pacificobob - 9-18-2020 at 05:57 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bajatrailrider  
Please stay in your house drunk and open your eyes. As this year in California if you think was good 😂. You need all the help you can get.:?:


is English your second language?