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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Retiring to Baja
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.
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Osprey
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3694
Registered: 5-23-2004
Location: Baja Ca. Sur
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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]
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oxxo
Banned
Posts: 2347
Registered: 5-17-2006
Location: Wherever I am, I'm there
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Mood: If I was feeling any better, I'd be twins!
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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.
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dtbushpilot
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3296
Registered: 1-11-2007
Location: Buena Vista BCS
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Mood: Tranquilo
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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
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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Pescador
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3587
Registered: 10-17-2002
Location: Baja California Sur
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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.
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fishbuck
Banned
Posts: 5318
Registered: 8-31-2006
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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.
"A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for." J. A. Shedd.
A clever person solves a problem. A wise person avoids it. – Albert Einstein
"Life's a Beach... and then you Fly!" Fishbuck
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MitchMan
Super Nomad
Posts: 1856
Registered: 3-9-2009
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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.
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Howard
Super Nomad
Posts: 2353
Registered: 11-13-2007
Location: Loreto/Manhattan Beach/Kona
Member Is Offline
Mood: I'd rather regret the things I've done than regret the things I haven't done.
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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
We don't stop playing because we grow old;
we grow old because we stop playing
George Bernard Shaw
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65296
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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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!
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fishingmako
Nomad
Posts: 259
Registered: 10-10-2008
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Mood: always up
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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.
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bajadock
Super Nomad
Posts: 1219
Registered: 12-20-2006
Location: Punta sur de \'Nada
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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.
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Udo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6364
Registered: 4-26-2008
Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
Member Is Offline
Mood: TEQUILA!
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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.
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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Mulegena
Super Nomad
Posts: 2412
Registered: 11-7-2006
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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!
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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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| 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.
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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]
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Udo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6364
Registered: 4-26-2008
Location: Black Hills, SD/Ensenada/San Felipe
Member Is Offline
Mood: TEQUILA!
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This is another thread worth the Nomad membership!
The advice is priceless!
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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BajaGringo
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3922
Registered: 8-24-2006
Location: La Chorera
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Mood: Let's have a BBQ!
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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
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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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?
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
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Mood: undecided
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At one time it seemed like a dream come true. 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.
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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There's always got to be one dissenter!
[Edited on 4-25-2009 by Bajahowodd]
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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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.
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