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rocmoc
Nomad
Posts: 234
Registered: 5-25-2009
Location: Tucson, AZ
Member Is Offline
Mood: Live today like it maybe your LAST!
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I looked at the historical weather and temps are very close to Southern AZ but with LESS moisture. This brings up the question how to stay cool other
than in a pool or the sea. Do you use swamp coolers? We do until the monsoon season kicks in fully then we have to use AC. We get moisture from
both baja/the west and mainland Mexico/the east so the swamp cooler become useless. After full kick of the monsoon seasson, AC is the only solution
except jumping in the pool.
rocmoc n AZ
rocmoc n AZ/Mexico
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fixtrauma
Nomad
Posts: 389
Registered: 11-17-2008
Location: El Centenario & Lebanon,Oregon
Member Is Offline
Mood: Monomaniac
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Welcome to Baja Nomad DrG!
Linda and I really enjoy the time that we are able to spend in the La Paz area. Linda's brother moved to La Paz in 1955 and most of his family
remains there to this day.
We often talk about how our shoulders drop an inch or two when we arrive in La Paz because of how things slow down for us. We actually sit down and
visit! Spend time down on the Malecon to walk, sit maybe have a paleta or two and watch the sunset.
We have developed so many friendships in the area. Reminds me of small town. One story......I had a blow out on one of the van tires while on a main
street in La Paz. So I pulled into a parking area close to the street. While I was under the van (working the jack) and my legs sticking out, two
different friends who were driving by either recognized the van or my white legs and stopped to help! We live in a town here in Oregon of about
16,000 and would have been more surprised if that would have happened here!
There are many other things to take into consideration when choosing a place to invest time and life than the ones that I have described but this is
just an example of why La Paz is our second home at this time. Plans are to spend much more time there when we can.
BTW....it is not just La Paz.....we completely enjoy our drive down the Baja when we choose to drive instead of fly. What a great drive!
Again.......welcome to Baja Nomad.
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DavidE
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3814
Registered: 12-1-2003
Location: Baja California México
Member Is Offline
Mood: 'At home we demand facts and get them. In Mexico one subsists on rumor and never demands anything.' Charles Flandrau,
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Ai Chihuahua, La Paz is one hot enchilada in summer up until October or November on one magic overnight when the humidity disappears.
I've seen many, many days in La Paz where the summer sun seared temperatures beyond 112F and then cooled down to the mid-eighties at night. In Cabo,
where things are supposed to be grand year around I measured temperatures 104F and higher for 17 days straight in July. San Jose del Cabo was 109, and
La Paz, was, well....
And that isn't dry heat...
Where I live 800 miles southeast in a direct line, June temperatures reach the high eighties, and sixty degree weather awaits just a three hour drive
away and seven thousand feet higher. In December where it may get to 72 in San Lucas, we at at 84. Out sea temperature is 79F.
All of these comparisons are accurate.
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longlegsinlapaz
Super Nomad
Posts: 1685
Registered: 11-18-2005
Location: La Paz
Member Is Offline
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IMO, Rosarito and/or Ensenada vs La Paz = apples & oranges!! Totally different all across the board! Driving back to the border from
Rosarito/Ensenada can be done in about 2 hours, driving back from La Paz is a 2-day drive for me, but oh what an amazing drive it is! You get to
enjoy the rugged beauty of endlessly changing scenery & the warmth & friendliness of the Mexican people in many small towns along the way.
The vast majority of gringos that I know in La Paz & surrounding areas are full-time permanent residents. I actually know/know of fewer people
who leave during the summer and/or hurricane season that I can count on one hand. There's a slightly larger group who have vacation homes or property
here who maintain a residence in the states & spend a month or more here but the bulk of their time is spent in the states.
La Paz does have all that you stated that you're looking for....& so much MORE! But not everywhere is right for everyone. I think you should sit
down separately & write a list of must haves, would be nices & absolute show-stoppers. Once you've each compiled your list, sit down &
compare notes & come up with a mutual list of your perfect world. Then come back & share your results with us. We can advise what fits &
what doesn't fit for the La Paz area.
I believe once you narrow your choices down to 2-3 places, then it's time to go spend some time in each of those places. Go with the mindset that
you're looking for a place to live, rather than a vacation spot....I think it's important that you don't look at things through "vacation eyes". Are
the amenities which are important to you there? Are they better in one place than the other?
Everyone ends up where they end up for a myriad of different reasons. There are almost as many different "flavors" to Baja as there are reasons
different people are attracted to different areas. The La Paz area felt like home on my first visit & it has been my full-time home since 1999.
Having lived my entire life in the Pacific Northwest, I was a little concerned about how long it'd take me to acclimate....that took me all of about
60 seconds!
As you do your research, if you have specific questions, don't hesitate to ask!
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DrG
Newbie
Posts: 5
Registered: 11-26-2010
Member Is Offline
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Thank you to all who responded. We are taking everyone's comments to heart and will investigate all 3 areas. We want to come to Rosarito and
Ensenada in Jan. or early Feb. and then come again for a longer trip in June, perhaps going down to La Paz. Not sure if real estate in Rosarito or
Ensenada is going up, down or staying the same. Can't imagine too much is going on right now with all the "bad press" at the border cities, but since
we have not been there, I can't really comment. We need to go look and see how "small" the areas are, as we want a good social life, along with
slowing down the pace and hopefully meeting people with our same interests. I am leaning towards Ensenda, seems larger and further south away from
the border. My wife wants to be closer to San Diego and likes the feel of Rosarito, although we have not been there in 25 years. She grew up in
Southern Cal. on the beach in Santa Monica. Wants that life style without the cost and hassle of L.A. We appreciate all the comments and please
keep them coming so we have as much information as we can gather and who knows perhaps meeting some friends on this forum
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MitchMan
Super Nomad
Posts: 1856
Registered: 3-9-2009
Member Is Offline
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I vote for La Paz. If you wait for deals on Volaris like I do, traveling to/from La Paz can be cheap enough. The good thing about La Paz is that it
has everything! Services, government offices, plenty of large supermarkets, furniture and appliance stores, materials supply stores and plenty of
hardware stores, great medical and dental care availability, big hospitals, plenty of lawyers and accountants and architects, great down town area,
the best and longest boardwalk in Baja or the mainland Mexico, numerous restaurants from fast food to haute cuisine, repair services, WalMart, Home
Depot and a movie theatre to rival the Spectrum in Irvine, CA.
The kicker is that there is plenty of reasonably priced real estate available. Especially if you are OK living in real Mexican neighborhoods. If you
want live only among gringos in a gringo enclave, you can find that too. Also, the airport is very, very adequate and very close to town. That's a
plus, believe me.
Having said that, my favorite town is Loreto. Tried to build there a couple of times, but couldn't find anybody to build me a small casita.
The contractors were only interested in over charging me to build a big house only. Tried twice to build there, but gave up, went to La Paz and
immediately found something grand for 1/3 the price of anything comparable in Loreto and benefited big time from the goods, services, and conveniences
available in La Paz. Though, I still fantasize about a place in Loreto.
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monoloco
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6667
Registered: 7-13-2009
Location: Pescadero BCS
Member Is Offline
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Personally, I'd stay away from Rosarito and Ensenada, there is just too much crime and violence and there is no indication of it getting anything but
worse. It's likely that any real estate you buy there will decrease in value as more people flee. So far we haven't seen an increase in violent crime
in Baja Sur, But that too could change if the Mexican government can't get a handle on the narco problem.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DrG
......I am leaning towards Ensenda, seems larger and further south away from the border. My wife wants to be closer to San Diego.............
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Listen to the voice in your head......you will be happier. Just remember, in your life with the wife, you can be right or you can be happy. 
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Alan
Super Nomad
Posts: 1628
Registered: 4-6-2005
Location: Yucaipa, CA/La Paz
Member Is Offline
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My personal choice was La Paz for all the afore mentioned reasons but based on your described desires with the exception of proximity to the border
you may want to investigate Todos Santos. With the now completed 4 lane hwy it is only 45 minutes to La Paz
In Memory of E-57
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MitchMan
Super Nomad
Posts: 1856
Registered: 3-9-2009
Member Is Offline
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Alan, how do you get to and from Todos Santos cheaply after you fly into the La Paz's airport from the US?
[Edited on 12-12-2010 by MitchMan]
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bajacalifornian
Super Nomad
Posts: 1117
Registered: 9-4-2010
Location: Loreto/Lopez Mateos/Rosarito
Member Is Offline
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Speaking out of turn here, but I would rent a car. Plan to visit Todos Santos for sure, then go on to Loreto. In Loreto, you're only two hours from
Mulege. Pop back to La Paz and return home with a southbound attitude.
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bajacalifornian
Super Nomad
Posts: 1117
Registered: 9-4-2010
Location: Loreto/Lopez Mateos/Rosarito
Member Is Offline
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woops, I was talkin' to DrG
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bajabass
Super Nomad
Posts: 2016
Registered: 10-4-2006
Location: La Paz,BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Want to fish!!!
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I just walked in the door from my umpteenth roundtrip from Orange to Ensenada. Having rented in La Mision, midway between T.J. and Ensenada, for 8
years or more, I decided on La Paz. Actually Dra. Bajabass and I made a mutual decision on La Paz. She has spent most of her life in Ensenada, and I
have been corrupting the area between the border and Ensenada for over 30 years, off and on. We both love Baja Sur, but we need goods schools, and a
growing need for doctors, and good fishing! Really, the climate is great for us, there are good schools and medical facilities, plenty of service and
retail businesses to get what you need, you can fly to T.J. every day, inexpensivley if you book ahead, many, many housing options, the list goes on!
Not to mention the FISHING, beaches, and endless exploring on and off the water. OK, time to load the truck AGAIN, and be back to La Mision by 7 for
birria at my friends ranch. Oh, I'm keeping my little place in La Mision. I need a place near the border, my wife's family are in Ensenada, and I can
escape the heat if need be!
Keep your eyes on the road, and your hands upon the wheel!
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absinvestor
Senior Nomad
Posts: 725
Registered: 11-28-2009
Member Is Offline
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mcfez hit the nail on the head. In 1995 we sold our home in Colorado and headed to Baja to spend the rest of our life!! We were married for over 30
years and had two grown self supporting kids. We figured that with a house on the beach the kids would visit often. The problem is time. We were
retired but both the kids work. They get two or 3 weeks vacation some of which is needed to do things other than travel to see mom and dad. During the
two years we remained in Baja we returned to Colorado a couple of times and the kids each came to visit twice. My wife is not a complainer but I could
tell that on every birthday or holiday that she really missed the kids. (At that point we didn't have grandkids.) After two years we decided to leave
Baja and return to Colorado. With the excitement of living on the beach and traveling all over Baja I would never have thought that homesickness would
have been an issue but it was!! We now have 6 grandkids so it would have only gotten worse. In 2011 we are going to return to Baja living but will
only plan on staying in Baja during the Colorado cold months (after Thanksgiving and Christmas) and we will keep our Colorado home. Good luck Ron and
Patty
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MitchMan
Super Nomad
Posts: 1856
Registered: 3-9-2009
Member Is Offline
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absinvestor, glad you disclosed an important dimension to the discussion on retiring in the Baja. Family that one leaves behind; important
consideration. One of the reasons that my wife and I haven't taken up full time residence in Baja is because my wife needs to keep an eye on her
aging dad who lives alone. We also have 4 grand kids and five children who live both in and out of California.
The way we cope is to have a regular casita in the Baja town of our choice near the corresponding airport (keeps the total travel cost down of getting
to and from casita and the airport). Also, we budget $6,000 / yr for travel to and from Baja and for Visa costs and cost of maintaining a vehicle in
Baja. We are able to visit the Baja 8 to ten times a year for 1 to three weeks at a time. Most of the time I go alone, though. Because the kids
live all over the place, they come to our USA house for Xmas, New Years, Thanksgiving and some birthdays. We fly to them once a year, ususally for a
grandchild's birthday. Also, we keep in absolute touch by skype Video Calls and videos emailed back and forth. This arrangement completely works with
no one feeling a lack of contact or closeness.
Imho, if we didn't have to keep track of my father-in-law, we could consider living in Baja permanently and sell the USA house because we could fly
out of Baja anytime we wanted on any holiday or special event easily on a budget of $6,000 usd per year. In fact, I am sure the travel budget could
be easily cut in half and have a net overall savings as living in Baja is quite a bit cheaper than in the USA.
The real point is that if you were to live full time in Baja, your kids that do not live within five hundred miles of you in the USA, you wouldn't be
seeing them anymore or any less than you do now. Three of my kids live within 80 miles of me now and I don't see them much more than birthdays and
holidays now as they are all very busy with thier own kids, careers and school. Quite frankly, that's quite enough for me.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Ensenada
Is 90 minutes away from the San Diego airport (we have SENTRI :lol .......and
Southwest Airlines flies anywhere I need to go...........
Daughter, son-in-law and grandkids in Cincinnati, OH and the other daughter is in Nashville, TN
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Alan
Super Nomad
Posts: 1628
Registered: 4-6-2005
Location: Yucaipa, CA/La Paz
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MitchMan
Alan, how do you get to and from Todos Santos cheaply after you fly into the La Paz's airport from the US?
[Edited on 12-12-2010 by MitchMan] |
Actually they would have a choice to fly into LAP or SJD and then bus
connections could be made to TS. Because he said semi-retired I assumed they wouldn't be flying in very often.
In Memory of E-57
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krafty
Super Nomad
Posts: 1052
Registered: 8-23-2010
Member Is Offline
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monoloco it is folks like you that keep the fear alive-Rosarito is a beautiful little town-quit knocking it!
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
Member Is Offline
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I would ask any of the Todos Santos fans to clarify something. Personally, I missed an opportunity to buy there in 1989. Today, it seems to me that
real estate prices are in the stratosphere. I recall someone referring to it as Sedona South. From what I can see, La Paz does not suffer from
overheated real estate prices. Hey, if for some reason, I could buy a similar property in Todos for what I could pay in La Paz, I'd choose Todos,
especially as someone noted, the four lane now makes it easy to go to La Paz for shopping and dining. That said, La Paz appears to have greater value
for the buyer.
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monoloco
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6667
Registered: 7-13-2009
Location: Pescadero BCS
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by krafty
monoloco it is folks like you that keep the fear alive-Rosarito is a beautiful little town-quit knocking it! |
Sorry, I guess I was wrong, there is no crime problem in Northern Baja.
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