QUESTIONS ABOUT CHAPALA?
Courtesy of Elliott’s Ajijic Update
All I hear about is the violence in Mexico, how can it be safe? DRIVE into any inner city crime area in the US and the area you will be in has much higher crime rates than Mexico. The difference is that in the US the crime reports are always tucked away, while the crime in Mexico is featured on the front pages of US newspapers and top stories on CNN. SWITCH it around and you would be afraid to live in the US or Canada.
What about electricity, water, gas, is there TV and internet?
Yes to all the above. Here are some sample costs per month in US dollars:
ELECTRIC: Varies widely. Some people pay less than $20 a month. The highest we’ve heard of is $150 – $200 month depending how much you run your new clothes washer/dryer and how big your flat screen TVs and swimming pool are.
WATER: $10. The majority of houses have water purifiers making the tap water safe to drink. The restaurants do, too.
GAS: $20 Call them up, once every two months or ninety days. The truck comes by within two hours to top up your tank. Your hot water heater runs from gas for your two showers and soaking tub too.
TV: $40-75 You can choose from Satellite services or cable with wide range of programming including US networks. And HGTV. And NFL.
Is there Telephone and Internet?
TELMEX $65 includes landline with DSL. We found our local DSL to be faster than what we had while visiting DC suburbs.
TELCEL Pick from all the popular phone brands and types, including smart and I-phones. Sign up for a monthly package or pay-as-you-go. Refill minutes everywhere for just pennies per minute.
There must be a catch, how much does it cost for heat and air conditioning?
LAKESIDE has one of the world’s best climates. You run fans for a few weeks in the summer and put on extra blanket in the winter. Hardly anyone has an HVAC system. That saves about $200 per month over what it costs in the US or Canada.
If it’s really that inexpensive the Mexican Real Estate Taxes must be very high?
TAXES per month? It’s rare for any homeowners to pay more than 200 dollars per year. YES, that’s it, and your tax includes DAILY curb side trash pickup, street maintenance and cleaning.
Okay, if I buy a house can the government take it away at any time? Do I really own it with a Deed and Title? Or is it just for 99 years, or is it just the house and not the land, or vice versa?
You are fully deeded in YOUR NAME and you own property in Mexico the same way you own it in the US or Canada. The house will go to whoever you choose to leave it to, after you live to be 99 and then some thanks to Stress-free living. It costs much less in Mexico and the lifestyle is enchanting.
Did I mention that we consider four cars at a stoplight to be a traffic jam?
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