International Real Estate Investment

Dec 11
06:43

2012

Sarah Higgins

Sarah Higgins

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Will I ever go back! Nope. The miracles have been plentiful. The quality of life outstanding. Perfect no, we have had many growing pains. Expected when a family takes on a completely new way of life.

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Will I ever go back! Nope. The miracles have been plentiful. The quality of life outstanding. Perfect no,International Real Estate Investment  Articles we have had many growing pains. Expected when a family takes on a completely new way of life. After three and a half years everyone in the family is hitting their stride. Writing, singing, selling real estate, designing jewelry, making plans to develop a horse ranch, publishing a book and baking, cooking, laughing and learning a new culture and a new language. 

 

I am the head hancho so tracking the rhythm of international living in our house is my job. I budget, explore investing offshore, design (loosely) home-schooling, renovate our home, and plan our futures daily. We are a certain kind of bootcamp in Mexico. My children are bi-lingual, compassionate and loving the adventure. The warm weather and beautiful blue skies make everyday a vacation. The pace is definitely slower and we appreciate and focus on the simpler side of life. Visits to the mall are few and far between. The Apple store is 4 hours away so it is no longer a focus. The TV was cancelled after the first year and we spend our days out and about instead of in front of the TV. I am the only one who is aware of the global economy because I read newsletters online. The rest of them have not a real clue about all the fiscal drama. No evenings spent watching the news. No local newspapers to poison our days and mindsets. 

 

Not hearing all the propaganda and negativity is a miracle that in retrospect, makes me wildly grateful. No TV commercials feeding people medications to fix this and that.....we are all healthy and in charge of our well-being. If the kids get a stomach ache, they take Yucca drops and Oregano oil and in hours are back in the game. Natural healing and traditional medical are both plentiful here as well. My mother is over 70 and she finds it a relief to know she can have help if needed. Quality doctors and hospitals are within an hour by car. 

 

International living can be scary and losing things we hold important can be daunting but Mexico has come a long way in the last 29 years. My first visit to Mexico was Cuernavaca in 1983 and purified water was an issue. I remember boiling everything. On later visits I always encountered food poisoning in different cities around Mexico. Now, it is few a far between. It's not the USA but it works. Infrastructure here too is greatly improved and the main highways are actually amazing. It is a lifestyle here to travel the country and visit the different pueblas. The scenery is spectacular. To the beach in seven hours in either direction. Life is easy. The cost to live is much reduced and fresh veggies and fruit are on every corner. Property taxes are so low, it is a non-issue to pay them every January in full. 

 

I have researched the real estate markets around the world, and it is my opinion that most countries are much more expensive to buy with closing costs and taxes MUCH higher, the ability to buy is also clunky in many countries having to hold properties in trusts for a great length of time before it is yours, and simply the proximity to family and friends and ability to hop on a plane and be there in hours. If you a millionaire and understanding contrarian investing in places like Burma, Vietnam, the Philipines, Europe....Mexico will look easy and less thrilling. If you are an average Joe like me, Mexico could be a fetching location to improve and enjoy life. International living has become more and more popular and common and the trail has been blazed in Mexico. If a family of seven can do it, I would think anyone can!