Zihuatanejo-Ixtapa Message Board - Arrival in Zihua

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Just arrived Thursday afternoon. We were an hour late as we waited on passengers connecting in Calgary but were the only plane when going through customs. Many were getting their suitcases checked by customs. I travel heavy and carry a lot of stuff so I always expect to be checked and actually I am lucky with that as most of the time they don't. But they did yesterday and the guy was friendly and polite. Just doing his job. I had a laptop, a Kindle and a tablet and lots of stuff over a large suitcase and a big bag plus a large carry-on and was out within 10 minutes from the time I lined up at the scanner. He asked a few questions as to how long I was staying and I told him some of the stuff is for donations. I had nothing I was not supposed to have and he realized quickly I know the rules. Once I cleared customs I went outside to get my collectivo. I know it always takes a bit of time to get one so I grabbed a beer at the new outdoor bar and enjoyed. I had a chat with a couple Canadians that were waiting to greet a couple friends off the same flight as me. They waited an hour after I came out! So I guess I did good. Then it was off to my hotel, Quinta Camalinas. Nice and quiet small place near the Bomberos station. Great start to my vacation...

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Just arrived Thursday afternoon. We were an hour late as we waited on passengers connecting in Calgary but were the only plane when going through customs. Many were getting their suitcases checked by customs. I travel heavy and carry a lot of stuff so I always expect to be checked and actually I am lucky with that as most of the time they don't. But they did yesterday and the guy was friendly and polite. Just doing his job. I had a laptop, a Kindle and a tablet and lots of stuff over a large suitcase and a big bag plus a large carry-on and was out within 10 minutes from the time I lined up at the scanner. He asked a few questions as to how long I was staying and I told him some of the stuff is for donations. I had nothing I was not supposed to have and he realized quickly I know the rules. Once I cleared customs I went outside to get my collectivo. I know it always takes a bit of time to get one so I grabbed a beer at the new outdoor bar and enjoyed. I had a chat with a couple Canadians that were waiting to greet a couple friends off the same flight as me. They waited an hour after I came out! So I guess I did good. Then it was off to my hotel, Quinta Camalinas. Nice and quiet small place near the Bomberos station. Great start to my vacation...

Good to hear you made it back and arrived easy. Like the old one-eyed whore said to the randy old sailor, I'll keep an eye out for ya. B-)

Thank you VERY much for your reports!

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Thank you Rob and you are welcome! See you soon!

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Having spent decades In Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada and three years in Zihuatanejo I do not understand why this man still lives in Winnipeg and not Zihuatanejo. Maybe it is the ice fishing. :-P :vacation: :stirpot: :vivamexico: :smoking:

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Born and raised in The Peg, freezing winters....hot and humid summers, left in 1983.

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lol...still have to build that pension...one day I will spend my winters here....

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lol...still have to build that pension...one day I will spend my winters here....

@cd69
:megusta: Excellent strategy.
A bit too late for me when I realized that I made the bad mistake of NOT building the Social Security pension so it's at least a ½ way live-able amount.

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Both of us waited until 70 to claim SS. The 8% increase per year of waiting (32% for me, 28% for her) was well worth it. Put together with not withdrawing from our IRAs until we had to worked extremely well for us. Waiting until 70 to retire wasn't that big a deal compared with what we would have received if we had we retired "on time."

--
-Tim McNair-
timmac@mac.com

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Both of us waited until 70 to claim SS. The 8% increase per year of waiting (32% for me, 28% for her) was well worth it. Put together with not withdrawing from our IRAs until we had to worked extremely well for us. Waiting until 70 to retire wasn't that big a deal compared with what we would have received if we had we retired "on time."

At least all of you lived to retire. I couldn't wait for all that nonsense. Life's too short. I've spent a lifetime living and having the time of my life where snowbirds vacation and retire. I win!! ;-)

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I did the opposite and took my Canada Pension and Old Age Security at 60, mainly because I had to given the situation at the time. With the way it is structured in Canada, you break even with waiting until 65 at age 78!

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So true and many do not get that calculation and work for basically nothing...In my case I have to work until December 2026 for minimal pension and December 2029 for maximized one. The difference is at least $1K/month so trying to work all the way unless they want to buy me out ;-)

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I did the opposite and took my Canada Pension and Old Age Security at 60, mainly because I had to given the situation at the time. With the way it is structured in Canada, you break even with waiting until 65 at age 78! "

2-20-2023
@Quadra Paul

Awhile back when trying to figure out whether or not to wait 4 more years to start with Social Security.....

After "crunching the numbers", my "break even" point would be at age 77, similar to your result.

I figured that at the least, (short of having a fatal accident) I would live until the same age as my parents, around 70, which I'll reach this year 2023.

IF I didn't particularly need the funds, I would have waited until age 66, to get the higher monthly check, as the other user commented that he had success in doing.

Bottom line is that it's somewhat of a "crapshoot ".

--
jaui

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I did the opposite and took my Canada Pension and Old Age Security at 60, mainly because I had to given the situation at the time. With the way it is structured in Canada, you break even with waiting until 65 at age 78! "

2-20-2023
@Quadra Paul

Awhile back when trying to figure out whether or not to wait 4 more years to start with Social Security.....

After "crunching the numbers", my "break even" point would be at age 77, similar to your result.

I figured that at the least, (short of having a fatal accident) I would live until the same age as my parents, around 70, which I'll reach this year 2023.

IF I didn't particularly need the funds, I would have waited until age 66, to get the higher monthly check, as the other user commented that he had success in doing.

Bottom line is that it's somewhat of a "crapshoot ".

Hola
I retired from my job as a Canadian public servant when I turned 60. That was 2009. (Ok do the math I'm 74 in April) HR said that it would take until I was 84 til I would see any affect of taking my CPP (Canadan Pension Plan) early. I still had to wait til I was 65 to collect my OAS (Old Age Security).
No regrets.

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The day I retired I had a colonoscopy.
I went back to work...

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When I was 68, one of my coworkers had had four heart attacks, including flat-lining during open heart surgery, then received a heart transplant. She was trying to return to work to build her savings and pension. I rhetorically asked another coworker, “How much money does she want to have when she drops dead at work?”

A few days later, I realized I should have been asking myself the same question. I started preparing for my retirement at age 69. (My plan for 35 years had been to retire at 62, but I was enjoying my work too much to want to leave.)

I love planning and implementing plans. But I always remember the saying, “If you want to make the gods laugh, say you have a plan.”

I have a list of over 20 previous colleagues who had retirement plans who never made it to their retirement date.

We had a retirement dinner for one of my coworkers. After the laudatory speeches he gave his “response” speech.

“What a great night. Good food, and lots of it. Good drink, and lots of it. Good friends, and lots of them.

“This is like an Irish wake! All we’re missing is one dead Irishman.”

He had one dance with his wife of 50 years… had a massive heart attack… and provided the dead Irishman right then and there.

It is very nice when deferring gratification works out… when it works out.

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Therein lies the dilemma regarding retirement. If you only knew when you were going to kick the bucket, it would be so much easier to plan.

Of course, this begs the question, "Would you really want to know when you are going to die?"

In the meantime, eat, drink, be merry, and visit Zihua every chance you get because someday we are going to die!

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Treat each day like it was your last! Live Life LARGE!

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That is my mindset as I have learned the hard way life can be too short!

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We bought land in Troncones in 1996 as part of a long term plan to live for six months of the year in Troncones.

That was Plan A.

But I knew it was important to have a Plan B.

Plan B was six months of the year in Troncones with margaritas.

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:megusta:

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29 years of bank trust fees?

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Twenty-seven years of enjoying as much time as I could muster in Troncones. Currently that is six months of the year.

My predial and fidecomiso fees over those years have come nowhere near my property taxes alone in Canada.

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My predial and fidecomiso fees over those years have come nowhere near my property taxes alone in Canada.

If it isn't too much of an imposition, how would you compare the total costs of your Mexican property with the alternative of renting for six months of the year? When people ask me why I don't buy a property in Zihua, I reply that renting is just so cheap and easy. Of course, I am only staying a week or so at a time about 4 or 5 times per year.

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My ownership costs are horrendous. The high costs are not predial and fideicomiso. Those are minor.

But my rental costs would also be horrendous for what I own.

I could not possibly afford to rent for six months, a two bedroom, two bathroom, beachfront house with a private pool, over 1500 sq feet of deck space, a garage, and a 400 sq ft apartment on one-third of an acre.

High costs are associated with the destruction that beachfront property experiences. I bought a microwave oven. The salt air destroyed the circuit boards within a year. My neighbour has gone through five microwave ovens in 10 years. (I gave up after one microwave.) I pay a maid year round, because the salt has to be wiped off of things every couple of days whether there is anyone at the house or not. A yard worker has to work year round to water plants to keep them alive during the dry season and to keep the jungle from reclaiming the land during the rainy season. The pool requires constant attention and maintenance.

People who come from climates that have winters think we know about the effects of weather. I know I did, having lived in Saskatchewan, Alberta, Winnipeg, Toronto, etc., but minus 30° C and snow is nothing like the ravages of plus 30° C and constant salt air.

People who think that beachfront rentals are expensive have no idea of the costs of ownership of such properties.

If I were renting for six months, I would be renting an apartment some blocks from a beach. I would be dealing with people on the other sides of walls who might be wonderful… and might be horrible.

So renting an apartment several blocks from salt water makes far more economic sense from year to yer than owning beachfront property. But it is also a completely different experience.

(I have not included discussion of appreciation of property values because I hope to still own the property when I plan to die 30 years from now. )

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My ownership costs are horrendous. ...

Many thanks for the analysis. It is greatly appreciated. It confirms what I have always believed. Having a place right on the ocean ain't fer sissies!

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My predial and fidecomiso fees over those years have come nowhere near my property taxes alone in Canada.

If it isn't too much of an imposition, how would you compare the total costs of your Mexican property with the alternative of renting for six months of the year? When people ask me why I don't buy a property in Zihua, I reply that renting is just so cheap and easy. Of course, I am only staying a week or so at a time about 4 or 5 times per year.

I’ll take a stab at that.
NOTHING beats ownership… IF IF IF you can afford it.
And if you’re dumb lucky… as I was…then my property (condo) almost doubled in value in 5 years.
It’s not why I bought it.
I didn’t even see it as an ‘investment’… well maybe an investment in my health and we’ll being…

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NOTHING beats ownership… IF IF IF you can afford it.
And if you’re dumb lucky… as I was…then my property (condo) almost doubled in value in 5 years.

I’m not convinced it is “dumb luck”.

Recently I was talking with someone who is considering buying a US$500,000 property in Troncones. They are doubting themselves.

They said they have owned several dozen properties over the past few decades.

I asked how many of those times they lost money. The answer was zero.

Yes, putting money into real estate for two or three years is speculation. It is illiquid and property values can drop. I think that putting money into real estate for 10 years or more is an investment strategy that has been largely favourable.

It’s not why I bought it.
I didn’t even see it as an ‘investment’… well maybe an investment in my health and we’ll being…

My view WAS that there were three aspects.

1. Enjoyment of property.
2. Revenue.
3. Capital appreciation.

#1 was the most important and it has more than fulfilled that goal.

#2 has been a disappointment. Costs have been much higher than I expected and revenue less.

#3 has been embarrassingly fulfilled.

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good for you, hoping that you don t have your trust with the grossly incompetent Scotiabank.

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good for you, hoping that you don t have your trust with the grossly incompetent Scotiabank.

Nope.
I’m with that ‘upstart’ Intercam

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In my mind it doesn’t matter it it “works out,” I don’t care if I break even. I care that I have enough SS, pension and IRA income to do what I want when I want without worrying about running out of money. By delaying our retirement until 70, we have achieved this goal.

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Exactly the same for us, one more year to go to collect Social Security.

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Just in case you were born on the first of the month, you are considered to have turned 70 the day before. I got an extra month of benefits since I was born February 1. Not a huge deal, but a nice surprise.

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In my mind it doesn’t matter it it “works out,” I don’t care if I break even. I care that I have enough SS, pension and IRA income to do what I want when I want without worrying about running out of money. By delaying our retirement until 70, we have achieved this goal.

When I referred to “working out”, I didn’t mean financially, I meant regarding longevity. Delaying gratification to have more money in retirement doesn’t mean much if one is dead before retirement.

One of my deceased coworkers commented metaphorically, a few weeks before his death, “I’ve spent my whole life dodging cars to get across the street. Just as I was going to put my foot on the curb, I’m getting hit by a bus.”

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I retired at age 55 with 25 years, took social security as soon as I was able. I have never regretted it one instant. Spent my first day of retirement sipping a pina colada at the Arcadia.

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I deferred until 69, only because I enjoyed my work so much.

In my career, I worked with a number of people to assist them to leave their jobs early when their employment relationship become too uncomfortable.

Most of those people contacted me within a year of their early retirement. Every one of them reported the same thing in their own words.

“I have one regret about taking early retirement. I regret that I didn’t do it earlier.”

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In my mind it doesn’t matter it it “works out,” I don’t care if I break even. I care that I have enough SS, pension and IRA income to do what I want when I want without worrying about running out of money. By delaying our retirement until 70, we have achieved this goal.

When I referred to “working out”, I didn’t mean financially, I meant regarding longevity. Delaying gratification to have more money in retirement doesn’t mean much if one is dead before retirement.

But being alive and not being able to do everything you want to do no matter the expense is not the retirement I wanted.

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But being alive and not being able to do everything you want to do no matter the expense is not the retirement I wanted.

As Mae West said, “I've been rich and I've been poor, and rich is better.”

On the other hand, some of the happiest people I have known have been Mexicans whose incomes have been very low.

“If thou wilt make a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away from his desires.” Epicurus

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“If thou wilt make a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away from his desires.” Epicurus

These are wise words. Often, we in the West equate the Eastern concept of Nirvana with the Western concept of Heaven. However, the two are diametrically opposed to one another. Heaven is the fulfillment of all desires. Everyone gets a halo and a harp and there is volleyball and badminton and every night there is choir practice and a big birthday party. In this manner, we learn that death is no longer something to be feared.

On the other hand, Nirvana is the destruction of all desires. You systematically work to remove all desires until finally you are even no longer attached to the desire of life. In this other manner, we learn that death is no longer something to be feared.

Deep philosophical discussions on an ex-pat Internet forum about Zihuatanejo. What could be better! (Certainly better than banging away at work on your laptop.)

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:megusta:

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