By: Jim Scherrer

Ajijic – Chapala,  and Trip to Puerto Vallarta with Side Trips-

Wright Team News Letter- July 2010

The International Community Foundation is pleased to announce its “Retiring Responsibly in Mexico” research series with our first report “U.S. Retirements Trends in Mexico’s Coastal Communities:  Lifestyle Trends and Demographics.”  You can access the report here:  http://www.icfdn.org/publications/retireeresearch/. 
Forthcoming research studies will address trends in health care, volunteerism, philanthropy and civic engagement, real estate as well as the environment.  For more information on the International Community Foundation, visit our website at http://www.icfdn.org.

The purchase of a home is likely the single largest financial commitment you will make in your lifetime.  When coupled with the fact that you are considering investing in a second home in a foreign country, it is imperative that you have a knowledgeable, experienced professional Realtor representing your interests.  The company you select to represent you in your  purchase procedure should be a member of AMPI.  

By: Jim Scherrer

By: Jim Scherrer

HOW DO WE SPEND OUR TIME IN PÁTZCUARO?

A New Boomer Member recently sent me a message saying that she and her husband were looking for a retirement place in Latin America and asked if I could share our daily experience living in Pátzcuaro, Michoacán, Mexico.  She asked, “Is the assimilation difficult? How important is the language? How are the locals treating you? What is the price of the real estate? How much on average does it take to live there a month? Sorry for this many questions, we cannot find any sources yet to have a good objective overview of living in Mexico.” I answered her with an email, but it seems to me that many people, who have not yet made the move to overseas living, probably have the same or similar questions.  So, I would like to share the comments I sent in my email to the New Member.

By: Jim Scherrer,

By: Jim Scherrer

By: Jim Scherrer
Fifty years ago, before John Huston brought Richard Burton, Ava Gardner, and Deborah Kerr to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico to film “The Night of The Iguana”, Vallarta was merely a sleepy little Mexican fishing village nestled in the foothills of the Sierra Madres along the shores of Banderas Bay on the Pacific Ocean. Although the population at that time was only a few thousand friendly natives, the magnificent climate and incredible scenery was so inviting that Richard Burton and Liz Taylor fell in love with the village (and each other!) and bought a couple of “getaway” homes on the hillside overlooking the city. 

By: Jim Scherrer

First, let's define Pre-Boomer; obviously it's before Boomer! The Baby Boomer Generation is defined as those born after World War II; generally between the years of 1944 and 1964. Consequently, the oldest of the nearly 80 million US born Baby Boomers are just now turning 65 years old.

The Pre-Boomer Generation is typically defined as those born during the 20 year period prior to the end of WW II or roughly from 1924 to 1944. There were approximately 50 million people born in the US during this time frame. These Pre-Boomers are considered to be of the Silent Generation (a bit of a misnomer!); sometimes referred to as the Luckiest Generation. Lucky because they were born immediately after the Great Depression, were too young to serve in World War II and probably the Korean War, and too old to serve in the Viet Nam War. Since 95% of these Pre-Boomers have already retired, they are also lucky to be reaping the benefits of Social Security and Medicare; benefits that may not be available to many of the younger generations. Unlike the Baby Boomers that have recently lost 25-50% of their life savings prior to retirement due to the current recession and mortgage crisis, the Pre-Boomers are lucky because in all probability, they were able to purchase their retirement residence and have conservatively invested the balance, thus preventing a serious depletion of their retirement savings (and they have fewer years to make their remaining savings last!).

By: Jim Scherrer

By: Jim Scherrer

By: Jim Scherrer
Do you remember your first few vacations to the beach as a child with your parents when you had your little shovel and bucket and could let your imagination run wild as you built sand castles with moats around them?

Obviously, we were not the first to mold sand. Sand sculpting as an art form has been around for thousands of years; it is conjectured that the ancient Egyptians made sand models of the pyramids.