There are tens of millions of people at, or approaching, retirement age. With the economic conditions in the United States, combined with the high cost of living in both Canada and the US, more and more people are looking at other countries in which to spend their golden years and make their hard earned dollars stretch further. A very popular choice is Mexico. The weather, the mountains and beaches, the lower cost of living, and the proximity to the US make it a natural for this country to be seriously considered. So, what makes this book different? Unlike everything we have read, or seen, on Mexico previously, it takes a good hard look at what life in this country is really like and what we have personally experienced in our seven years since retiring. While other authors talk about Mexico being nothing short of The Garden of Eden, I have not sugar coated anything. Mexico is anything but the Garden of Eden or paradise. It can be a fantastic place in which to live or retire, but it can also be your worst nightmare if you are not made aware of the problems that exist here as well. Too many people have moved down, basing their decision on what they have read in books, not having friends or relatives here that can hopefully give them actual facts, and had their retirement dreams completely shattered. I want to try and prevent this from happening to you. This book is divided into six sections. The first talks about how I first found out about the Lake Chapala area, a day by day account of Sarah and I first visiting here, buying a house, and everything we did and went through until we closed on our new home. It is important as many people, like us, come down and think it is such a wonderful place and full of wonderful people and find out afterwards that may not be the case. Section 2 covers the time period between closing on our home and actually moving here. It goes over getting our visas and what was required, the drive from the border to San Juan Cosala, remodeling our home, and our first introduction to the lack of consumer protection in this country. Section 3 goes over our lives in Mexico as we first found it. Living here was certainly different than in the United States and was really good. It was not until later that we started discovering another side of Mexican life. Section 4 is entitled The Good. There are a lot of terrific things about living in Mexico. It is what we ourselves have found to be the attributes of this country and why so many have, and are continuing to, retire here. Section 5, I have called The Bad. No matter where one lives, there is always the good about an area and there are always some things to complain about. If you have never lived in a foreign country, this is an important section as it discusses a lot of different aspects of life, costs that people are often not aware of until after they have moved, and a lot of pertinent facts that could impact your decision to move to Mexico, or your lives after you get here. One thing you will find of importance is a very realistic look at the monthly expenditures and not the ones that leave so many items out to deceive you. Section 6, The Ugly, is one you should pay particular attention to. It is probably the main reason for writing this book as you need to be aware of what not only happened to my wife and I but to so many of the other Americans and Canadians that live here. This is a country of crime and corruption and foreigners are the targets of choice. This section covers most of the things you should definitely know about because, without it, you can easily lose a few pesos to your entire life savings. Its intent is to safeguard your money so you can truly enjoy your retirement years.
About the Author: Stephan Anderson is a former realtor and contractor from the United States. He and his wife decided to retire to Mexico because of the weather and the lower cost of living in 2003. At first, Mr. Anderson wrote stories of their adventures in a new country, concentrating mostly on travel. These stories were published in international magazines on retirement, English speaking publications in Mexico, and on the internet. Retiring in Mexico: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly is based on actual incidents that happened to the Andersons and so many others that retired to Mexico. At times, it will sound like complete fiction but every story and anecdote is entirely true. The longer the Andersons lived in Mexico, they kept discovering more bad and ugly aspects of life in this foreign country, things that others refuse to talk about or reveal. Their retirement dreams were completely shattered, as were those of many others, and it became time for someone to tell the truth about what life in Mexico is really like. The intent of the book is not to have people decide against retiring to Mexico. It is designed to make potential retirees aware of the cultural differences, the lack of consumer protection, the corruption, how gringos are the prey of choice of the Mexican people, how the courts do nothing about crimes perpetrated on foreigners, and expose the true cost of living here. Mr. Anderson not only writes about these things but offers invaluable advice on how people can protect themselves from becoming victims. Mr. Anderson wrote this book at tremendous risk to himself. If it stops even one person from having their retirement dream turning into a nightmare, then he feels it was worth it. Stephan Anderson's writing style is like he was telling a story to a friend or relative. It is easy reading and, while the subject matter is often serious, it is also laced with humor. If you are considering retiring to a foreign country, especially Mexico or any other Latin American country, Mr. Anderson feels this book is a "must read".