CHILLIN

Sent PMs to Sue and Wili.

Apologies Mod5. If anyone wants this listing, PM me. Most rentals in Jocotepec, especially for English only speakers, are by word of mouth.

Most Mexicans, and many Nortenos, do not like condos, homeowner associations. Gated communities and fraccs. seem to do a little better - I don't know why. I thought that maybe the condo fees were high, but the owner/developer says no - they are included. Here is the original listing, but you will have to contact him for more details and better pictures. Very nice units. My friend in Jocotepec uses a golf cart to get around, many other gringos do the same. Even Roca Azul is golf cart accessible by way of a back road. She says there are about 100 gringos living in Jocotepec as this time - but they seem to be increasing. Here is the original listing ( I am not trying to sell anything, just wanted the original poster and Joyfull to know what is out there): From Mod5 I am sorry I had to delete this link. Your intentions were good, but by doing so you violated the rules about posting links to rental property You could sent the link via message if like

Well - landlords always ask high, and in U.S.$ - then negotiations start from there. Of course landlords can rent in U.S$ and under the table - but if that tenant decides to leave, there is nothing they can do about it. Best for renters to consider this type of rental as temporary, until they can find something more suitable, or go back to wherever they came from, or to another part of Mexico, or the world.

That contract can be ripped up at any time - it is a useless piece of paper. If it goes to court in Chapala, the first thing the judge will ask for copies of the electronic facturas for the entire rental period. All furnished rentals must pay 16% I.V.A. - that is the law. The electronic factura is proof that the tax was actually entered into the government coffers. Now, in places like Puerto Vallarta, they are actively enforcing the 3% tourism tax as well. If a tenant asks for the electronic factura, and the landlord does not/cannot supply it, the tenant can with hold rent until all facturas are produced. If a rental is over five years, it must be registered in Guadalajara. So if you want to live under the illusion that you are protected in some way by a lease, pay U.S.$ and no tax. If you want a lease to protect you (both landlord and tenant) make sure you get you facts straight and get an attorney to draw up the lease - in Spanish, with English translation. The reason the currency variation law turned up in the Mexican Constitution was to protect Mexico from signing deals in a foreign currency, which could then be manipulated to the detriment of Mexico.

In helping a friend find a rental we discovered there are many, many rentals right now. I don't know much about Ajijic other than my friend and us would never want to live there. Renting from a Mexican landlord will save you at least 40%. Pay in pesos, not U.S. dollars - any contract in U.S. Dollars, which fluctuates every month, will be illegal. As per the Mexican Constitution (believe it or not). It is also a form of money laundering, illegal in Mexico, the U.S. and now Canada. As you get towards Jocotepec and west Chapala, prices drop another 20 to 30 %. It depends on your lifestyle. Do you like rural, with possibility of a big garden, some goats and burros, or do you prefer lock it up, walk away condominium style.? We saw a really nice condo, a quarter mile from the Jocotepec malecon (which is the prettiest and cleanest around), a group of five or six condos, with swimming pool and common garden, 3 bd., 2 baths, good security, private garage, beautifully furnished, constructed 2012 - asking rent was $400 U.S. per month, and it has been on the market for 3 months. The Mexican owner has other properties as well.

Static IP connections are only allowed for "business" connections with Telmex. So just the buyin alone is about 1,000 pesos per month. Then on from there. On top of that, Telmex "master technicians" doubt that a static connection will up your speed or reliability. This fibre optic in Chapala Haciendas is always steady and ready.

Just so you know Sonia - I refuse to read Mexico News Daily. They cherry pick the most caustic, controversial headlines they can find from the Mexican press, who are no angels either. As you know journalism is very political in this country, and bad news sells better than good news. Then the online comments people "contribute" to these stories are nothing more than vile hatred and racism. Mexico News Daily provides nothing more than an English language conduit for anti-Mexico haters out there. If the Lake is in such bad shape, how come the introduced Bass are doing so well? They are sensitive to pollution, their gills become inflamed, and they cannot absorb oxygen. Also this water ends up in Guadalajara tap water, many of the poor have to drink it. I'm sticking with the recognised experts on this one, the ones with Phd's - the Lake suffers from fertilizer runoff (lirio) and sewage is not an issue because of the small population here and up the river. Where I'm from, British Columbia, raw sewage is pumped into the (Fraser) river by small towns and cities, for its hundreds of miles journey. It ends up in the Pacific ocean. Same as Vancouver, who only treats sewage enough to reduce solids. Another "pristine" city, Victoria, openly pumps its sewage into the ocean. Industrial pollution must be way up the Lerma, because according to my maps, I see mostly farms and agriculture. An uptake in kidney disease, obesity, and diabetes is a result of a population who can now afford to drink 2 liters of coca cola for breakfast/early work, and 1.5 liters of beer at comida.

At Quality Care (http://www.qcdoctors.org/) they can arrange for MRI or CT scans at Chopo clinic in Guadalajara. They are well thought of, but probably pricey, with the latest equipment. If you are a big, big person, you may have to be limited to one of their facilities. For me, they have to arrange for a fork lift. The main point is that Chopo will send out a car and driver to Plaza Interlago and drive you into Guadalajara and back for no charge (but a tip for the driver). The only problem is, they do not like to pickup just one person. So the co-ordinator there, Letty, has to try to figure it all out. There is a Chopo blood clinic near Maskaras Hospital. I think that is where you have to have your scans picked up (or arrange for courier/delivery). Quality Care also has private drivers who will take you to Guadalajara, wait for the test, and drive you back - but they charge 800 pesos - which is at the upper end for this service. Hope this helps. Oh, by the way, Quality Care has opened a brand new diagnostic clinic in Plaza Interlago, right next door to Tio Sam's appliance store. I am unfamiliar with what they are offering, the only one I remember is "Sonograms" - but I don't even know what that is. No CT or MRI was offered.

My overseers, when working on historic, irreplaceable, buildings, or grave memorials, do not like me using chemicals. I do know that using steam over other methods I have to come back every three years, rather than every year. That is impressive, and always got me lots of work. The steam also destroys bedbugs and their eggs - never had to deal with that one though. The steam is also good in really cleaning kitchens and bathrooms, not just grease, but all those little channels on handles and taps which pickup muck over the years, and seem impossible to clean. The steam not only cleans them - it sterilizes them. With a custom made attachment (which I have never made), you can clean your sink and bathroom drains, blasting steam through them, killing any smell which may have developed. These small steamers originated in Italy, when a restaurant owner found that the steam from his expresso machine easily removed lipstick stains from glasses. Hey, I am starting to sound like a vacuum cleaner salesman! edit: here is a mercadolibre link. I had no idea how popular these units have become. They should be used in hospitals, clinics, dentists and carehomes, as the primary cleaning method. This is the case in Japan, where "vapor cleaning" has become very successful. Less disease spreading, less employee sick time, saves money on toxic chemicals. http://listado.mercadolibre.com.mx/limpiador-a-vapor#D[A:limpiador-a-vapor]

As a former Restoration Mason and resident of Puerto Vallarta, I have dealt with mould, moss and mildew many times. I would suggest an energy efficient dehumidifier. I checked briefly, they have really dropped in price. https://www.amazon.com/Ivation-Thermo-Electric-Intelligent-Dehumidifier-Humidistat/dp/B00KO0S0U8 To kill any mold or mildew, the best thing is dry steam, it cooks them right down into the roots. Bleach does not. This is not an elaborate setup. For your purposes, you just need a dry steam machine like you see advertised on late night T.V. I know they sell them on Mercadolibre.com.mx, just find the Spanish word. You will be amazed all the other things you can do with this machine and no chemicals or detergents. Of course, you can try to identify the source, but there is nobody here with that type of equipment. It is most likely, like in 99% of the homes constructed here, the use of river sand or yellow sand in the concrete, mortar, and weak bricks makes the walls like a sponge. The water can travel through any time it likes. Do check out the obvious though, such as a tree which has grown too large, and is shading the house. The only danger, other than black mould/aspergillis, is a underground water or drain pipe has broken. This could cause subsidence, which is when a void is created and walls/foundations will begin to crack. I guess you could get a plumber in the pressurize the water system, and see if the pressure drops over a period of time. Then the problem of finding the leak, digging up a replacing the pipe - a plumber's pot of gold!

Sorry Crazy dog - no lights. Apparently UFO's need to have lights. I'm still going with Feynman - one of the most brilliant minds ever produced from the U.S.A. and a legendary educator, still revered and studied today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLaRXYai19A

Sorry dude. Laser hoaxes. Geeks at play. Clearly man made. Google, then get over it.

Why in the world would a flying machine from across the Galaxy even need navigation lights! The only new angle I have read recently is Stephen Hawking's warnings that we should be very careful trying to contact intelligent lifeforms, there is no guarantee at all that they have friendly intentions. http://www.space.com/34184-stephen-hawking-afraid-alien-civilizations.html

I don't know - I had some blue ice cream which tasted like bananas.

I too have a love for the exotics. Many are what they claim - but cannot fit into "our" (their) food distribution chains, they go rotten/unripe too quickly, or show too many bruises. Beefsteak tomatoes and fresh picked sweet corn are easy examples. If only grown from roots/cuttings the proper way would a tissue culture tube (no soil) and phytosanitary paperwork. You would probably also require a special import permit, free, but takes a couple of weeks to get. Then there is a whole other problem of a courier/carrier. It is controversial as to whether the carriers x-ray packages (killing living tissue and seeds) or not. Estafeta definitely does, possibly multiple times, and clearly states so on their website. I have only had good results with seeds, ordering from Europe and Australia via international mail. This, of course, rules out tissue cultures - takes too long. Other report good results with seeds by mail from China Hmm - chocolate pudding tree - Black Sapote tree is available here. Only truly tastes like chocolate pudding when you add a small bit of vanilla ice cream, but still a healthy treat. Also black bananas are incredible, they are plantains which are allowed to ripen until the skins are black, perfect when a bit of mold starts to form on the skin. Incredible concentrated banana taste, without to much sweetness. The inside secret to a dessert "Bananas Foster", famous world wide, originating in New Orleans, but never the same as Island style - bananas flamed with liqueurs. We should get together dicho, a lot to share. Would like to get some sort of garden club together, but too dammed lazy.

If you are at the "just thinking" stage, you might want to know that China has built up a large surplus of solar panels right now. The Solar City company, which Tesla wants to buy, is anticipating a big price drop for panels. Everybody is waiting. Just like home security systems though, the skill and experience of the electrician/installers is much more important than the price of the hardware.

I am a little uncomfortable wading in here - But this has never stopped me in the past! I mentioned previously that health care, and education, Pemex and CFE are very political in Mexico. These were are movements here, started very left of centre, "for the people of Mexico". You will hear that phrase a lot, especially around election time and "El Grito!". The IMSS, as far as I can tell, was the one first out the gate, to provide workers health insurance for their families. All the above mentioned institutions quickly became heavily unionised and then abused by political cronyism. For example the head of teacher's union who is now in prison, bought two new Hummers for family members, and was found to own a $million plus home in the U.S.A. So much of this is now embedded in these institutions, which is a much kinder word than constipated. IMSS hospitals, particularly in Jalisco, have come under fire. My opinion is that the SP hospital are more "faith based", in their history and attitude. Look at the pictures and events at the Hospital Civil webpage, you will see a lot of white faces giving donations, attending gala balls, getting involved Are the SP hospitals "better" I don't have experience - and quite frankly, hope I never will. I felt the same way with Canada's medical system. The Mexican business people who are paying the IMSS deductions, would never go to an IMSS hospital. They are too afraid they might wake up in a bed next door to one of their workers. I know a young medical professional in Guadalajara has told me he pays over $10,000 U.S. per year for his private insurance. Of course, this is tax deductible. My working days are over, and just trying to make ends meet. This move by ENT, is the first time I have ever heard of any Mexican politician embracing senior ex-pats. Many seniors are not as wealthy as many Mexicans think, he has advocated for all of us, and 99% of senior expats can't even reward him with our vote. Think about it.

I'm with you on this MC - I think the Manzanillo area is a hotbed of corruption though. As you know, when we moved to Mexico, you were allowed a vehicle, as long as you renewed your FM2, FM3, FMM every year. We made the decision which vehicle to bring (we had 3 and 2 ride on mowers- remember that lifestyle?). We chose the vintage diesel 4x4 and sold all the others. The decision was partly because diesel is considered a greener fuel than gasoline, and these old engines can burn filtered cooking oil and home heating oil. It can climb the toughest trails, can go through deep water and sand. We mostly use it locally, but are armagedon ready - minus the guns! To the point - it is environmentally destructive, to force us back to Canada to sell the vehicle when it has less than 50,000 miles, on a vehicle which was engineered to last 250,000 miles. The environmental cost of building a new car to use in Mexico is a huge stain and carbon footprint on the world's environment. I don't think we are too far away from calling bureaucrats out on stupid, bonehead decisions, especially on environment violations which should be deemed criminal acts. The environment is for the future generations of Mexico. If you want to get people visiting again, you have to keep everything green and clean. And less we forget, Spencer thought he could obtain an amparo on the administrative legislation - but nobody would step up to the plate with the greenbacks to fight it. Then it became general law, to late for would have been a quick street fight, but now a championship WWE effort.

This is the iShop, where the old Mailboxes etc. used to be. Just down (walking distance) from Superlake toward Chapala.

That's a pretty scary MSDS sheet on that chemical. http://www.runyoutech.com/pdf/thiourea-dioxide-msds.pdf I wouldn't want it on my airplane or in my country.

Here is a useful water tip, passed on to us by a neighbor. Penafiel makes a bubbly soda water, in 2 litre size. They also sell a small, inexpensive "soda fountain" that screws on where the cap goes. I think it fits other brands of soda water, haven't tried that yet. So now you have an old fashioned "seltzer" bottle. Its healthy and fun to use, we try to use it instead of soda pop aka liquid candy. I have also found out that people make 2 litre bottle "covers" - knit or natural fiber. I'll bet that our Mexican sewing ladies could come up with something pretty quick, could sell the covers and soda siphons.

So ten years not thinking about visas, wake up with a headache and sore eyes - that was quite the party my friends! "They" are talking now about requiring passports for domestic flights within the U.S.A. Also, toughening up I.R.S. laws to more easily confiscate passports. Feeding on fear and loathing, making it even more expensive to travel by air.

I think you miss my point Natasha, living in Canada full time is considered to be, if I remember correctly, 183 days. You are then eligible for GIS benefits on an annual basis, and provincial health plan on an annual basis. They do not care where you go for the remaining 182 days. This is entirely legal. If people are prepared to commit insurance fraud and theft of services, that is a whole different matter. They are lucky to stay out jail, or they must spend the rest of their lives in Mexico, or wherever will have them ( I doubt that Canada would ask for extradition for something like this). The scary trend now is that private pension plans are quickly disappearing. Even most Universities, with their much vaunted tenure system, are rapidly doing away with pension