Death to the Middle Class

[Againsheila]

I drove across the Mexican border a few weeks ago. I was not shot, I wasn't even stopped!

LOL - it easy to become a legal resident of mexico. Fill out a form, prove you have a $500 per month income, and you're done. Lots of Americans live in Mexico illegally as well....

Are you Mexican? Last time I went across the border, we were searched at customs and then stopped 5 minutes on the other side by the cops for their "bribe".

No, I am a white guy.

Where do you cross? Some of the border towns are rougher than others. I go across at the San Ysidro/Tijuana Border crossing. I have crossed that border literally 400 times. I used to own a beach house in Rosarito Beach (about 35 mins south of the border) and went practically every weekend for 5 years. I have never been stopped. Never been asked a question. I was given a ticket in Ensenada once for rolling through a stop sign. I paid the "officer" $20 and went on my way.

In some of these Mexican border towns the "police" are unpaid. They collect what they can from tourists. There is corruption in Mexico (and everywhere eles) and you must be careful, but overall I have always felt very safe in Mexico.

When I retire I will probably buy (or rent) a house near Lake Chapala. Chapala has awesome weather (it is in the mountains so it has a very mild temperature) , low cost of living, lots of things to do, and a large American ex-pat community. You should check it out!

I was there 30 years ago...there was nothing around that lake, I would hate to see it now.