Dot Those i’s and Cross Those t’s

Retiring, selling everything and moving to another country is an experience. We are well into our 4th year and thought it might be of some benefit if we mentioned some of the steps and missteps we made along the way.

When you decide to buy and live here permanently, start with a professional real estate sales person. There are many in the area. Victoria Pratt of Timothy Real Estate Group located at 62 Lázaro Cárdenas in Bucerias 329-688-3154 was recommended to us. She guided us through negotiating with a Mexican national, escrow, closing with a Notary Public, and all the other little details that require your attention. She is professional, articulate, and her knowledge of the area eased our journey. We are happy to say that she has become a friend, which is more than I can say about some real estate salespeople I have dealt with in a former life. victoria@timothyrealestategroup.com

Permanently means longer than the 180 day tourist visa that regular visitors to Mexico get. In Canada, the recommended method is to start with the Mexican Consulate in our case, Toronto. During that process, if you qualify, you get paperwork that you have to pursue within 30 days of arrival in Mexico. I have never particularly enjoyed filling out forms in English, my first language, so paperwork in Spanish was not going to happen. We retained Bucerias lawyer Sergio Santana to assist us. It was relatively inexpensive and easy. Tragically he passed away. His son Sergio Santana Jr. is studying law and has a good understanding of the immigration path to residente permanente. Santana’s Services office is located at Jose Maria Morelos 54, Bucerias, 329-298-1222.

If you are going to live here permanently, personal transportation becomes an issue. Not many choices, new or used. A new car is easier to register, or so we were told. Naturally we opted to buy a used car that had been registered in Jalisco, and of course we live in Nayarit. If you purchase used, keep in mind that you need to make sure the dealer or seller is conveying to you a vehicle that is registered in the state you have chosen to reside in. If you have questions or concerns, you should contact someone like Pat’s Plates – Expat Help for Vehicle Registration and Driver’s Licenses. They are found on local Facebook groups. We have no personal knowledge of this business, but gather it is popular.

We thought we had done quite well. Purchased a home, a properly registered and plated car, both of us have permanent residence status, what more is there? Capital gains is what more. Should we trade up, trade down, or choose another location, capital gains enters the picture. What to do? Simple answer is get an accountant. We were referred to Hugo Rivas, Calle Avenida Mexico #40, Bucerias, 329-298-0906. Hugo’s family has been in Bucerias for generations. First thing you need are individual tax numbers. Hugo guided us through that process, and has us set up to address capital gains should we sell one property and purchase another. hugocontador37@gmail.com

The point to all of this, and yes there is a point…the best possible advice we can give to anyone considering a life here, is to seek out the professionals. There are many of them and they are good at what they do. It worked for us.