by Kristina Morgan
It still amazes me how much the people talk about why they moved to Lake Chapala. I think it’s a topic in just about every conversation I have ever had since moving to Mexico in 1993. Most of us are still thankful that we found this wonderful community and even though it is well-established it is still very open and very friendly to newcomers. Despite the simple, peaceful life we lead here at Lake Chapala with the second best climate in the world, the low cost of living and safety, I still get a lot of emails asking me about crime here from people wondering if we’re all just nuts to be living south of the border in a "dangerous place."
According to UN statistics, you're 3 times more likely to be a victim of crime in the U.S. than you are in Mexico.
Recent FBI statistics paint the picture even more clearly... The murder rate (per 100,000 people) in Baltimore is 43.3... in Washington DC it is 29.1... and in Detroit 47.3... But in Mexico, the murder rate again is just a third of that... about 13.
But you wouldn’t get that impression from watching the news! People who come to Lake Chapala say that in general they feel safer than or just as safe as they did back home.
Also, Mexico’s economy is doing very well. In a time of economic down-turns and people who are upside down in their mortgages in the U.S. Mexico isn’t a credit-based society. In fact, it is still largely a cash society and according to U.S. government figures, Mexico's economy moved ahead of Canada's last year, making it the 12th largest economy in the world.
This completely contradicts the picture that most people who have who have only been to border towns and tourist resorts have. And it will especially puzzle people who only watch the news and take the grim media picture that is sold so easily to most Americans. If you think that Mexico is just a 3rd world country with striking poverty levels then you may be surprised to know that BusinessWeek reported on Mexico's growth too, saying, “The ranks of that middle class have swelled to record levels... Millions have access to mortgages, solid jobs provide security, and a class of strivers saves to put its kids through college.”
Mexico also allows free college educations through their government universities, such as the University of Guadalajara, if the student can pass the entrance exam and agrees to give back to the country after they have graduated by giving a couple of years of their time to civil service. This would be the equivalent of the time spent doing residency as a medical student in the U.S. This gives back to the country for their gift of a college education. Makes sense, doesn’t it?
Mexico isn’t in the same economic bind because of rising oil prices, either. Would you be surprised to know that unlike the U.S., Mexico is one of the world's largest oil exporters and sells 1.7 billion barrels of oil to the U.S. each day. As a result, Mexico's economy is actually strengthened by today's rising oil prices.
Recently, I spoke with a stock broker from the U.S. who is exploring the idea of coming to Mexico to live. When I asked him if he would work the U.S. stock market while here he said that he would be working the Mexican stock market because he was very impressed by its earnings. Mexico's stock market has taken off. In fact, over the past five years, Mexican markets have outperformed U.S. stocks (as measured by the S&P500) by 10 to 1.
And this year, Mexico's government has launched a 5-year, $250 billion program to build new highways, railways, airports and ports throughout the country.
To Mexico’s credit, they have excellent health care and countless state-of-the-art hospitals and care homes being built specifically to service the aging baby boomers arriving from north of the border.
Mexico is worth a close look if you are thinking of living or retiring abroad. Focus on Mexico programs offer the perfect balance to allow you to have a wonderful vacation and insightful experience; all the while learning everything you need to decide whether Mexico is the place you want to spend 'the best years of your life'. You will have fun, have a fabulous and entertaining experience and meet a variety of interesting people; many who will become new friends. www.focusonmexico.com