Hello from Arizona

Hello and welcome to the expat Forum,

You will not only get insight here but on many other Google searches. My wife and I use to live in San Miguel de Allende eighteen years ago and are moving back soon.  Knowing that life changes things, in the last year we have done a tremendous amount of research on line, bought several books and have been back to SMA at least four times to do hands on research, which is really the best insight to be had. We asked a lot of current residents many questions, walked and drove through and investigated the various colonias and even now ( in escrow on a home in SMA) are still doing as much research as we can. Thus, the visits to the expat Forum and other such expat, publications.

San Miguel de Allende is not the least expensive place in Mexico by far but, what it has to offer in terms of quality of life is exactly what we want.

It's a big change so doing ones homework extensively is a good idea.

Good luck!

Hello, wht tgr... Thanks for the kind welcome to the forum.

We have been researching SMA for quite some time now. We are looking forward to visiting for a few months and really getting a feel for it.

I agree that SMA is far from the more less expensive choices (at least that's what I've discovered in my online research) and it seems that housing prices are along the lines with what you would pay in the U.S., especially if you want to be within walking distance of all that the village has to offer.

We are hoping that the cost of living there is much less than the U.S. over all. The International Living website/magazine indicates that SMA is a top destination to consider for expats for low cost of living.

I have found that there are really some beautiful homes in the area for sale. Yes, I've been window shopping.    I assume you used a local real estate agent to assist you in helping you to locate your home there. Any input on real estate professionals would be helpful. Will you be living right in the heart of the city?

We really love the Mexican culture. Living so close to Mexico, we have visited many times. We just haven't made it to SMA yet.

I really wonder if we should drive there. It's less than 1,500 miles. What an adventure that would be.

Hello soontoretire,

We  liked both CDR (Christie's) and Agave  realtors and wound up purchasing our home through CDR Realty. They have been very professional and good overall. Our realtor is Ivonne Basurto and we highly recommend her.

There are several nice areas and streets to live in San Miguel dependent on what your needs and budget are. We wanted to be somewhat near the Parroquia but not in Centro proper and looked at several neighborhoods.  We looked at Guadiana, Parque Juarez, Balcones , Atascadero, Ojo de Agua and parts of San Antonio and they all had great appeal but we found Guadiana to suit our needs best.

Driving? Yep quite an adventure. We've in the past, driven down from California and the East Coast and yes, it was an adventure however, maybe save the time and better yet energy, to investigate SMA and it's surroundings. You can always rent a car at the airport or in San Miguel.

Buena Suerte

I visited SMA a few weeks ago for the first time. I was volunteering down there and stayed in accommodations for volunteers, which seemed to be in a pretty exclusively Mexican neighborhood (Santa Julia). I think I saw only one gringo on my walks around the area. Regardless, I felt safe the whole time I was down there. Was also in Centro after midnight walking around looking for tacos and felt equally safe. I love the colonial cities as well. The weather is great there.

I will say that learning more fluent Spanish is even more at the top of my list than it was. It's the key to being able to participate and be part of the community there.

Thanks, JulianDave... for your response. We are planning a trip for later this year. Not exactly sure when. My husband and I are both learning Spanish so we can communicate better while there. We are also going to take a trip to Guanjuato which we are also considering for retirement.

I wish I had been able to visit Guanajuato, it was so close!  Maybe next time.
In rereading my reply, I didn't mean to suggest that you don't need to take safety precautions. The group I was with took taxis from Centro to the colonia we were staying at, as it would have been less safe walking around quieter streets that late at night.

The big church in the Jardin is stunning and you have to go inside. I'm not even a bit religious and that was one of the highlights of my trip. Never seen anything like it on that scale. The Jardin is also worth visiting in the evening as everything is lit up and has a much different feel than during the day. Enjoy your trip.