Utilities in SMA

To Fred's question on utilities in San Miguel:

We often have water stoppages on dry season afternoons. If you have a cistern, this is usually no problem.

On a 4000 square foot house we have the following utility costs:
Gas (heat, cooking, clothes dryer, hot water) $22.00 a month US
Electricity  $17.00 a month
Water   $8.00 a month
Land phone & internet   $27.00 a month
Cable TV  $20.40 a month
Property tax this year  $293.00
These rates will fluctuate with the exchange rate, which at this moment is 14.7 pesos per dollar.
John Scherber, author of Living in San Miguel: The Heart of the Matter

If you want to avoid paying taxes to the US, I suggest that you join others and renounce your citizenship.

So do most houses have cisterns when they are built?
How reliable in the internet?

The presence of cisterns will vary and that's one thing you need to ask before buying or renting.
Internet reliability varies with the provider. We had service from MegaCable and dropped it for service from the phone company, Telmex. It's quite good, but not perfect. I am told that the satellite service is best, but costs more than twice as much.

John Scherber
Author of Living San Miguel: The Heart of the Matter

Thanks for that information. We visited SMA last fall with the intention of retiring there. I am concerned about the import duty on goods ordered over the internet. I think it's pretty steep.
We are also considering Lake Chapala area even though the lake is polluted.
Any thoughts on property values in SMA going up. Is Mexico ever going to offer a decent mortgage rate?
I have heard that the travel from Texas border to SMA can be dangerous. Do you have any inside information on that?
Thanks