TDV Readers Fall In Love With San Miguel de Allende, Mexico

[Editor’s Note: The following post is by Jim Karger, TDV legal correspondent]

The most common story repeated among the large expatriate community in San Miguel de Allende goes like this: “I came for a visit. I fell in love. Then I went home, sold everything, and returned to live the rest of my life.”

Two TDV readers were our guests in San Miguel de Allende for the last three days and my guess is that their story will be no different. After experiencing the perfect weather, stunning architecture, the ability to walk everywhere, fine restaurants at reasonable prices, friendly locals, and a welcoming expat population, they were hooked.

Our guests’ three days in San Miguel were well-planned and full of activity. After a half-day of travel, day one began with a personal welcome into our compound and into their own luxury casita, a snack and welcome cocktails, a short walk downtown, a review of the agenda, initial questions answered, and ending with a fabulous dinner in one of San Miguel’s oldest and most authentic Mexican restaurants.

Their second day included a two-and-a-half hour walking tour of the city with a professional bilingual guide, lunch at a sidewalk bistro, a two hour Q&A session examining important aspects of living in Mexico and in San Miguel de Allende, followed by a nap and then tapas and cocktails on our rooftop overlooking one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Attending the evening session was one of San Miguel’s long time residents and top real estate agents who took careful notes as to what our guests might be looking for if their ultimate destination turns out to be our fair city. 

Day three began with breakfast at one of San Miguel’s famous bakeries. The eggs benedict and fresh bread and pastries readied them for a half day of looking at the various areas of town and a look inside five homes within their price range. Conversation was wide-ranging, from hiring help to medical care to living budgets and back again. Later in the afternoon we met with San Miguel’s best lawyer to discuss real estate, immigration, and the legal aspects of retiring in Mexico. We enjoyed dinner together at an Asian-fusion restaurant on the outskirts of the City with more conversation.

Their final morning before departure was not wasted but rather spent at one of San Miguel’s famous hot springs about 10 miles out of town. The warm spring water soothed the legs and the soul. A breakfast in the tropical environs readied them for the trip home. The questions and answers continued until the moment the shuttle pulled to the door and their luggage was loaded.

Hugs all around with the last words spoken: “Seeing and learning as much as we did in such a short time has given us the confidence to go home, sell our business, our house, and return — soon and forever.”

Indeed. No more rat race for our new friends. No more working so one day they won’t have to work anymore. No more getting through another day. No more traffic. No more intrusive government. Like the 6,000 or so of us who happened onto San Miguel de Allende and never left for good reasons, their reward will be changed lives, leaving them one day wondering: “Why didn’t we do this sooner?”

Jim Karger is TDV’s Legal Correspondent and an 11-year resident of San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. Karger is available, on a limited basis through TDV, to provide similar services to other TDV subscribers serious about living in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico. 

It is with the greatest pleasure that we present Jim’s article today…because it allows us to introduce our newest service to help you get the life you want. Say hello to TDV Groups!  TDV Groups is available only to TDV Basic and Premium subscribers. If you are a subscriber, you can go there by clicking on “Forum” in the top menu bar on the TDV website and then click on “TDV Groups”.  Or just go to this URL: http://dollarvigilante.com/forums/tdv-forums/tdv-groups. 

The concept is to have TDV members who are expats from around the world start their own group wherever they live. We’ve already got numerous groups up and running including groups in Brazil, Cambodia, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Thailand. Each group is just for its individual city, so these groups further break down. In the Colombian groups, for example, there are already groups up and running for Bogota and Medellin. Or you can go to Jim Karger’s San Miguel de Allende group here. Don’t see a group for the area you live? Then please send us some info about yourself (send to [email protected]) and where you live and we’ll conduct a short interview with you. If you seem like TDV material, we’ll get you set-up with your own TDV Group. You’ll then be the TDV Concierge for that area. You can then help answer questions or even help people to visit or expatriate there.

As a TDV concierge you can even offer services to the TDV community; if someone wanted to move to your area, you would consult with them on their needs. As an example, if they wanted to find a house with a reputable real estate agent, arrangements could be made through TDV for personal tours, introductions and Q&A’s with those in the know at each location. TDV’ers can rely on the fact that other like-minded people who already know the area can help them get adjusted to the area. As well, TDV Groups can be used by TDV’ers who already live in an area to get together and even have monthly meetings – we hope at a local bar! 

You see, while in our blog and newsletters we present you with analysis of the bad news of statism, the solutions that liberty offers, as well as macroeconomic anlysis and investment advice…we also offer unique actionable solutions about expatriation and making a living wherever you go in the world. Like we often say, it’s a big, big world out there. And it’s our goal to help you take full advantage of that fact…to help you travel, live and thrive wherever in the world you want to. 

This is the newest benefit to being a TDV Basic or Premium subscriber — and we’re pretty excited about it. As a subscriber at either the Basic or Premium level you will get access to our discussion groups which will offer you some friendly faces no matter where in the world you might go.  And, don’t forget, most of our subscribers are savvy investors and entrepreneurs… you never know who you might meet! Like this TDV poster (whose post only paid and logged in subscribers can view) who is looking to pool his considerable knowledge and ability in petroleum and resource engineering with other like-minded TDV subscribers in a Latin American country he’s identified as full of opportunity. 

If you’ve been hesitant to make some steps into expatriation and worried about not knowing anyone when you get there, with TDV Groups, this is now going to be a thing of the past.  Go out and meet the world. Like Jeff says, everyone has a place (or two) in the world that’s just rght for them. Go out and find yours and how to be productive and make a good living there. Start by letting us help you here. 

Regards,

Gary Gibson
Editor, The Dollar Vigilante

The Dollar Vigilante is a free-market financial newsletter focused on covering all aspects of the ongoing financial collapse. The newsletter has news, information and analysis on investments for safety and for profit during the collapse including investments in gold, silver, energy and agriculture commodities and publicly traded stocks. As well, the newsletter covers other aspects including expatriation, both financially and physically and news and info on health, safety and other ways to survive the coming collapse of the US Dollar safely and comfortably. You can sign up to receive our FREE monthly newsletter, our Basic Newsletter ($15/month) or our Full Newsletter ($25/month) with specific stock recommendations and updates at our Subscriptions page on our website at DollarVigilante.com.