| After a lifetime of hard work, isn't it about time that | | | | are virtually hundreds of fine restaurants offering |
| you enjoy the fruit of your labor? By now, you | | | | every type of cuisine imaginable. The cost of dining in |
| should be ready to start living large, living like a king, | | | | Vallarta is about the same as in the States. You can |
| living the life of Riley, or just plain living in luxury! | | | | pay as little as $10 for a fine dinner or you can pay |
| James Whitcomb Riley's poems depicted the | | | | as much as $50 for the same dinner in a tourist |
| comforts of a prosperous home life, while those | | | | oriented restaurant with the high society ambiance. |
| using the term "living large" are referring to living with | | | | Alternatively, you might just decide to tough it out |
| an extravagant or self indulgent lifestyle; able to pay | | | | like a commoner by going to one of the many |
| for and enjoy a very wealthy lifestyle or as they say | | | | modern supermarkets where the food selection, |
| south of the border, able to enjoy the sweet life, "la | | | | quality, and price are comparable to the States, and |
| dolce vida". If you are now ready to live in luxury, | | | | buy your own groceries. All food products, including |
| you've got only one small hurdle to jump; that is | | | | water, and of course all restaurants, are closely |
| affordability! Herein lies the solution to your problem. | | | | regulated and quality controlled. |
| First, you pack your personal items and your dog into | | | | Daytime activities such as golfing on any of the |
| the SUV and you drive to Mexico. As long as your | | | | seven beautiful courses, playing tennis on any of the |
| car remains in Mexico, you'll never need to renew | | | | hundreds of courts, or enjoying world class deep sea |
| your license plates nor will you ever again pay any | | | | fishing, will cost about the same as back home. To |
| taxes on it. As soon as you've crossed the border | | | | conserve cash, you might consider joining any of the |
| and get on one of the super modern toll roads, you | | | | hundreds of clubs, societies, organizations, or even |
| aim directly for the Mexican Riviera on the Pacific | | | | take a class in some subject you've always wanted |
| Ocean with Puerto Vallarta being your destination. | | | | to learn. There are so many things to do that you'll |
| When you arrive in Vallarta, where the average daily | | | | never get bored living in Paradise and you can spend |
| temperature is 73*F with virtually no chance of rain | | | | as much or as little as you feel comfortable spending |
| from November through May, you'll find your dream | | | | while still living a life of luxury. |
| at an affordable price. As an example, a beautiful | | | | Next, as much as we hate to think about it, let's |
| condominium with a "million dollar view", which would | | | | assume you develop a medical problem or toothache. |
| cost $1,000,000 in the States, will cost $350,000 in | | | | There are two new modern hospitals in Vallarta with |
| Vallarta. With the mortgage financing that is now | | | | all of the latest in sophisticated equipment. There are |
| available in Mexico, you can purchase this condo for | | | | a number of modern dentist offices, clinics, etc., all |
| as little as 30% down or slightly over $100,000. Next, | | | | staffed with English speaking professionals. The main |
| let's consider property taxes on the million dollar | | | | difference between these facilities, doctors, and |
| condo that you paid $350,000 for. Annual property | | | | dentists, and those in the States is price. You can |
| taxes in Vallarta are .12% of purchase price or about | | | | assume that medical care will be about one half to |
| $400 per year for your condo. | | | | one third of that back home. |
| Now that you've moved into your luxurious condo, | | | | If you need mechanical work done on your car, |
| you'll need a maid to keep it tidy and perhaps | | | | painting or maintenance work in your condo, repair of |
| prepare your meals. Remember, kings don't clean | | | | your TV or CD player, or any other kind of service |
| their own castles and seldom cook their own meals! | | | | work, the cost should be slightly less than you're |
| A neat, honest, and loyal maid will cost you about | | | | accustomed to paying. |
| $20 per day. If you'd rather prepare some of your | | | | In summarizing, excluding mortgage payments, a |
| own meals, you can share your maid with the | | | | couple can live in luxury on their social security income |
| neighbor, so that each of you pay $10 per half day | | | | in Vallarta. Keeping in mind that condo prices are |
| for cleaning and tidying up. For about $250 per month | | | | expected to continue to appreciate at a rate of at |
| and without lifting a hand, your condo will always look | | | | least 10% per year, your "million dollar" condo should |
| like a million dollars. | | | | increase in value by $35,000 per year, which when |
| After you've settled into your beautiful and tidy | | | | added to your social security income, should more |
| condo with its panoramic view of the Banderas Bay, | | | | than cover all of your living expenses and mortgage |
| the Pacific Ocean, and the Sierra Madres, it's time to | | | | payments while living like a king in Paradise. |
| venture into El Centro or downtown, where there | | | | |