Is a flat roof really flat?
It is there above us, protecting us from the sun, the wind and the rain however; generally we are not worried about our roofs until we see water leaking through it. Typically, roofs he...
read more
Septic systems
For the average new homebuyer, there is nothing more horrifying than the thought of buying a home with a septic system. This hidden, underground system seems to conjure up thoughts of backyards flooded...
read more
Soils and foundations
Ever considered the base on which your house is sitting. Yes, there is a foundation between you and the surrounding soils. In general there are stone foundations bound with mortar mixture to help keep ...
read more
Care and maintenance of the fireplace
As I write this month's article, I am sitting beside a wood stove in a cabin by a frozen lake in Ontario. So this article's topic becomes very tangible and important, especially because I want to keep ...
read more
What is a home inspector?
The objective of writing this column is to act independently and discuss the typical property ownership/maintenance issues and real estate concerns for existing and perspective homeowners here at Lake ...
read more
Aljibes - underground water cisterns
Last month’s article stirred up some questions from some homeowners that I thought we could address in this month’s issue.
Aljibes (underground water cisterns) are a critical link it each homeowne...
read more
Water distribution systems
For many newcomers, the water distribution systems here in Mexico are different from water supply they are used to in the rest of North America.
In the case of a typical home in Canada or the USA, the...
read more
How much electricity am I using?
It seems last month's article regarding our electrical bills touched a lot of people here in my reading audience. Thank you for you kind comments and questions. I wanted to expand a little more regardi...
read more
Electrical surges and spikes
We see them in just about every house here at Lake Chapala. Sometimes they are humming and others quietly sit in a corner, showing a little light on. But all are on guard, protecting our electronic dev...
read more
Salitre: a form of masonry cancer?
Salitre is the Spanish term commonly used for masonry “efflorescence.” Salitre is the white powdery stain that forms on the surface of bricks and concrete and can cause the stucco or paint o...
read more
Cracks in masonry
No, this is not an article about an additive drug, a quick glib joke or that exposed skin area of the refrigerator repairman's lower back, as he crouches down in front of you. This article is about mas...
read more
How much are you paying for electricity?
After studying many homes here at Lake Chapala, it is interesting to learn to how much electricity each home uses and, more interesting, how much the home owner is paying for their electricity.
Electr...
read more
Work permits for Mexico: advice from an old hat
Work Permits: Advice from an old hat
By Julie Black © 1999 All Rights Reserved.
Ask no more. Yes, foreigners can legally work in Mexico, for any length of time, provided they obtain the required...
read more
Live Well in Mexico by Ken Luboff
What Luboff has set out here is all the basic information one needs on a host of topics relevant to moving to Mexico. You'll find details on acquiring residency documents, whether or not to buy or rent a house, working in Mexico, how to bring your car here, how to move your furniture here and so on. You’ll also find hints and tips on staying healthy, dining out, hiring help, what to bring on your first trip, road safety, the best ways to get from one place to another and much, much more. Indeed, there is hardly a page that doesn’t have some useful hint or tip on living here successfully.
read more
Mexico Magico: Everything You Wanted to Know by German Estrada Navarro
This is a well-organized and clearly presented compilation of data about this country that any newcomers - and some old-timers, too - could use.
read more
Live Better South of the Border by 'Mexico Mike' Nelson
I’d love to have had this book five years ago when we first came to live in Mexico. It’s not that we ran into a string of problems then but it’s just such a useful source of information and opinion about living here it would have cut a lot of corners for us at the time. As the author says, this book is written for people of all ages who want to live in Mexico and Central America, from retirees to baby-boomers who want a new life to artists and writers who want a stimulating and less expensive way of life.
read more
Retire in Mexico: Live Better for Less by Dru Pearson
Author Dru Pearson has done an excellent job of researching and compiling almost everything anyone needs to know about adopting this country as a place to spend one's leisure years, either part-time or full-time. I can't think of any important topic that isn't covered here. Also, while it isn't the first book of this type to become available, I think it's the first - to my knowledge, at least, to be strictly computer accessible.
read more
The Insider's Guide: Mexico's Lake Chapala and Ajijic by Teresa A. Kendrick
I'm filled with admiration and respect for The Insider's Guide. Its 368 pages are so complete and comprehensive and so well thought out and so well organized. Teresa Kendrick and her colleagues have done a wonderful job of providing and packaging a full authoritative range of information, not only for long and short-term residents of the Lake Chapala area but also for those many people who seem to be contemplating coming here either to live as permanent retiree-residents or as snowbirds.
read more
Mexico Magic by Dru Pearson
.Dru Pearson begins her account of her first four seasons in Ajijic starting in the summer of 2000 when she loaded or, rather, overloaded her VW van with as many belongings as it would hold, and she and her dog, Bailey, drove (slowly, she emphasizes) to Laredo. However, before she even reached the U.S./ Mexico border, the vehicle broke down and she found herself by the roadside in 110 degree temperatures, unloading twelve boxes of belongings, plus a TV, a computer complete with monitor and printer and other sundry items. However, a mechanic answered her call and the car was repaired and she made it across the border at Laredo, starting the 750 mile stretch to Ajijic on the shores of Lake Chapala.
read more
Absentee Voting For The 2004 U.S. Presidential Election
By Jon Sievert
© 2004 Jon Sievert
November's U.S. Presidential election is shaping up as the most passionate and volatile in memory. Candidates from both major parties are already ...
read more
How To Make Teaching English In Mexico A Reality - Part 2
Marketing Yourself
So once you are in your new home town how do you impress the directors of the local language schools? First of all, it is important to remember that while this is a big adventure fo...
read more
Tying The Knot -- Mexican Style
Mexico's ornate old
churches are beautiful
and romantic
settings for weddings.
Saturdays there always seem to be three brides at the charmin...
read more
Getting here - paperwork for people, animals, cars and things
FM-T Tourist
The basic entrance immigration status for tourists is the FM-T. It is valid for a maximum of 180 days and is issued at your point of entry into Mexico-either at a border crossing or an ai...
read more
Mexico's a breeze
...compared to heading west in a Conestoga
read more
Spanish terms for building and construction in Mexico
I think that it is time to cover some of the Spanish terms used in construction. There isn't room in the space I have for this column to cover all the terms but perhaps a brief primer is in order.
Fir...
read more
