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10 Top Retirement Lifestyles in Mexico

By U.S. News & World Report

Mexico offers a wider range of attractive retirement lifestyle options than any other country in Latin America. And they’re all just across the border. Many homes are available at a very affordable price right now, thanks to the dollar’s strong position against the Mexican peso.

[See: 10 Affordable Places to Retire Overseas in 2016.]

First, the beaches:

The options for seaside living in Mexico are so broad that you can specify a price point, a convenience factor and a lifestyle and still have plenty of choices.

On the east coast, you have:

Cancún. One of Mexico’s top two resort towns, Cancún was nothing more than a small fishing village when it was targeted for development in 1974. As it exploded into a tourist mecca of more than 700,000, the swath of development extended southward to Playa del Carmen.

Playa del Carmen. “Playa” to the locals is just 57 minutes south of Cancún. The city has evolved to become the region’s chic place to be and be seen. Here you find vacationing Europeans and North Americans as well as a sizeable number of expats-in-residence. Just off the town square is the Avenida Quinta (5th Avenue) running parallel to the shore and offering more than 20 blocks of fine restaurants and shops. This unique main drag is almost as big a draw as the beautiful beaches.

Riviera Maya. This section of Caribbean coast on the eastern side of the Yucatán Peninsula between Playa del Carmen and Tulum is about 125 miles long. The Riviera Maya features warm Caribbean waters and pristine beaches. Just offshore, the Great Mayan Reef, the largest coral reef in the Atlantic Ocean, provides world-class diving and snorkeling. Another draw to this area are the well preserved Mayan archaeological sites. A few world-class golf courses round out the local attractions.

Tulum. The biggest town of note along the Riviera Maya is Tulum. Just a few years ago, Tulum consisted of a handful of cabins and a few fishing shacks. Today, the census counts more than 18,000 people in Tulum.

On Mexico’s Pacific coast:

Puerto Peñasco. This seaside resort is convenient to the United States by car because it’s just over an hour from the border. Also known as Rocky Point, Puerto Peñasco has been a playground for the western United States and Canada for almost 100 years. Homeowners in Puerto Peñasco can drive over the border and head right for their seaside homes without even stopping to register their cars. Yet the beaches are second to none. Puerto Peñasco enjoys warm, calm waters all year, broad, sandy beaches, lots of housing options and low property prices. You can find two-bedroom condos on this beach starting at just $109,000. These are ideal for a vacation home or a weekend getaway.

Mazatlán. This city has rebounded from the 70s and 80s, when it was largely forgotten. Today, its 20 miles of beaches and boardwalks are again as busy as when John Wayne and Gary Cooper put this town on the resort-traveler’s map. Meantime, the historic center has been renovated over the past 10 years. Now it’s a fine example of Spanish-colonial America, with world-class restaurants, sidewalk cafés and a beachfront promenade.

[See: 50 Affordable Places to Buy a Retirement Home in 2016.]

Puerto Vallarta. PV has been one of Mexico’s most popular resorts since the 1960s, though its rich colonial history goes back hundreds of years. Unlike many resort areas, PV includes a number of coastal sections with beaches interspersed among them, meaning different areas with unique characters. One of the best things about Puerto Vallarta are its ocean views. Here you’ll find lots of hillside homes with long views out to the ocean.

Beyond the beach:

Not everyone dreams of retirement on the beach. Many retirees prefer the ambiance and better weather of Mexico’s colonial heartland. These three colonial towns in particular have attracted large numbers of foreign retirees:

San Miguel de Allende. This is a remarkably beautiful and sociable colonial town. Many expats believe that San Miguel de Allende is the finest example of colonial living abroad in any country and thousands of expats call it home. Its magnificent historic center is walkable and full of delights for visitors and residents. The quantity of first class restaurants and fine shopping venues per block is probably unmatched anywhere else in Mexico.

Guanajuato. Rather than thousands of expat retirees in residence, as in San Miguel, Guanajuato is home to hundreds. This is a big town with everything you need for comfortable retirement living — plus beautiful architecture — but the ambiance and culture are more Mexican, with less expat influence.

Álamos. For a small-town alternative to cities like San Miguel, Guanajuato, and Oaxaca, consider Álamos. A small town of fewer than 25,000 people, Álamos has restored and preserved its historic center. Further, this bohemian town is home to artists, writers, musicians and poets.

[See: 10 Retirement Hot Spots in the U.S.]

Faced with all these options, how do you find the place that’s right for you? It comes down to personal taste and priorities. But it’s hard to imagine not finding a lifestyle to suit you somewhere in Mexico, whatever your budget. Just imagine, when the cold and snow hits the United States, you can load up the car and head down to your sunny second home in Mexico. Your affordable retirement overseas really could be that simple.

Kathleen Peddicord is the founder of the Live and Invest Overseas publishing group.

More from U.S. News

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10 Top Retirement Lifestyles in Mexico originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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