There are almost 500,000 retired persons living in Mexico from other parts of the world. So, does this tell you that Mexico must have something going for it to attract this many retirees? For one, the cost of living is much less than other places that people could retire. Two, the weather is great almost year round. Three, the relaxed way of life here is what people are looking for when it comes to retirement. Four, it is a friendly place to live.

When you decide this is the place you want to retire, you will need to find a home. There are a couple of ways to go about doing this. You can rent a home, purchase one, or have one built to your specifications. Many people recommend renting for a period of time before you make up your mind if you want to purchase a home.

This allows the opportunity to check out different areas of Mexico so you know which one you like the best. After all, if you buy or build, you cannot decide all of a sudden that you do not like the area you are living in. Sometimes this is the best method to find a home. If you rent for a while and see what the neighborhood is like - is it too congested or not bad - is the electricity and water consistent - you will not have surprises when moving into your new home.

If you decide that renting is not for you and would rather buy, there are a couple ways to do this. You can find a real estate agent to let you know what is available. You can search for local owners who are selling their property. When deciding upon which method you are going to use take a few things into consideration. Do you want to live in the city or would you rather live in the country. The city may be too noisy if you are not used to living where there is constant noise.

The country, on the other hand may too far out. Many of the homes have cisterns for water. If you do not have a large one, the water supply may dry up when it is especially hot and dry. The water trucks bring water but it may take them days to get to you so the closer you can get to the city but still retain some privacy may be your best option.

When looking for the perfect place to retire, another thing that you may want to consider is the old stories you have heard about how difficult it was to buy property in Mexico, is just that - old information. Over the past 10 years the selling of real estate has changed. This is evidenced by the changing of owning real estate that is close to the ocean. In the past this was prohibited by Mexican law. Now there are ways this can be done by using a fideicomiso, which is a trust that allows non-Mexicans to own land within these areas that were prohibited from ownership before.

All this and more should be perused thoroughly before making any commitments when it comes to purchasing a home in Mexico.