Hi Rich. Out of curiosity, if you are thinking of retiring to Mexico in two years, why do you list yourself as an "expat in Mexico"? Anyway, after living on Lake Chapala for almost four years, my wife and I bought a house in La Manzanilla on the Costa Alegre 18 km north of San Patricio Melaque. We have, however, kept our rental on Lake Chapala. The tourist season from at least Manzanillo to the south and well into Nayarit to the north is usually considered to be December 15 to April 15. Comfortable weather runs conservatively from November 15 to June 15. Today, July 7, the temperature is 30 C. (about 87 F.) and the humidity is quite mild. There isn't a cloud in the sky and there is a mild breeze off the Tenacatita Bay. The morning was spent transplanting and moving a full-grown lime tree from a friend's granja to our home...with a little help from Ramon and the use of Antonio's camioneta. (Yesterday was way humid and not too pleasant for much of the day.) We have stayed here in early November with the weather being quite nice. Surprisingly, October can be the most brutally hot month. So, notwithstanding short bouts of humid heat and the occasional hurricane, one can live pretty comfortably on the mid-Pacific coast from November 1 to July 15 or even July 31. After that it depends on the individual. So there is a minimum of three and more like three and one-half months a year when only the very hardy, the very proud and the very poor stick around. We will be returning this month to spend most of the time until the beginning of November lakeside. We may just keep our lake rental, either subletting during the "tourist" months or just paying the rent. But we already have an offer to house sit in Riberas del Pilar every July and August (lake views, no less). So if we can find another month or two of year-to-year house sitting, we'll probably give up the house lakeside after this year. You may be able to find a similar situation house sitting, but probably only after you have established yourself in Mexico. Most home owners want someone who is familiar with the area and who knows the rudiments of paying utilities, working with help, etc.

My point is that one can consider living on the beach, at least for most of the year, without suffering miserable weather, social isolation, and a dearth of amenities. We have DSL service, satellite radio, satellite TV, our own La Manzanilla web board, numerous opportunities to volunteer our time and money to worthy causes, and an English-language "libreria" (it is not free, ergo not a biblioteca). Not to mention friends. The theaters, operating and otherwise, are an hour plus away in Manzanillo. (However, a new IMSS hospital is being constructed 30 km away in Cihuatlan.) Overall, healthcare lakeside and in Guadalajara is greatly superior to that along the coast (with the possible exception of Puerto Vallarta).

Hope these ramblings help you put things in perspective. !Que le vaya bien!