the only place ya wanna avoid is ajijic which i call the gringo ghetto. i have an abbarrotes next door where i hang out with my mexican buds drinking cervezas on the corner and teaching each other english and espanol.
most stough you read about this area applies to ajijic only.
just as an example of this;the same house in chapala is about half the price of ajijic.in my neighbourhood of lourdes,ya kin count us ferners on 2 hands and fall short.