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Chapala and Ajijic get their water supply from wells. They distribute the water via SIMAPA (Administration of the State and the Economic and Social Policy of the Community), which is a government entity. There can be problems with wells sometimes, such as pipes breaking, which is an inconvenience.  Generally, there are no problems, but when a well needs repairs, it can be days for a week or two, depending on what the problem is.

 

Most...

Chapala and Ajijic get their water supply from wells. They distribute the water via SIMAPA (Administration of the State and the Economic and Social Policy of the Community), which is a government entity. There can be problems with wells sometimes, such as pipes breaking, which is an inconvenience.  Generally, there are no problems, but when a well needs repairs, it can be days for a week or two, depending on what the problem is.

 

Most fraccionamientos (residential subdivision) like La Floresta will have their own well that supplies their residents with water.  

 

Water that comes out of the well is potable, but then the water sits in what we call an aljibi, which is an underground water tank, that’s where the water can get contaminated. You either have to have it filtered, or you can buy bottled water. 

 

I have a reverse osmosis system under my sink in my kitchen so I can drink my water.  We also have a system at home to filter the water as well so it's very clean, and we use a pressure system.  Some people in Mexico use gravity wherein the water is pumped up to a rooftop tank (tinaco), but the tinaco is also where the water can also get contaminated – with the water sitting in the hot sun, or bugs can get in, etc. 

 

When there’s a problem with water supply, you can call “pipas,” which are basically water trucks that have big water tanks. They will come and fill up your cistern with water.  Pipas charges about 700 pesos - 800 pesos (US $34 – US $39) to fill up your tank.

 

If your residence is in town in Chapala and Ajijic, the city will supply you with water. The water supply gets turned on every day or every other day for a certain amount of hours, to supply your tinaco or aljibe. 

 

We have a big tank at home that contains enough water to last us a week, which we clean every few years. I'm very careful with water because we're in a country where water is very important. I don't wait for the water in my sink to get hot to start washing the dishes.  I start washing with cold water, which I do because I have a tremendous amount of respect for water. 

 

Lake Chapala is the largest fresh water lake in all of Mexico, but although it's a large lake, it's not nearly like the lakes that I'm used to back home in Canada. You can get a dry spell after couple of years of not much rain, which can affect the lake level. When I see people washing their terrace with a hose when they could be sweeping it… it drives me nuts because we need to respect water.   On the other hand, I've never had a problem with water here in Chapala. I've never been without water. But we don't really know, in the years to come, and as more people come to Chapala and with Guadalajara using the lake for their water, this could be an issue in the future. That’s probably a negative thing to say, but even back home in Canada, I don't like to see water being wasted. I think water is a commodity that we all have to respect a little bit. 

 

The charges for water consumption in Chapala and Ajijic if you’re on city water depends on the size of your property. An average home would probably cost around 3,000 – 4,000 pesos (US $145 – US $195) a year for water supply. If your property is bigger, you can be charged more than that.

 

(Diagram of water delivered from an underground cistern or aljibe, pictured.)

The best thing about living in Ambergris Caye is that it’s laid back and it’s very peaceful. At Gran Baymen, which is where I work, it is close to town but not as far off. It’s peaceful, yet convenient.

 

It’s also the worst thing in Ambergris Caye that we’re so laid back. As Belizeans we take days to get one thing done and that is one of the complaints that we receive from Americans. If you, for example, are trying to get a...

The best thing about living in Ambergris Caye is that it’s laid back and it’s very peaceful. At Gran Baymen, which is where I work, it is close to town but not as far off. It’s peaceful, yet convenient.

 

It’s also the worst thing in Ambergris Caye that we’re so laid back. As Belizeans we take days to get one thing done and that is one of the complaints that we receive from Americans. If you, for example, are trying to get a legal settlement or legal issue resolved that usually takes a month in the States, here, it takes 3 months. Being pretty laid back both an advantage and disadvantage.

 

I just heard recently that one of our tenants was complaining and saying, “Oh my God, you are not done with my paperwork yet.” And we said, “Yes, Belizeans are terribly laidback.” And he said, “Yeah, I understand that.” To get one paperwork done takes forever. So it’s a pro and a con at the same time.

 

(Grand Baymen oceanfront suites,  Ambergris Caye,  Belize, pictured.)

 

To open a bank account in Portugal, the first thing that you have to do is get a Portuguese fiscal tax number as an individual. A US citizen would apply for a tax number directly from the tax office or they could appoint a tax representative, which is a service that we offer whereby we are nominated as the tax representative for a non-resident. If this is set up, all tax correspondence are sent between the tax office and the tax representative.

 

Some of the...

To open a bank account in Portugal, the first thing that you have to do is get a Portuguese fiscal tax number as an individual. A US citizen would apply for a tax number directly from the tax office or they could appoint a tax representative, which is a service that we offer whereby we are nominated as the tax representative for a non-resident. If this is set up, all tax correspondence are sent between the tax office and the tax representative.

 

Some of the foreign banks are less demanding than the Portuguese banks. There are a lot of foreign banks here; especially Spanish banks. They seem to make life a lot easier when you are opening a bank account here in Portugal. 

 

I do not know if Americans would have an issues related to FATCA when they open a bank account here in Portugal. FATCA has forced the EU to come up with a similar thing called “Common Reporting Standard” so that in 2017, most financial institutions will be communicating to the tax authorities on the accounts held by their depositors.  

 

(Novo Banco -- formerly Banco Espírito Santo-- Lisbon, Portugal, pictured.)