Focus On Mexico

16 Tips to Maximize Your Visit to Lake Chapala

Coming to Lakeside on an Exploratory Visit? Here are some tips to help you maximize your stay. If you are looking at a possible move to the Lake Chapala area, we recommend two main steps. First, plan an exploratory trip to "kick the tires" and see what everyone is talking about. Just why is Lakeside the number one lifestyle destination for people moving full time to Mexico? The second step is to take our interactive online program - ideally before your visit. In this way you will know what you are looking to confirm and can make your visit more than just a pleasant vacation. There … [Read more...]

A Guide to the Move2Mexico RoadMap – An Interactive Online Program

Focus has developed online programs that cover the essentials of moving to Mexico - via an interactive online format. Dozens of our new friends have enjoyed taking the new online format. If getting to a live program is not within reach for now, consider this program! Using our 20+ year experience at helping people transform their lives in Mexico, we've applied our team's local expertise to our online programs and created a 9-Step RoadMap (see below) that walks you through the essential steps of a move to Mexico. Whether you are thinking of moving Part-Time or Full-TIme, the … [Read more...]

Piñatas and Posadas – Christmas in Mexico

Christmas in Mexico is similar yet different from the U.S. depending on what part of the country you live in. Large cities such as Guadalajara tend to have a similar U.S. like frenzied shopping atmosphere, but Christmas in smaller towns and villages is quite distinct. There is much less emphasis on gifts and more emphasis on the family celebrations and traditions surrounding Christmas. I took an informal poll of my ESL students to see what family gifts they were giving for Christmas and was charmed with the simple answers - a bottle of cologne, a shirt, a pair of shoes, a necklace, etc. - … [Read more...]

Lake Chapala’s Location Location Location

Lake Chapala, Mexico’s largest lake, is home to one of Mexico’s largest expat communities. When we run our Focus on Mexico educational programs, I always like to ask, “What are your top reasons for thinking of moving to the Lake Chapala area?” Yes, while the great weather and the lower cost of living are mentioned many times, another important benefit that is often in the top 3 reasons is the good location. The old real estate slogan, “Location Location Location” refers to the importance of the location of a property to its market value. In a similar way, Lake Chapala’s … [Read more...]

ExpatsInMexico Interviews Focus Co-Owner Michael Nuschke

I met Robert Nelson, the owner of the excellent website ExpatsInMexico.com, in Puerto Vallarta. We shared a coffee and talked about our common interests - helping people settle into a new lifestyle in Mexico. We hit it off quite well and had a long discussion about our backgrounds and common passions. Robert suggested we do a video interview that he could put on his website - and I said "Sure!". Here is our discussion; ExpatsInMexico.com is a great website and a worthy addition to anyone doing research on moving to Mexico. ...and speaking of worthy research, have you considered … [Read more...]

Rainy Season at Lake Chapala

Here in Mexico's Lake Chapala area our rainy season runs from approximately June 15 to October 15 varying slightly from year to year. For instance in 2018 it rained all the way through Day of the Dead in November, and 2017 when the rainy season was mostly over by September 30. In 2019, we saw serious flooding in many areas of Mexico and several severe hail storms including one in Guadalajara that left almost 4 feet of hail on the streets. That one made the international news! 2024 was another near record amount of rainfall - good thing, since the previous year had very little and the Lake was … [Read more...]