Querétaro or Bust
On Thursday, I return to Dallas after what will have been two weeks in Querétaro, a modern, growing city of 1 million people in central Mexico.
It's been a successful trip. I’ve accomplished what I wanted -- to find a rental home. And boy did I find one.
With four bedrooms and three baths and a gated entrance that can hold two cars, it's far more house than a single man like me would ever need. And yet the monthly rent will be significantly lower than what I pay in Dallas for a one-bedroom apartment.
And largely due to the higher elevation, Querétaro’s climate -- highs are in the mid-70s with lows in the 50s pretty much year-round -- allows for no need for air conditioning or heating, which will save me on utilities.
My new home sits on high ground overlooking the city with two rooftop terraces offering stunning views.
I will use one bedroom for myself, another for guests, and another as an office. And the fourth? Well, I'm still thinking about that.
I'll move into Dean's Place at Las Hadas sometime in late May.
My first priority after getting settled will be to enroll in Spanish language classes. Luckily, there is a school for that right around the corner. I could have chosen to live in one of the American enclaves in Mexico, where there would be little need to learn Spanish. But that's not what I want. I want Mexican friends and Mexican neighbors. (Heck, I wouldn't mind having a Mexican wife.)
I'm probably one of only a few Gringos in Las Hadas. That's fine by me.
So why Querétaro?
As I have repeated often, and will do so again, I am not retiring. (I'll do that when I'm dead or when friends tell me that I'm embarrassing myself.) I'm simply changing location, believe it or not, to enhance my quality of life. And I'm sure that poses a lot of questions to many of you.
For business purposes, I'm still in North America, still a relatively short flight away. I will continue to help communities and companies. I have published this edition of The Rising Tide from here in Querétaro.
This once-sleepy city has transformed into an international hub of .aerospace and manufacturing. Companies from all over the world have a presence here, and with it has developed a sizeable (and growing) middle and upper middle.
Some observers view Querétaro as the future Silicon Valley of Mexico, although other cities make the same claim. I'll be living in a city with excellent, modern healthcare and a good airport, with more than 200 flights a day (some direct to the U.S.)
Brandon Talbert, managing director at Austin Consulting, a site selection consulting group based in Cleveland, thinks highly of Querétaro, having helped a company establish operations there.
"We looked at a number of candidate locations in Mexico based on the supply of skilled labor, infrastructure, and safety/quality of life considerations. Querétaro has a significant and growing base of aerospace companies and an overall balanced industrial base compared to other areas that we looked at which were more automotive-focused. It also has a notable presence of international companies from Europe (resonated w/ our client), very low crime, and more favorable costs than Monterrey or Mexico City," Talbert wrote to me in a message on LinkedIn.
"The qualitative attributes ultimately helped push Queretaro to the top. The company's management team felt most comfortable there vs. alternative locations."
Talbert said he is familiar with the Bajio region, as Austin Consulting also has offices in nearby San Luis Potosi, about a two-hour drive north of Querétaro.
"I often mention Querétaro when Americans talk about crime/safety concerns in Mexico. I've walked/ran all over Querétaro (day/night) and feel safer than in most U.S. cities. It's largely managed to insulate itself from the cartels."
I, too, have walked over much of the city. My neighborhood, Las Hadas, is about a 15-minute walk to the old part of the city, the 400-year-old El Centro Historico, where I now have some favorite eating spots.
A Special Thanks
Without the help of Ivonne Paváan and Katia Padron at Host Relocation, moving to Queretaro would have been much more difficult as they know the ins and outs of getting things done.
One Last Thing
I'm still keeping a Dallas mailing address, although it has recently changed. And I'll keep my U.S. mobile number: 972-890-3733.
That address: Barber Business Advisors, LLC, 13101 Preston Rd., Ste 110 #3523 (or #1103523), Dallas, TX 75240
Economic developers should no longer send me gifts in the mail as I have directed that packages not be forwarded to me here in Mexico, which has a pretty bad mailing system from what I have gathered. But thanks for the thought.
In the heart of the Bajio region of Mexico, Querétaro, with a population of about 1 million, is safe, clean, affordable, and has great weather. Living here means you'll have access to great shopping, transportation, quality healthcare, beautiful homes to rent or buy, and low utility costs. P.S. Do yourself a favor and learn Spanish.
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BBA helps communities build a better investment environment and companies find better communities to invest in. For more information, contact me, Dean Barber, at dbarber@barberadvisors.com. Need a speaker? I can be there for you.