Retiring in Mexico: How Amy Sedgwick Built a New Life in Mérida

Live by Design: Mexico Edition (with Taniel Chemsian)

Amy Sedgwick shares her transformative journey of relocating from Portland, Oregon, to Mérida, Mexico, following a structured five-year plan

Key takeaways

• Amy Sedgwick executed a precise five-year plan to transition from a floating house in Oregon to full-time residency in Mexico.
• A major property closing was delayed by four and a half years due to errors in corporate title filings and the death of an attorney.

Main topics

• Relocating to Mexico
• Real Estate Acquisition

Notable quotes

I just decided that in five years, I want to be living in Mexico full-time.

Conclusion

An insightful look at the logistical complexities and immense rewards

Transcript preview

Speaker 2 (0:00) So here I am in Oregon, sitting on my bed, just like down the rabbit hole. And, you know, Playa didn't hit home with me either. And just on a random website where they've got the drop down, like different city options. I looked at Playa, Cancun, and then there was Merida, which is completely different from all those other places. And from the minute I started looking at it online, I was hooked. And I took my first trip in 2019. Speaker 1 (0:29) Welcome to Live by Design Mexico Edition, the podcast about creating freedom, adventure, and a life in Mexico that truly feels like your own. I'm your host, Daniel Chemtian. If you've been dreaming of warmer days, smarter investments, and a future designed on your terms, your journey begins here. Every week, we dive into stories, insights, and strategies to help you make Mexico not just a destination, but a new way of life. We've got so much to cover today, we had to split it into two episodes. So settle in and don't miss a moment. Don't wait for life to happen. Design it. And it starts right here. Speaker 1 (1:09) Hi, Amy. Welcome to the podcast. Thank Speaker 2 (1:12) you. Speaker 1 (1:13) Okay. So for our audience, we actually interviewed Amy about six months ago and our podcast team during the edit said there was a problem with the audio. So you guys have to do it all over again. But when we did our initial interview, you were still in the United States planning on moving to Mexico. Speaker 2 (1:34) And I'm Speaker 1 (1:35) guessing now you are in Mexico. Speaker 2 (1:37) Yes, I am. Hence the big smile. Yes, I'm here full time. Speaker 1 (1:42) All right. So now we're going to talk about the journey. So back then you're planning, you're getting everything lined up. So if you could explain to our audience, where did you live in the United States? And what are all the things you had to like all the logistics you had to get all lined up in order for you to move to Mexico? And where in Mexico did you move to? Oh, Speaker 2 (2:02) my gosh. Okay, this is like a a college course squished into a sweet little interview here. I was born and raised in Portland, Oregon. That is where I moved from. I've lived in other places since, but Oregon, Portland is home. I lived on a floating house. And when I turned 50, I kind of started to evaluate where I was at and where I wanted to set my sights for retirement. And I settled on Mexico. I already speak Spanish and I love the culture and I had spent significant time in Mexico before. And then I made a five-year plan. I sat down and I figured out without knowing how I was going to accomplish it. I just decided that in five years, I want to be living in Mexico full-time, have two homes for rentals. That would be my income and my own home. And I chose to do- Those are Speaker 1 (2:57) big plans. Speaker 2 (2:58) Big, huge plans. Yeah. Massive action to get there. But my home is in Merida, New Mexico. Merida. Yeah. And Speaker 1 (3:07) both rental properties are Merida as well? Speaker 2 (3:09) Yes, they are. They are, as I dictated to the universe, they are within a block of each other and they are in centro, in the most. desirable part of town for a short-term rental and they each have a parking space which is very hard to come by and send. Speaker 1 (3:29) Okay so before we talk about the actual property I want to bring something up you said you made a five-year plan you didn't know how you were going to get there but you know that's something really powerful because I believe in reverse engineering you know where you want to wind up don't worry about the how the how will present itself but you first you have to make a commitment and make that decision, and then everything else is going to fall into place. And Speaker 2 (3:56) some things will fall into place on like a micro level that you don't even realize it. There would be some mornings when I would, you know, jot down a few gratitude things, and then I'd spend five minutes just thinking about my perfect morning in Merida, Mexico, down to a really super tiny level like... My cup of coffee from Blue Bag Coffee Roasters, my favorite place. And all of these things. And I think on a subconscious level as well, that informs decisions throughout the day. I could see this great thing pop up on Amazon Prime Day and just think, you know what? I don't need that. Little things, they all add up. Speaker 1 (4:36) No, they absolutely do. It's all the little steps that all add up. And before you know it, you've crossed the finish line. Amy, why did you... PIC MERIDA over some other cities in Mexico. Have you explored other places in Mexico? I Speaker 2 (4:52) have been to a few places in Mexico. It was the early 90s when I lived on the Pacific side, very close to you, actually. And I was there for three years. So I had explored that side of Mexico. Then I went, I've been to Guadalajara, Guanajuato, San Miguel. And when I first started thinking about where I wanted to end up, I thought about San Miguel, you know, very artistic community. Absolutely Speaker 1 (5:16) beautiful Speaker 2 (5:18) place. But at the time I was fearful. I was afraid that I couldn't afford a property there. San Miguel's getting, you know, it's very expensive now. And it just, something didn't quite hit right with me. And then my uncle, air quotes, uncle, dad's best friend said, Amy, come to Playa del Carmen for a visit. I have a condo there. You'll love it. come check out Playa del Carmen. And I started down the YouTube rabbit hole or the, you know, web browsing rabbit hole of looking at properties. So here I am in Oregon, sitting on my bed, just like down the rabbit hole. And, you know, Playa didn't hit home with me either. And just on a random website where they've got the drop down, like different city options. I looked at Playa, Cancun, and then there was Merida. which is completely different from all those other places. And from the minute I started looking at it online, I was hooked. And I took my first trip in 2019. Speaker 1 (6:19) And that cinched it? Speaker 2 (6:21) That cinched it. I took my first trip January 2019. Six months later, I came back and I bought the first house. Speaker 1 (6:27) Okay. Yeah. Wow. You don't waste time. Okay. So let me ask you this. You went back home. And was that the moment where you made your five-year plan and then you went back and bought the house? Speaker 2 (6:40) Yeah, it was. I mean, I think my initial trip in January of 2019 was a bit scouting. But once I saw Merida and understood what it was and how it had everything I was looking for, I went home and I started scratching out a plan. Speaker 1 (6:59) Okay, so what were you looking for? What's so special about Merida that really connected with you? Speaker 2 (7:04) Yeah, so I like, you know, if I had like wads and wads of money, I may be interested in Mexico City as well. But there's part of me as I get older, like I just didn't want a mega city, like a huge city, like a Mexico City or Guadalajara, which is super cool. But I wanted enough city. So Merida is I don't know what it is right now. It's probably 1.3 million people. Amazing healthcare. Safest or, well, safest city in Mexico, I believe, or maybe it's the second safest city in Mexico and