I just sold my houseboat in Sechelt, B.C., my sailboat while at my son's place in Eugene, OR, gave away or sold almost everything and headed south. I was headed for the mountains of northeast
Nicaragua when I got south of the city of Oaxaca and encountered all sorts of mayhem from hurricanes, floods, mudslides and road damage further south. Ended up in Mitla about 35-40 mins. southeast of the city of Oaxaca and holed up there o wait out the storms. I fell in love with the area, the people, the climate... I've been to and through
Mexico a lot for decades now and always was drawn to southern Mexico. They're amazing people with a rich culture with outstanding artisans and the land is so beautiful. Warm by day and cool at night.
Now I live in a mini-mansion on a hill for $400 USD a month, all inclusive but for wifi, have made some wonderful friends here, am loving life. Mind you, this place might not be for a lot of folks: other than me, the only other expat is a dying archaeologist, Richard Orlandini, not associated with the somewhat strange folks at the Instituto here in town who study the Zapotec language but live isolated from the people here. Go figure, right? There are very few English-speaking people here, so living here's a crash-course in survival Spanish. I already speak much better Spanish than the expats I've met in the city of Oaxaca do who have been here for years. I had to make friends here, all of whom are Zapotec, other than Richard and the few other expats I've gotten to know in the city.
Upside: Oaxaca is not the city I knew even ten years ago. It's dirty, over-crowded, noisy and the traffic and driving are insane and then some. Living out of the city offers great housing deals, the ability to truly get into the culture (no other choice) and to really learn about the people here, to learn Spanish quickly and well (out of necessity), to actually experience life here which doesn't really happen in the city. I live in a town where the cops don't carry guns and are actually helpful, where there's almost no crime whatsoever, where I listen to crickets, burros, bulls, horses (got one on my land)...and wonderful silence. I have a 360 degree view of the mountains and the pass into the next valley from my star-gazing rooftop with little ambient light in an amazingly clear sky. Got a hammock on my front veranda and get waved to and my name called by my neighbors and their kids along the road to town. If I feel isolated or a bit alone, I go into town or visit others, get hugged and kissed by my new friends or go to the ruins and talk to tourists. If I need some city life, I go to the city on the bus for less than $2. I have my computer to keep in touch with loved ones daily. Rough life.
All the food's organic unless it has those plastic stamps by Dole or Chiquita, etc., the egg yolks are almost orange, the cheese is locally made...wonderful fresh food and very inexpensive. Also, unlike the city, there's almost no cases of Dengue fever here in a year. Same with malaria. The local doctor will make a house call for about $2.
So, if you don't need to be around expats all the time, consider moving away from the cities in outlying areas. To find rentals, just ask at the stores, restaurants, etc. Everyone knows of empty houses it seems. They won't be online or in the papers. I can't imagine living in the city myself. My life is so much richer living in a small town with the locals than it ever could be in the city. If you don't like it in the towns, you can always move to the cities. These are my opinions, and I'm glad they are.
. We lived in a privada for 6 months and I really felt isolated from the real life –I sometimes almost forgot I was in Mexico. We now rent a house in the lively Centro historico (meaning “downtown”) and we still feel very safe. Yes, getting help from a real estate professional is a good idea. Renting a house in Mexico is not as simple as it is in Canada. Lot’s of paperwork is involved and the agent will help you through it. And if you have problems with the house you rent, it might come handy to have the agent on your side –otherwise, getting something fixed by the landlord can take months...and months...and months. As for the shots: if you don’t plan to live near the coast, they are not absolutely necessary but as a minimal precaution,get the Hepatitis vaccine (two successive shots). Finally, do bring your computer –electronics are kind of expensive in Mexico. 
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