Local insights, practical guides, and honest perspectives on living, buying, and thriving in San Miguel de Allende — written by Lesley B. Fay.
Recent Stories

Stiltz Home Elevators are now available in San Miguel through Lesley B. Fay. Five practical ways to prevent falls — and the one that removes the staircase risk entirely.
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Marigolds, painted faces, candle-lit cemeteries. La Calaca Festival, the November 2 parade, altars and what to plan for.
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Hospitals, doctors, insurance options, real costs. The honest 2026 guide for foreign residents considering San Miguel.
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TOSMA Saturday market, local organic farms, where to find the real produce. The working guide to San Miguel's organic food scene.
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Where to find what's actually happening this week — and the major annual festivals to plan your year around.
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Mexican specialty coffee from Oaxaca, Chiapas, Veracruz — where to drink it and where to buy beans in San Miguel.
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SPA, Amigos de Animales, Yo Animalitos — the rescue organizations doing the work, and how to actually get involved.
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Three real budgets: single, couple, retiree. Rent, utilities, groceries, healthcare. What San Miguel actually costs in 2026.
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Centro, Guadiana, San Antonio, Atascadero, Los Frailes. An honest colonia-by-colonia guide to where foreigners actually buy.
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Do you need a fideicomiso? Closing costs, notary process, timeline. The 2026 buying guide for foreigners by a local agent.
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Inventory up, prices holding, well-priced homes still moving fast. The market by the numbers — by a working local agent.
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Bringing your dog or cat across the border, the best vets in town, the cafés that welcome them, the rescues that need you, and the honest truth about pet life at 6,135 feet.
Read the guide →Guides on the fideicomiso process, neighborhood-by-neighborhood breakdowns, the realities of building in San Miguel, and more. Have a question you'd like me to write about? Let me know.