The article begins by stating that 34,000 people have died because of the drug war, yet it does not point out that that virtually all of the drug related violence has taken place in only a few specific boarder towns or that tourists and innocent bystanders have not and are not being targeted. The article makes no effort to contextualize these numbers with US murder figures as they would have had to acknowledge that Mexico has a murder rate of about 9.8 per every 100,000 people, which is actually less than that of US cities like Phoenix (12.6), Houston (12.5), and Los Angeles (17.1) (source).
This stretch of Mexico’s Pacific coastline has already been developed to a high level. Life here can be comfortable and easy. This isn’t developing-world living. This is a lifestyle that is truly comparable to the best you could enjoy in southern California, if you could afford it.
You can find dramatically beautiful Pacific coastline lots of places. Much harder to come by is an already-in-place infrastructure. In this seaside city you aren’t buying for someday. In Puerto Vallarta, you have the opportunity to buy a world-class lifestyle in a region with beautiful beaches and ocean views and plenty of golf courses, marinas, restaurants, and shopping. You can’t compare retirement in Puerto Vallarta with retirement in Salinas, Ecuador or Las Tablas, Panama, which are both emerging regions that don’t yet have international-standard amenities.
1 .Easy access from the United States.
The important thing to recognize about Puerto Vallarta is that a lifestyle of the rich and famous is not some property developer’s vision or speculator’s dream. The Pacific coast in and around Puerto Vallarta has been invested in over decades not only by developers and speculators, but also by the Mexican government. As a result, in Puerto Vallarta can you plug into a fully developed retirement lifestyle that you can actually afford. You probably won’t be able to live well here on Social Security income alone. But if your retirement budget is a bit bigger, consider this comfortable oceanside city.
Kathleen Peddicord is the founder of the Live and Invest Overseas publishing group. With more than 25 years experience covering this beat, Kathleen reports daily on current opportunities for living, retiring, and investing overseas in her free e-letter. Her book, How To Retire Overseas—Everything You Need To Know To Live Well Abroad For Less, was recently released by Penguin Books.
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AARP The Magazine Travels the Globe to Reveal the Top 5 Best Places to Retire Abroad.
Experts in celebrating the next chapter in life, AARP The Magazine traveled the globe to discover the ultimate retirement destinations abroad. Factoring climate, expat community, cost of living, housing, health care, access to the U.S. and culture and leisure, AARP The Magazine reveals the top five locales in its September/October issue, available in homes and online today. See what regions in Mexico, France, Panama, Portugal and Italy have to offer—castles, palm trees, rain forests, grilled lobster—in their unique and unparalleled retirement experiences.
1. MEXICO — Puerto VallartaPuerto Vallarta, Mexico is the undisputed number one destination for American retirees. With its rich Indian and Spanish culture, lavish beaches and affordable real-estate, Puerto Vallarta offers the low-cost, laid back lifestyle retirees seek to find in a community.Some Reasons we love it:• Climate: Winters—sunny, pleasantly warm; summers—rainy, humid hot
• Expat Community: Estimated at 50,000 American retirees
• Access to the U.S.: Excellent2. FRANCE — Languedoc-RoussillonOnce remote, the Languedoc-Roussillon region is now just three hours from the bright lights and bustling energy of Paris via high-speed train. The area is steeped in history and art. Languedoc-Roussillon is also a destination for the outdoor crowd with picturesque hills and beach along its Mediterranean seashore.Some Reasons we love it:• Climate: Mediterranean—hot and dry summers; cool winters
• Cost of Living: Not cheap, but a comfortably frugal life can be had for $30,000 a year
• Heath Care: Excellent. French health care has been named the best in the world by the World Health Organization3. PANAMA — BoquetePanama is a smart choice for retirees who want it all. Not only does it feature attractive retiree destinations, Panama also offers an unbeatable package of retiree benefits and discounts. Boquete has a unique range of back-home amenities, from a golf course to high-end gated communities.Some Reasons we love it:• Expat Community: An estimated several thousand
• Housing Costs: A small house goes for $175,000; in a gated community, $250,000 and up. Rentals: about $600 a month for a two bedroom house
• Culture and Leisure: Rainforest hiking, river rafting, bird watching and coffee plantation tours keep Panama a bustling location for leisure4. PORTUGAL — CascaisMany wonder why Portugal has long been overlooked by American retirees. A plentitude of golf, beaches, resorts and trendy cafe life makes Portugal one of Europe's most pleasant surprises for retirees.Some Reasons we love it:• Cost of Living: A comfortable life can be had on $25,000 a year
• Health Care: Good. Nearby hospitals include the well-regarded British Hospital in Lisbon
• Access to the U.S.: Excellent. Direct flights to-and-from the U.S. fly out of Lisbon5. ITALY — Le MarcheLe Marche, bordering the Adriatic, is beautiful region with vineyards, snow-capped mountains and beaches a plenty. It also prides itself on the best fish dishes in the country and is trendy enough to have snagged Dustin Hoffman as a tourism spokesperson!Some Reasons we love it:• Climate: Mostly sunny
• Expat Community: Relatively few; an international mix
• Culture and Leisure: An incomparable mix of open-air opera festivals, Renaissance painting and architecture, wine tasting and nature reserves
http://www.aarp.org/about-aarp/press-center/info-07-2010/best_places_retire_abroad.html
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Mexico seeks more tourists but is it safe to go?
White beaches, colonial cities, Mayan pyramids, world-class cuisine — these are some of the obvious draws that bring 22 million foreigners to Mexico each year.
Now, Mexican tourism authorities are also highlighting some off-the-beaten-path destinations, promoting 10 "Routes of Mexico " in an advertising campaign in the United States and Canada .
The beautifully crafted ads on cable TV and in mass-market magazines show no images of another facet of the nation: the bloody war between drug cartels that's made parts of northern Mexico more akin to Afghanistan than a tranquil holiday destination.
Would-be tourists are left with a lingering question: Where is it safe to go in Mexico ?
It's a question that the Mexico Tourism Board doesn't answer. Its officials say foreigners can go just about anywhere. Itineraries suggested on the visitmexico.com website include violence-ravaged states such as Michoacan , Chihuahua, Sinaloa and Durango, where the U.S. State Department urges U.S. citizens to exercise "extreme caution."
McClatchy analyzed the "Routes of Mexico " using State Department travel advisories as a guide. The upshot: four of the 10 routes should be avoided and one is questionable. The other five appear safe, according to State Department guidance.
One official said it is not the board's duty to advise tourists on safety.
"Our job isn't to talk about security. Our job is to talk about the assets we have as a country," said Rodolfo Lopez Negrete , the tourism board's operating chief. "The positives vastly outweigh these kinds of very isolated situations we have in the country."
Stephen E. Austin , the executive director of market research for the board, said that "If the route is set up, it's okay to be there." He said he'd been in one of the Mexican states that the State Department considers dangerous, Michoacan , a few weeks earlier and that the warning is overblown. " Michoacan has a very high end tourism product, by the way, very high end."
For those considering a trip to Mexico , it's advisable to read the State Department's constantly updated travel advisories about Mexico . It's also a good idea to do an Internet news search about violence in and around a specific destination.
"Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year," said a State Department warning dated July 16 . It notes that roughly a million Americans live in Mexico , and that resort and tourist destinations don't see the violence of border areas or drug trafficking corridors.
However, it adds that more than 22,700 people have been killed in drug-related violence since late 2006, and that gunfights are a feature of streets in a number of cities. Drug traffickers have "kidnapped guests out of reputable hotels" in the bustling city of Monterrey , it adds, and drug-related murders climbed tenfold in Durango in recent years.
Mexico has reason to safeguard its tourism industry by downplaying violence. Tourism is the nation's third-largest source of revenue, and it generates one out of every 7.7 jobs in Mexico .
The 10 "Routes of Mexico " advertising campaign began July 12 in U.S. markets and is designed to educate tourists that Mexico is far richer in possible destinations than they realize. The slogan is, "The place you thought you knew."
The campaign seeks to draw tourists with special interests in activities such as wine drinking, bird watching, adventure travel, gastronomy and visiting colonial and historical sites.
With the caveat that Mexico's security situation changes weekly, here's a brief safety review of the 10 routes promoted by Mexico , based on recent news reports and the State Department warnings. The rating uses green, cautionary yellow and a "don't-go" red, and errs on the side of caution.
Wine country and the aquarium of the world: This route traverses from Tijuana down the Baja California peninsula. Tijuana is the site of extensive drug-related violence, but the farther one travels away, the safer it gets. YELLOW.
The millenary Tarahumaras: This route takes tourists through remote areas of two of Mexico's most violence-ridden states, Chihuahua and Sinaloa . RED.
Magic of traditions and nature: Tourists visit colonial Morelia in Michoacan state, travel through rural areas and end up in Acapulco in Guerrero state. The State Department urges Americans to avoid all unnecessary travel to Michoacan . Acapulco was the site of a daylight shootout between police and drug traffickers in the hotel zone on April 14 that left three people dead. RED.
Birthplace of history and romanticism: This route takes tourists to some of the most beautiful and quaint colonial cities in Guanajuato , Queretaro and Jalisco . GREEN.
Art of tequila and music under the sol: Following this route through Jalisco , Nayarit and Colima brings tourists to Guadalajara , through volcanic landscapes and fields of agave, from which tequila is made. Nayarit has seen an increase in violence, but the route avoids the capital of Tepic , where much of it has occurred. GREEN.
The Huastecas and their outstanding beauty: This route traverses Hidalgo, Veracruz , Tamaulipas and San Luis Potosi states along the Gulf of Mexico . If you cut out Tamaulipas state, where beheadings and kidnappings have been intense, the route may be GREEN, but including Tamaulipas makes it RED.
Thousand flavors of mole, a blend of unsweetened chocolate, dried chili peppers and spices: Tourists on a gastronomic quest for this national dish visit Mexico City , and the states of Tlaxcala , Puebla and Oaxaca . GREEN.
Mystery and origin of the Mayan culture: This route takes travelers across Chiapas , Tabasco, Campeche and the Yucatan to visit Mayan ruins. GREEN.
Colonial experience: Tourists plunge into history by visiting colonial cities that played a role in wars of independence or revolution. The route traverses Guanajuato , Aguascalientes , Zacatecas , Jalisco and San Luis Potosi . GREEN.
Encounter between history and modern day: This lengthy route takes tourists to major cities in some of Mexico's most violent states: Durango, Coahuila , Nuevo Leon and Sonora. Eighteen people were killed at a July 18 birthday party in the capital of Coahuila , Torreon . A prison warden let the assailants out of jail to do the killing. In Durango, eight severed heads were left strewn around the state one morning in late July. Enough said.
http://www.mcclatchydc.com/2010/08/03/98559/mexico-seeks-more-tourists-but.html
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CNBC’s Stock Market Guru, Jim Cramer, Urges Investing in Mexico
Jim Cramer, the Bombastic, high-energy investment Guru and host of CNBC’s massively successful show “Mad Money”, gave Mexico real estate investment a big boost this week. Cramer told his audience:
“It`s not such a bad idea to diversify away from stocks, I think that out of favor real estate in Mexico, that`s easily accessible... represents a great buy”.
With as many as 2.5 million investors viewing the show each week, the controversial host wields quite a bit of influence among his viewership and in the marketplace as a whole. His following is so intense that it has created a unique phenomenon in the stock market known as the “Cramer Bounce”, which can be best described “as the sudden overnight appreciation of a stock’s price after it has been recommended by Jim Cramer on his CNBC show”, “Mad Money”.
Why does Cramer have such clout? Well, after graduating magna cum laude from Harvard College, his first year as a rookie broker with Goldman Sachs, he made over $700,000. After he paid his dues at Goldman, Cramer started his own $450 million hedge fund where he earned 24% after fees, regularly taking home over $10 million a year. Cramer’s fund finished in 2001, up 36%, compared to -11% for the S&P 500 average and walked away with $100 million and change.
Since then, he founded TheStreet.com and has written five New York Times best selling books and his articles are featured in Time and New York Magazines. He also a frequent guest on Meet the Press, Today Show, 60 Minutes, NBC’s Nightly News, The Tonight Show and most major financial networks.
Following his own advice, Cramer recently announced to his audience that he had already purchased three properties in Mexico within the last few weeks. When asked about hyped headlines about drug violence and turmoil in Mexico, Cramer downplayed those fears, he said, "Mexico is a big country and not every province, every state is involved in the drug trade”, and he added, “it has to be one of the nicest places I`ve ever been."
When asked why he invested money in Mexico real estate, he replied, There is “no property tax,” the properties are “incredibly easy to maintain,” and there are “property managers everywhere.”
http://www.investmentpropertiesmexico.org/2010/07/cnbcs-stock-market-guru-urges-investing.html
Errata: The statement about property taxes is not correct. BUT, they are substantially lower when compared to countries such as the U.S. and Canada.
Mexico does have property tax, however is it so low (less than 1%) it seems as if it is non-existent.
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Best Mexican Vacations: 2010
Mexico is an exceptionally varied country. The reputation of its border towns often overshadows the attraction its thriving beach destinations and in-land cultural meccas. The rankings below represent the consensus about the best Mexican vacations based on traveler and expert reviews across the Web. The list includes only the most popular places. We're adding new ones all the time. Check back soon if your favorite spot isn't here yet.
#1
Puerto Vallarta
Why go: Puerto Vallarta gets more rave reviews than most other Mexican vacation spots. The blend of excellent beaches, authentic regional cuisine and a quaint setting sets "PV" apart from Cancún, Cabo San Lucas and other package tourist centers.
#2
Mexico City
Why go: The world's third largest city, Mexico City is steeped in history, culture and (unfortunately) an undue reputation. Safety concerns have kept some visitors away in recent years, but crime in the Mexican capital is not as significant as many assume. If you venture here, you'll find excellent, affordable hotels and restaurants and a litany of cultural sites to explore -- both within the city and nearby.
#3
Tulum
Why go: It's not just a set of Mayan ruins anymore. Tulum has emerged as the new frontier of the Riviera Maya's beach empire. However, Tulum hasn't yet succumbed to the mega-resort influences that have overtaken Cancún and parts of Playa del Carmen. Nature lovers, yoga lovers, and secluded beach lovers alike can still find solace here. But hurry up. The empire is expanding.
#4
Playa del Carmen
Why go: Once a sleepy neighbor to Cancún, Playa del Carmen has expanded rapidly into a top beach destination of its own. "Playa" has a vibrant restaurant and bar scene in the very walkable downtown, and the hotel options are more varied than Cancún itself. And of course, there's the beach.
#5
Cabo San Lucas
Why go: "Cabo" is party central in the Mexican Baja peninsula. The tourist set skews towards Californians and other West Coasters, since it's a longer plane ride from the Eastern U.S. and Europe than destinations in the Yucatan. But Cabo San Lucas separates itself from the Yucatan's party capital, Cancún, with both natural beauty and (arguably) the world's best fish tacos.
#6
Cozumel
Why go: Cozumel is probably best known for two things: coral reefs and cruise boats. The shallow reefs surrounding the island are considered some of the world's best for snorkelers and divers. But many visitors come here as part of an excursion from their cruise boat (there are several who dock here every day). This gives the main town a package "cruise port" feel, but if you come for what's underwater and not what's on land -- you might not mind at all.
#7
Cancun
Why go: Cancún is one of North America's ultimate spring break vacation spots. Wide beaches, a huge party scene and frequent flights to the U.S. make it a tremendously popular place. But Cancún also has a reputation for being overdeveloped and Americanized. If you're here to either party or relax at a resort, Cancún could be a great choice. But if you're looking for a cultural or secluded experience, you'll need to skip town.
http://travel.usnews.com/rankings/best_mexico_vacations/
Set against a backdrop of rippling mountains and the sweeping Bahía de Banderas on the Pacific Coast, Puerto Vallarta is one of Mexico's most visually striking cities. The big draw here is the outdoors -- whether you want to cool off in a waterfall, scuba dive with manta rays off Islas Marietas or enjoy a sunset stroll along the Malecón promenade. This sophisticated resort has boutique shopping, happening nightlife and some of Mexico's best dining, yet retains its small-town charm with its tangle of cobbled streets scattered with traditional adobe houses.
Things to Do
The Pacific draws beach and watersports lovers to Playa Olas Altasand lively Playa de los Muertos. Boat tours leave Puerto Vallarta for the coral reefs around Los Arcos and Islas Marietas, home to dolphins and gliding manta rays. From November to March, you might even spot migrating humpback whales. Cool off under the Botanical Gardens's wild palms in the Sierra Madre Mountains, and with a waterfall swim at the riverside restaurant Chico's Paradise. At sunset, sculptures like the iconic seahorse are dramatically silhouetted on the seafrontMalecón boardwalk.
Shopping
Mexican art and crafts are Puerto Vallarta's best buys. You'll find good deals on sarapes (traditional shawls), brightly colored piñatas (papier-mâché models), huaraches (leather sandals) and silver at the Mercado de Artesanías, but be prepared to haggle. In the cobbled streetsdowntown and along the breezy Malecón, independent galleries and boutiques entice shoppers with contemporary art, leather, wall hangings, and vivid yarn paintings and beadwork.
Nightlife and Entertainment
Puerto Vallarta's fiesta starts on the street, with mariachis singing their hearts out on the Malecón, and free weekend bands and dancing on the leafy Plaza Principal. Downtown is a heady mix of DJ bars, salsa clubs and late-night cafes; some places are gay-only. Isla Cuale has a more low-key, romantic feel, as does cosmopolitan Marina Vallarta. Sip a glass of wine as the pianist plays at Constantini, the most fashionable lounge in town.
Restaurants and Dining
An influx of top chefs from around the globe and November's gourmet festival have solidified Puerto Vallarta's fine dining reputation. Restaurants dish up everything from Modern European to Thaidowntown, some with ocean-facing terraces. Everybody is talking about Trio's creative Mediterranean dishes and Thierry Blouet's imaginative menu at Café des Artistes. South of the river is great for fish, Mexican, and Asian food at the popular Archie's Wok. For gourmet sandwiches try Marina Vallarta and cheap tacos theMercado Municipal.
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Best Places to Retire Abroad
Mexico
First-class urban amenities and charming palm-fringed villages draw retirees to the Puerto Vallarta region.
by: Barry Golson | from: AARP The Magazine | September/October 2010 issue
From left: San Pancho Beach. San Pancho; Nancy Ruth & Bernice of El Tacorriendo Sayulita. — Jason Varney
— Jack Unruh
With its profoundly rich Indian and Spanish culture, its spectacular beaches and charming colonial hill towns, its real estate bargains and its proximity to the United States, Mexico is the undisputed number one destination for American retirees. It boasts thriving expat communities in Lake Chapala, near Guadalajara; San Miguel de Allende, in Guanajuato; Baja California; and Cancún, in the Yucatan. They all have their attractions, including a low-cost, laid-back lifestyle, but our choice in Mexico is the Puerto Vallarta region, located on the Pacific Coast in the state of Nayarit. Its combination of first-class urban amenities and charming palm-fringed villages have made it an appealing retiree draw as well as a popular tourist destination, without the serious crime that blights some other parts of the country.
(A quick word about crime and safety in Mexico: Yes, it's extremely dangerous in the cities bordering the United States and a few places elsewhere. Mexico, however, is also nearly three times the size of Texas, and most of the country is reasonably safe and secure, especially resort areas and tourist destinations.)
Puerto Vallarta's handsome beachfront promenade can be overcrowded with tourists, but venture a few blocks back from the bars and curio shops, and the town's Mexican charms are on display—whitewashed houses bedecked with flowers, and plazas where locals and expats alike greet, eat, and seat themselves on benches to watch the passing parade. In Nuevo Vallarta, the newer luxury area, you’ll find U.S.-style condo complexes and even a mall. You’d think you're back in the States, but at a steep discount.
Forty minutes north of PV, the seaside village of Sayulita is a lively place, with a colorful mix of tourists, retirees, and surfer dudes that keeps things hopping. Rollie Dick, 70, and his wife, Jeanne, 65, both former teachers from California, own and operate the town’s most popular restaurant—Rollie’s—known for its delicious quesadillas and a chef who dances his guests around the tables. "We love the plaza life," Dick says. "It reminds me of the States in the ’50s."
The one thing expats most appreciate about life here: the traditional Mexican friendliness. Peter Glass, 65, a former Procter & Gamble executive, lives with his wife, Charlotte, in a charming small house in Sayulita. An African American from Washington, D.C., he says that "Mexico is the only country I’ve experienced where I haven’t felt that I was being judged one way or the other by the color of my skin. It is a breath of the proverbial fresh air.
A Journalist view of Mexico.
By Linda Ellerbee
Sometimes I’ve been called a maverick because I don’t always agree with my colleagues, but then, only dead fish swim with the stream all the time. The stream here is Mexico .
You would have to be living on another planet to avoid hearing how dangerous
Mexico has become, and, yes, it’s true drug wars have escalated violence in Mexico , causing collateral damage, a phrase I hate. Collateral damage is a cheap way of saying that innocent people, have been robbed, hurt or killed.
But that’s not the whole story. Neither is this. This is my story...
I’m a journalist who lives in
New York City , but has spent considerable time in Mexico , specifically Puerto Vallarta , for the last four years. I’m in Vallarta now. And despite what I’m getting from the U.S. media, the 24-hour news networks in particular, I feel as safe here as I do at home in New York , possibly safer. I walk the streets of my Vallarta neighborhood alone day or night. And I don’t live in a gated community, or any other All-Gringo neighborhood. I live in Mexico . Among Mexicans. I go where I want (which does not happen to include bars where prostitution and drugs are the basic products), and take no more precautions than I would at home in New York; which is to say I don’t wave money around, I don’t act the Ugly American, I do keep my eyes open, I’m aware of my surroundings, and I try not to behave like a fool.
I’ve not always been successful at that last one. One evening a friend left the house I was renting in Vallarta at that time, and, unbeknownst to me, did not slam the automatically-locking door on her way out. Sure enough, less than an hour later a stranger did come into my house. A burglar? Robber? Kidnapper? Killer? Drug lord?
No, it was a local police officer, the “beat cop” for our neighborhood, who, on seeing my unlatched door, entered to make sure everything (including me) was okay. He insisted on walking with me around the house, opening closets, looking behind doors and, yes, even under beds, to be certain no one else had wandered in, and that nothing was missing. He was polite, smart and kind, but before he left, he lectured me on having not checked to see that my friend had locked the door behind her. In other words, he told me to use my common sense.
Do bad things happen here? Of course they do. Bad things happen everywhere, but the murder rate here is much lower than, say, New Orleans, and if there are bars on many of the ground floor windows of houses here, well, the same is true where I live, in Greenwich Village, which is considered a swell neighborhood — house prices start at about $4 million (including the bars on the ground floor windows).
There are good reasons thousands of people from the
United States are moving to Mexico every month, and it’s not just the lower cost of living, a hefty tax break and less snow to shovel. Mexico is a beautiful country, a special place. The climate varies, but is plentifully mild, the culture is ancient and revered, the young are loved unconditionally, the old are respected.
And then there are the people. Generalization is risky, but— in general — Mexicans are warm, friendly, generous and welcoming. If you smile at them, they smile back. If you greet a passing stranger on the street, they greet you back. If you try to speak even a little Spanish, they tend to treat you as though you were fluent. Or at least not an idiot. I have had taxi drivers track me down after leaving my wallet or cell phone in their cab. I have had someone run out of a store to catch me because I have overpaid by twenty cents. I have been introduced to and come to love a people who celebrate a day dedicated to the dead as a recognition of the cycles of birth and death and birth — and the 15th birthday of a girl, an important rite in becoming a woman — with the same joy.
Too much of the noise you’re hearing about how dangerous it is to come to
Mexico is just that — noise. But the media love noise, and too many journalists currently making it don’t live here. Some have never even been here. They just like to be photographed at night, standing near a spotlighted border crossing, pointing across the line to some imaginary country from hell. It looks good on TV.
Another thing. The
U.S. media tend to lump all of Mexico into one big bad bowl. The recent rise in violence in Mexico has mostly occurred in a few states, and especially along the border. It is real, but it does not describe an entire country.
It would be nice if we could put what’s going on in
Mexico in perspective, geographically and emotionally. It would be nice if we could remember that, as has been noted more than once, these drug wars wouldn’t be going on if people in the United States didn’t want the drugs, or if other people in the United States weren’t selling Mexican drug lords the guns. Most of all, it would be nice if more people in the United States actually came to this part of America ( Mexico is also America , you will recall) to see for themselves what a fine place Mexico really is, and how good a vacation (or a life) here can be.
So come on down and get to know your southern neighbors. I think you’ll like it here. Especially the people.
Retirement & Second Homes in Mexico 2011… A “half full or half empty” market?
La Fundación de Retiro Internacional ha señalado que México sigue siendo el destino número uno de jubilación para los norteamericanos.
Encabezados recientes en periódicos de los Estados Unidos y las agencias de noticias como CBS / AP y CNN han publicado artículos sobre el éxito del gobierno mexicano en las capturas recientes de notorios líderes de los cárteles de drogas. Dos de las detenciones más destacadas se llevaron a cabo tan sólo el mes pasado. El líder del cártel de La Familia, José de Jesús Méndez Vargas, alias “El Chango”, fue arrestado en el estado de Aguascalientes, sin incidentes.
De mayor interés nacional tanto en México como en Estados Unidos fue la captura y detención de Jesús Enrique Rejón Aguilar, conocido como “El Mamito”, fundador y líder del cártel de los Zetas, que estaba vinculado al asesinato del Agente del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas de los Estados Unidos, Jaime Zapata, el 14 de febrero de 2011. Según el jefe de la división antidroga de la policía federal de México, Ramón E. Pequeño, la detención de Rejón es un triunfo para el gobierno de México y la captura de “El Mamito” es emblemática, porque fue uno de los Zetas originales.
La iniciativa que el presidente mexicano, Felipe Calderón, estableció durante su gobierno no ha disminuido para erradicar la narco-violencia, de hecho, ganó impulso con mayor éxito, como se demuestra con los arrestos realizados durante 2010 y 2011.
Estos arrestos deben ser noticia importante para los turistas norteamericanos, los jubilados y los compradores de una segunda vivienda en México, aun cuando éste sigue siendo afectado por la publicidad negativa en los Estados Unidos y la percepción que muchos tienen de él como país peligroso. Y es que esta percepción no es correcta, México debe continuar informando de sus éxitos en la lucha contra el cártel de la narco-violencia.
Los norteamericanos, necesitan saber que la violencia fronteriza se produce esporádicamente y, de hecho, se limita a áreas geográficas específicas que no afectan puntos de interés turístico o de retiro, ni lugares de segunda residencia.
Según indicó el Departamento de Estado de los Estados Unidos en un comunicado de prensa el pasado mes de Abril de 2011:
“No hay evidencia de que los turistas de Estados Unidos hayan sido el objetivo de los delincuentes debido a su ciudadanía… Millones de ciudadanos de los Estados Unidos visitan México cada año, incluyendo más de 150,000 personas que cruzan la frontera todos los días, ya sea por estudio, turismo o negocios, y por lo menos un millón de ciudadanos norteamericanos viven en México… Los lugares temporada y destinos turísticos en México por lo general no ven los niveles de violencia relacionada con drogas y delitos denunciados en la región fronteriza, a lo largo de las rutas de tráfico más importantes.”
El Presidente Calderón y su administración han ido muy lejos declarando el 2011 como el “Año del Turismo”. La Secretaría de Turismo (SECTUR) reportó ingresos de 11.9 mil millones de dólares en 2010 por turismo internacional pronosticando un incremento de los ingresos turísticos para 2011. Durante 2010, México recibió 22.6 millones de turistas, según el Congreso Mundial de Cámaras 2011 (organizado por la Federación Mundial de Cámaras de la ICC). También se pronostica un crecimiento del 4.8% en el PIB de México para el año 2011, en comparación con el 5.2% en 2010; es decir, dos puntos porcentuales superior al pronóstico realizado por los Estados Unidos para 2011.
La Fundación de Retiro Internacional ha señalado que México sigue siendo el destino número
uno de jubilación para los norteamericanos.
La fundación también pronosticó que 6 millones de jubilados norteamericanos vivirán en México para el año 2025. Eso equivale a un aumento de 4 millones de jubilados en los próximos 14 años. Frontera NorteSur informó que la Asociación Americana de Personas Jubiladas declaró una vez más a Puerto Vallarta como el destino número uno para los jubilados en el año 2010, por lo que no sería difícil imaginar que Puerto Vallarta será de nuevo el destino de retiro número uno en 2011. Los ciudadanos Canadienses son los compradores predominantes en Puerto Vallarta, que representan aproximadamente el 50% de sus transacciones inmobiliarias. Lo mismo puede decirse para el mercado de Los Cabos, así como para el mercado de San Miguel de Allende. Los arribos a México procedentes de Canadá aumentaron un 22% en 2010 según lo informado por la Secretaría
de Turismo de México. Es una bendición que el mercado turístico residencial en México haya obtenido este aumento en sus ventas, gracias al mercado Canadiense, dado que la gran mayoría de los estadounidenses siguen sentados en sus bolsillos, esperando ver lo que ocurrirá con la economía de EE.UU. En 2011 los precios de la vivienda en México han seguido disminuyendo, esto ha creado una maravillosa oportunidad de compra para aquellos que tienen el ingreso disponible, para aprovechar los precios más bajos.
Parece que hay un “tocar fondo” en los valores de los diferentes mercados, el cual se mantendrá durante los próximos meses. La actividad de ventas en liquidación aún encabeza la lista con los precios residenciales, por estar abajo en un 30 a 50% de su valor desde 2008. La mayoría de los mercados están experimentando el cierre de 10 a 15 transacciones por mes. No parece ser un aumento significativo en el cierre de cada mes, pero sin duda, hay una serie de “estira y afloja” en los contratos negociados en todos los mercados. Los compradores saben que es buen tiempo para adquirir y negociar hasta el final, tratando de obtener el precio más bajo que un vendedor está dispuesto a aceptar. Un punto brillante a destacar en el mercado ha sido el número de financiamiento que los bancos mexicanos han venido realizando. Tanto BBVA Compass/LNB y Scotiabank han ofrecido productos hipotecarios competitivos para acreditados estadounidenses y canadienses con tasas de interés razonables. Los corredores hipotecarios han visto un incremento en sus oportunidades de negocio para colocar hipotecas en los últimos meses.
Se puede decir que las ventas forzosas de propiedad y la baja en los precios han reducido la construcción de viviendas nuevas, en términos generales. Es difícil construir un proyecto que pueda competir con el inventario existente, junto con el número de propiedades disponibles, a menos que los puntos de construcción de nuevos precios estén en línea con los valores vigentes en un mercado determinado. Este escenario no es probable que cambie en los próximos 12-18 meses. Sin embargo, si un proyecto puede ser ofrecido a 200 mil o 500 mil dólares para la nueva construcción, su actividad de ventas puede llegar a ser rápido. Ha habido nuevos desarrollos en el mercado de Puerto Vallarta que, por ejemplo, han experimentando buenas ventas como resultado de que los precios de sus unidades se encuentran en ese rango. Cabe señalar que la conversión de un edificio existente sin terminar podría ser una oportunidad de desarrollo ideal para un desarrollo de retiro, de proyecto de vida independiente o activa. Si la Fundación de Retiro Internacional es correcta en su estimación, habrá 4 millones de jubilados más en México para el año 2025, por lo que desarrolladores e inversionistas deberán buscar esta oportunidad y lo que existe en el mercado para su conversión. Los “baby boomers” estarán buscando lugares de retiro fuera de los EE.UU. -pero sólo si los precios se encuentran asequibles-, como una renta de jubilación fijada determinará la forma en que puedan vivir y lo que puedan comprar. La gran mayoría buscará destinos que ofrezcan
un estilo de vida confortable, con buena atención de salud, desarrollo, servicios culturales, con seguridad y con la capacidad de transporte aéreo. Muchas ciudades de México ofrecerán exactamente lo que los jubilados del norte de América y los compradores de segunda vivienda andan buscando. Por todas estas razones y muchas más, ¡México es un mercado que está “medio lleno”!
6 millones de jubilados norteamericanos vivirán en México para el año 2025, lo que equivale a un aumento de 4 millones de jubilados en los próximos 14 años.
The International Retirement Foundation
has said that Mexico is still the number one
retirement destination for North Americans.
Recent headlines in U.S. newspapers and news agencies like CBS/AP and CNN have published articles about the Mexican government’s success in recent captures of notorious drug cartel leaders. Two of the most noteworthy arrests have come in just the last month. The head of the La Familia drug cartel, Jose de Jesus Mendez Vargas, aka “El Chango”, was arrested in the central state of Aguascalientes without incident. Of greater national interest both in Mexico and in the United States was the capture and arrest of Jesus Enrique Rejón Aguilar, known as “El Mamito”, the Zetas cartel founder and leader who was connected with the killing of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent, Jaime Zapata, on February 14, 2011. According to Mexico’s federal police anti-drug division chief, Ramon E. Pequeño, the arrest of Rejón is “a triumph for the Mexican government. El Mamito’s capture is emblematic because he was one of the original Zetas.” The initiative that Mexican President Felipe Calderon established during his administration to eradicate narco-violence at the highest levels in the cartels has not waned. It has, in fact, gained momentum with greater success as evidenced by multiple arrests during 2010 and 2011. These arrests should be of significant news to North American tourists, retirees and second home buyers. Mexico continues to be plagued by negative publicity in the U.S. and the perception by many that it is a dangerous country. This perception is simply not correct.
Mexico must continue to increase reporting of successes in the fight against cartel narcoviolence. Americans, likewise, need to know where the sporadic border violence occurs and the fact that it is limited to specific geographic locations that do not impact touristic destinations or retirement and second home haunts. According to the U.S. Department of State in a recent press release on April 22, 2011: “There is no evidence that U.S. tourists have been targeted by criminal elements due to their citizenship… Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year, including more than 150,000 who cross the border every day for study, tourism or business, and at least one million U.S. citizens who live in Mexico… Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major trafficking routes.” President Calderon and his administration have even gone so far as to declare 2011 the “Year of Tourism”. Mexico’s tourism agency SECTUR reported the international tourism income as $11.9B in 2010 with an expected increase in touristic revenues for 2011. 22.6M tourists came to Mexico in 2010, according to the World Chamber Congress 2011. They also forecasted Mexican GDP at 4.8% growth for 2011 as compared with 5.2% in 2010. That is two percentage points higher than the U.S. forecast for 2011. The International Retirement Foundation has said that Mexico is still the number one retirement destination for North Americans. The foundation also predicted that 6,000,000 retired Americans will live in Mexico by 2025. That equates to an increase of 4,000,000 retirees over the next 14 years. Frontera NorteSur reported that the American Association of Retired Persons’ number one retirement destination for 2010 was Puerto Vallarta once again. It would not be hard to imagine that PV will again be number one in 2011.
Canadian citizens are the predominant buyers in Puerto Vallarta, accounting for approximately 50% of its real estate transactions. The same can also be said for the Los Cabos market as well as San Miguel de Allende. Arrivals into Mexico from Canada increased 22% in 2010 as reported by Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism. It is a blessing that the resort residential markets in Mexico have gotten this surge in sales activity from our neighbors to the north given that Americans, for the great majority, are still sitting on their wallets, waiting to see what transpires with the U.S. economy.
Mexican residential prices have continued to decline in 2011. This has created a wonderful buying opportunity for those who have the disposable income to take advantage of the lower prices. There appears to be a “bottoming out” in values in the various markets that will continue over the next few months. Distressed sales activity still leads the way with residential prices being down 30-50% from 2008 values. Most markets are experiencing 10-15 closed transactions per month. There does not appear to be a significant increase in closings per month, but there are certainly a number of “back and forth” contract negotiations occurring in all of the markets. Purchasers know this is a buyer’s time to purchase and will negotiate to the bitter end trying to obtain the lowest price a seller is willing to accept. A bright spot in the market has been the number of Mexican bank-financed transactions that are being consummated. Both BBVA Compass/LNB and Scotia Bank have offered competitive mortgage products for both American and Canadian borrowers at reasonable interest rates. Mortgage brokers have seen an increase in their business opportunities for mortgage financed transactions in recent months.
Distressed property sales and lower prices have reduced new residential construction, generally speaking. It is difficult to build a project that can compete with existing inventory, coupled with the number of properties available, unless the new construction price points are in line with existing values in any given market
.
This scenario is not likely to change over the next 12-18 months. However, if a project can be offered at $200K-$500K for new construction, its sales activity may be brisk. There have been a few new developments in the Puerto Vallarta market, for example, that are experiencing good sales activity as a result of pricing their units in this range. It should be noted that conversion of an existing, unfinished building could be an ideal development opportunity for a retirement, independent or active living project. If the International Retirement Foundation is correct in their estimate of 4,000,000 additional retirees in Mexico by 2025, developers and investors should be looking at this opportunity and what exists in the market for conversion. The “boomer” generation will be looking for retirement locales outside the U.S., but only if they’re in an affordable price range, as a fixed retirement income will dictate how they can live and what they can buy. The vast majority of boomers will be in pursuit of destinations that offer a comfortable lifestyle with good healthcare, development and cultural amenities, safety, security and airlift capacity. Many Mexico cities will offer exactly what North American retirees and second home buyers are looking for. For all these reasons and many more, Mexico is a market that is “half full”! n The International Retirement Foundation has said that Mexico is still the number one retirement destination for North Americans. 6,000,000 retired Americans will live in Mexico by 2025.
That equates to an increase of 4,000,000 retiree s over the next 14 years.
