Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com and Smart Searches for Baja Property

Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com and Smart Searches for Baja Property

Smart searching for the right property in Baja is important, and your real estate agent can help you to narrow your choices based on your priorities. It's important that as you drive through various Baja communities you carry proper liability coverage so that any unexpected incidents are covered. Just as your real estate professional can help with your land search, an agent who specializes in Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com can provide you with important considerations for your vehicular needs. You can review your options online to be sure that you are protected against various issues. Effective October 1, 2013 all drivers on Mexico highways must have Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com coverage or face a fine.

Community Activity

One of the important things to consider in selecting your home in Baja is the design of the community. You can find areas with affordable pricing but close spacing. You'll also find areas that are spread out, great if you like a more remote experience. In many rural areas, you'll find that traffic and activities are very laid back and peaceful. You still need to be sure that your Mexican auto insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com is comprehensive enough to handle your potential liabilities and losses. Stray animals can create unexpected accidents, and your full coverage plan is important for ensuring that your repairs are covered. If you select an area that features many families, your liability coverage is especially important in case of pedestrian incidents. Be prepared with a good policy so that once you buy your home in Baja, you can enjoy it with peace of mind.

Exploring Mexico Coastal Properties and Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com

Many individuals find that rural properties in Baja Norte provide the opportunity to explore many unique land features. You can enjoy the mountains in San Pedro Martír. You can explore countless miles of tranquil beaches. You may want to bring ATVs or other off-road vehicles for more intensive exploration. Consider this interest as you look for a home that includes plenty of acreage or a large garage. You may want to build a workshop for protecting your off-road vehicles when you are away. Similarly, evaluate Mexican auto insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com that will cover ATVs during towing and during operation. While the coverage options for such vehicles may be slim, you will find some policies that are available for this need.

Amenities and Services and Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com

Your proximity to a larger city or the border may be important as you research properties in Northern Baja. It's more expensive to shop for your supplies in small tienditas, and access to services in larger towns can save money. Your real estate professional will help you consider all of these angles while your Mexican auto insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com agent will help you to explore the needs related to your driving in these areas.

Mexican insurance with MexInsuranceStore.com comes with FREE Roadside Assistance

Re/Max Baja Realty - Mexico Coastal Properties[/caption] Mexican Insurance Store.com

Prepare for Your House-Hunting Adventure in Baja!

There are many exciting real estate opportunities in Baja, Mexico. It's little wonder that so many people are flocking south of the border to check them out. If you plan to be one of them, you should do a few things to make your house-hunting excursion as productive as possible. The first step is to find a talented, experienced and knowledgeable real estate agent. You will get that and more with RE/MAX Baja Realty. You can make all of the arrangements for meeting with an agent from home too.

Buy Insurance

You probably have no intention of getting into trouble while looking for second homes or retirement homes in Baja. As long as you buy Mexican car insurance, you shouldn't have anything to worry about. Driving in Baja without car insurance for Mexico is a big mistake. The police are allowed to detain drivers who get into accidents and don't have coverage. You can easily buy high-quality Mexican auto insurance online and have it ready to go when you arrive in Baja. Make sure to do so to ensure the smoothest, easiest visit possible.

Take a Look

After speaking with you about what you want in a Baja home, your agent will come up with a list of viable options. Upon arriving in Baja, you will be taken around to look at several of them. It's smart to bring along a notebook and camera to take notes and pictures along the way. Most people need time to compare and contrast their favorite options. In some cases, one property will immediately stand out and seem like the best option. Sometimes, though, the choice can be a lot more difficult. Either way, your agent will be there for you.

Buy a Great Baja House

By the time you find the house that's right for you, your agent will help you come up with a competitive offer. You may need to arrange for financing from your lender. Before you know it, closing day will be here. There is nothing quite like buying a beautiful home in Baja. You and your family will probably want to get it all set up to your liking right away. Whether it's a vacation home or a place to spend your retirement, your Baja home is sure to be perfect.

bajainvestment.com

For Baja California Winemakers, It's Fiesta Time | KPBS.org

August is the time for festivals in Baja, California - from cheese and bread to salads to seafood. The grandaddy of them all is the Fiestas de la Vendimia, the harvest festivals in Ensenada's lush Guadalupe Valley wine country.

While driving to Ensenada one recent Saturday, I passed billboards advertising no fewer than five foodie festivals: The festival of cheese and bread; the festival of seafood and shellfish—even a festival devoted entirely to salads and salad dressings. But it’s a paella competition that brings me south of the border today.

Credit: Maya Kroth
Above: The pre-paella contest entry from Team Chiapas,Ensenada, Baja California, Mexico, July 14, 2012
“If we win we get to go to the big contest in Valle de Guadalupe in the last weekend of August,” said Montserrat Vildósola, an architect from Mexico City and amateur paella chef. “There’s a contest where 100 paelleros go, and this is the contest you have to win in order to be able to contest there.”

Vildósola’s team is one of about a dozen competing today for a spot in the big paella contest that closes out the grandaddy of all Baja gastronomic festivals: the Fiestas de la Vendimia. That’s Spanish for harvest parties, and they’re happening now in Ensenada’s lush Guadalupe Valley wine country, a bucolic place where horses graze amid scenic vineyards surrounded by majestic purple mountains.

“Baja produces about 90 percent of the wine from Mexico,” said Joaquín Prieto, current president of Provino, the coalition of winemakers that coordinates the Vendimia. “Climate is the prime thing. We have the Pacific cold and the heat of the valley so it creates a microclimate.”

Prieto’s own winery, Tres Valles, is one of close to 70 now up and running in the region, operations that range in size from tiny mom ‘n’ pops that produce just a few hundred cases per year to huge commercial behemoths like L.A. Cetto. Over the next few weeks, most of them will be throwing parties to celebrate the grape harvest, anything from wine dinners with famous chefs to winery tours, cheese tastings, bullfights, concerts, circus performances, art exhibitions and, of course, the paella contest.

Credit: Maya Kroth
Above: Chefs Otto Spohn and Juan Carlos Coutiño Ruizof of Team Chiapas with their pre-paella contest entry, in Ensenada, Baja California, July 14, 2012
Another contest hopeful, Chef Otto Spohn, says he’s noticed a change in the clientele at his Tijuana restaurant this year, since US media like The New Yorker and Anthony Bourdain’s travel show “No Reservations” caught wind of what’s happening in Baja.

“Many people are coming from the north, crossing the border. Fortunately we have changed the image of Tijuana on the question of security,” Spohn said. “We are doing very well and people are coming.”

Organizer Prieto anticipates about 50,000 people—including Mexican President Felipe Calderon, who swung through the valley last week to kick off the festivities—will attend the Vendimia this month, a jump of more than 40% from last year. But only about 1 in 5 are expected to come from the United States, with most visitors hailing from elsewhere within the country, like Vildósola, who’s been attending since she was a girl growing up in Mexicali and still travels back every summer despite having moved to Mexico City.

“At first it was very regional,” she said. “There were a few winemakers, and now from the two or three that were here 25 years ago, there are 70. It’s a new life; it’s a new world. It’s changed for the better, but it’s different.”

“I think the big shocker for everyone about Guadalupe Valley is they would naturally be inclined to think that because its south of the border that it’s too hot to make wines that have elegance and finesse, and that’s not true at all,” said Robert Whitley, a San Diego-based wine columnist for Creators Syndicate who’s been keeping tabs on the Guadalupe Valley for almost 30 years. “It’s probably cooler than Napa in summertime. You have that diurnal effect of grapes having sunshine and warmth during the day that they need to ripen, and the cooling at night that preserves the freshness and the acidity. So it’s actually an ideal climate for grape growing.”

Credit: Maya Kroth
Above: Local Valle de Guadalupe wines being served at a Fiestas de la Vendimia pre-party in Ensenada, Baja California, July 14, 2012
The Nebbiolo grape—the same one that makes famously pricey Italian wines like Barolo and Barbaresco—grows particularly well in Baja, says Whitley. In fact, he ranks L.A. Cetto’s Nebbiolo as the best in North America, on par with those from Italy’s Piedmont region, and has even seen it listed on menus in Parisian wine bars.

But if Baja wines are so good, why don’t we see more of them on supermarket shelves in the States? Explanations range from high import tariffs to the fact that most of these wineries simply don’t produce enough to meet even domestic demand, let alone international. Thankfully, U.S. Customs allows individuals to bring in one bottle apiece duty-free, so Americans who taste something they like at the harvest festival can still savor the flavor of Baja back home.

“Everybody comes to Ensenada in the summer,” said Vildósola. “This is part of the heart of Baja California.”
www.bajainvestment.com

Rosarito Beach Hotel Plans Specials To Promote Ongoing Tourism Increase

MEDIA CONTACT:                          
Ron Raposa                                                                      
ronraposa@hotmail.com

Following last year's 17 percent increase in U.S. visitors, the landmark Rosarito Beach Hotel has a number of price promotions, packages and special events planned to continue the ongoing upswing this year.

With Easter week a popular time for vacation and holiday getaways, the hotel offers a weekday package from $79 that includes an oceanfront room and two dinners for adults, plus free stay and dinner for two children under 12. The Easter weekend rate starts from $109.

This year, Cinco de Mayo weekend coincides with the spring edition of the very popular Rosarito-Ensenada 50-Mile Fun Bike Ride and oceanfront packages are offered starting at $79. The offer is both for people wanting to spend Cinco de Mayo in the holiday's home country and those involved in the ride, which has attracted hundreds of thousands over more than 30 years.

On July 7 the Flying Samaritans will hold its third annual July 4th Beach Barbeque at the hotel. The gala seaside event attracts hundreds from the city's 14,000-member expatriate community as well as visitors from the U.S. All profits benefit the group's free clinics.

"We've got many other promotions this year, including our Spring Romance spa and wine package from $99, plus those who spend a $100 at the hotel get a complimentary Fast Pass to speed their return border crossing," said hotel sales and marketing director Daniel Torres.

More details on these promotions plus many others offered at the legendary hotel are available at www.rosaritobeachhotel.com

The Rosarito Beach Hotel and Resort is a Baja landmark that has hosted millions of visitors since opening in 1925. With more than 500 rooms and suites, its amenities include restaurants, bars and an elegant spa. A luxurious 18-story tower with 271 suites opened four years ago.

The Rosarito Beach Hotel also offers time shares and full ownership of luxury suites through its condo-hotel program.

www.bajainvestment.com

CNBC’s Stock Market Guru, Jim Cramer, Urges Invest in Mexico Real Estate

By Bob Patenaude
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”.

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."

How to Own
Jim Cramer aside, Americans and others have been flocking to Mexico and in particular, Los Cabo, on the Baja Peninsula for several decades now. Their quest is to seek out and enjoy the beautiful weather, landscape, water, as well as the culture and leisure activities that abound.

The magic of the Baja lies in its amazing beauty and history. Property ownership is as alluring as the seas that surround it. But the seas and coastlines of Mexico were off limits to property ownership as a result of the revolution of 1914. With the prospects of tourism, an enlightened government under President Luis Echeverria Alvarez, wrote a presidential decree allowing Mexican banks to hold titles to property In Trust for foreigners. It is called a Fideicomiso and it provides for all rights of ownership as any citizen would enjoy.

The term of the Trust is for 50-year periods and is automatically renewable by law. In other words, title to the property may rest in one beneficiary indefinitely-which protects your heirs and your investment. As purchaser of a property, you may use and enjoy, build, rent, will or sell the beneficial rights in the trust anytime, conforming only the general laws of the country established for all persons. Today, U.S. Title insurance is available for properties held in trust. It assures the utmost security of your purchase as it would in the U.S.
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Baja California hosts Emerging Baby Boomers conference in Rosarito

Baja California and AMAR Retirement Communities Association present educational seminar for development experts

The city of Rosarito in Baja California, Mexico, welcomes the Emerging Baby Boomers Conference on Nov. 16-17, 2011, hosted by Baja California and AMAR, the Retirement Communities Association in Mexico. The two-day conference takes place at the Rosarito Beach Hotel and will address the nature of the baby boomer market. The conference will also highlight how businesses and investors can reach this market and continue developing the senior living and care industry within the Baja California and Sea of Cortes regions

Baja California provides economic stability, socio-cultural comfort and geographic appeal, fitting the retirement needs of those ages fifty and older. There are more than 100,000 retirees and expats living full- or part-time in the Sea of Cortes and Baja Peninsula areas, with approximately 35 percent of these retirees requiring some form of assisted living care. The Emerging Baby Boomers Conference will not only highlight everything Baja offers for retirees, but will also provide investors and developers with immediate and long-term business opportunities to help their business thrive in a growing market.

"Our location is unparalleled with any other region in Mexico and considered the next big retirement and expat destination in the country," said Javier Govi, Founder & President of AMAR. "In fact, this region alone has the largest retirement population in Latin America. By 2020, the total number of retirees and expats is expected to increase to 250,000."

Guest speakers include Jeff Stevens, director of planning at Danielian Associates; David Truly, president of IRM Research; Chad Martin, principal of Global Research; and Rick Jensen, president and chief executive officer of Northstar Senior Living.

www.bajainvestment.com

Baja Mexico Real Estate Becoming Popular

By Taylor White

Baja Mexico property has become a popular option as many people purchase second homes or utilize this region as a destination for tourism. However property investing here is affordable and plentiful.
Baja Mexico property is growing in value and continues to be one of the best locations to buy in Mexico. For those who visited the region in the past, and who are returning to call it home, real estate in Baja is still relatively affordable and readily available, though the continued increase in population here has led to numerous reductions in available inventory. Options in property here range from highly affordable to luxurious and expensive. In some areas, the property is the most expensive in the country.
Baja, more formally known as Baja California, is one of 31 states in the country of Mexico. It is on the northernmost and westernmost area of Mexico, on the Baja Peninsula. With a population of 3.1 million people, the region is large and growing. It sits right on the Pacific Ocean, near to the United States, making it an easy destination to get to for Americans. About 75 percent of the state's population lives in the capitol city of Mexicali, or in Ensenada or Tijuana. Each of these areas as well as San Felipe, Playas de Rosarito and Tecate are important to the property market here.
The most valuable of all property is on the coastline. Many people who buy here do so to take advantage of the warm, peaceful Pacific Ocean. Baja real estate for sale in this area offers a wide number of property options, but most are single family homes, townhomes or apartments, with apartments being the most common option for those who are buying from overseas. In addition to this, just outside the larger cities, and in areas such as San Felipe and Tecate, larger homesteads are available. Some of these pose the most value potential depending on their location.
That looking for Baja rentals will find apartments the most commonly available property here, however renting a home, is also possible. Baja Mexico property listings provide a range of options in price ranges, with the most basic facilities being the least expensive. The more remote the location is, the lower the price. However, Baja property for sale continues to build and grow, with some areas seeing a price per square foot of as high as US $2000 in areas where it cost $20 a square foot just 20 years ago. Those buying Baja property are likely to see their investment grow over time, though there is no telling when prices will even out.

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Mexico Attracts US Retirees Despite Crime Wave

Some 40,000 people have been killed in Mexico over the past five years as the Latin American country's police and military battle powerful drug cartels that are also fighting with each other over smuggling routes. In spite of the dire headlines, hundreds of thousands of U.S. citizens vacation in Mexico every year and many of them, especially those who are retired, have opted to buy property and live there. The warm weather and the lower cost of living are big draws.

News from Mexico these days tends to be bad.

Shootouts and grisly murders dominate media reports.

Rebuilt border crossing aims to speed traffic

By Sandra Dibble and Janine Zúñiga
Long lines and lengthy waits have become an inescapable burden for tens of thousands of cross-border commuters at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.


Proposing to dramatically decrease crossing times for both vehicles and pedestrians, authorities Thursday formally launched a $577 million expansion and modernization of the world’s busiest land-border crossing.

Wait times during peak hours can currently stretch to more than two hours, and a 2009 study by the U.S. General Services Administration showed that if nothing is done, those waits could stretch to 10 hours by 2030.

Planned for completion by 2016, the new facility would reduce maximum waits to 30 minutes, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Added lanes, more booths and high-tech inspections are at the heart of the overhaul. It is the largest and costliest infrastructure project the U.S. government has ever undertaken along its land border.

“The need for a new facility is clear, and the stakes are high,” said Martha Johnson, administrator of the GSA, speaking at an outdoor ceremony at the port that drew authorities from the United States and Mexico. Over the next two decades, she said, traffic through the San Ysidro port is expected to increase by as much as 90 percent.

Growing delays have stifled myriad transactions on both sides of the border. San Diego’s supermarkets, shops and restaurants have lost large amounts of business from Mexican customers. Baja California’s hotels, restaurants and other tourist amenities have suffered a devastating drop in U.S. clientele in recent years, partly as a result of tighter security measures adopted following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The San Diego Association of Governments’ latest estimate, from 2007, calculates that the congestion at California’s border with Mexico costs the region close to $7.2 billion and more than 62,000 jobs annually.

“For most people who don’t go back and forth across the border, it’s just out of sight, out of mind,” said Christina Luhn, director of the Mega-Region Initiative at the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. “They don’t understand what a two- or three-hour wait can mean.”

San Ysidro’s current facility has long been outdated. When it opened in the mid-1970s, the country was recovering from the Watergate scandal, disco was all the rage and terrorism wasn’t a domestic concern.

“It’s a changed society and buildings have to change with it,” said Ramon Riesgo, land port of entry adviser for the GSA, which is overseeing the construction of the new port.

The new facility is being called the “port of the future.” While San Ysidro now has 24 northbound lanes, including six with two inspection booths each, the rebuilt facility will include 34 northbound lanes with 64 inspection booths. Expanded pedestrian facilities will include a shaded path and 20 inspection stations.

To handle beefed-up inspections southbound, six lanes are being added on the U.S. side of the border.

The design, by Seattle-based Miller Hull Partnership, includes a translucent roof structure that shields cars and officers from rain and sun. The project is being planned to conserve both energy and water, and the aim is to achieve LEED Platinum certification, a recognition for environmentally friendly structures.

Another environmental benefit being cited is improved air quality at the crossing, due to the decreased wait times and shorter lines.

The new port “will enable us to better manage traffic in many many ways,” said Thomas Winkowski, assistant commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the agency that operates the port of entry. The changes will allow for improved use of technology, greater flexibility in opening and closing lanes, and the expansion of trusted traveler programs where prescreened crossers are processed more quickly.

U.S. authorities have worked closely with Mexico in designing the project. The Mexican government is planning changes south of the border costing more than $53 million, including expanding the number of lanes from six to 20, said Juan José Erazo, who directs border crossing infrastructure projects for Mexico’s Communications and Transportation Secretariat.

Mexico is also building bridges and access roads to the new crossing, as well as an intermodal facility that would allow San Diego Trolley passengers to connect directly to a rapid transit bus system being planned on the Mexican side.

While many community groups seem hopeful the expansion project will achieve its aims, not everyone is convinced that infrastructure is the only answer.

“It comes down to efficiency of inspections,” said Jason Wells, executive director of the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce and member of a coalition fighting to improve security and border-crossing times while providing support for local businesses.

“We could spend $600 million and have a new port of entry, but if you have agents in primary inspection lanes getting on their knees tapping on tires and opening trunks, we could still have a 2-3 hour wait time,” he said.

The U.S. modernization project is being conducted in three phases. Only the first phase, totaling nearly $293 million, has been funded. It includes a pedestrian bridge scheduled for opening next month, an expansion of the northbound inspection facilities, and a southbound pedestrian crossing. The second phase involves improvements and construction of pedestrian processing facilities. The third phase entails new southbound lanes.

At Thursday’s ceremony, U.S. Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, said the fight to fund the second and third phases continues in Congress. Last week, the House voted to cut $1.5 billion from the GSA budget. “We’ve got to make sure those cuts don’t stay,” he said. “Because they threaten the economic viability that we’re celebrating today.”



http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Magazine: Rancho La Puerta best spa in world

By Sandra Dibble, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER



Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 10:10 p.m.



Rancho La Puerta in Tecate had seen demand for its high-end spa services drop during the recession, but has recaptured that lost U.S. clientele in recent months.



Now more good news has arrived for the 70-year-old resort just south of the U.S.-Mexico border: Travel + Leisure magazine has named it the world's best destination spa.



"It tells us that guests appreciate what we're all about," said Roberto Arjona, the spa's general manager. "It's a great honor for Baja California and for Mexico."



The publication's 2010 Readers Poll recognized Rancho La Puerta along with honorees such as Bangkok (best city) and the Galapagos (best islands).



The spa's 88-year-old founder and owner, San Diego resident Deborah Szekely, is expected to attend next week's awards ceremony in New York City. She was traveling Thursday, Arjona said.



A largely loyal U.S. customer base meant the spa suffered far less than much of Baja California's tourism industry. But with rates starting at $2,715 for a seven-night stay, even well-heeled visitors dropped off during the financial downturn. At its lowest point, occupancy fell to 70 percent in 2009, though the spa is back to its 2007 levels.



Arjona said the economy was the strongest dampener of demand last year. Other challenges included the swine flu scare and drug-related violence along parts of the border.



And while the spa's prices may be out of reach for most local residents, the spa also has been a destination for 6,000 Baja California schoolchildren who come each year for environmental education offered through the La Puerta Foundation.

OBRAS POR 10 MDP REFUERZAN ATRACTIVOS EN PUERTO NUEVO, ROSARITO BAJA CALIFORNIA

Comunicación Social del Gobierno de Baja California

. Concluyen trabajos de regeneración, remodelación y equipamiento.

. Se ofrece una mejor imágen al turismo nacional e internacional.

Con una inversión de 10 millones de pesos, concluyeron las obras de regeneración, remodelación y equipamiento de Puerto Nuevo en Playas de Rosarito, las cuales refuerzan los atractivos que ofrece este destino gastronómico, informó la Secretaría de Turismo del Estado (SECTURE).
Mayor información...

Rosarito Commends 3 Women For Work On ‘Baja Blondes’ Reality TV Program

By Ron Raposa


ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA , MEXICO ---The city has recognized three women for their work on developing a reality TV show that highlights the beauty, attractions and advantages of living in Baja California.


City Mayor Hugo Torres on Wednesday presented a plaque to Susanna Stehr, Debbie Shine and Robin Mackenzie, the trio of U.S. women who comprise the Baja Blondes.


Ms. Stehr lives in Rosarito where she owns a restaurant, Ms. Shine is an interior designer living here and Ms. Mackenzie is a writer/producer who lives both in the United States and Baja.


The three have produced a pilot for a reality TV series they hope will be broadcast in the U.S. It shows the beauty, comfort and relaxing pace of life in Baja. The series would feature fascinating regional people and places, as well as highlight the personalities of the women.

With media coverage focusing largely on Mexico ’s crackdown on drug cartels many people in the U.S. have lost sight of the fact that Baja is a wonderful. safe and welcoming place to visit and live, Ms. Stehr said.


Mayor Torres said the Baja Blondes are excellent ambassadors for Rosarito and the region because they show the actual lives of U.S. women living and working here, which gives what they say added credibility.


Those who gathered in the mayor’s office for the presentation. including city council members and other officials, also were shown a video clip of a recent Channel 5 San Diego interview which featured the Baja Blondes.

 (Photo shows, from left, Debbie Shine, Susanna Stehr, Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres and Robin Mackenzie,)

www.bajainvestment.com

U.S. retirees find home in coastal Mexico

First of five studies reveals price and proximity to U.S. are big draws

By Sandra Dibble, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

ROSARITO BEACH — Favorite activity: strolls on the beach. Biggest gripe: litter. Primary reasons for retiring in Mexico: the lower cost of living and proximity to the United States.
 A newly released study on U.S. retirement trends in Mexico’s coastal communities takes an updated snapshot of Rosarito Beach, Rocky Point, Puerto Vallarta, Cancun and other areas where many Americans go to retire. The study’s authors say their survey marks an important first step in meeting the needs of a group that is likely to grow in size as U.S. baby boomers reach retirement age.

John Gibbins / Union-Tribune

Jamie Reynolds, a 63-year-old retiree who lives in the El Pescador area, watched the sun set. Reynolds, like four out of five of the retiree-study respondents, owns his home in Mexico.

We felt it was important to understand the dynamics of what is going on,” said Richard Kiy, president and CEO of the International Community Foundation, which conducted the 88-question survey. While research has been done in San Miguel Allende and Ajijic, both well-established expatriate communities in central Mexico, coastal communities “are some of the areas that have been least studied among U.S. retirees,” Kiy said.

The International Community Foundation, based in National City, supports nonprofits and projects in Baja California and other parts of Mexico. Close to half of its donors live in Mexico full time or part time, and that was the initial impetus for conducting the study, Kiy said.

The 17-page report, released last week, is the first in a series of five by the foundation focusing on issues that affect U.S retirees in Mexico. Upcoming reports will discuss health care, real estate, the environment and community involvement. The studies are based on responses from 842 U.S. participants and from focus groups in individual communities.

Photo by John Gibbins

Retiree Jamie Reynolds, 63, sat on his front porch with his English springer spaniel, Molly, in the El Pescador area. Reynolds said that he feels safe in Mexico, and that he could not afford to live like he does if he were in the United States

The survey showed that many retirees are relatively young, with more than half under 65. They are somewhat more likely to be divorced than their contemporaries living in the United States, and about 30 percent are single — widowed, divorced or never married. Almost 70 percent have an annual income higher than $25,000 a year. Of those surveyed, more than four out of five are homeowners, and most paid cash for their homes.

The survey was conducted in five areas where Americans typically retire, including the coastal corridor between Playas de Tijuana and Punta Banda, south of Ensenada. On Thursday night, a group of U.S. retirees gathered south of downtown Rosarito Beach for a ladies’ night happy hour at Ruben’s Palm Grill in Cantamar echoed many of the survey’s findings.

“I think for all of us, the money is a factor,” said Karen Kenrick, 59, who has been living in Mexico for a decade with her husband, Allen, 62, a retired U.S. Border Patrol officer. Kenrick, who grew up in Imperial Beach and crossed frequently to Mexico, feels comfortable: “For us, this is home.”

As the band played a popular Brazilian samba, the Kenricks joined about two dozen American retirees who see each other regularly. Nursing a margarita was Pat Winters, 67, who moved from Oregon to La Mision six years ago with her husband, Al, a retired engineer. Like most in the survey, they bought before the region’s 2005-2006 building boom and subsequent bust, and they paid cash for their home. Pat Winters grew animated as she spoke of her favorite activity — an art class — and described her participation in a scholarship fund to pay the education costs of local students.

The survey reports that more than half of respondents said litter was the most “unattractive part of their coastal lifestyle” and listed walking the beach as their favorite activity; only 14 percent play golf. Most live in one or two-story homes, and most agree that building up the coastline with high-rises “restricts view corridors,” the report said.

Close to half — 46 percent — of the survey’s respondents said safety issues were a concern when they decided to retire to Mexico. Sixty-six percent said drug violence was “an important public policy issue to retirees in Mexico.” Yet only 7 percent of the respondents “reported that narco-violence and security concerns have reduced the frequency or duration of their trips to Mexico.” “Furthermore, 60 percent have not changed their attitude in any way about their personal safety since they have been living in Mexico,” the report said.

North of Cantamar, in the community of El Pescador, Jamie Reynolds, 63, is an avid surfer who moved from San Diego six years ago after retiring as an information technology specialist at Scripps Health in La Jolla. Reynolds’ brick house on a cobblestone street includes two casitas that Reynolds has been struggling to rent out, as many tourists have been scared away by reports of violence in Mexico in the U.S. media.

Reynolds said he feels safe in Mexico, enjoys the area’s slower pace and “Mexican people are so kind.” The setting reminds him of the Southern California of his boyhood.

“I couldn’t buy a house like this in San Diego or anywhere else,” said Reynolds, taking in a majestic ocean view from his outdoor terrace. He could have retired in the United States, “but it would have been a little tighter,” he said.

www.bajainvestment.com

CABILDEO FAVORABLE PARA LA ZONA ECONÓMICA ESTRATÉGICA: CANACO

CÁMARA NACIONAL DE COMERCIO, SERVICIOS Y TURISMO DE TIJUANA

Prosiguiendo con la labor de cabildeo en las distintas dependencias del Gobierno Federal involucradas con la propuesta de Zona Económica Estratégica (ZEE) para la Región Fronteriza, después de ser planteada al Presidente de la República Felipe Calderón Hinojosa, hoy hubo una reunión en las oficinas del Servicio de Administración Tributaria (SAT), con su Titular, Alfredo Gutiérrez Ortíz Mena, para presentarle el proyecto a efecto de conocer su punto de vista en lo conducente a las atribuciones y facultades que le competen.


En dicha junta de trabajo participaron el Senador de la República por Baja California, Fernando Castro Trenti; el Presidente del Consejo Coordinador Empresarial de Tijuana A.C.; Fernando Otañez Martínez y el Presidente de la Cámara Nacional de Comercio, Servicios y Turismo de Tijuana, Mario J. Escobedo Carignan,


Además de exponerle las bondades genéricas del proyecto, así como los alcances económicos y ventajas naturales y potenciales que posee la región para su implementación, informó Escobedo Carignan, se comentaron algunos indicadores que alcanzarían resultados muy favorables conforme a la maduración de la ZEE.


Entre ellos, advirtió el Producto Interno Bruto (PIB) de Baja California crecería en un 22%, habría un incremento en la ocupación del 12.7% y aumentarían los ingresos tributarios en un 32.5%.


En términos generales dijo causó buena impresión el proyecto, manifestando el Jefe del SAT “que no habría inconveniente de apoyar tan importante iniciativa desde el punto de vista de las medidas que correspondan al ámbito de su competencia”.



También comentó el funcionario federal que en los próximos días procurará una reunión con el Sub-Secretario de Ingresos de la Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público (SHCP), José Antonio Meade para intercambiar opiniones y escuchar su postura acerca de la zona.

 Desde esta perspectiva consideró viable arrancar con la primera etapa de Desgravación Arancelaria y Desregulación Administrativa propuesta, tema que en gran medida tendrá que analizarse igualmente con la Secretaria de Economía.

www.bajainvestment.com

Baja Real Estate Back on Track

Tiger`s Golf Course coming soon






















By Gustavo Torres









CONTRIBUTOR





















Punta Brava developers expect to break ground this year









This piece contains a few excerpts from an article by Sandra Dibble on Tiger Woods’ Baja Golf Course, from the San Diego Union-Tribune. Sandra Dibble writes many articles on Baja and often attends Baja events, developments, etc.





















Punta Brava sales team member Ryan Osterdorf teed off at what would be the location of the golf course’s 10th tee.





















According to Rosarito’s AMPI (Mexican Realtors Association), sales in the northern Baja area are increasing at an unexpected pace.









“We are very excited to see what we are seeing, this is something we did not expect until 2011”said Blanca Guerrero of RE/MAX Baja Realty in Rosarito Beach. She added that, “sales levels are now at the 2003/2004 levels which are very good.”





















Most of the buyers are Americans: 70% were from California, a few from other West Coast states and the rest from the East coast. They range in ages, from 40 to 65 years old, and are looking for retirement (35%), a second home (30%), long term investment (25%) and other (10%).





















“Many of our buyers are escaping from the high cost of living in California, especially the extremely high property taxes” says Victor Loza of RE/MAX/Your Baja Connection. Loza further added that, “Indeed, property taxes in California could be around $7,000 annually, while in Rosarito - for an oceanfront condo - they are about $300 per year, and approximately $80 for an ocean view home.”









A number of incredible opportunities can be found at the moment, particularly in Rosarito Beach in Baja, and at just a short 30 minute drive from the San Diego border, it is an excellent option for many.





















Sales have increased tenfold compared to the start of 2009, when the economic crisis exploded and the influenza scare dealt Baja California a very strong blow. Then it was followed by the bad press about the drug cartels fighting in the region. The drug wars were portrayed as if they affected all citizens of Baja, not taking into consideration that these terrible fights where occurring in areas not visited by regular folks, let alone tourists.





















Americans living here – around 15,000 in Rosarito and 30,000 in Ensenada- immediately started posting testimonials, U-tube commentaries, blogs, etc. to show that life was very different to what the US media was “advertising.” Many even created blogs and forums which are easily accessible on the Internet now.





















Even with the crisis fading and sales improving faster than once thought possible, we still have several development projects that are barely beginning to renew their construction and some that are still in the wait-and-see stages.





















Real Estate prices in Baja dropped approximately the same percentage as Southern California. The 35% drop found in the third quarter of 2009, has since increased around 5%, making the average price of an ocean view and oceanfront residential property in 2009 in the Rosarito region approximately $285,000, and oceanfront condos at $306,000.





















Now, with Tiger Woods’ Punta Brava, Baja will be getting lots of positive attention again. “This is the best we could ask for. Similar to the type we were getting in ‘04 and ’05,” said James Bond, a U.S. retiree realtor working hard in Baja. “Back in those days, the U.S. media was portraying Rosarito and Baja as the ‘American Dream found… just south of the border’… then the whole economic turn hit, and Baja stopped being the darling of the American media.





















Since the announcement of Tiger Wood’s Baja development, almost 170 “super” prospective buyers have been flown down to tour the site; looks like most have showed excitement for the project.









Brian Tucker, the development’s director said “This is to be one of the singular golf clubs in the world.”









With views of the ocean at every tee or green, the Tiger Woods golf course will be the centerpiece of the development planned at the tip of the Punta Banda peninsula overlooking Todos Santos Bay. The project includes 120 units, with prices starting at $3 million for a lot and $3.5 million for a condominium, according to information released at the project’s unveiling.





















Punta Brava’s financial backer is Red McCombs, co-founder of Clear Channel Communications and former owner of the San Antonio Spurs, the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Vikings. McCombs is a principal of The Flagship Group, headed by the Austin-based developer Brady Oman. The project’s estimated cost is $100 million.





















This past President’s Day weekend/Valentine’s Day was a blast. So many tourists came, the weather was just perfect, and buyers were all over the place. “I had two different groups wanting to see the same oceanfront house, and at the same time! This hadn’t happened since 2007,” said Victor Loza, referring to a $245,000 oceanfront listing, a 3bed/2ba house in northern Rosarito.





















This is the best time to invest in Baja California real estate, and you should wait no further.





















By the way, for more information on this article, and excerpts of a related article by Sandra Dibble, and Baja real estate, please visit http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Gustavo Torres


AMPI Rosarito Realtors

Rosarito 2009 Crime Rate Falls 21% To A Baja California Best 5-Year Low

By Ron Raposa





ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---For 2009 Rosarito had the largest year-to-year decline in crime of any city in Baja California --- 21 percent --- and was the only city to reach a five-year low, according to state figures.









“These are very encouraging figures for Rosarito, especially in difficult economic times, when crime historically increases,” said Mayor Hugo Torres.









Calling the fight against crime a lifelong challenge for any city, Torres, who ran in 2007 on a platform of public security, said strong efforts will continue this year to reduce crime.









Those efforts, he said, will include increased policing in certain areas, more emphasis on neighborhood watch and private security, plus sports and other programs to keep city youth from delinquency and drug use.









Baja Gov. Jose Guadalupe Osuna Millan told the San Diego Union that Rosarito’s reduction in crime was one of Baja California’s success stories.









Overall, Baja California crime declined by an average of 10 percent in 2009 from 2008 and was lower than the level of the previous two years. The state’s rate was the same as 2006 and higher only than 2005.









Rosarito led all Baja cities in major categories for 2009, recording a 24 percent year-to-year decline in robbery and burglaries, 38 percent in violent crimes and 56 percent in murders, from 61 to 27, according to the Baja state figures.









Five of the killings were between members of rival drug cartels as the government makes it more difficult for them to operate, and three were of police officers.









Torres said that the drug-related killings are very troubling but even with them Rosarito has a lower homicide rate than many U.S. cities, including New Orleans, St. Louis and Baltimore, and Washington, D.C. (Based on FBI figures for 2008, the latest published)









“Understandably, much of the media coverage in the U.S. has focused on the crackdown on organized crime --- it’s a vital international issue,” he said. “But that has helped create a misleading impression about security here.”









Since taking office, Torres has led efforts to replace more than half of the city’s police force while expanding its size from about 150 to 230 officers.









He also established a special tourist police force that uses bilingual traffic tickets that can be mailed in from the U.S., an ombudsman office and a city department for visitor assistance.









The mayor also brought in former Army Capt. Jorge Montero to lead the police department as director of public security. He has praised his work as well as the support of the City Council









Torres also cited federal and state support plus a close working relationship with the Rosarito office of the state attorney general, which is responsible for most reporting and investigation of crime.









“Prevention is the key to crime reduction,” said Torres, who added that the city’s focus would remain on public security.









Rosarito also is working on expanding positive activities including sports and drug prevention programs for youth. Torres has personally talked to more than 15,000 of the city’s 23,000 school children and plans to visit the remainder this year.









Many programs have begun to benefit city youth, including the start of construction last year on the city’s first Boys & Girls Club.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

New Baja Tourist Police Force

From Ron Raposa

SAN DIEGO — Mexican cities south of the California border on Friday marked the launch of the new Metropolitan Tourist Police in an effort to regain the confidence of Americans looking for lobster dinners, cheap margaritas and pristine beaches.


Twenty-two police officers from Tijuana, Playas de Rosarito and Ensenada were recognized for completing a one-day course at the San Diego police academy to prepare for the April 1 launch of the new force, a joint effort of the cities to patrol a 70-mile stretch of Pacific coastline.

Americans have stayed away in the past year, largely because of media exagerations and false perceptions of violence affecting tourism.

"It won't be magic, but at least we're trying," William Yu, Tijuana's liaison for binational affairs, told the officers Thursday as he prepared them for the ceremony.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said during Friday's event at the city's police headquarters that the new force should ease tourists' understandable concerns about safety.

I’m confident that this relationship will enable us to expand tourism opportunities on both sides of the border,” San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders told an audience of officers, mayors and representatives from both the Mexican and U.S. consulates.

The Metropolitan Tourist Police will join with other agencies in patrolling parts of the 70-mile tourist corridor from Tijuana to Ensenada. They will offer special assistance to visitors and also can issue bilingual traffic tickets that can be paid from the U.S.

The officers, who will have their own uniforms and cars, said they liked a visit during the class to a simulated shooting range in which they were asked to react to threatening scenarios played on a video screen.

San Diego police Sgt. David Landman also drew on training material that is widely used by California law enforcement agencies, including role-playing techniques with an emphasis on how to treat people respectfully.

Landman, who oversees training for veteran San Diego officers, quizzed the officers often.

"If a police officer runs a stop sign, it sends a very bad signal to the people," one said.

"You must practice what you preach, set an example for the people," another chimed in.

The officers will return to Mexico to train colleagues in each of the three cities for the special force, which is expected to eventually have 350 officers. Playas de Rosarito, widely known as Rosarito Beach, will begin with 30 officers. Tijuana expects to start with about 60.

Some Mexican officials and American expatriates said the region has been unfairly tarnished, partly by recycled media reports of violence against tourists more than two years ago. Officials said the vast majority of murder victims were small-time drug dealers caught in turf battles.

The battered tourism industry remains an economic pillar of Mexico's northern Baja California peninsula.

Yet in Rosarito Beach, authorities estimated the number of visitors during the high season of April to November slid 70 percent from 2005 to 2009. Tourism accounts for about 60 percent of the economy in the city of 120,000 people.

Approximately 15% of these residents are American expats

Obviously, great deals and amazing prices -from groceries and souvenirs to hotels and real estate, can be found in the Rosarito Beach and Ensenada areas at the moment.
In fact, northern Baja is preparing a major advertising campaing, both in the US and Mexico... and branding the beautiful norhtern Baja area with the name of "Riviera Baja"
"We need to show everyone the beauties and richenes of this part of Mexico... said Hugo Torres, Rosarito Beach´s mayor.

The Baja Riviera branding is supported by the city governments of Rosarito Beach, Ensenada and Tijuana and by all business and civil organizations in the Baja area.


http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Mexican officials meeting in Santa Ana

By THERESA CISNEROS
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

ANTA ANA Leaders from across Southern and Baja California are gathering at the Police Department today to share information on public safety, economic development and regional infrastructure.
It's an ongoing effort to strengthen communication between cities on both sides of the border.

The discussions are taking place during the 2nd Bi-National Mayors of the Californias Summit – sponsored by the cities of Santa Ana and Rosarito Beach.

Mayor Miguel Pulido said such steps help Mexico become a stronger partner, which directly benefits the United States.
"A safer Mexico and a stronger Mexico is a better Mexico for us all," he said.

Local officials scheduled to participate include Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and Irvine Councilman Steven Choi. Mayors from Rosarito, Ensenada, Tijuana and Tecate are also participating.

They'll meet in small groups to talk about issues and draft plans.

They are trading ideas on renewable-energy technologies, water agencies and law enforcement.

The inaugural summit, held in Anaheim in January, focused mostly on boosting tourism in both regions, and was followed up by a summer meeting in Ensenada. The next gathering is scheduled for the spring in Rosarito.

Mayors on both sides say they're starting to see fruits from the increased communication.

The city of Ensenada, for example, has debuted new jail facilities and crime-predicting computer software based on what representatives witnessed during visits to the Santa Ana Police Department.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Weekly Fishing Column: Punta Colonet well worth trip to Baja

The Daily Breeze
By Phil Friedman, Correspondent


Punta Colonet is located 120 miles south of the Mexican border in Tijuana.


The drive there takes you through some of the most picturesque geography of northern Baja California. You will pass through Tijuana, Rosarito Beach, Ensenada, the Baja Wine Country and more.


Highway Mexico 1 will take you through breath-taking views of the Coronado Islands, sheer cliffs, fish taco stands and wonderfully warm Baja California people. Hugo Torres, Mayor of Rosarito Beach, has done everything in his power to make Rosarito safe. The fact is, despite the fact no tourists have been killed in Northern Baja, the 24-hour news cycle as well as other influences have made the drive to Baja less desirable.


I have driven to Cabo San Lucas five times in the last two years without incident and have hooked my two sons on the Baja experience. There is so much to love about a road trip to Baja but for my sons, it always comes down to the warm and friendly people of Baja.


There is another way to get to Punta Colonet. You can jump on a sportboat out of San Diego for the next several months and enjoy spectacular fishing.


Yes, you will miss the people and the drive but you will experience the rich and bountiful seas of Punta Colonet.


Mike Acker of Long Beach made the trip on the New Lo-An last weekend.


"This was as good as fishing as I have ever seen," Acker said.


"Huge lingcod, big red snapper, halibut and more," he continued. "If


you are into action and great eating fish then this is it."
Acker said from the time they arrived, it was constant action on a variety of fish. In fact, while Acker is not a big fan of bottom fishing, he soon became a convert.


"You only fish in about 200 feet of water so you feel the fight," he said. "Besides, these are some of the best, if not the best eating fish of the sea."


Nothing makes a better fish taco than a colonet red snapper. Deep fried and battered, the filet is put in a corn tortilla and then garnished with salsa, cilantro, onions, guacamole, sour cream and more. You talk about culinary ecstasy, this is it. Put some rice and beans on the side and you have a meal that your guests will remember for a long time to come.


Proper tackle on a colonet trip only requires a couple of outfits. A 25- and 40- pound outfit will be perfect. Eight- to 16-ounce sinkers are perfect along with 3-O hooks. Lingcod are another aggressive and delicious fish that are bountiful off Punta Colonet. Tagging studies show that lingcod are largely non-migratory and colonize in localized areas.


Lingcod live on the bottom, but may feed throughout the water column. And unlike many other bottom fish species like rockfish, lingcod do not have an air bladder, which enables them to freely swim up and down the water column without injury. Sport or commercial anglers can haul lingcod from depths of 500 feet or more to the surface and release them unharmed. Hard-fighting, great eating and yet another reason to head south of the border.


This Friday night, the Pacific Queen is departing from Fisherman's Landing in San Diego on a weekend trip to the rich waters of Colonet. The tips is priced at $250 with food and permits extra.


www.bajainvestment.com

Rosarito-Ensenada Bike Ride To Top 20 Million Mile Mark This Sept. 26

Rosarito-Ensenada Bike Ride To Top
20 Million Mile Mark This Sept. 26

Ron Raposa


ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---Now in its 30th year the Rosarito-Ensenada 50-Mile Fun Bicycle Ride will surpass 20 million total miles covered with its Sept. 26 event.

About 5,000 riders are expected for the festive scenic ride, much of it along a coastal route from Rosarito to Ensenada, said ride organizer Gary Foster.

During the past 30 years since 1979, the iconic twice-yearly event has been held 52 times and almost 400,000 riders have participated, Foster said.

“This great anniversary edition of the ride will be as festive as years past, both for our many riders and the thousands of people who come to view the event and cheer on the participants,” Foster said.

Added Rosarito Beach Mayor Hugo Torres, whose city hosts the event: “The ride is one of the signature events for Rosarito and this region of Baja. It attracts excellent people and creates a great atmosphere. We’re greatly looking forward to it.”

Participants can register online for $45 through www.BetterSignUp.com, or they can register on the day of the event for $50 at the Rosarito Beach Hotel. More information is available at www.RosaritoEnsenada.com as well as www.rosarito.org

The Rosarito-Ensenada ride has been called the Original Party on Wheels. Revelers in costume roll along, tossing candy to children along the course. Beach cruisers strap boom boxes to their handlebars. Parents tow children.

Racing teams form pace lines, trying to beat the official record of 1:52:54 set in April of 2007. Other participants just ride for the enjoyment and atmosphere.

Transportation packages from the United States are available, Foster said. Tour companies transport riders’ bicycles at no extra charge, and because the buses return to the United State through the rapid SENTRI lane, cyclists avoid a wait at the border.

Many hotels offer special rates and are participating in the Border Fast Pass program which can cut border waits by half, especially on the weekends, Foster said.

The Finish Line Fiesta is free for participants and spectators, overlooking the Ensenada harbor with panoramic views of the cruise ships at sunset. Live rock-n-roll, jazz and salsa plays into the night while local chefs serve their best.

Massage therapists are available to work out every knot, and there will be a lot
of celebrating with ice cold beer and award-winning wines from Baja’s wine country, Foster said.

Shuttles are available on the event course from the finish line to the start line before and after the event. So if participants stay in Rosarito Beach, they can take the shuttle back to Rosarito after the event.

“The corridor from Rosarito Beach to Ensenada is safe for tourists, and Baja remains a beautiful and affordable destination for travel with friends and family," Foster added.

Foster said that this recent e-mail from a frequent ride participant summed up the spirit of the event: “Thanks for another great experience! I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve done this ride since the early 1990’s. All I know is they keep getting better!”

www.bajainvestment.com