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
Showing posts with label baby boomers. Show all posts
Showing posts with label baby boomers. Show all posts
Monday, October 31, 2011
Friday, April 23, 2010
Follow the Money: Why the U.S. Mainstream Media has Mexico Under Seige
Follow the Money: Why the U.S. Mainstream Media has Mexico Under Seige
THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMIC REALITY
by Charles Simpson, Mexinvestnow.com
First: A reality check on Mexico
Mexico is in a unique position to reap many of the benefits of the decline of the US economy. In order to not violate NAFTA and other agreements the U.S.A. cannot use direct protectionism, so it is content to allow the media to play this protectionist role. The U.S. media – over the last year – has portrayed Mexico as being on the brink of economic collapse and civil war. The Mexican people are either beheaded, kidnapped, poor, corrupt, or narco-traffickers. The American news media was particularly aggressive in the weeks leading up to spring break. The main reason for this is money. During that two-week period, over 120,000 young American citizens poured into Mexico and left behind hundreds of millions of dollars.
Let’s look at the reality of the massive drug and corruption problem, kidnappings, murders and money. The U.S. Secretary of State Clinton was clear in her honest assessment of the problem. “Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade. Our inability to prevent the weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers and civilians,” Clinton said. The other large illegal business that is smuggled into the U.S.A. that no one likes to talk about is Human Traffic for prostitution. This “business” is globally now competing with drugs in terms of profits.
It is critical to understand, however that the horrific violence in Mexico is over 95% confined to the three transshipping cities for these two businesses, Tijuana, Nogales, and Juarez. The Mexican government is so serious about fighting this, that they have committed over 30,000 soldiers to these borders towns. There was a thoughtful article written by a professor at the University of Juarez. He was reminded of the Prohibition years in the U.S.A. and compared Juarez to Chicago when Al Capone was conducting his reign of terror capped off with The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre. During these years, just like Juarez today, 99% of the citizens went about their daily lives and attended classes, went to the movies, restaurants, and parks.
Is there corruption in Mexico? YES !!! Is there an equal amount of corruption related to this business in the U.S.A.? YES !!!. When you have a pair of illegal businesses that generate over $300,000,000,000 in sales you will find massive corruption. Make no mistake about the Mexican Drug Cartel; these “businessmen” are 100 times more sophisticated than the bumbling bootleggers during Prohibition. They form profitable alliances all over the U.S.A. They do cost benefit analysis of their business much better than the US automobile industry. They have found over the years that the cost of bribing U.S. and Mexican Border Guards and the transportation costs of moving marijuana from Sinaloa to California have cut significantly into profits. That is why over the past 5-7 years they have been growing marijuana in State and Federal Parks and BLM land all across America. From a business standpoint, this is a tremendous cost savings on several levels. Let’s look at California as an example as one of the largest consumers. When you have $14.2 billion of Marijuana grown and consumed in one state, there is savings on transportation, less loss of product due to confiscation and an overall reduction cost of bribery with law enforcement and parks service people. Another great savings is the benefit to their employees. The penalties in Mexico for growing range from 5-15 years. The penalties in California, on average are 18 months, and out in 8 months. The same economic principles are now being applied to the methamphetamine factories.
FOX News continues to scare people with its focus on kidnapping. There are kidnappings in Mexico. The concentration of kidnappings has been in Mexico City, among the very rich and the three aforementioned border Cities. With the exception of Mexico City, the number one city for kidnappings among NAFTA countries is Phoenix, Arizona with over 359 in 2008. The Phoenix Police estimate that twice that number of kidnappings goes unreported, because like Mexico 99% of these crimes were directly related to drug and human traffic. Phoenix, unfortunately, is geographically profitable transshipping location. Mexicans, just like 99% of U.S. Citizens during prohibition, go about their daily lives all over the country. They get up, go to school or work and live their lives untouched by the border town violence.
These same protectionist news sources have misled the public as to the real danger from the swine flu in Mexico and temporary devastated the tourism business. As of May 27 2009 there have been 87 deaths in Mexico from the swine flu. During those same five months there have been 36 murdered school children in Chicago. By their logic, if 87 deaths from the swine flu in Mexico warrants canceling flights and cruise ships to Mexico, then close all roads and highways in the USA because of record 43,359 automobile related deaths in the USA in 2008.
What is just getting underway is what many are calling the “Largest southern migration to Mexico of people and real estate assets since the Civil War” A significant percentage of the Baby Boomers have been doing the research and are making the life changing decision to move out of the U.S.A. The number one retirement destination in the world is Mexico. There are already over 2,000,000 US and Canadian property owners in Mexico. The most conservative number of American and Canadian Baby Boomers who are on their way to owning property in Mexico for full or part time living in the next 15 years is over 6,000,000. Do the math on 6,000,000 people buying a $300,000 house or condo and you will understand why the U.S. Government is trying to tax this massive shift of money to Mexico through H.R. 3056. The U.S. government calls this “The Tax Collection Responsibility Act of 2007”. Those who will have to pay it are calling this the EXIT TAX.
Another large exodus from the U.S.A is high paying skilled jobs. The job shift in automobile sector, both car and parts manufacturing, is already known by most investors. In the last few months as John Deere and Caterpillar have been laying off thousands of workers in the U.S.A., and hiring equal numbers in Mexico. The most recent industry that is making the shift is the aerospace manufacturers. In the city of Zacatecas there is currently a $210 million aerospace facility being built. With the 11 U.S. companies moving there, it is estimated to provide over 200,000 new high paying jobs in the coming years. One of the main factors for the shift in job south to Mexico instead of China is realistic analysis of total production, labor and delivery costs. While the labor costs in China are 40% less on average, the overall transportation costs and inherent risks of a long distance supply chain, and quality control issues, gives Mexico a distinct financial advantage.
Mexico’s real economic future
Mexico has avoided completely the subprime problem that has devastated the U.S. banking industry. The Mexican banks are healthy and profitable. Mexico has a growing and very healthy middle and upper middle class. The very recent introduction of residential financing has Mexico in a unique position of having over 90% of current homeowners owning their house outright. U.S. banks are competing for the Mexican, Canadian and American cross border loan business. It is and will continue to be a very safe and very profitable business. These same banks that were loaning in a reckless manner have learned their lesson and are loaning here the old fashioned way. They require a minimum of a 680 credit score, 30% down payment, and verifiable income that can support the loan. In most areas of Mexico where Baby Boomers are moving to, with the exception of Puerto Penasco (which did not have a national and international base of buyers), there is no real estate bubble. The higher end markets ($2-20 million) in many of these destinations are going through a modest correction. The Baby Boomers market here is between $200,000 and $600,000. With the continuing demand inside the Bay of Banderas, that price point, in the coming years, will disappear. This is the reason the Mexican government is spending billions of dollars on more infrastructure north along the coast all the way up to Mazatlan.
The other major area where America has become overpriced is in the field of health care. This massive shift of revenues is estimated to add 5-7% to Mexico’s GDP. The name for this “business” is Medical Tourism. The two biggest competitors for Mexico were Thailand and India. Thailand and India’s biggest drawback is geography. Also recent events, Thailand’s inability to keep a government in place and the recent terrorist attack in Mumbai, have helped Mexico capture close to half of this growth industry. In Mexico today there are over 56 world class hospitals being built to keep up with this business.
Mexico is currently sitting on a cash surplus and an almost balanced budget. Most Americans have never heard of Carlos Slim until he loaned the New York Times $250 million. After that it became clear to many investors around the world what Mexicans already knew: that Mexico had been able to avoid the worst of the U.S. economic devastation. Mexico’s resilience is to be admired. When the U.S. Federal Reserve granted a $30 billion loan to each of the following countries Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, and Brazil, Mexico reinvested the money in Treasury bonds in an account in New York City.
According to oil traders, Mexico’s Pemex wisely as the price of oil shot to $147 a barrel put in place an investment strategy that hinged on oil trading in the range of $38-$60 a barrel. Since the beginning of 2009 Mexico has been collecting revenues on hedged positions that give them $90-$110 per barrel today. Mexico’s recent and under reported oil discovery in the Palaeo Channels of Chicontepec has placed it third in the world for oil reserves, right behind Canada and Saudi Arabia.
The following is a quote from Rosalind Wilson, President of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce on March 19, 2009. “The strength of the Mexican economic system makes the country a favorite destination for Canadian investment”.
OPPORTUNITIES: WHY PUERTO VALLARTA & THE RIVIERA NAYARIT?
The answer is simple and old fashioned: SUPPLY AND DEMAND.
The area of Puerto Vallarta/Riviera Nayarit inside the Bay of Banderas is an investor’s dream. This area has the comprehensive infrastructure in place, world class hospitals and dental care, natural investment protection from the Sierra Madre Mountains, endless future water supply, low to nonexistent crime, international airport, and limited supply inside the Bay, first class private bilingual schools and higher than average appreciation potential. Like many areas in Mexico there is large demand for full and part time retirement living and a lot of construction underway to meet this demand. Pre construction of course is where the best bargains are available.
I would offer a word of caution for investors in Mexico. Do not be seduced by the endless natural beauty that is everywhere, both inland in colonial towns and along thousands of miles of beach. Apply conservative medium and long term investment strategies without emotion. The demand for full and part time living by American and Canadian Baby Boomers is evident throughout the country. The top two choice locations are ocean front, and ocean view. The third overall choice, which is less expensive, is inland in one of the many beautiful colonial towns or small cities.
Mexico, with the world’s 13th largest GDP, is no longer a “Third World Country”, but rather a fast growing, economically secure state, as the most recent five-year history of its financial markets when compared to the U.S.A.’s financial markets suggests.
DOW JONES AVERAGES MAY 2004 10,200 MAY 2009 8,200 20% LOSS IN 5 YEARS.
MEXICAN BOLSA MAY 2004 10,000 MAY 2009 23,000 130% GAIN IN 5 YEARS
I am glad to share all of my research with investors.
http://www.bajainvestment.com/
THE NEW GLOBAL ECONOMIC REALITY
by Charles Simpson, Mexinvestnow.com
First: A reality check on Mexico
Mexico is in a unique position to reap many of the benefits of the decline of the US economy. In order to not violate NAFTA and other agreements the U.S.A. cannot use direct protectionism, so it is content to allow the media to play this protectionist role. The U.S. media – over the last year – has portrayed Mexico as being on the brink of economic collapse and civil war. The Mexican people are either beheaded, kidnapped, poor, corrupt, or narco-traffickers. The American news media was particularly aggressive in the weeks leading up to spring break. The main reason for this is money. During that two-week period, over 120,000 young American citizens poured into Mexico and left behind hundreds of millions of dollars.
Let’s look at the reality of the massive drug and corruption problem, kidnappings, murders and money. The U.S. Secretary of State Clinton was clear in her honest assessment of the problem. “Our insatiable demand for illegal drugs fuels the drug trade. Our inability to prevent the weapons from being illegally smuggled across the border to arm these criminals causes the deaths of police officers, soldiers and civilians,” Clinton said. The other large illegal business that is smuggled into the U.S.A. that no one likes to talk about is Human Traffic for prostitution. This “business” is globally now competing with drugs in terms of profits.
It is critical to understand, however that the horrific violence in Mexico is over 95% confined to the three transshipping cities for these two businesses, Tijuana, Nogales, and Juarez. The Mexican government is so serious about fighting this, that they have committed over 30,000 soldiers to these borders towns. There was a thoughtful article written by a professor at the University of Juarez. He was reminded of the Prohibition years in the U.S.A. and compared Juarez to Chicago when Al Capone was conducting his reign of terror capped off with The Saint Valentine’s Day Massacre. During these years, just like Juarez today, 99% of the citizens went about their daily lives and attended classes, went to the movies, restaurants, and parks.
Is there corruption in Mexico? YES !!! Is there an equal amount of corruption related to this business in the U.S.A.? YES !!!. When you have a pair of illegal businesses that generate over $300,000,000,000 in sales you will find massive corruption. Make no mistake about the Mexican Drug Cartel; these “businessmen” are 100 times more sophisticated than the bumbling bootleggers during Prohibition. They form profitable alliances all over the U.S.A. They do cost benefit analysis of their business much better than the US automobile industry. They have found over the years that the cost of bribing U.S. and Mexican Border Guards and the transportation costs of moving marijuana from Sinaloa to California have cut significantly into profits. That is why over the past 5-7 years they have been growing marijuana in State and Federal Parks and BLM land all across America. From a business standpoint, this is a tremendous cost savings on several levels. Let’s look at California as an example as one of the largest consumers. When you have $14.2 billion of Marijuana grown and consumed in one state, there is savings on transportation, less loss of product due to confiscation and an overall reduction cost of bribery with law enforcement and parks service people. Another great savings is the benefit to their employees. The penalties in Mexico for growing range from 5-15 years. The penalties in California, on average are 18 months, and out in 8 months. The same economic principles are now being applied to the methamphetamine factories.
Playas de Rosarito, Baja California, Mex.
FOX News continues to scare people with its focus on kidnapping. There are kidnappings in Mexico. The concentration of kidnappings has been in Mexico City, among the very rich and the three aforementioned border Cities. With the exception of Mexico City, the number one city for kidnappings among NAFTA countries is Phoenix, Arizona with over 359 in 2008. The Phoenix Police estimate that twice that number of kidnappings goes unreported, because like Mexico 99% of these crimes were directly related to drug and human traffic. Phoenix, unfortunately, is geographically profitable transshipping location. Mexicans, just like 99% of U.S. Citizens during prohibition, go about their daily lives all over the country. They get up, go to school or work and live their lives untouched by the border town violence.
These same protectionist news sources have misled the public as to the real danger from the swine flu in Mexico and temporary devastated the tourism business. As of May 27 2009 there have been 87 deaths in Mexico from the swine flu. During those same five months there have been 36 murdered school children in Chicago. By their logic, if 87 deaths from the swine flu in Mexico warrants canceling flights and cruise ships to Mexico, then close all roads and highways in the USA because of record 43,359 automobile related deaths in the USA in 2008.
What is just getting underway is what many are calling the “Largest southern migration to Mexico of people and real estate assets since the Civil War” A significant percentage of the Baby Boomers have been doing the research and are making the life changing decision to move out of the U.S.A. The number one retirement destination in the world is Mexico. There are already over 2,000,000 US and Canadian property owners in Mexico. The most conservative number of American and Canadian Baby Boomers who are on their way to owning property in Mexico for full or part time living in the next 15 years is over 6,000,000. Do the math on 6,000,000 people buying a $300,000 house or condo and you will understand why the U.S. Government is trying to tax this massive shift of money to Mexico through H.R. 3056. The U.S. government calls this “The Tax Collection Responsibility Act of 2007”. Those who will have to pay it are calling this the EXIT TAX.
Mexico: A better economic choice than China
Another large exodus from the U.S.A is high paying skilled jobs. The job shift in automobile sector, both car and parts manufacturing, is already known by most investors. In the last few months as John Deere and Caterpillar have been laying off thousands of workers in the U.S.A., and hiring equal numbers in Mexico. The most recent industry that is making the shift is the aerospace manufacturers. In the city of Zacatecas there is currently a $210 million aerospace facility being built. With the 11 U.S. companies moving there, it is estimated to provide over 200,000 new high paying jobs in the coming years. One of the main factors for the shift in job south to Mexico instead of China is realistic analysis of total production, labor and delivery costs. While the labor costs in China are 40% less on average, the overall transportation costs and inherent risks of a long distance supply chain, and quality control issues, gives Mexico a distinct financial advantage.
Mexico’s real economic future
Mexico has avoided completely the subprime problem that has devastated the U.S. banking industry. The Mexican banks are healthy and profitable. Mexico has a growing and very healthy middle and upper middle class. The very recent introduction of residential financing has Mexico in a unique position of having over 90% of current homeowners owning their house outright. U.S. banks are competing for the Mexican, Canadian and American cross border loan business. It is and will continue to be a very safe and very profitable business. These same banks that were loaning in a reckless manner have learned their lesson and are loaning here the old fashioned way. They require a minimum of a 680 credit score, 30% down payment, and verifiable income that can support the loan. In most areas of Mexico where Baby Boomers are moving to, with the exception of Puerto Penasco (which did not have a national and international base of buyers), there is no real estate bubble. The higher end markets ($2-20 million) in many of these destinations are going through a modest correction. The Baby Boomers market here is between $200,000 and $600,000. With the continuing demand inside the Bay of Banderas, that price point, in the coming years, will disappear. This is the reason the Mexican government is spending billions of dollars on more infrastructure north along the coast all the way up to Mazatlan.
The other major area where America has become overpriced is in the field of health care. This massive shift of revenues is estimated to add 5-7% to Mexico’s GDP. The name for this “business” is Medical Tourism. The two biggest competitors for Mexico were Thailand and India. Thailand and India’s biggest drawback is geography. Also recent events, Thailand’s inability to keep a government in place and the recent terrorist attack in Mumbai, have helped Mexico capture close to half of this growth industry. In Mexico today there are over 56 world class hospitals being built to keep up with this business.
Mexico is currently sitting on a cash surplus and an almost balanced budget. Most Americans have never heard of Carlos Slim until he loaned the New York Times $250 million. After that it became clear to many investors around the world what Mexicans already knew: that Mexico had been able to avoid the worst of the U.S. economic devastation. Mexico’s resilience is to be admired. When the U.S. Federal Reserve granted a $30 billion loan to each of the following countries Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, and Brazil, Mexico reinvested the money in Treasury bonds in an account in New York City.
According to oil traders, Mexico’s Pemex wisely as the price of oil shot to $147 a barrel put in place an investment strategy that hinged on oil trading in the range of $38-$60 a barrel. Since the beginning of 2009 Mexico has been collecting revenues on hedged positions that give them $90-$110 per barrel today. Mexico’s recent and under reported oil discovery in the Palaeo Channels of Chicontepec has placed it third in the world for oil reserves, right behind Canada and Saudi Arabia.
The following is a quote from Rosalind Wilson, President of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce on March 19, 2009. “The strength of the Mexican economic system makes the country a favorite destination for Canadian investment”.
OPPORTUNITIES: WHY PUERTO VALLARTA & THE RIVIERA NAYARIT?
The answer is simple and old fashioned: SUPPLY AND DEMAND.
The area of Puerto Vallarta/Riviera Nayarit inside the Bay of Banderas is an investor’s dream. This area has the comprehensive infrastructure in place, world class hospitals and dental care, natural investment protection from the Sierra Madre Mountains, endless future water supply, low to nonexistent crime, international airport, and limited supply inside the Bay, first class private bilingual schools and higher than average appreciation potential. Like many areas in Mexico there is large demand for full and part time retirement living and a lot of construction underway to meet this demand. Pre construction of course is where the best bargains are available.
I would offer a word of caution for investors in Mexico. Do not be seduced by the endless natural beauty that is everywhere, both inland in colonial towns and along thousands of miles of beach. Apply conservative medium and long term investment strategies without emotion. The demand for full and part time living by American and Canadian Baby Boomers is evident throughout the country. The top two choice locations are ocean front, and ocean view. The third overall choice, which is less expensive, is inland in one of the many beautiful colonial towns or small cities.
Mexico, with the world’s 13th largest GDP, is no longer a “Third World Country”, but rather a fast growing, economically secure state, as the most recent five-year history of its financial markets when compared to the U.S.A.’s financial markets suggests.
DOW JONES AVERAGES MAY 2004 10,200 MAY 2009 8,200 20% LOSS IN 5 YEARS.
MEXICAN BOLSA MAY 2004 10,000 MAY 2009 23,000 130% GAIN IN 5 YEARS
I am glad to share all of my research with investors.
http://www.bajainvestment.com/
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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.
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.
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.
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.
“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.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Mexico may become a major 'Medical Tourism' Destination
Carefully observing the changing demographics of US society, Mexico's federal government is wagering that the graying of Gringolandia will give a strong impulse to medical tourism.
"A million baby boomers, as they are called in the US, could come to live in Mexico in the coming years," said Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos at an event held earlier this month in Mexico to mark National Nursing Day.
An opportunity exists, Cordova said, for tourism promoters to sell not only sun and sand but also "treatments or surgeries."
In coordination with other federal agencies, the Health Ministry plans to build up the medical tourism infrastructure during the next two years.
Important components of the initiative include training a corps of bilingual Spanish-English nurses, and increasing the number of private Mexican hospitals accredited by a joint US-Mexico commission already at work.
According to Cordova, eight such private institutions have been certified under the commission's standards.
Although regional initiatives to promote medical tourism are underway in the northern border states of Chihuahua, Baja California and Nuevo Leon, Cordova said greater coordination at the federal level is needed to tap a global market enjoyed by nations including Thailand, India, Costa Rica and Brazil. Mexico's leading health official stressed the new program will benefit the private sector.
"This is going to be an incentive for the private market," Cordova said. Cordova acknowledged that training bilingual nurses risks a bigger brain drain to the US, where some localities are already recruiting Mexican nurses for much higher pay than they receive at home, but he was careful to add the envisioned training will focus on elite sectors of Mexican health care delivery like cosmetic surgery and other specialized treatments.
Pilot programs to train bilingual nurses are in the stage of preparation, Cordova added.
Whether or not medical tourism booms in Mexico will depend on a variety of social, economic, political and security trends both to the north and south of the border.
Continued violence in parts of the border region is likely to hamper potential growth in the short-term.
A big factor will be the outcome of so-called health care reform in the US, especially if legislation is passed that increases rather than lowers costs as the Obama administration proposes.
Medical Tourism in a Tourist Town
A former head of the Puerto Vallarta Medical Association who currently serves on the municipal health committee, Dr. Jorge Roberto Cortes, or "Doctor Jorge" as he likes to be called, is skeptical that health care will be a bigger reason for people to come to Mexico than it is now.
Still, coincidental visits to the doctor or dentist are increasingly important in tourist destinations like Puerto Vallarta. For instance, Cortes estimated his patient load consists of 50 percent foreigners and 50 percent Mexican nationals.
In Puerto Vallarta and elsewhere in Mexico, sick tourists from the US will discover that medical costs are far cheaper than at home. According to Cortes, office visits hover around $40, while x-rays costing as little as $40 can be turned around in less than 45 minutes.
After several years in the US that included a stint at Mt. Sinai, Cortes speaks English with barely a hint of an accent. And he is not the only local, bilingual health care provider.
A city of more than 300,000 people, Puerto Vallarta has a plethora of public and private hospitals, hundreds of doctors, modern medical labs and ready medical evacuation services.
"It´s a lot, but Vallarta is growing up," the general practitioners said. "We have all the specialties. You die if you want to. We have everything here."
A local medical services guide distributed in Puerto Vallarta contains ten pages advertising specialists, family doctors and even psychologists.
On its website, the Guadalajara-headquartered San Javier Hospital lists foreign insurance companies from which it will accept payments.
The companies include Cigna, Aetna, Tricare and International Health Insurance of Denmark, among others.
The hospital advertises birth delivery for about $700 and hysterectomies for approximately $1,000. The prices include one and two night hospital stays, respectively.
Another local facility, Medasist Hospital, charges less than $30 for a short emergency room visit, between $20-$30 for urgent care, and from $90 to $120 per night for hospital rooms. Doctor's fees are extra.
Dr. Cortes is among the physicians who prefer to deal on a cash basis. Echoing complaints familiar in the US, Cortes said bureaucratic delays and nay-saying can make private insurers troublesome.
Typically, insurance companies take months to pay Mexican health care providers.
In tropical areas like Puerto Vallarta, new residents and tourists should be aware of the possibility of contracting unfamiliar illnesses like dengue.
The State of Jalisco operates a spraying program to eradicate mosquitoes in Puerto Vallarta, but at least 13 people contracted the disease in January according to a state health department report cited in the press.
From Braceros to Baby Boomers
Hailing from a nurse's family in California's San Joaquin Valley, Pamela Thompson once treated Mexican farm workers in the emergency room. Nowadays, Thompson's HeathCare Resources Puerto Vallarta company networks US expatriates and tourists with Mexican healthcare providers.
Thompson said interest in Mexican medical care is growing among both US consumers and private insurers.
Interviewed on a busy high season day, the consultant said the recession had not significantly slowed visits from foreigners, especially gay men, seeking operations like plastic surgery.
According to HealthCare Resources Puerto Vallarta's website, several specialized surgical packages are 30-40 percent cheaper in Mexico than in the US and Canada.
Thompson said she had received recent inquiries from US-based insurance companies about sending patients to Mexico. "I think that's going to happen soon," Thompson said. "(Private insurers) are starting to think about it, talk about it."
According to Thompson, four basic types of insurance are available to foreign tourists and residents in Mexico — international, travel, private Mexican, and state-run Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) coverage.
For short-term or winter season visitors to Mexico known as "snowbirds," travel insurance is the most practical option, Thompson asserted.
The former nurse said many US citizens are surprised to learn that private health insurance in Mexico costs as low as $1,500 per year, though a huge drawback for many is that companies will not cover anyone over 62 years of age.
Fulltime residents of Mexico who hold FM-3 visas can now qualify for IMSS coverage, Thompson said, cautioning the public system is overloaded and quality far from desirable. Still, she said, IMSS insurance is "absolutely better than nothing.
" For the truly destitute foreigner, regional public hospitals will accept an admission.
Given the aging of many US residents of Mexico, the inability to use Medicare to pay for health-related expenses south of the border is problematic for many expatriates and potential immigrants — at least until now. Meantime, the growing size of the US retiree population in places like Puerto Vallarta has attracted the notice of hospitals north of the border, which offer free health clinics in Mexico during the high season to court potential patients.
In conjunction with hospitals, Thompson said she had facilitated transfers of US retirees from Puerto Vallarta to institutions back in the old country.
Yet increasingly, Thompson said she had been witness to another tendency: younger US citizens relocating with their families to Puerto Vallarta.
The possibility of working at home via the Internet favors this trend, the longtime resident of Puerto Vallarta added. "I've had more calls for pediatricians here during the last 6 months," Thompson said.
Intimately familiar with the local scene, Thompson acknowledged there were "quacks" around "just like everywhere else." But the health care professional stood by the overall quality of doctors and services available in the Pacific port city.
"We have great physicians in the area. The doctors here spend time with you," Thompson said. "You can call them on a cell-phone and you don't have to go through 20 people to get an appointment. All the doctors I work with are like that."
In Mexico, getting personal recommendations from knowledgeable locals is a good way of rooting out the frauds.
What about the Old Choppers?
Back in the US, meanwhile, the issue of dental treatment has been virtually absent from the so-called health care reform debate.
But a glance at rates charged by Mexican dentists quickly reveals a continued, major attraction for both tourists and prospective immigrants.
Not far from Cortes' office, and just off a bridge that crosses the Cuale River with its tropical denizens of darting birds and fighting iguanas, dentists Jessica Portuguez and Gloria Carrillo staff an Old Town Vallarta branch of Solu/Dent, a privately-owned business.
Recently, the clinic offered two cleanings for $12 and extractions for $9 per tooth. According to Carrillo, five porcelain teeth for a bridge cost approximately $500.
After three years in business at the site, Portuguez and Carrillo estimate that 40 percent of their patients are foreigners during the tourist high season which spans the months from October to March.
Local expatriates, who include customers from the nearby, old hippie settlement of Yelapa, spread Solu/Dent's name by word-of-mouth and bring in family members and friends. "They like how we attend them here," Carrillo contended.
A graduate of the University of Veracruz, Portuguez came to Puerto Vallarta two years ago after hearing how the large floating and resident foreign population created ample work opportunities for new dentists.
According to the relocated southerner, Mexican dentists must complete five years of studies and one year of social service to obtain basic licensure. "We have very accessible prices and good quality," Portuguez said.
"We have trained doctors. We studied for this. All work is guaranteed."
In Puerto Vallarta, "English-speaking" signs are visibly posted outside many dentists' offices.
Portuguez, who said she studies English in her spare time, assured that a bilingual receptionist was available to help the office's dentists translate with patients.
Solu/Dent recently opened a third branch in Bucerias, a community just north of Puerto Vallarta where many US-born immigrants have moved.
"We hope nothing changes and we stay here," Portuguez said.
http://www.bajainvestment.com/
"A million baby boomers, as they are called in the US, could come to live in Mexico in the coming years," said Mexican Health Minister Jose Angel Cordova Villalobos at an event held earlier this month in Mexico to mark National Nursing Day.
An opportunity exists, Cordova said, for tourism promoters to sell not only sun and sand but also "treatments or surgeries."
In coordination with other federal agencies, the Health Ministry plans to build up the medical tourism infrastructure during the next two years.
Important components of the initiative include training a corps of bilingual Spanish-English nurses, and increasing the number of private Mexican hospitals accredited by a joint US-Mexico commission already at work.
According to Cordova, eight such private institutions have been certified under the commission's standards.
Although regional initiatives to promote medical tourism are underway in the northern border states of Chihuahua, Baja California and Nuevo Leon, Cordova said greater coordination at the federal level is needed to tap a global market enjoyed by nations including Thailand, India, Costa Rica and Brazil. Mexico's leading health official stressed the new program will benefit the private sector.
"This is going to be an incentive for the private market," Cordova said. Cordova acknowledged that training bilingual nurses risks a bigger brain drain to the US, where some localities are already recruiting Mexican nurses for much higher pay than they receive at home, but he was careful to add the envisioned training will focus on elite sectors of Mexican health care delivery like cosmetic surgery and other specialized treatments.
Pilot programs to train bilingual nurses are in the stage of preparation, Cordova added.
Whether or not medical tourism booms in Mexico will depend on a variety of social, economic, political and security trends both to the north and south of the border.
Continued violence in parts of the border region is likely to hamper potential growth in the short-term.
A big factor will be the outcome of so-called health care reform in the US, especially if legislation is passed that increases rather than lowers costs as the Obama administration proposes.
Medical Tourism in a Tourist Town
A former head of the Puerto Vallarta Medical Association who currently serves on the municipal health committee, Dr. Jorge Roberto Cortes, or "Doctor Jorge" as he likes to be called, is skeptical that health care will be a bigger reason for people to come to Mexico than it is now.
Still, coincidental visits to the doctor or dentist are increasingly important in tourist destinations like Puerto Vallarta. For instance, Cortes estimated his patient load consists of 50 percent foreigners and 50 percent Mexican nationals.
In Puerto Vallarta and elsewhere in Mexico, sick tourists from the US will discover that medical costs are far cheaper than at home. According to Cortes, office visits hover around $40, while x-rays costing as little as $40 can be turned around in less than 45 minutes.
After several years in the US that included a stint at Mt. Sinai, Cortes speaks English with barely a hint of an accent. And he is not the only local, bilingual health care provider.
A city of more than 300,000 people, Puerto Vallarta has a plethora of public and private hospitals, hundreds of doctors, modern medical labs and ready medical evacuation services.
"It´s a lot, but Vallarta is growing up," the general practitioners said. "We have all the specialties. You die if you want to. We have everything here."
A local medical services guide distributed in Puerto Vallarta contains ten pages advertising specialists, family doctors and even psychologists.
On its website, the Guadalajara-headquartered San Javier Hospital lists foreign insurance companies from which it will accept payments.
The companies include Cigna, Aetna, Tricare and International Health Insurance of Denmark, among others.
The hospital advertises birth delivery for about $700 and hysterectomies for approximately $1,000. The prices include one and two night hospital stays, respectively.
Another local facility, Medasist Hospital, charges less than $30 for a short emergency room visit, between $20-$30 for urgent care, and from $90 to $120 per night for hospital rooms. Doctor's fees are extra.
Dr. Cortes is among the physicians who prefer to deal on a cash basis. Echoing complaints familiar in the US, Cortes said bureaucratic delays and nay-saying can make private insurers troublesome.
Typically, insurance companies take months to pay Mexican health care providers.
In tropical areas like Puerto Vallarta, new residents and tourists should be aware of the possibility of contracting unfamiliar illnesses like dengue.
The State of Jalisco operates a spraying program to eradicate mosquitoes in Puerto Vallarta, but at least 13 people contracted the disease in January according to a state health department report cited in the press.
From Braceros to Baby Boomers
Hailing from a nurse's family in California's San Joaquin Valley, Pamela Thompson once treated Mexican farm workers in the emergency room. Nowadays, Thompson's HeathCare Resources Puerto Vallarta company networks US expatriates and tourists with Mexican healthcare providers.
Thompson said interest in Mexican medical care is growing among both US consumers and private insurers.
Interviewed on a busy high season day, the consultant said the recession had not significantly slowed visits from foreigners, especially gay men, seeking operations like plastic surgery.
According to HealthCare Resources Puerto Vallarta's website, several specialized surgical packages are 30-40 percent cheaper in Mexico than in the US and Canada.
Thompson said she had received recent inquiries from US-based insurance companies about sending patients to Mexico. "I think that's going to happen soon," Thompson said. "(Private insurers) are starting to think about it, talk about it."
According to Thompson, four basic types of insurance are available to foreign tourists and residents in Mexico — international, travel, private Mexican, and state-run Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS) coverage.
For short-term or winter season visitors to Mexico known as "snowbirds," travel insurance is the most practical option, Thompson asserted.
The former nurse said many US citizens are surprised to learn that private health insurance in Mexico costs as low as $1,500 per year, though a huge drawback for many is that companies will not cover anyone over 62 years of age.
Fulltime residents of Mexico who hold FM-3 visas can now qualify for IMSS coverage, Thompson said, cautioning the public system is overloaded and quality far from desirable. Still, she said, IMSS insurance is "absolutely better than nothing.
" For the truly destitute foreigner, regional public hospitals will accept an admission.
Given the aging of many US residents of Mexico, the inability to use Medicare to pay for health-related expenses south of the border is problematic for many expatriates and potential immigrants — at least until now. Meantime, the growing size of the US retiree population in places like Puerto Vallarta has attracted the notice of hospitals north of the border, which offer free health clinics in Mexico during the high season to court potential patients.
In conjunction with hospitals, Thompson said she had facilitated transfers of US retirees from Puerto Vallarta to institutions back in the old country.
Yet increasingly, Thompson said she had been witness to another tendency: younger US citizens relocating with their families to Puerto Vallarta.
The possibility of working at home via the Internet favors this trend, the longtime resident of Puerto Vallarta added. "I've had more calls for pediatricians here during the last 6 months," Thompson said.
Intimately familiar with the local scene, Thompson acknowledged there were "quacks" around "just like everywhere else." But the health care professional stood by the overall quality of doctors and services available in the Pacific port city.
"We have great physicians in the area. The doctors here spend time with you," Thompson said. "You can call them on a cell-phone and you don't have to go through 20 people to get an appointment. All the doctors I work with are like that."
In Mexico, getting personal recommendations from knowledgeable locals is a good way of rooting out the frauds.
What about the Old Choppers?
Back in the US, meanwhile, the issue of dental treatment has been virtually absent from the so-called health care reform debate.
But a glance at rates charged by Mexican dentists quickly reveals a continued, major attraction for both tourists and prospective immigrants.
Not far from Cortes' office, and just off a bridge that crosses the Cuale River with its tropical denizens of darting birds and fighting iguanas, dentists Jessica Portuguez and Gloria Carrillo staff an Old Town Vallarta branch of Solu/Dent, a privately-owned business.
Recently, the clinic offered two cleanings for $12 and extractions for $9 per tooth. According to Carrillo, five porcelain teeth for a bridge cost approximately $500.
After three years in business at the site, Portuguez and Carrillo estimate that 40 percent of their patients are foreigners during the tourist high season which spans the months from October to March.
Local expatriates, who include customers from the nearby, old hippie settlement of Yelapa, spread Solu/Dent's name by word-of-mouth and bring in family members and friends. "They like how we attend them here," Carrillo contended.
A graduate of the University of Veracruz, Portuguez came to Puerto Vallarta two years ago after hearing how the large floating and resident foreign population created ample work opportunities for new dentists.
According to the relocated southerner, Mexican dentists must complete five years of studies and one year of social service to obtain basic licensure. "We have very accessible prices and good quality," Portuguez said.
"We have trained doctors. We studied for this. All work is guaranteed."
In Puerto Vallarta, "English-speaking" signs are visibly posted outside many dentists' offices.
Portuguez, who said she studies English in her spare time, assured that a bilingual receptionist was available to help the office's dentists translate with patients.
Solu/Dent recently opened a third branch in Bucerias, a community just north of Puerto Vallarta where many US-born immigrants have moved.
"We hope nothing changes and we stay here," Portuguez said.
http://www.bajainvestment.com/
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