The International Community Foundation is pleased to announce its “Retiring Responsibly in Mexico” research series with our first report “U.S. Retirements Trends in Mexico’s Coastal Communities:  Lifestyle Trends and Demographics.”  You can access the report here:  http://www.icfdn.org/publications/retireeresearch/. 
Forthcoming research studies will address trends in health care, volunteerism, philanthropy and civic engagement, real estate as well as the environment.  For more information on the International Community Foundation, visit our website at http://www.icfdn.org.

I had put up an article in a magazine about two months ago and thought it would be good to share with the readers of our TOP Mexico real estate blog.  Here is the article below.    The Riviera Maya and Playa del Carmen real estate market have had some of the world’s most interesting growth rates and fascinating examples of regional trends.  Playa del Carmen homes  and Playa del Carmen condos have had continuous increases in demand but those in Quintana Roo have grown the strongest.   During the 1990’s the little village was known as the pier town where you grabbed the ferry to get to Cozumel.   Now, during this decade, this little village has become more intertwined with the international business world, and consequently, adjustments to the real estate market have been witnessed from the direct effects of the world economic downturn.  The loss of jobs and loss of corporate sales in the economies of the United States and Canada have reduced the number of buyers here in Mexico.  The bankruptcy of several international banks on the world wide scene has also tightened the regulations on credits and the amount of available capital for investments.  These and other economical occurrences have had a decrease effect on the demand here in the Playa del Carmen Property market place, but interesting Mexico mortgages for real estate buyers have also been introduced in greater varieties from bank institutions and creative transaction models from seller-financed sales are becoming more common.  With economic turbulence, also comes opportunity.  Surrounding yourself with regional-market-intelligent Mexico real estate agent  experts is the first important step towards a safe Mexico real estate acquisition and profitable investment, and this recommendation is even more prudent during times of market adjustments.

Is the Mexico Retirement industry a niche market that can help the Mexico real estate market come back?

 With millions of baby boomers reaching retirement age every day, the market for a lovely place to live with the security and services required is growing exponentially.  

For decades Costa Rica has stood out for its stability and has benefited from the most developed welfare system in the region.

Am intrested in retiring to Lima,Peru. I am intrested in hearing from anyone already there that fcould tell me what living there is really like. Thanks

Mexico real estate is regulated by several government bodies one of which is the Agrarian Minsitry (Secretaria de la Reforma Agraria) who published an official notification in the Mexican Official Gazette whereby the Agrarian Ministry commenced the delimitation and measurement of approximately 450 thousand hectares of national territories located in the Tulum Real Estate zone within the Biosphere Reserve of Sian Ka’an, in the Municipality of Tulum and Felipe Carrillo Puerto, in the State of Quintana Roo.

If anyone is going to be in the Toronto area and would like complimentary admission to the International Real Estate Expo at the Doubletree Hilton at 655 Dixon Road this weekend please contact me sue@suecolemanrealtor.com.

North Americans with Mexico homes in Chapala, Ajijic and the rest of the Lake Chapala Real Estate area enjoy the convenience of being only a 40 minute drive away from the Guadalajara International Airport.  The airport is the busiest of the 12 operated by the Grupo Aeroportuario del Pacifico (GAP), followed by Tijuana, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos.  For residents of Chapala, and for North Americans considering buying Lake Chapala Real Estate, this statistic means a lot of options for direct flights back home at reasonable prices.  GAP’s continued expansion, investment and improvement of the airport guarantees continued excellence of services.

Cozumel is continually improving its infrastructure and offering more for Cozumel Real Estate.  In the case of the Cozumel Marina project, Cozumel is working with Hotel Presidente to make sure that the project is completed quickly, to the benefit of both Cozumel real estate and tourism.

Here is a great opportunity to find out about some of the amazing International Real Estate opportunities that are out there waiting for savvy buyers ... all in one location.  There will be developers there from N. America, Central America and the Caribbean.

Puerto Vallarta real estate always offers many, diverse activities for residents of the city.   Mexico retirement groups and foreign winter visitors enjoy participating in projects that protect and care for the areas nature and its creatures– one of Puerto Vallarta real estate’s most important attractions.  During the summer months there has been an increased focus on protecting newly born sea turtles.

In the months of June / July the nesting season for the Olive Ridley Turtle – the most common sea turtle in the Puerto Vallarta area – began; the season lasts until November.  The natural nesting cycle of the turtles includes abandoning the eggs for the 50 to 60 day incubation period, when the eggs hatch, and the newly-born turtles instinctively head for the sea.  While it is a natural part of the process that many are taken by predators, including seagulls, it is important to ensure that a large number arrive safely to the sea, since these turtles are a threatened species.

In Puerto Vallarta, there are various organizations devoted to the protection of these turtles, which provide opportunities for volunteers and retirement groups to take newly born sea turtles to the edge of the water and help increase their chances of survival.  The programs not only help prevent loss due to natural predators, but also make sure that swimming and other potentially disruptive sea activities are put on hold during the time that the turtles go to sea.  The volunteers are organized, with a line drawn at the edge of the ocean so they don’t accidentally step on the turtles others are releasing.

Slow down in the economy here in Playa del Carmen?  Real Estate prices continue to be supported or I should say that the factors that play heavy into the stability of market prices continue to grow here in the Riviera Maya.  I speak with many Americans and Canadians everyday who are wondering about the Playa del Carmen real estate prices;  how are the Mexico Homes values being effected with the world financial turmoils and the Mexican economy being tied in so tight with North America?   How are these situations playing upon the Mexico real estate market? 

I have always had the image of the water on the Gulf of Mexico being the same as what I see off of the west coast of Florida.  I even heard and read from some people that the beaches in Campeche Mexico were ugly because of the high concentration of the oil industry operations off of Ciudad del Carmen coast line in the southern corner of the state.  But, the Campeche Beachfront real estate that I visited ripped all of my previous assumptions!   These were definitely some of the most desirable Mexico real estate properties that I have visited.

 I have been writing in previous posts about our process of doing a small fixer-upper project in the middle of the booming Playa del Carmen real estate region.  Click here to see the previous stories on this Mexico fixer upper project.  If you are dreaming about buying an inexpensive Mexico real estate property, you most likely have some thoughts or  rough ideas in your head on what type of project you want as a final product.  Some of you may have already scouted out a particular neighborhood or some Mexico land and have a good idea on how you want to use the property whether it be for personal use, a long term rental property, a vacation rental, bed and breakfast the options are limitless.  When you choose which plan or the face lift project you want to incorporate into your Mexico fixer upper, the “final use” of the product is one of the most important question that needs answering and below I have listed out several other questions you should be asking yourself and your partners. 

An increasing number of American, European and Canadian investors are being drawn to the real estate market in Costa Rica; they find it offers them a genuine alternative to the volatility and insecurity of equity markets and also an escape from their restrictively expensive domestic property markets.