Baja123.com Mexico Real Estate Blog

US RETIREES FIND HOME IN COASTAL MEXICO

Kanoa Biondolillo — Mon, 15 Mar 2010 18:20:00 GMT

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

MONDAY, MARCH 15, 2010 AT 12:04 A.M.

ONLINE: to read the survey go to: union trib.com/bajaretirees

Sandra Dibble: (619) 293-1716; sandra.dibble@uniontrib.com

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.

"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 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.

Sandra Dibble: (619) 293-1716; sandra.dibble@uniontrib.com

Lot / Land For Sale in Puerta del Mar

Maggie Arreola — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:53:00 GMT

Uncomparable Price!

• 2,307 sq. ft. lot / land - $59,000 USD - Lowest Price Guaranteed!

Puerta del Mar, Rosarito - Take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity to buy and build your dream home in one of the most prestigious ocean front developments along the beautiful Gold Coast of Baja, Mexico. Priced at $59,000 this is the lowest priced lot in Puerta del Mar, guaranteed!

This 2,307 sq. ft. lot is located in the third row at one of the most exclusive developments in the area. Puerta del Mar is only 15 min south of Rosarito and only 35 min from the border to the USA; near Puerto Nuevo (the lobster village), drugstores, hospitals, shopping centers, restaurants etc.

This ocean front community offers 24 hour security, wide avenues , it is nestled between two points and enjoys a very private beach, underground utilities, a Club House, Tennis court, Basketball court, City Water, Waste Treatment Plant , Numerous green areas, a beautiful palm lined walking area and a low HOA Fee of $80 per month.

WHY A LOT ???
- Lots can be bought for cheap; allowing you to reserve your spot by the ocean and continue to save your money till you decide when you want to build your home.

- Lots are a great investment- as we all know there is plenty of land to go around, but land close to any body of water is so desirable that it will always be the first thing to sell and to appreciate.

- Lots allow you to build the home you always wanted- with the help of architects and local developers- you get what you want AND the ocean is right at your fingertips.

- Imagine.... you can build a home up to 4,000 sq. ft. and automatically worth two to three times your construction price just because of its location? This lot is surrounded by single family homes built with high quality standards that range in prices from the mid $400,000 all the way up to 1 million dollars.

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity and make an appointment to see it yourself!

Property information

Lot / Land For Sale in Popotla

Maggie Arreola — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:52:00 GMT

• 5,380 sq. ft. lot / land - $59,900 USD

Popotla, Rosarito - Take advantage of this once in a lifetime opportunity to buy and build your dream home on the beautiful Gold Coast of Baja, Mexico.

This 5,380 sq. ft. lot has a beautiful ocean view and the neighborhood boasts homes from $300K to $900K. It sits on the hill overlooking Fox Studios in Terrazas del Pacifico. It is only 5 min south of Rosarito and only 25 min from the United States border; near Puerto Nuevo (the lobster village), drugstores, hospitals, shopping centers, restaurants etc.

WHY A LOT ???

- Lots can be bought for cheap; allowing you to reserve your spot by the ocean and continue to save your money till you decide when you want to build your home.

- Lots are a great investment- as we all know there is plenty of land to go around, but land close to any body of water is so desirable that it will always be the first thing to sell and to appreciate.

- Lots allow you to build the home you always wanted- with the help of architects and local developers- you get what you want AND the ocean is right at your fingertips.

Don't miss out on this unique opportunity and make an appointment to see it yourself!

Property information

Mexico targets Hollywood with tax incentives

Kanoa Biondolillo — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:44:00 GMT

MEXICO CITY (Hollywood Reporter) - Mexico has launched a $20-million tax-incentive program in an ambitious move to lure film production from Hollywood and other locales.

Mexican President Felipe Calderon said Tuesday he hopes the program will make Mexico "the capital of Latin American cinema."

He made the announcement at Baja Studios in the state of Baja California, where James Cameron's "Titanic" and Peter Weir's "Master and Commander: Far Side of the World" were shot in the studio's colossal tanks.

Managed by state-run film financing agency Imcine and Mexican trade and investment body ProMexico, the program offers tax rebates of 7.5% on film productions that exceed the amount of 70 million pesos ($5.5 million). By Mexican standards, where the average budget runs about $2 million, that is considered a high-budget production. The fund will double next year to $40 million.

To qualify, foreign producers must contract local production services. Producers also can write off an additional 10% owed for IVA, Mexico's value-added tax.

"The message is that there is a 17.5% rebate for foreign productions," said Manuel Sandoval, ProMexico's head of strategy and innovation.

Tue, Mar 9 2010

By John Hecht

(please visit our entertainment blog via www.reuters.com or on blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/)

Mexico intends to rank among the 15 countries with greater production of renewable energy

Kanoa Biondolillo — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:22:00 GMT

Felipe Calderón inaugurates 10 MW wind farm in La Rumorosa in Tecate, Baja California (Mexico)

10 de marzo de 2010

The wind farm is located in the state of Baja California and took a total of 350 million pesos. Mexico intends to rank among the 15 countries with greater production of renewable energy, mainly wind power.

President Felipe Calderón inaugurated in Tecate, Baja California, the wind farm La Rumososa, which generate electricity and harnessing wind power, replacing polluting energy sources and thus preventing the annual emission of 17,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Also benefit more than 40,000 families in the area.

The wind farm is located in an area of 42 hectares in La Rumorosa, owned by the government of Baja California. It has five wind turbines of 2 megawatts each. The towers are 78 meters high, which is located at kilometer 75 of the road Mexicali-Tijuana. The cost of government funds was projected at 26 million dollars. The idea is to harness wind energy to supplement the currently used.

In another aspect, in 2012 La Rumosa in Baja California, along with La Ventosa, Oaxaca, will become the leading producers of wind power in Mexico.

The wind farm, which was conducted with federal and state resources, meet the need of street lighting in Mexicali, in addition to the savings generated that will be distributed among the poorest people of this city, so they can pay their electricity rates, said President of Mexico, Felipe Calderón.

During the inauguration of the project, the executive added that Mexico would become the most advanced country in all Latin America and one of the top 15 worldwide in renewable energy production, mainly through wind power.

"With that friends, we are at the forefront and will continue to seek clean energy schemes," he said referring to the new facility.

According to the Federal Electricity Commission (CFE), the program of diversification of generation sources achieving the 25% of the total electricity production in the country with renewable energy sources by the end of the current federal administration.

Rumorosa wind farm consists of five wind turbines manufactured by Gamesa in Spain and is the first phase of the development plans of harnessing the wind energy in the Baja California state.

The area has a wind potential Rumorosa estimated in more than 3 GW, and part of the energy generated could be exported across the border into the United States to help meet the demand for clean energy from California. The energy analysis indicates that by 2011, alternative energy supply can reach 75 percent of the energy needs of street lighting throughout the state of Baja California.

The analysis of economic and energy policy indicates that the cost of generating wind energy on a new round wind farm is between 6 and 8.4 cents per kilowatt-hour (kWh) with optimum conditions, below the 9 cents per kWh in a natural gas plant. We have mentioned that wind farms are long term investments and the projects are not affected by volatile oil prices.

Lot / Land For Sale in Zona Centro

Maggie Arreola — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 00:35:00 GMT

• 11,927 sq. ft. lot / land - $99,900 USD

Zona Centro, Ensenada - This double size lot is an 11,927 sq. ft. and it comes with a half completed 3 bedroom, 2 bath, 2 car garage construction.

The width of the lot has 66 feet and length is approximately 114 feet and stretches from street to street. With the ability to choose your finishes, roof, paint and detail it to your desire.

Located in a well established neighborhood with all public services available; only 5 minutes drive will take you to the down town area for shopping, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Costco, the beach and much, much more.

In Ensenada you will always have something to do, like deep sea fishing, quad riding, art shows, off road racing, some of the best restaurants and coffee shops and more. All offers considered, take advantage of this great investment.

Property information

Tiger's golf course still on track

Kanoa Biondolillo — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 19:25:00 GMT

Punta Brava developers expect to break ground this year

By Sandra Dibble, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Sunday, February 7, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.

John Gibbins / Union-Tribune

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

Photo by John Gibbins - Union-Tribune

Opponents of the project say it threatens one of the few remaining areas of marine coastal sage scrub in Baja and will require large amounts of water in an area where water supplies are scarce.

Photo by John Gibbins - Union-Tribune

Punta Brava founder and principal Brian Tucker says of his Baja California project: “We’re not selling 600 units of condos. This is to be one of the singular golf clubs in the world.” The golf course is the centerpiece of the develop-ment planned at the tip of the Punta Banda peninsula overlooking Todos Santos Bay.

Tiger Woods has been on leave from professional golf, but his widely reported personal problems are not the reason for delays in launching a luxury development outside Ensenada where he is designing a golf course, say promoters and government officials with knowledge of the project.

Developers of Punta Brava, located on a peninsula about 65 miles south of San Diego, say the permitting process has moved more slowly than they expected, but they count on breaking ground this year and opening in 2012.

Developers say they have maintained their close working relationship with Woods, who has not said when he will resume golfing professionally.

“No matter what, Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the world, and there is nobody else that we would rather have design our golf course than the best golfer in the world,” said Brian Tucker, founder and principal of Punta Brava and a vice president of The Flagship Group, the project’s development company.

When Punta Brava was announced Oct. 7, 2008, “the world was a different place,” Tucker said. While the economic downturn has brought coastal real estate development in Baja California to a virtual standstill, Tucker said Punta Brava is moving forward. Since the launching, 167 prospective buyers have been flown down to tour the site, he said, and have shown enthusiasm for the project.

Sales won’t begin until next February, said Susan Wise, spokeswoman for The Flagship Group.

“We’re not selling 600 units of condos,” Tucker 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 is 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.

Construction was scheduled to begin in early 2009 and be completed in 2010, according to the Tiger Woods Design Web site. The site lists Punta Brava as one of three designed by Woods; the others are in North Carolina and Dubai.

Baja California Tourism Secretary Oscar Escobedo Carignan said the project is an important step in projecting the state as a “sand and sea” destination, a term for oceanfront resorts that feature natural beauty. While Punta Brava would have no beaches, it is a dramatic natural setting with views of the ocean on three sides.

The developers say they are taking care to minimize the project’s environmental impact. A group of opponents to the project, the Viva Punta Banda Coalition, says the development threatens one of the few remaining areas of marine coastal sage scrub in Baja California and will require large amounts of water in an area where water supplies are scarce. The opponents say the project’s desalination plant will discharge brine sludge into the ocean, threatening marine ecosystems.

Tucker said that it has taken “way longer” than expected to get permits. The proposal passed a key hurdle late last year when Mexico’s Environmental Ministry gave a green light to the project, said Escobedo, the tourism secretary.

The area still needs a land-use change to allow for a tourist development. Linda Salazar, an official with Ensenada’s Urban Administration Secretariat, said federal environmental officials are expected to act in the next two weeks.

Another hurdle that the project must clear is a detailed review by Mexico’s National Institute for Anthropology and History, or INAH. Archaeologists familiar with the region say the site holds important remains of groups from as far back as 10,000 years ago.

INAH conducted a preliminary study last year, but needs to conduct a more extensive review before the project can move forward, according to the institute’s Baja California office. The study would be paid by the developer, but conducted by INAH.

Julia Bendimez, INAH’s director in Baja California, said the institute is prepared to conduct its review of the archaeological sites on the property, an area known as La Lobera.

“The salvage effort will begin when the company needs it,” Bendimez said.

Sandra Dibble: (619) 293-1716; sandra.dibble@uniontrib.com

Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/07/tigers-course-is-still-on-track

Proposed aqueduct would quench Baja wine valley

Kanoa Biondolillo — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:45:00 GMT

By Sandra Dibble, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Monday, February 1, 2010 at 12:04 a.m.

TIJUANA — As they watch millions of gallons of treated Tijuana wastewater flow into the Pacific Ocean each day, Baja California authorities say they have a better idea: Why not pipe it to the Guadalupe Valley, Baja California’s winemaking region, where the water table has been falling even as the area has risen in international renown?

Gov. José Guadalupe Osuna Millán’s government is proposing a 46-mile aqueduct that would carry the treated water from eastern Tijuana to the vineyards and olive groves in the small agricultural valley north of Ensenada.

“If we wanted to use all the treated water in the city, we’d be hard-pressed to find places to put it, no matter how many green areas we had,” said Efraín Muñoz, head of the State Water Commission, Baja California’s water planning agency.

Miles from Tijuana’s crowded hillsides, winemakers in the picturesque Guadalupe Valley say they’re running out of water, and that is threatening the future of a region responsible for 90 percent of Mexico’s wine production.

The valley shares its wells with the city of Ensenada, and the growing demand for urban and agricultural uses has put unprecedented pressure on the aquifer.

The Guadalupe Valley would not be the first to use reclaimed water in its vineyards. Napa Valley has been using treated wastewater in some vineyards for at least a decade, said Jeff Tucker of the Napa Sanitation District.

Hugo D’Acosta, owner of the Casa de Piedra winery and a member of the Baja California Wine Growers Association, offers cautious endorsement for the pipeline proposal.

The reclaimed-water project could offer a solution, he said, “if and when it’s well-executed and meets the needs of the valley.”

D’Acosta and other vineyard owners have become increasingly wary of encroachment by housing developments and fear that without strict zoning regulations, the pipeline could encourage large-scale projects that destroy the valley’s vocation.

“I see it as feasible, but also very dangerous,” D’Acosta said of the proposed aqueduct.

This is not the first proposal aimed at using Tijuana’s wastewater. A U.S. company, Bajagua, for years proposed building a treatment plant in Mexico with $170 million in U.S. government funds, then selling up to 59 million gallons of reclaimed water a day. But the San Marcos company’s much-debated proposal failed in 2008 when the International Boundary and Water Commission opted to instead upgrade its existing San Ysidro treatment plant that treats 25 million gallons of Tijuana sewage a day.

Collecting and treating Tijuana’s sewage has been the subject of binational efforts for decades. The city’s spills and overflows risk contaminating San Diego County beaches and threaten the Tijuana River estuary, a federally protected wetland. Although dry-weather flows have largely been eliminated, cross-border sewage flows during wet weather continue to shut down South Bay beaches.

Last year, officials on both sides of the border celebrated when Tijuana’s state-operated utility, the CESPT, inaugurated the Arturo Herrera sewage treatment plant in eastern Tijuana.

The opening launched Tijuana’s first comprehensive wastewater-reuse program, and the inauguration of a pipeline carrying 470,000 gallons a day from the plant to nearby Morelos Park.

The CESPT is completing a second treatment plant nearby called La Morita, and is planning a third one, Cueros de Venado. The three plants would feed the Guadalupe Valley aqueduct up to 25 million gallons a day of wastewater treated to a secondary level, which is acceptable for irrigation purposes.

Muñoz, the Baja California water planner, said the Guadalupe Valley pipeline proposal has a good chance of becoming a reality, but it faces several hurdles.

Because the state government can’t afford the project’s $169 million price tag, it is turning to the private sector. The winning bidder would recover its investment by selling the water. But to keep water rates down, federal funds are also needed, Muñoz said.

The state hopes to put to the project out to bid this year and begin construction in 2011, Muñoz said.

Before reaching the Guadalupe Valley, some of the water would be diverted to the Valle de las Palmas outside Tijuana, where a satellite city is under construction. Additional amounts would be delivered to agricultural communities along the way, with the remainder stored at a reservoir planned at the valley’s northern end, Muñoz said.

The water would receive further treatment before being delivered to growers, allowing it to be used in spray and drip irrigation systems.

Even with the Guadalupe Valley pipeline in the planning stages, Muñoz is looking ahead to a second project to use the rest of Tijuana’s treated wastewater.

He envisions a coastline pipeline that would supply communities with irrigation water for their green spaces.

“It would be much cheaper than the drinking water we are now using,” Muñoz said.

Sandra Dibble: (619) 293-1716; sandra.dibble@uniontrib.com

Find this article at:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2010/feb/01/proposed-recycled-water-canal-would-quench-baja

How dangerous is Mexico? Despite drug war, it's less deadly than it was a decade ago

Kanoa Biondolillo — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:12:00 GMT

Chicago Tribune

Posted on 08 February 2010

ALEXANDRA OLSON

Associated Press Writer

Decapitated bodies dumped on the streets, drug-war shootings and regular attacks on police have obscured a significant fact: A falling homicide rate means people in Mexico are less likely to die violently now than they were more than a decade ago.

It also means tourists as well as locals may be safer than many believe.

Mexico City's homicide rate today is about on par with Los Angeles and is less than a third of that for Washington, D.C.

Yet many Americans are leery of visiting Mexico at all. Drug violence and the swine flu outbreak contributed to a 12.5 percent decline in air travel to Mexico by U.S. citizens in 2009, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce, a blow to Mexico's third-largest source of foreign income.

Mexico, Colombia and Haiti are the only countries in the hemisphere subject to a U.S. government advisory warning travelers about violence, even though homicide rates in many Latin American countries are far higher.

"What we hear is, 'Oh the drug war! The dead people on the streets, and the policeman losing his head,'" said Tobias Schluter, 34, a civil engineer from Berlin having a beer at a cafe behind Mexico City's 16th-century cathedral. "But we don't see it. We haven't heard a gunshot or anything."

Mexico's homicide rate has fallen steadily from a high in 1997 of 17 per 100,000 people to 14 per 100,000 in 2009, a year marked by an unprecedented spate of drug slayings concentrated in a few states and cities, Public Safety Secretary Genaro Garcia Luna said. The national rate hit a low of 10 per 100,000 people in 2007, according to government figures compiled by the independent Citizens' Institute for Crime Studies.

By comparison, Venezuela, Honduras, El Salvador and Guatemala have homicide rates of between 40 and 60 per 100,000 people, according to recent government statistics. Colombia was close behind with a rate of 33 in 2008. Brazil's was 24 in 2006, the last year when national figures were available.

Mexico City's rate was about 9 per 100,000 in 2008, while Washington, D.C. was more than 30 that year.

"In terms of security, we are like those women who aren't overweight but when they look in the mirror, they think they're fat," said Luis de la Barreda, director of the Citizens' Institute. "We are an unsafe country, but we think we are much more unsafe that we really are."

Of course, drug violence has turned some places in Mexico, including the U.S. border region and some parts of the Pacific coast, into near-war zones since President Felipe Calderon intensified the war against cartels with a massive troop deployment in 2006. That has made Ciudad Juarez, across the border from El Paso, Texas, among the most dangerous cities in the world.

"The violence, homicides and cruel and inhuman assassinations, which fill the pages of our media, make us feel that there has been much more violence since this war against drug trafficking," said Bishop Miguel Alba Diaz of La Paz, a vacation city at the tip of the Baja California peninsula.

Mexico's violence is often more shocking than elsewhere in Latin America because powerful cartels go to extremes to intimidate the government and rival smugglers.

In just one week in December, the severed heads of six police investigators were dumped in a public plaza, kingpin Arturo Beltran Leyva died in a two-hour shootout with troops at a luxury apartment complex in a resort city and gunmen slaughtered the family of the only marine killed in that battle.

In the new year, it's become even more grotesque. Three weeks ago, a victim's face was peeled from his skull and sewn onto a soccer ball. Days later, the remains of 41-year-old former police officer were divided into two separate ice chests.

Authorities say the vast majority of victims are drug suspects, but bystanders, including children, sometimes get caught in the crossfire.

Mexico has the same problems with corrupt police, gang violence and poverty as other Latin American countries with higher homicide rates. So why the decline in murders?

Experts say while drug violence is up, land disputes have eased. Many farmers have migrated to the cities or abroad and the government has pushed to resolve the land disputes, some centuries old.

During the height of the Zapatista uprising in the mid 1990s - a rebellion fueled by land conflicts - southern Chiapas state had a rate of nearly 40 per 100,000 people with 1,000 homicides a year. By 2008, that fell to 8 per 100,000 people with 364 killings.

De la Barreda attributes the downward trend to a general improvement in Mexico's quality of life. More Mexicans have joined the ranks of the middle class in the past two decades, while education levels and life expectancy have also risen.

Critics of Calderon's drug war say his frontal assault on cartels is giving Mexico a reputation as a violent country but doing little to stop the drug gangs' work.

" It's a bad international image that affects foreign tourism and foreign investment," said Jose Luis Pineyro, a sociologist at Mexico's Autonomous Metropolitan University who has studied the drug war.

Drug violence has encroached on the resort towns of Zihuatanejo, Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta and Cancun. The millions of foreign tourists who visit each year are almost never targeted, but a handful have gotten caught in the crossfire. In 2007, two Canadians were grazed by bullets when someone fired into a hotel lobby in Acapulco. In January, a Canadian couple was shot and wounded in a robbery attempt just outside Zihuatanejo.

The U.S. State Department travel alert says dozens of U.S. citizens living in Mexico have been kidnapped over the years, and warns Americans against traveling to the states of Chihuahua and Michoacan.

Chihuahua, home to Ciudad Juarez, had a horrifying homicide rate of 173 per 100,000 in the city of 1.3 million, or more than 2,500 murders last year.

Michoacan, famed for its Monarch butterfly refuge, Day of the Dead celebrations and picturesque colonial capital, is now also widely known as the place where five heads rolled across a dance floor. Drug violence is blamed for many of the state's 660 killings last year.

But in many parts of Mexico, villages are more tranquil than ever - a fact that retired nurse Marilyn Wells struggles to drive home with her American friends back home in LeMars, Iowa.

"'We're OK, there's no problem,'" Wells said she tells friends about the home she bought four years ago in Cabo San Lucas on the southern tip of the Baja California peninsula. "I don't feel any less safe down here than I did before."

Article forward by:

Patrick Osio
Vice President
Baja California Medical Tourism Association (BCMTA)
www.BajaCaliforniaMedicalTourismAssociation.org
Co-founder TransBorder Communication
Dedicated to Binational Economic Development
www.TransBorderCommunications.com
The Baja Connection with Patrick Osio/Radio Program
Internet at: www.TheBajaConnection.com
Editor/HispanicVista/Public Interest Internet Publication since 1997www.hispanicvista.com
(619) 422-1878 Fax (619) 422-4130
Cell (619) 944-1522 Posiojr@aol.com

Single Story For Sale in Club Marena at km38.5

Maggie Arreola — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:56:00 GMT

• 1,676 sq. ft., 2 bath, 2 bdrm single story - $385,000 USD - Great Price!

Club Marena at km38.5, Rosarito - This outstanding condominium offers breathtaking oceanfront views, with 1,676 Sq. Ft. of living space and high end finishes, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, gourmet kitchen, family room and a 28 ft. wide ocean front terrace.

This is one of the last two units available!

A prestigious yet affordable lifestyle awaits you at Club Marena. This is your chance to own a superb beach front condominium with spectacular, panoramic ocean views and lush grounds in the most exclusive Baja real estate development in the region.

Built to exacting American standards, with exceptional workmanship, these ocean front homes offer modern day conveniences in a romantic setting.

Club Marena began almost 15 years ago with the development of 24 split level town houses overlooking the blue Pacific. This unit is in the 6th phase and the next phase is in development. This is one of only three units left in this tower.

Located just 15 minutes south of Rosarito and 30 minutes away from Ensenada at the world famous surf spot K38, Club Marena is strategically located.

Rosarito Beach is a popular destination in the heart of Baja’s Gold Coast, the perfect stage for all types of recreational events, including sports, social and cultural meetings, karaoke bars, coffee shops, fine dining and more.

And because you are only 30 miles from the border you have access to the best of Mexican and American life styles.

Property information

Single Story For Sale in Club Marena at km38.5

Maggie Arreola — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:55:00 GMT

Last Unit!

• 3,936 sq. ft., 3 bath, 3 bdrm single story - $985,000 USD

Club Marena at km38.5, Rosarito - Almost 4,000 sq. ft. of living space with something not found in many other condos, views of both the sunrise and the sunset. This outstanding condominium is the last one of this size. Don’t miss out. There are breathtaking oceanfront views, large living spaces and high end finishes. Gourmet kitchen, family room and a wraparound terrace, 3 bedrooms, 3 1/2 baths with 123 ft. of oceanfront terrace.

A prestigious yet affordable lifestyle awaits you at Club Marena. This is your chance to own a superb beachfront condominium with spectacular, panoramic ocean views and lush grounds in the most exclusive Baja real estate development in the region.

Built to exacting American standards, with exceptional workmanship, these ocean front homes offer modern day conveniences in a romantic setting.

Club Marena began almost 15 years ago with the development of 24 split level town houses overlooking the blue Pacific. This unit is in the 6th phase and the next phase is in development. This is one of only three units left in this tower.

Located just 15 minutes south of Rosarito and 30 minutes away from Ensenada at the world famous surf spot K38, Club Marena is strategically located.

Rosarito Beach is a popular destination in the heart of Baja’s Gold Coast, the perfect stage for all types of recreational events, including sports, social and cultural meetings, karaoke bars, coffee shops, fine dining and more.

And because you are only 30 miles from the border you have access to the best of Mexican and American life styles.

Property information

Single Story For Sale in Club Marena at km38.5

Maggie Arreola — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 19:43:00 GMT

Last Jr. Pent House unit!

• 1,739 sq. ft., 2 bath, 2 bdrm single story - $385,000 USD - Great Price!

Club Marena at km38.5, Rosarito - This outstanding Jr. Pent House offers breathtaking oceanfront views, with 1,739 Sq. Ft. of living space and high end finishes, 2 bedrooms, 2 baths, gourmet kitchen, family room and a 69 ft. wide ocean front terrace.

This is one of the last two units available!

A prestigious yet affordable lifestyle awaits you at Club Marena. This is your chance to own a superb beach front condominium with spectacular, panoramic ocean views and lush grounds in the most exclusive Baja real estate development in the region.

Built to exacting American standards, with exceptional workmanship, these ocean front homes offer modern day conveniences in a romantic setting.

Club Marena began almost 15 years ago with the development of 24 split level town houses overlooking the blue Pacific. This unit is in the 6th phase and the next phase is in development. This is one of only three units left in this tower.

Located just 15 minutes south of Rosarito and 30 minutes away from Ensenada at the world famous surf spot K38, Club Marena is strategically located.

Rosarito Beach is a popular destination in the heart of Baja’s Gold Coast, the perfect stage for all types of recreational events, including sports, social and cultural meetings, karaoke bars, coffee shops, fine dining and more.

And because you are only 30 miles from the border you have access to the best of Mexican and American life styles.

Property information

New phone service option for those of us living outside of the U.S.

Kanoa Biondolillo — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 21:45:00 GMT

It is called NetTalk http://www.nettalk.com/

I am currently using a Magic Jack for the House and Vonage for the office. What I like about this NetTalk device is that it's only a one time fee of $100 and I dont need a computer to use it. Those two features beat out Magic Jack and Vonage for me.

It should be here in a week and I will keep everyone up-to-date on the quality of service.

Affordable phone service

Your Phone Company in a Box™

With the TK6000 from netTALK you can connect with friends and family all over the world without expensive long distance phone bills. You don't even have to worry about phone bills anymore. Yes, with the TK6000 you get free local and long distance. You can also call any other TK6000 on the PLANET and your calls will be completely FREE. You can also take the TK6000 when you travel internationally and call back to any US or

The illusion of safety in Los Angeles

Kanoa Biondolillo — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 20:18:00 GMT

The illusion of safety in Los Angeles

By Patrick Osio, Jr./HispanicVista.com January 2010

The illusion of safety in Los AngelesBy Patrick Osio

For Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa 2010 is to be a year dedicated to attracting businesses and creating jobs so he called a meeting with the leading business leaders of the community. He told them that it is now safe for people to walk the streets of downtown Los Angeles, “We can sell this,” he told them. Not an easy sell since Los Angeles is informally known as the “Gang Capital of the Nation,” and is listed as one of the most dangerous cities in the world.

The Los Angeles Times’ headquarters has been a part of downtown Los Angeles since early last century, seems content to sell the “it’s safe” idea by downplaying the danger to downtown workers and visitors while dramatizing dangers in other regions.

Did the Times dedicate meaningful space when Los Angeles was listed as one of the most dangerous cities in the nation? Consider that murder is 1.75 times the national average; forcible rape is barely below the national average and that all violent crime is over 2 times the national average. Or how extensively has the Times reported that there are over 300,000 drug users in their home region? That’s close to 10 percent of the city’s population.

Ah, but crime is down authorities say – why in 2009 violent crimes were only 11,617; murders were only 198; rapes were a measly 485; robberies a low of only 6,256; assaults 6,047; and car thefts only 11,105. This is only for Los Angles not the cities surrounding L.A.; they have their own “look at us” our crime is down figures. Tell that to the victims, but not to the general public lest they become fearful of leaving their homes or worse, demand better protection (and better reporting from the leading newspaper).

But the mayor says – “It’s safe, we can sell this.” I think he means we can “hide this” by having one of the biggest, and at one time most respected, newspapers in the nation divert attention by reporting on crime and how unsafe it is somewhere other than Los Angeles, but the chosen place has to be near and unable to fight back.

Welcome to the ready made – let’s pick on Mexico – and why not? Politicians have gotten really good at this. We have economic problems, blame Mexicans. There is unemployment, why we all know it’s those Mexicans taking the jobs. There is corruption – not here, it’s got to be in Mexico.

I am not suggesting the L.A. Times and the LA mayor are in cahoots in this hiding process. No, the Times has its own agenda – readership is down, revenues at an all time low. Readership has to increase to bring revenues back. So what is needed is a ready made, easy to dramatize news with little fear that the reports will be challenged for their inaccuracies, over dramatization and continually repeating and rehashing same news each time with some new element.

Mexico’s war on drugs has become the Time’s ready made issue to dramatize. And so they did, creating the Mexico Under Siege series of articles – still ongoing and occupying good space in their web site as well, with of course, advertising.

But in all their reporting on how Mexico is fighting drug cartels to keep illicit drugs away from the U.S. whose users are a great percentage of our young, and at the same time fighting to keep drugs from their own citizens – has the Times dedicated meaningful space to that story? – the Mexican people’s sacrifice, the high cost and above all, the root cause for that war being the high usage by Americans who feed the underworld with over 30 billion dollars a year. Money which they use to hire assassins, buy the latest and deadliest weapons mostly from the US, bribe officials in Mexico and the U.S.

Has the Times considered running a “California’s Illicit Drug Use Epidemic” series? Gosh no, that would not bring readership – no one wants to read about one’s own sins. There is no fun or profit in that.

Reporting on all the killings in Baja California, have any of the Times’ reports said how many of those homicides are gang-killing-gang members? No, because so doing would expose that over 95 percent of the Baja homicides are such.

But it will make hay out of one rape to an American woman no matter how far from any of the Baja major cities – without mention that the incidence of such crime against Americans is insignificant in comparison with the number of visitors. Nor will it mention that the number of American women raped in Los Angeles is epidemic in comparison; or that any of the other crimes against Americans in Los Angeles are hugely more than in Baja; or that Americans are actually safer in Baja than in Los Angeles.

No of course not, instead, simply make Baja look bad, kill its tourism industry and let them keep fighting the good fight – but one cannot help but wonder given the high usage of drugs in Los Angeles – does anyone there want Mexicoto win?

Patrick Osio is the Editor of HispanicVista.com and Vice President of the Baja California Medical Tourism Association. Contact at POsioJr@aol.comor at Posio@aol.com

Patrick Osio, Jr. has written a short but intensive manual on the Mexican perspective on numerous issues between our two countries. The manual is an in depth primer on the culture and protocol for better understanding Mexicans that in turn allows establishing personal and business relationships, and how to avoid the most common faux pas that can ruin relationships and business deals.

For information on purchasing, write to HVCstore@aol.com

The Truth About Mexico

Kanoa Biondolillo — Wed, 20 Jan 2010 22:33:00 GMT

Sovereign Man

Notes from the Field

Date: January 20, 2010
Reporting From: Mexico City (DF), Mexico

My route to Panama has become quite slow and roundabout thanks to a bit of bad weather, and the fact that I gave up my seat on an oversold fight to accommodate a lady who was rushing home for a family emergency.

I am optimistic about this series of events, though, because I have the opportunity to once again put my boots on the ground in one of Mexico's "most dangerous places."

Ask a foreigner about Mexico City and you'll get the "Good God don't go there!" speech. After all, that's where they filmed that kidnapping movie with Denzel (Man on Fire).

It's funny how Hollywood and a few negative media reports can cause completely irrational levels of fear. The general public is a willing participant in spreading misinformation (thank you, Wikipedia) as most people who render an opinion about 'dangerous' countries usually speak out of total ignorance.

To put it plainly, stories of chaos and violence in Mexico are substantially overrated, just like Colombia. Mexico City, where I am presently, has the worst reputation in the country, but again, this is mostly hearsay and manufactured sensationalism.

Yes, kidnappings, drug trafficking, and violent crime occur in Mexico... just like they do in the US, UK, and Japan. But Mexicans are no more cast in the throes of criminal violence than the average Italian who goes his entire life without ever once seeing a mafia henchman.

Oh, and lest I forget, the 'swine flu' started here as well, further stirring the pot of falsehoods and misconceptions.

Here's the bottom line-- Mexico is one of the largest economies in the world and has an established, stable middle class. People do not hide in their houses from drug gangs; daily "OK-Corral style" shootouts do not occur; and there is no H1N1 pandemic.

My friend Jeff who lives on Mexico's pacific coast recently had this to say in an email to me:

"You know, Simon, things in Mexico are definitely not how they appear in the American media. Mexico is a huge country and is as diverse as the US, so to paint the entire country with one brush is simply an exercise in futility.

Honestly I would think that Americans and Canadians are safer here than in their home country. I've lived in Acapulco for 2 years and haven't personally seen or heard of ANY crime, including basic theft or anything.

When I lived in Vancouver it seemed that about once every month or two I'd have to scatter out of a nightclub with my head down as rival drug gangs shot it out... not to mention having my car broken into on nearly a monthly basis!"

Simon again. If you can get past the stigma, Mexico may be a viable option for you to plant a residency flag. Personally, there's no way that I could live here in Mexico City-- the endless urban sprawl grates heavily against my DNA, and a country this size has hundreds of better options to choose from.

Regardless of your preference, though, the benefits to Mexico are plentiful, particularly if you are from North America:

First, it's close to home and has an established infrastructure. You can drive back and forth (yes, it's safe), or choose to fly to/from several of destinations-- Acapulco, Guadelajara, Oxaca, Cancun, etc.

It's so close that when I used to live in Texas, I would even fly from time-to-time down to Monterrey just to have dinner; my favorite steak house in the world is located there, and the flight would only take about 35 minutes.

Second, the cost of living is reasonable. It's not eye-poppingly cheap (go to Ecuador or Thailand), but you can do quite well in most cities for less than $2,000 (US) per month.

If you want to go high-end, premium properties on the coast list in the range of $3,500 to $6,000 per square meter-- so a tier-1 ocean-view condo can set you back between $400,000 and $1.2 million.

Third, Mexico is already accustomed to a bit of social and political instability... whatever negative consequences shall occur down the road as a result of dwindling oil output and rising inflation will not cause a systemic failure-- instability and economic challenge are nothing new here.

Contrast that with wealthier countries which have yet to undergo a widespread panic and collapse of confidence in its modern history. As strange as it sounds, you might find yourself better off in a society that has experience dealing with turmoil.

I'm often asked to compare Mexico to Panama, which frankly is a great question... I will save that for a future letter, but suffice it to say that they are different options for different desires.

More to follow.

Simon Black
Senior Editor, Sovereign Man

You can sign up for Simon Blacks newsletter at the Sovereign Man website http://www.sovereignman.com/