During the past 15 years, International Living magazine has calculated its Annual Global Retirement Index; a resource intended to assist retirees and future retirees in evaluating and comparing the world’s most popular retirement destinations. It is based on a number of criteria, giving various weights to each, depending on its importance to retirees. Listed below are those criteria considered with their individual weighting:

• Cost of Living—20%

• Health Care—20%

• Special Benefits—20%

• Real Estate—15%

• Entertainment, Recreation, and Culture—10%

• Climate—5%

• Safety and Stability—5%

• Infrastructure—5%

Believe it or not, until this year, Panama had topped the list for the past six years. It still has plenty to offer retirees, however this year, with 30 countries being analyzed and ranked, it fell to fourth position. Ahead of Panama in third position, was Italy with its beautiful cities, its fine weather, and of course, its historic sites. In second position was, of all countries, Ecuador, which moved all the way up from the tenth position last year. Ecuador offers an extremely low cost of living, great weather, beautiful land, a growing economy tied to the US dollar, and a stable political environment. It might be a well kept secret, but Ecuador is becoming a land of opportunity and retirees are taking advantage of it.

Now, for the number one ranked country in the world for retirement; MEXICO! Aside from the fact that Mexico is extremely convenient to the US and Canada, that Mexico’s Senior Citizens´ Benefits Program offers up to 50% discounts on many services to retirees over the age of 60, that the Mexican government has enacted many new laws encouraging foreign investment, Mexico has become an incredible place to enjoy retirement, offering the quality of life that North Americans are accustomed to with numerous extra benefits.

(As a side note, a few years ago when the Canadian dollar was at its weakest, Canada ranked in the top ten. However as the loonie has strengthened, Canada has slipped well out of the top ten this year. For reference sake only, the US ranked 19th this year!)

The major Mexican inland retirement communities are located in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, and the Lake Chapala / Ajijic area. For the most part, these inland retirement communities are located in beautiful colonial cities with moderate temperatures year round. Most of the modern amenities and activities are available to retirees in these retirement cities with a very attractive cost of living. Being located inland, these retirees can purchase and own real estate with title as they would in the US or Canada.

For those desiring magnificent ocean views, the Pacific coastline offers many advantages over the Gulf of Mexico coastline; the major one being protection from storms. The entire Yucatan Peninsula area, including the Cancun and Cozumel areas are great for vacations; but due to its exposure to hurricanes, it is not considered by many to be ideal for retirement. On the other hand, the Pacific Ocean coastline seldom sees troublesome storms and offers more than a thousand miles of incredible Pebble Beach like views with a climate similar to that of Hawaii.

Pacific Ocean coastal cities such as Mazatlan, Manzanillo, and Acapulco are somewhat popular for tourists, but have become quite industrialized and commercialized and therefore not really considered as ideal retirement cities. The most desirable retirement locations from north to south along the Pacific Ocean are La Paz and Todos Santos in Baja, Puerto Vallarta, Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo, and Puerto Escondido.

La Paz and Todos Santos in Baja, Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo, and Puerto Escondido are more exposed to the elements than Puerto Vallarta, which is tucked behind the Sierra Madre Mountains next to Banderas Bay, safely protected from Pacific storms coming out of the south. Also, because Ixtapa / Zihuatanejo is approximately 500 miles south of Vallarta and Puerto Escondido is 300 miles even further south, the “high season”, or the time during the year with perfect weather conditions, is reduced from 7-8 months to perhaps 6-7 months. A month extra per year in Paradise is often considered to be substantial to retirees!

Using the above logic, it’s no wonder why so many retirees have migrated to Puerto Vallarta. This beautiful tourist resort area has become home to thousands of North Americans that have traveled the world, could afford to live anywhere on the planet, and have chosen Vallarta as their winter, if not full time, retirement destination.

Located at the same latitude as Hawaii, Puerto Vallarta has a perfect climate with an average daily temperature of 73°F from November through May with virtually no chance of rain. With a population of approximately 350,000 inhabitants, Vallarta now has a new and growing infrastructure including roads, water treatment plants and distribution systems, power plants and distribution grid, airport, maritime terminal, hospitals, university, etc.

High speed internet, satellite TV, VOIP telecommunications, and US newspapers and magazines are all available in Vallarta. Most of the mega-stores found in the US and Canada have come to Vallarta including Sam’s Club, Wal-Mart, Costco, Home Depot, Office Depot, Staples, and of course, every fast food chain restaurant imaginable! Vallarta now has seven world class golf courses with three more either in the planning stage or currently under construction. There are hundreds of tennis courts, world class deep sea fishing, and every other activity available that you would expect in a city of this size. There are numerous new cinemas, theaters, and hundreds of fine restaurants.

Due to the explosive growth of Vallarta and the influx of North Americans, it is safe to say that its entire economy is based on tourism and the retirement of North Americans, thus creating thousands of new construction and service related jobs for the locals. It has also created an atmosphere where speaking English has become a prerequisite for a decent paying job. Therefore, most of the younger Vallartenses are now becoming quite fluent in English. The inability to speak Spanish is certainly not an obstacle to retiring in Vallarta! Also, because the economy is based on the North American dollar, safety is of prime concern to the locals. You will not find a safer, more hospitable city of this size anywhere. In fact, this was clearly revealed in a survey taken by Conde Nast magazine, where Puerto Vallarta was ranked the friendliest resort destination in the world.

Now, let’s return to our quest for the top retirement haven in the world. If we can accept what the latest surveys, polls, and indices suggest, Mexico is the country and Puerto Vallarta is the city.

We’ve owned property in Vallarta for almost 25 years and have lived here as permanent residents for over ten years and can attest to its magical characteristics resulting in a quality of life that can’t be surpassed anywhere in the world. The growth that we’ve witnessed since 2000, when the PAN administration took power, has been truly amazing; so much so, that the head of the local Chamber of Commerce has projected the population of Vallarta will reach 600,000 by the year 2015. There are currently more than 7,000 new condos currently under construction with well over 20,000 more planned in the future by Fonatur, the Mexican Tourism Board. Because real estate sales in Mexico are generally done on a cash basis, this economy has not been affected by the mortgage related problems seen in the US. Real estate values have tripled since 2000 and continue to appreciate daily. Owning property here has surely been an investment of a lifetime for us.

If you’re a baby boomer, either recently retired or about to retire, you owe it to yourself; make PV your next vacation destination and consider all the qualities it has to offer. You’ll definitely be impressed with this glorious Paradise along the Mexican Riviera and will probably agree, Puerto Vallarta is the best place in the world to retire.

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Affordable Property

It is a great concern amongst financial institutions and home owners that the housing crisis continues without a forseeable solution. With the divorce rate increasing, there is a greater demand by singles for more housing, and causes severe problems where land is scarce. Affordable housing is difficult to find for first time buyers. Young people are even joining together and buying property just to get started.

Many couples in Britain are given the advice to purchase a home as an investment, unlike Europe where it is more common to rent. Mrs Thatchers government in the 1980s allowed local authorities to sell there houses to the people that rented them, this exacerbated the housing situation. Part of the drive that the government had was to get everyone to own there home. The housing stock that was originally available for rent got completely depleted, and started the shortage in the rental sector. Unfortunately not everyone has enough money to buy a house and quite a few working class families needed low priced houses to rent.

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An increasing cause for concern is the relative cost of living in London compared with areas and counties throughout the United Kingdom. Teachers, Nurses and other professionals are finding it extremely difficult in London due to the high cost of housing. Affordable property is very hard to find. What London needs are professionals to fill these critical position. With a high opposition to the expansion of greenbelt development the United Kingdom is looking to build more on brown sites located both in the inner and outer city. This would bring more affordable houses and should result in the rejuvenation of the deprived inner city areas.

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EVENT DATE MARCH 26-27, 2007

NEW REAL ESTATE SEMINAR BENEFITS BUYERS AND INVESTORS IN RIVIERA MAYA

INSIDE SECRETS OFFERED BY INDUSTRY MOVERS AND SHAKERS

By David Greenberg, Staff Writer for Riviera Maya Real Estate News

MLS 4 Riviera Maya is proud to announce it’s sponsorship of the brand new seminar for buyers and investors appropriately titled “The Inside Secrets of Buying Real Estate in the Rivera Maya”. The seminar is designed to provide insight to help buyers and investors complete successful transactions in the hottest market in Mexico utilizing the all the legal rules and inside moves to make their investment turn into a profits.

The seminar will be held March 26-27, 2007 in the Royal Porto Real Ballroom in Playa del Carmen.

“Some people make things happen and some people wonder what happened? says J.P. Money, host of Let’s Talk Real Estate, a investment pod cast. “This seminar is the only real way to actually meet the hottest players in the market up front and very personal. There are major profits being made and like most cases, it’s being made by top investors because they have the knowledge and know how. You will not want to miss this event or you will definitely be left wondering what if!”

At the seminar, buyers and investors will learn the INSIDE SECRETS on buying in Cancun, Puerto Morelos, Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Puerto Aventuras, Akumal, Tulum, and the Costa Maya from the people who really know. The area’s most successful investors, professionals, and market movers will be sharing their secrets with attendees over 2 informative days in what has become the hottest real estate market in Mexico.

Attendees will learn the inside secrets of the Holiday Rental Market, Government Plans and Support for the area, Mortgage Availability for the Riviera Maya, Riviera Maya Tourism Board plans and how they are shaping the future of this breath taking area. In addition, those who attend will hear directly from local legal authorities on the best way to buy and hold your property and from successful investors who have already bought here and are making money in a hot growing market.

Seminar Hosted by Shanna Giannakis, General Sales Manager of Riviera Realtors, the seminar will present top notch keynote speakers who move the market. The seminar is sponsored by Cantex Realty, Coldwell Banker, Riviera Realtors, Go South, Sian Kaan and One Stop Real Estate.

In addition to class room presentations, attendees will also be taken on location specific tours and shown the inside info on areas and special properties of note. There are only 50 spots available for this investor changing seminar. The cost is $ 129.99 per person. However, if you register online before March 1st, the cost is just $ 99.00 usd per person. The seminar also includes lunch, coffee, and snack breaks.

To sign up for the seminar, just contact Shanna Giannakis via her email at seminars@rivieramayarealestatenews.com or by phone in the USA at 1(951) 543-4137. Or go to web site at http://www.rivieramayarealestatenews.com

Hosted by MLS 4 Riviera Maya is at www.mls4rivieramaya.com

Playa del Carmen (often referred to as just “Playa” locally) was a little, unknown fishing village that was discovered by the traveler’s visiting Cancun and Cozumel . But now Playa del carmen is one of the fastest growing coastal towns in Mexico. The Playa del carmen Real Estate is a booming sector with new properties comprising of Beachfront condos , villas and residential complexes been announced regularly. These properties are ideal as second home or vacation rental homes. Since Playa del carmen is frequently visited by people from USA and Europe, more and more people are buying Real Estate in Playa del Carmen as a relatively risk free and very profitable investment option.

There are currently many hot properties for sale in playa del carmen. This article aims at advising and informing people about the few well known properties in Playa del caremn ideal for Investment. One of them Fives is a residential property which has a nature park of 28,000 square meters, a spa and fitness center, a beach club with pool and snack bar, all in addition to the comforts offered by Karisma hotel in your home by the sea are all the parts of your treasure. It has Two and 3 Bedrooms, Terrace, Private Yard & pool, Solarium, Contemporary enviromental mexican architecture,Luxury Maintenance, Karisma hotel service, Rental Pool.

Another one is Beachfront El Taj residences. It has been developed by one of the most well known property management company in Playa. El Taj Oceanfront Condominiums is located in the Zona Primera (premier zone) of Playa del Carmen is the new. Ideally located between the Caribbean Ocean and 5th Ave. El Taj Condominiums provides you with full ownership and individual title. It’s an investment that you can enjoy while earning a great income. If you decide to rent your condo, we provide a property management service that is similar to a four star hotel. A sophisticated electronic reservation system allows you to monitor the status of your unit from the privacy of your home, while knowing that your guests are receiving the benefits of daily maid service, a concierge and friendly staff.

The Shailly has apartment style condos which have Marble floors, Granite counter tops, Mahogany wood doors / window frames, Plasma screens, American satellite, DVD’s, Living room set, Dining room set,1 king size bed, 2 twins, Built in closets, Fridge, stove, microwave, washer / drier, AC mini splits – all rooms.

Author: Tom Budniak