Even though we have thousands of Americans, Canadians and other foreigners living in the Ajijic / Chapala area in harmony with the friendly Mexicans, these are names that bring wonderment to many north of the US -Mexican border.

Do you remember the 1927 novel, "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre", which was about a couple of down-and-out Americans that joined up with a crusty old timer to prospect for gold in Mexico? It was later adapted into a film by John Huston in 1948, who returned to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in 1964 to film "Night of the Iguana".

Quaint, as defined by Webster and others, means unusual or old fashioned in a pleasing way, with a charming old fashioned quality, or oddly picturesque.

Los Cabos Real Estate: Safety First

Carol S. Billups

Belize has it all, community, loving people, English speaking, sun, excellent property prices, fun and all of the freedom to be oneself.  We moved here three years ago.  We enjoy our work with Rainforest Realty and the Relocation assistance that we provide to others that want to enjoy the same freedom that we enjoy here.  We invite you to come to Belize, take in the sunshine, enjoy the beauty and perhaps you too can have a piece of Paradise here in BELIZE!

As much as I hate the idea of a "Cancun" type development in my neighborhood, it's coming and there is nothing I can do about stopping it. SO, I might as well tell my friends about it and, who knows, maybe you can benefit from the information.

It happens every eight seconds: another Baby Boomer retires. The number of them coming to Cabo is growing exponentially: in the past decade the number of US citizens over 60 living full time in Cabo mushroomed 300% over the previous period. No census data is available for this century yet, but ask any realtor and they'll tell you more and more clients are buying for retirement, or in anticipation of retirement, than ever before. And why not here? Cabo is the perfect place for full time living or a winter home.

So, you've reached a point in your life where you think that you've learned a little about business, finance, contract negotiating, real estate, etc. and have at least a layman's knowledge of law pertaining to each. Being that savvy, you might also be aware of the incredible retirement locations and values south of the border; furthermore, you might even be considering Mexico as your retirement destination. If so, you might as well forget everything you've learned and leave your law degree at home!

Well, it appears as though the effects of the mortgage crisis in the US which began in March, 2008 followed by the collapse of the stock market in October, 2008 are finally being felt in Puerto Vallarta. Thanks to the strong Canadian Dollar, tourist expenditures in Vallarta for goods and services, including retirement real estate, held up fairly well for most of 2008. However, during the September/October timeframe, the Canadian Dollar plunged by more than 20%, thus reducing the Canadian purchasing power accordingly. Consequently, both the Americans and Canadians are now hesitant to aggressively invest in anything, especially foreign retirement properties.

As we all approach retirement, we often dream of someday owning a piece of Paradise, somewhere in Florida, Arizona, Hawaii, or even Puerto Vallarta; someplace with a climate conducive to kicking back and enjoying life to its fullest, year round.

Puerto Vallarta, the sleepy little Mexican fishing village that's no longer sleepy or little is located at the same latitude as Maui, Hawaii. Being at that latitude, Vallarta experiences the same perfect daily temperatures as Maui from November through May averaging about 73°F. However Vallarta is much more hospitable for vacationing or retirement during those months because it experiences an average monthly rainfall of less than 0.4 inches, whereas Maui receives anywhere from 1.7 to 2.6 inches of rain per month depending upon your location on the island. Additionally, Vallarta is located a short two to four hours from most US cities while Maui is six to ten hours from most mainland US cities.

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:

Today, the term is more generally applied worldwide to about a dozen warm coastal regions popular with tourists. Mexico is blessed with two such regions; the Riviera Maya and the Mexican Riviera.