Baja Information

Baby Boomers Online Community and Social Network

2012-01-23T12:56:00.000-08:00

Winds of Change in Mexico
From Boomers abroad

The Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) has approved a loan of up to 72 million usd to help finance the construction of a 396-megawatt wind farm in Mexico, a project that will expand renewable energy supply in the country and contribute to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases.

The project, the biggest wind farm in Mexico and one of the largest in Latin America, will be located in the La Ventosa region of Oaxaca, one of the world’s best regions for wind resources.

The project, forecast to reduce emissions by up to approximately 1 million metric tons of carbon dioxide annually, will be made up of 132 towers with turbines and include the construction of a 52-kilometer transmission line linking the farm with the electricity grid.

The operation is part of growing IDB support to help Mexico develop its renewableenergy industry. The Bank has been supporting Mexico in developing the regulatory and institutional framework necessary to incorporate renewable sources of energy into the energy
matrix as well as implement its Renewable Energy Law.

www.bajainvestment.com

Baja wants the movie spotlight again

2012-01-05T08:49:00.000-08:00

Baja wants the movie spotlight again

2012-01-04T14:32:00.001-08:00

By Richard Marosi, Los Angeles Times

January 3, 2012

Reporting from Rosarito Beach, Mexico— Hollywood made a big splash here when it sank the movie replica of the "Titanic" in an enormous water tank built specifically for the cinematic spectacle. The films "Master and Commander" and "Pearl Harbor" followed, with the cannon shots and explosions from those productions rattling high-rise condos and palapa bars up and down the craggy Baja California coast.

But fears of drug wars and incentives from rival production facilities all but shut down film-making at Baja Studios, a 35-acre facility on a bluff overlooking the Pacific. Also closed was the Titanic-inspired theme park, which once drew thousands to gawk at the mementos from Hollywood's second-biggest box office film of all time.

Now, movie fever may be building again. Cameras began rolling this summer on the first feature filmed in years at the studio. The movie, "Little Boy," a World War II-era film set in a Northern California fishing town, drew Academy Award-nominated actors, put local movie crews to work and signaled the studio's ability to still lure major productions south of the border.

Casting the film was a challenge as some actors shied away because they feared local crime, said Eduardo Verastegui, "Little Boy's" executive producer. But the 12-week shoot went off without a hitch for a cast that eventually included Kevin James, Tom Wilkinson and Emily Watson.

"They lived there for a while and were having a great time, and loving the people," Verastegui said. "It's an amazing studio … and you save a lot of money at the same time."

Built in 1996 by 20th Century Fox, Baja Studios has four sound stages and outdoor water tanks that are among the biggest in the world. Other pluses: Local film crews are cheaper than their Hollywood counterparts and the studio's location just south of Rosarito Beach is a few hours' drive from Southern California. The trip is even shorter for people using the facility's heliport.

Over the years, all or part of about nine films were produced there. In 2005, one of the stages hosted rehearsals for the rock group U2 ahead of the band's Vertigo world tour. In 2007, 20th Century Fox sold the studio to a group of local investors who hoped to make it a job growth engine in the region.

But in 2008, during pre-production work for the "Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian," Mexico's drug war flared in Rosarito Beach. Seven cops were killed in one month, and the studio moved the production to New Zealand.

Security concerns were only part of the reason for the switch, according to Kurt Honold, a Tijuana-based businessman who is part of an investors' group that owns the studio. With facilities elsewhere offering aggressive incentive packages, Baja Studios, as well as the broader Mexican film industry, had lost its competitive edge, he said.

The Mexican government responded by establishing incentive packages offering up to 17.5% cash rebates and tax breaks for the costs of movies shot in Mexico. President Felipe Calderon announced the incentives program at the studio in March 2010, saying he wanted Mexico to become "Latin America's movie capital."

U.S. and international locales continue rolling out ever-more enticing incentive packages, so Mexico's ability to attract film shoots faces serious challenges. Some observers say that Mexico's incentives still don't match other regions' aggressive offerings. And negative perceptions about drug violence persist, even though crime in Baja California has declined significantly in the last two years.

Mexican investors and government officials are hoping that the studio's track record for turning out blockbusters will provide an edge. With a deep pool of local film crew professionals, many of whom have worked in Hollywood, the studio is a "turn-key solution," said Ricardo Alvarez, the head of innovation at Pro Mex, the government agency that promotes the film industry.

"We have the people, we have the resources, we have the facilities and we have the supply chain," he said. "It's one of the advantages of being so close to Hollywood. Lots of our talent has experience working in Hollywood productions. That is really helpful. It allows you to solidify your credentials."

For Rosarito Beach, the movie dollars and big-spending studio executives and stars nourish all levels of an economy struggling from a collapse in tourism. During film shoots, actors and production crews fill dozens of hotel rooms and oceanfront homes. Residents still remember the sight of Russell Crowe jogging from his hotel to the studio every morning, and photos of Leonardo DiCaprio line the walls at a nearby Marriott Hotel.

For years, eateries offering Titanic-themed burgers and seafood did brisk business, and hundreds of extras would be shuttled from downtown Rosarito Beach. Honold said everyone from hotel maids to highly skilled camera technicians benefit from a film production, as well as businesses across the border in San Diego, where people often make big-item purchases like cars.

"For every penny spent in Mexico, 50% goes back to the U.S.," Honold said.

Little Boy's production provided a taste of past windfalls, pumping about $14 million into the local economy, according to Honold. Crews constructed a Norman Rockwell-esque town overlooking the ocean and long-vacant production offices and dressing rooms — one still bearing the name of Peter Weir, the director of "Master and Commander" — were once again buzzing with activity.

Verastegui, the executive producer, said filming in Baja California sliced 50% off the budget, without sacrificing quality. Some cast members agreed. "I think that if people knew about this facility — that it's this good, with people around here that are this competent — they'd be flocking down here in droves," Wilkinson, the actor, said in an interview with filmmakers.

www.bajainvestment.com

Baja California hosts Emerging Baby Boomers conference in Rosarito

2011-10-31T14:59:00.000-07:00

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

What is Baja?

2011-10-31T14:55:00.000-07:00

FRIEDMAN: Busy Mexican fishing trip is planned - The Daily Breeze

2011-10-31T14:15:00.000-07:00

FRIEDMAN: Busy Mexican fishing trip is planned - The Daily Breeze

Philip Friedman Outdoors is headed to Rosarito Beach Nov.25-27 for fishing, golf, shopping and great Baja cuisine. A bus will be waiting on the U.S. side of the border to take the group to the Rosarito Beach Hotel and back so that no one will have to drive in Mexico or pay for Mexican Insurance.

A fishing trip is planned out of Ensenada, as well as side trips to the La Bufadora blowhole, Ensenada, and the Baja Wine Country. Also along on the trip will be Dr. Dave Patel from Long Beach Memorial Hospital. He will be putting on a free medical clinic for the poor in Rosarito Beach. PFO is also taking an X-ray machine to a poor clinic in Baja so that more people might be cared for.

If you would like to join in on this great weekend, you can get more information by calling 424-237-0250 or by e-mailing PhilipFriedmanOutdoors@gmail.com. Cost for two people and two nights at the Rosarito Beach Hotel is $199.

Squid show: More and more market squid keep showing up in the Santa Monica Bay. If you see lights glowing off Hermosa Beach or El Segundo, you are seeing the squid boats as they attempt to lure the mollusks to the surface. The squid are being used as bait for a variety of fish. Boats from Redondo and Marina del Rey continue to catch good amounts of lingcod, vermillion rockfish and other rockfish. There also have been occasional catches of sand and calico bass, a few white seabass and even a yellowtail or two!

bajainvestment.com

Players from 10 countries to compete at Rosarito

2011-09-20T11:18:00.000-07:00

A total of ten countries and 20 couples will participate at the Norceca Beach Volleyball Circuit that starts on Friday in Rosarito Beach.
The last stop, played in Manzanillo was won by Mexico in both genders.

Mexican teams lead the circuit with a total of 1020 points in the women’s group, while in Men’s group the host country has registered 1120 after six dates.
Players from every delegation attended to the preliminary enquiry on Wednesday prior to the beginning of the tournament, as well as the general technical meeting that was held at the “Americas” Ball Room of the Rosarito Beach Hotel.

Some of the players shared their impressions before the start of the competition.

Lourdes Ramírez (Guatemala): “We are very happy to be here. We are going to have a new experience on the beach. We had played here previously but at the High Performance Center, and now it will play with more teams”.

Erick Garrido (Guatemala): “We had a good result in Manzanillo. This will be my third time here in Baja and I think this will be also a great tournament with good level”.

Christopher Undewood (Puerto Rico): “We expect to have a good tournament. We will try to give our best to get the best result as possible”.

Yamileska Yantin (Puerto Rico): “We are the second team of Puerto Rico,and even though We have been practicing since may, we have improved a lot and we will enjoy this tournament”.

Elki Phillip (Trinidad and Tobago): “This is my second time, I am very excited, and we hope to have good matches and a good place to finish”.

Fabien Whitfield (Trinidad and Tobago): “This is a nice place to be. I think this will be like a practice for us, and we hope to improve at this
tournament”.

Brian Monge (Costa Rica): “We expect to advance as much as we can,last tournament we had the chance to have a good performance, and finish on the top four”.

Valeria Valenciano (Costa Rica): “We are starting in an experience like this, may be we will be a little nervious, but we hope to have a good participation and will try to enjoy it”.

Marc Lomeli (US Virgin Islands): “This is a year in wich the US Virgin Islands Volleyball is more active in the Norceca beach tournaments, we expect to be able to compete in a higher level and to make it further in a near future”.

Kristina Vlcek / Rebecca Billings (Canada): “This is our last tournament of the season, we hope to play well and finish with a medal in it”.

Mayra García (Mexico): “It is good to be back at home, and we hope to have a lot of fans supporting us, this will be a great stop in our preparation
for Pan Am Games”.

Aldo Miramontes (Mexico):”I am happy to be here, this is like a second home for us. Fortunately things went well last week in Colima and won the stop there, and we expect to win here too”.

David Vargas (El Salvador): “Two years ago I was very pleased to play here, I like to be at this stop, now we will play by the beach, the strong couple is Mexico with Aldo and Juan, but we expect to have a good result”.

Women: Lourdes Ramírez y Susana Alvarado (GUA), Yamileska Yantin y Tatiana (PUR), Elki Phillip y Ayana Dyette (TRI), Valeria Valenciano y Francini Morales (CRC), Kristina Vlcek y Rebecca Billings (CAN), Mayra García y Bibiana Candelas (MEX-1), Martha Revuelta y Vanessa Virgen (MEX-2), Michelle Alvarez y Seomara Sainz (MEX-3), Kelly Schamacher
y Angela Bryan (USA).

Men: Erick Garrido y Andy Leonardo Blanco (GUA), Christopher Underwood y Roberto Rodríguez (PUR), Fabien Whitfield y David Thomas (TRI), Brian
Monge y Esteban Escobar (CRC), Marc Lomeli y Gustavo Cintron (ISV),Aldo Miramontes y Juan Virgen (MEX-1), Juan Revuelta y Ricardo Galindo (MEX-2), Jaime y Armando López (MEX-3), David Gabriel Vargas y Ovidio
Alonso Quintanilla (ESA), Andrew Maguire y Avery Drost (USA), Yewddys Pérez y Germán Recio (DOM).

Bajainvestment.com : Metanoia plays with 'Little Boy'

2011-08-10T15:35:00.000-07:00

Bajainvestment.com : Metanoia plays with 'Little Boy'

Bajainvestment.com : Weekend Warrior: Baja's Revenge

2011-08-10T13:07:00.000-07:00

Bajainvestment.com : Weekend Warrior: Baja's Revenge

Bajainvestment.com : How to Vacation Like a Movie Star in Mexico

2011-08-10T12:39:00.000-07:00

Bajainvestment.com : How to Vacation Like a Movie Star in Mexico

Paradise, La mission, Baja, Mexico

2011-06-06T14:25:00.000-07:00

By Tony Brogdon and Marcia Gershenbaum

Is it safe to live in Baja, Mexico? Is it practical? What standard of living can I expect?

These are questions that many American baby-boomers ask themselves when planning to retire or visit in Mexico. They have been convinced by the negative media reports about the reported “violence” here and believe that it is simply not safe to cross the border. Most of these people have only been to the border towns like Tijuana or Juarez and believe that is Mexico. They are unaware that just a few miles further souths there are literally a paradise on earth. Those of us “gringos” who have discovered it and decided to move down here can’t believe what we have found. We have decided to make Mexico our home and would never want to live anywhere else! We are apart of over 1 million Americans living in Mexico.

We live in a small community about 40 miles south of the U S border called La Mission. La Mission is on the coast just about halfway between Rosarito and Ensenada. It is nestled between two huge canyons that support a beautiful river and lagoon. The lagoon runs into the Pacific Ocean under a scenic highway bridge next to a public beach. Nearly all the homes and condos here have spectacular views of both the ocean and mountains. It reminds us of how the Del Mar area of San Diego probably looked about 50 years ago. The biggest difference, besides a lack of freeway traffic, is how affordable it is to live here! Rents and mortgages are about one-third of the cost in the US!

We started this day by going to one of the local restaurants and having our favorite heuvos rancheros, rice, and beans; a delicious breakfast for only $5.00 including coffee. Next we went to the local produce market and purchased 2 dozen fresh eggs, a bag of fresh oranges, fresh tomatoes, and fresh bananas. The total cost was $6.00. Next we filled up the car and, since the government here controls gas prices, we usually spend at least a dollar less per gallon than our friends and family in the US. Not only do we pay less, but we still receive the service gas stations used to provide when we were young, they clean our windows and check the oil! Housing costs and utilities are also much less expensive, about 1/3 of the cost for similar housing in California. The weather is almost always a beautiful 60-70 degrees and being nestled between the ocean and the mountains we will spend the rest of our day enjoying the sound of the surf and beauty of the canyon and river. Later on today there is a folk-dancing festival and rodeo in our little town; Tony will enjoy taking pictures of the activities and the people here!

Tony have been traveling to Mexico from the US for 30 years and made the decision to move here full time nearly one year ago. If I had known what a wonderful place to live in the true since of the word it is, I would have made the move long ago. Both the 30 years traveling here and the experience of living here has been amazing positive. The people are amazing, very hospitable and kind, and there are also 30,000 Americans living in the Rosarito area. These are like-minded people who are here for the same reasons we are, because of the beauty, the freedoms, and the more reasonable cost of living.

In all the time we have spent in Mexico, we have never witnessed a crime of any sort. Instead I have experienced a warm welcome from both my fellow American residents here as well as the Mexican people whose families have lived here for centuries. Tony has found that this is not only a great place to retire, but to open a new business as well. Tony has started a new business called Ground Floor Technology with his partner William Yu. They consult with foreign investors interested in opening new businesses here in Baja. There are many excellent business opportunities here but one of most promising is servicing the growing senior population in regard to health care both in the US and here in Mexico. Many people are unaware that Baja, Mexico is currently the largest center for Alternative medicine and research in the world! When people come from other countries to be treated here it is called Medical Tourism. This industry is booming worldwide due to breakthroughs in technologies such as Stem Cell and other forms of treatment and medical services, Baja is uniquely capable and strategically located to accommodate these growing industries.

Having not only adequate medical care and affordable health care is an important component of living in Baja. Both office visits and prescriptions are much less expensive here than in the US. In addition, our social life has never been so active. In addition to all the wonderful people we have met here, many community activities exist. There is such a local artist community, a local Theatre Guild presenting fantastic theatre due to the actors who have retired in the area, music concerts, golf resorts, and a constant variety of festivals and rodeos. For the sportsman Baja has some of the best fishing in the world, bicycle and off road racing, and we even have our own sand dunes for those who enjoy riding quads and motocross bikes. There are many wonderful restaurants on the ocean serving world-class food, live entertainment, and at very reasonable prices. If you miss living in the US, both north and south less than 30 minutes away are familiar places you may be surprised to see in Mexico such as Super Wall Mart, Costco, Home Depot, first run movies at local movie theatres, Applebee’s, TJ Fridays, Mc Donald’s, Burger King, KFC, Subway, 99 cent stores, and modern shopping malls..

Are you wondering about security? In the past Mexico was known for corrupt and non-professional law enforcement. Today from Tijuana south, the local police officers are highly trained, highly courteous, and very professional. Their equipment is state of the art and does not resemble the police force of even a few years ago. However, the police in Mexico are interested in catching criminals who are actually harming people in some way and are not really interested in policing people just here to enjoy themselves. Because of this if you use firecrackers, camp on the public beaches, let your dog or horse run free without leases or halters, or choose not to wear your seatbelt it is not likely that you will be ticketed. However, if you bring a gun or drugs into the country you are likely to go to jail. Even if you are speeding or have an accident where someone is injured without car insurance, you will suffer the consequences.

In many ways life in Baja is like living in the United States about 50 years ago. However, the populated areas here still provide the things we have become accustomed to such a high-speed internet, Digital TV, and state of the art cell phone technology. Marcia and I and a number of other Americans here operate their home businesses here by use of Internet phone lines. What we appreciate about living here is most of the basic freedoms are still available to people. Dogs and horses are still allowed on public beaches and it isn’t a requirement that everyone live just like everyone else. If you want to paint your home with bright colors that might not be what is pleasing to your neighbor, you are allowed to do so and the neighbor just has to get over it. That type of living is not for everyone but those of us who live here appreciate the principal of it.

Is it safe to live in Baja, Mexico? Yes in many ways safer than many cities outside Mexico. Is it practical? Yes. The quality of life here is amazing at a very affordable price. What can I expect in Mexico? To live longer and happier than anywhere else in the world. Mexico is considered the # 1 retirement Country for Americans in the world.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Los Expendables disfrutan Langosta Puerto Nuevo en Playas de Rosarito

2011-05-31T12:54:00.000-07:00

The culinary buzz in Tijuana - SignOnSanDiego.com

2011-04-06T13:49:00.000-07:00

The culinary buzz in Tijuana - SignOnSanDiego.com

Sweet spot in Mexico earns second look from investors

2011-03-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

By Patrick Rucker

(Reuters) - Mexico's improving economic prospects, coupled with low inflation, are winning the country a second look from international investors and fund managers.

Investors see potential in Mexico's services sector and in enticing more companies to market, and are also bullish about new financial tools which could send billions of dollars into infrastructure and private equity deals.

Expected economic growth of about 4 percent this year, combined with inflation of about 3.5 percent, compares well to regional peers, many of which are tightening monetary policy to fend off surging prices.

"In our view, the Mexican economy is very much in a sweet spot," Lupin Rahman, senior vice president of emerging markets portfolio management at bond giant Pimco, told a LatinFinance summit this week.

"In terms of output, in terms of growth, in terms of inflation, all these dynamics point to a very positive 2011 for the Mexican economy."

Mexico's apparent comeback in the sentiment stakes follows several years in the shadow of Brazil, which weathered the global crisis better but is now wrestling with high inflation.

Emerging market investors surveyed by Bank of America Merrill Lynch in February put Brazil at underweight for the first time in the survey's history, while preferences for Mexico are increasing.

But Mexico still has some homework to do.

The economy depends heavily on manufacturing exports to the United States, and while the recovery in U.S. consumer demand has prompted economists to lift forecasts for Mexican growth, investors also look for diversification and for structural reforms.

"If Mexico can turn the engines and start opening its service sectors it will be a fantastic run for the economy," said Alfredo Thorne, head of global markets at Banorte bank.

"It can seriously not only grow at 6, 7 percent but actually perform much better than the BRICs." Brazil's growth is expected to slow in 2011 to 4.5 percent, according to the International Monetary Fund.

Thorne estimates Mexico's drugs war, which has killed more than 34,000 people in the last four years, is cutting 1-2 percentage points from annual growth, but says it will be worth it. "If Mexico manages to win this war, it will be the most important structural reform," he said at the summit.

Luis Harvey, co-founder of private equity firm Nexxus Capital, said Mexico's service sector was underrated.

"You have a huge internal market which has a per-capita income twice as big as Brazil's," he said.

Leisure, health and consumer finance are some of the industries getting a lift from the expanding middle class and sectors where Harvey has put money to work.

Buyout firms typically drive their acquisitions toward a public offering and the Mexican exchange has room to grow with $550 million of shares swapping hands daily compared to the roughly $3.6 billion traded daily in Brazilian stock markets.

"You need to get more companies going to the market; more people investing in equities," said Harvey.

NEW FINANCIAL TOOLS

New financial instruments are also helping improve Mexico's reputation among global investors, after bureaucratic hurdles and inertia caused many to lose patience.

Brazil buyout firm GP Investments (GPIV11.SA), for one, opened a Mexico City office four years ago intending to make a splash in Latin America's second-largest economy, but pulled out. Partners remember the attempt as a costly mistake.

Carlyle Group CYL.UL also retreated, leaving behind one money manager who has spent much of the last two years in a time-consuming effort to draw Mexico pension fund investment. Now he is finally starting to see results.

Mexico is rolling out new investment options, such as real estate investment trusts (REITs) and a hybrid security designed solely to serve the country's retirement funds.

Those Mexican pension funds, which sit on 1.4 trillion pesos ($116.5 billion) in assets, are expected to drop sizable investments into REITs. Joaquin Avila, the Carlyle veteran, expects his EMX Capital will soon win pension fund financing.

"It has been a tremendous amount of work. To some extent cumbersome and to some extent understandable," said Avila. "These are new securities to Mexico."

Local money managers say the new securities will bring welcome efficiency and competition to Mexican markets.

"Now we are seeing real sophistication in the financial marketplace," said Juan Alberto Leautaud, a local real estate money manager whose infrastructure investment plan recently won $220 million in pension fund cash.

New financing has drawn money managers like Paul Ahlstrom, who brought his wife and six kids to Monterrey in Mexico's north as he made a private equity pitch to the funds.

It took nearly two years, but Ahlstrom says a deal is near with his Alta Growth Capital that will blend pension cash with $75 million of outside capital.

"This deal will happen. It's just painful to be a pioneer," he said. "I hope we don't become the pioneer with arrows in his back."

(Additional reporting by Guillermo Parra-Bernal in Sao Paolo, Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)

http://www.remax-baja.com/

Rebuilt border crossing aims to speed traffic

2011-03-07T13:52:00.000-08:00

By Sandra Dibble and Janine Zúñiga
Long lines and lengthy waits have become an inescapable burden for tens of thousands of cross-border commuters at the San Ysidro Port of Entry.

Proposing to dramatically decrease crossing times for both vehicles and pedestrians, authorities Thursday formally launched a $577 million expansion and modernization of the world’s busiest land-border crossing.

Wait times during peak hours can currently stretch to more than two hours, and a 2009 study by the U.S. General Services Administration showed that if nothing is done, those waits could stretch to 10 hours by 2030.

Planned for completion by 2016, the new facility would reduce maximum waits to 30 minutes, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection.

Added lanes, more booths and high-tech inspections are at the heart of the overhaul. It is the largest and costliest infrastructure project the U.S. government has ever undertaken along its land border.

“The need for a new facility is clear, and the stakes are high,” said Martha Johnson, administrator of the GSA, speaking at an outdoor ceremony at the port that drew authorities from the United States and Mexico. Over the next two decades, she said, traffic through the San Ysidro port is expected to increase by as much as 90 percent.

Growing delays have stifled myriad transactions on both sides of the border. San Diego’s supermarkets, shops and restaurants have lost large amounts of business from Mexican customers. Baja California’s hotels, restaurants and other tourist amenities have suffered a devastating drop in U.S. clientele in recent years, partly as a result of tighter security measures adopted following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The San Diego Association of Governments’ latest estimate, from 2007, calculates that the congestion at California’s border with Mexico costs the region close to $7.2 billion and more than 62,000 jobs annually.

“For most people who don’t go back and forth across the border, it’s just out of sight, out of mind,” said Christina Luhn, director of the Mega-Region Initiative at the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. “They don’t understand what a two- or three-hour wait can mean.”

San Ysidro’s current facility has long been outdated. When it opened in the mid-1970s, the country was recovering from the Watergate scandal, disco was all the rage and terrorism wasn’t a domestic concern.

“It’s a changed society and buildings have to change with it,” said Ramon Riesgo, land port of entry adviser for the GSA, which is overseeing the construction of the new port.

The new facility is being called the “port of the future.” While San Ysidro now has 24 northbound lanes, including six with two inspection booths each, the rebuilt facility will include 34 northbound lanes with 64 inspection booths. Expanded pedestrian facilities will include a shaded path and 20 inspection stations.

To handle beefed-up inspections southbound, six lanes are being added on the U.S. side of the border.

The design, by Seattle-based Miller Hull Partnership, includes a translucent roof structure that shields cars and officers from rain and sun. The project is being planned to conserve both energy and water, and the aim is to achieve LEED Platinum certification, a recognition for environmentally friendly structures.

Another environmental benefit being cited is improved air quality at the crossing, due to the decreased wait times and shorter lines.

The new port “will enable us to better manage traffic in many many ways,” said Thomas Winkowski, assistant commissioner for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the agency that operates the port of entry. The changes will allow for improved use of technology, greater flexibility in opening and closing lanes, and the expansion of trusted traveler programs where prescreened crossers are processed more quickly.

U.S. authorities have worked closely with Mexico in designing the project. The Mexican government is planning changes south of the border costing more than $53 million, including expanding the number of lanes from six to 20, said Juan José Erazo, who directs border crossing infrastructure projects for Mexico’s Communications and Transportation Secretariat.

Mexico is also building bridges and access roads to the new crossing, as well as an intermodal facility that would allow San Diego Trolley passengers to connect directly to a rapid transit bus system being planned on the Mexican side.

While many community groups seem hopeful the expansion project will achieve its aims, not everyone is convinced that infrastructure is the only answer.

“It comes down to efficiency of inspections,” said Jason Wells, executive director of the San Ysidro Chamber of Commerce and member of a coalition fighting to improve security and border-crossing times while providing support for local businesses.

“We could spend $600 million and have a new port of entry, but if you have agents in primary inspection lanes getting on their knees tapping on tires and opening trunks, we could still have a 2-3 hour wait time,” he said.

The U.S. modernization project is being conducted in three phases. Only the first phase, totaling nearly $293 million, has been funded. It includes a pedestrian bridge scheduled for opening next month, an expansion of the northbound inspection facilities, and a southbound pedestrian crossing. The second phase involves improvements and construction of pedestrian processing facilities. The third phase entails new southbound lanes.

At Thursday’s ceremony, U.S. Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, said the fight to fund the second and third phases continues in Congress. Last week, the House voted to cut $1.5 billion from the GSA budget. “We’ve got to make sure those cuts don’t stay,” he said. “Because they threaten the economic viability that we’re celebrating today.”

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

If facts don’t lie, is Mexico safer than the U.S. ?

2011-03-07T12:54:00.000-08:00

By Patrick Osio

Here comes Easter break again and young people will be young people – high school and college kids will travel to distant places where the drinking age is either less than it is in the U.S. or where authorities don’t care to enforce minors’ drinking laws. For several decades Mexico has been one such place of choice where the legal drinking age is 18. Mazatlan , Acapulco , Puerto Vallarta and Cancun were the fly to favorite places and Rosarito Beach and Ensenada the favorite drive to places from Southern California . – But not this year, or for that matter neither was it last year.

Our government and the U.S. media have convinced most Americans that Mexico is not a safe place to visit as drug traffickers are fighting it out to see which gang will have the right to sell their illicit drugs to the very group that will not be visiting Mexico . They will have to wait until they return from Easter break to get their Mexican smuggled drugs at home.

But what really struck me was that the preferred country to visit this Easter break in lieu of Mexico is the Dominican Republic . It struck me because Dominica is rated as the number one country with the highest propensity for crime in the world. According to facts gathered by NationalMaster.com, their total crime per 1,000 residents (per capita) is 113.822 –Compared to the U.S. that is 8th in the world in total crimes at 80.0645 per 1000 residents, making chances of being a victim of a crime in Dominica better than 10%, and slightly less than an 8% chance of being a victim in the U.S.

But here is the real clunker – Mexico, the country our government tells us not to visit and the media has a field day reporting any crime be it significant or not to further put the fear of God into staying away from there – well, it ranks 39th in total crime in the world with a per capita of slightly less than 13 crimes per 1000 residents that is a 1.3% chance of being a victim of crime in Mexico.

So Mexico is out, Dominica is in, yet the chances of being a crime victim there is greater than in the U.S. and the chances of being a crime victim in the U.S. is greater than in Mexico . But, for our own safety we need to stay out of Mexico .

Have you ever felt like you’re being duped but you can’t quite put your finger on why – what’s the motive? Is it to keep us from facing some bitter truths? We keep reading how crime is down, how safe we are compared to most other parts of the world. But is it true?

So here are some multiple choice questions for you:

1. Which country has a higher crime rate per 1,000 residents?

a. Mexico, b. Germany, c. Canada, d. U.S.

2. Which country has the highest murders with firearms?

a. Mexico, b. El Salvador, c. U.S.

3. Of the following countries, which has the least number of drug offenses?

a. Germany, b. United Kingdom, c. Canada, d. Switzerland, e. Mexico

4. Which country has the most prisoners?

a. United States , b. China , c. Russia , d. India, e. Mexico

(Answers: 1. d. U.S. , 2. c. U.S. , 3. e. Mexico , 4. a. U.S.- Source: http://www.nationmaster.com)

In one of the only bright spots due to its recent gang related murders, Mexico , on a per capita, ranks as more dangerous than the U.S. occupying No. 24 and Mexico No. 6 in the world, but in total number of murders the U.S. is No. 5 and Mexico No. 6.

In fact, much of the crime data per capita 1000 population suggests that in many respects Mexico is safer than the U.S.: in assaults the U.S. ranks No. 6, Mexico No. 20; burglaries the U.S. No. 17, Mexico No. 34; car thefts U.S. No. 9, Mexico No. 22; fraud U.S. No. 18, Mexico No. 29; Rape (Canada No.5), U.S. No. 9, Mexico No. 17.

No doubt that at the expense of Mexico we are being duped. Is it to hide our insatiable appetite for illicit drugs and cheap labor, and so by pointing the finger of guilt to the biggest supplier of both we exculpate our actions or at minimum pacify our own guilt?

Maybe it’s time for “the home of the free, and land of the brave” to take note.

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Desalination plants for the Baja California Peninsula

2011-02-22T14:13:00.000-08:00

The Baja California peninsula is one of the most arid areas in Mexico and water shortages are becoming critical, especially along the southern coastline which has matured into one of the most desirable jet-set locations in the world.

Desalination, which involves removing the salts from seawater or brackish water to provide drinking water, is one viable option to ensure future water security for the region. There are already about 70 desalination plants on the Peninsula, though most are very small (25 liters/second or less) and are powered by conventional electricity. Several larger desalination projects on the Baja California Peninsula, some of which will rely mainly on solar power, are currently in the planning stages.

La Paz, the capital of the state of Baja California Sur, faces a particularly serious water supply problem. The local aquifer is reported to be already overexploited and suffering from salt water intrusions. Because of its greater density, seawater normally underlies freshwater in coastal areas. Salt water intrusions occur when so much fresh water is pumped out of coastal aquifers that it is replaced by the underlying salt water. The water supply issues have led to water rationing, in which almost half of La Paz’s 250,000 residents receive water only 12 hours or less each day.

Obtaining water from the desalinization of sea water is more expensive than abstracting water from aquifers via wells, but avoids the possibility of salt water intrusions.

A recent Ooska news article provides details of the desalination plants already built or being planned:

Baja California Sur:

Cabo San Lucas, opened in 2007, treats approximately 230 liters a second (60 gallons/s), equivalent to 20 million liters (5 million gallons) a day.

La Paz. Still at the proposal stage is a desalination plant capable of treating 200 liters a second.
Sierra de la Laguna. A Canadian mining company (Vista Gold Corp.) planned a desalination plant to provide water for its proposed Concordia open-pit mine. However, the mining plan was refused an essential permit by the Mexican government.

Baja California:

Ensenada. The 28-million-dollar El Salitral desalination plant is a “highly innovative project that would put the region on the map globally for desalination”. Construction is due to start later this year, and the plant should be operational by the end of 2012, when it will treat 250 liters of seawater a second. The plant would supply 96,000 people with potable water.

Rosarito. Preliminary geological and environmental impact studies are underway for a desalination facility in La Misión large enough to supply the needs of 96,000 people. Still in the concept stage is a second desalination plant which would supply water across the border to San Diego in California.

San Quintín. Plans exist for a desalination plant with a capacity of 150 liters a second.

Main source: The OOSKA News Weekly Water Report for Latin America and the Caribbean (16 February 2011)

How to Surf on Rosarito Beach, Mexico

2011-02-22T14:02:00.000-08:00

by Virginia Watson

Overview

Rosarito Beach is in the northern part of Baja California, Mexico, approximately 20 miles from the U.S. border. It is a popular surfing spot and home to numerous competitions, including the Mexican National Surfing Championship and a Pro-Am tournament. The area generally has consistent waves coming from the northwest and surfing conditions range from good to excellent.

Step 1

Travel to Rosarito Beach. The area is a 40-minute drive from San Diego, but it might take a while to get through the border crossing at Tijuana. All U.S. citizens need a valid passport to travel to and from Mexico, so make sure you take it with you. If you're flying in, your best bet is to fly to San Diego and drive over the border, as Tijuana's airport does not accept many flights from the United States.

Step 2

Book your hotel. The town of Rosarito (Playas de Rosarito) is a relatively small area with little in the way of accommodations, although the area is under development to encourage the tourist trade. Make reservations at your hotel early, especially if you're traveling during spring break, as the area can get quite crowded.

Step 3

Wear a wetsuit. During the fall, winter and spring months, you'll likely need a full wetsuit, as the water can be between 50 and 60 degrees F. The summer months generally require only swim trunks or a spring wetsuit.

Step 4

Rent equipment. If you didn't bring your own board or wetsuit, a few surf shops in the Rosarito area offer both sales and rentals of surfing equipment. Additionally, your hotel might have some equipment available for rentals or borrowing.

Step 5

Walk or drive to the beach. Many of the town's hotels are within easy walking distance of the beach. Additionally, numerous surf spots are within a few miles of the town and are easily accessible by car. Just don't leave anything of value in your vehicle or your boards on top of the car, as theft can be a major problem in Mexico.

THE BAJA LOVE RIDE

2011-02-22T11:46:00.000-08:00

The Baja Love Ride promises to be an event that will not only bring the community together, but benefit those facets of society that need help the most, the children of Baja. Organizers, participants and those who will be cheering them on all know the first annual “ride for a cause” will make the lives of Baja children better through their hard work. However, it all doesn’t have to be all work and no play. Those who join the ride or help out are bound to see that charitable work done against the backdrop of breathtaking Baja can end up being its own reward. Participants will find themselves treated to the generosity of the Baja people and they will also have the best of the best in the way of amenities and hospitality along every stretch of the event.

The registration fee for the entire ride is $200 which includes meals. Some of the finest, safest, and most gorgeous locations along the way are opening their doors to Baja Love Ride participants. The exquisite Rosarito Beach Hotel will offer up accommodations on March 21st for $39 plus tax for riders. This includes a safe parking garage which is available for $2 for riders and available shuttle service back to the border or San Diego airport. The Rosarito Beach Hotel is legendary and has attracted the elite and famous Hollywood power players since 1925. The original owner built an incredibly ornate mansion that overlooks the ocean. The mansion, originally built for his wife and family, now houses a luxury spa, perfect for riders getting ready and gearing up. Current owner, two time mayor, Mr. Hugo Torres, still has the famous sign above the door proclaiming “Through this door pass the most beautiful women in the world.”

Other accommodations for riders include the Estero Beach Resort. This 4 star oceanfront resort has acres of private sandy beaches, perfect for relaxing after a day of riding for charity, plus pools, spa and restaurants. There are plenty of outdoor sports opportunities for those who still feel full of adrenaline. The resort will be providing free tent camping and hotel rooms for only $50 plus tax per night. RV sites for riders and those cheering them on along the route are available for $25 a night plus tax. RV dry camping sites will only be $15 plus tax.

The Hacienda Ojos Negros, located in the beautiful Ojos Negros valley is offering free tent camping for participants and discounts on their many private cabanas. This resort encompasses 2900 acres of desert trails and creeks, perfect for anyone who appreciates the natural beauty of Baja.

In San Felipe, the Playa de Paraiso is a luxurious resort with 1000 feet of beachfront to explore. They will be providing free tent camping on the private beach; which is within walking distance to town. The resort will also offer a 50% discount on rooms for riders. Discounts on cabanas will also be available. At this resort, any rider will relish taking in the ocean views and taking advantage of the wide open spaces.

Taking part in the Baja Love Ride is bound to be a memorable experience for those looking to be involved in improving the lives of children and also looking to take in the beauty, serenity, hospitality and luxury Baja has to offer every step of the way. Helping others and pampering your senses at the same time is what the Baja Love Ride can give to riders, spectators and volunteers all along the route.

Contact:
John Pack
Baja: 686-230-9933 in Baja

Baja Love Ride: ENGLISH: Baja Love Ride Course and Date Change

2011-01-26T14:33:00.000-08:00

NEW 2011 ROUTE: The Baja Love Ride, a “ride for a cause”, is forced to change the start date and ride route. The date is being changed from February 14 to March 22. Originally set to begin in Rosarito Beach, the ride will now begin at Monumental Plaza in Tijuana.

Due to unforeseen events, the organizers have had to modify the original planned event. The previously promoted 1000 mile course from Rosarito to Cabo San Lucas has had be shortened considerably. The 2011 ride will now be a 217 mile (349 km) course from Monumental Plaza in Playas de Tijuana to the Aches of San Felipe.

All riders in this year's event will receive a FREE ticket to the 2011 Blues & Arts Fiesta being held March 26th, the following day in San Felipe.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Is it safe to travel to Mexico? Judging from the numbers, many are saying 'Yes'

2010-12-21T12:33:00.000-08:00

By Jayne Clark, USA TODAY

The beach at Tulum, at the southern end of Mexico's Riviera Maya. Visitation to Mexico is up, despite concerns about drug violence. Despite tales of drug violence, visitation to Mexico was up almost 19% over last year, as of September. And with 22.6 million tourists expected by year's end, numbers will about equal the record-breaking totals in 2008. About 80% of visitors are North American.

In fact, slightly more foreigners are vacationing in Mexico now than before the drug wars, which have killed about 30,000 (mostly drug traffickers) in the past four years, The Economist reported in November. Mexico now ranks No. 10 in international arrivals worldwide.

I'm just back from San Miguel de Allende, a gorgeous colonial city in central Mexico (read about it Friday at usatoday.com/travel), where, not surprisingly, more than one conversation during my visit turned toward security concerns.

But not the sort of concerns you might think. The Americans I spoke with there were worried about the bum rap they believe the entire country is getting due to drug violence that , for the most part, is concentrated hundreds of miles away near the U.S. border.

"There is very little crime here, and what there is doesn't affect gringos," said Irina Posner, a retired CBS News employee and one of an estimated 12,000 to 14,000 ex-pats who live full or part-time in San Miguel. " We love this town. We feel safe in this town."

So did I, covering miles of narrow, cobbled walkways solo by day and by night in the 17th-century city. I felt as secure as I do in my own neighborhood, yet some innkeepers say they've had cancellations due to safety concerns.

Americans are notoriously near-sighted when it comes to geographical perspective. It's an issue Mexico's new tourism secretary Gloria Guevara addressed in an on-line seminar sponsored by the trade publication, Travel Weekly, last month. She acknowledged there are places in Mexico that tourists should avoid, specifically Matamoros and Ciudad Juarez on the Texas border. (And frankly, aside from those looking to do a cheap booze run, I'm not sure who would have frequented those border towns even before the drug-cartel bloodbaths).

"But for the rest of the country, you can relax and enjoy yourself," she told the Travel Weekly audience.

Actually, as someone who has traveled all over Mexico, I think I'd also skip Acapulco, which had a spate of nasty drug-related killings in September. But Acapulco many years ago ceased to be an American vacation destination.

Mexico's tourist sweet spot is Cancun, about 1,000 miles from Ciudad Juarez. Aside from an August bar shooting in a working-class neighborhood far removed from the resort zone, there has been no reported drug violence there. Another popular, earthier destination, is the Copper Canyon, which lies more than 200 miles from the border, or about the distance between New York and Baltimore.

"If you were planning a trip to New York, would you cancel it if you heard about challenges in Baltimore?" Guevara asked.

Vacation costs -- mainly hotels -- are down in Mexico. The average tourist spends about 5% less than in 2008, The Economist reports. And a number of forecasters are predicting that discounting in Cancun and south along the Riviera Maya will make that region particularly popular this winter.

The website Travelzoo , for instance, lists a four-night package, with air and all meals and drinks starting at $562 per person, double. It's good for travel Jan. 4-31, but must be booked by Jan. 10.

Another website, Smarter Travel, cites increased air service as likely to boost travel to Mexico. On Dec. 1, Southwest Airlines joined with Mexican carrier Volaris, allowing customers to travel on a single itinerary booked on Southwest. On Dec. 15, Alaska Airlines begins service between San Jose and Guadalajara, and from Sacramento on Dec. 16. On Feb. 10, American Eagle launches daily nonstop service from Dallas to Veracruz and Queretaro. And on Feb. 12, American begins seasonal service between Chicago and Cozumel.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/
http://www.baja-remax.net/

UN. agency designates Mexican food a cultural treasure

2010-11-18T15:07:00.000-08:00

By TIM JOHNSON

McClatchy Newspapers

MEXICO CITY -- Maligned as unhealthy and misunderstood in its complexity, Mexican cuisine is finally getting its due.

It's now considered an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, elevated along with French cuisine this week at a meeting of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, or UNESCO.

The designation elated culinary experts, who say that diners sometimes fail to appreciate the richness of a cuisine with vast regional variation and use of aromatic herbs and plants, nothing like the cheesy nachos and brittle tacos many Americans eat at restaurants.

Mexico's Secretariat of Foreign Affairs said on its website Wednesday that the designation provides "global recognition to our cuisine as one of the most important in the world."

An American who offers culinary tours of Mexico City, Lesley Tellez, said she hopes the recognition will change ideas about Mexican food.

"There's a misconception that it is food covered in cheese and that it's totally unhealthy. It's not true," said Tellez, adding that the U.N. designation "is an affirmation that Mexican cuisine has richness and complexity, and it deserves to be known."

Last year, several Mexican chefs appealed to UNESCO to honor a culinary tradition based on corn, beans and chili peppers that has roots in the distant past, has maintained continuity over centuries and uses original techniques. The Mexican government belatedly got behind the nomination.

The designation was made Tuesday at a meeting of the intangible cultural heritage committee of UNESCO in Nairobi, Kenya.

"Mexican cuisine is endless in variety," Fernando del Paso, a co-author of a Spanish-language Mexican cookbook, "La Cocina Mexicana," told the newspaper La Jornada. "It is no exaggeration to say that, along with French and Chinese, it is one of the three major cuisines of the world."

But Mexicans themselves, guarded about their own indigenous roots, don't always hold their national culinary tradition in high esteem.

"Like a battered wife, it is subject to our affection at home but meets with some rejection away," said Andres Juarez, academic coordinator at the Mexican Gastronomic School in the capital. High-end restaurants serving Mexican food are limited, he added.

"When we go to an elegant restaurant, we look for foreign dishes because we don't value our own food," Juarez said.

Outside another three-story cooking school in the capital, apprentice chef Jose Zelonka Vela said foreigners have a lot to learn about Mexican cooking, too.

"They think Mexican food is just burritos and tacos, and the tacos are made of fried tortillas. This has nothing to do with a Mexican taco," Zelonka said.

Many Mexican signature dishes use a variety of aromatic herbs and are labor intensive, requiring peeling, grinding, boiling and roasting. One national dish, chiles en nogada, little known outside of Mexico, is prepared with a creamy nut sauce, red pomegranate seeds and green cilantro - giving it the bright colors of the national flag.

"I love cochinita pibil," said cooking student Mara Guardarrama, referring to a slow-roasted dish of suckling pig. "It's the aroma of the orange and the adobo paste of herbs and chilies."

Ancient Mayan myth says a deity formed humans from corn, and Juarez noted that Mexico has 63 varieties of corn, hinting at the complexity of regional cooking.

Many recipes date from centuries back.

"We see dishes eaten these days that are quite similar to what chroniclers from pre-Hispanic times or the colonial era mentioned in their writings," Juarez said, noting the Franciscan friar Bernardino de Sahagun, who wrote of stews with insects, chilies, flowers, seeds and other ingredients similar to rural dishes of today.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Safety of Traveling to Rosarito, Mexico

2010-10-20T15:14:00.000-07:00

by Raechel Donahue, Demand Media

Overview

Travel in Mexico has its share of safety issues, and the middle-class town of Rosarito is no exception. By observing a few rules and taking some basic precautions, you can have a safe and pleasant journey to this charming seaside hamlet. Whether you travel by bus or car, enjoy the scenery on the way to a destination that has served as a hideaway for movie stars and royalty for over 80 years.

Taking the Bus

Leaving from Tijuana, Mexicoach offers regular service to Rosarito. Simply leave your car on the American side -- there are many secure parking lots -- and walk across the border. If you are uncomfortable with leaving your car in a lot, consider taking the trolley from San Diego to reach the border. As soon as you pass through the gates, you will see the Tijuana Tourist Office, where friendly employees will direct you to the Mexicoach depot. The bus makes the 29-mile trip to Rosarito in a little over half an hour and costs about the same as a street taco.

Taxis

There are two kinds of Mexican taxis that will take you to Rosarito: "route taxis" that charge a flat rate for packing up to 12 tourists into a station wagon and yellow cabs. The route taxi is the most economical, but unless you are with a large enough group to fill the whole vehicle you may find yourself traveling in unsavory company. This can be a prime opportunity for pickpockets to prey upon tourists. The yellow cabs are not only more comfortable but also a safer choice because you are not placed in the position of traveling with strangers. The price is reasonable ($20 to $30 in 2010), and a little haggling is expected. Make sure to settle on a flat rate before starting the trip.

Driving to Rosarito

Driving in Mexico is rather challenging, especially passing through Tijuana, a necessary leg of the route to Rosarito. Drivers may seem erratic, aggressive and even angry, so it pays to be alert. It is crucial to purchase Mexican auto insurance in advance -- preferably from your own insurance agent. Approaching the border, there are many signs offering cut-rate insurance, but even the most seasoned traveler might have difficulty discerning legitimate agents from scam artists.

Safe Shopping in Rosarito

Rosarito's main boulevard is lined with all manner of shops, and every few yards there is a narrow corridor that leads to a hidden maze of tiny stands and cubbyholes. Even though Rosarito has the lowest crime rate in Baja (as of 2010), there is always the possibility of pickpocketing. Men should carry their wallets in a jacket pocket rather than the rear pants' pocket, and women should make sure their purses are closed.

General Safety Warnings

If driving, make sure to top off frequently to avoid the possibility of running out of gas. Do not stop for hitchhikers. Do not purchase a green parrot and attempt to bring it home; the penalty is as much as 50 years in prison.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Tijuana at 30 miles per hour

2010-09-01T13:49:00.000-07:00

Sandra Dibble holds a cup of clamato juice, a popular treat in Baja California, on Sunday in Rosarito Beach.

By Sandra Dibble, UNION-TRIBUNE

Monday, August 30, 2010

This was a difficult assignment: In the space of just a few hours, give my new editor, Hieu Tran Phan, a tour of Tijuana. On one quiet Sunday afternoon, what could I possibly show him? Tijuana has about two million people, hundreds of neighborhoods, vast contrasts. After 16 years of reporting here, driving across Tijuana still fills me with a sense of wonder, and more than anything I wanted him to get a sense of the city’s rich texture and variety.

We started at Colonia Federal, a tiny neighborhood just southwest of the San Ysidro border crossing, cruising past the house where drug smugglers once dug a tunnel. Now a binational group has taken over, converting it into an arts center, La Casa del Tunel. We headed east into Colonia Libertad, to the top of a steep hill that offers a breathtaking view of the border. Then down into the Zona Rio, past the giant pastel globe and deep red cube that make up the Tijuana Cultural Center, past the Via Corporativo, a new office building that is Baja California’s first certified green structure.

Zooming down the Via Rapida, a highway that crosses the city, we headed toward El Cerro Colorado, Tijuana’s tallest hill and the gateway to eastern Tijuana, where the city has been growing rapidly in recent years. We drove and drove, past the huge boxlike factory buildings that make up El Florido Industrial Park. Past tens of thousands of tiny houses that make up the newer housing developments.

In El Nino, we stopped for tacos and ran into a church group from San Clemente whose members had come to build houses. We pressed on, toward Tecate, into Valle de las Palmas, where authorities are planning a satellite city with more than one million residents.

We drove down Boulevard 2000, and in no time found ourselves in Rosarito Beach, taking in the waves of the Pacific Ocean. Then back into Tijuana, to Colonia Chapultepec, whose large hillside mansions reminded Hieu (he was raised in Vietnam and Orange County) of the hills of Laguna Beach.

A day after our tour, Hieu says he was struck by the city’s contrasts and the determination of its residents to make the most of their circumstances, wherever they may find themselves

http://www.bajainvestment.com/
Your real estate in Baja

Flying Samaritans Thank Rosarito Mayor For Help with Fourth of July Clinic Fundraiser

2010-07-29T11:26:00.000-07:00

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---Members of the Flying Samaritans presented a plaque to city Mayor Hugo Torres for his support in a July 4 fundraiser that raised $9,000 for the group's free health clinic.

More than 800 people, many from this city's large expatriate community, attended a traditional July Fourth celebration with a few Mexican touches for flavor at the Rosarito Beach Hotel. It was sponsored in part by the city.

The event was so popular with both te expatriate and Mexican community that it will become an annual event, said Flying Samaritans President Susan Smith.

The Samaritans operate a twice-monthly free clinic for those who cannot afford other health care. Total yearly operating costs of the privately funded effort are about $20,000, Smith said, and donations have been hard to get in tougher economic times.

Because of publicity from the July 4th celebration, patients at the most recent clinic increased to 150 from a past average of about 110, Smith said. The Samaritans hope at some point in the future to build a clinic instead of using a rented house.

Mayor Torres thanked members both for their work in helping the community and for providing an event that was enjoyed by so many.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

The adversity of blanket travel advisories

2010-07-27T12:54:00.000-07:00

Rosarito Beach and Ensenada, in Baja California have been affected unnecesarily by US travel advisories.

William E. Heinecke, the chairman and CEO of the Minor Corporation, a leading distributor of global lifestyle brands in Thailand, speaks out about travel advisories in this open letter:

"With life in Bangkok having returned to normal following the recent demonstrations, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you whole heartedly for your assistance in lifting your country's travel warming, and indeed for ... all the steps you have taken since ... helping to address the issues that Thailand's tourism industry is now facing.

"As the CEO of one of Asia's leading leisure companies, with brands heavily invested throughout Thailand, I am passionate about the continuing recovery of the hotel industry and how we can transform any negative worldwide perceptions that linger from the recent turmoil.

"In looking to the future, we must all persevere in our efforts to re-establish a true international image of travel safety in Thailand, and in doing so I am eager to open a dialogue and have a better understanding of the approach, assessment and the issuance guidelines of your travel warnings.

"At this point I feel it is important to remember that while the global media at times unfairly portrayed Thailand - the entire country - as being unsafe for tourists, in actual fact outside of Bangkok, and specifically the Rajprasong area, life remained peaceful and unaffected by the events which took place.

"The negative effect on areas of the Kingdom untouched by the trouble was not only devastating but unnecessary. The time has come to call upon the embassies represented in Thailand to create4 a mutual agreement based on a clear and rigorous assessment that continued to guarantee the safety of the citizens of your nation whilst fairly depicting the state of this nation.

"When taking into account disturbances that have occurred in other countries around the world that have not resulted in a travel warning being issued, I have to say it saddens me to see a blanket warning being applied to Thailand. When there were the Athens anti-austerity riots in May and the Toronto G20 protests in June, travelers were only warned specifically about the protests happening in those cities, but were not told to avoid Greece or Canada as nations. Yet, when there were demonstrations restricted to Bangkok, the entire country of Thailand was labeled with a travel warning.

"I completely agree that travel warnings are useful and must be created in the full interest of each country's visitors, but they must also be realistic in their use. Perhaps we can consider reviewing how travel warnings are established and I would like to see the creation of an advisory board which could be represented by the private and public sectors to aid each embassy in assessing how best to make a fair and correct decision in respect of visitor security.

"Thailand is a Kingdom where international visitors are not targets and never have been for political grievances, as demonstrated by the way in which Thais continued to welcome guests with their renowned hospitality throughout the demonstrations this year and last year.

"As a long-term resident of Thailand and now a Thai citizen, I can honestly say that I, like so many visitors to Thailand, feel safer here than in most cities in Europe and North America. Indeed as you and your family have resided here for some time, I can only imagine that you share this sentiment.

"Hence it is heartbreaking to see a country-wide travel warning that causes unnecessary panic for international guests and hardship for the millions of people working in the travel sector and related industries. I understand fully that you have the interests and safety of your nation's people at heart, and my request does not infringe upon this patriotic approach. What I do ask, is that travel warnings are issued when and specifically where you feel that your citizens may be in danger, a d that they are delivered on a fair and level basis by using the same criteria to judge all countries.

"Thailand has demonstrated its resiliency throughout various adverse events in the past, including economic crises and political uncertainty. I am confident that the memories of recent troubles will pass with time and that tourists will soon return to experience Thailand's natural beauty, unique culture, and the warm welcome of its people.

"I am further confident that Thailand will continue to be one of the world's leading tourist destinations. Indeed, Bangkok and Chiang Mai were recently voted as the #1 and #2 "Best" cities in the world by Travel & Leisure's annual readers' survey, testament to the strong popularity Thailand continues to enjoy amongst tourists globally. I hope that by working together with the same goals in sight, we can instigate positive steps that will be safely beneficial for tourists and businesses alike."

Magazine: Rancho La Puerta best spa in world

2010-07-23T13:33:00.001-07:00

By Sandra Dibble, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Thursday, July 15, 2010 at 10:10 p.m.

Rancho La Puerta in Tecate had seen demand for its high-end spa services drop during the recession, but has recaptured that lost U.S. clientele in recent months.

Now more good news has arrived for the 70-year-old resort just south of the U.S.-Mexico border: Travel + Leisure magazine has named it the world's best destination spa.

"It tells us that guests appreciate what we're all about," said Roberto Arjona, the spa's general manager. "It's a great honor for Baja California and for Mexico."

The publication's 2010 Readers Poll recognized Rancho La Puerta along with honorees such as Bangkok (best city) and the Galapagos (best islands).

The spa's 88-year-old founder and owner, San Diego resident Deborah Szekely, is expected to attend next week's awards ceremony in New York City. She was traveling Thursday, Arjona said.

A largely loyal U.S. customer base meant the spa suffered far less than much of Baja California's tourism industry. But with rates starting at $2,715 for a seven-night stay, even well-heeled visitors dropped off during the financial downturn. At its lowest point, occupancy fell to 70 percent in 2009, though the spa is back to its 2007 levels.

Arjona said the economy was the strongest dampener of demand last year. Other challenges included the swine flu scare and drug-related violence along parts of the border.

And while the spa's prices may be out of reach for most local residents, the spa also has been a destination for 6,000 Baja California schoolchildren who come each year for environmental education offered through the La Puerta Foundation.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Rosarito Harley Charity Run

2010-06-03T14:26:00.000-07:00

As you all know, our destination is Rosarito, Baja California but the children of Ensenada and Tijuana also benefit greatly from this charity event. There have been lots of changes made not only to enhance our experience but also to make Rosarito in general a much safer place to visit and there is no doubt in my mind that this year's event is going to be the best ever! My wife and I have been making regular trips to Baja and the enhancements are pretty obvious; the police for example have a new perspective on how to better protect and serve the community as well as going above and beyond to cater to us tourists. The level of courtesy shown to us is astounding, and it seems to be safer now than I can ever remember, and as you know, we have been going down there for years. Since Rosarito's main source of revenue is tourism, the hotels, bars, and restaurants are literally going out of their way to make our stay as memorable as possible. We are treated like royalty!

Obviously, we have all heard these negative reports coming from the news media but in reality, most of them are isolated incidents and are blown out of proportion!!! Remember, these are the same people who see a drop of rain and it instantly becomes "Storm Watch 2010." Let me assure you that we have gone to great lengths to ensure your safety and the safety of my own family who I would never put in harms way! We always use the Otay Border (Not Tijuana Border) and ride to rosarito on the new toll free highway that has great scenery.

As for our riders, I expect most people who have attended the past Rosarito Runs to join us again, and am optimistic about seeing a lot of new faces who have heard from others what an amazing experience this event has been. Not only do the police escort us with literally hundreds and hundreds of Harleys in one mile long pack, but the off-the-hook party at Papa’s and Beer lasts into the early morning hours! I have also made arrangements with Mexican Federal Police to escort us back to the border so it's just as safe returning home.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

OBRAS POR 10 MDP REFUERZAN ATRACTIVOS EN PUERTO NUEVO, ROSARITO BAJA CALIFORNIA

2010-06-03T13:26:00.000-07:00

Comunicación Social del Gobierno de Baja California

. Concluyen trabajos de regeneración, remodelación y equipamiento.

. Se ofrece una mejor imágen al turismo nacional e internacional.

Con una inversión de 10 millones de pesos, concluyeron las obras de regeneración, remodelación y equipamiento de Puerto Nuevo en Playas de Rosarito, las cuales refuerzan los atractivos que ofrece este destino gastronómico, informó la Secretaría de Turismo del Estado (SECTURE). Leer más...

Most expensive summer homes 2010

2010-05-31T13:02:00.000-07:00

Just like we are seeing here in Baja real estate, northern Baja second homes and Baja vacation homes are being sought after at an increasing phase.

Since the end of 2009, we have seen an average of thirty Rosarito ocean properties sold every month.

The sales are mostly for oceanfront and ocean view Baja homes and condos, with an average sales price of $250,000 US.

Most of Rosarito and Ensenada's real estate sales are for retirement or future retirement (35%) second or vacation homes (35%), investment (10%) and other reasons (20%).

We are very excited that most Americans are looking into Baja homes and condos again, says Victor Loza, Rosarito's AMPI treasurer.

We are at levels, both in prices and number of sales, as we where in 2003 and 2004.

Please enjoy the Bloomberg article:

By Venessa Wong

Mega-mansions on the market

To the consternation of real estate brokers, caterers, gardeners, tennis pros, and decorators across the U.S., the summer of 2009 was pretty much a bust. From Montauk to Malibu, the luxury real estate fire hose slowed to a trickle as prime properties that would have once sparked bidding wars went unsold and high-end rentals were shopped at steep discounts. How bad was it? Compared with 2008, luxury home values in the U.S. and Canada fell by an average 7.7 percent, according to London property broker Knight Frank.

But this year, as stocks rebounded, Wall Street bonuses returned, and the labor market shed fewer jobs, wealthy buyers are feeling better about purchasing multimillion-dollar estates. Robert Paul Properties, which specializes in luxury homes on Cape Cod and the Massachusetts South Coast, reported that the number of Cape Cod sales in the first quarter increased 58% over the same period a year earlier. The Corcoran Group reported that unit sales in the Hamptons increased 124% year-on-year in the first quarter. Vacation homes are starting to move again.

Businessweek.com contacted agents around the country to compile a list of the most expensive summer homes on the market. We looked in popular areas such as Southern California, Aspen, the Hamptons, Cape Cod, Nantucket, Maine, and the Bahamas rather than in places, such as Bel Air, that have a high percentage of year-round residents. Urban homes and undeveloped lots were not included. Of course, most people would be more than happy to use these plush homes as primary residences, but amenities such as beach access, pools, and equestrian facilities also make them ideal for weekend and holiday retreats.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Aetna Introduces New Cross-Border Health Plan That Lets Workers Decide Where to Access Care

2010-05-27T13:55:00.000-07:00

Vitalidad Plus(SM) California con Aetna provides affordable benefit option for those who prefer to receive care in California or Mexico... click for more info

Median home prices keep rising

2010-05-14T13:32:00.000-07:00

By Roger Showley, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

S.D. County's 15.8% climb best among those in report

Southern California home prices last month rose 14 percent from a year ago to a median $285,000, MDA DataQuick reported Tuesday, further evidence that the region’s real estate market is stabilizing.

Sales were up for the 21st consecutive month, as transactions involving higher-priced, move-up homes kicked in to broaden the market beyond low-cost starter homes.

Economists read the latest figures as indicators that the housing plunge is mostly over, but said a general upturn is unlikely soon because of rising interest rates and sluggish job growth. They also cautioned against assuming a 14 percent rise in the median translates into a 14 percent increase in individual property values. Instead, the figure reflects a change in the types of properties being sold.

San Diego County’s median price, as reported Monday, rose the most of the six counties evaluated — up 15.8 percent, compared with a year ago, to $330,000. Ventura County followed, up 15 percent to $375,000.

In contrast, San Bernardino County prices were up 1.3 percent to $152,000, followed by Riverside County, up

5.9 percent to $198,000. Both counties have felt the brunt of the housing slump, as overbuilding outpaced demand and thousands of homeowners defaulted on mortgages.

Sales across the region totaled 20,476, up 5 percent from March 2009. But that was below the 23-year average of 24,936. San Diego sales totaled 3,227, up 6.9 percent, while Los Angeles County rose the most, up 13 percent to 6,747. Riverside sales dropped 5.7 percent and Ventura’s were down 4.8 percent — signs that demand is not rising consistently throughout the region.

“It’s a reflection of just how grim things got that we’ve now had almost two years of sales gains and we’re still 18 percent below the sales average,” said DataQuick President John Walsh.

He said more sales activity won’t take place until lending patterns normalize. He singled out higher-end jumbo loans, traditionally involving mortgages for more than $417,000. They accounted for 15.7 percent of March loans, up from 14.8 percent in February but far behind the 40 percent level before the fall 2007 credit crisis.

Among other findings in March, DataQuick said foreclosure resales dropped to 38.4 percent of the overall resale market, down from 42.3 percent in February; adjustable-rate mortgages accounted for 4.8 percent of loans, up from 4 percent in February and 2.1 percent a year ago (their market share since 2000 is 44.6 percent); and all-cash buyers accounted for 27.1 percent of March sales, down from February’s 30 percent record.

Economist Esmael Adibi at Chapman University’s A. Gary Anderson Center for Economic Research welcomed the price and sales increases as signs of a stabilizing market.

“We’re not seeing further deterioration in prices,” he said. “We’re seeing some improvement, and part of that is the mix.”

Instead of sales being dominated by low-cost distressed properties, the mix of properties being sold now includes high-priced, move-up homes.

“I don’t want people to have a false hope that there’s really an improvement in value,” he said.

As 2010 progresses, the differences with 2009 will lessen and the year-over-year change will likely dwindle.

“Even if values are not changing and my home has not increased, the fact that it is stabilizing, that’s good news,” he said. “We’re not seeing further deterioration in prices.”

Economist Christopher Thornberg at Beacon Economics said he thought values have increased, mainly at the starter-home level. But in the next few months, he thinks housing prices will weaken because of the end of the federal and state tax rebates for homebuyers and rising interest rates.

“I think we’re going to see this little party is going to slowly end,” he said. “This rally is just going to fade away.”

Thornberg said the federal government’s economic stimulus policies have done what was intended — increase housing demand and stabilize the market.

“The problem is the policies are coming to an end, and when they do, I fully expect the market is going to slump again,” he said.

Even if the economy improves, housing will not necessarily improve with it, he added: “It’s pretty clear a strong economy doesn’t mean a wonderful housing market.”

However, he said homes are at least are more affordable than they were five years ago. But he said that, too, is likely to fade as interest rates continue to rise.

Wells Fargo Securities senior economist Mark Vitner predicted a 6 percent to 8 percent backslide in Southern California home prices.

“The true underlying demand for homes will not improve until employment picks up in a clear and convincing way,” he said in an e-mail. “That said, most of the damage has already been done.”

Paul Habibi at the UCLA Anderson School of Management took a longer perspective, predicting five more years of sluggish home prices and then a major pickup in housing construction.

“The economic fundamentals of Southern California are promising,” he said. “We’re definitely going to have another development cycle.”

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Culinary Tour of Baja, Mexico

2010-05-14T12:42:00.000-07:00

Lured by spicy quail, tuna ceviche, and Mexico’s best fish tacos, T+L lights out for Ensenada—and from there, things just go south.

By Peter Jon Lindberg

Ensenada and the nearby Valle de Guadalupe, in northern Baja, are known outside Mexico for three things: the burgeoning local wine scene, which has been hyped ad infinitum; the food, which hasn’t been hyped enough; and the spectacularly bad roads, which everyone warns you about, though you never fully believe them. Really, you think, how bad could they be? And then one night in the gathering dark you take an innocent shortcut across the valley and drive your rented Hyundai into a riverbed. A dry riverbed, but a riverbed all the same. You and your equally baffled companion spend 40 minutes spinning the car’s wheels in what might as well be quicksand, then digging frantically, then panicking, then digging and spinning some more, until finally you resolve to abandon the car and hike the two miles back to the highway—suitcases sinking in gravel, sand filling your socks. And as the coyotes wail in the ink-black hills you decide that you probably should have paid more attention to that part about the roads.

“Ah, the Baja shortcut!” said our innkeeper, Phil Gregory, when, at the conclusion of said ordeal, he collected us and our dusty belongings from the side of Highway 3. “Never a good idea!” Severe rains the previous week, our host explained, had caused the river to flood, washing away a whole chunk of the road we were on. Those tire tracks I’d followed across the sandy riverbed—believing we were still on course—had been left by a backhoe, dispatched to repair the road. No one had bothered to post a sign, let alone erect a fence. “Honestly, this happens all the time,” Gregory said as we rattled down the inn’s rutted dirt driveway. He meant this to be reassuring. “But let’s get you settled, pour you some wine, and we’ll retrieve your car in the morning!”

Gregory’s tone was oddly chipper—maybe this did happen all the time? After showering off the dust, we sampled the inn’s own Tempranillo beside a crackling mesquite fire in the lounge. Not the smoothest specimen, but it worked: two glasses later I gave up worrying about the Hyundai.

The Valle de Guadalupe’s wines get most of the attention here. But it was the food that lured me to this corner of Baja California, 90 minutes south of San Diego. Friends had raved about Ensenada’s plentiful huarache oysters, sweet baby abalone, and ruby-red bluefin tuna. On the Baja forums of chowhound.com, I pored over descriptions of barbecued-quail stands and itinerant sea-urchin vendors, unfiltered honeys and farmstead cheeses. I devoured the posts of StreetGourmetLA (real name Bill Esparza), a Los Angeles–based musician who seems to spend all his days eating his way across northern Baja, then regaling fellow Chowhounds with his discoveries, including an Ensenada ceviche stand “that will change your life.” (Baja Tourism should put this guy on retainer.) Most tempting of all were the fish tacos. Ensenada’s signature snack was invented by Japanese fishermen who migrated here in the early 20th century and introduced tempura cooking to the region. Today the taco de pescado—a perfect storm of double-fried fish, shredded cabbage, pico de gallo, lime juice, and mayonesa on a warm corn tortilla—is sold on every corner.

Ensenada had loomed in my imagination since Warren Zevon name-checked the town in his 1976 ballad “Carmelita.” I’d always envisioned a jasmine-scented, hippie-boho idyll—a sort of Laurel Canyon South—where barefoot senoritas danced on beaches to the lilt of Spanish guitars. (Those of you who’ve actually been to Ensenada can stop laughing now.) Stirred by visions of oysters, tacos, warm sunshine, and ice-cold micheladas, I invited my friend Adam to join me for a four-day bacchanal. How could we go wrong?

The trip began well enough. North of Ensenada the coast is quite lovely indeed, recalling that of Oregon or central California: vivid-green slopes tumbling into the silver-blue Pacific. Our first stop was at Casa Natalie Hotel Boutique, an intimate seven-room resort set above a rocky beach six miles north of town; we would spend two nights here and two in the Valle de Guadalupe, 30 minutes inland. With its handsome infinity pool and votive-lit seaside bar, Casa Natalie made for a promising start: here you might convince yourself that Ensenada was a bastion of sophistication and style.

Well. The reality was decidedly less dreamy, with blocks of sleaze and tackiness between the occasional nice parts. Most of Ensenada’s 325,000 residents are employed in fishing or shipping (this is Mexico’s second-busiest port), but in the compact, low-rise downtown, you might think everyone works as a mariachi, a souvenir vendor, a strip-club tout, or a pharmacist. Dozens of farmacias line the main drag, their billboards advertising cheap prescription drugs: Ultram, Cialis, Propecia. (Orange County retirees seem to be the primary target.) It’s a reminder that Ensenada is still a border town, albeit a slightly more refined one.

Fortunately our meals made up for it. We tasted raw perfection at La Guerrerense, StreetGourmetLA’s beloved ceviche cart, where just-caught shrimp, octopus, and pismo clams are marinated in lime and soy sauce—another gift from Japan—then dressed with avocado and pico de gallo and served on crisp tostadas. The bill: $3. (We discovered a near-identical cart down the street, called Mariscos El Gordito, that was just as good if not better.) And at Tacos Mi Ranchito La Fenix, a corner stand no uninformed visitor would think to stop at, we found what may be the best fish taco ever. It’s a DIY affair: they give you the tortilla and double-fried nuggets of angelito shark, then you build the rest from a counterful of trimmings—though it hardly requires a thing, so moist and flavorful is the fish. (A note for nervous eaters: food from busy street stalls is generally a safe bet, given the high turnover.)

The trip highlight, however, was a four-hour lunch at Manzanilla, owned by acclaimed chef Benito Molina. The Mexico City native started his career in Boston, working under Todd English at Olives, where he fell in love with the bold, direct flavors of the Mediterranean. Returning to Mexico, he found in northern Baja a Med-worthy combination of rustic wines and stellar ingredients from land and sea. Molina takes full advantage. Local Manila clams arrive in a bacony broth tinged with saffron. Baby abulón, farmed in nearby San Quintin, is sliced into thin disks and seared on a hot rock, then sauced with mesquite-smoked tomato and cream; the delicate flesh is nothing like the outsize abalone so cherished in Asia. Tender grilled rib eye is seasoned with rosemary and served with strong mustard (how Mediterranean is that?); on the side come buttery morsels of fat, twice-cooked to resemble crispy chicharrones.

After nine years downtown, Manzanilla moved last year to an industrial garage in the shipyard district, which makes a funky stage set: raw-concrete floors offset by zany canvases and pink Plexi chandeliers. It’s a fine place to while away the day. Adam and I were due to check in that afternoon at La Villa del Valle—Phil Gregory’s inn in the Valle de Guadalupe—but we wound up lingering at Manzanilla over chamomile panna cotta and didn’t reach the valley until after sunset.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Unity of the Californias Is Main Message For the 5th Binational Mayor’s Summit

2010-05-10T12:05:00.000-07:00

By Ron Raposa

ROSARITO BEACH , BAJA CALIFORNIA , MEXICO ---Taking advantage of the many opportunities shared between Southern California and Baja California was the main message delivered by speakers Friday at the Fifth Binational Mayors’ Summit here.

More than 220 civic and business leaders plus mayors from 14 cities on both sides of the border attended the summit, which had as its theme “Unifying the Californias .”

The summit, at which U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Alan Bersin was a keynote speaker, was the largest of the five inspired two years ago by an agreement between California Gov. Schwarzenegger and Baja Gov. Osuna.

Representatives of both governors attended Friday’s summit as did the consuls of several countries.

As well as welcoming and keynote speeches, the summit included workshops on border crossings, desalination/environment, economic development, public safety, education and a mayors’ roundtable.

The summit, which is held twice a year on alternating sides of the border, was hosted by Rosarito and Redondo Beach . The San Diego and San Ysidro chambers of commerce, plus Rancho Santiago Community College were among assisting groups.

Rosarito Beach Mayor Hugo Torres in opening remarks thanked all those who attended, while citing a recurring theme: “Having a shared border is not what separates us; it is what brings us together.”

While sharing the busiest border crossing in the world creates some challenges, including traffic congestion, it creates many more opportunities in a region that shares friends, family, environment and economy, Torres said.

Redondo Beach Mayor Pro Tem Steve Diels mentioned ways in which the region is closely linked, including by geography: “We’re 150 miles away, but when Mexicali shakes we feel it.”

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders, noting the many vacation trips his family has taken south of the border, said “we view San Diego and Baja as one region in just about every respect.”

Sanders also mentioned San Diego ’s assistance in helping train Baja’s new Metropolitan Tourist Police in an effort to ensure that tourists on both sides of the border are treated alike.

Mexican Congressman Gaston Luken Garza spoke of the southbound border crossing while Bersin cited actions that would improve the northbound flow of traffic.

Among those were more public and private partnerships for infrastructure, plus increasing trusted traveler programs, such as SENTRI, so that they are used by 75 percent of commuters rather than the current 24 percent.

Alternating between Spanish and English, Bersin said the Obama administration was troubled by recent legislation enacted by Arizona that allows police to seek residency status verification based on suspicion that someone might be an illegal immigrant.

He said the Obama administration was reviewing its options on the law, including a possible court challenge.

Bersin also said an organized, staffed and well funded binational organization was needed to advocate the interests of the region.

The next Binational Mayor’s Summit will be in six months in Redondo Beach , co-hosted by the city of Tijuana.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Follow the Money: Why the U.S. Mainstream Media has Mexico Under Seige

2010-04-21T14:42:00.000-07:00

Follow the Money: Why the U.S. Mainstream Media has Mexico Under Seige

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Mexico's big hope: get 5 million U.S. retirees

2010-04-19T12:28:00.000-07:00

BY ANDRES OPPENHEIMER

Mexico is silently working on proposals aimed at drawing millions of U.S. retirees to this country, which could eventually lead to the most ambitious U.S.-Mexican project since the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement.

President Felipe Calderón is likely to propose the first steps toward expanding U.S. retirement benefits and medical tourism to Mexico when he goesh to Washington on an official visit May 19, according to well-placed officials here. If not then, he will raise the issue later this year, they say.

``It's one of the pillars of our plans to trigger economic and social well-being in both countries,'' Mexico's ambassador to the United States Arturo Sarukhan told me. ``We will be seeking to increasingly discuss this issue in coming months and years.''

Calderón brought it up during a U.S.-Canada-Mexico summit in Guadalajara in August last year, but President Barack Obama asked him to shelve the idea until he was able to pass healthcare reform, another official told me.

Now that Congress has passed healthcare reform, Calderón is preparing to charge ahead.

A GROWING MARKET

There are already an estimated 1 million Americans living in Mexico. And according to Mexican government estimates based on U.S. Census figures, that number is likely to soar to 5 million by 2025 as the U.S. population grows older and more Americans look for sunny, cheaper places to retire.

The U.S. Census projects that the number of U.S. retirees will soar from 40 million now to nearly 90 million by 2050. Already, 5 million American retirees live abroad, of whom 2.2 million are in the Western Hemisphere -- mostly in Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Brazil. Another 1.5 million live in Europe and 850,000 in Asia.

The key to luring more U.S. medical tourists and retirees to Mexico and other Latin American countries will be getting hospitals in the region to be certified by the U.S. Joint International Commission, which establishes that they meet U.S. hospitals' standards. There are already eight Mexican hospitals certified by the JIC and several others awaiting certification.

According to Mexican government estimates, healthcare costs in Mexico are about 70 percent lower than in the United States. And from my own experience, those estimates are right: As I reported at the time, when I was hospitalized in Mexico two years ago for an emergency operation, my hospital bill was indeed about 70 percent lower than what it would have been in Miami.

So what will Calderón specifically propose to Obama? Most likely, the Mexican president will suggest starting with a low-profile agreement that would allow the U.S. Health Care Financing Administration to pay for Medicare benefits to U.S. retirees in Mexico. Under current rules, Medicare only covers healthcare services in the United States.

IT JUST MAKES SENSE

My opinion: Mexico and much of Latin America are bound to become growing U.S. retirement and medical tourism destinations, much like Spain has become a permanent living place for Germans, Britons and Northern Europeans.

You won't read much about it now because neither Calderón nor Obama will emphasize it publicly while the drug-related violence in northern Mexico is making big headlines, and while the political wounds from the recent U.S. healthcare debate are still open in Washington, D.C.

But I'm increasingly convinced that, as the violence in Mexico subsides and the healthcare debate becomes a distant memory in Washington, medical benefits' deals will become a top U.S.-Latin American priority. Just as free-trade agreements were the big thing of the 1990s, healthcare agreements will be the big deal of the coming decade.

I wouldn't be surprised if Calderón and Obama take the first baby steps toward a U.S.-Mexico healthcare agreement by finding a way to pay for Medicare benefits for U.S. expatriates in Mexico, or getting U.S. states to allow similar payments. Then, most likely after the 2012 presidential election in both countries, the two would start negotiating a more ambitious deal.

Demography, geography and economics are pointing in that direction. With the U.S. population getting older, a record U.S. budget deficit, rising U.S. healthcare costs, and Mexico and other Latin American countries badly needing more tourism and investments, this should be a win-win for everybody.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

FERIA ROSARITO 2010

2010-04-16T14:13:00.000-07:00

www.facebook.com/feria.rosarito

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Rosarito-Ensenada 50-Mile Fun Bike Ride Starts 31st Year With Race This Saturday!!!

2010-04-16T13:38:00.000-07:00

The Rosarito-Enesenada 50-Mile Fun Bike Ride will begin its 31st year this Saturday with the first of two yearly events.

"Five-thousand cyclists are expected to ride on April 17,” said San Diego event promoter Gary Foster. “The event had 4,000 last September and only 3,000 one year ago in April, so Baja tourism is definitely increasing."

Participants came from throughout the world but mainly the United States and Mexico . Following a course along the coast and through rural countryside, the ride is geared both for serious competitors and those who take a more relaxed approach.

“This is one of the signature events for our region and attracts a great group of people,” said Rosarito Beach Mayor Hugo Torres. “We’re pleased to have the event, the riders, their friends and family visit us twice each year.”

Further information, entry fees and registration is available at www.rosaritoensenada.com. Participants also can register the day of the event.

Sometimes called a “party on wheels,” the Rosarito-Ensenada 50-Mile Fun Bike Ride has attracted hundreds of thousand of participants since its start in 1979. The next ride will be this September.

The ride always begins near the front entrance of the Rosarito Beach Hotel and concludes with a Finish Line Fiesta, which this year will be at the Corona Hotel in Ensenada . It will feature food, drinks and music.

"Lots of people are taking the round-trip bus ride from San Diego that's available from the event organizers for $89,” Foster said, “That's a great option for people who don't want to drive.”

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

First Baja Metropolitan Tourist Police Launched In Rosarito Beach Ceremony

2010-04-16T13:10:00.000-07:00

A new metropolitan tourist police force to serve visitors along the 70-mile tourist corridor from Tijuana to Ensenada was launched Wednesday in a Rosarito ceremony.

Leading state and city officials as well as members of the new force took part in the ceremony in a tented area along the coastal scenic road from Tijuana to Ensenada.

"Today, the Metropolitan Police will begin working between the three cities to better assist our visitors and bring them additional peace of mind," said Hugo Torres, the mayor of Rosarito Beach and a leader in the effort to form the special force.

Rosarito established its own 30-member Tourist Police Force in 2008.

Torres said that crime in Baja was down last year --- 10 percent overall and 21 percent in Rosarito, a five-year low--- but scattered violence in Mexico as authorities crack down on drug cartels has made many people, including Southern Californians, concerned.

Also attending the Wednesday ceremony were Baja State Public Safety Secretary Daniel de la Rosa; Secretary of State Tourism Oscar Escobedo; Ensenada Mayor Pablo Alejo; and Tijuana deputy police chief Julian Dominguez.

The Metropolitan Tourist Police, in conjunction with other police agencies that also patrol the area, will have working with visitors as its main responsibility, De La Rosa said.

The officers will be in vehicles marked Policia Turistica Metropolitana. Each vehicle also will carry the insignia of the city force which the officer represents. Fourteen officers, men and women, were at Wednesday’s ceremony.

Baja Metropolitan Tourist Police officers received special training from San Diego police under an agreement between Baja mayors and San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders.

“We’ve always prided ourselves on our working relationship with our friends to the south,” Sanders said last year when that agreement was signed, adding that the economies of the two regions are closely tied and both benefit from binational tourism.

“What’s good for Rosarito and Tijuana and Ensenada is good for San Diego,” Sanders said.

Torres said that because San Diego is such a popular tourist destination, it is especially expert in dealing with visitors. He thanked Sanders for his city’s support and assistance.

“It is extremely generous of Mayor Sanders and the fine officers who assisted us,” he said.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Rosarito Mayor Addresses International Educators, Promotes Binational Summit In Las Vegas Visit

2010-04-16T12:28:00.000-07:00

During a two-day visit to Las Vegas, Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres gave a keynote talk to an international association of educators and promoted a May 6 and 7 binational summit in his city.

Torres also met with Mexican Consul General Mariano Lemus and conducted interviews with several Las Vegas media outlets.

The Rosarito mayor was the keynote luncheon speaker Saturday for the International Academy of Business Disciplines convention, which attracted leading educators from more than 50 countries throughout the world.

He spoke about crisis management and was introduced by Emerson College professor Gregory Payne, whose class has a RediscoveRosarito project, as “one of the leaders around the world who makes a difference.”

The main theme of Torre’s speech was the challenge of informing people in the United States that Rosarito and northern Baja were safe for visitors, when almost all the news about Mexico deals with the government crackdown on violent drug cartels.

Violence in places including Ciudad Juarez --- 600 miles from Baja --- has created the impression that all of Mexico is unsafe, he said.

Despite this incorrect perception, crime in northern Baja in 2009 declined by 10 percent and 21 percent in Rosarito, to a five-year low for the city.

When he decided to run for mayor in 2006, there were corruption problems with the city police department, Torres said: “We had problems not only in perception but in reality.”

But a massive overhaul of the police department, establishment of a tourist police force and other steps have made Rosarito an extremely safe and welcoming city, he said. The main challenge now is in informing people of that.

Torres said he still was trying to determine the most effective methods for doing that, but that being available to media and “always telling the truth” are key factors, as are testimonials from the city’s many expatriate residents.

Torres also met with Las Vegas Mayor Oscar Goodman and invited him to be a special guest at the Fifth Binational Mayors’ Summit on May 6 and 7 in Rosarito Beach, co-hosted by Redondo Beach.

Although the summit is primarily for mayors from Baja and Southern California, topics are of regional interest, including the future of the border crossings, economic development, environment and public safety.

Goodman expressed great interest in a workshop on desalination and said he would attend the summit if his schedule permits.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Rosarito Commends 3 Women For Work on Baja Blonde Reality TV Program

2010-03-19T14:47:00.000-07:00

MEDIA CONTACT: Ron Raposa

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---The city has recognized three women for their work on developing a reality TV show that highlights the beauty, attractions and advantages of living in Baja California.

City Mayor Hugo Torres on Wednesday presented a plaque to Susanna Stehr, Debbie Shine and Robin Mackenzie, the trio of U.S. women who comprise the Baja Blondes.

Ms. Stehr lives in Rosarito where she owns a restaurant, Ms. Shine is an interior designer living here and Ms. Mackenzie is a writer/producer who lives both in the United States and Baja.

The three have produced a pilot for a reality TV series they hope will be broadcast in the U.S. It shows the beauty, comfort and relaxing pace of life in Baja. The series would feature fascinating regional people and places, as well as highlight the personalities of the women.

With media coverage focusing largely on Mexico’s crackdown on drug cartels many people in the U.S. have lost sight of the fact that Baja is a wonderful, safe and welcoming place to visit and live, Ms. Stehr said. That has hurt many people and businesses here.

Mayor Torres said the Baja Blondes are excellent ambassadors for Rosarito and the region because they show the actual lives of U.S. women living and working here, which gives what they say added credibility.

Those who gathered in the mayor’s office for the presentation. including city council members and other officials, also were shown a video clip of a recent Channel 5 San Diego interview which featured the Baja Blondes.

(Photo shows, from left, Debbie Shine, Susanna Stehr, Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres and Robin Mackenzie,)

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

U.S. retirees find home in coastal Mexico

2010-03-16T11:42:00.000-07:00

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.

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.

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.

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.

www.bajainvestment.com

President Calderon Pledges Incentives For Film Making In Rosarito and Mexico

2010-03-10T12:18:00.000-08:00

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---President Felipe Calderon on Tuesday pledged incentives to attract more international film makers and productions to Rosarito and the rest of Mexico.

Speaking to an audience of about 400 people, Calderon pledged an initial $20 million to strengthen the country’s film industry plus incentives to attract productions here from around the world.

Calderon made his remarks at Baja Studios in Rosarito, which was built for the production of the James Cameron’s Titanic and where portions of other blockbusters including Master & Commander and Pearl Harbor have been filmed.

The president was received for his visit by Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres. Other dignitaries attending included Baja Gov. Jose Guadalupe Osuna Millan as well as many other government officials. Noted actor Edward James Olmos also was a featured guest.

“Rosarito has become a place of great importance for the film industry, and it is precisely why here we announce this program for the promotion of film production," Calderon said.

He stressed that the film industry has great importance in the global culture, as well being as being an excellent source for jobs, income and regional promotion.

“Rosarito has shown that it is possible to offer world-class services to the film industry,” Calderon said. “Productions here have brought international fame to the city.”

For his part, Mayor Torres reiterated the importance of promoting the film industry.

"We welcome the support of the President of the Republic, and we are convinced that this decree will make Rosarito even more attractive to other countries that are interested in filming here, “ Torres said.

Torres noted that film production can be a key to the area’s economic recovery as well as a boost for tourism.

Dignitaries also toured the Baja Studios production facility in the Popotla area of Rosarito.. It was built in the late ‘90s during Torres first term as mayor, specifically for the filming of Titanic.

It has huge salt-water tanks as well as an ocean front setting. Baja Studios also contains a Titanic Museum and has been used as a theme park as well as for its production facilities.

http://www.bajainvestment.comn/

Baja Real Estate Back on Track

2010-03-04T13:01:00.000-08:00

Tiger`s Golf Course coming soon

By Gustavo Torres

CONTRIBUTOR

Punta Brava developers expect to break ground this year

This piece contains a few excerpts from an article by Sandra Dibble on Tiger Woods’ Baja Golf Course, from the San Diego Union-Tribune. Sandra Dibble writes many articles on Baja and often attends Baja events, developments, etc.

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

According to Rosarito’s AMPI (Mexican Realtors Association), sales in the northern Baja area are increasing at an unexpected pace.

“We are very excited to see what we are seeing, this is something we did not expect until 2011”said Blanca Guerrero of RE/MAX Baja Realty in Rosarito Beach. She added that, “sales levels are now at the 2003/2004 levels which are very good.”

Most of the buyers are Americans: 70% were from California, a few from other West Coast states and the rest from the East coast. They range in ages, from 40 to 65 years old, and are looking for retirement (35%), a second home (30%), long term investment (25%) and other (10%).

“Many of our buyers are escaping from the high cost of living in California, especially the extremely high property taxes” says Victor Loza of RE/MAX/Your Baja Connection. Loza further added that, “Indeed, property taxes in California could be around $7,000 annually, while in Rosarito - for an oceanfront condo - they are about $300 per year, and approximately $80 for an ocean view home.”

A number of incredible opportunities can be found at the moment, particularly in Rosarito Beach in Baja, and at just a short 30 minute drive from the San Diego border, it is an excellent option for many.

Sales have increased tenfold compared to the start of 2009, when the economic crisis exploded and the influenza scare dealt Baja California a very strong blow. Then it was followed by the bad press about the drug cartels fighting in the region. The drug wars were portrayed as if they affected all citizens of Baja, not taking into consideration that these terrible fights where occurring in areas not visited by regular folks, let alone tourists.

Americans living here – around 15,000 in Rosarito and 30,000 in Ensenada- immediately started posting testimonials, U-tube commentaries, blogs, etc. to show that life was very different to what the US media was “advertising.” Many even created blogs and forums which are easily accessible on the Internet now.

Even with the crisis fading and sales improving faster than once thought possible, we still have several development projects that are barely beginning to renew their construction and some that are still in the wait-and-see stages.

Real Estate prices in Baja dropped approximately the same percentage as Southern California. The 35% drop found in the third quarter of 2009, has since increased around 5%, making the average price of an ocean view and oceanfront residential property in 2009 in the Rosarito region approximately $285,000, and oceanfront condos at $306,000.

Now, with Tiger Woods’ Punta Brava, Baja will be getting lots of positive attention again. “This is the best we could ask for. Similar to the type we were getting in ‘04 and ’05,” said James Bond, a U.S. retiree realtor working hard in Baja. “Back in those days, the U.S. media was portraying Rosarito and Baja as the ‘American Dream found… just south of the border’… then the whole economic turn hit, and Baja stopped being the darling of the American media.

Since the announcement of Tiger Wood’s Baja development, almost 170 “super” prospective buyers have been flown down to tour the site; looks like most have showed excitement for the project.

Brian Tucker, the development’s director 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 will be 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.

This past President’s Day weekend/Valentine’s Day was a blast. So many tourists came, the weather was just perfect, and buyers were all over the place. “I had two different groups wanting to see the same oceanfront house, and at the same time! This hadn’t happened since 2007,” said Victor Loza, referring to a $245,000 oceanfront listing, a 3bed/2ba house in northern Rosarito.

This is the best time to invest in Baja California real estate, and you should wait no further.

By the way, for more information on this article, and excerpts of a related article by Sandra Dibble, and Baja real estate, please visit http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Gustavo Torres
AMPI Rosarito Realtors

Rosarito 2009 Crime Rate Falls 21%

2010-02-26T14:02:00.000-08:00

To A Baja California Best 5-Year Low

By Ron Raposa

ROSARITO BEACH , BAJA CALIFORNIA , MEXICO ---For 2009 Rosarito had the largest year-to-year decline in crime of any city in Baja California --- 21 percent --- and was the only city to reach a five-year low, according to state figures.

“These are very encouraging figures for Rosarito, especially in difficult economic times, when crime historically increases,” said Mayor Hugo Torres.

Calling the fight against crime a lifelong challenge for any city, Torres, who ran in 2007 on a platform of public security, said strong efforts will continue this year to reduce crime.

Those efforts, he said, will include increased policing in certain areas, more emphasis on neighborhood watch and private security, plus sports and other programs to keep city youth from delinquency and drug use.

Baja Gov. Jose Guadalupe Osuna Millan told the San Diego Union that Rosarito’s reduction in crime was one of Baja California ’s success stories.

Overall, Baja California crime declined by an average of 10 percent in 2009 from 2008 and was lower than the level of the previous two years. The state’s rate was the same as 2006 and higher only than 2005.

Rosarito led all five Baja cities in major categories for 2009, recording a 24 percent year-to-year decline in robbery and burglaries, 38 percent in violent crimes and 56 percent in murders, from 61 to 27, according to the state figures.

Five of the killings were between members of rival drug cartels as the government makes it more difficult for them to operate, and three were of police officers.

Torres said that the drug-related killings are very troubling but even with them Rosarito has a lower homicide rate than many U.S. cities, including New Orleans, St. Louis and Baltimore, and Washington , D.C. (Based on FBI figures for 2008, the latest published)

“Understandably, much of the media coverage in the U.S. has focused on the crackdown on organized crime --- it’s a vital international issue,” he said. “But that has helped create a misleading impression about security here.”

Since taking office, Torres has led efforts to replace more than half of the city’s police force while expanding its size from about 150 to 230 officers.

He also established a special tourist police force that uses bilingual traffic tickets that can be mailed in from the U.S. , an ombudsman office and a city department for visitor assistance.

The mayor also brought in former Army Capt. Jorge Montero to lead the police department as director of public security. He has praised his work as well as the support of the City Council.

Torres also cited federal and state support plus a close working relationship with the Rosarito office of the state attorney general, which is responsible for most reporting and investigation of crime.

“Prevention is the key to crime reduction,” said Torres, who added that the city’s focus would remain on public security.

Rosarito also is working on expanding positive activities including sports and drug prevention programs for youth. Torres has personally talked to more than 15,000 of the city’s 23,000 school children and plans to visit the remainder this year.

Many programs have been intiated to benefit city youth, including the start of construction last year on the city’s first Boys & Girls Club.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Boomers Head to Mexico For Sun, Sand and Surgery

2010-02-17T15:02:00.000-08:00

The author: Ilene Little

According to a Feb 2 post on Breaking Travel News, Mexico is gearing up for a boom in medical tourism as the ageing U.S. population heads south not just for sun and sand but also "treatments and surgeries".

"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.

In coordination with other federal agencies, the Health Ministry plans to build up the country's medical tourism infrastructure during the next two years.

The initiative includes training a corps of bilingual Spanish-English nurses, and a push to increase the number of private Mexican hospitals accredited by a joint US-Mexico commission. Cordova told Mexidata.info that eight such private institutions have been certified under the commission's standards.

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, which are targeting the growth in medical tourism.

www.bajainvestment.com

Weekly Fishing Column: Rosarito Beach welcomes anglers

2010-02-16T13:17:00.000-08:00

By Phil Friedman,

Arturo Martinez from the tourism department was at the National Sports Grill in Torrance Thursday at 7 p.m., to talk about a weekend trip to Rosarito Beach, April 9-11.

The trip will feature a surf and pier fishing competition that usually produces barred perch, corbina and halibut.

The key to catching a big halibut on the pier is using live bait. Bring some mackerel snag rigs and snag yourself a few mackerel. Toss one of those mackerel off the pier and you stand a great chance of catching a nice flatfish.

The key to catching corbina is light line. Six-pound test with a trout rod is perfect. A cast of just a few feet is usually perfect. The corbina are in the surf right where the waves are crashing, so that's where you want to present your bait. Sand crabs, muscles, ghost shrimp and Berkley gulp bait all work really well.

Martinez says you get two nights at the Rosarito Beach Hotel, two welcome drinks, two breakfast buffets, two no-host parties, a free barbecue on Saturday, 4 p.m. late checkout and 15 percent off in the hotel spa. The cost is only $285 per couple.

In addition to the fishing, there will be a casino tour, a wine country tour, golf and lots to do at the hotel.

On Saturday, 150 children from the local orphanages will be bused to the Rosarito Beach pier for a day of fishing, beach games and swimming and a basketball clinic put on by world champion Laker Flynn Robinson. You can be a mentor to the kids if you like for what promises to be a special day.

Martinez is making it easy for South Bay residents to get to the Rosarito Beach Hotel. For $99, you can board a bus departing from Wilson Park at 2 p.m. on April 9 to take you to the beach resort. Libations and snacks are included. The bus will depart the hotel on Sunday at 4 p.m. to take you back to Torrance. To sign up for the excursion, call 310-328-8426 or email philip@976-TUNA.com.

Correlation? Sea Adventure II skipper Terry Clayton was fishing for blackgill cod on a commercial trip last week when a spot of 15-pound albacore breezed down the side of his boat. Just as the school approached, a fish jumped clear out of the water.

"I could see its wings perfectly," Clayton said.
This could be a sign of an accelerated season due to the warm El Ni o waters.
"This has to be a good sign for 2010," he said.
Chris Toth of Rancho Palos Verdes was scuba diving recently with friends off Abalone Cove when he looked into a cave only to see a giant eye staring back at him. That eye belonged to a 23-pound sheephead that Toth speared.

The creature thrashed around and mangled Toth's spear, leaving it lodged in the cave. Toth handed the prize member of the wrasse family to a friend who swam it to the surface.

It was the biggest fish Toth had ever speared and a thrilling experience for everyone who was there.

"And the best part of it was those fish tacos," Toth said.

Jennifer Aniston celebrated her 41st birthday last week in Cabo San Lucas.

The actress chose Cabo San Lucas to rebut claims of rampant swine flu and violence. She also is involved in raising funds for a Tijuana orphanage called El Faro.

www.bajainvestment.com

Merger Creates Baja’s Real Estate Powerhouse

2010-02-15T12:02:00.000-08:00

One of Rosarito Beach’s Star Brokers Joins RE/MAX!!!!
One of the largest and most successful independent real estate offices in northern Baja, Your Baja Connection, has joined the RE/MAX network.

Victor Loza, on behalf of his partners in Your Baja Connection, negotiated the merger of their multi-agent office with RE/MAX. Loza along with Don and Sharon Heafey and Miles Smith have owned and operated one of the top producing Real Estate agencies in Baja for the last three years. Victor had the following comment: “We chose RE/MAX over others because it allowed us to place our efforts on our first priority -- helping buyers and sellers accomplish their ultimate goals.”

Gustavo Torres, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Baja Realty had this comment on the merger between Your Baja Connection and RE/MAX; “We are going to see a lot more mergers like this around the country. RE/MAX excels at giving their brokers and agents the most extensive training, the best technology, and the best systems in the real estate industry. In Northern Baja we have experienced an increase in market share as more and more agents have realized the advantages that RE/MAX provides for them, especially in today’s real estate market.”

Loza went on to say, “We won’t need to be involved in the day-to-day operations of an office; instead we’ll be free to do what we do best, and that is interacting with people and helping buyers and sellers achieve their dreams in Baja.” We had a few choices, but after weighing them all, RE/MAX gave us the freedom and the tools we needed to be successful. With RE/MAX we receive an international exposure, marketing tools, a well-established website, and the world-wide recognition that comes from a well-respected company like RE/MAX. We’re very thankful for the warm welcome we’ve received from our new broker and colleagues.”

This merger is part of an ongoing strategy from RE/MAX Baja Realty’s growth initiative that began last year. RE/MAX Baja brokerage was established in 2004 when Rosarito Beach Real Estate, the most successful Rosarito real estate office, became a REMAX office.

“Victor, his partners, and their agents will be a tremendous addition to our expanding team. They have relentless energy and Victor is a nonstop marketing machine,” says Gustavo Torres, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Baja Realty. “They do whatever it takes to help clients sell or find the homes of their dreams. They don’t simply list a property; they follow through until the home is sold. This level of energy and extra effort is why Your Baja Connection has been a top real estate company and why RE/MAX is the right place for them.”

Sharon Heafey, one of the principals of Your Baja Connection, had the following statement about the merger: “We chose to be affiliated with RE/MAX because of Gustavo Torres’ wonderful background and strong community ties,” adding that “Gustavo has done everything possible to make us feel at home and able to get up and running immediately. The merger gives us the opportunity to provide the highest level of service to our buyers and sellers. We are looking forward to working with the respected professional agents that are part of the RE/MAX network.”

Don Heafey added, “After being involved in real estate in the United States, we moved to Baja and found real estate an exciting opportunity for our clients and ourselves. I look forward to joining the Ensenada office and working with Arturo Novelo and the other professionals there.”

RE/MAX Baja Realty is the second-largest real estate office in Baja and #1 in sales in Rosarito Beach, with over 44 percent of the market. With the addition of Your Baja Connection’s team, RE/MAX Baja Realty is poised to become the leader in Baja California. The firm is an attractive option for real estate agents looking to relocate with a proven successful broker.

“By Your Baja Connection joining RE/MAX, it proves once again that the RE/MAX system is the best for all real estate professionals who want to succeed and operate their own business. Most of all it allows us to work with other successful top professionals,” affirms Ana Minondo, Top Chairman’s award of RE/MAX.

“This is a true merger.” Blanca Guerrero, RE/MAX Baja Popotla office’s president, told the Baja Times Journal. “We chose to be a stronger force, and that says a lot. Instead of cutting costs, we chose to grow.”

The RE/MAX– Your Baja Connection merger will result on a better service to you; this merger means more exclusive properties for you to choose from and many more bargains.

RE/MAX– Your Baja Connection provides real estate and relocation services for buyers in Mexico.

Yes, you can have a good experience purchasing property in Mexico. You want to make sure that you have a knowledgeable, experienced, and ethical agent. When you are ready to make an offer there are a myriad of additional considerations and concerns, but if you have selected the right agent, you will have the right person to guide and protect you.

At Re/Max - Your Baja Connection, we understand all these issues; we have purchased and gone through the process ourselves. Re/Max Baja wants to be Your Baja Connection, Our team is ready to assist you in a worry-free purchase of your new retirement or vacation home or condo in Mexico.
http://www.bajainvestment.com/

How Americans are Stretching Their Money South of the Border in Baja California Mexico

2010-02-10T13:31:00.001-08:00

Written by sublimerecipes

ROSARITO, BAJA CALIFORNIA. MEXICO – Many Americans with reduced and fixed incomes are looking outside of the US for retirement and economic relief in these tough times, finding it just south of the border. Baja California, Mexico is leading the trend to cater to retirees, by offering services that appeal to the growing number of foreign residents. These services include assisted living, property and personal care among others at significantly lower prices than in the US.

US store names like Home Depot, Wal-Mart, Smart and Final, Applebee’s and Ashley Furniture are some of which are becoming more common in strip malls around the area. State of the art medical facilities equal to those on the US have been and are being constructed in order to provide quality medical care services to the growing number of foreign residents, the only difference being the lower cost.

The area between Rosarito and Ensenada just 45 minutes south of the border has become the preferred area, where developers are also getting on board by bringing amenities to these new homeowners. Calafia Condos & Villas is one of these developments, where their new tower offers more amenities and social atmosphere for people with an active lifestyle. Plus, it is pet friendly. Some of these amenities include a club house with a TV room, game room, computer area, large gym, outdoor and a private Jacuzzi. These amenities are becoming standard for new communities.

A current resident of Northern Baja, Karen Erstad says “I purchased a second home in Las Gaviotas, (an established Northern Baja community), over 10 years ago with the intent to someday live my retirement years by the Ocean”. When she decided on early retirement and make her move, her family and friends thought she was not on her right mind. Even though she would be only a 2 hour drive away, their primary concern was medical care and the question of who would look after her.

Some doctors in this Rosarito-Ensenada area are willing and do still make house calls; there are also excellent medical facilities throughout the state. Serena Senior Care is a corporation dedicated to improve the quality of life for senior residents in Baja; among their services are nursing assistance and doctor visits, which gives family members’ peace of mind. In addition, ocean front developments in Baja are largely inhabited by expatriates making them very tight communities, who look out for one another.

Karen continues by adding “I can also put my own concerns at ease, by moving to Mexico I can live the same lifestyle if not a better one as if I were still working”.

Karen is one of many Americans discovering the benefits and lower cost of in-home services that the Northern Baja region offers; furthermore, with the increased purchasing power of the US dollar against the Mexican peso they can lower their monthly expenses considerably, here is an example:

* Grocery bill around 250 dollars a month for a small family.

* Cost of a movie for two people from less than 11 dollars including popcorn.

* Doctor’s visits starting at around 20 dollars.

* Internet Access and Cable TV from 60 dollars.

* Property taxes average 300.00 dollars and up per year.

* Game of golf starting at 35 dollars

* Private bilingual school around 175 dollars monthly tuition

* Hair Salon hair cut and color can start at around 27 dollars

Eating out

* McDonalds, less than 4.50 for a super size combo

* Chinese food, less than 4.50 for a “lunch” (enough for 2 people)

* Traditional Mexican food, complete meals from around 4 dollars.

* 5 star meal starts at 20 dollars per person.

Most of these coastal Baja developments are also located just 10 to 15 minutes from the newest hospital in the area. Downtown shopping, and a 45 minute drive to the wine country, where on Wednesdays and Saturdays they offer an organic farmers market. Living in these communities Americans have the same lifestyle as they currently have back at their homeland but for much less....

Clearly, relocating to Northern Baja California has become a solution for Baby Boomers and American retirees against the economic crisis. Especially for those who would like to remain closer to their families and amenities in the US. For others, is just good business.
http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Mexico may become a major 'Medical Tourism' Destination

2010-02-03T13:57:00.000-08:00

By Kent Paterson

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.comn/

Punta Colonet Mega Port

2010-01-21T13:19:00.000-08:00

Wordpress.com

Jose Rubio Soto, regional coordinator of the Punta Colonet project, said today that the backers of the mega-port are sharing with the Mexican government’s communications and transportation agency (the SCT) details about existing railroad crossing points between Baja California and the U.S. The objective is to choose one of those for the new rail line that will funnel containers arriving from Asia into Punta Colonet and destined for U.S. cities.

Jose Rubio noted the important time advantage of having Mexico and the U.S. agree to add Punta Colonet rail approval to an exisiting border crossing. The alternative of establishing an entirely new crossing can take eight years to arrange, he and others have noted. Mexicali, Mexico, west of Yuma, is favored by many involved in the development process, according to Jose Rubio. But he noted that more than one rail crossing will likely be required, as import volume grows at Punta Colonet.

www.bajainvestment.com

New Baja Tourist Police Force

2010-01-21T13:02:00.000-08:00

SAN DIEGO — Mexican cities south of the California border on Friday marked the launch of the new Metropolitan Tourist Police in an effort to regain the confidence of Americans looking for lobster dinners, cheap margaritas and pristine beaches.

Twenty-two police officers from Tijuana, Playas de Rosarito and Ensenada were recognized for completing a one-day course at the San Diego police academy to prepare for the April 1 launch of the new force, a joint effort of the cities to patrol a 70-mile stretch of Pacific coastline.

Americans have stayed away in the past year, largely because of media exagerations and false perceptions of violence affecting tourism.

"It won't be magic, but at least we're trying," William Yu, Tijuana's liaison for binational affairs, told the officers Thursday as he prepared them for the ceremony.

San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders said during Friday's event at the city's police headquarters that the new force should ease tourists' understandable concerns about safety.

I’m confident that this relationship will enable us to expand tourism opportunities on both sides of the border,” San Diego Mayor Jerry Sanders told an audience of officers, mayors and representatives from both the Mexican and U.S. consulates.

The Metropolitan Tourist Police will join with other agencies in patrolling parts of the 70-mile tourist corridor from Tijuana to Ensenada. They will offer special assistance to visitors and also can issue bilingual traffic tickets that can be paid from the U.S.

The officers, who will have their own uniforms and cars, said they liked a visit during the class to a simulated shooting range in which they were asked to react to threatening scenarios played on a video screen.

San Diego police Sgt. David Landman also drew on training material that is widely used by California law enforcement agencies, including role-playing techniques with an emphasis on how to treat people respectfully.

Landman, who oversees training for veteran San Diego officers, quizzed the officers often.

"If a police officer runs a stop sign, it sends a very bad signal to the people," one said.

"You must practice what you preach, set an example for the people," another chimed in.

The officers will return to Mexico to train colleagues in each of the three cities for the special force, which is expected to eventually have 350 officers. Playas de Rosarito, widely known as Rosarito Beach, will begin with 30 officers. Tijuana expects to start with about 60.

Some Mexican officials and American expatriates said the region has been unfairly tarnished, partly by recycled media reports of violence against tourists more than two years ago. Officials said the vast majority of murder victims were small-time drug dealers caught in turf battles.

The battered tourism industry remains an economic pillar of Mexico's northern Baja California peninsula.

Yet in Rosarito Beach, authorities estimated the number of visitors during the high season of April to November slid 70 percent from 2005 to 2009. Tourism accounts for about 60 percent of the economy in the city of 120,000 people.

Approximately 15% of these residents are American expats

Obviously, great deals and amazing prices -from groceries and souvenirs to hotels and real estate, can be found in the Rosarito Beach and Ensenada areas at the moment.

In fact, northern Baja is preparing a major advertising campaing, both in the US and Mexico... and branding the beautiful norhtern Baja area with the name of "Riviera Baja"

"We need to show everyone the beauties and richenes of this part of Mexico... said Hugo Torres, Rosarito Beach´s mayor.

The Baja Riviera branding is supported by the city governments of Rosarito Beach, Ensenada and Tijuana and by all business and civil organizations in the Baja area.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

Mexican officials meeting in Santa Ana

2009-12-10T13:38:00.001-08:00

By THERESA CISNEROS
THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

ANTA ANA Leaders from across Southern and Baja California are gathering at the Police Department today to share information on public safety, economic development and regional infrastructure.

It's an ongoing effort to strengthen communication between cities on both sides of the border.

The discussions are taking place during the 2nd Bi-National Mayors of the Californias Summit – sponsored by the cities of Santa Ana and Rosarito Beach.

Mayor Miguel Pulido said such steps help Mexico become a stronger partner, which directly benefits the United States.

"A safer Mexico and a stronger Mexico is a better Mexico for us all," he said.

Local officials scheduled to participate include Orange County District Attorney Tony Rackauckas and Irvine Councilman Steven Choi. Mayors from Rosarito, Ensenada, Tijuana and Tecate are also participating.

They'll meet in small groups to talk about issues and draft plans.

They are trading ideas on renewable-energy technologies, water agencies and law enforcement.

The inaugural summit, held in Anaheim in January, focused mostly on boosting tourism in both regions, and was followed up by a summer meeting in Ensenada. The next gathering is scheduled for the spring in Rosarito.

Mayors on both sides say they're starting to see fruits from the increased communication.

The city of Ensenada, for example, has debuted new jail facilities and crime-predicting computer software based on what representatives witnessed during visits to the Santa Ana Police Department.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

here will never be a better time in your lifetime to start a new, fuller life in Mexico…

2009-12-02T15:16:00.000-08:00

By Dan Prescher
International Living

If you've ever entertained the thought of living the good life in Mexico, heed my words: There's never been an easier...a more lucrative...or a more exciting time to be there.

In fact, there's never been a better time in your lifetime to start a new life in Mexico.

Despite what you think you might know about this huge and diverse country (keep reading, I'm going to dispel some of the most common myths), there has never been a better time to consider a move here.

That's because, right now, three critical factors have come together in a way they rarely do.

My name is Dan Prescher. My wife, Suzan Haskins, and I have been living in Mexico for nearly seven years now. And I can say, with confidence: I've never seen so much opportunity to grab amazing property deals...to live so well for so little...to enjoy so gracious a lifestyle...

You may know that Mexico earned the #1 spot on International Living's Global Retirement Index in 2007 and 2008 and came second in 2009.

It's close to the U.S. and easy to get to... it offers great retiree benefits on everything from medical services to airfares...taxes are low, low, low...and so is the cost of living...

Why is this the best time in your lifetime to start a new life in Mexico?

Here are three compelling reasons in particular for you to investigate Mexico right now:

The peso to dollar value is at a high—your dollar goes farther than ever. The peso has lost around 30% of its value against the dollar since August of 2008. Your dollar buys more in Mexico today than it has in more than 15 years...since 1994, after an economic crisis in which Mexico's government cut three zeros off the end of peso denominations to create a "new peso".

Just from my personal experience: the bottle of wine that cost us $5.80 last year costs us $4.60 today. The bill for our phone and high-speed Internet service was $42 last year and is $33 today. A housekeeper, at 200 pesos per day, cost us $18 last year and $14 today. We're benefiting from even bigger savings on big-ticket items, of course. We recently bought a headboard for our king-size bed. At 6,400 pesos, it would have cost us $610 last year. But with the exchange rate, we paid just $457 for it.

As you might imagine, some expats who live here are taking advantage of the weakened peso to buy larger goods and appliances they've been putting off until now. They're getting a price break and stimulating the economy at the same time.

The recession has created a buyer's market for you. With fewer people shopping for second homes, sellers are willing to negotiate more on price and toss in enticing incentives.

And, of course, where the currency exchange really makes a difference is on property prices. Last year, we were considering buying a small home here in Merida to renovate and use for rental income. The Mexican owners wanted us to lock in the price at 520,000 pesos, which converted to about $50,000 then. This was at a time when the dollar was weakening against just about every currency in the world. Concerned that the dollar would continue to slide, we decided not to move forward with the transaction. If we had accepted their terms, though, and if the closing had taken place now, the house would have cost us $40,000. That's a pretty substantial saving.

I should clarify something here: Overall, real estate in Mexico has held its value. That's because Mexico is still basically a cash society. (Yes, you can get mortgage financing in Mexico and we can tell you how...but most people don't. They buy with cash.) Developers, for the most part, have been well capitalized and there hasn't been a "lending crisis" in Mexico.

Prior to the recession there was a real estate boom here, especially among foreign buyers of vacation homes. Property prices rose during that time, although they were never super inflated as they were in the U.S. Since most properties aren't leveraged, there is no reason for prices to fall as drastically as we've seen in the U.S. and elsewhere...although certain market have seen some big price "corrections."

But...while in most parts of Mexico prices aren't falling much, neither are they rising right now. Some owners (particularly those from the U.S.) who overextended themselves are now willing to sell at a discount. In resort communities like Puerto Vallarta and along the Riviera Maya, you'll find particularly good bargains. And because, thanks to the recession, there are fewer buyers, sellers are throwing in lots of extraordinary incentives...like covering association fees for up to five years, throwing in appliance and furniture packages, offering lucrative lease-back options, etc.

And if you buy a resale home or condo direct from the seller...that's where the real bargains are, especially if you buy from a Mexican owner and negotiate the price in pesos...

I'd also be remiss if I didn't explain that the global recession isn't the only reason there are less real estate buyers...especially foreigners...in Mexico today. You can thank the U.S. news media for keeping them away.

The U.S. news media has created a big opportunity for you...

The mainstream media has painted an unfair picture of Mexico. Media coverage of isolated violence and virus outbreaks in Mexico has kept some tourists and potential retirees at home. It's not a fair picture.

Yes, the drug war is real (in my opinion, the Mexican government is winning) and there are areas of Mexico that should be avoided...mostly at the border with the U.S. But the vast majority of Mexico is untouched by all this. (As for the recent flu outbreak, Mexico has received heaps of international praise about the immediate steps taken throughout the country to stop its spread.)

Truthfully, Suzan and I feel safer walking to and from our midtown home in Merida to parks, restaurants, and evening events than we did in Omaha. Rest assured, college students on Spring break, families with children, European backpackers, single women, elderly couples...they're all still safely visiting Mexico.

The window of opportunity won't be open forever. Mexican tourism officials are launching an international public relations campaign to boost Mexico's image as a tourist destination. Tourists become real estate buyers, especially once they learn all that you've just learned about Mexico.

If you're looking for a comfortable (even pampered) lifestyle for less than half what it would cost you up north... Mexico makes more sense than any other country

As I mentioned, International Living conducts an annual survey called the Global Retirement Index. In 2007, Mexico won for the first time. It won again in 2008. Here's why:

Mexico is the closest retirement haven to the U.S. This may not seem like a big deal, but believe me, the convenience of a short plane ride makes all the difference in the world when you want to get back home to family and friends or attend to business matters. Flights to and from Mexico are plentiful and inexpensive and most take less time than a coast-to-coast U.S. flight. From my home in Merida in southern Mexico, I can be in Miami or Houston in about two hours. If you want to, you can easily and safely drive here. (Suzan and I have made the drive several times and look forward to our next Mexico road trip.)

It is easier to get a resident visa in Mexico than in any other country. You might think Panama, Belize, and Costa Rica have easy resident requirement. Well, forget everything you might think you know about obtaining a visa anywhere else. The Mexican government has made it very easy for foreigners to live here. As I mentioned, we lived in Panama and Nicaragua (and Ecuador prior to coming to Mexico in 2002)...and the visa process, hands down, is easier in Mexico. The requirements are less restrictive than any country that I know of.

Mexico has a first-class retiree benefits program. You may know about Panama's excellent pensionado progam, but to be eligible for it, you have to get a visa. And in Panama, getting a visa can be tough. But see my point above: not only is it easy to get a visa in Mexico, but foreigners who are age 60 or older, with a valid Mexico resident visa are eligible for Mexico's Personas Adultas Mayores benefits program.

The program offers discounts on a wide range of services, including health-related ones (hospitals, doctors' visits, lab tests, medical devices, pharmacies, and dental work); cultural activities like theater tickets and entrance fees to museums and archaeological sites; transportation and accommodation, including airline tickets, buses, car rentals and purchase; and at hotels and many stores. Discounts can range from 5% to 50% off the full price of the good or service.

The cost of living in Mexico is low, low, low. With rapidly rising fuel, health care, food, taxes, and travel costs, it's nice to know there are still places where you can live well without burning through your savings. Mexico is one of those special places. Here, you can enjoy a lifestyle that's all but unaffordable for most Americans and Canadians. The cost of real estate is far, far lower than it is in the U.S. and Canada. Could you find a beachfront condo in the U.S. for less than $100,000? A home smack on the beach for less than $150,000? You can in Mexico. And you can live very well here on just $2,000 per month or less. Suzan and I do...

Sample monthly budget for a couple living well in Mexico:

Utilities (electricity, gas, water) $150

Household help (housekeeper and gardener once a week) $200

Groceries $400

Maintenance and fuel for one car $150

Entertainment (dining out and other activities) $250

Health care (two people at $240 per year for IMSS insurance, plus $70 per month for private-care incidentals) $110

Incidentals (clothes, household items, etc.) $300

Communication: phone, internet, cable TV $100

Monthly Total: $1,660

These expenses are all variable, of course. You may not use as much electricity or wanthousehold help, for example. If you don't own a home, you'll have rental expenses (add $300-$1,000/month for that). If you live in a city, you may not need a car so you can subtract those expenses (though you'll need to add bus or taxi fees) Homeowners will want to include an annual property tax—but that rarely comes to more than $200 per year).

Think of how much money you can save, simply by moving a few hours south!

You can get full-coverage health insurance in Mexico for less than $1 per day. Hospitals and health care providers in Mexico are of excellent quality. (I know...I live here.) Many doctors were trained in the U.S. or Europe and they speak English. Private health insurance, (through a major global provider) costs one-fourth to one half what you might be paying in the U.S. Doctors' visits and common medical procedures in Mexico, too, cost about one-fourth of what they do in the U.S., so many expats just pay out of pocket. But get this: if you have a resident visa, you can get health coverage through IMSS (Instituto Nacional de Seguridad Social). There's no age limit for signing up. This full-coverage health insurance runs from about $100 a year for children and adolescents, up to almost $300 for those over 60—and it includes prescription medications.

Taxes are ridiculously low—need I say more? Taxes are a fact of life, we all know that. And like all countries, Mexico levies a value-added tax on goods and services. But other taxes are practically non-existent. At the beginning of this year, for instance, we paid the annual property taxes on our 5,400-square-foot home in Merida. It was a laughably low $139! The annual tax bill on the beachfront lots we own on the Gulf Coast...$10. Unless you're working here, you probably won't pay income taxes. But if you are working...and you're self employed or working for a Mexican or other foreign corporation...you can legally exempt up to $91,400 in income on your U.S. taxes for 2009...for both you and your spouse! I'll tell you how to get more details on that in just a minute...but first...

Two more reasons to consider Mexico: full-time household help and the warm and welcoming Mexican people

As I said, Suzan and I live a better life here in Mexico than we've ever lived anywhere else. The quality of our lives has vastly improved since we left the U.S. (A big part of that is the better weather—it makes a big impact on your attitude!)

Another reason we're so happy here is because, for the first time in our lives, we can afford household help. We both like to cook, but we don't necessarily like cleaning up afterwards. And we don't care much for mopping floors or scrubbing toilets either. But for $20 per day (and in some places in Mexico you'll pay less) you can hire a full-time housekeeper. Same with a gardener and someone to clean your pool. Make no mistake, these are good wages for dignified work...if your experience is like ours, your housekeeper and gardener will be endearingly cheerful and helpful and become like members of your family.

That's the other extraordinary aspect to life in Mexico: the Mexican people themselves. Sociologists who have studied these things say that Mexicans are among the happiest people on earth. It shows in the generous ways they treat people and in the genteel ways they conduct their business and go about their lives.

Truly, Mexico today is like the U.S. was in the 1950s and 60s...but with today's modern amenities, of course. You'll find a strong sense of community and a family-focused life—which makes every day a genuine pleasure.

Plus, Mexico offers an astounding cultural vibrancy that we simply haven't found anywhere else. And while the pace is civilized and the environment welcoming and friendly, you can enjoy the comforts you've grown accustomed to—like Internet access, cable TV, well-stocked grocery stores, and first-run movies. That's all here, too.

In Mexico, you will have more free time to do the things you enjoy, but I daresay you'll enjoy your free time even more than ever before.

Your opportunity to triumph over the recession...

I'm certain you've experienced the backlash of the rotten global economy. Everyone has. Chances are, your dollars aren't going as far as they used to. Maybe your investment nest egg has lost some (or a lot) of its value. Maybe you've worked hard all your life and haven't been able to save much at all...and now you're more worried than ever about how to pay for your retirement...maybe you're worried that you'll never be able to retire.

According to a new report by the Washington, D.C.-based Center for Economic and Policy Research, most baby boomers haven't saved much and will be forced to work longer and/or move to a place where the cost of living is less. According to the experts, "Property taxes, health care and cost of living will force boomers to strongly consider moving to other countries, especially if they plan on living at the same level of comfort as they do now."

If you've been considering a move oversees...whether to retire or live more economically full-time or part-time...or if you're looking for a laidback, gentler place to live or own a vacation home...you should strongly consider Mexico. Do the research. Get the facts.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/
http://www.remax-baja.com/

A Real Estate IRA Enables Real Estate Purchases Without Distribution Penalties, Custodial Delays or Transaction Fees

2009-12-01T15:19:00.000-08:00

YES, you may invest in Mexico real estate with your US IRA. No penalties, easy!

Guidant’s real estate IRA gives you complete control over where, when and how your self-directed IRA is invested!

Real Estate IRAs provide the ability to purchase real estate inside your retirement plan without taking a taxable distribution or incurring penalties. In addition, Guidant’s checkbook real estate IRA plan – the Self-Directed IRA LLC – makes investing as simple and convenient as writing a check. This real estate IRA LLC can potentially save you thousands in the transaction and asset-based fees generally assessed by a custodian. Most retirement account money from IRAs, 401(k)s, and others can be diversified into potentially more secure and lucrative areas while aggressively build your retirement funds with the tax-deferred profits.

Investment options through a real estate IRA allow you to buy real estate and also invest in assets like: tax liens, personal loans, raw land, foreclosures, and more! Each of these can be purchased with the ease of writing a check and would not be subject to transaction, holding or asset-based fees.

The real estate IRA LLC enables you to:

Purchase both nontraditional (real estate, foreign properties, mortgage notes, etc.) and traditional (stocks, bonds, etc.) investments
Invest in foreclosed properties and tax liens on the spot, or make personal loans by simply writing a check
Buy and sell domestic, foreign, commercial, residential, and rental properties as real estate IRA investments
Acquire rental properties as an IRA investment and be your own property manager, saving money in upkeep expenses
Buy your retirement home now at today’s prices, rent it out, and then occupy it when you take your IRA distribution!
To learn how thousands have already made the Guidant real estate IRA the foundation of their financial success, click on the "Guidantfinancial.com" link below.

http://www.bajainvestment.com/

http://www.remax-baja.com/

Guidantfinancial.com

BRING YOUR MEDICARE TO MEXICO

2009-12-01T14:09:00.001-08:00

Suzan Haskins
Latin America Editor, International Living
Which foreign country will be the first in which Americans can use Medicare and Medicaid benefits?

Mexico, of course.

It just makes sense. Mexico is right next door to the largest market of health care consumers in the world. Some health services in Mexico can cost 12 times less than what is charged in the U.S., experts say.

It’s no wonder that Americans (and yes, Canadians, too) cross the Mexican border in frequently increasing numbers to avail of the high-quality but low-cost health care Mexico provides, including reduced cost prescriptions.

Already, the four largest commercial U.S. health insurers—with enrollments totaling nearly 100 million people—have either launched pilot programs exploring or offering overseas travel to countries like Mexico for health services. Some smaller health insurers and brokers also have introduced travel options for hundreds of employers around the country.

It also makes sense that Americans should be able to use insurance benefits from Medicare and Medicaid in Mexico. And that ability may become reality very soon, says Bruno Ferrari, the chief executive officer of Promexico, Mexico’s foreign investment agency.

And he believes that within one year, the governments of Mexico and the U.S. may have an agreement to let Americans use their Medicare and Medicaid insurance at Mexican health care facilities.

Already, 10 U.S. and Canadian companies have expressed an interest in building facilities to cater to Americans seeking to take advantage of low medical expenses, he says.

This is all good news for those of us who live in Mexico and for anyone thinking about relocating or retiring there.

Anticipating the approval of both U.S. private insurance and Medicare/Medicaid programs in Mexico, real estate developers are getting in on the act, too. Many of them are creating special communities that cater to the health needs of foreign retirees, including assisted living centers.

Since Mexico has been hard hit by the global economic meltdown, and the peso has recently lost 30% of its value against the dollar, there are deals to be had on real estate in Mexico right now. (And on travel and just about everything else).

Health care, health insurance, and real estate opportunities in Mexico will be just some of the subjects of discussion at our upcoming Live & Invest in Mexico Seminar in Puerto Vallarta November 12-14.

There are many reasons why today’s Mexico makes sense for the retiree or investor. There truly will never be a better time in your lifetime to start a new life in Mexico.

www.bajainvestment.com

Weekly Fishing Column: Punta Colonet well worth trip to Baja

2009-12-01T13:34:00.000-08:00

The Daily Breeze
By Phil Friedman, Correspondent

Punta Colonet is located 120 miles south of the Mexican border in Tijuana.

The drive there takes you through some of the most picturesque geography of northern Baja California. You will pass through Tijuana, Rosarito Beach, Ensenada, the Baja Wine Country and more.

Highway Mexico 1 will take you through breath-taking views of the Coronado Islands, sheer cliffs, fish taco stands and wonderfully warm Baja California people. Hugo Torres, Mayor of Rosarito Beach, has done everything in his power to make Rosarito safe. The fact is, despite the fact no tourists have been killed in Northern Baja, the 24-hour news cycle as well as other influences have made the drive to Baja less desirable.

I have driven to Cabo San Lucas five times in the last two years without incident and have hooked my two sons on the Baja experience. There is so much to love about a road trip to Baja but for my sons, it always comes down to the warm and friendly people of Baja.

There is another way to get to Punta Colonet. You can jump on a sportboat out of San Diego for the next several months and enjoy spectacular fishing.

Yes, you will miss the people and the drive but you will experience the rich and bountiful seas of Punta Colonet.

Mike Acker of Long Beach made the trip on the New Lo-An last weekend.

"This was as good as fishing as I have ever seen," Acker said.

"Huge lingcod, big red snapper, halibut and more," he continued. "If you are into action and great eating fish then this is it."

Acker said from the time they arrived, it was constant action on a variety of fish. In fact, while Acker is not a big fan of bottom fishing, he soon became a convert.

"You only fish in about 200 feet of water so you feel the fight," he said. "Besides, these are some of the best, if not the best eating fish of the sea."

Nothing makes a better fish taco than a colonet red snapper. Deep fried and battered, the filet is put in a corn tortilla and then garnished with salsa, cilantro, onions, guacamole, sour cream and more. You talk about culinary ecstasy, this is it. Put some rice and beans on the side and you have a meal that your guests will remember for a long time to come.

Proper tackle on a colonet trip only requires a couple of outfits. A 25- and 40- pound outfit will be perfect. Eight- to 16-ounce sinkers are perfect along with 3-O hooks. Lingcod are another aggressive and delicious fish that are bountiful off Punta Colonet. Tagging studies show that lingcod are largely non-migratory and colonize in localized areas.

Lingcod live on the bottom, but may feed throughout the water column. And unlike many other bottom fish species like rockfish, lingcod do not have an air bladder, which enables them to freely swim up and down the water column without injury. Sport or commercial anglers can haul lingcod from depths of 500 feet or more to the surface and release them unharmed. Hard-fighting, great eating and yet another reason to head south of the border.

This Friday night, the Pacific Queen is departing from Fisherman's Landing in San Diego on a weekend trip to the rich waters of Colonet. The tips is priced at $250 with food and permits extra.

www.bajainvestment.com

Rosarito Talks Back

2009-10-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

Rosarito Talks Back

Rosarito-Ensenada Bike Ride To Top 20 Million Mile Mark This Sept. 26

2009-09-11T14:35:00.000-07:00

Rosarito-Ensenada Bike Ride To Top 20 Million Mile Mark This Sept. 26

By Ron Raposa

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---Now in its 30th year the Rosarito-Ensenada 50-Mile Fun Bicycle Ride will surpass 20 million total miles covered with its Sept. 26 event.

About 5,000 riders are expected for the festive scenic ride, much of it along a coastal route from Rosarito to Ensenada, said ride organizer Gary Foster.

During the past 30 years since 1979, the iconic twice-yearly event has been held 52 times and almost 400,000 riders have participated, Foster said.

“This great anniversary edition of the ride will be as festive as years past, both for our many riders and the thousands of people who come to view the event and cheer on the participants,” Foster said.

Added Rosarito Beach Mayor Hugo Torres, whose city hosts the event: “The ride is one of the signature events for Rosarito and this region of Baja. It attracts excellent people and creates a great atmosphere. We’re greatly looking forward to it.”

Participants can register online for $45 through www.BetterSignUp.com, or they can register on the day of the event for $50 at the Rosarito Beach Hotel. More information is available at www.RosaritoEnsenada.com as well as www.rosarito.org

The Rosarito-Ensenada ride has been called the Original Party on Wheels. Revelers in costume roll along, tossing candy to children along the course. Beach cruisers strap boom boxes to their handlebars. Parents tow children.

Racing teams form pace lines, trying to beat the official record of 1:52:54 set in April of 2007. Other participants just ride for the enjoyment and atmosphere.

Transportation packages from the United States are available, Foster said. Tour companies transport riders’ bicycles at no extra charge, and because the buses return to the United State through the rapid SENTRI lane, cyclists avoid a wait at the border.

Many hotels offer special rates and are participating in the Border Fast Pass program which can cut border waits by half, especially on the weekends, Foster said.

The Finish Line Fiesta is free for participants and spectators, overlooking the Ensenada harbor with panoramic views of the cruise ships at sunset. Live rock-n-roll, jazz and salsa plays into the night while local chefs serve their best.

Massage therapists are available to work out every knot, and there will be a lot
of celebrating with ice cold beer and award-winning wines from Baja’s wine country, Foster said.

Shuttles are available on the event course from the finish line to the start line before and after the event. So if participants stay in Rosarito Beach, they can take the shuttle back to Rosarito after the event.

“The corridor from Rosarito Beach to Ensenada is safe for tourists, and Baja remains a beautiful and affordable destination for travel with friends and family," Foster added.

Foster said that this recent e-mail from a frequent ride participant summed up the spirit of the event: “Thanks for another great experience! I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve done this ride since the early 1990’s. All I know is they keep getting better!”

www.bajainvestment.com

Adam Behar: The changing face of Baja Norte

2009-07-24T10:31:00.001-07:00

Adam Behar: The changing face of Baja Norte

Posted using ShareThis

Weekly Fishing Column: Mexico is safer than you think

2009-07-03T14:14:00.000-07:00

By Phil Friedman, Correspondent

Mexico has been reduced to a single, small, geographical piece of this earth. If there is a murder in Michoacan, then the presumption of the 24-hour news cycle has been that it is too dangerous to travel to Rosarito Beach even though it is thousands of miles away.

According to Arturo Martinez from the Mexican Tourism office, no tourists have been killed in the drug war violence throughout Mexico.

Still, on a recent CNN news report, U.S. citizens were warned not to travel to Mexico. Well what part of Mexico was CNN referring to? Mexico is a huge country and to say travel to Mexico is dangerous is not only inadequate information but very misleading.

Please do not misunderstand me. If you want to find trouble in Tijuana, Mexico City, Los Angeles, Chicago, Paris, I have no doubt that with the proper directions, you will find trouble and the dregs of society you seek.

If however, you use common sense, stay out of bad neighborhoods, do not travel at night etc., your journey to Mexico should be not only safe, but a memorable trip with lifetime memories.

Mexico is not standing still amid the criticism, unjust or not. If you have any trouble at all once you cross the border into Baja California Norte, all you have to do is dial 078 and press send on your cell phone. You will be connected with English speaking Mexican travel officials eager to help you, drive out to your location or assist you in anyway. I have personally tried this system on many occasions and never failed to get connected to the Mexican travel bureau.
If you have an emergency in Mexico, you can also dial 911 on your cell phone and you will immediately be connected with and English speaker ready to assist you.

For private boaters, Mexico has announced as search and rescue fleet. The commanders of these Ensenada-based vessels have been trained by the U.S. Coast Guard and speak excellent English. The sole purpose of the team is to help boaters in distress. Their vessels are capable of more than 50 knots and can quickly respond to rescue a distressed boater.

A recent visit by officials from Sportfishing Association of California resulted in the comment that they had great equipment, were well-trained and had friendly personnel. This will greatly increase the desire of yachts, sailboats, and fishermen to go south of the border again. The unit has a 24-hour Radio Watch on Marine Channel 16 and can also be reached by telephone from the United States by calling 01152 646-1-72-40-00.

www.bajainvestment.com

Be neighborly, go to Mexico

2009-06-10T12:53:00.000-07:00

There are several good reasons Americans should help out the Mexican economy with a trip south of the border.
By Andrés Martinez
June 9, 2009

Your neighbor needs your help. Do you have it within you to lend a hand? Will you book yourself a week on the beach in Cabo or Puerto Vallarta, or explore Mexico City or one of the colonial cities in the heart of Mexico? You know, for the common good.

This has been a banner decade for empathy tourism -- many Americans flocking to New York after 9/11 and to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina did so with a sense of public service. Mexico now needs a similar surge.

Our neighbor to the south is having an annus horribilis, as a British monarch might say. These were never going to be good times down there, with Mexico's economy so intertwined with ours, but growing concern about war-on-drugs violence, the decline in oil prices and the advent of swine flu has further dented "brand Mexico." Adding insult to injury, Washington earlier barred Mexican trucks from coming into the United States, a flagrant violation of the North American Free Trade Agreement, and, as of last week, Americans crossing over to Mexico were required to have a passport to reenter the country, a change expected to deepen the slump in border towns frequented by Americans.

The tourism sector is the largest employer in Mexico and the third-largest source of foreign currency for the trillion-dollar economy, after oil exports and remittances sent home by Mexicans working in the U.S. It is estimated that the swine flu alone will cost the country about $5 billion in tourist revenue (and bear in mind that travel to Mexico was already down significantly as a result of the U.S. recession). Hotel occupancy rates in Cancun in May didn't even reach the 30% mark. The all-clear has been sounded on the virus, but no one knows for sure how long-lasting the impact on tourism will be. Mexico's gross domestic product, meanwhile, is expected to contract about 12% in the second quarter of this year.

Why should Americans care? Well, for starters, there is the national security imperative. Say what you will about Mexico, and there is plenty negative to be said, our southern neighbor has been a fairly reliable, stable and friendly partner for more than half a century, and it is in our interest to keep it that way. Our nation's political discourse may not always reflect our good geographic fortune, which we take for granted, but the United States is blessed to have Canada and Mexico as neighbors. Is there another developing nation of more than 100 million people we'd rather have on our southern flank? Put differently, how many other global powers in history have had the luxury of a long land border that doesn't need to be protected by a large standing army?

Suddenly this year, the Pentagon and many pundits on the right have been raising the specter of a potential "failed state" on our border, the result of the lawlessness bred by powerful drug cartels. The rhetoric is a bit overheated, the comparisons to Pakistan misplaced, but the concern about what is happening in Mexico, our third-largest trading partner, is laudable. We have a strong national interest in seeing Mexico remain a peaceful, ever-prospering democracy.

The importance of Mexico to the United States is a truth not often voiced, but occasionally acknowledged by deed. Mexico traditionally ranks somewhere between Jordan and Argentina on the foreign policy establishment's list of priorities. The amount of resources devoted to cross-border development or mutual security is pitiful (even in the aftermath of the anti-drug initiative known as the Merida plan), compared with development or military aid distributed elsewhere, not to mention compared with regional development transfers within the European single market.

But a far more robust commitment to Mexico does assert itself when required, as we saw during the 1990s, when the Clinton White House, bypassing Congress, made about $20 billion in Treasury reserve funds available to Mexico during that country's last financial crisis. And this year too, Mexico is proving itself to be, not unlike AIG or Citigroup, too large to fail from Washington's perspective, as the Federal Reserve has made available to Mexico a $30-billion currency swap facility, which gives that nation's central bank privileged access to credit from the Fed in order to stabilize the value of the peso.

It would improve the overall health of the relationship, and our ability to think strategically about Mexico's (and hence regional) development if presidents were more transparent about the country's true stake in Mexico (sorry, Jordan), rather than make such commitments on the sly.

The fact that the United States bears some responsibility for Mexico's current woes is another reason to invest in our neighbor's stability and prosperity.

Unlike previous financial crises that have roiled Mexico, this one can't be pinned on its macroeconomic sins. If in the mid-1990s it was fashionable to talk about the "tequila effect" to describe the global financial contagion spreading from emerging markets, this crisis is more like a "Budweiser effect," in that it was Uncle Sam's reckless insistence on living beyond his means that caused the mess. Washington, irresponsibly over-leveraged to support an unsustainable standard of living, failed to practice what it preached over the last decade, to abide by the so-called, um, Washington consensus on economic policy.

Mexico, for its part, has enacted prudent fiscal policies, shored up its foreign reserves and remained a faithful adherent to the free-trade gospel, continuing to open its economy to foreign goods and investment. The nation has also become a great deal more democratic in the last decade. Still, despite doing all the "right" things according to the Washington consensus, Mexico's economy (and currency) has been harder hit by the Wall Street-triggered crisis than the United States'. No one said life was fair.

Americans also share some of the responsibility for the mayhem unleashed by the showdown between the Mexican state and its rapacious drug cartels, as both Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and President Obama were right to point out in recent months. Drug users in this country are underwriting the war in Mexico -- and that war is being waged largely with guns brought in from this country.

The United States is not about to criminalize guns and legalize drugs to help out Mexico. But you can do your part to help out a good neighbor -- book a trip south. Pronto.

Andrés Martinez is a senior fellow at the New America Foundation.

www.bajainvestmentcom

Baja Is Safe For Visitors, Says Ranking U.S. Diplomat

2009-06-10T12:49:00.000-07:00

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---Baja is safe for visitors and he hopes its vital tourism sector quickly rebounds, a leading U.S. diplomat told El Mexicano newspaper in a front-page story published Monday.

Ronald Kramer, head of the U.S Consulate in Tijuana, said that some coverage of Mexico’s war against drug cartels had falsely created the impression in the U.S. that the area is unsafe for visitors.

While the bi-national effort against drug cartels is a serious one, visitors are not targeted, Kramer said. He also praised the Mexican army and authorities for their successes in the effort.

Kramer expects efforts by Mexican leaders, including Rosarito Beach Hugo Torres, to be successful in rebuilding Mexico’s image, but said the country’s economy and many of its people currently are suffering because of the significant loss of tourism dollars.

Kramer also said concerns in past weeks about the H1N1 virus (also known as the swine flu) had hurt the area’s economy.

He cited as an example some cruise lines canceling voyages to Ensenada and diverting them to San Diego, which actually had more confirmed cases of the flu.

MEDIA CONTACT:Ron Raposa

www.bajainvestment.com

Imagineering a solution for the Middle East

2009-06-08T12:24:00.000-07:00

David Lansing
davidlansing.com
Friday, June 5, 2009

You know how it is when you’ve got a couple of hours to kill at the airport. You read Vanity Fair, get your shoes shined, wander around the Duty Free shop pricing the Kahlua. And if you still have time on your hands, like I do, you use the back of your receipt from California Pizza Kitchen to noodle out thoughts on how to solve the problems in the Middle East.

So here’s what I’ve come up with: First, Emanuel Rahm quietly goes out and hires Disney’s Imagineers, the folks that brought us a faux-Matterhorn and “It’s a Small World,” to build clever recreations of sections of Jerusalem, including the Wailing Wall and the Damascus Gate, which are then buried under a sandy stretch of desert in northern Baja. Shortly thereafter Hillary announces the construction of a new FasTrak toll road between San Diego and San Felipe, sans border checkpoint, at a joint press conference with Mexican president Felipe Calderon who then proclaims that the Sea of Cortez, named after the despised Spanish conqueror, will henceforth be referred to by its original pre-conquest name, Mar Muerto. The new toll road will be called Carretera de la Muerte (also known as the Sea-to-Sea Highway in the States).

Now, while the toll road is being built, anthropologists are brought in to insure that no important archaeological sites are destroyed during construction and lo and behold, in several sea lion caves along the coast, they not only come across a number of used rubbers and old Corona bottles but some ancient scrolls written in Hebrew, Aramaic, and Spanglish on the sort of wax paper used to wrap fish tacos back in the day.

While the Mar Muerto Scrolls (as Access Hollywood’s Billy Bush soon dubs them) are being deciphered, an earth mover pushing over cardon cacti uncovers what appears to be the ruins of a buried city near the town of Rosarito Beach that includes a long stone wall made of concrete and plaster of Paris that, in sections, appears to be at least 60 feet high and, oddly enough, has chinks in it where little pieces of paper have been inserted. The notes say things like “Pray for a shot of storm surf” and “Doc Ball owns the green room!”

The timing of the discovery is fortuitous as the archaeologists, as well as the judges from American Idol, who happen to be vacationing at the nearby Festival Plaza Hotel (except Paula Abdul, who wasn’t invited), pronounce that these are ancient text, some at least 30 years old (or longer than anyone can remember), and they clearly indicate that Baja is the Promised Land. As for those other scrolls found in and around Qumran 60 years ago? Scholars had been reading them upside down. Bummer.

Barack Obama quickly convenes a summit meeting at Camp David with President Calderon and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu after which it is announced that the United States and Israel have jointly agreed to purchase the entire 1,100-mile-long Baja peninsula for an undisclosed amount of cash plus a fleet of new (but unsold) ‘08 Hummers stuffed with credit default swaps bundled by Lehman Brothers and a 50 percent stake in the recently restructured GM. “In addition,” says an obviously pleased Obama, “we are throwing in the state of Texas as a measure of goodwill.”

The entire population of Israel will be relocated to Baja just as soon as Pequeña Jerusalén (as Rosarito Beach is quickly renamed) is unearthed, announces Netanyahu during a joint press conference in which all three leaders wear identical white guyabara wedding shirts and black skull caps. No current Mexican residents in Baja will be forced to move. In fact, says the Prime Minister, “Since Baja is three times the size of Israel but has only a third of the population, we hope our Mexican amigos stay. Afterall, we have lots of hotels and golf courses to build. And, personally, I love nachos.”

Israel will be given to the Palestinians. Nuevo Israel (formerly Baja) announces it will pay for its portion of the transaction (the cash) by eliminating its military which is now unnecessary as Netanyahu, or El Jefe as he asks to be called, points out since the country will be surrounded on three sides by water and share a common border with its BFF, the United States. Plans are also announced to expand the border-free toll road from Los Angeles to Jaifa (formerly Cabo).

Treaties are signed, photos taken, twitters sent.

www.bajainvestment.com

No place like Baja for Boulevard's Roeseler

2009-06-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

By Bill Center, Union-Tribune Staff Writer
2:00 a.m. June 4, 2009

Larry Roeseler has raced in Baja California for 37 years.
He holds the record for overall wins in both the Baja 1000 and Baja 500. He has triumphed on two wheels as well as four.
Few racers know the Baja better than the 52-year-old Roeseler.
And he can't think of off-road racing without Baja California.
“It would be a sad day if there were no Baja 500 or Baja 1000,” Roeseler said this week while preparing for Saturday's 41st running of the SCORE Tecate 500.
“There is no experience quite like Baja races. It can been 110 degrees in the desert and five hours later you're racing in a fog bank along the Pacific Ocean. You've got pine forests and rocks, ruts and silt.
“There are great races and courses in Nevada, but nothing throws as much at you as Baja California.”
Roeseler will be looking for his 25th overall win in the Baja 500/1000 tandem Saturday while teaming with Roger Norman in a TrophyTruck. Truck owner Norman, who is the stepson of Unlimited Hydroplane legend Bill Muncey, and Roeseler won the overall four-wheel title in the Baja 1000 last November.
Nineteen of Roeseler's overall wins came on motorcycles with five coming in buggies and TrophyTrucks.
“Naturally, I have a love for the place,” Roeseler said of Baja California. “I have always enjoyed going to Baja California. I don't feel threatened at all coming down here.
“Yes, there are places you don't want to go. But there are places you don't want to go wherever you are. There are a lot of good people in Mexico. I think that fact gets lost in a lot of the news we've seen recently.”
Roeseler, who lives in Boulevard and runs Norman's race shop in El Cajon, acknowledged that Baja California has undergone considerable change since he first raced there in 1972 on a Harley Davidson motorcycle powered by a two-stroke Italian engine.
“It is still changing,” he said. “When I started racing, Baja California was wide open. You could go for almost a hundred miles and not see a soul. There are now many more people along our course.
“But there is still a lot of nowhere out there. And it's always a good time, whether it be the racing or the pre-running before the race.”
Like Malcolm Vinje once said of racing in Baja California: “Don't let the race get in the way of pre-running.”
The Norman-Roeseler team is off to a slow start this season, but Roeseler believes the Baja 500 will bring “redemption.”
“I think we're getting back to where we were before the Baja 1000,” said Roeseler, who also holds the record with 16 class wins in the Baja 500.
The Baja 500 will start and finish in Ensenada with the 432.51-mile loop course nearly duplicating last year's track.
“We might be following the same path, but it's never the same terrain conditions from one day to the next, much less one year to the next,” said Roeseler.
SCORE officials are expecting more than 275 starters in the four-wheel, motorcycle and ATV divisions. The first motorcycles start at 6 a.m. with the fastest four-wheel vehicles starting two hours later.
www.bajainvestment.com

One Journalist’s View

2009-05-07T13:52:00.000-07:00

By Linda Ellerbee

Sometimes I’ve been called a maverick because I don’t always agree
with my colleagues, but then, only dead fish swim with the stream all
the time. The stream here is Mexico .

You would have to be living on another planet to avoid hearing how
dangerous Mexico has become, and, yes, it’s true drug wars have
escalated violence in Mexico , causing collateral damage, a phrase I
hate. Collateral damage is a cheap way of saying that innocent people,
some of them tourists, have been robbed, hurt or killed.

But that’s not the whole story. Neither is this. This is my story.

I’m a journalist who lives in New York City , but has spent
considerable time in Mexico , specifically Puerto Vallarta , for the
last four years. I’m in Vallarta now. And despite what I’m getting
from the U.S. media, the 24-hour news networks in particular, I feel
as safe here as I do at home in New York , possibly safer. I walk the
streets of my Vallarta neighborhood alone day or night. And I don’t
live in a gated community, or any other All-Gringo neighborhood. I
live in Mexico . Among Mexicans. I go where I want (which does not
happen to include bars where prostitution and drugs are the basic
products), and take no more precautions than I would at home in New
York; which is to say I don’t wave money around, I don’t act the Ugly
American, I do keep my eyes open, I’m aware of my surroundings, and I
try not to behave like a fool.

I’ve not always been successful at that last one. One evening a friend
left the house I was renting in Vallarta at that time, and,
unbeknownst to me, did not slam the automatically-locking door on her
way out. Sure enough, less than an hour later a stranger did come into
my house. A burglar? Robber? Kidnapper? Killer? Drug lord?

No, it was a local police officer, the “beat cop” for our
neighborhood, who, on seeing my unlatched door, entered to make sure
everything (including me) was okay. He insisted on walking with me
around the house, opening closets, looking behind doors and, yes, even
under beds, to be certain no one else had wandered in, and that
nothing was missing. He was polite, smart and kind, but before he
left, he lectured me on having not checked to see that my friend had
locked the door behind her. In other words, he told me to use my
common sense.

Do bad things happen here? Of course they do. Bad things happen
everywhere, but the murder rate here is much lower than, say, New
Orleans, and if there are bars on many of the ground floor windows of
houses here, well, the same is true where I live, in Greenwich
Village, which is considered a swell neighborhood — house prices start
at about $4 million (including the bars on the ground floor windows).

There are good reasons thousands of people from the United States are
moving to Mexico every month, and it’s not just the lower cost of
living, a hefty tax break and less snow to shovel. Mexico is a
beautiful country, a special place. The climate varies, but is
plentifully mild, the culture is ancient and revered, the young are
loved unconditionally, the old are respected, and I have yet to hear
anyone mention Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, or Madonna’s attempt to
adopt a second African child, even though, with such a late start, she
cannot possibly begin to keep up with Anglelina Jolie.

And then there are the people. Generalization is risky, but— in
general — Mexicans are warm, friendly, generous and welcoming. If you
smile at them, they smile back. If you greet a passing stranger on the
street, they greet you back. If you try to speak even a little
Spanish, they tend to treat you as though you were fluent. Or at least
not an idiot. I have had taxi drivers track me down after leaving my
wallet or cell phone in their cab. I have had someone run out of a
store to catch me because I have overpaid by twenty cents. I have been
introduced to and come to love a people who celebrate a day dedicated
to the dead as a recognition of the cycles of birth and death and
birth — and the 15th birthday of a girl, an important rite in becoming
a woman — with the same joy.

Too much of the noise you’re hearing about how dangerous it is to come
to Mexico is just that — noise. But the media love noise, and too many
journalists currently making it don’t live here. Some have never even
been here. They just like to be photographed at night, standing near a
spotlighted border crossing, pointing across the line to some
imaginary country from hell. It looks good on TV.

Another thing. The U.S. media tend to lump all of Mexico into one big
bad bowl. Talking about drug violence in Mexico without naming a state
or city where this is taking place is rather like looking at the
horror of Katrina and saying, “Damn. Did you know the U.S. is under
water?” or reporting on the shootings at Columbine or the bombing of
the Federal building in Oklahoma City by saying that kids all over the
U.S. are shooting their classmates and all the grownups are blowing up
buildings. The recent rise in violence in Mexico has mostly occurred
in a few states, and especially along the border. It is real, but it
does not describe an entire country.

It would be nice if we could put what’s going on in Mexico in
perspective, geographically and emotionally. It would be nice if we
could remember that, as has been noted more than once, these drug wars
wouldn’t be going on if people in the United States didn’t want the
drugs, or if other people in the United States weren’t selling Mexican
drug lords the guns. Most of all, it would be nice if more people in
the United States actually came to this part of America ( Mexico is
also America , you will recall) to see for themselves what a fine
place Mexico really is, and how good a vacation (or a life) here can
be.

So come on down and get to know your southern neighbors. I think
you’ll like it here. Especially the people.

www.bajainvestment.com

Is Mexico safer than New Orleans?

2009-03-27T12:30:00.000-07:00

Posted by Jason Clampet at 3/26/2009

I've been a big fan of Baja California ever since I lived in Los Angeles and began taking frequent trips to the peninsula. I'm not sure, though, how accurate my impressions of the place are now, considering that I spent all of my time there before the uptick in violence that began in 2008. From the recent press reports and the warnings coming from the State Department as well as TV talk-show hosts, you'd think all of Mexico was a death trap waiting to snap shut on you as soon as you cleared customs in Tijuana, Mexico City, Cancun, or Cabo San Lucas.

I got sick of sifting through all the "don't go to Mexico" stories out there, so I emailed Hugo Torres, the mayor of Rosarito, for some perspective. Rosarito, a 20-minute drive from downtown Tijuana, became a hot spot in the early 2000s for southern Californians seeking affordable second homes. It's also a popular weekend spot for college kids and soldiers from the San Diego area.

Torres has a few biases, to say the least: in addition to being mayor, his family has long owned Rosarito's most notable hotel (Sinatra, Orson Welles, and Rita Hayworth were a few of its guests from Hollywood's Golden Age). But he's not an idiot, which is why he's not going to say "come on down, it's safe" if he thinks that'll lead to San Diego surfer getting kidnapped.

"The best way [to know what's going on] is to talk to our frequent visitors or some of the 14,000 expatriates who live here," Mayor Torres emailed me. "They know from first-hand experience that Rosarito is safe and welcoming, perhaps more so than ever."

"The inaccurate perception of insecurity here has greatly reduced tourism. That perception, along with the U.S. economic slump, also has deeply impacted residential building. Together, it has been a tough economic hit. About 5 restaurants closed in this period, so far, one hotel closed for previous problem aggravated by the current crisis. Approximately 1,500 jobs have been lost."

A number of residential developments have been suspended or shut down completely, including a Trump condo tower that would have likely been a debacle with or without the violence and economic slump. Yesterday, Rosarito delayed until August a pro surfing contest that was to be held in April, citing a lack of sponsors and the need to wait until the media frenzy died down.

Torres trusts that will happen soon enough. "In general, the media that know us best and cover us most closely have presented the most accurate portrait. This includes, foremost, the San Diego Union-Triubune and also the Los Angeles Times. Pete Thomas, who writes the "Outposts" blog for the Times, has been excellent. Many of the sensationalized stories are done by reporters who seldom --- and sometimes never --- visit the area."

Like other Mexico boosters, Torres pushes the cartel-on-cartel violence story line. "The violence we have had has been primarily between rival factions of a drug cartels as more pressure is brought upon them; our visitors are not targeted nor is the typical resident affected. However, the inaccurate perception of insecurity here has greatly reduced tourism."

A vast majority -- over 90% by just about any count -- of those that have been killed in Tijuana and other cities are related to the drug trade in one way or another. It's also true that the violence is so concentrated in certain cities that there is rarely spillover into nearby towns, let alone other states. Baja California Sur, which takes up the southern half of the peninsula and includes La Paz and the Los Cabos area, had one drug-related murder this year, making the area safer than just about any city in the United States. Torres and others have pointed out that New Orleans, which almost everyone in the travel industry encourages people to visit, ranked third in 2008 for the most murders per capita in the world -- just between Cape Town, South Africa and Moscow, Russia.

That doesn't mean people shouldn't be careful when traveleing there. "We'd give pretty much the same advice that works for travelers anywhere," Torres says. "Stay in the popular tourist and business areas and avoid ones where things like drug dealing and prostitution occur. That won't be hard to do."

Photo credit:
Guadalupe Valley vineyards
Photo by jasoncedit

Gustavo Torres
www.bajainvestment.com

WAR ON THE DRUG CARTELS

2009-03-26T11:47:00.000-07:00

As we've seen in the many many new US news reports on the drugs and violence, there is a war going on. We've seen too that, like Mrs. Clinton mentioned repeatedly, as long as the US continues the drug demand, all countries in the world will keep supplying it.
The difference here is that Mexico declared a WAR ON THE DRUG CARTELS…
I wish I could say the same for the US and other countries. I have never seen where the US police forces capture a drug boss in US soil.
WHY are we leaving the war only to Mexico? And yes, we have a drug war going on in Mexico, trying to stop narcotics from crossing the border.
Drugs mostly come from Colombia, Venezuela, Panama and other places, stop in Mexico, and then find their way into the US market. And the news people love to exaggerate the situation and show Mexico and places like Baja, very unstable, and like some even say in these blogs…”on the brink of civil war”.
This is amazingly ridiculous. Mexico is a stable country, and in most Mexican cities, you wont event know there is a drug war going on. In Baja, for example, we have over 20 million American tourists visiting every year, and no big incident involving an American has occurred in the last 18 months.
Out of 20 million VISITORS! How many incidents involving Americans have occurred in cities in the US in the same period?
Please be real! I ask US media: please be fair, and show the other side of Mexico! In some Baja cities, like Rosarito Beach for example, over 10% of the population is American, living happily, and now upset at US media, as they are scaring their friends and family from visiting them! They mostly believe that there is an agenda to attack and discredit Mexico. In another example, an agent for the US State Departement in California, saw some news reports, and based on that, he issued the travel alert for spring breakers NOT to travel to Baja or other parts of Mexico.
Yes, out of exagerated news reports… no facts, no knowledge!

Millions of spring breakers had been coming to Baja for over many years, and NO incident what so ever has happend to any of these visitors… Now with these media reports, the Tourisim sector in Baja is in crisis. I know bad and scary news sells more, but look at the damage to our country when newspeople don’t cover the true facts.
Mexico’s number one export is oil, but our number two income source is tourism.

Gustavo from Baja
www.bajainvestment.com

College Project Focuses On Media Accuracy in The Coverage of Rosarito Beach, Mexico

2009-03-04T13:01:00.000-08:00

By Ron Raposa

A public affairs class from Boston’s prestigious Emerson College for the second year will focus on conveying an accurate picture of this tourist city and dispelling misleading U.S. media reports.

The RediscoveRosarito project is that of a graduate class in public affairs led by Emerson College professor Gregory Payne, whose family also has a home in the tourist and vacation city 30 miles south of San Diego.

Payne originated the idea for the project in international public affairs after seeing some U.S. media reports that presented a picture of Rosarito far removed from the city that he had known for years and to which he is a frequent visitor.
“One of our major objectives it to ensure that the stories and narratives are backed with facts and not sensationalized solely to get the attention of the public,” Payne said.

“Last year and this year, we see the mediated reality at odds with the facts. Rosarito is a safe and secure city for tourists to visit and expatriates to move to and enjoy the Baja Mexican lifestyle.”
He cited a recent segment on ABC World News Tonight as an example of misleading coverage.

“Mexico under the leadership of President Felipe Calderon is conducting a serious battle against drug cartels. But despite what some media reports have indicated, regular residents and visitors to Baja California are not the targets.”
Rosarito Mayor Hugo Torres said he was very appreciative of the work of Payne and his class, 10 of whose members visited Rosarito when the project was launched. He said that inaccurate perceptions had badly damaged the city’s tourism-based economy.

“It’s gratifying to have such a prestigious U.S. college as Emerson advocating for us and helping our story be told in a fair and balanced way,” Torres said. “With our new tourist police force and other steps, Rosarito with its population of 14,000 expatiates is safer and more welcoming than ever.”

Emerson students this year will continue the bi-lingual RediscoveRosarito website, the second Rosarito Student Film Festival, and a media ethics project - rosaritofactcheck - dedicated to making sure the media’s message is fair and accurate.
The results of this media audit will be presented at the National Communication Association`s Annual Convention in Chicago this November and at the International Academy of Business Disciplines Annual Convention in Los Angeles, Spring, 2010.

Results of the audit will also be submitted to Media Ethics, a scholarly publication on the role of ethics and the media, as well as to local news affiliates in California and Mexico, Payne said.
Emerson students also are working on a collaborative project with students from Southern California colleges dedicated to promoting Rosarito as a great place for spring break and weekend trips.
A public relations campaign will be developed to promote this effort by the class at Emerson, founded in 1880 as the only school devoted exclusively to communication,

RE/MAX Baja Realty
www.remax-baja.com

Going for the green

2009-02-10T13:16:00.000-08:00

Going for the green
Tiger Woods backs residential golf resort planned for Baja, but potential effect on the environment brings out critics
By Jose Luis Jiménez
STAFF WRITER
2:00 a.m. February 8, 2009

Rock outcroppings frame the view toward Islas de Todos Santos in the Pacific Ocean; sea lions play in the clear blue water; caves shelter the shells left by indigenous people who roamed the area hundreds of years ago.
Even as worldwide economic troubles continue to mount, the property near Ensenada is expected to join the development trend this summer as work begins to transform it into a golf course designed by Tiger Woods. Punta Brava, the developers say, will be breathtaking.
But unless you have at least $3 million to buy an estate home site or a villa, don't bother calling for a tee time when the ultra-private course opens, scheduled for 2011. Only homeowners and their guests will be allowed to play it.
Some real estate experts question the wisdom of developing a high-priced golf club in the midst of a slumping global economy. It is also in an area known more for spring breakers and retired U.S. expats than as an exclusive tourist destination. In addition, a high level of violent crime in Mexico, mainly fueled by drug gangs, has made headlines in the United States and across the world.
Local environmentalists also are concerned about the potential damage that could be done to the coastal environment by the introduction of non-native grass and the chemicals needed to keep it green.
Texas-based developer Brady Oman pledges nothing will reach the ocean, except for a few errant golf shots. In a recent interview, Oman said the company is committed to keeping the $100 million project as environmentally friendly as possible.
He also said the development is fully financed, thanks to the deep pockets of Red McCombs, who co-founded media giant Clear Channel Communications.
And he expects well-to-do golf lovers will be lining up to purchase property so they can play on only the third course designed by Woods. Developers say that with water on three sides and a 1,200-foot peak at the entry to the project, the location is secure.
“We are really confident because of the site, the team of developers and the proximity to Southern California,” Oman said. “The site is a once-in-a-lifetime site.”
Oman, who has developed golf-and-housing projects in Texas, started scouting the peninsula several years ago. Another member of the development team found the site in 2006, near the famous La Bufadora sea geyser and about 10 miles west of Highway 1, the main north-south route in Baja California. An Ensenada family that planned to use the 300 acres for retreats sold the property and got a five-acre estate on the site.
Next was getting the partners on board. Woods visited the site in 2007, committed to the development and stopped by again after his dramatic U.S. Open win at Torrey Pines last summer.
With Woods on board, Oman said it was easy to get McCombs to back the deal. After the announcement of the project at a Beverly Hills hotel in October, a sales office was opened in downtown San Diego. A helicopter is available to fly potential buyers to the property, where the par-70 golf course is staked out, along with the locations of the clubhouse, spa and an ocean club with a pool.
So far, 12 people have committed to purchasing at the development, including Woods himself. A total of 40 estate home sites and 100 villas will be sold. Owners will have the opportunity to hosts guests at 20 of the villas; the exact arrangements are being worked out, according to the developers.
Approximately 750 people will be employed during the construction phase, with 200 permanent jobs afterward. Potable water will be provided by a desalination plant, and irrigation water will drain into retention ponds, which will then be recycled through a treatment plant, Oman said.
“Nothing goes into the ocean,” Oman said.
While local environmentalists applaud the steps taken to lessen the environmental impacts, the immediate surroundings will be affected, said Juan Manuel Rodríguez, who heads the department of urban and environmental studies at Colegio de la Frontera Norte, or COLEF, a Tijuana-area think tank.
Manuel, who attended the public hearing for the project last month before Mexico's environmental agency, cited three areas of concern.
The first is the adverse impact that earth moving and grading would have on the animals and plants that inhabit the site and nearby waters. Next, the area is a “dry coastal zone,” and introducing lots of water and chemicals would change the indigenous vegetation.
Lastly, dumping the highly concentrated salt residue produced by desalination plants into the ocean could harm the sea plants and creatures near the outfall.
“Little by little, the grass on the golf course will invade the indigenous coastal vegetation,” Manuel said. “What the people of Ensenada want is that the beautiful coastal views and access to the surrounding waters be preserved.”
The development along northern Baja California's Pacific coast is turning it into an extension of urban Southern California, said Horacio de la Cueva, a specialist in biological conservation with CICESE, a scientific think tank near Ensenada.
“One of the things Baja California has to offer is natural beauty. And many people are willing to pay to enjoy that experience,” he said.
Golf courses are not environmentally friendly, but instead “green asphalt,” de la Cueva said.
“Once they destroy the landscape, it will never return.”
With only 120 properties for sale, the developers have little inventory to sell compared with other golf course developments. But high prices, comparable to ocean-view properties in La Jolla, could make it a difficult sale in what many economists call a worldwide recession that may last for years, said Leonard Baron, a lecturer at SDSU's business school.
The local real estate expert also questions the location near Ensenada, which is not known as a world-class tourist spot, like Cabo San Lucas to the south. Recent headlines about violence in Mexico also may make people question whether it is a wise investment.
There is also the larger issue of buying property in a foreign country and being subject to its laws.
“You're trying to create a place for people to go to that they wouldn't traditionally go to,” Baron said. “Do I want to live in such a remote area? What is the long-term viability? Those may be questions potential buyers are asking.”
Oman said the property title is clear and title insurance will be offered through a U.S. company.
Further, the Mexican government has adopted reforms to real estate laws to avoid the nightmare scenarios some Americans have experienced in the region, said Oscar Escobedo, Baja California's tourism secretary.
In 2000, more than 200 U.S. citizens at Punta Banda, which is a few miles from the Punta Brava site, were evicted after being caught in the middle of a coastal property dispute between a communal landholding group and private owners. They were forcibly removed from their homes when the land was restored to the private landowners.
The secretary said he is well aware of the tough economic climate. He noted that 18 developments between Tijuana and Ensenada have been halted for financial reasons.
But Escobedo said he is confident Punta Brava, which is expected to be permitted within a few weeks, will succeed and bring a new class of high-end tourism to the region as owners invite friends and business partners to play golf. He said he believes the current crime wave, which his office has blamed for as much as a 70 percent drop in visitors across the Mexican state, will pass and that tourism will rebound. “This golf course has the potential of putting Baja California on the map as a worldwide golf destination,” Escobedo said in an interview. “I don't see the current violence having a long-term impact. This is not the first time, nor the last, that Mexico goes through a crisis.”

15,000 Tax credit for Homebuyers !

2009-02-09T13:46:00.000-08:00

New: $15,000 Tax CREDIT FOR HOMEBUYERS

Its great what congress is doing right now. Last week, they passed a $15,000 tax credit for ANYONE buying a house in the next year! This is something you may want to take advantage off!

How it works: it is 10% of the PURCHASE price, up to $15,000 max. The buyer will then have it credited at the 2009 year-end tax return.

It used to be only $7,500 and only for first time buyers, but now, all can qualify for this tax credit, that has been trying to "get in" since the 1970s

Also, with the original $7,500 credit, you had to repay it... correct me if I am wrong, but this new $15,000 credit, is NOT required to be repaid.

I hope they bring back the buyer's assisted down payment program, as this can defintely help many would-be buyers, that are a bit short on cash, but have fair, good and excelent credit scores.

On a different note, we've seen now very affordable foreclosure homes in the San Diego area, including Chula Vista, Imperial Beach, Paradise Hills, Bonita, National City, Downtown San Diego, Spring Valley and many others.

It is indeed a buyer's market.... enjoy it!

Gustavo Torres
www.CaliforniaForeclosureTour.com

Developer of the Year

2008-10-28T15:28:00.000-07:00

Rosarito Beach Hotel Is Developer of the Year
For 271-Suite 17-Story Condo-Hotel Project

By Ron Raposa

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---The Rosarito Beach Hotel has been named Developer of the Year for its 17-story, 271-suite beachfront condo-hotel tower, which was inaugurated Aug. 2.
The award from the Baja California Meeting Point and the Baja State Secretary of Tourism was presented at an Oct. 23 banquet to hotel executive director Laura Torres and project director Somit Talwar.
The $55-million project which was completed in 18 months is the first condo-hotel to open in Baja, California. With its opening the Rosarito Beach Hotel, a landmark since 1925, became the largest resort in Baja, with 500 units.
“We’re very proud of this new addition,” said Ms. Torres. “Not only does it provide the option of ownership for the first time in the hotel’s history, it also greatly expands the lodging opportunities and amenities available to our guests.”
Added Mr. Talwar, “We were very pleased to complete this project on time, while maintaining the highest construction standards and a commitment to be earth friendly and energy efficient. At the same time, we were able to maintain a high level of sales.”
The condo-hotel project, also know as the Pacifico Tower, joins two other towers at the seaside resort.
One-bedroom to three-bedroom penthouse suites are offered for purchase at prices ranging from the high $100’s to $600,000. Owners have the option of placing their suites in a rental program when not in use, under a 50-50 revenue split with the hotel.
The condo-hotel Pacifico Tower feature a rooftop infinity pool plus another at ground level, poolside bars, a billiard room with bar, gymnasium and its own concierge. A rooftop restaurant with a panoramic views of the city and sea is planned.
All suites are fully furnished in contemporary Mexican décor, with original art from leading local painters.
In addition, owners and guests have access to all amenities of the legendary and historic hotel, including casual and gourmet restaurants, the elegant Casa Playa Spa, bars and entertainment.
“With the addition of the Pacifico Tower, we are able to offer a wide range of lodging options at various price points,” Ms. Torres said. “That enables us to tailor the hotel experience to meet almost every need and budget, from singles to couples and families.”
Since opening in 1925 the Rosarito Beach Hotel has hosted millions of guests, including such Hollywood luminaries as Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Rita Hayworth and Gregory Peck, plus dignitaries from around the world.

Thanks for visit my blog
Gustavo Torres
remax-baja.com
1-866-588-2252

Mexico Unveils Emergency Spending To Combat Crisis

2008-10-28T15:23:00.000-07:00

Mexico's President Unveils Emergency Spending Program To Combat Financial Crisis

MEXICO CITY, Oct. 15, 2008

(AP) President Felipe Calderon on Wednesday unveiled plans for 53 billion pesos ($4.4 billion) in emergency spending on roads, schools, hospitals and an oil refinery next year to help Mexico combat the world financial crisis.

In a televised address, Calderon assured Mexicans the nation's banks are solid and haven't slowed lending to companies or individuals, despite a global credit crunch that has sent stocks here tumbling and seen the peso weaken to a record low against the dollar.

The $4.4 billion in additional investment for 2009 would be used "to build infrastructure projects that will bring direct social benefits to millions of Mexicans and help keep our economy on track," Calderon said.

The proposal, which was sent to Congress on Wednesday, "is not a financial rescue package, but will focus on strengthening the motors of our economy" to mitigate the negative effects of the crisis, he said.

The proposal includes 10 billion pesos ($837 million) for energy projects, including a new oil refinery. The refinery will be the first built in almost 30 years, he said.

The plan calls for spending 26 billion pesos ($2 billion) on building roads, houses, schools and prisons. It also would support small- and medium-sized businesses by expanding their credit and allowing them to bid in government projects.

Calderon said Mexico faces a 28 billion pesos ($2.3 billion) decrease in public income next year due to a drop in remittances, falling oil prices and a slowdown in tourism.

The emergency spending would be financed by changing Pemex's accounting rules, which if approved by Congress, would give the federal government an extra 78 billion pesos ($6.2 billion), he said.

Last month, the government sent Congress a $270 billion budget that assumed Mexican crude oil prices would average around $80 a barrel.

Oil income makes up about 40 percent of budgeted revenue.

Earlier Wednesday, Mexico's central bank moved to auction off $2.5 billion in reserves to prop up the struggling peso.

Bank of Mexico President Guillermo Ortiz said the bank received 59 bids of $1.7 billion. Of those, 31 were accepted for a total sale of $998 million. The bank will continue auctioning off the rest of the designated reserves on Thursday.

Ortiz said Mexican currency markets on Monday had fluctuations not seen since 1995, when the country was mired in its own banking crisis. But he emphasized that today, "Mexico's banking institutions are solid."

Wednesday's dollar auction came hours after the peso dropped below a record 14 to the U.S. dollar. It recovered to around 12 to the dollar after the bank's announcement, but was still down significantly since closing last week at 11.1 to the dollar.

If the peso falls more than 2 percent in value from the day before, the bank said it will auction off an additional $400 million more a day. Mexico's international reserves were at $84 billion on Friday.

Mexico's Treasury Department said in a statement late Wednesday it was lowering its 2008 economic growth outlook to 2 percent from 2.4 percent. It also revised its GDP growth forecast for 2009 from 3 to 1.8 percent.

Mexico's economy, long dependent on its northern neighbor, had weathered the global crisis relatively well until the peso's fall. The drop was the first strong sign that Mexico was in for a bumpy economic future.

Thanks for visit my blog
Gustavo Torres
remax-baja.com
1-866-588-2252

Legendary Rosarito Beach Hotel Offers $29 Introductory Rate Through Feb. 12

2008-10-24T14:30:00.000-07:00

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---The legendary Rosarito Beach Hotel, Baja’s largest and most historic resort, is offering a special $29 rate on standard rooms through Feb 12.
“We’re offering this largely to introduce people to the expanded and refurbished Rosarito Beach Hotel,” said Laura Torres, executive director of the 500-unit beachfront resort about 30 miles south of downtown San Diego.
The rate is the lowest offered since the 1990s, Ms. Torres said. Advance registration is required and availability limited. Fridays, Saturdays, holidays and select blackout days are excluded.
“The $29 rate applies only to standard rooms in our Coronado and Playas towers, but we expect that people will take the opportunity to visit our new Pacifico Tower while here,” Ms. Torres said.
The 271-suite 17-story beachfront Pacifico opened Aug, 2. The tower is a condo-hotel, where people can purchase a unit as well as stay as guests.
The $29 dollar offer, made possible in part by the dollar gaining strength against the peso, also is a way to reward loyal guests and counter some recent bad publicity about Baja.
“Coverage of Mexico’s war against organized crime has made some people worried about security in Baja,” Ms. Torres said. “We hope this offer will help make people aware that Baja remains a safe place for visitors.”
The Rosarito Beach Hotel opened in 1925 and was a popular stop for the Hollywood crowd, with guests including Marilyn Monroe, John Wayne, Rita Hayworth and Frank Sinatra.
It features two restaurants, a world-class European Spa, and folkloric ballet show on weekends. The resort has a quarter-mile fishing pier and hosted the Mexican surfing championships.
Rosarito Beach is a popular tourist destination which attracts more than a million visitors a year. Its lively downtown, rich in shopping and entertainment, is a short stroll from the hotel.
Attractions including the world-famous Puerto Nuevo lobster village and theme park of Xploration, where Titanic and Master & Commander were filmed, are just a few miles away.
“It’s fresh lobster season and a great time do some early holiday shopping,” Ms. Torres said. “With this $29 offer, there never will be a more affordable time to visit.”
Additional information is available on www.RosaritoBeachHotel.com

GUSTAVO TORRES
www.remax-baja.com
1-866-588-2252

A Tip of the Sombrero to…Mexico

2008-10-16T15:08:00.000-07:00

Friday, Sept. 12, 2008
Author: Suzan Haskins

Top dog. The big Kahuna. The hot tamale. Mexico has once again grabbed the golden ring and sits in the No. 1 spot on International Living’s Global Retirement Index.

I’m not surprised, of course. I’ve been extolling Mexico’s comforts and charms for some time.

And I’m not alone. More Americans and Canadian who have retired abroad have chosen Mexico…over every other country in the world.

Depending on where they settle, many are drawn by the incomparable weather, gorgeous scenery, and inexpensive lifestyle. Prices of everything are roughly one-third what they are in the U.S. and Canada. Housing styles range from basic to luxurious, and all are affordable on most retiree budgets.

But it’s more than that, of course. Mexico is like a giant pot of delicious stew—there’s a lot brewing and there’s something for almost everyone. Modern and traditional, rich and poor, pagan and pious, sweet and sour.

Sure, Mexico has its problems. Every place does. But the allure of its charms will cause you to ignore its blemishes. There are countless reasons for the attraction…many people are drawn by the low cost of living, but they stay because they fall in love with the colorful setting and the laidback lifestyle—and the Mexican people.

Mexicans, in general, are gentle, kind, soft spoken, and excruciatingly polite. They greet everyone with a hug or, for women, a kiss on the cheek. You rarely see children misbehaving or hear them crying. Even the dogs are friendly.

Mexicans are service oriented. Not in the terms of what “service” means to you, probably, but in the sense that they take pleasure in doing things for other people. The guy on the bicycle who parks in the middle of the block to sharpen knives, the young man who peddles cups of sweet corn or creamy custards from house to house, the policeman who stops traffic so you can cross the street, the woman who sells flowers in the little shop around the corner…it’s always service with a smile and a heartfelt thank you in Mexico.

If you need something, you can get it. Simple as that. You can go to a modern shopping mall. Or better, you can go to a local artisan. The pride of craftsmanship is alive and well here. Men pass the skills of carpentry, glass-blowing, upholstering, wood-carving, and a host of other traditional trades on to their sons. Mothers teach their daughters the art of cooking, sewing, weaving, pottery, and other time-honored crafts.

Three and four generations of family members often live under the same roof, in fact. They share meals and chores, happiness and sorrow. The elderly are honored for their contributions and their wisdom. Many Mexican families aren’t well off financially (although there’s a growing middle class), but they’re happy.

Workers often play their music as loudly as possible and sing at the top of their lungs. Mexico is not a quiet place, mind you. It’s a place where dilapidated Volkswagen bugs with loudspeakers blare the news of the political party they support or the products they’re selling to all within earshot. A place where fireworks go off at all hours of the night and day…set off by schools and churches for reasons apparent only to their members…or for no reason at all.

Mexico is a time warp where no one is in a rush and what doesn’t get accomplished today “might” get done tomorrow. Expats quickly learn that the word “mañana” is actually a euphemism for “whenever.” Instead, we’ve learned not too worry so much about “things” that “need to be done.” We shrug, take a seat, and put our feet up…

I can’t think of a better way…or a better place…to watch the world go by.

Regards,

Suzan Haskins
Your Latin America Insider, International Living

GUSTAVO TORRES
www.remax-baja.com
1-866-588-2252

Mexican Pacific Coast Tourism Project to Outshine Cancún

2008-10-15T13:03:00.000-07:00

By Barnard R. Thompson

The Mexican government has announced a major new tourism development
that will stretch along the Pacific Ocean coast of southern Sinaloa –
a project that will ultimately be twice the size of Cancún. A master
planned tourist area to rival not just Cancún, but too the Riviera
Maya that runs along the shores of the Mexican Caribbean.

President Felipe Calderón, with officials from the Mexican
government's National Trust Fund for Tourism Development (Fondo
Nacional de Fomento al Turismo, or Fonatur), made the announcement at
the September 29 opening of the Fonatur sponsored Mexican Real Estate
and Tourism Investment Expo, in Mexico City.

Provisionally called the Pacific Coast Integrally Planned Center,
infrastructure work is scheduled to begin during the first half of
2009, with the final stage of the phased developments to be completed
by 2025. This in much the same way that other Fonatur master planned
seaside resorts, such as Cancún, Los Cabos, Ixtapa, Loreto and the
Bays of Huatulco, have been done.

The 5,884 acre [9.2 square miles] Pacific Coast CIP will be in the
midst of the Sinaloa National Wetlands, in part on the near 5,000
acre Rancho Las Cabras, owned by former Sinaloa governor Antonio
Toledo Corro. The area is 80 miles south of Mazatlán and west of the
Mexico Highway 15 town of Escuinapa, in the municipality of the same
name. On land between the Pacific Ocean and lagoons and marshes
known as the Laguna Agua Grande, the area will include 7.5 miles of
beaches between the villages of Isla del Bosque and Teacapán to the
south on the State of Nayarit border.

The coastal area is well known locally for its beauty and
tranquility. Slightly inland from the coast, the estuaries, lagoons
and mangrove stands are surrounded by palm and tropical flora filled
valleys, with a notable abundance of birds and migratory waterfowl.
Deer, mountain lions and peccary, among other animals, are found in
the area.

And fishing is big in the region, commercial fishing (and shrimp
farming), and of course sportfishing. Several species of protected
sea turtles come to area beaches, and at sea among the many species
found are billfish, humpback whales and white sharks.

Of historical significance, there are large oyster shell mounds near
Teacapán that experts say were harvested by indigenous peoples living
in the area as long as 4,000 years ago.

The investment by the Mexican government is to be around MX$5 billion
pesos [US$465 million as of September 29], according to President
Calderón (who made the announcement before the current worldwide
financial crises came to a head, and the anticipated cutbacks).
Calderón added that the aforementioned Mexican public sector
investment should spark another US$6.638 billion in private national
and international investments.

First stage construction costs will be some MX$1.5 billion [US$139
million as of 9/29], according to a Fonatur executive, that will be
applied to 988 acres. That first phase is scheduled for completion
in 2012.

The President went on to say that the mega-development will
ultimately create 78,000 direct and indirect jobs. He also said
estimates are that the Pacific Coast CIP will attract nearly 3
million tourists by the year 2025, and US$2.8 billion in foreign
exchange.

Once completed the overall complex is to include four golf courses;
two marinas for a total of 1,000 vessels; 44,200 hotel rooms (hotels,
condominiums, etc.); a five mile beachfront walk; and a light
railway. Plus the possibility of a new airport is in the offing (or
the small airport at Teacapán could be expanded).

Based on what has been learned from other CIPs, such as Cancún,
hotels will not be allowed right on the beach. The required buffer
zone will be 300 meters. Hotels will also have a maximum height
limit of four stories.

Urban zones and shopping areas will integrate open space shielded by
law against construction, as will cultural centers and convention
facilities.

Emphasis will be placed on nature and the environment, with 25
percent of the total 5,884 acres dedicated as natural protected
areas, acreage that must be devoid of development. Furthermore, 109
acres of the surrounding wetland environs will be kept intact.
Regarding the lagoon and marsh areas, visitors will be able to enjoy
ecotourism activities via a series of canals and pathways.

As well, Pacific Coast CIP developments will have to meet marine and
land area environmental standards and requisites that are included in
the 2006 Marine Ecological Ordinance of the Gulf of California
Program.

For workers, at least 5,000 homes will be built, along with schools,
hospitals and facilities for needed community services.

Water will be provided through three separate systems, wastewater
treatment plants will be built, and each hotel will have to install
not only rainwater catchment receptacles, but too separate systems
for rain and wastewater drainage and control.

On an interconnected regional basis, highway improvements are planned
for the stretch of Highway 15 from Mazatlán south to Tepic, Nayarit
(and on to Tequila and Guadalajara; or southwest to the Bahía de
Banderas-Compostela Tourist Corridor and Puerto Vallarta). Too, the
road inland from Mazatlán to Durango is to be improved, all arteries
that will give area visitors, among others, easier access to tourist
and cultural sites, neighboring cities, mountain regions,
archeological zones, and indigenous communities.

And finally, for ocean going visitors, the Pacific Coast CIP is to be
in harmony with Fonatur's Sea of Cortez Plan, the system of Transient
Marinas, and the so-called Nautical Staircase.

——————————

Barnard Thompson, editor of MexiData.info, has spent 50 years in
Mexico and Latin America, providing multinational clients with
actionable intelligence; country and political risk reporting and
analysis; and business, lobbying, and problem resolution services

GUSTAVO TORRES
www.remax-baja.com
1-866-588-2252

Baja port 'Punta Colonet' plan making gains

2008-10-13T16:09:00.000-07:00

FREIGHT: Mexico has opened bidding on project that would siphon business from Long Beach, L.A.
By Kris Hanson, Staff writer
Article Launched: 10/13/2008 01:00:00 AM PDT

LONG BEACH - Nearly a year after announcing an ambitious plan to tap into the booming flow of trade between the U.S. West Coast and Asia, Mexican authorities have renewed a push to build a massive container port in Baja California.

The $5 billion project, proposed for a natural deep-water harbor near the small west coast fishing village of Punta Colonet about 275 miles south of Los Angeles, may one day compete with Long Beach and Los Angeles for a share of containerized freight.

In August, the Mexican government opened bidding for private development of port terminals and docks, and completed land-use and right-of-way negotiations with landowners in the area. They've also surveyed rail routes leading to the U.S. Southwest, and have organized a consortium of legal experts to help swiftly navigate trade, property and customs regulations.

Then, on Oct. 7, Mexico's Consul General in Los Angeles, Juan Marcos Gutierrez, participated in a panel discussion with port officials from Long Beach and Los Angeles to discuss the effort, and will be meeting with top West Coast port officials again this week at a retreat in Manzanillo, Mexico.

"This is the most ambitious infrastructure project of our time," Gutierrez said during the forum at Cal State Dominguez Hills. "It's something that's needed not only for Mexico, but for the regional economy."

Mexico believes that a port in Colonet would create up to 58,000 permanent jobs in Mexico, help upgrade the country's railway system and would, in turn, provide a cheaper, more efficient freight movement system for U.S. consumers and retailers.

It's expected that more than 95 percent of goods shipped to a Colonet port would be bound for the U.S. market via railway and through border crossings in Yuma, Arizona and El Paso, Texas.

Union Pacific, which controls an existing rail link along the Southwestern U.S. border, has been in talks with Mexico to participate in the project, but no deals have yet been signed.

As for marine terminal development and operation, at least one major international developer has expressed interest. Hutchinson Port Holdings, based in Hong Kong, is believed to be the project's most likely developer, but has yet to commit. Hutchinson could not be reached for comment, but Mexico is offering a 45-year terminal management concession to the highest bidder.

The Punta Colonet project, in the works for more than two years, seeks to capitalize on the estimated 30 million freight containers sent from Asia to North America annually - about 75 percent of which goes through ports in California, Washington and Oregon.

Port would serve U.S. market

Mexico's goal is to capture about 6 million containers annually at Punta Colonet, then ship them via rail to points within the U.S. Very little of the cargo would be destined for Mexico's domestic market, which is served primarily by ports in Manzanillo and Lazaro Cardenas.

The Baja port is the latest challenge to Long Beach-Los Angeles' longtime role as America's busiest and most lucrative seaport. The twin ports currently handle more than $350 billion worth of cargo annually, a figure representing about 30 percent of the nation's maritime trade worth.

Competition grows
The ports are already being challenged by a new container port in Prince Rupert, British Columbia, expansions in Tacoma, Washington and Oakland, California and a modernized Hampton Roads in southeast Virginia. In addition, the expansion of the Panama Canal - now under way - allows passage for larger container ships from Asia to ports in the Gulf.

But there remain cost and time-prohibitive barriers for sending Asia-originated freight through the Panama Canal. It takes an average 21 days to ship cargo from China to the U.S. East Coast, but only 12 to the West Coast. With high energy costs, the extra nine days at sea makes much such trade prohibitive.

By building an alternative western port and offering cheaper labor and less costly tariffs, Mexico hopes to lure shippers whose goods would have passed through California or the Panama Canal and destined for the American Midwest.

"The market we're (trying for) is east of the Rockies," said Gutierrez. "It's a share of that 45 percent or so of freight that (Long Beach-Los Angeles) carry that is headed inland."

Professor Kaye Bragg, a Cal State Dominguez Hills economics professor, said the Punta Colonet proposal only makes sense if projections of growth are on the mark. Based on 20-year trends, economists expect the volume of containerized goods between Asia and Long Beach-Los Angeles to surpass 36 million 24-equivalent containers, or TEUs, by 2020.

Therefore, if Punta Colonet siphons six million TEUs from Long Beach-Los Angeles, it represents only a share of future growth, and not a chunk of current volume - potentially making competition less hostile and more collaborative.

Don Snyder, the Long Beach port's trade relations director, said that although labor costs and regulatory pressures will likely be less in Mexico, developers will need to recoup their investment costs, which may drive up transportation and dockage prices to levels comparable in Southern California.

"Someone's going to have to amortize the cost of building that rail track, building those terminals, building the infrastructure," Snyder said. "When you add those costs in, plus the transportation costs of using U.S. rail inside the States, is there a great savings?"

Long Beach Harbor Commissioner Mario Cordero, who visits Mexico this week to discuss regional trade, says projects like Punta Colonet represent the competitive realities of global trade.

"Everybody is developing megaports ... you see it in Asia, Europe, South America," Cordero said. "People are looking for their share. The difference this time is we have a big project being developed next door."

Snyder sees it as a stimulus to continue improving local port facilities and transportation links.

"Competition is a good thing because it keeps everyone sharp," Snyder said. "Our goal is to have the most efficient supply chain and be a leader in terms of helping introduce technologies that save fuel, pollute less and make the most economic sense for our customers."

Gustavo Torres
gustavotorres@remax.net
1-866-588-2252
www.remax-baja.com

Flow to river channel to drop; irrigation uses seen

2008-10-09T17:44:00.000-07:00

By Sandra Dibble
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

September 26, 2008

TIJUANA – It sits on a hillside miles from San Diego, rising above tightly packed colonias in Tijuana's fast-growing eastern end. Despite its distance from the border, the new Monte de Los Olivos sewage treatment plant has been drawing applause in California.
Expected to begin operation within a month, the $9 million plant will at full capacity treat the waste of some 265,000 residents to a tertiary level, clean enough for irrigation. Together with a smaller but similar plant, La Morita, set to open this year, Monte de Los Olivos will dramatically decrease the flow of untreated sewage down the Tijuana River channel that leads to the border.

The operation of the two plants also will relieve Tijuana's main sewage treatment plant, the over-burdened Punta Bandera facility south of Playas de Tijuana. By the middle of next year, officials hope the operation of the new plants will largely eliminate the coastal discharges of untreated sewage at Punta Bandera.

“This project puts Baja California at the vanguard of sewage treatment in Mexico,” Baja California Gov. José Guadalupe Osuna Millán told a crowd of more than 300 gathered for yesterday's inauguration ceremony at Monte de los Olivos.

The plant's opening marks the first step in an ambitious state-led reclamation project for Tijuana that will take years to develop. The city's 1.4 million residents look to piped-in water from the Colorado River to meet more than 90 percent of their water needs, and the state has been hard-pressed to expand the region's supply.

By using treated water for irrigation and industry, the state hopes to save the Colorado River water for residential and commercial purposes. But before they can proceed, they need to build a network of pipes to deliver the reclaimed water, and find enough users.

No one disputes that the plants at Monte de los Olivos and La Morita, which will treat sewage in the Tijuana River watershed, represent a major step forward for the city. Financing for the two plants, along with a third scheduled to open next year in southern Tijuana, is through a low-interest loan from the Japanese government and Mexico's federal government. The builder is a Mexico City-based company named Fypasa.

Initially, only 10 percent of Monte de los Olivos' output capacity will be used for reclamation, said Hernando Duran, head of the state public service commission in Tijuana, known as CESPT. The state is setting up a system that will pipe any of the unused treated effluent for discharge into the Pacific Ocean south of Punta Bandera.
“While the system is designed, it's not fully ready,” Romo said. “Overall, it's a very good sign, but people should not expect results by tomorrow.”

Within four years, Duran said the hope is to be using at least three-fourths of Monte de los Olivos' capacity in reclamation projects. Beyond that, the state is also studying the possibility of piping some of the reclaimed water to a point above Tijuana's RodrNguez Dam, allowing it to filter through into the reservoir.

“They deserve a huge amount of credit for what they've done,” said Bart Christensen, senior engineer with California's State Water Resources Control Board, and his agency's border coordinator. “They have the same goals as San Diego, but they don't have the resources San Diego has. They have to be really creative to get their infrastructure implemented in Tijuana. This really demonstrates Mexico's commitment to addressing their own waste water infrastructure needs.”

Despite progress, Tijuana's sewage flow continues to exceed the city's treatment capacity. Cross-border sewage spills have for decades been a contentious issue, as incidents in the Tijuana River basin are likely to be felt across the border in the Tijuana River estuary in Imperial Beach. Though dry weather flows have largely been eliminated, cross-border sewage flows during wet weather continue to shut down South Bay beaches.

Monte de los Olivos “is a critical facility that's necessary to meet Tijuana's waste water treatment needs today and in the future,” said Su Cox, an environmental engineer with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, which has been working closely with CESPT on a plan to connect an additional 34,000 residents in eastern Tijuana to the sewer system.

“The thing that's great about this is that it addresses environmental health and public health needs on both sides of the border.”

Highlights
Cost: The $9 million Monte de los Olivos plant will treat sewage from about 265,000 residents in eastern Tijuana.

Irrigation: The plant launches a major reuse project for Tijuana, and officials are installing pipes to distribute the water to green areas. Most of the flow will initially be discharged into the ocean.

Coastal discharge: The plant provides relief for the overburdened coastal Punta Bandera plant. Together with future La Morita plant and new sewage collection projects, the coastal discharge of untreated sewage from the Punta Bandera plant is near an end.

Cross-border: Cross-border sewage flows in wet weather will continue, but the concentration of sewage in those flows is expected to decrease.

Other projects: A third sewage treatment plant in southern Tijuana, a desalination plant in Ensenada that will produce 5.7 million gallons of water a day, and expansion of the Colorado River aqueduct.
www.bajainvestment.com

Mexico emerges as popular property investment for Canadians

2008-10-09T17:06:00.000-07:00

Written by Property Wire
Thursday, 02 October 2008
Canadian property investors are increasingly investing in Mexico as they regard the US market as not a good prospect at the moment.
An increase in the number of flights from Canada to Mexico and a desire to avoid the volatility of the US market means more are buying second homes and investment properties further afield.

One investor, Doug Walker, had considered buying in Hawaii and the Caribbean. He wanted a holiday home to which he and his wife could eventually retire. 'We were looking for something special but we also wanted to make a good investment,' he said.

He has now bought a home overlooking the Sea of Cortez and the 18th hole of a private golf club on Mexico's western coast.

Walker is not the only Canadian looking to Mexico for a good investment. According to Alfonso Sumano, the Mexican Tourism Board's regional director for Canada, more and more Canadians are holidaying in Mexico and then deciding to invest.

This year flights arriving in Mexico increased by 9.2% and this has made Mexico an easy destination to reach and boosted interest.

'Canadians can leave home in the morning and be on the beach by lunchtime,' said Sumano. Although he could not provide any official statistics for the number of Canadians buying property in Mexico, he said the number had increased substantially.

At Querencia, the luxury gated community where Walker has invested, about 10% are owned by Canadians. Jorge Carrera, president and chief executive officer of Querencia, said he has seen an increase in interest from Canadians.

'My last five buyers have been Canadians. We haven't really targeted them but with the interest we are getting, we are looking to attract more Canadians,' he added.

He reckons that the strong Canadian dollar, low property taxes – just 0.25% of a property's assessed value – and a very low cost of living make Mexico an attractive location for property investors.

www.bajainvestment.com

Tiger Woods finds a way to keep busy

2008-10-09T14:20:00.000-07:00

Since he can't play on a golf course right now, he's trying to design one instead.
Bill Dwyre
October 8, 2008
Tiger Woods had a circular stick in his hand in Southern California again Tuesday and waggled it confidently as he stood over a golf course.

It is not what you think. Tiger is not back, not quite yet.

The knee injury that will be forever etched in our memory as the focal point of his courageous and dramatic playoff victory on that Monday in June at Torrey Pines is still healing. He said his timetable for returning to the PGA Tour is still uncertain. He had surgery shortly after the U.S. Open.

"I can walk, the knee is good, we are right on schedule," he said. "There is no pain, and the work is on strength and mobility."

Well, no pain until the daily rehabilitation begins.

"Oh, man."

He rolled his eyes as he spoke.

"There is lots of work, hours a day. Man."

But it is the very nature of Eldrick Woods to be a tiger about staying busy, even while doctors are keeping him off the golf course. That's why he was here Tuesday. This was Tiger Woods, designer, rather than Tiger Woods, best golfer in the universe.

In a fancy room at a swank hotel -- the room filled with investment, developer and public relations types all dressed elegantly and a scattering of the opposite (also known as the media) -- Woods announced details about his part-time job.

He has designed a golf course on a spectacular piece of land along the Pacific Ocean, just south of Ensenada and about 70 miles south of San Diego. It is called Punta Brava (Wild Point), and is a $100-million project financed by entrepreneur and former NFL and NBA owner Red McCombs.

McCombs, in attendance, said, "When this was brought to me, I wasn't especially turned on. Then, they told me there was a good chance that Tiger would be involved. I said, forget it. It's over. I'm in."

Woods took a display pointer, stood next to an artist's rendering of a proposed Punta Brava, to be completed in about three years, and described something that sounded like it could eventually become the Pebble Beach of Mexico. Pebble Beach of California, of course, is public. Punta Brava will not be.

Woods talked about the elevation on the seven-mile peninsula that dropped from a 1,200-foot mountain to 300-foot ledges for villas and homes that overlook a golf course near sea level. That course, Woods said, will have an ocean view from every tee, fairway and green.

"Now, if you go and hit it in the bushes or the junk," he said, "maybe not."

He said that 12 of the tees or greens are right on the water, that tee shots on eight of the holes will necessitate hitting over water, and No. 18, a Pebble-Beach-like par five dog-legging left with the ocean on the left, may not be as difficult as it looks.

"Some of you will reach it in two," he said, looking away from the media people.

After they had run a video, showing Tiger standing on top of the 1,200-foot mountain and looking out to the ocean, and had finished the description, it was hard not to dash to the sign-up line for a villa. One unconfirmed rumor had several AIG executives, now with more time on their hands than Tiger, set to buy.

Designer Woods said he has purposely gone slowly in this aspect of his career.

"I told myself I would play on every continent before I started designing," he said. "I guess I have missed the Antarctica Four Ball, but otherwise, I've done it.

"I felt I owed that to myself and to the people who will play the courses to have as much experience as I can. I've talked to all the people who have done this. I've learned a lot, thought a lot about it, used the experiences I've had as a player.

"That's why Jack is so successful [at course design]. He was a cerebral player."

Player Woods said the doctors won't let him start swinging the club until January.

"I can't rotate the knee until then," he said, adding that his ideal would be to play one or two events before the Masters in mid-April.

"You just can't tell, once you start back, about things like swelling and soreness," he said. "That can set you back."

Once he gets back, there is little question that we will see more of the same fire and grit he used to fight his way down those Torrey Pines fairways that June Monday afternoon.

"I was supposed to go to Mexico on a site visit for this that day," he said, "But I was busy."

Indeed. Rocco Mediate and millions more remember.

Participation In Rosarito-Ensenada Bike Ride Increases By 1,100 People

2008-10-01T12:29:00.000-07:00

ROSARITO BEACH, BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO---Last Saturday’s Rosarito-Ensenada 50-Mile Fun Bike Ride had 1,100 more participants than the April edition, an increase from 4,900 to 6,000 riders.
Because of the increase, organizers are considering continuing the 28-year-old event, after previously saying that this past race would be the last.
“We are working on how to save the ride,” Gary Foster, of Bicycling West, said Monday. “We are receiving support from our participants, the cycling community, the mayors of both Rosarito Beach and Ensenada, and the Baja State Secretary of Tourism.”
“We recognize the importance of this event to the sport of cycling and to the region and we will do everything we can to keep it going,” he said. “We were pleased to have more participants than we expected and we had no serious injuries or problems with the event.”
Because of the decline in participation in last April’s ride, organizers had said the Sept. 27 event would be the last.
Foster said at the time of the April race that some unbalanced U.S. media reports had created the impression that Baja tourists faced considerable safety risks, and that caused the decline in April participation.
He added that almost 400,000 bike ride participants over 30 years had never had even one serious problem in the scenic coastal ride.
“We’re very pleased that the current organizers are considering continuing this historic event,” said Laura Wong, president of the Rosarito Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau. “We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that happens.”

MEDIA CONTACT:
Ron Raposa

www.bajainvestment.com

Dylan Southworth wins 4th circuit of Las Americas Pro Am

2008-09-20T13:19:00.000-07:00

Isaac Avila Cegobiano

Copas Las Americas Stop #4

Dylan Southworth wins the 4th cup circuit of Las Americas Pro Am > Espanol abajo

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 19 September, 2008 : - - The local Sayulita Dylan Sourthworth was the fourth stop in Rosarito, BC. Dylan has to be #1 in the Copas Las Americas, now, for sure, he won the Nationals first place in Nexpa as well as in Cabo San Lucas in junior category, he is #2 in the Alas Latin Tour, he ended up #11 in the World Juniors. He only just turned 18 in July.

Sunday 14

With a clear day and a pleasant sun, Playas de Rosarito showed him to surfers with its good climate that we are welcome to this pleasant Mexican Tourist Destination, the waves had dropped slightly but maintained their good form until he reached the wind and conditions varied a bit but that was not an excuse for the surfers who came to compete with everything at stake for $ 81000 pesos to distribute prize.

In this final because they saw the surfers arrived in half an hour that they gave these young surfers staged an electrifying final where more than 800 people who were on the beach appreciated applauding the actions of surfers. The winner of this fourth stop was Dylan who became the first surfer to win two stops of the circuit. Child Congratulations!

WINNERS SHORT BOARD

1. Dylan Southworth $ 30,000 pesos
2. José Manuel Trujillo 20,000 “
3. Abel Estopin 10,000 “
4. Christian Corzo 7,000 “
5. Heriberto Ramirez 5,000 “
6. Raúl Medina 1,000 “
7. Diego Cadena 1,000 ‘
8. Angelo Lozano 1,000 “

BODYBOARDS

This category ran 12 heats before reaching the finals stressing the current National champion Yolanda White, who was the only woman to compete in heats of these men, demonstrating their good level to enter the first heat and move up to the final where they faced Jonatan Lopez, who is her husband and father of the little Helio
At the end came

WINNERS BODYBOARDS

1. Jonatan Lopéz
2. Jonatan Jimenez
3. Jorge Lopéz
4. Yolanda Blanco

www.circuitosurfamericas.com

Espanol

El local de Sayulita Dylan Sourthworth se llevó la cuarta parada en Rosarito, B.C.

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 19 September, 2008 : - - Gracias al decidido apoyo del Alcalde Municipal de Playas de Rosarito C.P. Hugo Torres Chabert la cuarta parada del circuito de surf copa las americas se llevo a cabo, en donde 32 competidores de tabla corta y tabla de cuerpo libre dierón el show durante dos días de competencías, en esta cuarta parada hubo algunos surfers de California.

Durante el día Viernes se pudo observar a los surfers entrenar en La Playa del muelle, a el torneo llegaron surfers de Oaxaca, Guerrero, Colima, Nayarit, Michoacán, Sinaloa, Baja California Sur y los anfitriones La B.C. afortunadamente para todos Playas de Rosarito le dio una gran bienvenida al circuito y lo recibió con olas de 3-5 pies con buena forma cosa que motivo a los surfers y durante este día Viernes pudimos verlos entrenar sacando aéreos y otras maniobras radicales.

Domingo 14

Con un día despejado y un agradable sol, Playas de Rosarito le mostraba a los surfers con su buen clima que somos bienvenidos a este agradable Destino Turístico Mexicano, las olas habían bajado un poco pero mantenían su buena forma hasta que llegó el viento y las condiciones variaron un poco pero eso no fue excusa para los surfers que entraron con todo a competir ya que estaban en juego $ 81,000 pesos a repartir en premios.

En esta final se pudo observar el porque estos surfers llegaron, en la media hora que se les dio estos jóvenes surfers protagonizaron una final electrizante en donde los mas de 800 gentes que hubo en la playa agradecían aplaudiendo las maniobras de los surfers. El ganador de esta cuarta parada fue Dylan quien se convierte en el primer surfer en ganar dos paradas del Circuito.¡¡¡ Enhorabuena niño!!!!

Tabla de Cuerpo

En esta categoría se corrieron 12 heats antes de llegar a la final destacando la actual campeona Nacional Yolanda Blanco quien fue la única mujer en competir en estos heats de hombres, demostrando su buen nivel al entrar en el primer heat e ir avanzando hasta llegar a la final en donde se enfrentó a Jonatan López quien es su esposo y papá de el pequeño Helio

A la final llegaron Jonatan Jiménez, Yolanda Blanco, Jorge López , Jonatan López. Quedando en primer lugar Jonatan López

Esta cuarta parada se llevo a cabo gracias a nuestros patrocinadores que hicierón posible que este torneo se llevara a cabo X Ayuntamiento de Playas de Rosarito, COTUCO, Quik Silver, Planeta Surf, Monster, Hotel Rosarito Beach, Newsurfersvillage.com.

www.circuitosurfamericas.com
www.bajainvestment.com

BAJA CALIFORNIA, POTENCIA DE ENERGÍAS RENOVABLES

2008-09-18T17:25:00.000-07:00

Inversiones por un monto de 4 mil 900 millones de dólares se esperan recibir a mediano plazo en el corredor Mexicali-Tijuana mediante la ejecución proyectos de energías alternativas, informó el secretario de Desarrollo Económico del Estado, José Posada Gallego. Con lo cual, dijo, Baja California se colocaría como una potencia en la producción de aparatos para generar energías renovables.
El funcionario estatal indicó que la Entidad tiene un crecimiento en demanda energética al año de poco más de 100 megawatts, por lo que se ha fijado como meta obtener 20 por ciento de su energía de fuentes renovables.

En reciente gira de promoción realizada en España, lograron contactar a cinco empresas proveedoras de insumos de la industria de energías alternas. El secretario de la Sedeco dijo que la empresa española Abengoa, la cual aplica soluciones innovadoras para el desarrollo sostenible en los sectores de infraestructura, medio ambiente y energía, expertos en la gestión de agua, anunció la apertura de una oficina en Baja California para Octubre del 2008 en el área de investigación y desarrollo de tecnología de manejo de agua. Por lo que, Posada Gallego aseguró que el Estado sigue siendo muy competitivo en cuanto a la atracción de nuevas inversiones en las áreas de la aeroespacial, aeronáutica, energías renovables, tecnologías de la información y electrónica.

Solar Energy & Energy Efficiency for Baja California Homes

2008-09-10T13:01:00.001-07:00

By Keith R | September 9, 2008

This project is interesting to me for several reasons.

I like that it will help home owners reduce their energy consumption, will provide photovoltaics to low- and middle-income households, and will emphasize systems “financially feasible for users” (sometimes household solar systems promoted are not appropriate to the income bracket they are supposed to serve).

I like that the Baja California project is a test case that, if successful, will be duplicated elsewhere in Mexico. [To see why Baja is a good place to start, and where else in Mexico such a project might work well, see my post on LAC solar maps.]

I find it interesting that the project will include work on state-based energy efficiency standards and regulations, something that in the past the Mexican states have left up to the federal authorities. Even more interesting is the reference to setting conditions to attract more renewable energy investments to Baja and the rest of Mexico. I wonder what this will result in? Just favorable conditions on connection and selling to the grid? Or will it also include tax breaks or credits for related equipment, products and services? Stay tuned.

And I’m smiling at the fact that this project is funded by Japanese Trust Fund for Consultancy Services (JCF). My guess is that, because of the source of the funds, the project will have more than Japanese consultants — the products used (photovoltaics, etc.) will likely be sourced from Japan too.

________________________

From the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB):

IDB Supports Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency for Residential Use in Baja California, Mexico

Pilot project with photovoltaic panels for low- and medium-income sectors

Low- and medium-income households in the Mexican state of Baja California will soon benefit from using photovoltaic panels and other alternative technologies in a pilot project promoting renewable energy and energy efficiency.

This technical cooperation initiative, financed by a US$749,000 donation from the Japanese Trust Fund for Consultancy Services (JCF) at the Inter-American Development Bank, will help selected families in Mexicali—all currently connected to the state’s power grid—reduce their electricity costs.

The financing will support contracting of consulting services and implementation of pilot projects targeting energy efficiency and increased use of alternative energy sources.

Studies will focus on identifying and evaluating projects that are financially feasible for users and can be reproduced in other communities. Another goal will be to establish energy efficiency standards and regulations, as well as conditions for attracting future investments to Baja California and other states in Mexico.

“The idea is to learn from pilot projects on energy efficiency and solar energy resources so that the future will hold more options for supplying sustainable energy at accessible prices,” said IDB project team leader Arnaldo Vieira de Carvalho. “This will also have a positive impact on the environment, because most of the state’s energy currently comes from fossil fuels.”

The project will be executed by the IDB in conjunction with Mexico’s National Energy Savings Commission (CONAE, its initials in Spanish) and the Government of the State of Baja California. It was designed and will be implemented in coordination with the IDB’s Sustainable Energy and Climate Change Initiative (SECCI), whose core objectives are to stimulate greater investments in development of biofuels, renewable energy, energy efficiency, carbon financing and climate change adaptation.

The Japanese Trust Fund for Consultancy Services (JCF) was established by the government of Japan in 1995 and promotes cooperation and knowledge transfer from Japan by utilizing Japanese Consultancy expertise. The JCF has become the largest of the funds established within the technical cooperation funds program managed by the IDB.

________________________

Desde el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo (BID):

BID apoya Uso Residencial de Energía Renovable y Eficiencia Energética en Baja California, México

Proyecto piloto con paneles fotovoltaicos para sectores de bajos y medianos ingresos

Hogares de medianos y bajos ingresos del estado de Baja California en México se beneficiarán con un proyecto piloto de energía renovable y eficiencia energética, con uso de paneles fotovoltaicos y otras tecnologías alternativas.

La iniciativa de cooperación técnica, financiada con una donación de US$749.000 del Fondo Japonés para Servicios de Consultoría (JCF) en el Banco Interamericano de Desarrollo, ayudará a las familias conectadas a la red eléctrica del estado en Mexicali que sean seleccionadas, a reducir sus gastos de consumo de energía eléctrica.

El financiamiento permitirá la contratación de servicios de consultoría e implementación de proyectos piloto, con el objetivo de aumentar el uso de fuentes alternativas de energía e implementar medidas de eficiencia energética.

Se realizarán estudios destinados a identificar y evaluar proyectos financieramente viables para los usuarios y que puedan reproducirse en otras comunidades. También se buscará establecer normas y regulaciones de eficiencia energética y condiciones para atraer futuras inversiones en Baja California y otros estados mexicanos.

“La idea es aprender de proyectos piloto de eficiencia energética y recursos de energía solar, así en el futuro habrá más opciones disponibles para proporcionar energía sostenible, a precios accesibles para la población,” afirmó el jefe del equipo de proyecto del BID Arnaldo Vieira de Carvalho. “Esto también generará un impacto ambiental positivo, puesto que gran parte de la energía que actualmente se utiliza en el estado proviene del uso de combustibles fósiles.”

El proyecto será ejecutado por el BID con la Comisión Nacional para el Ahorro de Energía – CONAE y el Gobierno del Estado de Baja California. Fue diseñado y será implementado en coordinación con la Iniciativa del BID para Energía Sostenible y Cambio Climático (SECCI, por sus siglas en inglés), que busca estimular mayores inversiones en el desarrollo de biocombustibles, energía renovable, eficiencia energética, financiamiento de carbono y adaptación al cambio climático.

El Fondo Japonés para Servicios de Consultoría (JCF), creado por el gobierno de Japón en 1995, promueve la transferencia de cooperación y conocimiento desde Japón utilizando la experiencia de ese país en el área de consultoría. El JCF se ha convertido en el fondo de mayor tamaño dentro de los programas de fondos de cooperación técnica administrados por el BID.

La Playa Motorcross

2008-08-29T14:03:00.000-07:00

This NEW track is located just 10 minutes NORTH of downtown Rosarito Beach, Mexico, on the Toll Road K24 on the Hwy.
An incredible OCEAN VIEW track like no other!

Directions to the track:

From San Diego and LA: from Hwy 5 or 805 South, enter Tijuana, Mexico via San Ysidro. Follow the Rosarito-Ensenada TOLL-ROAD, look at the left at K24 on the Hwy (you'll see the track there, continue for about 1/2 mile, make a "U" turn at the RANCHO DEL MAR off ramp, going over the bridge, get on the Highway back to Tijuana, and Slow down for a VERY TECHNICAL exit.
The layout is the classic Outdoors MOTOCROSS Style.

www.bajainvestment.com

The Boys of Winter

2008-08-29T13:58:00.000-07:00

Major League Baseball can often be very grueling and get tiresome after a while. Unlike football and basketball, which features a grand total of 98 regular season games combined, pro baseball players must endure through 162 of them. After this season is over, however, some players won't get a chance to catch their breath. Instead of sliding down the slopes of a mountain during their Winter off time, some ballplayers will continue to slide into second base.

Every year, the best athletes with ties to the Greater Antilles participate in a special sporting event known as the Caribbean World Series. It's a big event that attracts thousands of fans, and now for the first time ever scores of Latin athletes will be travelling to Mexicali to showcase their talent.

Political leaders from southern California and southern Arizona are thrilled that the games are going to be played close to home. They're expecting more than 15,000 fans to flock to neighboring cities and are already making the necessary accommodations in anticipation of the big series.

Bob Ingram with the Yuma Visitors Center says he expects about 2,000 rooms to fill up and believes the Desert Southwest's economy will benefit greatly as a result. "I think it'll be very beneficial for restaurants, museums and shopping centers," Ingram said. "It's our opportunity to show off Yuma."

Ingram isn't the only one who thinks that his city will improve economically, city leaders in San Luis and Calexico are projecting big gains as well and, needless to say, they're looking forward to February 2nd when the games officially kick off. In the meantime, however, the waiting game is on as preparations for the big day are still not quite complete.

www.bajainvestment.com