Plans For New Riviera Maya Marina

According to a local media report this week, Spanish construction heavyweight, OHL, is planning to build a new luxury marina in the Riviera Maya.

Agustín Sarasola, General Director of Development at OHL, told Noticaribe news website that they are working on the marina's plans with the hotels and real estate developers at the Mayakoba project near Playa del Carmen in the Riviera Maya.

OHL has already invested some $1 billion in the Mayakoba project in the Riviera Maya and is also tipped to be bidding for the new Tulum airport project.

Sarasola didn't give any further details about the size or cost of the marina, but if it goes ahead it will be the second luxury marina on the Riviera Maya, Puerto Morelos being the other.

The Mayakoba project consists of five 5 star resorts: Banyan Tree, Viceroy, Fairmont, Rosewood, and the fifth still to be named.

OHL also contiues with its plans to develop the El Jesusito real estate project on 400 hectares (988 acres) of land next to the existing Mayakoba complex, said Sarasola.

Noticaribe said that the El Jesusito project will include condos and a golf course, together with a residential zone for employees called "Mayakoba City".

OHL are one of Spain's largest construction, concession, environmental development, and industrial groups. They have With more than ninety years of domestic and international experience, the OHL is present in twenty countries across four continents.

Visit our destination pages to find out more about Riviera Maya real estate.

Tulum Airport Report By Credit Suisse

Credit Suisse have become the latest big international financial name to show interest in the new Tulum airport project.

Analysts from the Swiss investment advisers were reported to meet last week with Humberto Treviño Landois, the Mexican Government's Undersecretary for Transport.

Pablo Riveroll and Juan Esteban Moctezuma, Credit Suisse's stock market experts in Latin American infrastructure, spoke to Treviño specifically about the Tulum airport project, according to Mexican newspaper, El Semanario.

Following the meeting, in a report sent to Credit Suisse clients, the analysts said that the massive Spanish construction company, OHL, and the private investment company, Advent International, may be interested in bidding for the new airport. After some delays, the project is now expected to be put out to tender in February.

In the report, Treviño said that during the coming weeks the government may reveal more details of the Tulum airport project, including more about the airport's capacity and requirements for the legal process.

The news backs up previous suggestions that OHL and Advent may be interested in the project made by respected columnist Alberto Aguilar in the El Universal newspaper, last December.

Mexico's Federal Competition (Anti Trust) Commission will also decide soon whether the owner/operator of Cancun airport, ASUR, can bid for the project as well.

Businesses and politicians in the Riviera Maya hope that the new Tulum airport will be a major boost for the economy and lead to a new phase in the area's development.

Major public investment in the zone has already had an effect on the price of Tulum property and many international real estate companies are rushing to build new projects along the Mexican Caribbean coastline.

Take a look at our destination pages to find out more about the new Tulum airport and Tulum real estate.

Australians Set Up $408 Million Mexico Investment

Australian investment fund, Macquarie Group, announced yesterday the launch of its new $408 million fund which will make massive Mexico investment in infrastructure.

Macquarie said they had launched the "Macquarie Mexican Infrastructure Fund" with $59 million of their own money, together with another $81 million from the Mexican government and $268 million from Mexican pension funds.

In what is the first managed fund in Latin America, the focus is on investment opportunities in Mexican infrastructure projects. Macquarie said the Mexico investment fund will target opportunities across roads and rail, airports and ports, water and wastewater, energy and utilities as well as social and communications infrastructure.

Mark Ramsey, Executive Director and President of Macquarie Capital in Mexico, said: "[the new fund] is an attractive investment opportunity that provides Mexican and international institutions with a vehicle to invest in a domestic infrastructure portfolio and contribute to the nation building goals set out in the government's infrastructure plan.”

Macquarie expects the fund could swell to as much as $1.2 billion and said that the amount of domestic Mexico investment, from the Mexican government and pension funds, shows confidence in the fund's concept and in Mexico's infrastructure development plans.

Ramsey said the fund should give annual returns of 13-17%, and represents a relatively low-risk option for pension funds looking for stable long-term investments.

The commitment of Mexico investment capital from Australia is just the latest in a rush of foreign companies committing to business and investments in Mexico. As the Mexican economy comes back from the financial crisis of 2009 it is fast becoming one of the most desirable emerging market economies for foreign investors to target.

Visit our website for more about the opportunities for you in Mexico investment.

New Border Crossing Between U.S. And Mexico

In a move designed to improve trade and transport, the U.S. and Mexico opened a new border crossing, on Monday.

The first new border entry point to open in a decade connects the Texas town of McAllen by the Anzalduas Bridge with Reynosa in Mexico.

McAllen's Mayor said the crossing cost $100 million and has been 100% constructed with recycled materials.

Felipe Calderon, President of Mexico, flew in for Monday's inuaguration event with U.S. Trade Representative, Ron Kirk.

Local newspaper, San Antonio News, quoted Kirk saying, "This bridge is more than a link between Mexico and America, between north and south. It is also a potent symbol of our connectiveness. You all knew that a new crossing would bring benefits to this entire region, and those benefits begin today."

The border between the U.S. and Mexico is the busiest in the world, with some 350 million crossings per year. According to figures from the U.S. Department of Commerce, trade in both directions between the two neightbors adds up to around one billion dollars, daily.

As well as opening the new border crossing, Calderon has pushed through an impressive package of other Mexico investments in infrastructure during a difficult economic period.

Mexico Investment In Airwaves

Mexico will start to auction off cellphone airwaves in May, said the Federal Telecommunications Commission, last week. The move is aimed to encourage investment and increase competition among mobile phone networks.

According to a law passed by the Mexican government in 2009, investors will pay annual fees of about $75 million over 20 years for one of the two airwave "blocks" available for new entrants.

The exact amount of time for the auction will depend on how many rounds of bidding there are. The agency will have 30 days to declare a winner after the auction closes.

Regulators say they want to use the airwave sale to encourage investment and competition with dominant operator America Movil, which owns Telcel in Mexico and has over 70% of Mexican cellphone subscribers.

Television company Grupo Televisa and telecom company, Axtel, may also use the opportunity to enter the wireless market.

America Movil could also bid for other airwaves to expand its phone and high-speed internet capacity.

Whatever the outcome of the auctions, the Mexico investment in telecoms will mean massive benefits for the consumer in terms of improved coverage, speed and service.

Starbucks Owes Mexico For Coffee Mugs?

Curious coffee break news from top U.S. financial publication, BusinessWeek, yesterday. They reported that Starbucks may owe money to Mexico for using Aztec images on coffee mugs.

An article on BusinessWeek.com said the Mexican government has notified Starbucks Corp. that intellectual property rights for the images of the Aztec calendar stone and the Pyramid of the Moon from the pre-Aztec ruins of Teotihuacan, near Mexico City, belong to Mexico.

The report said Starbucks is working with Mexico to resolve the issue and the mugs have been removed from shelves pending the discussions.

See the full story on the BusinessWeek website.

10 Reasons To Prosper In 2010

We wish all our readers a very Happy New Year!

We argued for much of 2009 that the time was becoming opportune to buy real estate in Mexico.

Well now, at the change of the year, the moment is really right and we'd like to share 10 reasons you can prosper in 2010 with Mexico real estate.

1) Exchange Rates

The dollar rose about 30% against the peso in 2009. You'll now get around 13 Mexican pesos to your greenback in 2010. This makes property and living in Mexico cheap.

2) Sound Investment Environment

Proof of Mexico making a sound investment is seen in the massive number of overseas investors that have already reaped success here. The solid legal framework helps make Mexico one of the safest high growth markets in the world to invest in.

3) Emerging Economies On The Rise

Smart institutional investors are putting their money into emerging economies right now. Traditionally poorer countries with great growth prospects are the latest fashion and Mexico tops the list.

4) Mortgage Loans Growth

The end of 2009 saw larges amounts of money raised in mortgage-backed securities and predictions of a boom in Mexico mortgage lending. With this influx of liquidity you can buy real estate in Mexico in 2010 and watch the value rise rapidly.

5) Massive Investments In Infrastructure

In Mexico, massive investment is still being made in infrastructure, particularly around the tourist zones. More new and improved infrastructure in 2010 will boost the prices of real estate.

6) Mexico Health Care

High quality, affordable health care has long been a reason to buy real estate in Mexico. In the U.S., Medicare and some private insurance companies may decide, in 2010, to cover Mexico health care for Americans, or many may opt to buy it directly themselves. Whatever happens, health care will remain much more affordable in Mexico and the standards are superb.

7) Sun, Sun and More Sun!

This hardly needs stating if you're reading this from a wintery North American climate. The weather in Mexico is excellent, especially on the Caribbean side where you can relax in the sun on the beach all year round.

8) Celebrity Spotting

All the top celebrities have been seen in Mexico lately and many have their own real estate here too: George Clooney, Mel Gibson, Meg Ryan, Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Aniston, Bono, Kurt Russell, Jennifer Lopez, Goldie Hawn, Charlize Theron, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Brad Pitt, Adam Sandler - need we go on?

9) People and Culture

The fantastic human assets of this beautiful country make for perhaps the biggest attraction. You'll always find Mexicans to be a friendly, welcoming folk and the culture is a colorful kaleidoscope of art, history, food and fascinating customs.

10) Range Of Quality Real Estate

There are not many places in the world that offer such an incredible range of architectural styles, property types and breathtaking locations. Whether you're looking for a beach lot in Tulum to construct your own dream home, a condo in Puerto Vallarta for the weekends with ocean and seas views or a cliff-top mansion in Los Cabos, you will find something to fit your taste.

We could go on of course, but hopefully these 10 reasons have already demonstrated why we are more sure than ever that now is the time to buy Mexico real estate. Have a great 2010!

Visit our information pages for more about property investment in Mexico.

Mexico Investment Bright

Mexico plans to invest $91.2 billion USD in power over the next 4 years, according to a recent new report from the government energy ministry, SENER.

Of the bright new Mexico investment, 49% will go to generation, 20.1% to the distribution sector, 18.5% to the transmission sector, 11.6% to maintenance and 0.8% to "other" investments.

The recently released 2009-24 forecast breaks down the massive Mexico investment in the energy sector and highlights the emphasis on renewable energy. SENER says renewable generation, which includes hydroelectric plants with less than 30MW capacity, is targetted to rise to 7.7% by 2012.

In a move to improve the planning of energy in Mexico, the SENER forecast looked 15 years ahead for the first time, previous forecasts covered only 10 years.

Despite the international economic squeeze cutting the government's budget they have still pushed through an impressive package of investment on infrastructure, gas and renewable energy.

Infrastructure projects are focussing on the major routes and tourism areas in order to boost local economies and real estate markets too.

As the year draws to a close, Mexico investment is a rising star. 2010 looks bright.

Prime Port Property: Manzanillo Real Estate

Nestled along the golden Mexican Pacific coast of Colima lays Manzanillo, known as the sailfish capital of the world, with its perfectly warm beach weather and an abundant array of attractions that will truly awaken your senses.

Manzanillo real estate is arranged around two large twin bays: Manzanillo and Santiago, offering exotic sunsets and chic resorts, many depicting a Mediterranean-Moorish style full of iconic history, offering an appealing and unique flare.

Barra de Navidad real estate, Costalegre real estate and Melaque real estate are three of the most popular local property markets today.

Manzanillo is also well-known for having the largest and busiest port in Western Mexico, which also receives international cruise ships annually. Those arriving by cruise can explore its boardwalk and historic downtown located just 10 minutes south of Manzanillo Bay.

A short walk downtown from most Manzanillo real estate, visitors can admire the iconic Sailfish Monument, the famous dancing fountain moving to the beat of traditional Mexican music, and enjoy the local gastronomy, shops and cafes.

Guests or owners of Manzanillo real estate will find activities that will satisfy any desire, from family fun, to romance, to meetings and conventions, various aquatic sports such as scuba diving, deep sea fishing, and snorkeling, to yacht rentals at Las Hadas, horseback rides, ecotourism outings, camping, and ATVs- to name a few. Golf aficionados will enjoy three world-class golf courses, some of which are surrounded by lagoons and mountains, and offer an ocean view. In February, visitors can take part in the National Sailfish tournament.

There is much hidden history in Manzanillo, from being a popular destination for Mediterranean royalty, to the infamous filming of the romantic comedy "10" with Bo Derek and Dudley Moore back in the late 70's.

Other attractions to consider are visits to the state capital of Colima, the Magical Town of Comala, Isla de Navidad, or the Museum of renowned artist Alejandro Rangel Hidalgo.

Visit our destinations pages to find out more about Manzanillo real estate.

UBS To Advise On Tulum Airport

El Universal newspaper reported, last week, that international investment bankers, UBS, will be acting as financial advisers on the new Tulum airport project in the Riviera Maya.

The Mexican daily's respected columnist, Alberto Aguilar, wrote that everything is ready to launch the Tulum airport bidding process in January and advisers have been chosen, including UBS, as financial advisers, and Mexican bank, Banobras, as the "assigned agent".

Although Aguilar didn't name his sources, the detail of the information in his column suggests he has reliable contacts that are closely involved in the project.

Aguilar said the Tulum airport land is all agreed (as previously reported by us), local concerns have been overcome and go ahead has been given from INAH (Mexico's archaelogy authority).

The article pointed out that it still remains to be seen if the Federal Competition (Anti Trust) Commission will allow the owner/operator of Cancun airport, ASUR, to bid, and that this will be a "tricky" decision for the Commission that could leave the way open for new players.

Aguilar suggests that private equity firm, Advent, will show interest in bidding, along with two other established Mexican airport operators - GAP (Pacific airports) and OMA (North Central airports).

Although the bidding process was expected to be launched this year, difficult financial markets and technical delays had caused the timetable to slip.

However, the launch of the bidding process for the new Tulum airport now looks certain for the New Year and 2010 will be a big year for Tulum.

Visit our destination information pages for more about Tulum airport.

Tulum Land And Beach Access Opens Up

Major improvements to Tulum's infrastructure took another step forward, this week, with the resurfacing of the Kulkulkan road, a new route connecting the main highway with prime Tulum land and beaches.

The road improvements make Tulum land along the southern beach strip more accessible.

The latest investment forms part of the authorities' fast-moving plans to develop the area in a convenient, responsible and environmentally sustainable manner.

The newly tarmacked road lies south of the existing one and will be a main artery through the "Kulkulkan Region".

Much of this zone is still undeveloped and offers many opportunities for investors looking to buy into Tulum land and other real estate projects.

The road runs along one side of the Aldea Zama project and connects Tulum town to the coast and some of the area's most pristine Caribbean white sand beaches.

Visit our destination pages to find out more about the area and investment opportunities in Tulum land.

Nayarit Real Estate Gets Ready For Regatta

Organizers announced, yesterday, that the "Bicentennial Edition" Mexico Cup Regatta will take place in Riviera Nayarit in 2010, as part of celebrations to mark the 200th anniverary of Mexico's independence and the passing of 100 years since the Mexican Revolution.

The world class sailing race, being held February 27th to March 13th 2010, will be used to promote Mexico and Nayarit real estate as destinations for sail and sport fishing, while at the same time, promote the country’s tourism attractions on a national and international level.

Mexico's tourism board said, "The Mexico Cup Regatta will set international standards for sailing competitions, generating important benefits for the country’s tourism promotion and will also have an important impact within the international nautical community."

Nayarit real estate, on Mexico's Pacific coast, has long been popular with yachtsman and watersports enthusiasts. A combination of great climate, consistent winds and breathtaking views make it one of the most beautiful places in the world to ride the ocean waves.

More than 1,500 athletes and support staff will flock to the Riviera Nayarit real estate area to help make the event a success, said organizers, they hope to make it one of the most successful events on the nautical calendar, up there with the America’s Cup, Copa del Rey, Volvo Ocean Race and Rolex Cup Racing.

Authorities and organizations involved in bringing the event to the coast of Nayarit real estate include Mexico’s Ministry of Tourism, the Navy, the State of Nayarit, the Mexico Tourism Board, Fonatur, (Mexico's National Trust for the Promotion of Tourism) and the Mexican Sailing Association will head the official “Bicentennial Edition” of the Mexico Cup Regatta.

To find out more about the area and where you could stay or buy property with the best views of the regatta, visit our destination page for Nayarit real estate.

Mexico Investment: Slim Says Time Is Right

Mexico investment and telecommunications tycoon, Carlos Slim, said this week that now is "the moment to invest" in Mexico.

Slim -- the world's third-wealthiest man, according to Forbes magazine -- praised the Mexican government's economic policies and said the favorable exchange rate, low interest rates and promotion of fiscal stability, all add up to make for a great opportunity to invest in Mexico.

On the sidelines of an art event in Mexico City, the 69 year old Mexican billionaire, said, "In this situation, the company that invests gets stronger than the company that does not invest ... I don’t have a doubt it's the moment to invest."

Slim's comments come at the end of a year that has already seen a raft of foreign businesses commit billions in Mexico and he explained that the central bank's all time low interest rate has increased the availability of cheap credit.

This, coupled with the weaker peso, helps exporters, making Mexico investment extremely attractive.

The interest rate has been maintained at a record low of 4.5 percent for four months by the Mexican central bank, as the government seeks to encourage Mexico investment and growth without driving up inflation.

The Mexican peso has also dropped 16 percent against the US dollar in the past two years, making goods manufactured in Mexico and exported to the U.S. much cheaper.

Equally, real estate in Mexico offers excellent investment opportunities right now too, as you will see from our 10 reasons to buy Mexico real estate in 2010. If you'd like to find out more on how you can make money from the property market here check out our advice on Mexico investment.

Mexico Mortgage Growth To Ignite Property Market

As Mexico's economy bounces back from recession it looks like growth in Mexico mortgage loans is set to ignite the real estate market.

Last month, the federal government-backed mortgage agency, Infonavit, sold almost $200 million of mortgage-based securities through financial markets. The sale attracted foreign buyers: a sign that confidence in Mexico real estate is high.

Following on from that news, Enrique Zorrilla, a top Citigroup banker, told the Wall Street Journal yesterday that Mexican bank loans will grow at a faster rate than the economy, with Mexico mortgage and commercial lending being the main contributors.

The extra liquidity and positive psychological effects of the increased Mexico mortgage lending are expected to give the already buoyant Mexican property market a significant extra boost.

As an abundance of foreign investors and businesses line up to invest in Mexico -- from Marriott hotels, to IBM computers, to Electrolux household appliances -- it stands to reason that more multinational cash will find its way into real estate too.

Add to this the boom in Mexico mortgage loans and it's clear conditions are right to spark an explosion in property buying.

Demand will start to overwhelm supply, say Mexico real estate professionals, and sharp growth in property prices can be expected over the coming years.

The rise is predicted to affect the commerical markets to begin with but this will quickly overflow into the residential and vacation home markets too.

For the savvy investor looking for a secure haven with high returns, the opportunities in Mexico are now many.

Take a look at our Mexico finance pages for more about investment properties and Mexico mortgages.

Mexico Health Care Answer For U.S. Reforms?

As the health care reform debate rages in the Senate to the north, many U.S. baby-boomers south of the border have already found their solution for quality, affordable medical treatment.

A recent article from Time magazine pointed to the trend of Americans moving to Mexico, not just to relax in the sun, but also to take advantage of Mexico health care.

Paul Crist, an expat resort owner in Puerto Vallarta, told the news magazine that covering medical treatment in Mexico could save Medicare almost a quarter of the average cost for most procedures. "My research, as well as the research of others, shows that health care in Mexico costs less than a third of that in the U.S.", he said.

It's a great solution, but, despite the benefits, Medicare does not currently cover treatment in Mexico. Crist told Time this means many Medicare-eligible expats living in Mexico are forced to travel back to the U.S. for medical treatment, even though they have paid into the system during their working lives.

Time quoted examples of Mexico health care costs compared with those in the U.S. from various studies and reliable sources: a doctor's office visit or house call costs only $25 to $40 in Mexico; a hip replacement costs $12,000 with Mexico health care compared with $43,000 and $63,000 in the U.S.; and a coronary bypass in Mexico costs an average of $21,000 compared to $149,000 in the U.S. - savings and quality treatment that could be enough to make anyone feel fit again.

As the health debate continues, expect to hear more about the benefits of allowing Medicare to cover Mexico health care. Although there may be opposition from some U.S. health care industry groups, expats south of the border support the idea (about 200,000 of the 1 million U.S. citizens living in Mexico are thought to be Medicare-eligible) as well as others who see the common sense savings that can be made by using Mexico health care where convenient.

As Crist told Time, "The opportunity to provide services to Americans at much lower cost outside the U.S. border is enormous. This is pushing even private insurers to explore coverage options outside of the U.S., and Medicare will certainly be a part of this globalization, sooner or later."

In the meantime, expect the tide of Americans moving south of the border to continue. Whether vacation home owners or retirees, whether Medicare users or not, one of the top reasons for people to move south will continue to be the economical benefit of high quality Mexico health care.

Visit our website advice pages for more about living in Mexico or Mexico health care.