“At the end of the day, I want to be sitting on my patio with a margarita in my hand watching the sun dive into the ocean,” says Stuart McGregor as he surveys his new vacation home.  He’s not surprised to have a luxury vacation property – after all, he worked for years in Calgary [...]

Owning a luxurious beachfront home sounds like a great dream, doesn’t it? Instead of fighting biting cold winds and the endless harsh noises of city traffic, you wake up every morning to warm, humid weather and the sound of the surf crashing on the beach. You can have your coffee on your veranda as you [...]

A few summers ago, our family ventured out to the Marieta Islands, a small chain of tiny islands and rock formations near Puerta Vallarta. Our adventure began with a 15-minute boat ride from the seaside village of Punta de Mita to our island destination. Schools of dolphin skimmed along next to our small motorboat, and [...]

The U.S. credit crunch and financial meltdown is pushing a growing number of American real estate companies and investors to look outside the United States for opportunities. Many fear that the deepening crisis will lead to more layoffs and a sharp pullback in demand for real estate space, causing occupancy, rents and values to tumble. [...]

 Not quite equal to Dubai or Shanghai, but nevertheless the skyline of Puerto Vallarta is dotted with tower cranes evidencing the explosive growth and progress along the Mexican Riviera. These huge tower cranes are the modern form of balance cranes; not exactly what one would expect to see in a sleepy little Mexican fishing village. [...]

Shawnee residents last week proved a little bit of help can go a long way. On Thursday, members of the Shawnee Rotary Club returned from the small village of Chacala, Mexico, where they helped build a health clinic. Though only seven people went on the weeklong trip, the small group was able to have a [...]

The tiny plane that had remained dark and quiet since departing Houston was suddenly quieter as the pilot reduced engine power and the nose of the aircraft began to tip downwards. With this cue, window shades were lifted and the blinding sun of a Mexican afternoon saturated the cabin. Eyelids were forced open just in [...]

   The rapid growth in use of a new Internet technology over the past two years by Mexico real estate brokers has resulted in a de facto Mexican multiple listing service (MLS). The new system better serves buyers and sellers of real estate throughout coastal and other regions of interest to foreign buyers. This progress [...]

Who says you have to suffer for your art? The unofficial Karen Lutz/Kirsten Smith manual states that nothing makes writing fun faster than a partner, a pool and a couple “bottles of Woo!” Lutz and Smith (“10 Things I Hate About You,” “Legally Blonde,” “Ella Enchanted”) are one of the most successful female writing teams [...]

While U.S. airlines have been dropping like flies (or at least grounding their planes and filing for bankruptcy), Mexico’s discount airlines have been steadily adding new destinations. Rather than suffering an interminable bus ride, now you can start your vacation in Guadalajara and zip over to Cancún to end it on the beach for about [...]

A long swell moved from the open Pacific and approached the top of the rock-studded point. The gathering green wave sparkled under the high sun and blue sky as it pushed across the shelving bottom. It lifted against the offshore breeze, and the crest pitched amid a crackle of spray. The head-high wave broke in [...]

Mexico-our new winner 2007 Moving up four places to take our top spot as the world’s top retirement haven this year is Mexico. Mexico offers the perfect mix of centuries-old traditions and contemporary lifestyles. Moving to Mexico means you can still have all of the amenities you grew accustomed to north of the border: cable [...]

From Alberta lakes to exotic overseas destinations, recreation property continues to be a status symbol, an investment choice, and — perhaps most important — an escape. These properties take on many forms: lakeside cabins, luxury condos in resort developments, and even single-family homes. And depending on where they buy, owners might be able to purchase [...]

Hi from Sayulita, Mexico. I am writing to you from our open ended beachfront Villa Amor. We are about an hour’s drive from Puerto Vallarta. The resort is situated in a small horseshoe bay. You can throw rocks into the ocean water from our apartment. Everything is so handy; plenty of cafes and stores at [...]

For the second consecutive year, condominium construction has outpaced that of hotels. According to the housing consulting firm Softec Mexico, sales of tourist housing in 2007 totaled 18,000 units, an increase of 52.5% as compared to the previous year. Puerto Vallarta occupied the lead position in sales; other areas that demonstrated dynamic activity included Los [...]