My Baja Coast : Announcements

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

My Baja Coast — Sun, 18 Apr 2010 21:06:00 GMT

Mexico is silentlyworking on proposals aimed at drawing millions of U.S. retirees to thiscountry, which could eventually lead to the most ambitious U.S.-Mexican projectsince the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement.

President Felipe Calderón is likely to propose the first stepstoward expanding U.S. retirement benefits and medical tourism to Mexico when hegoes to Washington on an official visit May 19, according to well-placedofficials 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 andsocial well-being in both countries,'' Mexico's ambassador to the United StatesArturo Sarukhan told me. ``We will be seeking to increasingly discuss thisissue in coming months and years.''

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

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

A GROWING MARKET

There are already an estimated 1 million Americans living inMexico. And according to Mexican government estimates based on U.S. Censusfigures, 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 toretire.

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

The key to luring more U.S. medical tourists and retirees toMexico and other Latin American countries will be getting hospitals in theregion to be certified by the U.S. Joint International Commission, whichestablishes that they meet U.S. hospitals' standards. There are already eightMexican hospitals certified by the JIC and several others awaitingcertification.

According to Mexican government estimates, healthcare costs inMexico are about 70 percent lower than in the United States. And from my ownexperience, those estimates are right: As I reported at the time, when I washospitalized in Mexico two years ago for an emergency operation, my hospitalbill 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 thatwould allow the U.S. Health Care Financing Administration to pay for Medicarebenefits to U.S. retirees in Mexico. Under current rules, Medicare only covershealthcare services in the United States.

IT JUST MAKES SENSE

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

You won't read much about it now because neither Calderón norObama will emphasize it publicly while the drug-related violence in northernMexico is making big headlines, and while the political wounds from the recentU.S. healthcare debate are still open in Washington, D.C.

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

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

Demography, geography and economics are pointing in thatdirection. With the U.S. population getting older, a record U.S. budgetdeficit, rising U.S. healthcare costs, and Mexico and other Latin Americancountries badly needing more tourism and investments, this should be a win-winfor everybody.

Merger Creates Baja’s Real Estate Powerhouse!

Victor Loza — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 00:40:00 GMT

One of Rosarito Beach’s Star Brokers Joins RE/MAX!!!!

One of the largest and most successful independentreal estate offices in northern Baja, Your Baja Connection, has joined theRE/MAX network.

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

Gustavo Torres, Broker/Owner of RE/MAX Baja Realtyhad this comment on the merger between Your Baja Connection and RE/MAX; “We aregoing to see a lot more mergers like this around the country. RE/MAX excels atgiving their brokers and agents the most extensive training, the besttechnology, and the best systems in the real estate industry. In Northern Bajawe have experienced an increase in market share as more and more agents haverealized the advantages that RE/MAX provides for them, especially in today’sreal estate market.”

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

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

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

Sharon Heafey, one of the principals of Your BajaConnection, had the following statement about the merger: “We chose to beaffiliated with RE/MAX because of Gustavo Torres’ wonderful background andstrong community ties,” adding that “Gustavo has done everything possible tomake us feel at home and able to get up and running immediately. The merger givesus the opportunity to provide the highest level of service to our buyers andsellers. We are looking forward to working with the respected professionalagents that are part of the RE/MAX network.”

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

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

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

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

The Re/Max – Your Baja Connection merger willresult on a better service to you; this merger means more exclusive propertiesfor you to choose from and many more bargains.

Re/Max – Your Baja Connection provides real estate andrelocation services for buyers in Mexico.

Yes, you can have a good experience purchasing property inMexico. You want to make sure that you have a knowledgeable, experienced, andethical agent.

When you are ready to make an offer there are a myriad ofadditional considerations and concerns, but if you have selected the rightagent, you will have the right person to guide and protect you.

AtRe/Max Baja, we understand all these issues; we havepurchased and gone through the process ourselves.

Re/Max Bajawants to be Your Baja Connection, Our team is ready toassist you in a worry-free purchase of your new retirement or vacation home orcondo in Mexico.

Re/Max Baja can be reached at 619.272.3316, via email at info@mybajacoast.com