New Blog Page

We are now live on our new blog page.

You can access it direct via WWW.RRESTATESERVICES.COM/BLOG or through our website at www.RRestateservices.com.

If you are on our website just head to the bottom left and you'll see the red Blog tab.

See you soon!

Site Under Construction

We are in the process of moving the blog to our website...please stay tuned!

SK Films Presents "Flight of the Butterflies"

Posted by Mary via Mexico Today

SK Films is proud to present Flight of the Butterflies, an opportunity to experience the natural phenomenon that is the annual monarch butterfly migration through film. The iconic monarch is truly a marvel of nature. It weighs less than a penny, and manages to make one of the longest migrations on Earth across a continent to a destination they have never been. With pinpoint navigational accuracy, monarchs travel these 3,000 miles to the sanctuaries in Mexico. 

Follow the monarchs’ perilous and extraordinary journey, and join hundreds of millions of real butterflies in the remote mountain peaks of Mexico. For the very first time, witness the transformation from caterpillar to butterfly. This includes being able to see inside a chrysalis, due to advanced MRI and micro CT scans. Become lost in the compelling story of a courageous scientist’s 40-year search to find the secret migration destination of monarchs.

This award-winning film team – including Oscar winner Peter Parks – followed the year-long migration cycle of the monarch butterflies. Experience the journey from Canada, through the United States, to a few remote, 10,000 foot high peaks in the Sierra Madre Mountains of Mexico, and back. This film captures the awe and wonder of the breathtaking sanctuaries, and interweaves spellbinding natural history with an uplifting human story. 

Experience the phenomenon. Unravel the mysteries. Witness the journey. Flight of the butterflies.

Mexico makes great strides in business sophistication according to World Economic Forum Global Competiveness Index

Original post by Mexico Today

According to the World Economic Forum Global Competitiveness Report, Mexico has advanced 23 spots in the rankings in the area of business sophistication in the last two years.

The World Economic Forum defines business sophistication as two elements - the quality of a country’s overall business networks and the quality of individual firms’ operations and strategies. The quality of a country’s business networks and supporting industries, as measured by the quantity and quality of local suppliers and the extent of their interaction, is important for a variety of reasons.

The World Economic Forum pays close attention to clusters – companies and suppliers from a particular sector that are interconnected in geographically proximate groups. In these clusters, efficiency is heightened, greater opportunities for innovation in processes and products are created, and barriers to entry for new firms are reduced. In Mexico, clusters in the fields of aerospace and automotive manufacturing have contributed greatly to Mexico’s climate of business sophistication.

In the following video, some of the top CEO's in North America take time to discuss the opportunities for manufacturing in Mexico. Overall the advancements in aerospace and automotive technologies have positioned Mexico's manufacturing sector as one of the best in the world. Also, according to Louise Goeser, Mexico is one of the least expensive countries to do business, making Mexico an investors’ paradise.

Cost of Living in Mexico

Original article by International Living

Everyone seems to agree: the quality of your life improves in Mexico.  Things take longer...so you'll need to learn to slow down.  Goods and services costs less...so you can afford the kinds of luxuries only the very wealthy enjoy up north - like a maid, a cook, and a gardener.  And in Mexico you have the good fortune of giving up very little when you make your move.  You're heading to a near neighbor where you can get internet, cable TV, and all the other comforts you're used to...

Here's a sample monthly budget for two people:

Housing (rental of a two-bedroom home)                                                                               $800
Utilities (electricity, gas, water, phone, cable TV, internet)                                                     $200
Groceries                                                                                                                                 $300
Entertainment (dining out and other activities)                                                                        $250
Health care (two people on IMSS insurance, plus $70 per month for incidentals)                  $112
Household help:

• Maid: Three times a week                                                                                             $160
• Gardner: Three times a week                                                                                         $192

Incidentals                                                                                                                                $150

Monthly total                                                                                                                           $2,164

Everyone's lifestyle requirements are different.  You could live on less.  It's possible to rent a place for $400 a month (or even less).  If you don't need cable TV or internet, you can save on those expenses.  

*Note: In Huatulco, a maid will cost you about $150-200 pesos for three times a week

Mesamérica Promotes Mexican Cuisine with the Help of World Renowned Chefs

Thinking About Listing Your Property?

The decision to list your property for sale can be a big one and there are many things you can do to improve your odds of selling. We’ve included just a few tips that every seller should read before they decide to put their property on the market.


Put Together Some Paperwork:
Make a detailed list of all previous repairs and upgrades you’ve made to the property. This will help your agent know what should be mentioned when they tour with prospective buyers. Improvements can be great selling features because they mean less work for the new owners down the road. You should also include copies of your title and most recent property tax payments.

Declutter Your Stuff:
Before you list your property for sale, you should start the process of getting rid of things you no longer need or use. Start in one area and work your way through every room, deciding as you go if these are items you will throw away, keep, sell, or donate.
In doing this, you will also reduce the amount of things you’ll have to move out of your property when you sell it. You may also want to consider putting away personal items and family photographs, making it easier for prospective buyers to visualize themselves living there.

Mexico, Tourism and the Future

By Lisa Coleman for Mexico Today

Mexico recently stepped onto the world stage, and this time it was for all the right reasons. It’s no secret the headlines don’t do Mexico many favors, but perhaps the tides are turning. Perhaps there will be some much needed focus on the good news in Mexico… because there IS good news… and lots of it. 

Robert Redford and His Connection to Mexico

Cleantech Challenge Mexico Promotes Green Industry Development and Green Economy in Mexico

Story by Megan for Mexico Today

In 2008, Mexico followed in the environmental footsteps of cities like Boston and London in the creation of the Cleantech Challenge Mexico (CTCM). Cleantech Challenge Mexico is a tournament of sorts that was originally initiated in Nairobi, Kenya.

Destination Huatulco!

Posted from suncountry.com

Travel to Huatulco, Mexico!

Sun Country is excited to offer non stop service from Minneapolis/St. Paul to Huatulco, Mexico! Plan your Mexico vacation to beautiful Huatulco with weekly service beginning December 22, 2012 departing and returning every Saturday.

Fly to Huatulco, and see why it was awarded the Green Globe certification for its standard of cleanliness and commitment to environmental protection. Aside from just relaxing at beautiful hotels in Huatulco, the area offers activities such as bird watching, zip lining, rafting, horseback riding, quad biking and a full range of water sports. Diving, snorkeling, kayaking, surfing, windsurfing, and marlin fishing can be enjoyed in the emerald green sea. And if lucky, you can swim alongside dolphins and turtles.

Sun Country Airlines Flying to Huatulco

Article by Wendy Lee of the Star Tribune

Twin Cities flights to Tampa are about to get cheaper.

Discounter Sun Country Airlines said Thursday it will compete head-to-head against Twin Cities' dominant carrier Delta Air Lines in December, offering four nonstop seasonal flights to Tampa each week. 

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day from everyone here at Resort Real Estate Services.

We hope that your day is a special one filled with relaxation and pampering...you deserve it!

Chefs with Issues: The Mexico I Know

Original post is by Pati Jinich via CNN.

Chefs With Issues is a platform for chefs and farmers we love, fired up for causes about which they're passionate. Patricia Jinich is chef at the Mexican Cultural Institute. She also hosts "Pati’s Mexican Table" on National Public Television and blogs at Pati's Mexican Table.

 

I was born and raised in Mexico City, in a family where every taco happens to be, as my dad boasts, “the best taco you’ve ever had in your entire life." That is, until you eat the next one.

Living in the US, I am often dismayed at how my home country is portrayed in the media. For some, it’s easy to just write off the entire country as dangerous and riddled with cartel violence. As a former political analyst, I am not in denial about the hurdles my country faces, but the Mexico illustrated in some news reports is certainly not the Mexico I know and love - nor is it the Mexico experienced by the 22.67 million international tourists that visited last year.

Cooking, eating and sharing Mexican food has helped me and my Mexican-American boys connect with our heritage. Plus, I truly believe that its warm, generous, colorful cuisine has the power to make Americans fall in love with Mexico - one bite at a time.

Unlike my three older sisters, I did not join the food world early on. Labeled “the intellectual” in the family, I studied to become a political analyst and delved into Mexico’s history, leaving tacos for mealtime. It wasn’t until I was married and living in Texas that my interest in Mexican food grew beyond my plate. I became hungrier for the food and culture that nurtured my childhood.

I started cooking at home; it was the best way I knew how to take care of my husband, and later my boys.  Saucy huevos rancheros on late morning weekends, steaming tamales when we had friends over, soothing caldo de pollo when they got sick, panqué marmoleado to finish with something sweet, aguas frescas to freshen our meals. I began my hunt for Mexican ingredients, which as the years moved on, became increasingly available as the American appetite grew for a wider Mexican food experience.

Eventually, I traded my policy papers for cooking pots. As a chef at the Mexican Cultural Institute, where I direct and teach a Mexican Culinary Program, I embrace the opportunity to share Mexico’s rich culture and diverse cuisine. In fact, it is so rich and unique it has UNESCO world heritage status.

When my students, TV show viewers and American friends raise the inevitable questions about traveling to Mexico, I point to my own experience traveling with my young family. Each time we’ve returned to Mexico, I delightfully find the Mexico that I know.

Overall and underneath, there is a country and culture that is just like its food: incredibly rich, colorful, genuine, giving and accommodating. Just like a luscious mole sauce, with subtle layers of warmth, comfort, ease and hospitality.

Together, we have ridden the entire Copper Canyon route, sampling our way from Los Mochis in Sinaloa to Chihuahua, where the cook of a local restaurant drove us in the back of her wagon to the hotel as our littlest one fell asleep.

We’ve eaten such tasty freshly made gorditas in the train stops that, to this day, I hear complaints about how we need to go back for those exact same ones. We almost missed the train as I chased after the fresh fruit cart man, who quickly opened sweet ripe mangoes and topped them with fresh lime juice, salt and ground pequin chile, because it is better to miss the train than to eat the mango without the whole works.

In a market in Merida, we were invited into a stranger’s kitchen to learn the secret to the perfect achiote recado, the paste that has uniquely seasoned countless dishes in the Yucatan for centuries. The sweetest Purepecha cook taught the boys how to work the Michoacán black clay into the cutest mugs and cups, so that the cook's aunt could show me how to prepare corundas (similar to tamales) in her own kitchen. It’s our culture to feed the people we love, and share it with those who are interested in exploring it.

As varied as the places I’ve been throughout the country, they all share an eclectic and wonderful mix of centuries-old traditions with a weaving of the new and modern. Mexicans are natural hosts – they will do everything they can to make you feel at home in their country and in their homes. We will place our own plates in front of you, if you happen to be hungry. This warmth and openness really sets Mexico apart as a tourist destination.

The travel and tourism industry is crucial to Mexico. It’s the source of jobs, opportunities and tremendous pride for millions of people. When you read certain headlines, please take your margarita with more than a grain of salt; what you read in the news is not necessarily gospel. Mexico is a vast, beautiful and diverse country. The overwhelming majority of incidents have taken place in the border areas, more than a two-hour flight from popular tourist destinations like Los Cabos or the Riviera Maya - and cartel-related incidents targeted at tourists are incredibly rare, virtually unheard of.

If you open your mind and your heart you will find a Mexico that is as warm, vibrant and as nurturing as the food itself. The more I savor Mexico, the more I realize how much more I have yet to taste, to travel, to see, to learn and to share. In fact, I think experiences of Mexico are just like tacos - you think you’ve had the best one ever, until you try the next.

Villa Encantada - A Cool Casa

Have a look at this new Cool Casa here: http://rreshuatulco.blogspot.mx/p/featured-property.html

It's Hot in April!

It's hot right now!

Both the weather and the real estate.  This is by far our most extended real estate season yet.

What do I mean by this?

Generally, property tours tend to cool down about now as the tourist season winds down and spring begins to arrive back in the cooler climates.  Well, we are busier than ever at the moment and buyers are sensing the bottom of the market and are buying now before we make the turn into the next season.

This is a smart move, and those that have been following the real estate market in Huatulco know that now is the time to buy a property.  

All of the signs are now upon us that Huatulco is poised to become a world class desirable destination.  We already know about all of the great beaches, culture, and bargain properties compared to other locations in Mexico.  And now, with The Secrets Hotel & Resorts officially open, the soon to come Riu Palace Hotel, the four-lane highway expansion, and a host of other business developments in the area, Huatulco is making it's way on to the map.  

Granted that dot on the map might be a small one right now but, this is how it always starts for an emerging destination.

As International Living Magazine said in their November 2008 issue..."Invest Here Today and Watch Prices Boom."

We hope to see you soon!

2012 Huatulco ITU World Cup Triathlon

The 2012 Huatulco ITU World Cup Triathlon is coming back this May 6th and is a professional only event this time around. 

The competition is going to be fierce this time around as the athletes will be vying for Olympic qualifying points.

This is the first time that this event has been held in May and it is sure to be a hot one!  May is typically one of the hottest months down here as the transition in seasons goes from very dry to the first rains of the year.

The 1.5 km swim will begin on beautiful Playa Santa Cruz.  Once the athletes exit the water they will head for the transition area for the bike stage which will last for a total of 40km.  From here, the final stage will be the 10 km run and the heat at this point in the morning will be a huge factor.

If you have not been to this event before and can sneek away for a little vacation come on down and enjoy this great event.

See you all soon!

Travel Detective Blog - Why I Travel to Mexico

The original post is by Peter Greenberg at petergreenberg.com

This past week Peter was down in Ixtapa, Mexico to prepare for his upcoming radio broadcast. Even passing through Mexico City’s 7.0 earthquake on Tuesday didn’t dampen his enthusiasm for travel within the country. Read his latest blog to find out why he is still traveling to Mexico and you should too.

 

Let me state something from the outset. I am not an unabashed apologist for Mexico, or its spokesman or an endorser. I am writing this as a veteran traveler to Mexico who has been going down there since 1973 without a single incident.

The Huatulco Real Estate Market

After a rather schizophrenic start to the real estate season here in Huatulco, it seems as though the buyers are returning despite all of the media scare tactics.

The month of March is proving to be a busy one indeed and prospective buyers are looking at all types of property...land, single family homes, and condos.

Purchase price points seems to be opening up a tad as well, as we are seeing a modest return to interest in prices $700,000 and higher.  The market is still being dominated by purchases in at $400,000 and less price but, it is clear that things are beginning to move again.

Investment opportunities abound in Huatulco and it looks like interested developers are poking around for projects that they can secure now in a depressed market, hoping to gain on the back end for the long term.  

All in all, things are beginning to look up, and we anticipate a strong closure to the high season in Huatulco. 

A Day in the Life of a Realtor

Have you ever wondered what your realtor does for you?  I sometimes think that the perceptions of what an agent does from day to day, is often misunderstood.

It's no secret that the state of the market is a little soft right now which means your agent is working harder than ever to find a buyer or renter for your property.  Let's have a look at a typical day here in Huatulco.  Oh, and despite what all of our friends think, we don't go to the beach everyday, we work hard down here!

6:30am - Wake up early and take the dog for a walk before checking the incoming emails.  Sometimes, this is the best time to be online as the distractions of the office have not yet taken hold

9:00am - Arrive at the office and conduct sales meeting and the days follow up and any pending deals in the pipeline

10:00am - Follow up emails or phone calls with clients

11:00am - Discuss and implement any marketing initiatives for listed properties or brand development

12:00am - Follow up with any rental vacation inquiries received and manage the rental client and their property desires, check availability, special needs, coordinate payment, airport arrival, and other details related to their stay

1:00pm - Conduct prospective buyer meetings or property tours

2:00pm - Lunch.

3:00pm - Compose online marketing for mass email blasts about our properties

4:00pm - Prospect for buyers through existing network and other brokers in Mexico and other countries

5:00pm - Follow up on any property management issues and tend to these issues

6:00pm - Blog, Tweet, Facebook, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and any other social media that the company may be using to connect to our clients better and open up other networks for sales, rentals, or property management opportunities.

6:30pm - Go home, feed the dog

7:30pm - Meet clients for dinner to discuss the properties they were interested in, or prospect for new buyers by socializing at restaurants, bars, or other social venues

9:30pm - Head home and hit the sheets by 10:30pm

What a day!  So, there you have it, this is the Coles Notes version of a day in the life of a real estate agent in Huatulco.  Granted that not all of these things occur everyday of the week, but I think you get the jist.  Your agents and your brokers wear many different hats down here.  We are typically CEOs, accountants, marketers, sales agents, property managers, rental managers, shuttle drivers and tour guides all in one. 

Oh, and did I mention that we work 6-7 days a week!