US investors are deeply concerned about the status of their retirement savings. Recent studies have indicated that American workers are not saving enough for retirement. A new study by HSBC indicates that Americans are in good company. Worldwide, indications point to an entire generation of people who do not have sufficient retirement savings.

Currently, a very small percentage of working individuals are well prepared for retirement. At the opposite end of the spectrum are a large number of people who are categorically unprepared for retirement. These people will always struggle to get by and may never be able to exit the workforce. For the people in between, the picture is not so clear, but there remains a significant chance that this group will also be unprepared for retirement.

The HSBC study indicates that the single biggest risk for coming up short in retirement is relying on a single source of retirement income. Worldwide, different groups prefer different investment vehicles for retirement savings, but the real risk is not so tightly tied to the retirement savings vehicle as it is to the diversity of income sources.

If you’re looking for a way to diversify your retirement savings, the purchase of real estate in emerging economies offers the potential for significant gains. Right now, Mexico is one of the hottest emerging economies and Puerto Vallarta is one of the hottest real estate markets within Mexico. There is no better time to invest in real estate here. Currently, property values are rising at a rate of about 10 percent per year. This condition has been present for the past ten years and experts believe that double-digit growth here will continue for at least the next five years.

It’s never a bad idea to diversify your retirement savings, as long as you can find a safe, reliable investment vehicle. Right now, Puerto Vallarta real estate seems to be the best offer on the table in term of value, stability, and growth potential.

Photo Credit: Jorge Vicente

The Puerto Vallarta real estate market really stands out from the crowd. Popular retirement destinations like Florida and Arizona, luxury real estate markets in California and suburbia in just about every market are declining across the board. The slump doesn’t stop there, however. Key markets in Europe are also experiencing sharp real estate declines.

The Spanish market is at a virtual standstill. UK’s real estate market could take years to recover and Turkey recently suspended new property sales to non-citizens in order to revamp its real estate purchase regulations.

Not all markets are having a tough time. Emerging real estate markets, like those found in Mexico and some parts of Asia, are doing a booming business. Those areas that offer a high quality of life, low cost of living and a high potential for an excellent return on investment.

Puerto Vallarta also offers a tropical climate, close proximity to the US, and an environment that is easy for non-Spanish speakers to navigate. For the past seventeen years running, Puerto Vallarta has provided clean, drinkable municipal water that meets or exceeds US drinking water standards. The pleasant atmosphere only adds to the many other benefits that potential investors will find in Puerto Vallarta.

Puerto Vallarta is one of the best real estate markets in which to invest these days. Investors from all over the world are looking for opportunities to shelter their assets and they’re looking hard at Puerto Vallarta real estate as a vehicle to do that. Regardless of what drives your investment, Puerto Vallarta has something exciting to offer.

Prominent real estate investors have stopped looking inside the United States for investment-quality real estate deals. Instead, market gurus like Sam Zell are looking in the Mexico real estate market for properties with real money-making potential. The Mexico real estate market is on fire these days because there are so many exciting things happening in the Mexico economy, especially in the “tourist cities.”

The Federal government is making massive investments in infrastructure in an effort to diversify the Mexican economy and establish it as an economic power in Latin America. Mexico is trying to become a worldwide trading power. To do that, Mexico must build new infrastructure, replace existing infrastructure and tap into new worldwide markets.

As part of its plan to finance this effort, Mexico is trying to increase the number of tourist dollars it takes in and is also trying to attract retirees from the US, Canada, Europe and Asia with its low cost of living and high quality of life.

These infrastructure investments – new interstate highways, bridges and tunnels; airports and marine terminals; universities; water treatment facilities that will deliver clean drinking water to 95% of the country’s population; and telecommunications and data infrastructure combined with federal policies that encourage foreign investment in Mexico are pushing interest in Mexico real estate and driving its price up. “Fly-in” areas that are easily accessible by airport – like Puerto Vallarta – are in especially high demand.

If you plan to take advantage of the double-digit growth in residential real estate in Puerto Vallarta, you’ll want to be sure to choose the best possible investment property because the old real estate maxim still applies: location, location, location! Few places in Mexico can offer you everything that Puerto Vallarta does and investors in Puerto Vallarta real estate will be well positioned to take advantage of the coming changes here.

Photo Credit: Josh Klute

Retirement is on many peoples’ minds these days. Baby boomers are planning for their imminent retirements. Younger people are wondering whether or not they’ll have enough money to retire with. People who have already retired are wondering how they’re going to make ends meet. Puerto Vallarta offers a wonderful opportunity for people who are looking for fresh retirement strategies.

Puerto Vallarta is really a two-way strategy. First, the appreciation of property down here is phenomenal – ten percent returns for the past ten years. You won’t find that in any market in the US! Second, the cost of living down here is absolutely manageable for people who have already retired, or are about to retire and are concerned that their savings won’t carry them far enough.

Conventional retirement strategies say that you don’t retire in a recession. Guess what? There’s no recession in Mexico. Mexico is so close to the US, and the quality of living is so high – especially in a place like Puerto Vallarta – that you’d be foolish to overlook such an opportunity.

The name of the game in successful retirement strategies is to save enough to provide 80% of your working income, or to reduce your cost of living significantly enough to get by on lower overall savings. Living in Puerto Vallarta can help you do just that without reducing your quality of living.

In Puerto Vallarta, you’ll be able to afford to hire household help with meals and the laundry. You can also afford to hire groundskeeping and maintenance assistance. There’s no reason to give up your dream of retiring in luxury, as long as a Puerto Vallarta home is one of your retirement strategies!

There are several stellar opportunities to acquire gorgeous property and build a luxury home here in Puerto Vallarta. Do your research, and while you’re looking, be sure to check out Select Mexico Properties.

Downturns happen, and when they do, they can be scary, especially when they affect your retirement savings. Many people want to know how they can protect their retirement when things aren’t so rosy. The simple answer is that a diversified portfolio contains investments that contain both bull market investments and bear market investments. This sound simplistic, but it’s a time-honored strategy.

So where do you find good bear market investments? Gold is always high on the list of bear market investments. Real estate is another good choice, as long as you pick the right market. Right now, US real estate holdings are suffering, but markets outside the US are doing much better.

The best opportunity to find high-performance bear market investments right now in the Western hemisphere lies in Mexico. The Mexico real estate market has been outperforming the US real estate market for several years, as the first baby boomers have begun to prepare for retirement.

Certain areas of Mexico are turning in a stellar investment performance when it comes to the value of real estate holdings. The Puerto Vallarta area is a prime example of this. Property values here have been on a double-digit appreciation path for the past ten years.

The news for property owners in Puerto Vallarta gets even better. While there are a significant number of condo projects being built right now, which could foster some concern about overbuilding, the population of Puerto Vallarta is expected to increase by nearly 75% in the next seven years. People who are looking for high-performing properties that provide solid returns aren’t looking at the condos. They’re looking north of the city, for prime waterfront building sites where they can build a custom home.

Select Mexico Properties has about 100 premium building sites in San Pancho that are being sold right now. These lots feature some of the most beautiful building sites in the Puerto Vallarta region. Visit the site and take a look at what’s being offered. You’ll see why these investment properties will make much better bear market investments that high-rise apartment-style condos will.

Photo Credit: Lonnie Bradley

A new survey from Bell Investment Advisors and Opinion Research Corp., says that nearly one-third of 60-year-olds with investable assets of $1 million or more doubt that $1 million in retirement investments is sufficient. Another forty percent of people in the same age range are reducing their expenses by cutting their charitable contributions, shifting vacation plans, cutting their retirement savings or delaying retirement. More than half – 54 percent – said that finding higher performing investments will be their primary investing goal for the next five years.

In that case, it’s not surprising that investors are looking at high-performance real estate as a good way to meet their primary investing goals. While real estate values in the US have been stagnant or declining, Puerto Vallarta real estate has been soaring. For investors looking for a high rate of return, purchasing the right Puerto Vallarta property can produce outstanding results.

So what is the best advice for investors who are worried about the value of their assets? Applying a balanced investment strategy to a portfolio can help it weather downturns in one or more sectors. If your portfolio isn’t well balanced, adding some high performing Puerto Vallarta real estate can help you reach your investment goals regardless of the state of the US markets.

Photo Credit: Steve Woods

This isn’t going to surprise you if you’ve been paying attention to the Puerto Vallarta real estate markets lately: Puerto Vallarta is one of the top Mexico real estate markets. Puerto Vallarta property has been appreciating at a rate of about 10 percent per year. Not too many markets are doing that right now, but Puerto Vallarta is one of the most attractive.

Puerto Vallarta is physically close to the US and people who own investment properties in Puerto Vallarta can get here very easily. Puerto Vallarta International Airport handles nearly 500 international flights per week, and many major carriers land here. From most major cities in the US, Puerto Vallarta is just a few hours’ flight away.

Buying property in Puerto Vallarta is safe. The Mexican Federal government is bending over backwards to help erase the very negative experiences of some early foreign investors in Mexico real estate. Right now, land purchases by foreigners are easy to execute. Several protections are available to help guarantee the safety of investment properties. These safeguards include the availability of title insurance, property registration and the establishment of a required trust in which the title to the property is held.

Puerto Vallarta has been the beneficiary of an enormous investment in infrastructure by the Mexican Federal government and by the government in the State of Jalisco. Puerto Vallarta will enjoy new tunnels and a new interstate highway that runs past every beach in the city. The city also opens a brand new convention center in October.

Private investment is also hot in Puerto Vallarta. More than two dozen hotel, resort and condominium projects are underway right now. Remodeling of the city’s marinas, the construction of new ultra-modern hospitals and many US retailers have or will open outlets here in Puerto Vallarta to cater to the growing ex-pat population here.

Private waterfront properties in Puerto Vallarta are all but gone. Fortunately, what may turn out to be a better investment opportunity is opening up north of Puerto Vallarta, in San Pancho. Luxury real estate building sites are being sold to individual investors right now through Select Mexico Properties. If you haven’t done so already, please visit the Select Mexico Properties Web site and take a look at the properties that are still available. You’ll see why the Puerto Vallarta real estate market is in such high demand!

Real Estate Investment Trusts (REIT) aren’t having an easy time these days finding good values inside the US. Instead, many of these professional real estate investors are turning to investment properties outside the US to find solid returns.

Economically, Mexico is growing very fast right now, and that means that the opportunity for gain is high. In Puerto Vallarta, property has appreciated at the rate of about ten percent per year for ten years. The growth rate is expected to continue for at least another five. Investors who are looking for rapid growth in investment properties are turning to places like Mexico.

Most waterfront property in Puerto Vallarta is occupied or will be occupied by resort real estate or tourist property, closing out the development of investment properties for most individual investors. Excellent opportunities to take advantage of the conditions in Puerto Vallarta can be found in areas north of the city, where prime tourist development is limited.

These areas are better suited to meet the needs of the individual investor, who may have complementary goals of good ROI and the use and enjoyment of the property. High-quality investment properties are being sold right now in San Pancho, just north of Puerto Vallarta. Select Mexico Properties has a limited number of premium residential building sites available that will appeal to discriminating buyers seeking high quality investment properties.

According to a new survey by the Spectrum Group, individuals classified as millionaires are growing more pessimistic about the economy and less confident in investments than their “affluent” counterparts. The Spectrum Group identifies “affluent” respondents as those with more than $500,000 in investable assets.

Among the findings of the survey, affluent investors were most concerned about stock market conditions, the economy, retirement, housing and real estate, cash flow, income and job security. A higher percentage of millionaires cited concerns about the condition of the stock market, retirement, and housing and real estate. This marks the first time that millionaire respondents were more concerned about the economy than affluent investors.

One bright spot in the way of investments is the annual double-digit gain that investors can realize in the purchase of Puerto Vallarta real estate. Unlike the major US real estate markets, the gains in Puerto Vallarta real estate remain strong, as does the appreciation. This condition has persisted for about ten years, and shows no signs of stopping, or even slowing down.

As the population in the US changes, certain constituent groups will be looking for stable, productive investments that can supercharge a portfolio of holdings or support the short- or long-term goals of the individual investor. When people are not confident in their investments, they naturally look to purchases that will stabilize their portfolio and minimize their losses. In the case of Puerto Vallarta real estate, they can accomplish these goals and experience significant growth at the same time.

Few investments – especially in real estate – are as productive and desirable as luxury real estate in Puerto Vallarta. The value of the investment isn’t going to go down. Puerto Vallarta has been a recognized tourist destination for 160 years, although ships have anchored in the friendly and calm Banderas Bay for hundreds of years. The attractiveness of Puerto Vallarta to world travelers isn’t going to diminish. In fact, Puerto Vallarta has built a new airport terminal in anticipation of several hundred thousand more visitors each year.

The market conditions in Puerto Vallarta are such that land located outside the city with a high return potential is being sold right now to individual investors. A few parcels are being offered right now by Select Mexico Properties. The company also offers, design, engineering, and construction support.

Photo Credit: Steve Woods

Everyone wants to own property in Puerto Vallarta these days. Baby boomers are planning for retirement and confronting the possibility that they may not have sufficient assets to cover their retirement dreams. The threat of recession along with the decline in value of traditionally safe real estate holdings and retirement accounts is making people wonder whether they can even consider retirement. The good news is that sales of luxury real estate in Puerto Vallarta are as strong as they’ve ever been.

What does luxury real estate in Puerto Vallarta have to do with retirement? A lot, if you’re trying to make up ground for recent losses or a late start on retirement savings. Select Mexico Properties is selling a small number of luxury ocean-view properties in San Pancho. The investment potential in the near- and mid-term for these properties is very high.

Puerto Vallarta has seen double-digit growth in the past ten years in property values here. That rate of appreciation is expected to continue for at least the next five. Thanks to the onset of retirement for Baby Boomers from all over the world, Puerto Vallarta is expected to nearly double in size. Condominium projects are being built here by the dozen as developers try to take advantage of the southward migration.

The best investment potentials won’t be in high-rise condominiums, though. Regardless of their location in the city, the choicest residential properties – those with the highest return potential – are located north of the city. Residential development here is sparse, and the properties are much more valuable because, quite simply, they’re nicer. When you combine this luxury real estate in Puerto Vallarta with beautiful residential design and engineering, you end up with a showplace home that’s surprisingly affordable, and far more comfortable and relaxing than a high-rise apartment-style condominium.

If living in Puerto Vallarta is your goal, then you might do well with a property inside the city, but if living comfortably while making an excellent return on your investment is what you’re aiming for, then you’ll find the highest-quality luxury real estate north of Puerto Vallarta.