roguemoney.net Posted byKen Schortgen July 13, 2014
The only difference between Mexico’s corrupt society and America’s corrupt financial system is the level of saturation in which the corruption has filtered down to. In Mexico, corruption is a way of life for the people, government, and corporate structures, and each generation lives by a vast segregation of the haves and have nots. For America however, their corruption on a wide scale basis it relatively new, and is based on monetary policies which promote artificial economic growth by any means necessary, and through which government and corporate agendas are aligned to facilitate ‘legalized corruption’.
However, at the core of all financial corruption in any sovereign nation is the control of the currency, and especially, control over monetary policy. The axiom that the paternal Rothschild coined four centuries ago carries just as much weight today as it did at the beginning of the age of central banking.
“Give me control of a nation’s money and I care not who makes it’s laws”
But as the entire world meanders through greater and greater boom and bust cycles created by ever increasing debt stimulus and a financial system grounded solely in fiat currencies, what is the key component that could potentially take the least of nations and skyrocket them to greater financial status in an instant?
That key resides in the formation of sound money, or a currency backed by a historic asset known and trusted for thousands of years. And of all the countries vying for supremacy, or even stability at the very same time the global system stands of the precipice of collapse, it may be Mexico that is willing to take the plunge, and catapult themselves symbolically, at least above the dollar and the U.S., by creating a currency backed by silver.
According to Future Money Trends, all that could change in the near future as key Mexican financial leaders and politicians have been working to institute sweeping monetary change that, if implemented, could unleash a global power shift of epic proportions.
“Take just three or four men out of the ‘anti’ group,” says Hugo Salinas Price, a Mexican multi-billionaire and the man behind the monetary push, “and we could practically get a unanimous ‘yes’ vote in both houses.”
Like recent monetary shifts in Russia, China and the middle east that aim to divest themselves of US dollar reserve trade requirements, the news of such a move in Mexico has been downplayed. And though it is being generally ignored as a serious possibility, a powerful consortium of influential people in Mexico believe it is a realistic possibility, and one that could be responsible for shifting the balance of world power. - SHTFPlan.com
Ironically, it is the West that has had a discrimination between gold and silver as a basis for backing a monetary currency. We all know in history the famous Populist fights of the 19th century which led William Jennings Bryan to coin the phrase, “You shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold”. But for nations such as Ancient Greece, Rome, and China, silver has been not only a viable form of money, it was the currency of commerce that sustained markets and economic prosperity to a greater number of people than gold ever has.
Mexico does not have the production capacity of the United States when it comes to manufacturing, but it has two crucial markets that could forge the nation into the upper crust of global economics. First, it is in the top 10 in oil production, providing 3.5% of the world’s output and distribution. And with the advent of fracking and other technologies, the potential for even more production lies in its wilderness and vast offshore coastlines. Secondly, Mexico had been an agricultural juggernaut until recently, when government policies advocated that Mexico provide enough food to sustain its own populations rather than focusing on exports and using food as a source of GDP. Yet these policies could turn around at any time, and with Mexico’s diverse land mass, farming could easily become a massive source of income to a world that is quickly becoming over-populated, and desperately in need of imported food.
During the global Great Recession, Mexico has experienced one negative that could be behind the discussion to collateralize their currency with a precious metal. Since 2008, Mexico’s debt to GDP has more than doubled from 17.1% to 36.9% in 2014, and much of this has been specifically tied to falling oil production, and less remittances coming into the country from U.S. migrants (and illegals working within the U.S.). However, during this same time period the Peso has remained relatively stable against the dollar, fluctuating between a low of 11.7 in 2011, to a high of 14.26 two years ago.
In the end, Mexico appears to have bought in the coming sea change that the new economic paradigm resides Eastward, and not in its historic partnerships with the U.S. and South America. Since 2006, trade with China has increased 300%, and Mexico has been rising as an economic power, even surpassing India to compete head to head with the core BRICS nations. And because of this, Mexico is a country highly sought after to be a part of the new Eurasian Trade Zone.
The economic landscape around the world is changing, with current and former financial allies swapping partners as quickly as the wind changes. Global currencies are starting to fail as well, with many of the big 5 (yen, euro, dollar, pound sterling, swiss franc) losing strength due to their diminishing returns over time as a fiat currency. And as many economists know, quite often the first out of the gate can have a distinct advantage over every other horse, despite their size, speed, and pedigree. And if Mexico chooses to seize the day and be the first in decades to back their currency in silver, then very quickly, they will become a major force on the economic landscape and launch themselves as a major player in the coming new financial paradigm.
Mexico’s participation in an international conference earlier this week to discuss support for Lebanon’s military will help broaden bilateral relations between the two countries, Lebanese Ambassador to Mexico Hicham Hamdan said Thursday.
The conference, titled the Ministerial Conference on International Support for the Lebanese Armed Forces and held in Rome last Tuesday under the auspices of U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, was attended by representatives from 43 countries, including Mexico.
“The reason Mexico participated in the conference was the result of a recommendation from my chancellery here to my government,” Hamdan told The News in an interview.
“I feel it is important that Mexico participated because Mexico has a large community of people of Lebanese descent and is an important global player. And I think that Mexico’s participation represents an important step forward in fostering our two-way ties in all fields, including commerce, economics and culture.”
Its primary objective of the one-day conference was to endorse the Lebanese military in squelching the threat of extremist groups in the region.
The Lebanese military has been overseeing a caretaker government in Lebanon since Michel Suleiman’s six-year presidential term came to an end last month. Deeply divided political camps within the country’s parliament have been unable to agree on a successor.
During a conference, which hosted by the Italian Foreign Affairs Minister Federica Mogherini, the participating countries vowed to provide long-term, structured and logistical support to promote political stability in Lebanon through its military and to endorse the army’s fight against terrorism in a region threatening to become engulfed in what Hamdan called “the fire of extremist groups burning in nearby countries such as Syria and Iraq.
Many of the participating countries in the Rome conference promised the poorly equipped Lebanese military specialized training and advisory support, although there were no specific offers of funding or arms.
Brazil, Cyprus, Egypt, Finland, France, Ghana, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Romania, Spain and Turkey all expressed their willingness to offer additional specialized training support in a number of fields.
The European Union, meanwhile, pledged to step up its support for the Lebanese army in terms of civilian-military cooperation tasks, institutional capacity building, integrated border management and demining.
Hamdan said that it is very important both for the international community and for the Lebanese people – including those who live abroad – to uderstand the crucial message that the conference conveyed.
“Lebanon has always been a cultural bridge between the East and West, and it has been tangible evidence that diverse religious faiths can coexist peacefully in the region,” he said.
“I believe that the message that the world must take away from this conference is that Lebanon is a beacon for the rest of the region and the missive of the United Nations that the world cannot and will not tolerate wars based on religious divisions. Such wars are no longer acceptable in the 21st century.”
The ambassador likewise said that Lebanon, which has a long history of democracy, can also serve as a model for other countries in the region.
He said that it is particularly important for political and social stability to be reestablished in Lebanon because it will help encourage regional stabilization. Notwithstanding, Hamdan said that the world must be patient with his country as it undergoes the growing pains of political transition.
“Lebanon has been a victim of external political interventions that have torn our country apart and made it very difficult to govern since 1975. We are working toward peace and stability in the region, but we do need the support of the international community.”
The UN conference came under the remittance of the International Support Group for Lebanon, created late last year to help salvage the country’s economy, deal with the the Syrian refugee crisis and support the military.
According to figures from the National Institute of Statistics and
Geography (INEGI), México’s gross domestic product (GDP) recorded an
annual growth of 1.1 percent, which was below the federal government’s
prediction of a 1.3 percent growth rate and below the 3.9 percent seen
in 2012.
The INEGI said that when looking at the country’s major sectors, last
year the GDP of the tertiary sector (services) increased 2.1 percent,
the secondary sector (industry and construction) decreased 0.7 percent,
while the and the primary (agriculture, livestock, fishing, etc..) grew
at only 0.3 percent.
During 2013 the federal government reduced its GDP prediction from an
initial 3.5 percent growth to a final 1.3 percent because of the
slowdown in the Mexican economy.
The growth in México’s GDP for 2013 (1.1 percent) is the lowest seen since the 4.7 percent drop it had in 2009.
Los terrenos en el norponiente de la ciudad Fotografía: Noroeste.
MAZATLÁN.- Debido a las expectativas de desarrollo generadas entre otros factores por la nueva carretera a Durango, los precios de los terrenos en el norponiente de la ciudad se han elevado hasta un 30 por ciento, reveló el director de la Marina Mazatlán, José Luis Barba Martín.
Precisamente es esta zona de turismo náútico, junto con el área de Cerritos, el lugar donde más se ha disparado
la plusvalía de los lotes.
"En el caso de los terrenos del campo de golf, subieron 15 por ciento, mientras los predios residenciales y de condominios en 20 por ciento y, en algunos casos, hasta en 30 por ciento", detalló el directivo.
Sobre el cierre de ventas en 2013, comentó que se registró un aumento aproximado al 50 por ciento en comparación con el año anterior, una tendencia que se espera mantener en el presente año, pues todavía cuentan con lotes para comercializar, tanto para residencias familiares como para nuevos hoteles.
Estos resultados se atribuyen, en parte, a compras extraordinarias como la del terreno donde se ubica Walmart Supercenter y próximamente un Sam's Club, lo que disparó la estadística.
Marina Mazatlán abarca una superficie de 590.7 hectáreas, en un desarrollo que cuenta con un conjunto de amenidades, campos de golf, club de playa, cancha de tenis, terrenos hoteleros y condominiales.
Hasta la fecha, aseguró Barba Martín, se ha desarrollado en infraestructura y servicios un 80 por ciento, y en este aspecto se espera una inversión de 5 millones de dólares más para 2014.
When you think of Mexico what do you think of? I think of hot summers, tequila, salsa, and friendly people to name a few. I just got back from a 10 day business trip to Mexico to better understand their lifestyle as I might want to live there one day. I also wanted to learn more about US / Mexican relations from a local’s perspective. We hear a lot of rhetoric about immigration control from our politicians and I wanted to hear for myself why someone would want to risk so much to come to the United States illegally.
Until this year, I had only been to Cancun and Playa Del Carmen for vacation. This time I visited two very sleepy towns called Loreto and La Paz on the east coast of the Baja California Sur peninsula. The idea was to visit places that were not built up for tourists like Cabo or Puerto Vallarta. Loreto’s population has grown quickly percentage-wise, but their total population is still only 7,000, or 1/3rd the size of UC Berkeley’s student body.
WELCOME TO LORETO, MEXICO
What struck me most about Loreto was its beauty. I chartered a private boat to take me across the Sea of Cortez to Coronado Island where dive master Lupe led me 100 feet down to explore the deep blue. Over 80 feet of visibility allowed us to see sting rays, lobsters, turtles, moray eels, and numerous varieties of tropical fish. The water was 85 degrees, a full 32 degrees warmer than the water in Monterrey Bay, California where I dove last month. Diving without a wet suit is like striking gold!
During the 30 minute boat ride to Coronado, I asked Lupe about his background. He said he came to Loreto 15 years ago from the Pacific side of Baja California Sur. He’s married to an American woman who shares his love for the ocean. When they are not leading diving excursions, they are taking visitors out kayaking. When they aren’t diving or kayaking, they’re going deep sea fishing. Lupe was full of life and told me he loved every minute living in Loreto.
I asked him how often he visits his wife’s side of the family. “Never,” he said. Perplexed, I asked him why not.
“It’s impossible to get a visa,” Lupe responded. “I’ve got to first apply at the visa center far away in Tijuana.
Then I’ve got to pray the immigration officer is not in a grumpy mood. If by some miracle I get approved, I’ve got to then drive to Tijuana, park the car, and fly to Seattle. Forget it.”
“So even though your wife is American, they still make it difficult for you to come in?” I asked.
“Yes, that’s the way it is,” Lupe responded.
Up until then, I never fully understood the asymmetric rules of moving across borders between the United States and Mexico. There’s no need for Americans to get a visa to go to Mexico. I just brought my passport and went. Meanwhile, Mexicans have to jump through so many hurdles just to have a chance to come to our country. My appreciation for living in the United States went up several notches after this exchange.
Diving at Coronado Island, Loreto
THE ECONOMICS OF LIVING IN MEXICO
I asked Lupe whether he and other Mexicans resented American tourists for their freedom to move about so freely. “No, we don’t resent Americans. We welcome their dollars into our sleepy town,” Lupe replied.
“What we do resent is Americans buying up nice properties and making things expensive for the rest of us. When I arrived 15 years ago, the piece of property I wanted to buy cost $3,000. I had no money so I just rented. 15 years later, the same piece of property now sells for $50,000-$80,000! I hope to one day save enough money to buy a home that I can leave to my daughters.”
It’s hard to believe real estate values went up 20X in such a short period. But it’s also hard to believe that one could buy a humble home for just $3,000 in the first place as well. I went on to ask him how much one needs to make to have a great life supporting a family of four.
“You can live a wonderful life raising two kids and taking care of your spouse on $2,000 a month. $2,000 a month is actually more than enough. I know this because I take visitors diving three times a week on average, earning $150-$200 per trip after expenses. Rent is about $700 a month for a three bedroom apartment. Food is maybe $300 a month. The ocean is free. Health care is cheap. I’ve got more than enough left over to care for my family.”
My mind immediately started making plans for getting an apartment down in Loreto for a couple months a year during maximum visibility diving season. Being able to live and work from anywhere in the world is the biggest benefit of having an online business.
Lupe explained the reason why so many Mexicans want to move to America is so they can earn US wages and send money back home to their families. The problem is that wages for such immigrants tend to border on minimum wage territory. Meanwhile, the work usually isn’t very pleasant either.
Lupe and I looked around the beauty of our dive spot and he said, “Why be a slave in America when you can live free here?”
Horseback riding, Cabo
DREAMS OF A BETTER LIFE
It’s easy to take our lives for granted. We always seem to want more than we have. Why else do hoards of Americans visit Mexico for vacation every year? There are an estimated 1 million Americans currently living in Mexico as retirees. At the same time, why do over 140,000 Mexicans legally immigrate to the US every year? There’s an estimated 6 million illegal Mexican immigrants in the US as well.
The one common denominator is money. Americans who don’t have enough to retire comfortably in the US go to Mexico. Mexicans who want to make more come to America to send money back home to loved ones or try striking it rich on their own. These are very simplistic assumptions, but there’s no denying the importance of money in people’s decisions to change their surroundings.
It’s very tempting to become a “snowbird,” an American who comes to Mexico in the fall and leaves in the Spring to retain American retirement benefits. Flights are cheap and under two hours away. My biggest concerns are feeling isolated and bored after a while since these sleepy towns have very little going on. I’m holding off on the potential of living abroad for several more years because my preferred retirement destination is Hawaii. A Hawaiian lifestyle equivalent to a $2,000/month Mexican lifestyle will probably cost anywhere from $10,000 – $20,000 a month. If I fail to achieve my passive income goals within the next five years, Mexico might just be the ticket!
El 17 de Julio entró en vigor la Ley Federal para la Prevención e Identificación de Operaciones con Recursos de Procedencia Ilícita, que busca evitar la entrada de capital obtenido ilegalmente al sistema financiero mexicano.
La norma estableció procedimientos de detección y una mayor vigilancia en las transacciones financieras y comerciales del país. Los notarios, corredores públicos, empresas de blindaje de inmuebles y las inmobiliarias que realicen una actividad que la ley considere vulnerable, deberán seguir un protocolo para identificar a sus clientes y, llegado el momento, dar aviso a la Secretaría de Hacienda y Crédito Público (SHCP) si alguna transacción entra en los parámetros de esa ley.
Cómo identificar y dar aviso a las autoridades
En este sentido, identificar significa verificar la identidad de la persona que adquiere los bienes o servicios de alguno de los sujetos obligados. Para ello, se debe recabar la copia de la credencial oficial del cliente de forma obligatoria.
Si el proveedor también establece una relación de negocios con el cliente, se verá obligado a indagar la ocupación de éste último. En este caso, el requisito es solicitar una copia del alta ante Hacienda y las actualizaciones ante el Registro Federal de Contribuyentes.
Por otra parte, dar aviso es informar a la SHCP que se llevó a cabo una actividad vulnerable (Consulta el cuadro de actividades vulnerables) por la cantidad que la ley señala como sujeta a notificación.
Lo anterior implica proporcionar vía electrónica a la Unidad de Inteligencia Financiera los datos de quien realizó la operación, los datos del cliente (Identificación y ocupación) y la descripción del bien adquirido.
Actividades vulnerables relacionadas con inmuebles
Actividades vulnerables
Se da aviso a la SHCP
Se identifica al cliente
La prestación habitual o profesional de servicios de construcción o desarrollo de inmuebles o de intermediación en la transmisión de la propiedad o constitución de derechos sobre dichos bienes, en los que se involucren operaciones de compra o venta por cuenta o a favor de clientes de quienes presten dichos servicios.
Si la operación es igual o mayor a $519,699.00
Independientemente del monto de la operación.
Notarios Públicos: operaciones con inmuebles.
Si la operación es igual o mayor a $1,036,160.00
Servicios de representación para compraventa de inmuebles.
Se presenta aviso independientemente del monto de la operación.
Blindaje de inmuebles
Si la operación es igual o mayor a $311,819.40
Si la operación es igual o mayor a $156,072.60
Asimismo, están negados los supuestos siguientes dentro del ramo:
Operación
Cuyo monto sea igual
a superior a
Obligaciones
(Art. 33 ley antilavado)
Transmisión de propiedad de inmuebles
$ 519,699.00
Cuando las operaciones tengan un valor igual o superior a $ 519,699.00, los notarios deberán señalar en las escrituras respectivas, la forma en la que se paguen las obligaciones que deriven de las mismas.
Si el valor de la operación es inferior, o el pago se realizó previo a la firma de la escritura, bastará la declaración que bajo protesta de decir verdad hagan los clientes o usuarios
Prestación de servicios de blindaje para cualquier vehículo o bienes inmuebles.
Pago mensual por la renta de inmuebles o vehículos
$ 207,879.60
La operación deberá formalizarse mediante la expedición de los certificados o facturas que correspondan, y se verificarán previa identificación de quienes realicen el acto u operación, así como, en su caso, del Beneficiario Controlador.
En dichos documentos se señalará la forma de pago y se anexará el comprobante respectivo.
Sanciones
En caso de incumplimiento, se aplicará una multa que puede ir de2,000 hasta 10,000 días de salario mínimo general vigente en el DF.
No se impondrá en la primera infracción, siempre y cuando el infractor cumpla, de manera espontánea y previa al inicio de las facultades de verificación, con la obligación respectiva y reconozca expresamente la falta en que incurrió.
Cuando el infractor sea un notario público, la SHCP informará de la infracción cometida a la autoridad competente para supervisar la función notarial y revocar la patente respectiva en caso de notorias deficiencias y reincidencia en la violación a lo dipuesto en el artículo 53.
Deducir tu hipoteca, realizar inversiones o vender tu casa no será igual a partir del 2014. Después de amplias discusiones, los legisladores llegaron a un acuerdo sobre cómo los mexicanos deberán pagar sus impuestos el próximo año.
La Cámara de Diputados aprobó el jueves los cambios realizados por el Senado a la Ley de Ingresos 2014, con lo que quedó autorizado el nuevo esquema de impuestos que se aplicará a partir del 1 de enero del próximo año.
Para evitar tragos amargos o malas sorpresas, entérate desde hoy de cuáles fueron los cambios definitivos:
1. Una mayor tasa de ISR para los que más ganan.
Las personas físicas con ingresos anuales menores a 750,000 pesos deberán pagar una tasa de 30% de Impuesto Sobre la Renta
La propuesta anterior preveía que sólo personas con ingresos menores a 500,000 pesos anuales pagaran esa tasa y que los que ganaran de 500,000 a 750,000 pesos pagaran 31%.
Finalmente se aprobó un aumento escalonado donde la tasa aumenta conforme incrementa el ingreso del contribuyente hasta llegar a una tasa máxima de 35%:
Rangos salariales
(cifras en pesos)
Tasa máxima de ISR
Hasta 750,000
30%
De 750,000 a un millón
32%
De 1 millón a tres millones
34%
Más de 3 millones
35%
2. Tope a deducciones personales
Las deducciones personales, que son aquellos gastos que pueden restarse de la base gravable (sobre la que se cobran los impuestos) sea menor, tendrán un tope.
El límite será lo que resulte menor entre el 10% del salario anual del contribuyente o cuatro salarios mínimos anuales equivalentes actualmente a 94,549 pesos.
Esto significa que la suma de todas las deducciones por conceptos como gastos médicos, gastos funerarios, intereses reales de hipotecas, ahorro para el retiro, colegiaturas, entre otros, no podrá superar ese monto al año o, si lo supera, sólo podrá tener el beneficio de la deducción hasta el monto topado.
"Es probable que, en los casos en que las personas paguen colegiaturas, hipoteca, gastos médicos u otros conceptos, no podrán deducir el 100% de sus gastos porque la suma de sus deducciones podría superar el monto establecido", expuso Bernardo Melgoza, subdirector de Productos, Servicios e Inversiones de Sura México.
3. Deducción de intereses de hipotecas
Los intereses reales (por arriba de la inflación) de los créditos hipotecarios podrán deducirse siempre que el monto total de los créditos otorgados para la adquisición no supere 750,000 unidades de inversión (UDIS), equivalentes a alrededor de 3.7 millones de pesos.
Esta modificación representa una disminución desde el límite actual de 1 millón 500,000 UDIS, que representa siete millones 485,000 pesos. El valor de la UDI se actualiza todos los días conforme a los movimientos de inflación y hasta el 4 de noviembre se ubicaba en 4.99 pesos por unidad.
Los intereses reales de la hipoteca también estarán sujetos al límite de deducciones. Es decir, el contribuyente sólo podrá deducir intereses si ese monto, más otras posibles deducciones personales, no superan 10% de su ingreso anual o los 94,549 pesos.
4. Impuestos por vender tu casa
La nueva Ley de Ingresos establece que quienes vendan un inmueble pagarán ISR sobre la ganancia de la venta si éste tiene un valor superior a 700,000 unidades de inversión (UDIS), equivalentes a tres millones 493,000 pesos.
Ese límite es mayor a la propuesta original de Enrique Peña Nieto que establecía aplicar el impuesto a viviendas desde 250,000 UDIS, es decir alrededor de un millón 247,500 pesos.
Pero es inferior al límite de la legislación actual, vigente hasta diciembre de 2013, bajo la cual pagan impuesto las viviendas con un valor de un millón 500,000 Udis, es decir, 7.4 millones de pesos, expuso el socio de Impuestos de Deloitte, Luis Liñero.
5. Se amplía régimen de incorporación
Para las personas físicas con actividad empresarial, el régimen de incorporación amplió sus beneficios a 10 años desde los 6 previstos en la propuesta original del presidente Enrique Peña Nieto.
El Régimen de Incorporación es un esquema de tributación al que pueden acceder las personas físicas con actividad empresarial con ingresos menores de dos millones de pesos. Propone un descuento de 100% en el pago de ISR el primer año de integración y que se reduce gradualmente a lo largo de la siguiente década de forma que, en el año 11, el descuento desaparecería y la persona tendría que pagar el 100% del ISR.
Se trata de un régimen temporal sin posibilidad de volver a tributar en el mismo. Al año 11 estos contribuyentes se incorporarán al régimen general de personas físicas con actividad empresarial.
El descuento queda de la siguiente manera:
Año de incorporación
Porcentaje de descuento
1
100%
2
90%
3
80%
4
70%
5
60%
6
50%
7
40%
8
30%
9
20%
10
10%
6. Se gravan inversiones en Bolsa
Los legisladores aprobaron gravar con una tasa de 10% a los dividendos y las ganancias obtenidas por la venta de acciones en la Bolsa Mexicana de Valores.
Written by
Costello and Costello Real Estate Group
on Thursday, 14 November 2013 4:41 pm
There are multiple instances in your life when emotion will get the
better of you. The day you graduate college or the day you get married
or the day your child enters the world are all exciting and emotionally
taxing milestones. So is buying or selling your home.
Whether
it's purchasing the nest egg you've always wanted or selling the home
that housed your many "firsts", the process can be as emotional as it's
confusing, as impassioned as it's exhausting. It's easy to get caught up
in that house with "the perfect closet" or the first home you viewed
and instantly fell in love with, while overlooking potential problems or
costly rejuvenations. It's just as easy to expect more than the market
can offer or price your home too high because it was the place where
your child took their first steps.
Here are the 5 common mistakes home buyers make when they let their emotions take over.
1. Overpaying for that "Perfect Home"
If
you're looking to purchase a house, chances are you've already learned
there's no such thing as picture perfect. That doesn't, however, stop
you from contemplating the trade of your first born for that home you
just can't seem to live without. Just like dating, there are other fish
in the sea and even though your favorite home has a kitchen that's to
die for it may also have some expensive fixer-upper projects that
another home wouldn't.
2. Overpricing Your Home
Sometimes
it can be extremely difficult to part with a house, especially if you
have spent a significant amount of time in it and even if your new home
is an upgrade. This separation anxiety can have you equating the
sentimental value of your home to the monetary value, which will make it
much more difficult for you to sell your home.
3. Waiting and Waiting and Waiting
Thanks
to an unstable market and declining mortgage rates, most buyers are
convinced if they keep looking around and "wait it out" they'll find a
better deal. This, however, is not always the case. The market is always
going to be unpredictable, which means rates could climb just as easily
as they could fall. There comes a time when, simply put, you just have
to pull the trigger.
4. Falling in Love at First Sight
Just
like purchasing a vehicle, it's easy to fall in love with the first
home you see. This unfortunately inhibits you from completing your
due-diligence. There could be an equally-fantastic home, listed for
less, just waiting for you. Make it a rule to look at no less than five
properties before making up your mind on your future home. Perhaps you
do go back to the first home you viewed. At least you will know that you
did your homework and the chances of feeling that dreaded buyer's
remorse will have dropped significantly.
5. Unnecessary Cold Feet
With
a fluctuating market and 25% of homeowners behind on their mortgages,
it's easy to feel somewhat hesitant. Those emotions of fear and anxiety
and trepidation can be just as debilitating as if you had let them keep
you from walking down the isle on your wedding day. Sometimes, you just
have to jump.
Try as you may, it is extremely difficult to rope
in these emotions and keep them under control. Buying or selling a home
is an emotional investment as well as a financial one. Throughout the
process of negotiations, inspections, deadlines, staging, escrow and the
unpredictable last-minute changes that can occur, you won't be able to
stop yourself form becoming emotionally charged. You are, after all,
human.
That's why you need an experienced, professional and
honest real estate agent that will do the dirty work for you. Buying or
selling a home should be a joyous experience, not an emotionally-ridden
nightmare.
So give Jeffrey and Chase Costello a call to see how
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Mexico City, Dec 2 (EFE).- Mexican Economy Secretary Ildefonso Guajardo will attend the 9th World Trade Organization Ministerial Conference, which will take place this week in Bali, Indonesia, and will hold meetings with seven of his counterparts, the Economy Secretariat said Monday.
The ministerial conference, the WTO's highest decision-making organ, starts Tuesday and ends on Friday, with officials expected to reach a series of agreements, including one to ease trade rules, the secretariat said in a statement.
Ministers from 159 WTO member states will try to reach agreement on agricultural and development issues, focusing on less developed countries, the secretariat said.
The ministers will attempt to set "guidelines for pursuing negotiations on the remaining issues on the agenda of the Doha Round (post-Bali)," ranging from access to goods and services in markets to improved rules on unfair trade and non-tariff barriers, the Economy Secretariat said.
Yemen is slated to join the WTO in Bali and the ministers are expected to make decisions on electronic trade and intellectual property, as well as on a working plan for small economies, trade assistance and technology transfer.
Guajardo plans to meet one-on-one with his counterparts from Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, the United States, Israel, Italy, New Zealand and Britain, discussing the state of trade relations, the secretariat said. EFE
Places such as Mexico, Panama, Costa Rica, and Colombia attract
record numbers of American seniors as they look for good – and
affordable – places to live.
ByDaniel B. Wood, Staff writer
Courtesy of Christian Gonzales/CIMA Coffee Farms
Los Angeles — After 20 years in the US military, James Cummiskey
was divorced and looking for a change. Relenting to his buddy's request,
he flew to Medellín, Colombia, for a visit. He looked, he saw, and, by
dinner time, he decided to stay. Permanently.
"After four to five
hours, I was immediately captured by everything I saw," says the
ex-marine, who has lived in 35 countries. He spent the next four months
selling two homes, three vehicles, two motorcycles, and one airplane. He
put the money aside and decided to retire early.
Now he lives in a
posh section of the mountain city of 3.8 million, surrounded by lush
vistas. He married a Colombian woman, started a coffee export business,
and seems to get goose bumps every time he thinks about his new life. "I
tell you honestly I have had more fun here in the past four years than
in the previous 50," he says.
Mr. Cummiskey’s story is being repeated thousands of times –
minus perhaps the sale of a personal plane – as more and more Americans
retire to countries all over Latin America. Lured by sun-dappled
landscapes and cheap living costs, they are settling in culturally
vibrant towns in central Mexico, beach communities in Costa Rica,
high-rise enclaves in Panama, and mountain retreats in Nicaragua.
Even
Medellín, once the drug and murder capital of the world, has
transformed itself into something of an urban showcase, attracting baby
boomers to a place where cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar used to carry out
his ruthless craft.
Though the phenomenon of Americans retiring
in Latin America began 25 years ago, it has accelerated in the past five
to 10 years. Call the region America's new "Sun Belt."
"Thirty
five years ago, this idea was truly on the far fringe – that if you
thought about retiring out of the US, you were labeled 'renegade' or
'strange' or 'weird,' or 'over-adventurous,' " says Jennifer Stevens,
editor of International Living magazine. "Now it is much more
acceptable, desirable, and even normal to do this. It's a huge trend."
The
exodus south is being driven by a confluence of factors. The baby boom
generation – the largest in history – is reaching retirement age, and
millions are looking for places to spend the next phase of their lives.
As the most educated, well-traveled, and adventurous generation in
history, many of these boomers are deciding to retire outside the
country – including in Latin America.
They're also looking for
places that will allow them to stretch their 401(k)s after they lost a
lot of money in the last stock market collapse. With the US economy
remaining so tentative, and health-care costs so aggressive, retirees
want to live where they can afford greens fees and where a trip to the
emergency room won't bankrupt them.
"A lot of people are saying,
'I'm tired of worrying about my retirement years,' so they are beginning
to ask questions and go in search of great deals ... and they are
finding them," says Kathleen Peddicord, founder of the Live and Invest
Overseas publishing group and author of "How To Retire Overseas:
Everything You Need to Know to Live Well (for Less) Abroad." She says
that many are taking advantage of what she calls the "perception gap" –
the idea that countries such as Colombia and Nicaragua are still thought
of as countries with huge problems of drug violence even though the
violence has largely been erased. One other factor: In the age of Skype
and FaceTime, meaningful contact with children and friends, no matter
where one retires, is now only a finger tap away.
While living in
Latin America isn't for everyone – crime, cultural differences, and even
phone connections can be problematic – is it any wonder that Naples,
Fla., and Flagstaff, Ariz., are no longer America's only leisure-years
Shangri-Las?
• • •
Jeanne Mendez was drawn by the views
of three volcanoes and the "gentle pace of life." After her husband died
in 2004, Ms. Mendez went on a yoga retreat held on the shores of Lake
Atitlán in Guatemala. She ended up building a circular home in Santa
Cruz, a village that borders the expansive 50-mile lake.
Mendez,
who for 20-plus years worked in finance in New York City and then for
Microsoft in Seattle, now has to board a small boat to get groceries
from a local market, which is part of the charm. "For a person who used
Excel spreadsheets for every decision," she says, "it was an unusual
decision [to move here], but it was a powerful urge for me."
Mendez
represents another dimension of the surge of Americans southward: Many
of them are settling in countries other than the usual haunts. For
years, Americans have been retiring in Panama, Costa Rica, and parts of
Mexico. Many still are. But now a growing number are also exploring
Honduras, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and other countries not often mentioned
in retirement brochures.
What makes Guatemala attractive to
retirees, for instance, is not only its enviable views but its cheap
costs, even relative to other Central American countries. A house that
would go for half a million dollars in Costa Rica or Panama can be found
or built in Guatemala for $250,000, according to Armand Boissy, a real
estate agent and developer who has lived in the Lake Atitlán area for
the past 25 years.
Patricia and David Bibb, both artists in their
60s, decided to settle near Lake Atitlán after searching for places in
Belize, Honduras, and other parts of Guatemala. "It was as beautiful as
Hawaii," says Ms. Bibb, who has lived in North Palm Beach, Fla., and
Georgia.
The couple renovated an existing home, doing some of the
work themselves, since he is a master woodworker and she is a ceramic
artist. They have three grown children and three grandchildren in the
United States whom they see four or five times a year. But they have no
plans of returning. "We consider this our last home," says Ms. Bibb with
finality.
To a certain extent, the move south by Americans is
just part of a larger trend of retirees settling in places all around
the world – from France to Thailand to craggy New Zealand. When Ms.
Peddicord launched the Live and Invest Overseas publishing group in
2008, she had 10,000 subscribers the first year. Now she has more than
200,000.
But Latin America is drawing a particularly large number
of expatriates, both because of its proximity to the US and because of
the relative inexpensiveness of many parts of the region. While no one
knows the precise number of retirees living in the area, signs suggest
it is substantial – and growing:
•The number of Americans
receiving Social Security checks in Central America and the Caribbean –
one gauge of how many people live outside the US – rose 26 percent
between 2005 and 2012, to 28,126, according to the Social Security
Administration. It jumped 112 percent in Panama and 32 percent in Costa
Rica.
•The number collecting US Social Security checks in South
America increased 48 percent over the same seven-year period, to 22,019.
It rose 87 percent in Colombia and 47 percent in Ecuador.
•Mexican officials estimate that more than 1 million US-born citizens now live in Mexico – up from 360,000 in 2000.
"There
are 20,000 Americans just here in Lake Chapala and more in
Guadalajara," says Thomas Heller, a real estate agent who grew up in
Washington State and married a woman from Mexico he met while studying
there.
The Mexican states of Jalisco, Guanajuato, and Baja
California have traditionally served as destinations both for tourists
and retired Americans. But Mexico City has become a magnet for American
migrants, too, as security and quality of life have improved in the
city.
In Jalisco, the number of US citizens over age 55 more than
doubled between 1990 and 2000, increasing from 2,480 to 5,918. The
number has expanded far more dramatically over the past decade. "We have
the best weather in the world, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and very good
medical care," says Bruce Newby, the president of the American Society
in Guadalajara, Jalisco's capital city.
Mr. Newby, a lawyer who
grew up in Indiana and later lived in California, first came to Jalisco
to visit a friend who had moved there. He soon decided to relocate
himself.
"The restaurants are wonderful, cheap, and very good," says Newby, sounding like a one-man chamber of commerce.
Newby
won't get any arguments from Diane Golz. When she and her husband were
first considering retiring, they bought numerous books and did extensive
research on where to settle outside the US. The couple from Georgia
finally decided on the Guadalajara area, buying a house near Lake
Chapala, in part because it was so close: They could simply put their
dog in the car and drive down from Atlanta. Now the two of them can also
easily fly to visit their children in other parts of the US.
Besides, says Ms. Golz, the food here "is not at all like Taco Bell."
• • •
While
many people are moving to Latin America permanently, others are
choosing to live there a few months of the year. For these people –
mainly "snowbirds" – the region has become the new Florida.
Take
Jay and Kathleen Snyder. Grandparents of six, they now divide their time
between Landgrove, Vt., and Granada, Nicaragua. In 2005, after 40 years
of running an inn in Vermont, the couple decided they wanted a change
and a little more sun.
"It was as though I could hear a voice
saying, 'Go south, old man,' " says Mr. Snyder. He visited Nicaragua and
enrolled in a Spanish-immersion program.
The Snyders are now
doing in Nicaragua what they've long done in Vermont: beckoning others
to come stay. They made an offer on a piece of land in Granada and,
finding out no such thing as a rental-management program existed, built a
set of condos and started one themselves.
"If it works for me, I
figured, it'll work for others just like me," he says. "Something like,
build it ... and the retirees will come."
The transition has not
always been easy. Snyder has been unnerved at times by Nicaragua's
political vicissitudes. In 2001, when he made his first trip to the
country, the real estate market was booming. By 2005, it had slowed
considerably. A pullback ensued after Daniel Ortega, the former
firebrand Marxist who now espouses a mixture of Socialism and free
enterprise, was elected president in 2006. But the fears subsided, and
his condominiums kept selling.
Nicaragua also may not be the place
for people expecting Trump Tower living conditions. Many deliveries
Snyder gets are still by burro and cart. The architecture is what he
calls "original." But that's what Snyder likes about living there: a
rustic existence that echoes life from another century. "This isn't a
place like Costa Rica, where huge developers and resorts have come in
and done their own thing," he says.
It's not just retirees who are
taking advantage of the appeal of Latin American countries. Kent Davis,
who grew up in Hawaii, moved to Panama when he was 27. Now, six years
later, he calls his life in the country "fantastic." Mr. Davis, the
founder of the real estate firm Panama Equity, says homes there aren't
necessarily any cheaper than they are where his mother lives in
Richmond, Va. But the cost of doctors, dentists, and car repairs is
about one-fourth what it is in the US.
The lifestyle is vibrant,
too, even for young people. He attributes part of that to the diverse
expatriate community – one made up of people not just from the US, but
also from Colombia, Venezuela, and Canada. The migrants busy themselves
with activities ranging from book clubs to singing groups to scuba
diving.
Young expats, he says, like to surf and barbecue. Retirees
tend to go to restaurants and tap into a growing, if nascent, arts
scene. They might volunteer to teach math, English, or basic computer
skills. "Nobody leaves here because they are bored," he says.
One
reason so many American expats are settling in Panama is the incentives.
While governments throughout much of Latin America are now trying to
lure Americans, Panama's was among the first and most aggressive to
target US baby boomers. A series of laws over recent administrations
created the pensionado program, offering foreigners lifelong residence
in Panama if they prove they receive a monthly pension of more than
$1,000. Foreign-earned pensions are not taxed by the Panamanian
government.
In addition, so-called jubilados (retirees) receive a
one-time exemption of duties on the importation of household goods and a
wide array of benefits. This includes 50 percent off entertainment; 30
percent off bus, boat, and train fares; 25 percent off monthly energy
bills; as much as 50 percent off hotel stays; and 15 percent off
hospital bills in some cases. It's one of the best retirement programs
in the world, according to International Living magazine, which rated
Panama at the top of its annual "global retirement index" six years in a
row.
"I had to look for a place where I could afford to retire,
and actually retire and not have to keep working," says Clyde Coles, a
26-year veteran firefighter from Corpus Christi, Texas, who injured his
neck in the job and couldn't carry out his duties anymore.
His
solution: a tiny beachfront town about 90 minutes outside Panama City,
where he and his wife purchased an older home on an acre of land. They
live on about $2,500 a month. For the couple, the biggest draws were
Panama's lower cost of living, its retirement benefits, and good health
care at a fraction of the cost in the US.
Inexpensive but good
quality medical care is a major reason many retirees are settling in
parts of Latin America. Many talk of trips to the doctor that cost only
$15 and of medical treatments that cost one-third of what they do in the
US. Many countries also allow foreigners to enroll in their national
health-care programs.
Andy and Fran Browne of Charlotte, N.C.,
both lost their jobs during the 2008 recession and were swamped by their
private health insurance policies, which were costing them $1,800 a
month. (They were still too young to be eligible for Medicare.)
A
planned Memorial Day vacation to Costa Rica turned into a reconnaissance
mission. The couple moved there a year later, eventually settling in
the beachfront community of Playa Hermosa on the northwest coast.
The
Brownes now rent a four-bedroom home that offers them tangerine sunsets
over the Pacific. "By coming to Costa Rica our burn rate was extended 20
to 25 years," says Mr. Browne, referring to how long their retirement
money will last.
Terry Zach, a retired media specialist at a San
Francisco advertising agency, moved south for similar reasons. Facing
retirement 14 years ago, he realized that he and his partner, who had no
medical insurance, couldn't afford any place they wanted to go in the
US.
So when his partner saw an article about Boquete, a town in
Panama's highlands resembling Boulder, Colo., the two were intrigued.
From the moment they arrived, "we knew this was it," says Mr. Zach. The
small-town feel combined with the breathtaking nature and easy access to
most modern conveniences, such as shopping malls and good hospitals,
made it a simple decision.
The two now live well on about $2,000 a
month. They helped start an English-speaking Rotary Club, a community
theater, and a service offering free neutering to cats and dogs.
"We couldn't live like this in the US," Zach says.
• • •
Retiring
outside the US certainly isn't everyone's idea of utopia. One of the
biggest obstacles is a simple one: managing expectations. Some people
think living in Ecuador, Panama, or Mexico will be the same as living in
the US, only cheaper. It isn't.
As Zach notes, many countries in
the region operate at a different rhythm. A less-frenetic pace can be
good for retirees. But it can also mean slower service at a restaurant,
notorious bureaucratic delays in getting land titles or driver's
licenses, and scheduled dates with plumbers or carpenters that never
happen.
"Mañana doesn't mean tomorrow," says Zach. "It means not today."
Americans
are used to good roads, first-rate telephone and Internet service, and
reasonable customer service. Moving south can be jarring. "The streets
are bad and poorly maintained, there are no lights or signage, and
parking spaces are nonexistent," says Cummiskey of urban life in
Medellín.
Crime is a predominant concern. While levels of violence
vary widely across the region – and the vast majority of expats settle
in communities that are considered safe – retirees caution that it's
important to know when and where to travel. Some thieves prey on
foreigners. Drug violence remains a concern in parts of Mexico and other
countries.
Mr. Coles, the retired firefighter, says that even
though Panama is safer than Mexico and Ecuador, violent crime still
exists and one has to take precautions. The judicial system, he adds, is
notoriously inefficient and ineffective.
Sara Laing can
sympathize with that. Eight years ago, she bought 17 acres of unspoiled
land on a mountaintop in Santa Rosa de Copán, a city in western
Honduras. Ms. Laing, a savvy world traveler who had lived in 20
countries as a volunteer and mental-health professional, moved because
she had tired of retirement life in Sarasota, Fla., which mostly
consisted of going to concerts and theater productions.
"I wasn't living life," she says. "I was just watching it."
In
Santa Rosa de Copán, she teaches English and other classes at two
village schools and enjoys her veranda, which offers stunning views of
the woodlands.
But one day two men with guns tied up a man who
cares for her home and then ransacked the house while she hid in a
closet. The incident, combined with the distance she lives from her
grandchildren and the inability to live in Honduras on her Social
Security income of $760 a month, is prompting her to return to the US.
"I
am sad," she says, "because I love it here, and I do think it is one of
the most beautiful countries. I want to see it flourish."
Language
can be another barrier. Many Americans have settled in areas with large
expat communities or ones that cater to outsiders, and they can get
along without learning Spanish. Newby, for instance, says that most of
the American retirees he knows in Mexico's state of Jalisco don't speak
Spanish fluently.
"They don't need to," he says. Most people
"retire here because the weather is great, not because they studied
Spanish in college."
For others, learning the native tongue and
local customs can take time, but is usually worth the effort. "In your
daily life, you can go a long time without speaking Spanish, but it's
much easier if you do," says Joel Moskowitz, a lawyer from Malibu,
Calif., who, with his wife, Anna, moved to Roatán, one of the Bay
Islands that is part of Honduras.
Still, for all the challenges of
retiring in America's new Sun Belt, many expats see the advantages far
surpassing the disadvantages. Consider Cummiskey and his fondness for
Medellín.
He likes the city's predictable climate. He likes the
shopping malls, the antique stores, the nightclubs. He likes the
vegetation and the views. But, most important, he likes the people.
"They
have one of the highest poverty rates in the world and yet the people
are not at all depressed," he says. "They are completely happy all the
time and that is very, very cool and appealing to me."
