AcaCondos November 2013 Newsletter

As the North American continent slides into another winter of “global warming” caused rain-and-snow storms, the beautiful Acapulco is now entering into its dry season, and the city likely will not see a cloud for the next six months.

But, for those fed on a steady diet of mainstream propaganda, Mexico, historically one of the world's great travel destinations, seems too dangerous to visit. Nevermind that most of the violence happens at the border where the US has constructed a border fence, when all the nation needed to convince Mexicans to stay out was the 2008 economic collapse.

The truth is that Mexico's key tourism areas are safer than some of the most popular tourism areas in the world. According to UN-based data, Mexico doesn't make the list of the 36 nations with the highest murder rates. Instead, Sweden and Switzerland top Mexico for murders, while the assault rate in the US is nearly 5 times greater than Mexico. Over 150,000 Americans safely visit Mexico each day. In fact, they are safer in much of Mexico than they are in popular US cities Miami, Philadelphia, Chicago, New Orleans, Washington DC or Atlanta. The murder rate in New Orleans is 4 times higher than all of Mexico and more than 5 times higher than Mexico City.

That the US State Department issues warnings about Mexico but not Washington DC, which has a murder rate four times more deadly than Mexico City, highlights that the State Department functions in part as a propaganda arm of the US government.

When is Mexico truly dangerous? That is a tough question to answer, as the nation spans 2,000 miles of land. Moreover, it's 31 states are as diverse geographically and culturally as the 50 United States. Considering this data from the UN though, unless you're running drugs, you are statistically safer in Mexico than anywhere else in North America. Sure, people might not report crime in Mexico as often in the US because people there are less dependent on the government. But, nonetheless, it has been demonstrated time-and-time again that Americans and Canadians are safer in Mexico than in their own countries.

While in Acapulco, it is not merely the safe streets which will make you feel at home. You can sit in a luxurious condo, and watch Gossip Girl Acapulco, if homesickness truly calls. If you watch the video below, you can see just how truly breathtaking it is here. Oh, and yes, Mexicans do come that white. Many North Americans don't realize that.

This week, 13 of the top Olympic countries are currently competing in Acapulco for the 3rd Mexican Open, signaling finally just how extremely dangerous it is here.

We've sold many new units in the last few months at AcaCondos, including two yesterday. We will soon be updating the AcaCondos website to show that and our other units available.

Stay tuned to the AcaCondos and LTGPS websites for more. And, yes, both accept Bitcoin.

Best Regards,

Michael Bach
AcaCondos & LTGPS
E-Mail: michael@acacondos.com
Phone: (315) 219-4653

AcaCondos October 2013 Newsletter

How is the weather where you are? Here in Acapulco it’s 85 degrees without a cloud in the sky, what you would call “perfect beach weather”. The high season is arriving and all of the owners of beachfront properties are coming to enjoy their winters sitting on the beach with a cold corona. Last months floods on the outskirts of Acapulco are a memory of the past. All of the highways have been repaired and water and electricity has been restored to the hardest hit areas. The upcoming months are always the most exciting as everyone comes down to escape the cold weather and the humdrum rat race from their lives up north. Acapulco is the perfect place to blow off some steam and reinvent yourself in paradise.

The Mexican economy has been heating up this year and attracting a lot of attention. There seems to have been a never ending array of articles coming out about the optimistic future of Mexico from magazines such as Foreign Affairs, The New York Times, and the Financial Times. The consensus of the opinions is that this is Mexico's time to move forward.

The stage is also being set for Mexico to have a giant boom in the oil sector. Since 1938 Mexico has had laws in place that make private production of oil impossible. This has caused the giant monstrosity known as Pemex to take over the market and have monopoly power. This has doused production to become so inefficient that Mexico, which was once one of the largest oil and gas exporters in the world, is an importer of oil and is soon to be a importer of oil if production doesn’t increase.

As as a response, part of the economic reform that the new president Pena Nieto is implementing is the biggest overhaul of the Mexican oil sector since the Communist takeover in 1938. His proposal, which is set to pass later this year includes a break up of Pemex as well as an amendment to change several articles of the constitution to allow foreign investment in the Oil industry. Charles Ebinger, the energy advisor for the Brookings institute and 35 year veteran in the industry remarker earlier this year "I think if the president of Mexico can truly pull this off it will be a monumental change in global petroleum issues" he predicts that the passing of these amendments will cause an exponential increase in oil production in Mexico. 

These economic factors are compounded by the fact that many people find Mexico to be a great place to live. The number of people moving from the US to Mexico has been continuously increasing since the year 2000. In fact more Americans have been added to the population of Mexico over the past few years that Mexicans have been added to the population of the Unites States.

 

In other words the time is now to get in on the group floor of an economy with tremendous growth opportunity. Why not start with a turn key beachfront property that will pay for itself?

2906S is quite possibly the most luxurious studio in both towers and is priced to sell at $129,500. This beautiful suite has a perfect 180 degree view of one of the most beautiful bays in the world from which you can enjoy the fantastic colors of both the sunrise and sunset every day.

 

View to Bed from Living Room - Click to Enlarge

TV and View - Click to Enlarge

Bedroom Area - Click to Enlarge

Kitchen - Click to Enlarge

We have had many studio sales in the last few months and for this reason have not had a chance yet to get any new ones up on the website. We are in the process of selecting the best deal now so if you are interested please give us a call and we can find one that is perfect for you.

Best Regards,

Jose Ulises Martinez Delgado
Manager @ AcaCondos.com & LTGPS.com 
E-Mail: ulises@acacondos.com
Phone Mexico: +1 52 744 239 4501Skype: joseacacondos2013 

AcaCondos September 2013 Newsletter

Hello from slowly drying out Acapulco,

Most of you have probably heard (but many probably have not as the Colorado floods dominated the media in the US) that Acapulco and the large surrounding area, state and most of Southern Mexico, was inundated by rain for most of the entire last week from Tropical Storm Manuel (and Ingrid on the East coast).

Here’s the good news. The main parts of Acapulco (the tourist and wealthier areas around the bay) were almost completely unaffected. I wrote about this here (“How I Survived the Acapulco Flood in Complete Comfort”).

It was almost a non-event other than being a very wet few days in this entire area. Every bar, restaurant and hotel, including ours, Las Torres Gemelas Private Suites (where we rent out the condos for AcaCondos owners) remained open and almost unaware of the real emergency issues in surrounding areas.

In the poorer areas, on the outskirts of Acapulco (on the other side of the mountains and quite the distance from here) and in the entire state of Guerrero, most significantly a town called Chilpancingo, about 100 kilometers from here, it was quite devastating.

The reason? Those areas are much poorer. Many people live in shacks on the side of hills and many homes, and lives, were destroyed. I found out about the situation a few hours outside of Acapulco and myself and my entire group of friends and family went out to help. I recounted my experiences here.

And, after seeing many of these outlying areas and the terrible conditions there I also started a donation site and we will take any donations and continue to deliver food, clothing and medical supplies to outside regions. You can find that site here: http://www.gofundme.com/AcapulcoRecoveryFund.

This storm was highly irregular (but not totally unusual in terms of decades) and, as said, it did not really affect the main Acapulco Bay area as it is very built up with proper housing and infrastructure. The biggest issue is that it will likely dissuade tourists from visiting for the next few weeks. On that note, it is also a bit of a white-lining as the period from mid-September until early November is, by far, the quietest period for tourism for Acapulco.

So, from a tourism and economy standpoint, it could have been a much worse time. For those, some of whom I’ve met and seen, outside of this area, it has been devastating and our hearts and thoughts (and charity, as said above) goes out to them.

ACAPULCO BECOMING A MEDIA HOTSPOT

The very popular show, Gossip Girl, recently launched in Mexico, called “Gossip Girl Acapulco”.

You can see portions of it here (and many of the scenes are shot very close to Acacondos/LTGPS):

As well, Singer Luis Miguel has been officially named the face of tourism for the Mexican city of Acapulco in the state of Guerrero. The state's governor made the announcement in late Auguest. Miguel will be featured in ads promoting the city in the hopes of getting international tourists to frequent the city. Singer Luis Miguel has been officially named the face of tourism for the Mexican city of Acapulco in the state of Guerrero. The state's governor made the announcement earlier this week. Miguel will be featured in ads promoting the city in the hopes of getting international tourists to frequent the city.

Some more great cinema-quality scenes from the Acapulco area can be seen here:

INFRASTRUCTURE DEVELOPMENT

Acapulco city authorities have been working hard to complete a new public rapid transit system called ACAbús in time for the next influx of sun-seeking winter tourists. The system represents an investment of around $140 million, roughly two-thirds for highway and transit stop refurbishment and one-third for operating equipment (vehicles and travel card machines).

ACAbús will connect the resort’s many tourism attractions and facilities. The main central axis is a 16-km (10 mile) long route from Las Cruces along Avenida Cuauhtémoc to Caleta, with 18 stops along the way. This portion will be confined solely to rapid transit articulated buses. Five trunk routes will supplement this central axis, each with a limited number of stops. The one of interest to most tourists will be that along the main Costera Miguel Alemán highway. When the system is complete, the number of bus routes in Acapulco will be reduced from about 220 to 120, but travel times will actually be greatly improved. Authorities estimate that the system should cut regular traffic by about 25%, and claim that everyone will benefit as it will lead to older vehicles being removed from the roads and a decrease in total emissions.

Maribús

At a later stage, the ACAbús system will be complemented by a maritime equivalent Maribús. This water taxi system will operate over about 3 kilometers of coast and have six access wharves: Acapulco Diamante, Puerto Marqués, Icacos, The Maritime Terminal (Terminal Marítima), Playa Manzanillo and Caleta. It would cut some transfer times in half. For example, it is estimated that the Golden Zone-Zona Diamante trip would take about 16 minutes.

Acabici

A bike-sharing system, Acabici, is also planned. This would initially have 450 bikes distributed between 30 “stations”.

The Scenic Alternative

Drivers of private vehicles in Acapulco will benefit from construction of an alternative route to the slow and congested Scenic Highway (Carretera Escénica) that links the resort’s airport to its Zona Dorada (Golden Zone) hotels and main beach, Playa Icacos, via the rapidly growing upscale Acapulco Diamante district. Acapulco Diamante is the newest of Acapulco’s three major tourist zones, known for its exclusive homes, stores, hotels and resorts. ,

The 270-million-dollar project, just begun by Mexican firm ICA, and dubbed Avenida Escénica (Scenic Alternative), is a 5 mile (8 km) toll highway that includes a tunnel 2 miles (3.3 km) long. It will slash travel time to a few minutes, instead of the hour or more sometimes required at present when traffic is heavy. This is the state of Guerrero’s largest infrastructure project for several decades. It will cost around $270 million, involve 1,000 workers and will take two years to complete. When the new link is opened, the tunnel will be the longest highway tunnel anywhere in Mexico.

BOOKING AND SALES

Hotel booking for this fall and winter have been unhindered by the recent floods (which are all but passed now). If you’d like to reserve your place on the beach for the coming months you should look to do so now before we are all booked up at Las Torres Gemelas Private Suites.

As well, numerous studio suites have sold at AcaCondos in the last few months. We still have a number available, however, as the total amount of suites in the two 30-storey towers is over 500… so there is usually always availability for sales.

You can see our full listings at the moment here and below:

• 3009N - **NEW** 2 Bedroom Penthouse Suite with Roofdeck - $174,000 US with full renovation (click here for more info and photos)

• 2906S - Double Size Suite - $129,500 USD - Luxury, All New Furnishings (click here for more info, photos and video)

• 3003S - 2 Bedroom Penthouse Unit $161,900 USD with full renovation package & rental income capability (click here for more info and photos)

• 3011N - **NEW** 2 Bedroom Penthouse Suite with Roofdeck - $198,000 US with full renovation (click here for more info and photos)

We don’t currently have any studio suites immediately available after selling our inventory in the last few months but we are working to find some new ones, all for under $70,000. Call us at (347) 408 0715 or email James Guzman at jguzman@acacondos.com for more info.

Until next time, from a hopefully much drier (and assuredly so) Acapulco,

Jeff Berwick

Proprietor (AcaCondos and Las Torres Gemelas Private Suites)

AcaCondos August 2013 Newsletter

Greetings again from the sunny beaches of Acapulco,

Last month we had the very exciting Surf Open Acapulco where the Australian surfer Wade Carmichael took home first place. This is the second consecutive year that SOF has been put on in Acapulco and it is now established as part of the Latin American leg of the ASP North American series.

This is a great way to spend a weekend so if you like surfing you should plan ahead to come down next year and take part in this wonderful international event. 

Last month as always we had good number of people come down and take a look at all that Acapulco has to offer. This isn’t surprising as more and more Americans and Canadians are now heading south of the border than ever before. Mexico is becoming the land of opportunity while most other economies have remained stagnant. Indeed, it seems that the stage is set for Mexico to become an economic powerhouse.

In 2012 alone there were enough foreigners who were optimistic about Mexico that they invested $57 billion in Mexican stocks and bonds, that’s five times more than was invested in Brazil! They have seen yearly GDP growth of 4% and are projected to reach up to 7% in the years ahead. The lower cost of living and greater business opportunities are not only causing northerners to pack their bags and come check things out but many of the Mexicans that went to the US for a better life are now turning back around and returning home. We think this is a trend that will only grow as time progresses. Mexico has lots of room for growth and now is the time to get on this train while the getting is good. 

TWO PIECES OF GREAT NEWS ON FIDEICOMMISSOS (BANK TRUSTS)

There is good news for those looking at buying a condo with us here at Acacondos. As you may know in order to buy property in one of Mexico’s “restricted zones” foreigners must buy the property in a fideicomiso which is much like a trust. Just recently the IRS has ruled that a fideicomiso is not a trust, which means that US citizens will no longer have to file form 3520 with their yearly tax returns. Don’t we all love less paperwork!

The even better news comes from the Mexican government which has put forth a bill to stop the use of fideicomisos all together. This is great news and will cause our customers to save an yearly fee of around $360 US. This law has not completely passed yet but is expected to be in effect by the end of the year. We will keep you up to date as things progress. 

ACACONDOS INVENTORY CHANGES

There have been a few changes to our inventory in the last month. The first change has been the purchase of the last studio we had available 2604S. That will make five units in the same vicinity at the top of the south tower. We are now looking for another one on the top floors of the south tower to offer. We will be updating the site as soon as we have found one. 

Another big change that has happened this month is that the owner of our most popular suite 3009N has decided to list his property (link: https://acacondos.com/3009n). This is a beautiful three story penthouse that has already been renovated. The buyer is in need of cash and has priced it to move at $174,000. This is a unit that is already equipped with flat screen TVs, surround sound, full kitchen, two kings size bedrooms with private bathrooms and the icing on the cake which is the rooftop patio with jacuzzi and complete view of the bay. This unit is rented out practically every weekend and is always a favorite when people come down to see it. Just imagine sipping cocktails on your own patio on the 30th floor with this view. 

This is very recent news so if you are interested please let us know as soon as possible as it probably will not be available for very long. Also if you are interested in a studio please feel free to contact us as we will probably be able to find another one that is available within the next couple weeks.  

You can always reach us at sales@acacondos.com or give us a call at (347) 408 0715.

Until next time, we’ll look forward to seeing you down here soon!

James Guzman
Manager 

AcaCondos June 2013 Newsletter

Hello again from the beautiful beaches of Acapulco. Things have been busy here at the hotel and it looks like next month will be much of the same. We are already fully booked for much of July with many interested buyers coming down to check out the rooms.

2902 in the north tower has just been renovated and added to our inventory. As you can see from the pictures it was done with tile which I think gives a clean look. THis is another option for those looking to buy a studio unit. You can customize the way you would like as long as it is within budget. 

 

Workers have been working diligently on painting both buildings a beautiful eggshell white as well as filing in and fixing any blemishes on the outside of the building.     Once finished they will be moving on to update the front entrance of the building as well as the elevators. 

 

 

Acapulco MotoFest 2013 was here this past month. There were over 600 buses and 5,000 motorcycles down here to race and show off. All the clubs were packed and I made a quick video one night while I was out: You can see more of the bikes at last years event which we also took a short video of (see it here). It was a great time and I would suggest that anyone who enjoys motorcycles to start making plans for next years events. 

Acapulco will be going through a lot of changes in the near future. Firstly, they have been working on expanding the main road here at the costera and putting in new bus stops for the “Acabus” which will replace the old buses with new up to date ones, you can see pictures here. We will surely miss the character of the party buses that now littler the streets but this will drastically help to decongest the traffic backups and make it easier for locals to get to and from work in the tourist areas. This whole project is projected to be finished by the end of the year. Once finished they will be moving on to building a tunnel directly form the costera to the airport. Although the trip is only about half an hour at this time during very busy weekends it does get backed up from people coming in to town. Here is a video on the proposed project.

This December 6 and 7 there will be a huge concert called “Acapulco Peace Festival” with an expected 100,000 attendees. Artists scheduled to preform include Rihanna, David Guetta, Bruno Mars, Pittbull, Cafe Tacuba and many others. This weekend will surely be sold out here in Acapulco so if you would like to attend make sure to book your dates right away

 

We have recently been notified that there will not be any patios allowed on the roof of the buildings. This means that 3011N is the last one available ever with one of there wonderful roof top patios like the one in 3009N. There are several people interested in the property but no one has pulled the trigger as of yet. If you would like to have a one of a kind 360 view of one of the most beautiful bays in the world ACT FAST!

Until next time!

Jeff Berwick