AcaCondos November 2012 Newsletter

Hello from stunningly beautiful Acapulco Bay!

I’m in a fantastic mood as the weather has now changed into the winter dry season. The difference between the two seasons isn’t too big but it does make a difference. In the summer months it is a little extra hot and humid… and the bay doesn’t have the deep blue-green to it nor do the skies regularly have a dark blue… That all changes at the end of November and we now have 6 months where there will not likely even be one day where you will see a cloud, it will be eminently comfortable and not too hot in the day or night (with even some cool breezes at night) and all the colors really come out. Also, in the summer there aren’t ultra-dramatic sunsets like we will now have for the next 6 months. Every night until May now will be a lightshow that will have you constantly grabbing for your camera.

There has been so much going on in the last month. There was a hot air balloon festival on the beach, a four day long airshow over Acapulco Bay with countless planes and jets doing formations and tricks and Acapulco International Film Festival is currently ongoing with plenty of stars including Antonio Banderas and Selma Hayek… who I am personally hoping I run into!

Plus, many of the owners of the suites at AcaCondos have been returning and all have told me of the amazing time they’ve been having. And, to add to that, in my other life as The Dollar Vigilante (http://dollarvigilante.com) we’ve been attracting readers from around the world who all have an interest in living a freer life outside of the western world. So, it is literally a party every night with great people from around the world. The two latest were two young men who decided to move to Acapulco on my recommendation… one from the Netherlands and one from Australia. Both have not been disappointed.

Here is a video I did recently with Jan from the Netherlands:

The hotel is starting to be full on a regular basis and will be full almost completely between now and May which just adds to more new people from around the world we get to meet and introduce them to the amazing lifestyle and culture here in Acapulco. On that note, if you are planning to come down this winter you should book now because, as I said, we are already filling up and it will be booked solid in the coming few months.

On that note, we can definitely use more suites in our inventory for the hotel so if you are looking for an excellent investment, look at buying one of the condos in the building. Prices are unbelievable compared to almost anywhere else in North America for what you get. And you can have a condo on the beach for your own use whenever you like and, if you don’t plan to be here permanently, we can then rent it out for excellent investment returns without even having to lift a finger. We take care of everything.

THE US MEDIA FINALLY OPENS ITS EYES

I was personally gratified to finally see a US based financial magazine, The Economist, say all the things I’ve been saying for years about Mexico… that this country has a massively growing economy (top in Latin America, beating out Brazil last year) and is much safer, especially for tourists, than most US cities.

You can see the article here, “The Rise of Mexico”.

And there are great hopes that the new President of Mexico, who comes into office next week, will squelch dramatically the stupid drug war that has caused all kinds of problems down here in paradise.

All in all, things are very good down here and the future appears bright. Once the rest of the world begins to realize this we should even more tourism here (last year was already a record year for tourism even despite all the bad press about drug violence). And, as I have stated, here in the tourist and richer areas of Acapulco it is as safe as any city of this size could be. Your biggest dangers are eating too much good, healthy food, too many drinks and either finding love or enjoying your romance watching beautiful sunsets and engaging with incredibly friendly and welcoming people.

We hope you’ll stop by and see us in the near future and see for yourself!

CONDOS CURRENTLY FOR SALE

The following condos are currently available for sale:

2909S - Studio Suite - $69,500 USD with full renovation (click here for more info and photos)

2906S - Double Size Suite - $149,500 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)

Many people are coming down to check out these condos this winter, also… so if you have your eyes on any of these we encourage you to act quickly. Contact sales and operations manager, James Guzman, at jguzman@acacondos.com or call 347-408-0715.

UNTIL NEXT MONTH

That’s all for now. I am off back to the beach and out into the night in Acapulco after that! Wherever you are I wish you the best!

Jeff Berwick
 

AcaCondos October 2012 Newsletter

Hello from beautiful Acapulco!

All of us here at AcaCondos and Las Torres Gemelas Private Suites are preparing ourselves for the end of the slow/rainy season and the beginning of the peak/dry season in November!

November is also already shaping up to be a very busy month. There are a number of events set in the coming weeks.

"TRIANGULO DEL SOL" BALLOON FESTIVAL

The sky of Acapulco Bay beach will be transformed into a colorful display with the First Festival of Ballooning "Triangle Sun" on November 2-4. Acapulco Bay is beautiful on its own and is also host to an annual Air Show but should be extra spectacular with dozens of hot air balloons.

They will even offer free rides to anyone who wants one. The ride will last 45 minutes and the viewer will see an exhibition of balloons over the sea and children's workshops to learn how to draw Chinese paper balloons.

The drawing of Chinese balloons is a reference to the Acapulco heritage where for hundreds of years Spanish Galleons would migrate twice annually from Acapulco to Manila, Philippines to trade spices and other items. Because of that, most native Acapulquenos have some Chinese heritage. Chinese New Year is especially celebrated in Acapulco.

ACAPULCO INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL 2012

Then, a few weeks after the balloon festival is Acapulco’s International Film Festival from November 23 to 30^th. A large amount of celebrities are set to attend including Antonio Banderas and his wife, Melanie Griffith.

Most of us down here will be attending, especially the cocktail parties. The end of November is a beautiful time to be in Acapulco, come on down!

LAS TORRES GEMELAS PRIVATE SUITES IS NOW ON EXPEDIA

And, we are thrilled to announce that the suites at Las Torres Gemelas Private Suites are now listed for rent on Expedia. Expedia is one of the top travel booking sites so we expect that owners who buy suites through AcaCondos can expect a big increase in the amount of rentals in the coming year and beyond.

We are already getting booked up for most of the winter so if you’ve been waiting to make travel plans, don’t wait too long!

FEATURED SUITE

We have found a motivated seller that is offering an excellent deal on one of the highly sought after Penthouse suites. It has two bedrooms with king size beds and private bathrooms that will allow you to visit Acapulco with friends and family with more space to enjoy yourselves. The suite is located on the top floor of the south tower and has two floors, each of which have beautiful views of the bay. We can offer this beautiful oceanfront getaway fully renovated and ready to start pulling in income for $161,900. As if that wasn’t good enough this seller would like to sell fast so if you contact us right away we can offer a $2,000 discount for a price of $159,000. Contact James Guzman at jguzman@acacondos.com if you would like to take advantage of this outstanding deal.

Regards, 
Jeff Berwick

AcaCondos September 2012 Newsletter – A Growing Community, Affordable Medical/Dental and Featured Suites

Hello from beautiful Acapulco!

The migration continues. We are seeing a real community starting to form here as more of our friends seek the easier living available south of the US-Mexico border.

The most recent of the new arrivals was our old friend Gary Gibson (who works with me at The Dollar Vigilante). He just spent his first month in one of our condo units. Gary also recently stayed for a few days with TDV head researcher Justin O'Connell in San Diego during a business trip. Justin is also planning to head down to Acapulco in a few months and asked Gary what it was like living down there in the unit. Here is what Gary had to say about that:

"The entire west wall of my unit was made of glass so I could see onto my patio and beyond to Acapulco Bay. The Pacific lapped against the boulders on the beach just a few stories below my patio. There were two overlapping sets of curtains, one for shade and one for privacy, but I left most of the window wall uncovered so I could wake up to a view of the Pacific every morning. Every night I would relax in bed with my laptop, watching movies and listening to the muted roar of the waves below. There was a huge flat screen TV on the wall, but I don't think I used it once. I did use the air conditioner wall unit quite a bit. I was always amazed at how quickly that thing could make the condo completely cool and comfortable no matter how hot and steamy it got outside."

"And there's maid service every day, which was really nice since I'm not the best when it comes to tidying up. Let me tell you...once you have daily maid service, it's hard to give up. I would leave the condo to stroll along La Costera – the main boulevard along the beach where the hotel is located – to get some food, or a coffee or a beer and come back to find the place immaculate. Sure, this sort of thing happens at any hotel in the US, but good luck finding a beachside hotel in the US where you can easily afford to live full time!"

I have to wonder how much longer Mexico will be such a bargain, however. The country is booming. GDP is on the rise, employment and foreign investment are up, the stock market has risen nearly 1,000% in the last ten years and the middle class is growing steadily. In fact, an old trend has reversed. Now more and more Mexican immigrants are leaving the US and heading back to Mexico in search of opportunity while the number of Mexicans heading north is declining dramatically.

There is nothing mysterious about this. The advanced Western economies like the US have steadily been making themselves increasingly inhospitable to business and to wealth creation. The opportunities are shifting to the emerging economies which used to be called Third World economies. Capital and entrepreneurship is simply migrating to where they're treated best.

We are fully poised to take advantage of Mexico's continuing boom. Currently our best studio condos are on track to achieve a 9% return on investment (ROI) in the coming year, but as the middle class grows and more and more Mexicans can afford to take vacations in tourist havens like Acapulco, we are prepared to capture the growing market with new marketing techniques. Also including my writings at one of the fastest growing expat and freedom focused newsletters, The Dollar Vigilante. Barring any major economic events, we expect to get occupancy up to 70% which would bring the average ROI up to 15%. As well, we brought James Guzman (jguzman@acacondos.com) to manage the condos and hotel. He is our first full-time person completely focused on improving rentals and sales and we are expecting excellent gains from him.

EVERYTHING’S BETTER OR AT LEAST CHEAPER IN MEXICO

One area in which Mexico will continue to be a bargain, however, is medical care. Federal interference destroys the pricing mechanism for medicine in the US, thus allowing hospitals to charge outrageous amounts for treatments that cost literally a tiny fraction in other countries, as one Arizona woman recently learned...

She was stung by a scorpion and started to experience severe symptoms. She received two doses of antivenom at the hospital at which time price was not discussed. She later received a bill for over $39,000...per dose. The same treatment would have cost just $200 in Mexico.

If that seems unbelievable, let me tell you it makes complete sense. Mexico truly has a free market in medical care and the lower prices here reflect that. But even elective procedures that are relatively unburdened by corporatism between the feds and insurers in the US are much cheaper in Mexico. James Guzman recently got Lasik for both of his eyes for about a third what the procedure costs in the US.

In fact, James recently put together a package available to all in which we can offer Lasik surgery plus a 10-day stay in one of our condo units, transportation to and from the airport and a translator for the appointments...all for just $2500!

We invite you to come see for yourselves how wonderful life in Acapulco can be. Or just email or call James Guzman to discuss your own particular needs and interests. But if you also happen to have been thinking about getting your vision fixed, then you should definitely contact us to kill two birds with one stone...all for less than you would have paid for just Lasik in the US. James can also help you find other medical requirements… Canadians, why wait 6 months for an MRI when you can get it in 1 hour in Mexico?

FEATURED SUITES FOR SALE THIS MONTH

Currently at Acacondos we are featuring two beautiful suites.

One is a Studio on the 29th floor with a breathtaking view of the bay. This suite would be great for an affordable winter getaway that would literally end up paying for itself. You can enjoy your beautiful beachfront condo whenever you would like and let us rent it for you when you are not around. Renting it only 14% of the time you will cover all of the fixed costs involved in owning the unit, all the rest will be your time at the beach or money in your pocket. All the modern furniture and appliances are included in the incredible price of 69,500.

Our other featured suite is a luxury three story penthouse condo. It features a full kitchen, two bedrooms with king size beds and a roof deck with a Jacuzzi and amazing view of the entire bay and city. The penthouses are surely our customers favorite and there is hardly a weekend that goes by when they are not fully booked. We are offering this luxury suite completely renovated with all new furnishings for $198,000.

So come see for yourself how wonderful life is in Acapulco. And take advantage of our special package offer so that when you leave, you will see a lot better...

We’ll look forward to seeing you this fall or winter! But book now because, as stated above, we expect to have our best year for rentals and things will get booked fast. Come stay in one of our condos and try it before you buy.

Regards, 
Jeff Berwick

AcaCondos August 2012 Newsletter - Upswing, Enjoy 5 Star For Less, the Peso and New Financing Options

Hello from beautiful Acapulco,

We're just having the time of our life down here... I hope you are too!

We've had so many people buying and moving down recently and a real fun community is starting to form.  There aren't many nights where you can't find one of us who isn't up for going for a drink at a beach bar.

It's not just us, it's everywhere in Acapulco.  Like this article from Travel Weekly, "In Acapulco, Signs of an Upswing".  It states that in Acapulco’s Golden Zone (the prime bay area where we are located) has risen to 72.8% year to date, up from 60.7% compared with a year ago.  We've seen the same thing.  Our occupancy rate is close to the average and we strongly, strongly believe that in the next year with all that we are doing that we can get that upwards of 80%.  That'll mean amazing Return On Investment's (ROI's) for those buying at today's prices.

ENJOY THE BEST, PAY THE LEAST

One of the great things about the freedom in Mexico is that almost anything is possible.  As example, for those who really enjoy those 5 star, all inclusive hotel experiences, you can still enjoy it, very cheaply and without even staying there.

Earlier this month I took my young family to the Fairmont Princess hotel.  It is truly glorious... certainly not a place you could or would stay very long as it is too expensive and, frankly, too far away from the city... but for a week many people enjoy it.  It is acre upon acre of landscaped grounds, swimming pools, bars and restaurants.

But, here's the amazing thing, if you just want to visit for the day and enjoy all the amenities it is only 400 pesos ($30) and that includes all you can eat and drink for the entire day.  And, kicks go free!  So, for $60 my wife and I enjoyed their amazing buffett and then left all our stuff at the table as we spent 2-3 hours at their giant pools full of waterslides, peacocks, waterfalls and slides... the kids had the time of their life.  Then we came back to the table a few hours later where our waiter was very happy to see us and we enjoyed the dinner buffett before finally, 8 hours after our arrival, walked off into the sunset.

Everyone had a wonderful time and we returned to AcaCondos/LTGPS where the amenities are certainly not of that caliber but still very, very enjoyable.  So, in this way, once a week or a few times per month you can have the best of both worlds without the expense of staying in a 5 star all-inclusive resort.

We have now made it an at least once-a-month visit to which the kids and my wife and I always look forward to.

PESO RATE

Things just always seem to get better and better here... or, at least, for us not from Mexico who earn money in other currencies.

The Mexican Peso has performed terribly since 2008 as you can see below... and this is vis-a-vis the atrocious US dollar!

As you can see, in 2008, the Mexican Peso hit nearly $0.10 to the dollar.  But only last month it nearly hit a low only briefly seen in 2009.  It is now around $0.075 to the dollar... which, simply means, if you have US dollars - or almost any other currency - you now can buy 30% more for your money here than you could even four years ago.

NEW FINANCING OPTIONS!

We are constantly working with lenders to find new financing options for our AcaCondos suites and we are very happy to announce that we now have a peso based loan that only requires 25% down.  As mentioned above, there are potential benefits to a peso based loan over a US dollar loan if the peso continues to weaken, which has been it’s history.  

Contact James Guzman who is now the fulltime manager of AcaCondos and Las Torres Gemelas Private Suites at jguzman@acacondos.com for more.

UNTIL NEXT MONTH

I wish you all the best and will hope to see you down here very soon.  Contact James to arrange a tour where you'll get discounted rates to stay in our suites and we'll also pick you up at the airport and take you out for some nice drinks on the beach!  We wouldn't have it any other way!

Best,

Proprietor

AcaCondos July 2012 Newsletter - Beautiful Summer Rain, QuikSilver Surf Competition, Anarchast and More

Hello from beautiful Acapulco,

Hi all, Jeff here.

I used to dislike the summer months here.  Well, not dislike... but like less.  From November through to April it is literally paradise.  It is sunny every single day... even one drop of rain is unheard of, it isn't very humid and the temperature every single day is 86F/30C.

Now, if you look at the weather right now, in summer, in Acapulco you might ask how it is all that different.  In fact, I had a Mexican friend ask me if it is cold right now, in July, in Canada.  I told him, no, it's summer.  They don't understand the distinction here.  That's because it is pretty much 86F/30C give or take a few degrees every single day of the year.

But, the difference is, in the period from May to October it is a little extra hot and humid... and it rains sometimes.  I used to dislike it because it was a bit hotter and humid but now I have learned to enjoy it.  Why?  Because after a torrential tropical downpour (which happens about 2 or 3 times per month for no more than 1-2 hours) all of nature's beauty comes alive in Acapulco.

The trees are always green here because of how the local mountains keep the rain out but underground aquifers feed all the flora and fauna... but after a rain all manner of life comes alive.  Bird, insects and other creatures seem to come out.  Before a good rain you can see them all scurry.  My Mexican wife told me a hurricane might be coming after finding a baby iguana in our kitchen.  She said he was hiding.  And she was right, a light hurricane, Carlotta, was nearby... but did nothing other than provide some wind gusts and rain.

But after the rain, the amount of tropical and jungle bird noises all around is uplifting to the spirit.  The skies clear, it is bright and blue again, and every living thing comes out from their protection.  In fact, many of them come alive.  Tons of insects are rejuvenated after the rains and the iguanas and birds come out in a major feast.  As I grilled a steak on my balcony today I took pleasure in hearing all the "coocoos", "chirps" and other calls from all the yellow, green, red and every other color bird that circled.  A beautiful hummingbird took pleasure in a flower on a tree nearby.

The humidity in the air brings life too.  I went to get my haircut with my Acapulquena stylist this week and I said, "I don't know what is going on, I just got my hair cut less than a month ago... and my fingernails are growing like crazy too."

She just smiled.  It's the humidity, she said.  Water brings life.  And, the great thing too is that the humidity also induces you to sweat and rid your body of toxins.

A friend brought his dog here recently.  She is about 15 years old and looked quite old and ill when he arrived from the US.  For the first few weeks she labored in the heat.  She is a shephard mix and has a big fur coat.  I felt bad for her.  However, after about two months she now runs the hills and I can barely keep up.  She's full of life.  The sun and humidity is the best elixir I've ever seen.  And, if you combine it with regular swims in the salty ocean you will also notice your skin look years or even decades younger.

The fountain of youth is here in Acapulco.

QUIKSILVER SURF COMPETITION IN ACAPULCO

Speaking of fountain of youth, I don't know about you, but the healthiest looking people I've ever met are often surfers.  Sun, salt water and exercise are the likely culprits.

So, I was really happy to hear that the international surf circuit was coming to Acapulco.  The Quiksilver Surf Acapulco competition will be held here from July 17-22.  Here's a promo for it (click here or the video below)... the beauty of Acapulco never ceases to amaze me:

ANOTHER ANARCHAST FROM ACAPULCO

Here's another video I did with another young man who is planning to buy a suite at AcaCondos and the reasons why he loves Acapulco so much (click here or on the video below):

DRUG VIOLENCE

As you know, if you've been reading me here or in The Dollar Vigilante, you are aware that the sensationalism of supposed drug violence here in Acapulco is massively overblown.  I've lived here with my young family for the last four years and have so much as to see a fistfight much less beheadings.

Most of what you hear happens far away from here.  The main areas of Acapulco are full of millionaires, billionaires and tourists and it is unheard of for anything untoward to happen anywhere near here.

Plus, Mexico just had a federal election and the government which caused the drug violence has been voted out with gusto.  The Mexican people never wanted to fight the US' war on drugs and it is already all stopping.

So, I was particularly happy to see this article from the BBC titled, "Viewpoint: Time to look beyond Mexico drug violence"

The risks here are incredibly overblown and they are also a thing of the past.  As the article starts off, "If Mexico were a stock, now might be the time to buy."

I agree completely with that.  And, our units which we rent on behalf of owners if they wish when they are not using the condos have never been more full.  Our occupancy rates are going nowhere but up and the Return On Investment (ROI) has never been better.

We've even hired another person to manage the business on top of Michael Bach and myself as the demand is so strong.  His name is James Guzman and he is available at jguzman@acacondos.com.  If you would like to come down and check out our units just email him.  He'll give you a discounted price to stay in the units (which are marketed as Las Torres Gemelas Private Suites).

And, we'll help you with anything you need.. even if you are not interested in our condos we can help you with other real estate opportunities.  And we will soon be expanding into a full concierge service to help non-Spanish speaking foreigners find medical and dental services here and be taken care without worry.

Email James if you'd like to talk more about what we can offer.

UNTIL NEXT TIME

That's all for this month!  We hear it is too hot in the US NorthEast and too cold in the NorthWest and it has been raining in the UK for months... Down here, it's been just right, every day.

We'll hope to see you down here sometime soon!

Jeff Berwick

CEO