Patzcuaro, Michoacán, was one of the featured stops on the, A Glimpse of Michoacán, real estate tour. Photo by Maria de Lourdes Alonso.
Patzcuaro, Michoacán, was one of the featured stops on the, A Glimpse of Michoacán, real estate tour. Photo by Maria de Lourdes Alonso.
Mexico Has Become the Best-Cost Country for Manufacturing
Mexico is now considered the best country for the United States to do business with, according to the business advisory firm AlixPartners’ recent study on manufacturing and outsourcing costs index. The study provides American companies who do international businesses, with more accurate and understandable information of foreign direct investment in manufacturing and which countries qualify as a Best-Cost Country (BCC).
The Mexican Competitiveness Agenda in Logistics
Mexico has a strategic geographical location with coastlines on the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans and shares a border of more than 1,800 miles with the United States, the largest economy in the world, leading it to become a world-class logistics hub. For that reason, the Mexican government released a plan called, Competitiveness Agenda in Logistics, with the aim of increasing the productivity and competitive edge of Mexico’s economy.
Real Estate Education in Baja California Sur
Two significant educational events were recently staged in Baja California Sur. Members of AMPI Los Cabos took the CENEVAL exam. CENEVAL (Centro Nacional de Evaluacion Para La Educacion Superior) is a department of the Mexican Department of Education, who recognized real estate as a profession only two years ago. Its purpose is to create and implement exams that will test the knowledge and experience of professionals on the science and technology of real estate. Study groups were formed with professionals from real estate related activities donating their time to prepare students for the examination. Following the exam, a reception was held in the Casa de la Cultura in San Jose del Cabo. Attending were civic leaders, class instructors, AMPI members and representatives from the media. The event was addressed by Raùl Figuerola, past President of AMPI National and AMPI Acapulco, also AMPI Los Cabos President Lisa Laborde, who had this to say, “We are proud of our members who attended the study sessions and took the exam. I would like to thank the instructors and especially Susana Bueno, who is a member of our Advisory Board and our education Coordinator.” Passing the CENEVAL exam is one step towards earning the professional education certification, a certification available to attorneys, dentists, accounts, doctors, among others. These professionals have what is called a Cedula Professional. An individual number is given for each Cedula and most professionals use them in their advertising.
Warm Up to the Global Marketplace: Excerpts from an article written in, Global Perspectives in Real Estate, by Barbara Schmerzler, Chair of NAR®’s International Operations Committee.
“My first thought was to wish for more NAR members to warm up to the idea of a global market place and the associated business opportunities. Having talked with industry leaders around the world, I know this is not a unique desire. Many real estate professionals, regardless of their country, simply cannot see opportunities that are right in front of them. The minute they hear, “international,” they think “this is not for me; my business is local.” One-on-one, I’m able to point out the international aspects of [every] local business and how to grow that part of a practice, but of course I can only reach a few [members] that directly.”
“Like the current NAR television commercial says: It’s time to get off the fence! While many of the global second home markets have been devastated by this economy, Spain’s Costa del Sol and Mexico’s Mayan Riviera are just as beautiful as they were two years ago, perhaps just a little less crowded. And if that retirement fund isn’t worth what it once was, there are many markets worldwide where less money still buys more.” (That’s some good positive thinking!)
NAR® International News
The National Association of Realtors® has announced the appointment of Jeff Hornberger as Director of Global Alliances (GBA). Jeff has been with NAR for over ten years; eight of which were in the International division where he managed international business development for Spanish-speaking markets. During the past two years Jeff has been the Managing Director of Member Development in NAR’s Commercial Real Estate division where he conducted outreach to local associations and worked with a team to develop specific products, programs and services for the commercial real estate industry. Jeff will now “re-join” NAR’s Global Business and Alliances group. His expanded role will reach far beyond Spanish-speaking markets and will include managing NAR’s eighty plus partnerships around the globe. The National Association of Realtors®, is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.
A Glimpse of Michoacán…
A Glimpse of Michoacán was an added attraction to the Annual Conference of the Mexican Association of Real Estate Professions (AMPI). The event was a real estate tour of the area surrounding Morelia, the capital of Michoacán, organized by Mexatua Realty of Morelia, The Settlement Company® and Linda Neil Properties. It brought together a group of Realtors®, mainly from the Texas Association of Realtors (TAR), but also from Manzanillo, in the state of Colima, Chapala/Ajijic in the state of Jalisco, and Morelia and Uruapan, both in Michoacán. John Gormley, Director of Communications for TAR led the Texas contingent.
The morning of October 11th, members of the tour assembled for breakfast at a painstakingly restored colonial home in downtown Morelia. Many positive comments were made about the architect and the crafts people who did the work. Next, was a brief tour of the Centro Historico (historical center) of this sixteenth century jewel, followed by a trip along the ancient aqueduct built by the Spanish, ending up at a lookout high above the city in the neighborhood of Santa Maria. Leaving Morelia for Patzcuaro and Zirahuen, the bus headed down a highway lined by tall pine trees and a view of Lake Patzcuaro, further along was Lake Zirahuen, the deepest lake in Mexico, which is fed by spring water without any rivers leading into it. A coffee break was held at a chalet in the small village of Zirahuen on an acreage that overlooks the lake, twenty minutes outside of Patzcuaro. Patzcuaro is a picturesque village which has become home to many artists and writers from outside of Mexico. It is also renowned for its special type of ice cream and shops selling the various crafts from the surrounding villages. We had lunch, typical Mexican fare, at a restored home with a large back yard and a casita, (cottage). After lunch we viewed audio visual presentations about several others nearby developments.
Then we were off to a very special place, Tzintzuntzan (Place of Hummingbirds, in the ancient Purépecha language), which was the Capital of the Imperial Purepecha Empire during the pre-Hispanic era. The first monastery was built by the Franciscans in Michoacán during the sixteenth century, el convento de Santa Ana, which now serves as an informal museum. There are yacátas (ruins) of five large Purépecha temples that are an important part of Mexican archeology. Also, the local cemetery is one of the favorite places for tourists to be for Dia de Los Muertos (Day of the Dead) on Nov.1, which is a mixture of Purepecha and Christian traditions.
When we arrived back at the hotel around 7 p.m., it was time to download photos and take stock of our purchases. Members of our tour took advantage of the myriad of hand-made crafts in the local market. Among the most popular purchases were Christmas decorations woven from tule grown on the banks of Lake Patzcuaro. When asked about the tour and Michoacán, Barbara Boyd, an Austin, Texas Broker exclaimed, “Michoacán has got it all and you can quote me on that.” Ward Arendt created a web site about the trip and on his site he wrote, “Spectacular properties and countryside were seen. Surprising to us was the high altitude of above 7,200 feet. Pine and oak forests along with beautiful lakes dot the region.” A great way to promote tourism and real estate and to educate international brokers about all the beauty Mexico has to offer foreign home buyers.
