FAQs before hitting Mexican wine country

Last Updated on Saturday, 7 April 2012 11:57 Written by COPY Saturday, 7 April 2012 11:53

DAVID MAUNG

UT SAN DIEGO ARTICLE

Written by

Keli Dailey

Putting aside living-in-the-Baja-California-moment for just a sec, before planning my Valle de Guadalupe vacation I wanted to know what goods I can legally tote back into the States.

I’ve heard things.

And people need drinkable proof that I’d been luxuriating in a Mexican wine region undergoing a key cultural moment right now. (Namely, all the cool kids are recommending dining-and-drinking tours of Valle de Guadalupe.)

I emailed U.S. Customs and Border Patrol spokeswoman Angelica Decima, and told her how desperately I wanted to be cool. And how the Valle de Guadalupe scene is booming (so is Tijuana’s craft beer scene). And maybe I said real getaways require souvenir wine and food gifts for Americans afraid to go to Mexico.

Then I asked her how much of the good stuff I can cross the border with.

A:California residents over 21 can cross into the U.S. with a liter (33.8 fluid ounces.) of booze every 30 days.

My metric question answered (no six-packs of cerveza can make the journey with me, apparently, but a big bottle of wine might), I started to wonder what foods were border-hauling no-nos.

So I asked what were the top confiscated foods at the U.S. port of entry.

A:Apples, oranges, eggs, pears and mangoes.

Then Decima slipped me a link to “Bringing Agricultural Products Into the United States,” which looks like all the fine print I should read but ignore before hitting the “I agree” button online.

If you are thinking in moving to Mexico, don’t think more act today.  We Can Help.  Call today 619 446-6734 or email Baja Premier Properties info@bajamarpremierproperties.com the perfect home is waiting for you.

Private Residence Club Offered At Santa Barbara At Bajamar

Last Updated on Tuesday, 27 March 2012 11:33 Written by admin Tuesday, 27 March 2012 11:32

–Resort Community Offers New Fractional Ownership Opportunity on the Baja Coast–

Santa Barbara at Bajamar, a boutique condominium neighborhood within the gates of the master-planned Bajamar residential and golf course community, is offering a new real estate option through its Private Residence Club.  This opportunity affords club members co-ownership of an oceanfront luxury residence with all the benefits and amenities of a vacation-home at a fraction of full ownership costs.

Private Residence Club Offered At Santa Barbara At Bajamar

As the first and only new condominium neighborhood in Bajamar that offers this arrangement, owners at Santa Barbara can co-own an exquisite white water and golf course view residence and enjoy it year round.  Each club residence has six owners who are each guaranteed at least eight weeks in the residence a year including four prime weeks during spring and summer.

“Each turnkey residence comes fully furnished and includes housekeeping and maintenance for worry-free ownership and truly hassle-free vacations,” said Max Katz, broker with Baja Real Estate Group.

The Residence Club at Santa Barbara offers fractional interest homes in four floor plans including a stunning two-story, three-bedroom, three-bath, 4,150-square-foot penthouse.  Other available residences range from two to three bedrooms, two to three baths and 1,930 to 2,630 square feet.  Private Residence Club ownership starts at $89,000 and developer financing is available.

“With a lower purchase price, operating costs divided equally among each of the six owners and lower HOA fees than the full ownership model, the Private Residence Club offers a new way to enjoy the rich amenities and luxury lifestyle afforded at Bajamar,” Katz said.    

Mexico Tourism Booming Again, Despite Violence

Last Updated on Monday, 26 March 2012 10:58 Written by COPY Thursday, 23 February 2012 03:10

By: New America Media

MERIDA, Mex. – Despite relentless coverage of the Mexican drug war by U.S. news media over the last several years, tourism to Mexico is rebounding strongly.

Mexico Tourism Booming Again

Following three years of sharp decline that began in April 2009, when fears over H1N1 – the virus commonly known as “swine flu” — effectively shut down most of the nation to foreign travel, visitors arriving in Mexico by air jumped to 22 million in 2011. That number is expected to increase again this year, as worldwide interest in the “end of time” 2012 phenomenon — the ancient calendar of the Maya ends in December 2012 — shifts into high gear. The end of the calendar cycle has generated worldwide interest, resulting in a variety of end-time theories, documentaries and even a big-budget Hollywood film.

During the peak of the H1N1 crisis in 2009, Mexico came to a halt as schools, museums, shopping centers and movie theaters were ordered shut, causing hundreds of thousands of foreign visitors to cancel their vacations and trips. While averting a public health crisis, the forceful action taken by Mexican authorities had unintentionally sent the tourism industry into a tailspin.

Since then, the combination of global economic recession and drug-related violence had only exacerbated the decline in tourism.

Today, that is all changing.

“We envisage that 2012 will be a record-breaking year for Mexico in terms of tourism numbers,” says Rodolfo Lopez-Negrete, Chief Operating Officer of the Mexico Tourism Board. “Mexico’s tourism industry is undergoing a stunning transformation — based on a bold strategy of diversification — focused on promoting a broader range of tourism products (i.e. cultural tourism, adventure travel and health related-tourism) aimed at attracting a new breed of global consumer.”