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.

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.    

Like other real estate purchases, club members receive a deeded property that can be passed onto family or resold.  Owners also can benefit from equity advantages as the property gains value.

In addition to full access to all the amenities and services at Santa Barbara, owners have privileged access to the miles of hiking, biking and walking trails throughout the 1,800-acre private reserve of Bajamar.

Santa Barbara is a 104-unit condominium neighborhood within Bajamar, a 600-home gated community fondly called the “Pebble Beach of the South” by American expatriates living in the area.  Surrounded by naturally green and rugged desert landscapes, Santa Barbara’s dramatic vistas are made more spectacular by its secluded location along the coast, yet its proximity to the Ensenada wine region known as Valle Guadalupe as well as the world-renowned restaurants, entertainment options and shopping in both Rosarito and Ensenada, provide for a cosmopolitan lifestyle.

Designed by award-winning Danielian & Associates, its architectural style reflects traditional Santa Barbara influences, combining the grandeur of traditional Spanish missions with the luxury of today’s California mansions.  The romanticism of its architecture is further illustrated throughout the community with hand-painted Mexican titles, decorative stamped concrete streets and, of course, traditional local décor adorning its furnished homes. Many of its homes feature granite floors, high-quality finishes and spacious floor plans which open out to oversized balconies with oceanfront views. Full ownership prices at Santa Barbara range from $270,000 to $799,000 for a penthouse.

Bajamar, easily accessible via highway 1, is only 15 minutes miles south of Rosarito and 20 minutes north of Ensenada in the Riviera Baja region.  Contact Baja Real Estate Group – Baja Premier Properties office at http://www.bajarpremierproperties.com/ for more information.

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.”

Even the U.S. State Department has begun to recognize the nuanced nature of “safety” in Mexico, issuing Travel Advisories that reflect what the vast majority of visitors are likely to encounter on the ground in Mexico: “Millions of U.S. citizens safely visit Mexico each year for study, tourism, and business, including more than 150,000 who cross the border every day,” the State Department reports in its most recent advisory. “The Mexican government makes a considerable effort to protect U.S. citizens and other visitors to major tourist destinations, and there is no evidence that Transnational Criminal Organizations (TCOs) have targeted U.S. visitors and residents based on their nationality. Resort areas and tourist destinations in Mexico generally do not see the levels of drug-related violence and crime reported in the border region and in areas along major trafficking routes.”

Over the past two years, Mexicans have worked to create exceptional travel experiences for visitors. In the southern state of Oaxaca, for instance, the political tumult and street protests of recent years caused by a teacher strike have settled down, and that area of the country is again experiencing a tourism boom, evidenced by frequent advertisements in the New York Times Sunday Magazine, The New Yorker and various travel magazines. Outfits like Oaxaca Culinary Tours are showcasing both food and mescal – an increasingly popular liquor distilled from a variety of cactus found in Oaxaca called maguey. And popular restaurants, like Casa Crespo have built up international followings with menus that feature artisanal food made with local ingredients.

As tourism rebounds in Mexico, more balanced coverage is being reported in the U.S. media. The New York Times, for instance, recently profiled Oaxaca as a “safe” location in its “36 Hours” travel series. The exposure generated tremendous buzz on social media sites, with Americans wanting to know more. As a result, the image of Oaxaca as a colonial city defaced by graffiti and engulfed in labor unrest now seems a distant memory, replaced by a charming place filled with fine foods, artisans making wonderful crafts – from wood carvings to delicate jewelry – and visitors intent on sampling some of the finest mescal produced in the state.

Nothing, however, currently compares to the growing foreign interest in the Yucatan peninsula, Mexico’s southeastern region and the ancestral home of the Maya. When “36 Hours in Merida” – Merida is the capital of Yucatan state — was published two months ago in the New York Times, it generated a great deal of buzz among travel agents. The Merida Bed & Breakfast Association even fashioned an “ideal” weeklong itinerary in Merida to help answer the many questions they were receiving from Americans inquiring about what to do while in town.

In fact, interest in Merida has increased so much that there is now a dedicated series of books for Americans wishing to relocate there. Edited by Eduviges Montejo, The Essential Guide to Living in Merida routinely sells out on Amazon.com. “Not a day goes by without emails from Americans with specific questions,” Eduviges Montejo said. “These queries help shape how each new edition will evolve. For example, we’re now listing a section on bakeries, slow food markets and gourmet shops in the guide, since that’s what readers ask about.”

The Yucatan is also earning a reputation as the place to go to learn about chocolate. In July 2011 the Eco-Museo del Cacao opened to the public, the first ecological park that tells the history of chocolate, from the evolution of the cacao tree to the discovery of chocolate by the indigenous peoples of Mexico, to its ascendance as a delectable food enjoyed around the world. The Eco-Museo del Cacao is a multi-million dollar investment, primarily by Belgian investors. The artisanal chocolates made in Merida found a loyal following after American Express published a story in their magazine, Departures, in September 2011, and now the sweets, called Ki Xocolatl, are being sold on Amazon.com.

The increase in tourism to the peninsula has also acted to diversify the region’s image. What was once an industry that revolved around the flashy discoteques and resort hotels of Cancun, is now becoming the ultimate destination for a more hip and discerning traveler. “Welcome to Tulum, a destination so popular with the fashion crowd this time of year that it almost feels like Fashion Week,” Bob Morris reported in the New York Times last month. “While Teva-wearing backpackers look for sea turtles and New Age naïfs look for nirvana, the fashion obsessed don’t have to look at all to find one other. They are everywhere, artfully dressed down in high-peasant style.”

Growth in tourism has been so robust that a new airport is being planned to accommodate the overflow from Cancun’s international airport. “The infrastructure to support a new airport is in place,” says Shawn Bandick, a Canadian realtor in Playa del Carmen. “They’re putting millions of dollars into infrastructure.” The Maya Riviera International Airport will be near Tulum, closer to the resorts of Playa del Carmen, Cozumel, Tulum and the “eco-parks” to the south.

The resurgence in tourism reflects not just a renewed interest on the part of American travelers, but also a strong influx of European visitors. According to Mexico’s Tourism Secretary, 2011 saw increased tourism from Spain (6 percent), Italy (10.5 percent) and France (12.4 percent), to go along with the United States (10.6 percent, despite a 3 percent decrease in air travel) and Canada (9.1 percent). Even more astounding are the increases in tourism from China (30 percent), Russia (55 percent) and Brazil (66 percent).

What the numbers and new media coverage show is that the world is beginning to shift it’s view of Mexico as a destination — not just for cartel bosses and traffickers, but for travelers seeking refuge from a troubled and troubling world.

To tour some of the properties available along the Baja Norte contact Baja Premier Properties.  We specialize in Mexico Real Estate and can walk you through the purchasing process.

While there are many younger children in our families that we want to get toys or electronics for, here is a thought to consider. . . Instead of racing around stores looking for gifts, why not think about sending a small donation in that person’s name to the tax-deductible Baja Scholarship Fund which has in its care 39 students who have been in our program for years.

The students range from primary school to university students.  All are outstanding academically and have been at risk of leaving school due to financial hardship.

They receive money for school fees, uniforms, books and even food, for the poorest families.  This has proven to be a very successful way to provide an opportunity for the student to rise above the poverty level as well as exhibiting a model for their family and friends.

The BSF encourages scholarship recipients to stay in their own communities after completing their education.  Since the inception of the program in 1995, we have supported one student, Alicia, from third grade to the completion of her medical school education. She is now a practicing physician in Tecate.  We’ve also graduated a teacher who is now working in Rosarito and a CPA who is working in the area. The success stories seem endless and are ongoing, thanks to the support of our neighbors and friends.

Your check, in any amount, will be US tax exempt and you will receive a receipt for your records. We would also be happy to acknowledge our gift in someone else’s name and tell them about the Baja Scholarship Foundation.

Checks should be made to the BSF

Mail to:   PMB 652, PO Box 439060, San Diego, CA 92143.

Education is the answer for so many bright young boys and girls to better themselves and live a life, often times, within their community inspiring others.

Judie Kesson, President; Nancy Garrett, 1^st VP; Katie Robles, Secretary

Taki Okamoto, Treasurer; Lillian Stewart, Historian

Directors:  Bertha Alicia Munoz, Larry French, Ptricia Gonzales, Cristina Imana

Ken Kesson, Marianne Mills, Haydee Pierro, Mike Robles,

Ruth Rockwell, Albert  Sauter, Eloisa Thompson

Is it Wise to take your property off the market during the holidays?

If you are planning to spend most of the vacation time at home with family and friends, then probably not.

Although keeping the sign up with holiday decorations and plenty of holiday spirit to pass around, this might be the perfect time for showing the house with all of its warmth and the smell of pine in the fireplace.

On the other hand, if you aren’t that pressed to sell the home, then keep this time as a family time and possibly miss that ONE buyer who walks in and gets ‘THAT GREAT FEELING. I WANT this house.

Then there are the absentee second home owners who REALLY want to sell.

This might be a good time to invest 200-300 dollars. And let us decorate your home and spruce it up for that holiday curb appeal.

Especially in Bajamar, we have lots of visitors and renters driving around and that small amount of money would be well spent “inviting” possible clients in to see a house that they would have passed by otherwise.

Think about your priorities and the kind of market we are experiencing both in the States and in Baja.

Homes that offer seller financing are prime candidates for this Holiday Sale.

Contact us for this special service or come down for a week-end soon and “decorate” your property and MAKE it Shine.

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This gated community, a short distance from San Diego is becoming more and more popular for philanthropic golf tournaments.  OCEANS FLAVOR (fabulous sea salt products) was the prime sponsor along with the AMPI realtors to benefit the BAJA SCHOLARSHIP FUND.   This 501 C3 has long been active in raising (deductible contributions) to send the children of Baja to school and raise themselves and their families out of poverty.

The day was perfect.  Lots of good wines from the fabulous Guadalupe wine region, fabulous food for every palate and of course the sparkling fairways and greens with panoramic views of the Pacific Ocean.

This 1700 acre secure Paradise offers luxury ocean front condo residences and many golf course homes at the perfect price points for active and ‘laid back’ retirees looking for affordable lifestyles.

We invite you to join us for a tour of this extraordinary resort style living.

And by the way, 15,000 was raised for the students while all of the golfers

and fun lovers enjoyed the great day at Bajamar.

  ● Ensenada presents over 60 wine and food events annually

“Ladies Who Lunch” is a dynamic group of American, Mexican, Asian and Canadian women safely and securely living in the Ensenada area of Baja California, Mexico. Each month these vivacious women pick a date to meet and explore new and old culinary establishments in this charming seaport city, often bringing bottles of wine to share with one another.

These intrepid ladies, who desire premium wine and gourmet delights, have many diverse venues to research, as Ensenada has become “the Wine and Gourmet Cuisine Capital of Mexico” in recent years. With over 40 top chefs, three culinary schools, and more than 50 wineries in the area, the possibilities are unlimited.

Alert and wise business owners fully understand the dynamics of groups like this that can “spread the good word” to friends, family and visitors about their culinary venues via email, the internet, blogs, web sites, and social media connections like Face Book and Twitter. This is especially important with fewer international visitors and during slow economic times.

One factor that has saved many local businesses from bankruptcy has been the local support from both Mexican and American residents. Many people aren’t aware that thousands of foreigners now reside in and around the city of Ensenada, and many of these folks love wine and gourmet cuisine.

Mexico’s growing economy and expanding middle-class also helps matters.

Three key elements allowing Ensenada to emerge as the food and wine capital of Mexico are proximity to Mexico’s premier wine region; an abundance of fresh, local seafood; and a large portfolio of artisan products to supplement the evolution of the wine culture. When you factor in the number of talented chefs in the region, the many wine and food festivals, locally harvested or raised fish, shellfish and produce, it all adds up to a blessing for wine and culinary lovers.

As an example, a passionate chef in this city can drive out to the wine country in twenty minutes, meet with the winemakers, explore the available portfolio of wines, and decide which ones to marry with his culinary delights. Where else in Mexico can you do this?

Ensenada presents over sixty wine and culinary events each year, with one event especially confirming this city as Mexico’s wine and gourmet food capital. Every August a group of devoted wine and food lovers called La Cofradia hosts a wine and food pairing competition inside the cruise ship terminal, along the shores of Ensenada Bay. Forty top chefs from Tijuana, Tecate, Mexicali, Rosarito Beach and Ensenada are paired with local wineries in a competition to see who can best pair gourmet cuisine with wine from Baja California.

Our winemakers and chefs are getting so good at this skill that most years it is almost impossible to pick one winner. When you take into consideration that we now produce the best oysters in the world, plus an abundance of fresh seafood in our bays and ocean, it’s no wonder that so many wine and gourmet food lovers are calling Ensenada home.

Ladies Who Lunch is an offshoot of Mexico’s silent revolution in creating a handful of world-class wines. As wine regions emerge from creating marginal wines to drinkable ones, the wine culture soon follows and evolves alongside, providing culinary wonders and artisan products, often generating more chefs and new restaurants in a region.

Ensenada is a prime example of these phenomena. Ladies Who Lunch are a friendly group of educated and intelligent people who understand that you can live a world class life in Ensenada with great wine, gourmet cuisine and near-perfect weather — for less than one half of the cost of any other similar city in the world.

When it comes to wine, women, weather and gourmet cuisine, it looks like Ensenada has everything! Don’t worry, sooner or later the men will figure it out too.

If you would like information on Mexico Real Estate in Ensenada or the Guadalupe Valley please visit our web site:

http://www.bajapremierproperties.com

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Steve Dryden, an international wine, food, travel and film writer, has lived in the Valle de Guadalupe, Mexico’s premier wine country, for a number of years where he also guides small group wine tours.  He can be reached at sbdryden@hotmail.com.  For more about the international wine culture visit www.winefoodguide.com.

Developers of Punta Brava, located on a peninsula about 65 miles south of San Diego, say the permitting process has moved more slowly than they expected, but they count on breaking ground this year and opening in 2012.

Developers say they have maintained their close working relationship with Woods, who has not said when he will resume golfing professionally.

“No matter what, Tiger Woods is the best golfer in the world, and there is nobody else that we would rather have design our golf course than the best golfer in the world,” said Brian Tucker, founder and principal of Punta Brava and a vice president of The Flagship Group, the project’s development company.

When Punta Brava was announced Oct. 7, 2008, “the world was a different place,” Tucker said. While the economic downturn has brought coastal real estate development in Baja California to a virtual standstill, Tucker said Punta Brava is moving forward. Since the launching, 167 prospective buyers have been flown down to tour the site, he said, and have shown enthusiasm for the project.

Sales won’t begin until next February, said Susan Wise, spokeswoman for The Flagship Group.

“We’re not selling 600 units of condos,” Tucker said. “This is to be one of the singular golf clubs in the world.”

With views of the ocean at every tee or green, the Tiger Woods golf course is the centerpiece of the development planned at the tip of the Punta Banda peninsula overlooking Todos Santos Bay. The project includes 120 units, with prices starting at $3 million for a lot and $3.5 million for a condominium, according to information released at the project’s unveiling.

Punta Brava’s financial backer is Red McCombs, co-founder of Clear Channel Communications and former owner of the San Antonio Spurs, the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Vikings. McCombs is a principal of The Flagship Group, headed by the Austin-based developer Brady Oman. The project’s estimated cost is $100 million.

Construction was scheduled to begin in early 2009 and be completed in 2010, according to the Tiger Woods Design Web site. The site lists Punta Brava as one of three designed by Woods; the others are in North Carolina and Dubai.

Baja California Tourism Secretary Oscar Escobedo Carignan said the project is an important step in projecting the state as a “sand and sea” destination, a term for oceanfront resorts that feature natural beauty. While Punta Brava would have no beaches, it is a dramatic natural setting with views of the ocean on three sides.

The developers say they are taking care to minimize the project’s environmental impact. A group of opponents to the project, the Viva Punta Banda Coalition, says the development threatens one of the few remaining areas of marine coastal sage scrub in Baja California and will require large amounts of water in an area where water supplies are scarce. The opponents say the project’s desalination plant will discharge brine sludge into the ocean, threatening marine ecosystems.

Tucker said that it has taken “way longer” than expected to get permits. The proposal passed a key hurdle late last year when Mexico’s Environmental Ministry gave a green light to the project, said Escobedo, the tourism secretary.

The area still needs a land-use change to allow for a tourist development. Linda Salazar, an official with Ensenada’s Urban Administration Secretariat, said federal environmental officials are expected to act in the next two weeks.

Another hurdle that the project must clear is a detailed review by Mexico’s National Institute for Anthropology and History, or INAH. Archaeologists familiar with the region say the site holds important remains of groups from as far back as 10,000 years ago.

INAH conducted a preliminary study last year, but needs to conduct a more extensive review before the project can move forward, according to the institute’s Baja California office. The study would be paid by the developer, but conducted by INAH.

Julia Bendimez, INAH’s director in Baja California, said the institute is prepared to conduct its review of the archaeological sites on the property, an area known as La Lobera.

“The salvage effort will begin when the company needs it,” Bendimez said.

By Sandra Dibble

For more information on ocean front golf course properties in Baja please visit www.bajapremierproperties.com