Live in Los Cabos: January 2008 Newsletter

I know we are almost two weeks into the New Year, but I still want to wish you a happy new year!

As we look back on the year, I hope it brings a smile to your face. Did you know that 2007 was actually the fifth highest year for home sales in history? Take a closer look at the numbers and you will discover that the state of the real estate market may not be everything the media leads you to believe. Sometimes we all need a little historical perspective to see the big picture clearly.

Being here in Cabo, we are seeing some changes. One rising trend of vacation home sales is nearly one-third of vacation homes are being purchased with the intent of becoming a full-time residence after retirement. I can’t tell you how many folks I’ve spoken with that are considering moving here to Los Cabos after they retire.

With mortgages now available in Mexico, buying a vacation home is a great option to consider. If you know of anyone thinking of buying a vacation home, let them know about me here in Los Cabos, Mexico. It is a great place to visit, and call home.

Wishing you the best New Year!

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Cabo Listing Update

• Unbelievable La Jolla Beachfront Condo.
• Awesome Ocean View Condo in Mar y Sol.
• Perfect buildable lot on Gringo Hill with great ocean Views.

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In the News

Cell Phone Crackdown:
It is about time, but look out. When you visit Los Cabos keep in mind that the police are citing drivers for talking on their cell phones without a hands-free device.

Kayak Fishing for Marlin:
John from San Diego has caught some big striped marlin from a kayak. Watch the YouTube.com video.

Live in Los Cabos: Almost Monthly Newsletter

I hope you are well on your way to enjoying this summer to the fullest! Down herein Cabo, we sure are. The Blackwell family is moving forward to build our Cabo home as well. We will be keeping you posted as we move forward.

As for the Cabo real estate market... it has never been stronger than it is right now. In some areas, it has not been uncommon to realize at least a 30 percent increase in the value over a two-year period. We are seeing the mid range beach front condo in San Jose del Cabo continue to appreciate and sell faster than anything else.

Also, I wanted to let you know that my business is run almost exclusively by referral because quality people like you continue to refer my services. Please let me know if you have any friends or associates that may be interested in buying or selling down here. I'm never too busy to take excellent care of any of your referrals.

Featured Listings
3509 Villa La Estancia
This Villa is one of the exclusive Full Ownership units here. You get to enjoy your property all year long, or have it available as a rental. Villa La Estancia is one of the most sought after vacation rental destinations.

For more photos and information visit: 3509LaEstancia.com

Real Estate Hot Buy!
Views of lands end, yet under 200K?

Situated just outside of Cabo San Lucas, on the sloping hillside overlooking the Sea of Cortez and the famous Lands End... La Cima Residencial is waiting for you. Here you will find 80 Santa Fe style villas close to completion...

A strong, experienced developer has taken charge of this development and, as a result, 80 Santa Fe style villas are very close to completion. Finished residences include swimming pools and family areas with BBQ grills, complete landscaping, and desert garden surroundings. In addition, there will also be other family-friendly social areas with beautifully lit pathways and close covered parking assigned to each villa.

Casa Blackwell Update
Ground breaking, and the start of block laying.

If you ask Owen(our oldest boy) what is going on you will likely get something like this: "Tractor moving dirt, Dumpy, dirt, guy drive tractor... moving dirt, lot, dumpy, dirt..." and so on. His talking has coincided with our preparation of the building pad, and what could be more exciting to a 2 year old boy than a tractor excavating right in front of him.

In preparation of building and needing some storage, we are having the construction crew build us a small storage area... a "bodega." and front wall/fence for privacy. The bodega will likely turn into a surf board storage and ding repair center once the house is finished. For now, it is a much needed space. It seemed like we were never going to get electricity to the lot. Day after day, week after week. "They'll be there tomorrow." Yea, right... Mañana? We finally caught the local meter reader and had him inspect our site and radio in that it was ready to install. We got power the next day.

Whew, the challenges are just beginning... but we love it!

Photos coming soon. Stay tuned to LiveinLosCabos.com for more details.

The Fish are Biting!
The sportfishing fleets found better action within ½ mile of shore than they did venturing as fart as 40miles offshore. For the most part the wind was mild, though on a few days the breeze from the northwest did kick up some, stirring the water up more than it already was. Anglers did report a wide variety of species caught this week, but the numbers of verall catches were not all that impressive for this time of year, it just seems that conditions have not stabilized yet and has resulted in inconsistent catches. Looking back on last years reports from the same time period we saw similar patterns and we know that all we can do is wait for it to pass, certainly by July, as the days become increasing warm and north wind dissipate, conditions will once again
become favorable for the pelagic gamefish. Most common fish were pargo colorado, yellow snapper, jack crevalle, sierra, and roosterfish. These fish were averaging 4 to 10 pounds, but there were some much larger specimens accounted for, including roosterfish to 60 pounds.

(Fishing report is an excerpt from http://allaboutsanjosedelcabo.com/)

Wishing you the Best!
Jeremiah Blackwell, REALTOR®

Live in Los Cabos: Almost Monthly Newsletter

Almost Monthly Newsletter - May 2007
by Jeremiah Blackwell, REALTOR®

Greetings!
Now is the time to get down here to Cabo. As we approach summer the temperature and humidity rise. Some crazy people, like myself, love the summers down here. Can you blame me... VERY warm water... waves almost every day. And plenty of time to buy and sell real estate, with the longer days.

You might remember that I had mentioned the Peninsula condos a few months ago. These are the least expensive new construction 2 bedroom condos available in San Jose del Cabo. Starting at $218,400 USD, you can't go wrong. For those of you who would like to have luxury at a fraction of the price... Take a look at the real estate hot buy for this month.

I look forward to seeing you down here. Call me or email before you come. I'd love to schedule some time to show you the best deals around.

Featured Listings
3509 Villa La Estancia
This Villa is one of the exclusive Full Ownership units here. You get to enjoy your property all year long, or have it available as a rental. Villa La Estancia is one of the most sought after vacation rental destinations.

For more photos and information visit: 3509LaEstancia.com

Here with me you will find everything about Cabo Real Estate that is for sale, and what you need to know if you are considering a vacation home in Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo.

In Los Cabos there is an opportunity for everyone to buy, ranging from pre-construction projects, land investments or development sites.

Jeremiah Blackwell, REALTOR®

Real Estate Hot Buy!
It's time to relax in elegance of the highest order.

Palmilla Retreat

Situated in Palmilla, one of the most prestigious communities in San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, just steps from the One & Only Palmilla Resort, this elegant Villa overlooks the Sea of Cortez with stunning views of the ocean from every room in the home.

Lounge in the sun, dine al fresco, or curl up with a glass of wine and a good book. At night light a romantic fire and enjoy the lights of Los Cabos, or take a jacuzzi under the stars.

During your stay you have the privilege of membership in the premier beach club in Cabo san Lucas, "Club 96". Enjoy private beach access, fine dining at the elegant restaurant, a state of the art fitness center, stunning outdoor pools plus a lap pool, and access to reservations for the world-class spa, golf and activities at the One & Only Palmilla Resort. Club 96 is located right across the street from the villa.

This co-ownership investment model provides several unique advantages. Great vacation properties combine investment success with another, perhaps more valuable benefit: the truly priceless gift of a vacation home experience that will stir emotions and bring a lasting quality to life.

Only Some of the Features

• Two levels of living space
• 2 master suites, with private bathrooms
• Den with queen pull out couch for extra sleeping space
• Sleeps 6 people
• 2 1/2 baths
• Professionally decorated & furnished
• Great room with vaulted ceiling, large screen TV
• Indoor and outdoor dining, both seat up to eight
• Gourmet kitchen with high-end appliances
• Ideal layout for privacy & entertaining
• Unique outdoor-indoor floor plan with views to the sea
• Private pool and whirlpool
• Fire Pit
• Shaded outdoor terrace with stunning views
• Across the street from the beach, Playa Palmilla
• Free long distance to US and Canada
• Free wireless Internet
• iPod docking station

Your private villa is newly renovated and professionally decorated and provides you and your guests plenty of space, indoor and out, to relax in the lap of luxury.

For more information click here.
Or if you want to schedule an appointment contact me directly.

Tip of the Month
Ready to change the paradigm you might have of Mexico?

Have you ever thought of moving to Cabo? Most people say they could never live in Mexico. I was even one of those people five years ago. I told my wife, "I could never live here... it's dirty." What did I know? The truth was that I had not really opened my eyes to the truth that was set before me.

I was caught in the paradigm that everything in Mexico is dirty, poor quality, and risky. I couldn't see the pristine beaches, and unsurpassed pampering at locations like the One&Only Palmilla. I couldn't see the luxury villas right before my eyes whose quality far surpassed anything in the Central Coast of California. I couldn't see that ownership of real estate here was safe, secure and NOT A LEASE! Now, I know moving to another country is not for everyone. All I ask is that you try to clear the paradigm you might have of Mexico. Come for a visit... you might find yourself ready to at least own a vacation home, or ready to invest in a real
estate market that is still hotter than most areas of the US or Canada.

The Fish are Biting!

With the more favorable water conditions now being in the direction of the Sea of Cortez, this is where the majority of the sportfishing fleets are now concentrating their efforts. Striped marlin remained the most common species found offshore, numbers were down this past week due to various factors, including the rapidly changing water temperatures and the full moon. In recent days fleets were traveling as far north as Los Frailes in search of action. Dorado numbers had increased last week, but once again were very limited. It was also the same story for yellowfin tuna, some fish were seen feeding around the Desteladera Bank, but they were not interested in biting on anything the anglers offered.

The local panga fleets continued to report excellent action on smaller gamefish close to shore and off of the rock piles. Various species of pargo (snapper), jacks, pompano, cabrilla, grouper, triggerfish, amberjack and sierra were the most common catches. Most of these fish were weighing in the 3 to 10 pound range, but several specimens up to 20 pounds were accounted for and at least one grouper of 65 pounds was reported. The areas close to shore off of Cardon and La Salina were particularly productive. A few larger roosterfish are now being reported, mainly single fish spotted chasing baitfish or sierra, we look for an increase in these popular gamefish towards the end of the month.

Whale sharks are now starting to appear on the local fishing grounds, particularly around the Gordo Banks, May and June is typically when these monstrous fish migrate through this area, feeding on the abundant pelagic red crabs and other crustaceans. The combined panga fleets from La Playita sent out approximately 62 charters for the week, with anglers accounting for a fish count of: 4 striped marlin, 2 yellowfin tuna, 8 dorado, 496 various pargo, 36 cabrilla, 18 bonito, 188 sierra, 126 pompano, 8 golden jack, 144 triggerfish, 3 halibut and 15 amberjack.

(Fishing report is an excerpt from http://allaboutsanjosedelcabo.com)

Wishing you the Best!
Jeremiah Blackwell, REALTOR®
http://liveinloscabos.com/

jeremiah@LiveinLosCabos.com
[ US Cell: 805-215-2252 ]
[ US Fax: 805-456-3377 ]
[ Mexico Cell: 011 52 1 624-122-1650]

My Clients are my Business Partners, I want you to succeed. I always have time to take excellent care of your referrals. They are the life blood of my business.

Live in Los Cabos: Almost Monthly Newsletter

Almost Monthly Newsletter - April 2007
by Jeremiah Blackwell, REALTOR®

Greetings!
It is not too late in the month to send the "Almost Monthly Newsletter" is it? Most of you know that we have had quite a bit of family time. Earlier this month Shelley's father passed away. It has been a hard for the entire family, but our hope and joy is strong. Michael Owen Thomas has gone to be with Jesus.

Meanwhile, the fun times and real estate in Cabo continue to get better and better. I look forward to seeing you on your next trip down.

Featured Listings

3509 Villa La Estancia
This Villa is one of the exclusive Full Ownership units here. You get to enjoy your property all year long, or have it available as a rental. Villa La Estancia is one of the most sought after vacation rental destinations. For more photos and information visit: 3509LaEstancia.com

Here with me you will find everything about Cabo Real Estate that is for sale, and what you need to know if you are considering a vacation home in Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo.

In Los Cabos there is an opportunity for everyone to buy, ranging from pre-construction projects, land investments or development sites.

Jeremiah Blackwell, REALTOR®

Real Estate Hot Buy! Alegranza

From its hilltop location, Alegranza dominates the entire San José Bay, from Punta Gorda to Palmilla, offering you magnificent unobstructed views to the Sea of Cortez, golf fairways, the estuary, the new marina and the desert. This is the fourth building six. The first three buildings have sold much quicker than planned. Of all the real estate in San Jose del Cabo, This project is the HOTTEST!

Special Features

• Elegant 2 and 3 bedroom residences from 2.000 to 3275 sq .ft. Travertine floors, granite countertops in the kitchen, pocket doors, very wide terraces
• Unobstructed magnificent 270 degree view to San Jose Bay
• All luxury amenities you expect:
• Gym and Spa
• tennis court
• underground parking
• golf practice facility
• rental management program
• Financing available ...
• Walking distance to the beach and downtown and 12 minutes from the international airport of Los Cabos

Tip of the Month
Cost of living - How expensive is it?

One of the most asked questions I get is in regards to the cost of living down here in Cabo. My standard answer, "It depends." For a select few people, it doesn't really matter much, but for people like me... I like to keep a tight reign on my expenses.

The idea that it is cheap down here is a thing of the past. With Costco, The Home Depot, and other major US big box stores... expect things to be about the same as home.

The cost of living down here does depend on a great many things. If you like to eat out at restaurants often... It is more expensive here than most places in the US or Canada. If you are planning to live here during the summer... running the air conditioner can be very expensive. Expect electric bills to be well over $1000 USD a month.

For the person who is coming to Cabo to enjoy the exciting outdoor activities and the great wild of Baja... It can be very inexpensive.

So... how expensive is it to live here... "It depends." Spend wisely and you will find that you can enjoy the Cabo life on a reasonable budget.

The Fish are Biting!

Crowds of tourists were greeted with great conditions this past week. There were few clouds in the sky and plenty of sunshine, high temperatures ranging into the upper 80s. The breeze on the ocean was unpredictable, typically starting out of the west, then switching from the north and finishing the afternoon out of the south. Though overall the conditions offshore would have to be considered comfortable and better than average. Water temperatures ranged from 70 to 73 degrees and clarity was improving steadily, blue water was found within five miles of shore. Sardinas remained plentiful off of the La Playita area and mackerel were available from the Cabo San Lucas marina, as well as being found balled up on the offshore fishing grounds.

Early in the week there was great action around the Gordo Banks for striped marlin, the fish were found feeding on large concentrations of mackerel and most every charter that targeted the billfish was getting into the action. Then by the end of the week and over the weekend the action switched further north to Desteladera Bank, this is where the school of baitfish had moved. Yellowfin tuna were seen feeding on the same balls of baitfish as were the marlin, but for the most part did not want to bite, though one yellowfin tuna of approximately 170 pounds was landed off of the La Playita super panga "Mata Tuna", it was part of a double hook up, the tuna and a striped marlin at the same time, this occurred just inside of the Inner Gordo Bank. We did hear of one other smaller 20-pound tuna being caught near San Luis on a sardina, yellowfin continued to be scarce. There were more dorado starting to filter into the area as the water temperature was slowly rising and more baitfish were being found on the fishing grounds, but it was still the striped marlin that was dominating the offshore action.

In recent days there have been commercial tuna boats seen in the area and no doubt there is even more activity further offshore that goes unseen, a shame to think they are netting the fish before they have a chance to move closer to shore within sportfishing range.

Panga fleets continued to find the most consistent action closer to shore for a mix of jacks and bottom species. All very good eating specimens, but mostly in the 3 to 8 pound range, a few exceptions of grouper to 20 pounds. Hot spots ranged from Palmilla to Cardon. There continued to be strong numbers of sierra along the shore and increasing action for juvenile roosterfish.

The combined panga fleets launching from La Playita sent out approximately 67 charters for the week, with anglers accounting for a fish count of: 27 striped marlin, 16 dorado, 3 mako shark, 2 yellowfin tuna, 330 combined pargo species, 38 roosterfish, 62 cabrilla, 2 yellowtail, 11 amberjack, 55 pompano, 38 surgeon fish, 52 triggerfish, 7 island jacks and 144 sierra.

(Fishing report is an excerpt from http://allaboutsanjosedelcabo.com)

Wishing you the Best!
Jeremiah Blackwell, REALTOR®

jeremiah@LiveinLosCabos.com
[ US Cell: 805-215-2252 ] [ US Fax: 805-456-3377 ]
[ Mexico Cell: 011 52 1 624-122-1650 ]

My Clients are my Business Partners, I want you to succeed. I always have time to take excellent care of your referrals. They are the life blood of my business.

Live in Los Cabos: Almost Monthly Newsletter

Greetings!
Is it time for spring cleaning? Maybe you should skip the cleaning and visit Cabo. This is probably the best time of the year to visit. We are through the cold season... I know you might laugh at that, but we did have to wear a light coat some evenings this winter... and summer is just around the corner.

This time of year, real estate does not stay on the market long. If you have considered buying something... don't wait much longer. We have seen at least 10% to 20% appreciation since last year in most neighborhoods.

Why is the market so hot down here? Two reasons come to the top of the list: 1. Financing is now readily available, and 2. Los Cabo is awesome, and easy to get to.

I look forward to seeing you on your next trip down.

Featured Listings

3509 Villa La Estancia.
This Villa is one of the exclusive Full Ownership units here. You get to enjoy your property all year long, or have it available as a rental. Villa La Estancia is one of the most sought after vacation rental destinations.

For more photos and information visit: 3509LaEstancia.com

Here with me you will find everything about Cabo Real Estate that is for sale, and what you need to know if you are considering a vacation home in Cabo San Lucas or San Jose del Cabo.

In Los Cabos there is an opportunity for everyone to buy, ranging from pre-construction
projects, land investments or development sites.

Jeremiah Blackwell, REALTOR®

Real Estate Hot Buy!

In creating Mision La Serena, the vision was to capture the serenity and privacy of the missions of colonial times with all the advantages and conveniences of the 21st century. Within the refined environment of an exclusive resort, you will discover that five-star service and an almost endless array of personal indulgences and recreational choices are the essential elements of everyday life. In addition, its private residence club configuration and fractional ownership flexibility allows one to acquire the best option for one's lifestyle.

Ownership for the residences start under $200,000 USD.

Special Features

• ELEGANT INTERIORS FEATURING AUTHENTIC MEXICAN DÉCOR
• STONE TILE FLOORING AND UNIQUE ACCESSORIES
• PRIVATE INFINITY PLUNGE POOLS
• EXPANSIVE, OPEN-AIR LIVING SPACES
• ROMANTIC ROOF-TOP TERRACES
• SENSATIONAL INDOOR/OUTDOOR WET ROOM IN MASTER BATH
• LUXURY LINENS AND LA SERENA SIGNATURE BATH PRODUCTS
• GOURMET KITCHENS AND APPLIANCES
• ON CALL, EN-SUITE CHEFS
• STATE OF THE ART ELECTRONICS & WI-FI
• CAR FOR EVERY UNIT

Tip of the Month

Plan ahead, but be ready at a moments notice!

Most all of you know that you now need to have a valid Passport to enter Mexico now. So what? Well if you plan ahead and have your passport ready, you can get down here in a moments notice!

It seems there are more and more direct flights added daily, and from most departure cities in the US... the flight is less than 3 hours long!

Well, can you imagine that Alaska Airline can have flights that are cheaper when you buy them at the last minute rather than buying them in advance?

So... plan ahead, and be ready at a moments notice to come visit your dream vacation home here in Cabo [Airport Code: SJD]

The Fish are Biting!

This week we have a slight increase with 69 percent of the boats catching marlin. Staring on Friday the 23rd, boats started going to the Pacific side again, where the catches were excellent a few weeks ago and they found what they were looking for. Considering that February and March are not the best months for fishing, our boys are doing really well, like La Brisa on the 23rd, releasing five striped marlin for Harry Ellison, Michael Haith, Mike Evans and Scott Andrews form Colorado, that same day, Valerie released three striped marlin for David Manassez and Bob O'Neil from Andover, MA. On February 25th Rebecca released four striped marlin for Cindy Wright and Jeffrey Bimartin from Nevada, and La Brisa released another 3 for Robert Mabry and Denise Jones.

The best day of the week was on February 26th with all the boats coming back with marlin flags, that day Libre released four striped marlin for Bob Torrence and friends from Texas, Valerie released three stripers for Greg Asling, Scott Hoyter and Jim Tobin form British Columbia, Canada. The rest of the boats came back with two marlin released and just two were landed, one was 140lbs and the other 150lbs. C-ROD is the highlight of the week with six striped marlin released for our old friend John Carey from Chesterfield, MO. A total of 80 Striped Marlin were caught and 72 were released.

OTHER SPECIES: Very slow week on Dorado, only two of them were caught, yellow fin tuna was also slow with most of the boats going to the Pacific side and tuna being on the Sea of Cortez, however, our 50ft Sr Moment went about 12 miles from Cabeza de Ballena on the Sea of Cortez and caught 12 Yellowfin tuna between 20 and 30 lbs for Cathy Phillips. Many of our boats caught a lot of Sierras or Spanish mackerel, a couple of Mako sharks ere released.

(Fishing report is an excerpt from http://allaboutcabo.com)

Wishing you the Best!
Jeremiah Blackwell, REALTOR®
jeremiah@LiveinLosCabos.com
[ US Cell: 805-215-2252 ]
[ US Fax: 805-456-3377 ]
[ Mexico Cell: 011 52 1 624-122-1650 ]

My Clients are my Business Partners, I want you to succeed.
I always have time to take excellent care of your referrals. They are the life blood of my business.