So, how can we fix this problem? Easy. diversify.

Mexico Real Estate, in fact, provides a perfect avenue for Canadians looking for to make a solid investment in real estate to “diversify their portfolio.” When diversifying investments, the point is to make investments with good potential for increase in a variety of markets in order to avoid “putting all your eggs in one basket.” Markets such as the the more established Playa del Carmen Beachfront Condo rental market or the up-and-coming Campeche Real Estate area offer you excellent options for diversifying.

Consider this; just like many other Canadians, you have probably already owned your home for quite some time, and the mortgage is already paid, or almost there. Prices on currently on an upswing, but these prices are susceptible to many variables – some economists are already doubting the sustainability of the current price inflation in Canada.

Now, consider the idea of diversity. Your home in Canada is the place where you live, and it does not generate income. For generating income, you could consider a condo on the beachfront in Playa del Carmen. This thriving tourist town is already a favorite for many foreigners looking for the world’s most beautiful beaches – similar to Cancun, but with a “European feel.” (Condos in Cancun, in fact, provide another possibility.) If the correct property is found, renting to vacationers in Playa del Carmen can be a constant, reliable form of income; what’s more, this income property could double as your own vacation condo at low times. Other possibilities exist in Tulum or Progreso (near Merida) also on the Yucatan Peninsula, or in Puerto Vallarta, Mazatlan, Ixtapa or Puerto Escondido on Mexico’s Pacific Coast.

Another type of investment (to further explore diversity) is a property which you improve, in a area where market conditions and the value of the improvement have a good probability of surpassing the cost of the improvement by a considerable margin. One such example can be found in the state of Campeche, which is “across” the Yucatan Peninsula from Playa del Carmen. There is a specific development in this state, where lots with 20 meters of beachfront and a depth of 400 meters are available starting at $55,000 US. The area shows a great deal of promise; with beautiful colonial cities and towns, wide beaches in virtually untouched areas and a new multimillion dollar marina-golf development, a home built on one of these lots shows promise of being worth much more a few years down the road. This is only one example of this type of investment, and other solid possibilities exist both in Campeche, and in Mexico as a whole.

A final point is the current strength of the Canadian dollar. With near parity with the US dollar, this means that funds will go much further in making investing in Mexico diverse real estate market, opening a excellent variety of investment possibilities. For details about investing safely, in the way most suitable for your situation, contact a reliable, experienced real estate agent who knows Mexico’s market well.

TOPMexicoRealEstate NETWORK; Mexico’s Leading Network of Specialists for Finding and Purchasing Mexican Properties Safely

I was so impressed by the helicopters I saw advertised in Toronto that I drove to Canada from Texas to purchase some for myself.  Normally, I would advocate doing an online order, but in this case, it was really better to just go there on my own, because the online inventory was much less impressive, plus the cost of shipping was outrageous.  Anyway, I took the time and drove to Toronto and used that little vacation to make a special trip to Niagara Falls as well, because I just cannot go to Canada without getting a glimpse of the Falls.

Anyway, it was so wonderful to see a bona fide helicopter shop where you knew the owners were also the manufacturers and they would know everything there was to know about helicopters.  And of course, the wonderful Canadian hospitality cannot be beaten, and the people selling remote control helicopters in Toronto and in surrounding areas are always happy to help with your purchase and to lend their knowledge to people who are new to the helicopter world and just want to learn as much as possible before they go forward with their first helicopter purchase.  Although I already consider myself a helicopter aficionado, I still know that I have a lot more to learn, and I am always interested in hearing as much as possible from these helicopter gurus.  It turns out that the day I got there they had just gotten a brand new shipment of their best brands and I got first dibs at looking at what they had to sell.

I was so thrilled with their selection and their true attention to detail, that I bought two remote control helicopters, even though I had initially planned to only buy one.  I brought the helicopters home and can happily say that I got back to the United States with a better knowledge of the newest trends in helicopter purchasing as well as a great idea of the type of warranty I could get in Canada.  It turns out that Toronto has a great warranty plan for their remote control helicopters; one that the United States has not yet been able to match.

And the thing I like best about buying remote control helicopters in Canada is the unassuming elegance of the helicopters these Canadians craft-perfect reflections of these people as a nation.  I still regularly use the two helicopters I purchased there, and I am looking forward to the next helicopter racing competition, when I can really see how well they handle.

World Resort Vacations is a veritable cornucopia buffet of travel adventures. Our Edmonton travel agents are World Resort Vacations professionals who specialize in helping you create the perfect vacation, full of memories that will endure for a lifetime.

It’s the affordability of this plan that makes it work so superbly for everyone. Our Edmonton travel agency can help members save thousands of dollars on their dream trips, by employing their network membership power to obtain significant discounts in any number of spectacular venues.

Just imagine a full week of pure sun-drenched glory on a pristine white beach, tropical drink in hand and taking in the warm rhythm of the waves at your toes… all for less than what you might spend for a night in a dreary hotel room back in your hometown. Or how about a luxury cruise on a five-star liner at cost? Or a thrill-of-a-lifetime jungle safari for substantially less than you would have spent if you’d stayed home! Membership in World Resort Vacations and your Edmonton travel agents can make dreams like these possible. In fact, they do it every day.

Employing the buying clout of widespread membership, our Edmonton Travel Agency has the ability to get its members the most excellent rates in travel, accommodations, car rentals, tours and more. Take your family and friends along and they receive the same fabulous savings on their vacations too. Or refer a friend earn big cash rebates or other than-you prizes.

How about going on a fabulous cruise to any of almost 3,000 different exotic destinations on five-star cruise liners such as Princess and Carnival, all with food and drink included? How about getting this all-inclusive five-star cruise at cost?

That’s the kind of dream an Edmonton Travel Agency can make come true for you.

Do you run a company? Contact a World Resort Vacations representative and see why corporate membership s the best way on the planet to offer corporate benefits, bonuses, perks and motivational incentives.

World Resort Vacations is not a timeshare. It’s membership in a family of savvy world travelers who know how much sheer power that exists in numbers. And unlike timeshares, World Resort Vacations members can travel anytime to any destination they choose, with complete flexibility. No more forfeited travel time or last minute scrambling. No more long, hard days spent planning. Only stress-free fun!

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“Affordability is a key reason why RV travel appeals so much to families,” says David Humphreys, president of RVIA (Recreation Vehicle Industry Association). Humphreys also suggests that, “there are other key reasons to travel by RV. RVs are a comfortable, convenient, stress-free way to travel, enjoy the great outdoors, and spend quality time with family.”

Many people rent before buying to see if RVing is right for them before making a purchase. Also, since many only want to use an RV once or twice a year they do not see the need to invest their money for purchase, insurance, and maintenance of an RV. Vacation seekers who live far from their destination and have limited time find it worthwhile to fly to for example to Seattle from California and rent an RV for a vacation on the coast of Washington or a visit to beautiful British Columbia, Canada.

Before renting an RV, consider that there are a number of different types of RVs to rent each with pros and cons depending on preferences and your specific travel needs.  When most people of RVs they often think of Class A Motorhomes because they are the top dogs on the road.  They are big and have just about every creature comfort for that home away from home feeling. Think big screen HD TVs, inside-outside stereo systems, stainless steel appliances and even jetted bathtubs for relaxing after a hard day on the road.  Some models are up to 40 feet in length and can sleep up to eight people.  Of course, as you can imagine, one of the cons of renting this class of RVs is the cost.  But if luxury on the road is what you seek then make sure to check out what’s available for rent from your local RV Rental company for Class A Motorhomes.

Class C Motorhomes are smaller, scaled down versions of Class A RVs with just as much sleeping room but range in size from 20 to 30 feet.  In order to fit the kitchen, living room, bathroom and sleeping areas into this size motorhome the space is used much more wisely and consequently less luxury and more practicality.  In this RV Class, you may have do without the master bathroom with the jetted tub.

For those looking more for a camping experience consider the rental of Travel and Folding Camper Trailers.  Travel trailers may be as small as 10-feet long or as big as 35-feet long. Many feature a slide out to quickly extend the unit’s living space. Travel trailers must be pulled by a separate tow vehicle. Although tow vehicles will need a load distributing hitch and sway control, most full-size sedans, vans, SUVs, and pickup trucks are capable of towing even the biggest trailers. Folding Camping Trailers are the least expensive type of RV. Commonly referred to as tent trailers or pop-up trailers, folding camping trailers are designed to be lightweight with many of the comforts found in a basic travel trailer. Folding camping trailers can easily be towed by mid-sized car and even compact cars except for maybe Yugos and Geos. Basically a folding camping trailer is a large, expandable tent on wheels.

A nice compromise between the motorhome and the camping trailer is the Fifth Wheel.  Many RV renters like this type of RV because you can disconnect the trailer from your truck or towing vehicle and use the car for day trips without having to haul the RV during your excursion and still have the amenities and space of an RV as your living space.  Fifth wheels can sleep up to five or six and range in size from 20 to 40 feet.  Make sure to check with the campground you plan on staying at because some restrict the size of RVs to 35 feet.  Fifth wheels usually come with cooking appliances, refrigerator, heating, air conditioning, shower, and water tanks.  In addition with side outs Fifth Wheels can have just as much or if not more living space as their Motorhome counterparts.

Whatever the occasion or destination, consider renting an RV to get you to your next vacation adventure.

Five articles on page A3 of a daily newspaper began as follows:

The special investigations unit has been called in after a man was shot and a second man broke his jaw during an arrest…

A woman described as armed and dangerous is wanted by police in a home invasion robbery…

A man barricaded himself inside a house for almost an hour after attacking another man with an axe…

A man tried to lure a 14-year-old into his truck…

A young man is clinging to life after being shot in the head at a west-end community centre during a brazen afternoon shooting…

From June through December, 2006, and in fact well into 2007, foreign governments issued initially travel advisories, then outright advice against traveling to Oaxaca because of purported rampant violence and safety concerns, and again more recently warnings about civil unrest and violence in this southern Mexico city of about 400,000, a mecca for tourists.  Yet New York, Chicago, L.A. and Toronto remained immune from such government wrath…oddly so given that while residents in large Canadian and American cities are regularly subjected to street violence, no tourist was targeted or injured during months of Oaxacan unrest.

The excerpts from the City Page referenced above are not from a Oaxaca newspaper, but rather from The Toronto Star, April 8, 2007, in the midst of arguably one of the most tranquil and peaceful family weekends of the year, Easter. 

There are many opinions as to why false and misleading information is disseminated about occurrences in Third World countries, and in this case Mexico (more specifically Oaxaca), while fact based reports from First World countries in the Western Hemisphere, take Canada for example, do not result in, for one thing, government advisories.

Western governments have a history of paternalistic attitudes towards their citizens dating to the period of colonization.  It continues to date.    Perhaps more importantly, during the 20th century civil liability has become a concern, more so in the US than in Canada in terms of claims for monetary damages arising out of allegations of negligence perpetrated by governments against citizens:  “You had information about civil unrest and the possibility of injury, so why didn’t you warn me against traveling to Oaxaca?”

What is a Western consul, resident in Oaxaca, to do or recommend to his or her principals in Mexico City, Washington or Ottawa?  Especially when local and international media, each with its own agenda, report incidents of unrest and at times violence?  Does governmental due diligence include checking the veracity of reports of targeting or injury to tourists, and when there are no such reports, ought they include some such reference to their findings in their warnings?  Should this writer have not stated that no tourist was injured, when in fact there was a report of a tourist who elected to walk alongside a march with his video camera, apparently inadvertently receiving a bit of mace or pepper spray in his face, then smiling and laughing it off when questioned by reporters?  Should we demand more particulars from our governments upon which we are expected to rely?  Should we perhaps request comparative statistical data when advisories are issued, regarding injury to innocents in Canadian and American cities of comparable size to that of Oaxaca?

Mexico, with different legal and political systems both historically and in contemporary times, would appear to have a different attitude towards protecting its citizenry traveling abroad, at least to Canada and the US, and certainly the federal government does not appear to have the same legal liability concerns, not having developed a British common law system which gives residents significant rights regarding claims of negligence. 

Perhaps the Mexican government should begin to issue travel advisories based upon reviewing newspapers, wire service and internet reports, and first hand accounts of violence against citizens of Western cities:

“Violence erupted against innocent people, some of whom may have been Mexican tourists, in at least five separate incidents over Easter weekend in Toronto.  We urge our citizens to exercise extreme caution should they dare to maintain their existing travel plans to that part of Canada.”

While arguably misleading, at least the facts would be accurately stated.  We would then see how much pressure would be brought to bear by Canada, and how fast, upon Mexico to retract its warning.  The Mexican government would then have received a good lesson on how to use diplomacy to convince foreign governments to be more detailed, accurate and cautious in issuing advisories.   

Before the critics and skeptics jump on the obvious gap in reasoning and fallaciousness of the analogy, they ought to research whether or not the Mexican government issued travel advisories regarding Toronto, Ontario or Canada, in the face of the two incidents bearing the closest similarity in recent memory to the Oaxacan unrest…the Oka reserve uprising and the Dudley George killing with associated conflict. 

The foregoing should not be relied upon by anyone considering traveling outside of his or her home country, and the article’s intent is not to influence anyone’s travel plans nor to opine regarding any government laws, rules, regulations, policies or procedures.     

*Author’s update:  Since the foregoing article contains historical information, I’ve taken the liberty of examining more recent news pages, the front page of the same Toronto Star, online version, for the Greater Toronto Area, from May 28 and May 31, 2009, and for April 17, 2010.  Dare to compare with headlines from mainstream Oaxaca media? Consider the following:

May 28, 2009:

“Teen guilty in rugby death”

“Body of missing teen found in Toronto harbour” [he had been in an argument the night he went missing, so accidental drowning is not suspecte]

“New Tori murder charge” ["An 18-year-old woman charged in the disappearance of eight-year-old Tori Stafford saw her charges upgraded to first degree murder Thursday]”

May 31, 2009:

“Suspect in bludgeoning slaying was on probation”

“York U. student’s body pulled from Lake Ontario”

“OPP [Ontario Provincial Police] officer charged with breach of trust”

April 17, 2010:

“Complaints overwhemlm human rights watchdog”

“Yonge St. [main commercial thoroughfare in the city] remains closed after wall collapses”

“Belleville police pull woman’s remains out of Moira River”

“Suspect and child in custody after morning attack”

“OPP [Ontario Provincial Police] union wants to know why cocaine charge dropped [against husband of politician]”

“Suspect sought in elevator fire”

“Pickering man stabbed in chest during domestic dispute”

Vacationing in Mexico can be a great experience but every now and then, travelers may wish to check on their loved ones back home. Emails allow this to be done at a relatively low cost and travelers should take advantage of Internet amenities, as many times they are included in a hotel’s daily resort fee. Persons traveling as a couple and having to leave children behind, business people who are traveling alone, or those needing to keep in touch with business contacts via telephone, calling locations outside of Mexico is possible but can be costly. Thanks to Internet calling, pre-paid calling cards and other lower-cost calling methods, expensive telephone calls are a thing of the past.

When you prepare for your Mexican vacation the single most important protection you should buy if driving in Mexico is Mexican Auto Insurance. For more information on Mexican insurance online or to buy your policy at great rates, visit Mexico Car Insurance resources.

Many Canadian and US visitors to Mexico use their cell phone with great success. Land lines making calls to the US or Canada from Mexico sometimes have a spotty record though. Most say its because of their Mexico provider or complain that the lines are busy or down due to weather conditions.

Just remember if you use your cell phone you will probably need to order the international feature covering the territory of Mexico from your cell phone company. It is also important to note that the same 800 numbers do not work cross- border meaning that an 800 number which works to call Mexico from the US and Canada can NOT be used to call from Mexico into the US and vice versa. This has to do with current international telecommunication agreements which will probably not change anytime soon.

Internet cafes and hotel business centers are great locations for using computer-assisted phone calling. Less expensive on a per-minute basis than a resort’s long-distance phone charge, these can be completed without the assistance of an operator and many times allow callers to see each other via webcams. If unable to use computer calling, purchase a phone card at Mexican mini-marts, pharmacies and grocery stores. Even tourist information centers sell them or can refer you to a location where rates are low. When ready to use, call from a payphone to avoid any in-room connection charge. Calling The US Or Canada While Traveling In Mexico!