This blog focuses on Vallarta real estate information and analysis, and is written primarily by John Youden who founded MLS Vallarta in 1989 as Mexico's first MLS and is today the country's longest continually operating MLS service. John was also the founder/owner of the Vallarta Lifestyles Publishing Group, producing publications such Vallarta Lifestyles and the Vallarta Real Estate Guide (amongst others), from 1989 - 2015.
John has been very active in the local real estate market, (although never selling professionally) and holds a degree in Urban Land Economics from the Sauder Business School at the University of British Columbia. His first real estate blog (from which he took a hiatus in 2011) had many followers and he most recently decided to take up blogging once again to provide relevant news and insight regarding the Vallarta & Nayarit real estate market.
The Timothy Real Estate Group released its third quarter real estate report recently which contains interesting MLS statistics.
Is Airbnb getting into the real estate market directly by building their own buildings for rent?
New article has been posted comparing the real estate markets of 2007 to 2017.
​A question buyers and sellers of real estate in Vallarta often ask is why, when the official currency of Mexico is the peso, is real estate sold, or at least "tourism" real estate, sold in US dollars?
The area that has seen the largest increase in new real estate development in recent years is the southside of downtown Puerto Vallarta.
Puerto Vallarta is experiencing a rise in developer sales over re-sales.
Will Vallarta Benefit from the Caribbean's Troubles?
​Every year International Living creates a list of the best places to retire.
Another post about immigration and the "wall", but for good reason – the issue is a strong concern in Mexico, and reflects on the relationship between Mexicans and Americans on both sides of the border.
There are many ways to make better use of your apartment, rather than leaving it vacant during the times it isn't being used.
Majority of Americans Living Illegally in Mexico?
Some Mexican news outlets have been reporting that most Americans living in Mexico illegally.
Real estate sales showed a dramatic increase in 2016 over 2015, but average sales prices are down.
Mortgage financing currently available for foreigners in Mexico.
Update on the progress underway in Costalegre, just south of Puerto Vallarta.
The South Shore of Banderas Bay, just minutes from Puerto Vallarta, is where the foothills of the Sierra Madre mountain range, rich in lush green jungle foliage, reach the turquoise-azure waters of the bay, creating a backdrop, coastline and setting for some of the finest luxury real estate properties available close to downtown Puerto Vallarta.
There is increasing interest by affluent Americans for secondary (vacation) homes, and for many that may mean outside of the United States.
There is growing concern in Mexico as to what may happen if president-elect Donald Trump stands firm with his pre-election promise to deport millions of Mexicans from the United States.
​Punta Mita received a very big boost this week from ​Forbes, with a lengthy article by luxury experience writer Jim Dobson.
Luxury homes have long been a characteristic of the Puerto Vallarta Real Estate Market. These are the top 5 amazing pools matched with breathtaking views in high-end homes for sale in Puerto Vallarta.
For those seeking the ultimate second home or residence in the Puerto Vallarta-Riviera Nayarit area, there may be no better option than one of the million dollar condos currently listed for sale on MLSVallarta.
FSBOs: Should You Sell Your Home on Your Own?
Looking for a beachfront condominium for under $150,000? Well, it is possible in Mexico, and more specifically, in Puerto Vallarta.
There has been quite a bit in the news lately about Costalegre, but some of the recent news reports have been rather vague as to where proposed developments may be located and what they may entail.
Most real estate searching undertaken by people interested in having a primary or second home in Puerto Vallarta (or Nayarit) often neglect the homeowner's association (HOA) functions. But they shouldn't.
Having trouble with Spanish in Vallarta?
​There certainly is a good amount of English-speaking people in Vallarta, who work in the stores and shops, so not knowing a lot of Spanish you can get by rather reasonably.
Current Highway #200 Improvements - What do they mean for Vallarta?
Is enough municipal planning being done to ensure the city can handle this inevitable wave of cars, buses, and commercial traffic?
Even though global oil prices have sent Mexico's currency to a record low and forced the nation to cut spending and raise interest rates, the country is actually less dependent on oil revenue than at any time in the past decade.
Cool websites for comparing the costs of living for different cities and countries around the world.
Lee Harrison of the "Live and Invest Overseas website, writes why he believes there are many very good reasons to buy in Mexico today.
There's an interesting "war" going on in Hawaii, written up in Bloomberg Businessweek, that is putting the 1% against the .001%. And it is making it very difficult for resort homeowners who usually rent out their properties.
Mexico is "Open for Business" and is managing to stay open for business whereas other countries are talking about building walls and taking apart existing trade deals.
​The Timothy Real Estate Group recently released sales results for Puerto Vallarta for the first quarter of 2016, compared to that realized in the same quarter of 2015.
This is the name of a Facebook group that has over 6,000 members and provides information with regards to just that; everything you may want or need to know about living in Puerto Vallarta.
When it comes to buying real estate, you can purchase something that already exists, a re-sale or "pre-existing" property, or you can purchase a "pre-sale" property, which is usually something that does not yet exist, it is or will be in the construction phase and is currently not yet completely finished.
​MLSVallarta.com, which has provided Multiple Listing Service (MLS) to the Puerto Vallarta and Riviera Regions since 1988 and is recognised as perhaps the top website regarding information about local real estate, recently rebranded itself to accommodate for a new direction the company is undergoing.
America is aging. As the Baby Boom begins to enter retirement years, new challenges are arising with significant implications for both borrowers and lenders. In particular, given the impact of aging on memory and other cognitive skills, there is a need to consider the implication for financial decisions made by older individuals.
When it comes to security, and today that is on the minds of many, North America is much like a tranquil island, separated from regions of the world where there is the most unrest.
If you rent your Mexico property and receive an income, then you have to pay Mexican taxes.
​Low unemployment rates have not just been good for Americans, but for Mexicans as well, on both sides of the border.
A Re-Start to the Real Estate Trust Debate?
More Mexicans Leaving than Going to the U.S.
More Mexican immigrants have returned to Mexico from the U.S. than have migrated to the U.S. recently since the end of the Great Recession.
Many Baby Boomers, who are still the primary buyers of real estate in Vallarta, have had a hard time financially over the past 10-15 years. Many got caught in the 2001 economic downturn, only to get hit again in 2008 when they'd just started to recover.
The newest shopping centre for the region is currently under construction in the Hotel Zone, in front of the Grand Venetian Towers.
There are currently three projects in different stages of development to improve traffic flow and at the same time, provide safer and more secure traveling times.
The news just keep getting better for Puerto Vallarta. It was ranked second in the Top 10 destinations in Mexico in the TripAdvisor Traveler's Choice poll for 2015, as reported by Travel Weekly.
For American buyers this makes it rather simple for them as they can use the same currency they use back home. But for Canadian or Mexicans, it's a different matter, that has become increasingly more evident over the past year as both the Canadian and Mexico currencies have lost value compared to the US dollar. In this situation, whatever is sold in USD currency becomes more expensive; such as real estate in Puerto Vallarta or Riviera Nayarit.
I recently posted that Mexico came in third on International Living's Global Retirement Index. Kathleen Peddicord has a similar report she does at LiveandInvestOverseas.com, which actually narrows it down to the most popular destinations, not just the country. For 2016 she lists her picks for the top twelve retirement havens and Puerto Vallarta comes in 10th.
A new report by the Center for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) calls on Canada and Mexico to chart a new path of crucial North American renewal and prosperity through greater cooperation and strengthened relations between the two countries.
The owners of high-end real estate in the Vallarta and Riviera Nayarit regions (and especially in Punta Mita), are in a bit of quandary over whether they should sell or not because of recent market conditions.