How to Make Your Kids Happy—Buy Real Estate in Mexico!

By: Jim Scherrer

As parents, we all strive to raise good, productive, and happy kids. This goal is so important that there have been numerous articles and books written by psychologists and other experts in the field dedicated to the subject of raising children.

Most of the experts agree that giving kids anything they want, when they want it, only leads to spoiling them. Instead of creating happiness, this practice all too often leads to disappointment; kids that expect every wish to be fulfilled eventually find  insecurity, inability to make decisions, low frustration tolerance, low self esteem, disregard for others, unappreciativeness, and general unhappiness. Most experts suggest that gifts to kids should be made when they are deserved or when the kids are mature enough to be appreciative.

The experts also agree that spending more quality time with your children is one of the key factors to raising psychologically healthy and happy kids. Sharing thoughts and stories during idle time, enjoying healthy activities out in the sun, and discussing plans, strategies, and goals creates lifelong bonds which lead to truly happy kids.

Okay, so how long should we try to satisfy our kids? As we all know, we of course want to make them happy during their entire lifetime; it’s never too late to please the kids! Now, enough for making our kids happy; let’s think about how we can simultaneously make ourselves happy!

As we approach retirement, in all probability, the kids are pretty well grown up and their personalities have already been shaped. However, it’s still not too late to please them while at the same time correct some of the mistakes that might have made while raising them by paying attention to and spoiling the grandkids!

Can you think of a better place to enjoy the kids and grandkids than in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico? Just imagine, you retire to a beautiful new condo in PV with jaw-dropping views of the Sierra Madres and Banderas Bay and you have nothing better to do than play golf, tennis, fish, or just relax poolside under the sun with a cool one in hand. What better gift for yourself and your kids than to have them visit your little Paradise south of the border during the Christmas/New Year holiday period, a birthday celebration, or perhaps some other special occasion?

In Vallarta, the seven month “high season” of November through May offers perfect weather with an average daily temperature of 73*F and virtually no rain. The abundance of activities for young and old will allow you and your family to have the time of your life together. The only time the kids will be unhappy will be when they have to return back home to the “real world” and face the hectic stresses of routine daily life.

Keep in mind, Vallarta is situated on the same latitude as Hawaii yet it is only 2-4 hours away from the kids. There are four modern hospitals in town staffed with well qualified and trained English speaking doctors that can handle just about every problem that a geezer is apt to encounter. The entire community is clean and safe with most of the condo complexes staffed with 24 hour security. Modern supermarkets and shopping malls are located throughout the city; high speed internet, satellite TV, VOIP telephone service, and all the other amenities that you’re accustomed to are also readily available in Vallarta. Fine dining, limitless activities, clubs, and organizations for retirees (sorry, no shuffleboard!) will guarantee you never have a dull moment, unless you wish to have one!

For most of us, the key to enjoying retirement life to its maximum in Vallarta is to live in a community near other retirees with common interests. There are numerous condo complexes in Vallarta where the majority of residents are from the US and Canada. Most of these complexes are quite secure and are located either on one of the beaches or on one of the hillsides overlooking the beaches. They are almost universally within minutes of all the activities and of course, all offer world class views and sunsets.

Due to the fact that the local developers overbuilt during the past decade and then got hit by the global recession (and border town drug war news along with the swine flu media hype), there is currently a glut of more than 7,000 new condos on the market in PV from which you can select your retirement nest. With the supply of condos far exceeding the demand, it’s the best buyer’s market in Vallarta that we’ve seen in a generation.

Beautiful new beachfront and hillside condos are being sold today at near pre-construction prices; not much more than the cost of construction. With the recent availability of Mexican mortgages, these incredible condos are well within the reach of most everyone nearing retirement. This opportunity should be especially attractive to Canadians as their dollar continues to strengthen over time. 

As they say, all good things must come to an end; we all will pass on and when we do, the kids will probably be near retirement age. Hopefully, this will be a sad occasion for them however inheriting a beautiful condo in Puerto Vallarta will surely ease the pain! Since the title to the Mexican condo is held by a Mexican bank in a 50 year trust with your kids as the beneficiaries, it will automatically pass on to them. Regarding inheritance taxes; we’ll leave that matter up to you and your tax attorney-think about it! Last, but not least, this will be the ultimate gift to the kids and allow them to regain their happiness as they begin their own retirement planning.

So, come on down to this Mecca south of the border and check out the real estate opportunities that await you. In doing so, you’ll have the best time of your life; while self indulging, you’ll also make your kids really happy!