Luxury Real Estate

Courtesy of Allende Properties

Considering Mexico? Consider San Miguel de Allende!

-Located 3 hours drive from Mexico City, in the geographic center of the country. 6,000 ft. above sea level. Year round temperate climate.
-80,000 residents with approximately 8,000 expatriates
-Designated a National Treasure by Mexico in 1969 and— *UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2008 for its "outstanding universal value" in the preservation of the Baroque Colonial architecture and the sophistication of cultural activities such as music and theater. *Charming, with cobblestone streets, classic main square, and exquisite architecture. (see church photo to follow)
-Diverse restaurants, world class cuisine—and great shopping!
-5 Star Hotels and World Class Resorts
-Rated # 4 city in the world by Travel and Leisure in 2010. It has been rated within the top cities in the world/in the Americas for many years. ( see link below)

As if you need more reasons, here are just a couple more ideas for things to do in San Miguel de Allende:

-Nick Faldo Signature 18 hole golf course,
-Art and Art Schools, Thermal spas, horseback riding.
-Archeological Exploration of nearby Pyramid
-Music and Film Festivals.
-English readily spoken.

Getting there:

-Nearby international airport in Mexico City—Allende Properties can send a shuttle or private driver. (Other Airports in Leon Guanajuato BJX with international connections and in Queretaro (QRO)—Each are about 1 1/2 hours away and transportation can be arranged.)

Courtesy of Allende Properties

November 16-20, 2011 San Miguel de Allende, one of the most popular and historic cities in Mexico, is preparing once again to host the International Festival of Jazz and Blues, now in its seventeenth year. Celebrated musicians from around the world will gather in San Miguel to concertize from the 16th to the 20th of November.

The Festival has grown in stature over the years, and is now ranked among the best of its kind in all Latin America. It has the additional appeal of being set in one of the most beautiful, historic cities in Mexico.

For more info on the Jazz Festival, click here.

Courtesy of Meghan Barry, President of Luxury Real Estate

San Miguel de Allende,in the state of Guanajuato in central Mexico is historically significant as the first municipality declared independent of Spanish rule. The buildings in its historic colonial center are of 17th and 18th century Baroque and Neoclassical architecture. Winding stone streets and breathtaking views of the surrounding valley add to the appeal of this mountain community. A UNESCO World Heritage Site and Condé Nast top ten travel destination, San Miguel is a center for intellectual, cultural and artistic life, with many galleries, schools and events to celebrate and encourage the arts.

While navigating through the peaceful streets of San Miguel or the lively historic core near the Plaza Allende, it’s difficult to see what lies behind the large exterior walls of the local residences. I had the opportunity to visit with long-time Luxury Real Estate member Joanie Barcal of Allende Properties on a recent visit, to hear about the local real estate market and get a better understanding of the type of property one might find in this idyllic mountain town. Luxury properties often include multi-level terraces to leverage views and private interior courtyards with lush gardens to accent the melding of traditional architecture and modern amenities.

While in San Miguel I was able to participate in the Dia de los Muertos celebrations, wander the Mercado de Artesanias, enjoy the local cuisine and visit the La Gruta Thermal Springs and local spas. A must-do is a horseback riding outing through the valley near the Cañón de la Virgen. Visit San Miguel de Allende and buy some real estate. You won’t be disappointed.

Courtesy of Luxury Villa Collections

Although we still feel the summer heat with hot sunny days of 35ºC (95 F), October has come to Cabo San Lucas, and with it the exciting and busy season. October is that time of year in Cabo, when we have The Bisbee’s Black and Blue Marlin Tournament, when Sammy Hagar celebrates his birthday at Cabo Wabo (which has almost become a tourist landmark in town), and when the notorious and traditional 13th Pimp N’Ho party is on.

Bisbee’s yearly organizes three tournaments, starting the season off in July at the East Cape (Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore Tournament), then followed by a Bisbee’s Los Cabos Tournament on October 14-18, and Bisbee’s Black and Blue Marlin Tournamenton October 18-22.

Bisbee’s Black and Blue Marlin Tournament is the most awaited sport fishing event in Cabo San Lucas, and we could also say worldwide. The winnings are high, the entertainment is great, there is a charity note, accompanying events and well known Cabo fun! Even if you are not a fisherman or not participating at the tournament, the Bisbee’s is attractive to watch for the high adrenaline and big catches that the fisherman bring in. We are talking about 500 lb fish and higher. Here is your chance for a great “Kodak moment”.

Hopefully this year Bisbee’s Los Cabos and Black and Blue Marlin Tournament will break some new records. At the 12th annual Bisbee’s East Cape Offshore Tournament, Chucky VanWormer and his fellow anglers aboard La Hielera set a new record by weighing a 557 lb blue marlin. The fish was landed after a short fight and was the only billfish scaled during the first day of competition.

Click here to see the 2011 Los Cabos Schedule of Events

If you are a Bisbee’s participant or are coming to Los Cabos to enjoy some of our traditional Cabo San Lucas October fun, contact us for the best Cabo San Lucas villa and condominiums rentals. Email us at info@luxuryvillacollections.com or call us at: USA Toll Free: 888-264-1827, USA: 619-819-6178, or Mexico: 624-105-9100.

Courtesy of Luxury Villa Collections

The Los Cabos Convention & Visitors Bureau today announced that Mexico’s President Felipe Calderón has officially selected Los Cabos as the host city for the 2012 G20 Summit, which will be held in June 2012. The President made the announcement at a press conference held in Mexico last Thursday. The destination’s first-class hotel and airport infrastructure were noted as two important factors in the decision.

“Los Cabos is extremely proud and honored to be selected as the official host city for the G20 Summit as this is an incredible opportunity for our destination as well as for the country of Mexico,” says Gonzalo Franyutti, President of the Los Cabos Convention & Visitors Bureau. “Los Cabos has the exclusive appeal, a contemporary tourism infrastructure and the safety record required to host an event of this global caliber. As a haven for VIPs throughout the world, Los Cabos is truly the ‘Window to the World’ for Mexico. We look forward to welcoming the G20 delegates and attendees to our destination.”

With 13,000 total rooms in the destination, Los Cabos will dedicate 11,000 rooms to the G20 Summit to accommodate the more than 7,000 attendees, while the Mexican government will invest more than $47,000,000 into the development and promotion of the Summit.

In addition, a new 653,400 square foot Convention Center will house the G20 meetings and events. Designed to accommodate over 6,000 people, the Convention Center represents $100,000,000 investment by the federal government and a $1,500,000 investment from the State of Baja California Sur. The municipality of Los Cabos endowed a 15-acre tract of land which is located alongside a private golf community and boasts magnificent views for the building of the Convention Center, and the Los Cabos Tourism Board has also invested almost $1,000,000 in the project. The Convention Center will be designated a “green” facility, and will be designed with energy efficiency in mind and will be equipped with solar panels. Construction of the center is set to begin during the first week of November.

About Los Cabos: Located at the tip of the 1,000-mile long Baja Peninsula, Los Cabos is home to award-winning hotels and resorts, championship golf courses, rejuvenating spas, world-class sport fishing and much more. With a unique landscape of dramatic desert and white sand beaches, Los Cabos is an exotic escape within easy reach of most U.S. cities.

About the G20: The G20 was originally established in 1999, in the wake of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, to bring together major advanced and emerging economies to stabilize the global financial market. To tackle the economic crisis that spread throughout the world in 2008, the G20 members were called upon to further strengthen international cooperation. G20 Summits have been held in Washington in 2008, in London and Pittsburgh in 2009, in Toronto and Seoul in 2010 and this year, the G20 will take place in Cannes, France on November 3 – 4.

To reserve your stay in Los Cabos during the G20 Summit, please contact us at Luxury Villa Collections. We’d be glad to help you organize your stay. Email us at info@luxuryvillacollections.com or call us at: USA Toll Free: 888-264-1827, USA: 619-819-6178, or Mexico: 624-105-9100.

Information: via Los Cabos Convention & Visitors Bureau
The photograph of Cabo San Lucas Land’s End: LA76 Photography.

Courtesy of Judy Sweetland of Private Trade Winds

If you’re a regular Private Trade Winds blog reader or if you follow us on Facebook and Twitter, then you’re probably already aware of our new “Spotlight Destination” promotion. The promotion launched in June with our Spotlight shining on Hawaii where we featured villas on the Big Island, Oahu, Maui and Kauai. The weeks following brought us to the coastal communities and wine country of South Africa; the desert, mountains and beaches of California; and lastly the laid-back beauty of Mexico! It’s been a blast, and I’m happy to report that people are loving it!

Each week we’re shining our Spotlight on a new destination which will be announced on our blog, facebook and Twitter. Don’t worry, if social media isn’t your thing you can also email jsweetland@privatetradewinds.com and let us know that you would like to receive our weekly Spotlight Destination announcement in your email.

So, what’s it all about? In the interest of full disclosure – we want to spoil you! We’re giving you the opportunity to travel like a Private Trade Winds client. It’s our version of a try before you buy program. Just book any villa featured in our weekly Spotlight Destination and you will receive all the value added inclusions normally reserved for clients of Private Trade Winds. That would be services like daily housekeeping and roundtrip airport transportation; the personal assistance of our dedicated Travel Advisors and Concierge for all your air and ground transportation, and a welcome gift will be waiting for you at your chosen destination, along with something special from Private Trade Winds to make your trip more enjoyable. It could be a decadent spa treatment, a round of golf or perhaps a personal chef credit. Each destination has its own unique offering which is gifted to you by Private Trade Winds. Other amenities await your arrival like luxurious spa robes, high-end bath amenities, and bottled water and coffee replenished daily.

Why are we doing this? We’re giving you the opportunity to try before you buy. We’re confident that once you take your first Private Trade Winds Villa Vacation you won’t want to travel any other way. So be sure to check in daily on our blog, and follow us on facebook and twitter to see where our Spotlight will be shining next. Remember you can also email Judy Sweetland at jsweetland@privatetradewinds.com or call 866.PTW.4LUX Ext. 804 to receive your announcements and updates. Spoiler Alert - this week . . . Costa Rica!

Courtesy of John Brian Losh of Luxury Real Estate

Thanks, in part, to the generosity of some of our Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate members, Lance Corporal Juan Dominguez, United States Marine Corps, a triple amputee as a result of a land mine explosion in Afghanistan, will be able to purchase a customized automobile to enable him to drive when he returns home to New Mexico from Rehab in Washington DC. Thank you so much for making a difference in this brave man’s life.

A letter sent to our members from Chairman/Publisher John Brian Losh:

Fellow Colleagues,

I was recently in Munich, where I had the honor to meet two US Navy corpsmen working at the hospital in Landstuhl, Germany. This is the facility where severely wounded soldiers of the multi-national forces are sent for treatment from the war zones in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Corpsmen Ruth, a nurse, shared a story of one young Marine named Juan Dominguez from New Mexico. Lance Corporal Dominguez stepped on a land mine in Afghanistan and lost both his legs as well as his right arm. Ruth was with the Lance Corporal when he awoke from his coma, and relates that his first words to her were, “Don’t be sad for me ma’am, I would do it again for my country…”

While the Lance Corporal continues to recover at Walter Reed hospital from severe infections, his home town of Deming, New Mexico is trying to raise $50,000 to purchase a handicap- modified vehicle for his transportation and have raised only $7,000 to date.

To thank Lance Corporal Dominguez for his valiant service to our country, Luxury Real Estate is raising money for this fund. Our goal is to raise $43,000 by the end of March 2011.

Thank you so much for your generosity to this very brave and selfless individual.

Courtesy of Lifestyle Villas

Enjoy every 5th Night Free on ALL Lifestyle Villas. Escape the winter cold and experience the best vacation ever staying with Lifestyle Villas. Book before March 31st and receive 5th Night FREE*

Come to Sunny Los Cabos for Spring Break. Get away with the entire family and enjoy quality time together in the comfort of your luxury concierge villa. Not only are you able to stay in an incredible private residence, but you are going to be surprised at how stress free a vacation with Lifestyle Villas is.

When you book a villa directly with Lifestyle Villas you are booking a property that is professionally managed, has a support team of over 40 staff assuring that your vacation is flawless.

Taking a family vacation can be a bit stressful, but with Lifestyle Villas, we take on the tasks that you normally would to organize and schedule all the families’ itinerary. You will have a dedicated Destination Specialist, who will help you pre plan your whole Cabo vacation before you arrive. Once you are in residence, your Lifestyle Concierge then takes over the experience and will be at your service to confirm and assure that all the services booked go as planned. He will visit you daily to deliver the New York Times Fax and make arrangements for any last minute things that you didn’t book ahead of time. Need some shopping? For a small shopping fee, you don’t even have to leave your house. Tee times? Did you know that Lifestyle Guests get discounts on most major golf courses?

You are on vacation, so have a Lifestyle cook come in and prepare meals every day, treat yourself to a much needed spa treatment- maybe a couples massage? Take the kids on a Safari or swim with dolphins with Cabo Adventures, learn to surf, go kayaking, snorkeling, fishing, diving, cruising, Stand up paddle surfing (Cabo SUP), zip lining, ATV’ing or you can simply enjoy your private pool area or visit the Sheraton Hacienda del Mar or Casa Dorada, where Lifestyle Villas’ guests get access to.

We include the following services if you Book directly with Lifestyle Villas:

* Pre-arrival destination planning
* Pre-arrival grocery shopping & stocking (does not include grocery items)
* 1 arrival airport to villa private transportation in luxury late model SUV
* Arrival welcome cocktails & light snack (Margaritas or lemonade, salsa, chips & guacamole.)
* Meet & greet by your Lifestyle concierge who is on call 24/7
* Breakfast prepared fresh in your villa the first morning (Groceries not included)
* Daily housekeeping (Except Sundays & Holidays)
* L’Occitane toiletries
* Hand daily delivery of NY Times fax

Villas you should consider (click on the Villa name for more information about it):

* Villa Serena
* Villa Anne-Lie
* Agave Azul
* Casa Alegria
* One Medano Beach 2 Bedroom

Services you should consider:

* Babysitting
* Discounted Tee Times
* Catered Meal

*Applicable on new reservations for travel through December 16, 2011, excluding holidays, 5 night minimum. To receive all of the above services, the rental must be booked directly through Lifestyle Villas. If booked through a third party broker or agent, you will enjoy a Personal Concierge & Daily Housekeeping (excluding Sundays & Mexican holidays). Ask your Agent for special pricing on the above mentioned services. This promotion does not apply for Casa Stephens.

Courtesy of Akumal Villas

Akumal Villas, representing the finest villas across the Mayan Riviera, Mexico is offering numerous discounts on these beach vacation rentals. The offers below are valid on new reservations only for travel completed by December 16, 2011. Offers are also only valid on bookings of 5 or more nights with Saturday arrival. Discounts are applied to the base rate only and are not valid for President’s Week, Christmas or New Years.

Mar Caribe - 10% Discount
Taj Kumal - 15% for stays through Aug 26 (not including 5th bedroom guesthouse)
Palmilla - 15% Discount
Caleta - 15% Discount
Luminosa - 20% Discount through April 23, then 10% discount
Villa Sea Gate - 20% Discount through April 23, then 15% through Nov 18
Villa Cascadas - 20% Discount through April 23, then 15% through Nov 18
Corazon de la Tortuga - 20% Discount
Turquesa - 20% Discount
Ka Kuxta - 20% Discount
Paloma - 20% Discount
Maravilla - 20% Discount
Casablanca - 20% Discount for stays through April 2011
Casa Magna - 20% Discount for stays through April 2011
Gauguin - 20% Discount if booked by Feb 28 (holidays not included)
Iguana - 25% Discount
Villa Magica - 25% Discount
Villa de los Suenos - 25% discount
La Via - 25% Discount
Margarita - 25% Discount
Dos Jaguares - 30% Discount
Orquidea on Tankah Bay - 30% Discount
La Mision - 30% Discount
Las Palmas - 30% Discount
Azul Riviera - 30% for stays in Jan 2011, 25% for stays through April 2011
Nah Hah - 30% for stays in Jan 2011, 25% for stays through April 2011
Encantada - 35% Discount through Aug 2011 due to building on nearby lot,15% Discount through Dec 18
Solymar - 43% Discount

Lifestyle Villas is a premier source of carefully handpicked beachfront, ocean and golf view villas and condominiums in Los Cabos’ most prestigious developments. On the contrary to other villa rental companies, Lifestyle Villas manages every home they rent, and therefore, maintains superb quality standards in every property.

We are excited to announce that Lifestyle Villas has just launched a new website featuring 18 of the finest rentals in Cabo, coupled with services provided by their team of over 40 full-time employees including concierges, butlers, destination specialists, housekeepers, and private drivers who are all trained to make traveler experiences impeccable.

This beautiful new website allows interested travelers and guests to browse the finest rentals, current specials, Los Cabos practical info and activities, videos, special services, event and wedding planning, vacation ideas, and even Lifestyle Villas’ very own magazine. Spoil yourself with the ultimate Cabo escape! Visit the new site to plan your perfect trip to Cabo.