| Secured Tax Free and Tax Sheltered Investments, Yucatán, Mexico www.YucatanRanchFarmandHome.com "Yucatan´s Real Estate, Investment, Home Finder, and Rural Property Development, Construction, and Management Specialists!" |
| My wife and I bought a Ranch/Plantation, near Merida, two years ago. We have been working day and night since then to make its multi-faceted, inter-related, sustainable, and one day very soon, self-supporting projects fly despite a global economy that took a "nose dive" about 10 days after the ink was dry on our purchase agreement! Let me get to the point that probably caught your attention first and then we will take from there: SECURED TAX FREE INVESTMENTS Let´s say you are living in, or will soon move to, the Yucatan and have $10,000 or more in cash. Perhaps you lost a lot (like us!) when the economy tanked? Let´s say that perhaps you are or will be living on a limited retirement or income. You know, if you have been here even for a few weeks, that $10,000 US will not buy the door hardware for even a small cottage in Merida. Prices and costs are considerably less still in the rest of the Yucatan but we will cover that reality elsewhere. $10K? Put it in the bank? Heck, most banks these days will CHARGE YOU for the privilege of putting your hard earned funds in their vault so that they (not you) can make, on average from 27% to over 50% annually for loaning those funds out to individuals and businesses, and even the Mexican government. Here in Mexico, we have "Casas de Bolsas" like Monex and Intercam, among others. Great folks, professional, a great help in transferring funds from outside into Mexico and will pay, at varying rates, a decent interest rate, comparable or often better than rates that you would receive from your banks in the US, Canada, and/or even Europe (More on them and their services on our links pages. These days though, and as you know, the return on those rates will have you living on Top Ramen, saltines, and cans of cat food "pate" if the economy takes even a minor dip. "No chance of that happening...again",...say the "optimistic" politicians and finance companies and beneficiaries of one "bail-out" after another. In other words, and in most cases, your rate of return, already low to non-existent through normal channels and increasingly complicated instruments and approaches, continues insecure and unreliable and that is ...BEFORE... INCOME TAXES ARE CONSIDERED. OUCH! Page Under Construction Please come back soon or contact us directly......... Thanks! |
| PLEASE NOTE: The following is offered for informational purposes, BASED SOLEY UPON OUR OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE and is no way is intended to act as or replace the services of your personal or other legally qualified and licensed Tax and/or legal professional whether here in Mexico and/or your country of origin. Let us also say that we can, with some confidence, speak to the opportunities discussed in these pages as they may apply to Mexican citizens without complication or problems. In many or even most cases, these opportunities may also be available to foreign investors, as well, depending upon each individual investor´s circumstances, immigration status in Mexico, country of origin, that country´s rules, regulations, and tax laws, and of course, the individual´s personal beliefs in terms of his or her relationship with his or her home government. Before entering into any investment or purchase of real estate in any foreign country, we highly recommend that potential investors make a thorough study of all the options, ramifications, and potential outcomes of any investment both here as well in their country of origin. Here in the Yucatán, we will be happy to refer you to several top specialists in their fields so that, at least from the Mexican side of the equation, you will be 100% covered and confident as you proceed and/or consider your options. Since we are addressing investments in Mexico, this might be the obvious place to start. Based upon the information, education, and professional assistance here regarding local conditions and opportunities, individuals may then choose to seek further counsel in their country of origin. Free Advice: It is often said that advice or services that cost nothing are worth the same...or less. Fine. If you believe that feel free to send us an email and we´ll let you know where to forward your much appreciated donation! Seriously though, we know from experience that if we invest something of ourselves and our experience in you, the person reading this, that a sufficient percentage, (IE: people we would actually enjoy knowing and working with and the rest (and us!) are better off going somewhere else) will respond and we will both profit from working together. So please, if you care to, bear with us for just a bit because this all really matters, is all really and truly "connected", and relevant here in the Yucatán, though it may not be obvious immediately, maybe not even for months, I promise, if you take a few moments, even if a lot of what I am about to tell you is "review", you will, sooner or later, be glad you took the time! Thanks and if you leave now, we wish you every success where ever your personal road and adventure leads you! OK. Here we go. We have known and know many ex pats over the past 20 years, and their life abroad and the decisions they make in their new "home", from our experience, will have much to do with their country of origin and the extent to which they will or do maintain interaction with that country and its government. Let me re-state that: it often has much to do with how connected an ex pat is physically, emotionally, and of course legally with the former home country. Example: Are they "living in Mexico" full-time (11-12 mos. per year) with occasional visits to their home country. Perhaps instead, they are "visitors" for 2-6 months per year? We, nor the Mexican government, would consider this "living in Mexico"(IE. "Residency") and although that is fine, it will affect inevitably the decisions you make in terms of investments in both of your countries (Original and "adopted") Do they have close family remaining behind, kids in college, or perhaps elderly parents for example. Do they own properties or have investments, a business, or owe money in their former country? Do they earn enough to be required by law to file tax returns in either or both countries? Finally, and speaking about one´s life here in the context of other important life relationships, let´s talk about life here and one´s status in terms of making serious decisions that may have ramifications for a few months or many years ahead. Living as an ex pat and investor here in Mexico is always a continuum, in terms loosely somewhere between getting together for cup of coffee once, twice or infrequently, to perhaps dating regularly, to "going steady", getting engaged, getting married, and finally, (not necessarily in that order , we realize!) perhaps having children, a life step, historically at least, that often, if not always, signaled that a relationship had, at least in society´s eyes, had reached it´s most serious level in terms of long term life commitments. Just one way of considering where you yourself are on this relative and certainly flexible continuum. Where are you with your relationship, your life in its entirety, with Mexico? It may be worth some serious consideration if you are considering investing here. Where ever you are now and where you see yourself in 5 years (5 years here is important!) may very well have a lot to do with deciding what is best for you personally in terms of making the most of the opportunities that most definitely exist here. It may also help you avoid costly mistakes and disappointing setbacks that too often befall the uninitiated newcomer, regardless of training, investment experience, net worth, and myriad other factors that matter...or mattered...in their country of origin but which may very well not carry the same significance here. Obviously, who you choose to work with and trust can make up for deficiencies in language and cultural experience but all add up and all are most definitely important! Long term plans plus working with great and trustworthy professionals will still weigh heavily on your eventually and over time developing your language proficiency, cultural experience and proficiency (IE: You may already be a PhD in Spanish language, a professor of Latin History at UCLA or Harvard but have never lived in Mexico and more specifically the Yucatan for more than a few weeks. Or Maybe you are General Contractor from L.A., San Diego, or Houston, and have worked with "a lot of Mexicans and other Latin immigrant workers", speak at least decent construction Spanglish and feel pretty confident about arriving here and, as they say, "hitting the ground running". Trust me friends, you will nevertheless have much to learn. You may not agree with me but I promise you, you will have a lot to learn, one way or another. Not to brag or discourage. Quite the contrary, and to save you a lot of grief and "reinventing the wheel", I came 7 + years ago here from growing up in L.A. I Not only worked in construction since the age of 13, had two state contracting licenses in Cal for close to 18 years and besides that, hold two advanced honors degrees, one in Cultural Anthropology and the other in Comparative Religions. Besides that, I began learning Spanish In War-zone Nicaragua first running two large construction projects and later working as a PT in the local hospital we were also remodeling. Besides that, I have traveled and worked all over Central America , including 8 years in Guatemala, 18 mos in Nicaragua, various trips to Costa Rica, Hondurus and Puerto Rico. I have taught at the University/National School of the Arts, Havana Cuba and also was privileged to treat and teach at the National Ballet of Cuba. I have worked in Spain. I have spent time traveling in South America. All of the above was ...before... I came to the Yucatán, 7 years ago where I began contracting while teaching therapy and massage and working with the Yucatán Symphonic Orchestra. Honestly? I thought I would "hit the ground running" here. Wrong! The language and slang is very different here and though I had spent 8 years in Guatemala where they have 47 Mayan dialects, I had forgotten what little Mayan I had learned and no matter really because the dialect here is mutually unintelligible with any and all of the Mayan dialects in Guatemala! Obviously, my Spanish was pretty good but arriving here I was quickly reminded that for all of the differences here, I suddenly had a long way to go...again!. Construction? Different in so many ways and styles as like the Mayan dialects, almost if not as dramatically, mutually unintelligible. It all worked out but I very quickly was reminded that you can make it an experience of a lifetime, a pleasure and adventure, or,...lacking an open mind and dash of humility, you can drag out the inevitable process until it becomes so burdensome that you see no other recourse than to return to where you came from. ´Took a while but I finally sorted through the right and "wrong" people of all stripes and professions. We now work with and are still here because of a wonderful group of people (Professionals and clients now and know a very broad spectrum of folks from Merida to the coast, the pueblos, ranching and farming districts, plus many of the most important people in government charged with deciding where government grant and technical assistance will go. I believe we also have the best legal team on the peninsula and so, along with our years of experience, our ever increasing knowledge in all areas, plus our connections to the best of the best in all fields, I believe personally that we have a unique combination of services and possibilities to offer our friends and clients If you are, or about to become, an ex pat, like most of us at some level, you probably did not fit in 100% or, less and less over recent years where you came from, so you might as well congratulate yourself for your courage and perhaps new found sense of adventure and renewal and "get it right", get what you are really looking for here, now that you are making your move or perhaps have already arrived! You have the world at your door with opportunities knocking on countless levels but, as I say, here it is so much more than just financial issues you will need to be savvy at. Don´t get me wrong, please! Your financial background, whatever it is, and from where ever it is, will serve you. It´s just not the "whole story", and for a while at least, may be just a small part of the big picture and your eventual success here long term. Let me close by reiterating that at no time should you skip getting the best professional advice available. Once you find the person or team that best serves you, always remember that this person or this team will be your lifeline, will be your most important relationship, the difference between success, failure and happiness here for many years to come, regardless of whatever other relationships of any kind come, stay, or go. |
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