Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Two of the most common questions I get asked regarding Real Estate are "how is the marketplace?" and "when is a good time to buy?" Puerto Vallarta, like many investment/vacation home markets, was hit hard in the recession.But in the last year we have seen a large increase in buyers looking and prices are now on the rise again. All much the same stories we are hearing about other market recoveries.

So why is now such a crucial time to buy in Puerto Vallarta specifically?

1. Ease of Accessibility to Guadalajara: Puerto Vallarta has always been a favorite destination for the people in Mexico’s second largest city Guadalajara. For the 4.3 millions "Tapatios", as the people of Guadalajara are warmly called, flying was the only option unless you wanted to subject yourself to a 5 hour mountainous two-laned road trip. That is all about to change. A multimillion dollar freeway linking Puerto Vallarta and Guadalajara is nearing completion. Once opened, the new "Jala-PV Freeway" will allow the landlocked Tapatios to drive just 2 1/2 hours to Puerto Vallarta. This means many more weekend getaways to the area. We are already seeing a much higher interest and demand in second/holiday homes from people in Guadalajara.

2. Expanded Infrastructure: State and local governments have realized what a jewel Puerto Vallarta is and have agreed to invest millions into the infrastructure. Terminals and gates are being renovated at the Puerto Vallarta International Airport (PVR). Highway 200 and city roads are currently being expanded to ease congestion and beaches and public areas are being beautified.

3. Investors are back: At least 6 major condo developments are currently being built and are selling quickly. Many large hotels are being renovated. Mega hotel brand Hilton is entering the "all-inclusive" market by renovating the famous Dreams hotel just south of town. Dreams, starting as Camino Real, was one of the first luxury hotels to be built in the area many years ago.

4. Safety: Puerto Vallarta is one of the safest places to be in Mexico. Mexican officials understand that tourism travel and investment is paramount to Puerto Vallarta’s success. Therefore, due to a strong police force, special Tourism Police Patrol and laidback locals, Vallarta enjoys a low crime rate. In fact, both the US Government and Canada Government have revised their Mexican Travel restrictions to exclude Puerto Vallarta.

5. Increased Tourism: A very strong demand for vacation rentals makes buying a second home an easy but smart investment. An increase in travel of over 30% has resulted in a huge increase in demand. Most properties are booked out a year in advance in peak season. Puerto Vallarta’s low operating expenses, low taxes, skilled management companies and great rental returns are all contributing to a high demand for second investment properties.

6. Healthcare that is Excellent AND affordable: Healthcare in Puerto Vallarta rivals that in the US and is at least 50-60% cheaper depending on the service. With the newly built AmeriMed hospital, which is staffed by world educated Doctors, there is no longer a worry for retirees receiving proper medical care. As benefits decrease and prices rise in the US and Canada, Puerto Vallarta is seeing a big surge in people wanting to retire in the area. A new assisted living facility geared towards Americans and Canadians has just opened with others in the planning stages. Additionally, Puerto Vallarta is becoming one of the leading elective surgery destinations in the world. Patients can come down for a couple of weeks, have their procedure by an American trained doctor, recover in a beautiful ocean front rental and return home looking great.

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Timothy Real Estate Group is a full-service real estate sales, rentals and development agency representing some of the most distinguished properties and developments across Puerto Vallarta, Bahía de Banderas and the Riviera Nayarit. For more information, visit TimothyRealEstateGroup.com.

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