Digital Vallarta Lifestyles

We just received a proof for the new edition of Vallarta Lifestyles that we offer in digital format. The editorial and production departments went all out in this issue to embed lots of multi-media – 15 pieces in total. This is really quite amazing. More amazing is that Vallarta Lifestyles is leading ALL digital magazines in the multi-media field. We are putting more in our publications than any other. And there’s some big players now doing this.

This issue features interviews, full-screen 360º images, slideshows, music, video – definitely worth checking out.

The “amped up” issue will be out sometime next week. But go ahead and sign up now at www.vallartalifestyles.com. No cost, just subscribe. You’ll be able to immediately visit past issues. And when the new one is ready, we’ll send you a email to let you know. Take a look and let others know about it, we want to get the word out about Vallarta!

Credit Crisis Cripples Vacation Ownership

I wrote awhile back how it was interesting that timeshare sales seemed to be immune to what is happening elsewhere in the real estate economy. I guess that is no more. This article was featured in the February issue of Hotels magazine.

Would-be owners think twice about real estate investment, while timeshare companies are having difficulty monetizing consumer debt.

By Adam Kirby, Associate Editor

Just a few months ago, even as global travel was slowing dramatically and a U.S. recession loomed, leaders in the vacation ownership industry were upbeat and optimistic that the downturn would largely miss timeshare and vacation clubs. Even fractional and branded whole ownership were thought to be somewhat insulated from the recession thanks to their appeal to more affl uent consumers. HOTELS even went so far as to declare in its ill-timed October cover story that vacation ownership “defies the downturn.”

And then the sky fell.

The global credit markets collapsed, stifling an industry that had relied so heavily on loan liquidity from timeshare mortgages sold as assetbacked securities. The market for such “consumer paper,” as it is colloquially known, seized up almost completely—and for those companies entrenched in the asset-backed securities model, it matters little from a cash-flow perspective that consumer interest in timeshare remains relatively strong.

I was wondering about this. It was getting so crazy in the industry that some timeshare projects were able to have a new credit card issued, while the people were sitting at the table, for the purchase of their new timeshare, with the down payment conveniently already on it!

Vallarta Lifestyles Real Estate Conference

Once a year the Vallarta Lifestyles Publishing Group puts on a real estate conference for local real estate professionals. This year the half-day conference will be held on February 26th at the Krystal conference rooms.

Here’s the details:

The Fourth Annual Vallarta Lifestyles’ Real Estate Conference provides valuable information on Vallarta’s real estate market to real estate industry professionals. The theme of this conference will be on: Surviving and Perhaps even Prospering during Turbulent Times”.

Place & Date

The conference will be held at the Krystal Hotel Conference Rooms on February 26th, starting at 8:30AM, and will only be for those actively involved in the local real estate industry. Those who wish to attend will need to produce a business card at the door.

Cost to Attend

There is no cost to attend.

Extras

Coffee will be available during the breaks. Language To keep the cost down we continue to only offer the conference in English.

SCHEDULE

8:30 – 9:00 – Sign in, visit exhibition space and networking time. Coffee available

9:00 – 10:30 – Welcoming Address and Presentation of Real Estate Statistical Information regarding Multi-List Vallarta and Multi-Dev Vallarta.

10:30 – 10:50 – BREAK: Visit exhibits and Network

10:50 – 11:50 – Realtors Panel: “Listing your property correctly and surviving this economy”

11:50 – 12:10 – BREAK: Visit exhibits and Network

12:10 – 1:10 – Developers Panel: “Developer Incentives, Creative Marketing, 2009 Developer Perspectives”

1:10 – 1:30 – BREAK: Visit exhibits and Network

1:30 – 2:30 – Realtors Panel II: “Looking forward: What’s in store for 2009?”