From the sunny shores of San Diego to the Mexican ‘Malibu’

Paradise is like a time warp. I drive with amazement at what is around me. I grew up in Southern California. I was 5 when my family came to the land of milk and honey in the mid ‘50s. To the booming metropolis of Lancaster and Palmdale and then, by 1961, it was San Diego.

We stayed at the Stardust hotel in what was Circle 7. It was a loop around Highway 80. It had seven hotels, thus the name. That was Mission Valley. There were dairies up the river east to the Mission.

I’ve watched San Diego grow. I’ve seen some of the scrubbiest unimaginative landscape turn into tree-lined communities. Little towns become big towns. Freeways. I remember how spooky I-5 looked just before it opened. Sort of like being alone after an atomic bomb aftermath. 1950s and 1960s. I saw an enormous county with dots of civilization blossom into America’s Finest City and surrounding burbs.

Now I’ve bailed out of America’s Finest City (part time), away from those frustrating fog and gray skies for the warmth and fabulous shores of breath-taking Puerto Vallarta. I fall asleep to booming thunderstorms and wake up to blue skies and the beauty of the Bay of Banderas.

Eventually I find myself driving the 45 kilometers up the coast to Punta de Mita on a twisting two-lane road with tree canopies only a stones throw from a turquoise ocean.

They call Punta de Mita the Mexican Malibu (don’t believe it? Go to my website). I drive through little funky towns that mirror what any old town in the heartland of America once was. Little Santa Fe, N.M., comes to mind. Very cool. Once old and run down.

Heck, take a drive up to Redlands in the heart of Riverside County someday. Right there adjacent to I-10 is this really quaint rebuilt downtown. Here, the little towns of La Cruz and Bucerias have that old as-you-would-expect Mexico-to-look look to it. Electric poles and wires, potholed side streets, hodgepodge of taco shops mixed with farmacias and llanta (tire) shops just waiting for a redevelopment agency.

There are new subdivisions going up on farmland less than a mile from the beach here. Everyone works. You walk through downtown Vallarta and it is Santa Barbara in the ‘50s. Everywhere you turn you see growth and opportunity. Time warp.

Even the schools are ‘50s’ish down here. They don’t have delinquency and gang problems here. Families are close. The schools require uniforms. All the young girls wear those doggone pleated skirts with knee high sox. The boys wear black pants and white shirts.

I swear I’ve been dropped into “Leave it to Beaver” land. People here take care of each other. Yet here they also have WalMarts, Home Depots and Costco’s with a bazillion acres of farmland eastward towards Guadalajara. There is so much opportunity down here it almost makes me want to be a young ambitious roustabout again.

But, those perfect rights off Punta de Mita in 80 degree water just seems a lot more fun right now. Then again it feels like I stepped into a time machine with advanced knowledge. Like I know who wins the World Series.

So, who knows, maybe there is something to that “if I could do it over again” phrase. I don’t know. Do I really want to get ambitious again? I’m supposed to be retired living on Social Security (one more month to go!!). Ah, to be a Baby Boomer. God only gives us so many days, might as well enjoy them for the gift they are.

Tonight, there’s a fiesta going on right on the beach. I can hear and see it rocking away and it’s Thursday!! I do live in a resort after all (on an Social Security budget). Wow, gotta go! They’re shooting off big fireworks right outside my balcony over the water! So cool.

Read more: Coast News Group - From the sunny shores of San Diego to the Mexican ‘Malibu’

Having arrived at my destination, I began my second life

It’s Friday, Sept. 23. I got here on Wednesday. I sit alone but content in my new second life. This is quite an adventure. I still feel the guilt and pull of work and yes I take care of it electronically at two hours ahead of San Diego time. My daughter Marisa, one of the finest Reiki Healers (and more) that you’ll ever meet, is my boots on the ground if needed.

As in most adventures the constant pull is the discovery. I went over to Nuevo Vallarta yesterday. The last time I was there was in 2005. Nuevo Vallarta is just north around the airport from Puerto Vallarta proper. There has been some serious construction in there. They have all these great all inclusive resort places you can buy into. You own it. You use it 3 months out of the year and put it in a rental pool.

A one-bedroom condo returns about $12,000 per year. Based upon a $250,000 cash purchase that is a return of 4.5 percent plus an all inclusive three months for free. All-inclusive means that. Everything is paid for including but not limited to dinner and drinks at classy restaurants, maid service and transportation to and from many stops in Puerto Vallarta or up the coast to Punta de Mita, Sayulita or San Pancho. You can also buy with 30 percent down and 5 year owner financing at 5 percent if you prefer. No credit checks.

This upcoming week I’ll meet a couple local real estate agents who know the “point” very well. My partner in business, Ana Girdner, knows the point and everyone there like the back of her hand. Ana is from the Dominican and has lived at the point for the last 10 years or so.

She watched as the Four Seasons and St. Regis were built along with their golf courses. 80 percent of the owners are either American or Canadian (especially from Calgary). I’m told that the part time American and Canadian population from Punta de Mita to Puerto Vallarta (45 kilometers) has now surpassed one million. That is amazing considering the population of Puerto Vallarta is under 250,000. Mexicans love us.

I continue to work. I know, I’m retiring. I’ve unloaded so much “stuff” from my life. I’m finding new friends and associates. But I’m living on the $1,360 budget that I’ve earned paying into Social Security. Except for the $40 in food stamps my wife and I got between my junior and senior year at UC Santa Barbara in the ‘70s, I’ve never taken a dime from the government and believe me, I’ve paid.

One year I paid $190,000 just to good ol’ Uncle Sam and now I’m budgeting $1,360 per month to live on. Go figure. I’m doing it though and having a blast. Being a young Boomer and retiring (changing my life) is cool and totally doable.

Those of you whose ears have been perked need to remain positive. Retiring can be done with what little you have.

I really have to debunk the myths of violence in Mexico. It isn’t fair. I’ll get into statistics a little in my next column. I’ll be back home in Encinitas for the month of October and part of November.

The kids need to get ready because “I’m coming back.” Also, I’m going to speak a little about the phenomenal medical system down here. What they are doing here could easily work in the USA because they have followed the pure capitalistic method. Something we as Americans had a real monopoly on at one time. Next article.

Read more: Coast News Group - Having arrived at my destination I begin my second life

Save America Now : The Two Percent Solution

Every economist believes that it was the subprime mortgage scheme, coupled with the burgeoning housing market that got us into this mess. They all agree that it will take the stabilization of that sector of the economy to set the bedrock for recovery.

On this tenth anniversary of the 9/11, it takes reflection to see how everything spiraled out of whack. We stood proud to be Americans. We were ready to take on all comers. We were one.

What followed was our nation and Americans stacked up in fear waiting for the unknown. Waiting for the next big one sided battle. We wanted to get the enemy. But slowly, the enemy of us personally, one-on-one, was how it affected me/us. We went into a shell. 2002 was a dreadful year economically. I, as a Real Estate Broker, felt it first hand in every sector of the market. Many lost their entire savings. The economy was headed into the tank because no one was spending money. They didn’t know how to plan. The Administration called for Americans to come out of their fear shells and spend money. Live their lives. The Congress passed tax cuts to stimulate spending and entrepreneurial spirit. It worked on steroids when Congress got way too zealous.

Following the 2000 presidential election, Congress was split 50-50. Nothing could get done. Lots of games were played. One huge game was to set up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to be pawns to a securitization of mortgages. Historically, F&F only bought notes with 20 percent equity behind them, as it has turned out, at the taxpayers’ expense. The major banks were complicit in that they didn’t actually keep the loans they made but made big points off the subsequent owner of mortgages. When Wall Street saw that F&F would actually buy worthless notes, they took advantage of that historical 20 percent spread. A lot of people got rich fast. The byproduct was a spiraling real restate market that was high flying. The Administration tried to reign in F&F in 2004 but to no avail. The sentiment was from the left: “We’ll give you the funds to fight the war, but we’re going to take big spending and legislative mischief.”

Especially mischievous were the banking committees in both the House and Senate and their ties to Wall Street and F&F. If you’re looking for the culprits behind the whole mess, look no further than to those who formed the legislation from those committees who were in charge. I don’t want to get into finger pointing. I’ll leave that up to your own investigations.

Given the foregoing and as simplistic as possible, it is clear that everyone from the young upstart Shearson Brothers intern to the President of the United States was complicit in getting us to where we are right now. I watch as everyone is scratching their heads on how to fix this awful economy, with its malaise, uncertainty and under the table style of living.

I know how to fix it.

When I proposed the following, I was initially encouraged by Rep. Bilbray’s office. I was welcomed into Rep. Darrell Issa’s office, twice meeting with his local chief of staff. But, the idea/plan was looked at being too difficult to implement. On a side note, I am thrilled to have this megaphone to bring this proposal straight to the everyday man, woman and student. Let’s have North San Diego Coastal be the force that forces the implementation of this plan. This is a plan that will cure the American economy, and every nation’s economy instantly, and here it is: Congress, via Bilbray and/or Issa, should immediately move in favor of every mortgagee of Fannie and Freddie loans —home, apartment and commercial to:

Immediately stay all foreclosures in process, starting with Fannie and Freddie;

Freeze all loan balances where they currently are, including all back payments;

At mortgagees options, make all loans payable at two percent interest only for the next 10 years;

Give every mortgagee a three-month moratorium on loan payments before commencement;

Leave the market for all new loans alone. Let the free market dictate future rates;

Remove all tax credits for mortgage interest and taxes, including commercial loans.

The removal of tax credits should satisfy the far left and the first five points will satisfy the right and center. With such low monthly interest payments, for the majority of homeowners, the Standard Deduction will likely be most advantageous. The legislation shouldn’t be more than one page long. Implementation could be swift.

I shouldn’t even have to explain the benefits. Foreclosures will cease, which will instantly stabilize the housing market. Homeowners would be able to rent their homes out if unemployed and likely receive cash flow. Homeowners that stay in their homes will find an instant chunk of new disposable income. Most homeowners will breathe a sigh of relief knowing their lives have stability for at least the next ten years. Optimism will reign. Homeowners will pay down debt, buy cars, fix their homes, buy appliances, solar systems, pools, take vacations, go to the cleaners again and get their nails done. Doughnuts will be eaten. Entrepreneurial spirits will soar. Governments will prosper due to the increase in tax receipts due to the speed of money.

Oddly enough, even the bank will prosper. No more toxic loans, no more foreclosures and stability in values and an increase in lending to homebuilders.

The major banks’ portfolios of home loans are only 28 percent. The reduction they take in lowered mortgage payment receipts should not be catastrophic to their bottom line. They got us into this, they can get us out of it. In reality, in the near long term, it would actually be beneficial for all banks to follow the Fannie and Freddie mandate. The banks should follow voluntarily after the directive to F&F. If they don’t, then part of the legislation would be that F&F buy every mortgage from lenders not willing to participate voluntarily.

This simple plan, literally on page of legislation, will magically transform our economy. It should be implemented immediately. If you agree, please do me a favor and call Rep. Bilbray’s office at (858) 350-1150, or Rep. Issa’s office at (760) 599-5000 and say you support the two percent solution. Everyone wins! You can give me feedback at joe@coastalcountry.net.  I’d love to hear your take on this, too.

Read more: Coast News Group - Save America now the two percent solution