Very family friendly, Esperanza offers daily kids’ programs as well as game room and large grassy area suitable for outdoor games. The grown ups will love the world class spa ranked consistently in the top five in the world by Conde Nast and Travel & Leisure. If food is your guilty pleasure, Esperanza offers five different locales serving local and regional fare or hit the bar for live entertainment with breathtaking views.

Esperanza is camp for the entire family and sure to please the most discerning traveler. This will be a vacation the entire family will reminisce fondly for years and years to come.

Normally rents for $2850/night plus 29% tax and services. Entire week yours for $8k.

Email inquiry 877/615-7187

Outdoor Living

Villa Pamela is a 3,750 square foot, 3 bedroom and bath luxury condominium. The opportunity is a 20- 50% interest in the LLC. It is located within the Auberge Private Residences at Esperanza in the high end, master development community of Punta Ballena. This villa is equipped with a spacious kitchen centered to the view of the Sea of Cortez, a comfortable living room for intimate gatherings and a great outdoor terrace for whale watching and perfect for grilling. Outside the villa you will find all the accoutrements of a five star resort, with game room, an abundance of pools and hot tubs, state of the art fitness facility with trainer, five restaurants, lively bar with live music, and world ranked spa. But, what is most special about this home is the service and attention provided to its owners from Esperanza’s staff. Travel & Leisure’s June 2011 edition ranked Esperanza service #3 in the world!

Villa Reina is a 3,750 square foot, 3 bedroom and bath luxury condominium located within the Auberge Private Residences at Esperanza in the high end, master development community of Punta Ballena. This villa is equipped with a spacious kitchen centered to the view of the Sea of Cortez, a comfortable living room for intimate gatherings and a great outdoor terrace for whale watching and perfect for grilling. Outside the villa you will find all the accoutrements of a five star resort, with game room, an abundance of pools and hot tubs, state of the art fitness facility with trainer, five restaurants, lively bar with live music, and world ranked spa. But, what is most special about this home is the service and attention provided to its owners from Esperanza’s staff. Travel & Leisure’s June 2011 edition ranked Esperanza service #3 in the world!!!!

To recap 2011 numbers, the fixed week ownership type again saw the highest sales by number with eight (plus two more under contract). For the first time in several years, we saw sales in two bedroom villas as well as three bedrooms. The average price for the fixed week sales was $97,187, which is a higher average than 2010 numbers, when 12 FW were sold. We are seeing a trend in higher prices here, but we don’t want to exaggerate, as the fact is that we will still likely see sales on either side of $100k in the coming year.

The AR ownership type (1/8th, 2/3 bedrooms) saw an increase in number of sales this year with a total of six over the four of last year. The average price has taken a toll and has dipped back from the 15% increase we saw in 2010. Average sale price this year is $194k, and we would like to continue to impress that no seller needs to sell below or much below that average. The low was $185k. Supply continues to hover around the same, but we implore anyone over $250k to consider dropping your price more to market or pull it off the list temporarily to limit supply, which will allow us to get to your desired sale price faster. We see this ownership type selling well this winter due to price point and value.

The four bedroom, 1/8 ownership type (LV) has seemed to have stalled, which unfortunately leads us to believe the lowest list price of $399k is still above what market will bear. I can only attribute this to what buyers sense is a palatable cash purchase in this down economy, and therefore ‘settle’ for a 2/3 bedroom in some cases. We only saw one membership sold in 2010 at a fairly reduced price.. We have eight for sale, which is a higher supply than we’d like, but not as high as we’ve had. As many may know, the Esperanza whole ownership next door (APRE) started selling 1/12th and 1/6th shares in a four bedroom villa, but only two clients have purchased this and neither one of them was a suitable candidate for the LV, for different reasons. One wanted the quieter lifestyle that APRE affords. The other couldn’t afford the $399k list price and would have bought the AR if APRE didn’t have this option. We are keenly tracking if this presents competition for the LV sales, and to date we cannot make such a judgment.

Finally, the oceanfront three bedrooms (HV) saw some action this year. This can perhaps be ‘competition’ to the LV more than any other ownership type, as we have sold a couple half memberships creating a whole 1/6th sale at heavily discounted prices. The average price for a 1/6th at this time is $731k, but more have sold this year than any other year in resale history. Selling in halves would be more in line with pricing of the four bedrooms. We currently have three for sale at $800k and $875k.

Esperanza Real Estate Company placed a half page ad in Coastal Living Magazine’s Ultimate Beach House edition in October. We have seen more than 100 leads come from this exposure, and our website optimization and upgraded Facebook integration have really helped with hits on our website that continue to bring us leads weekly.

As always, if you would like a one on one consultation please stop in our office on your next visit or drop us a line. We will continue to work very hard in selling Esperanza and your membership the best we can.

The EREC Team

Esperanza, Cabo, San, Lucas, Mexico

Just a two-hour flight away from Los Angeles, sunny Cabo San Lucas is perfect for a quick, relaxing and romantic getaway for stressed-out Hollywood types.
This luxurious resort overlooks both the Sea of Cortez and Punta Ballena — or “Whale Point,” past which humpbacks migrate in winter — says Travel+Leisure, which has named Esperanza one of the world’s top 50 hotels.
All the hotel’s suites and villas offer ocean views. Some have private pools, a dedicated butler and private chefs for “in-villa dining.”
This is where LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian honeymooned in May. Paltrow and Martin have stayed as well.

Read entire article

The clouds hanging over upscale vacation-home markets are starting to lift. While prices are still falling in most regions, the luxury segment is picking up, and brokers are reporting more inquiries than they have had in years.

The upshot: If you have the money and plan on staying put for the long term, now may be a good time to buy.

Esperanza Villa

Overall, the median second-home price was $150,000 in 2010, down 11% from 2009 and roughly 25% from 2006, according to the National Association of Realtors. That isn’t pretty, but it is only slightly worse than the 22% drop for the overall housing market. The higher end of the market—homes in the $5 million-plus range—has held up better, says Douglas Duncan, chief economist at Fannie Mae. “At the top of the market, particularly luxury homes, prices have proven very elastic, and have sprung upward quickly,” he says.

Buyers are taking heed. On Palm Beach Island, Fla., sales were up 50% in the year ending June 30. Transactions in the Hamptons, on New York’s Long Island, jumped 59% in the second quarter from a year earlier. In Aspen, Colo., sales for the year ending May 31 were up 10%.

The number of people looking at properties is up as well: In Vail, Hilton Head and Palm Beach, foot traffic has jumped by at least 30% this year, according to local real-estate agents. “People have frugality fatigue,” says John Burns, president of John Burns Real Estate Consulting Inc. in Irvine, Calif.

This isn’t to suggest the boom is back. In general, properties situated in prime locations—on the water or near a ski slope—are selling well, but homes in less desirable spots are languishing on the market. Banks are increasingly wary of making second-home mortgages, particularly “jumbo” loans above federally guaranteed limits; 10% of banks raised their standards on such loans last year, according to the Federal Reserve. And the tax deduction for mortgage interest on second homes is at risk of being cut back.

Geography is the best guide to today’s vacation markets: In some places prices are holding up, while in others they are still tanking.

The blue-chip market consists of a handful of spots where prices have stabilized and could soon rebound as sales pick up. Some, such as Hilton Head, have benefitted from tough restrictions on building, which kept inventories manageable during the bust. Prices there have risen by 4% during the past year.

The other market is still very much in crash mode. In places like Miami, Fla. and even Martha’s Vineyard, Mass., prices have continued to drop as foreclosed properties flood the market. But bargains abound as sellers cut their asking prices or accept less to unload properties. In March, for example, a three-bedroom home on Palm Beach Island, Fla., listed for $4.6 million sold for just $2.5 million.

With the broader housing market still so sick, it might seem the height of folly to jump into such unpredictable investments now. Even in blue-chip markets there isn’t a guarantee of price appreciation anytime soon. Indeed, over time vacation-home markets don’t do noticeably better than primary-home markets. Homes on Martha’s Vineyard appreciated by 40.9% over the past 10 years, edging out Boston’s 40.5%. But Hilton Head’s 15% gain was trounced by nearby Charleston, S.C.’s 25.4% rise.

Then again, most vacation-home buyers aren’t looking to make big investment profits. More than 80% of second-home buyers surveyed by the National Association of Realtors in May reported that they bought for consumption reasons—to live in the house and enjoy it.

And many second-home buyers are wealthy enough to pay in cash, sidestepping the restrictive and time-consuming mortgage process. Last year, 36% of vacation-home transactions were all-cash deals, up from 29% in 2009, according to the National Association of Realtors. “If you have cash right now, you are in unique position,” says Paul Dales, senior U.S economist with research firm Capital Economics.

If you are thinking of taking the plunge, here is a look at some prominent markets across the country.

Blue Chips

These markets are stabilizing and, in some, prices already have started to rise.

Santa Barbara, Calif.

Median home price: $695,000
Median home price five years ago: $1,000,000

Market Snapshot: Situated roughly halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles, Santa Barbara is starting to reel in wealthier buyers again, says Ken Switzer, a real-estate agent with Prudential California Realty. While prices have plunged since the peak, they have steadied out over the past two years, and sales are starting to jump, according to Paul Suding, president of Santa Barbara’s Association of Realtors. Strict zoning and scarce available land helped protect Santa Barbara from the overbuilding that swept much of California, he says.

Who’s Buying: With interest rates near record lows, restaurant owners Dave and Leah Larson decided it was time to buy. In June, they picked up a four-bedroom ranch-style home for $1.39 million. The couple says the property seems like a great investment because it is on a street where homes recently sold for about $2 million. “We’re very happy and we get the tax savings on the second home,” says Mr. Larson, 39 years old.

Aspen, Colo.

Median home price: $781,000
Median home price five years ago: $802,000

Market Snapshot: Housing economists look to Aspen as a luxury-market bellwether. Dotted with upscale boutiques and four-star restaurants, the ski town is welcoming buyers with ample cash on hand, says Steven Shane of SDS Real Estate, a local real-estate broker. Sales of $1 million-and-above are on the rise—especially on the higher end. So far this year, 18 properties priced at $5 million or above have sold, up from 14 in the same period last year.

Who’s Buying: Laura Stovitz, a Los Angeles lawyer, already had a second home in Aspen but couldn’t resist the opportunity to trade up. In April, she sold her town house for $3 million and purchased a $6.5 million home with three bedrooms, an office, gym and adjacent guest house. She says she isn’t worried about falling prices because the posh ski town seems so “European in its appeal and will likely be insulated from the domestic market’s doldrums.”

The Hamptons, N.Y.

Median home price: $680,000
Median home price five years ago: $1,100,000

Market Snapshot: Prices have fallen 42% since their peak, but sales are picking up, say real-estate agents. That’s thanks, in part, to the return of Wall Street bonuses, says David Adamo, chief executive of Luxury Mortgage Corp. in Stamford, Conn. Despite booming sales, prices have fallen in the past year, creating opportunities for buyers, according to Clear Capital, a Truckee, Calif.-based research firm. The best deals, of course, can be found away from the water, where inventories are high and properties are sitting for longer.

Who’s Buying: Jeffrey Ponzo, a retail executive, is still marveling at the deal he got on his ranch-style home with a pool and tennis court in East Quogue, N.Y. The 45-year old New Yorker closed this month on the $950,000 home; a year earlier, it was listed for $1.1 million, he says. “The return on a quality-of-life aspect far exceeds any money I might have saved if I waited for prices to fall further,” he says.

Hilton Head, S.C.

Median home price: $307,000
Median home price five years ago: $574,000

Market Snapshot: Sales are up 17% for the year ending June 30, according to Jim Keilor, a real-estate agent with Hilton Head-based Alliance Group, while prices are ticking up. The vacation spot, famous for its golfing and lush beaches, didn’t see the overbuilding found in places like Phoenix and Las Vegas. “We were insulated from much of the pain elsewhere because we are an island,” Mr. Keilor says. Interest from buyers is back to 2006 levels, says Randy Smith, a real-estate agent on the island.

Who’s Buying: Steve Race, 52, purchased a two-bedroom oceanfront home in April. The former Lockheed Martin executive, who took a buyout in February, wanted a sunny spot at a good price, but didn’t want to brave the “softness” of the foreclosure-scarred Florida markets. He watched prices fall for more than two years, he says, before deciding that even if they fell further he was scoring a good deal on the two-bedroom house he bought for $500,000. Given the uncertainty of the stock market right now, he says, he would rather have his “money invested in a home with real value.”

Depressed Markets

These areas are still suffering—but bargains abound.

Martha’s Vineyard, Mass.

Median home price: $403,000
Median home price five years ago: $638,000

Market Snapshot: Even though this exclusive northeastern island sidestepped overbuilding during the boom, buyers still seem reluctant, says Sean Federowicz of Coldwell Banker Landmarks, a broker on the island. The problem: Martha’s Vineyard is made up of six different communities, some of which have had waves of foreclosures, says Carol Shore, a real-estate agent on the island. “Even though the $22 million waterfront properties are selling, the lower-end properties are dragging down much of the rest of the market,” she says.

Who’s Buying: In February, Brian Roach and his wife snapped up a three-bedroom house in Oak Bluffs for $740,000, roughly 35% below the asking price. The 53-year-old financial-services executive is comforted by the island’s cachet, which he believes will help prices appreciate down the road. “At some point, you see such low interest rates and good prices and you don’t want to wait anymore,” he says.

Vail, Colo.

Median home price: $385,000
Median home price five years ago: $562,000

Market Snapshot: Unlike its nearby resort cousin, Aspen, Vail experienced a wave of development just as the market crashed, says Josh Lautenberg, owner of Sonnenalp Real Estate in Vail. Since the peak, available inventory has shot up by 40%, he says. Although sales started picking up in 2010, there has been another dip in activity while people “wait to see if the other shoe is going to drop.”

Who’s Buying: Falling prices didn’t discourage Peter Tempkins, a 56-year-old insurance executive, from buying a $370,000 three-bedroom home in May. “My gut feeling is that we didn’t buy at the bottom, we bought one step from the bottom, and for us it was just a great time to buy a place we love,” he says.

Miami, Fla.

Median home price: $130,000
Median home price five years ago: $302,000

Market Snapshot: Miami was among the biggest casualties of the housing crash, in part because a wave of speculative building swept through the market. Prices have fallen 57% percent since 2006, reports Clear Capital, and 10% from last year. But bargains are beginning to attract more foreigners—particularly wealthy Venezuelans looking for a safe haven from President Hugo Chavez, says Michael Internosia, vice president of sales for Pordis Residential, a Miami based real-estate firm, who notes that such buyers made up 35% of his sales so far this year.

Who’s Buying: Sam Mandel considers himself something of a second-home veteran. Last year, the 78-year-old retired physician bought a Hamptons home in Shinnecock Bay, N.Y. In February, he purchased a home in Miami Beach’s Canyon Ranch development for $985,000. The two-bedroom condominium with beach views caught his eye because it was “distinctive and will be easy to resell if need be,” he says.

Palm Beach, Fla.

Median home price: $254,000
Median home price five years ago: $758,000

Market Snapshot: A condo binge during the boom has led to a glut—and shoppers are swarming on low-priced units, says Alex Villacorta, director of research and analytics for Clear Capital. That is presenting bargains at the higher end, says David Fite, owner of real-estate agency Fite Shavell & Associates. Sales are on the rise: there were 29 transactions in the first quarter, typically the busiest selling season, up from 6 in 2009 and 26 last year, says Christine Franks, president of real-estate broker Wilshire International Realty.

Who’s Buying: John Reid, a 57-year-old retired financial-services executive, and his sister are taking advantage of plunging prices. The siblings earlier this month purchased a $4.75 million four-bedroom home near the ocean, in an all-cash deal. “I got the sense that prices were nearing the bottom,” Mr. Reid says. “If we wanted a good deal on a fabulous home, we had to act quickly.”

We hope this e-Update finds you enjoying lots of summer BBQ’s and looking forward to your next Esperanza vacation.  We have had a successful winter and spring and are looking forward to November’s arrival to begin the next high season here in Cabo San Lucas.

Sales volume for the first six months of 2011 has taken us to a total volume that well exceeded this same time last year.  Prices are continuing to adjust with the low price point being just one of the many reasons people are buying at Esperanza!

We are pleased to say that all of our buyers see the value in owning at Esperanza.   Los Cabos is general has also seen higher sales volumes.    In our neighborhood, Punta Ballena, there is good news to report for whole ownership homes – this past winter and spring 8 homes have sold with prices from $1.1m up to $3.7m for oceanfront.

Our biggest sales volume so far this year has been the oceanfront HV (Hotel Villa) along with the 1/24^th Fixed Week ownerships.    We even saw several of our 1/8^th AR’s sell at an average of $195,000 each.     We feel any AR listing priced over $250,000 is over-priced, and we are working diligently at stabilizing the sale price to at least $200,000.  Supply is ordinary, so pricing should trend upwards again soon.

We are sorry to report that the 1/8^th interests in the 4 bedrooms has taken the biggest hit in 2010 and continues year to date.   EREC sold three memberships in 2010, from the most recent of $342k to $400k.  We see a necessary price adjustment going into the winter season since a low price point seems to be driving all sales thus far.

APRE, Auberge Private Residences at Esperanza, has a new 4 week, 1/12^th fraction for sale at $210,000.   This product came to market May 2011.

The new ‘pitch and putt’ is finished and great fun for families, along with pilates classes and Esperanza mountain bikes being offered too.  A new activities director, Claudia, has been hired by the developer in hopes to continue the interest and excitement in purchasing anywhere on Esperanza grounds and ‘communitizing’ the entire neighborhood.  Everyone is benefiting from those accoutrements.

Our new ‘wide double glass’ office doors are successful in making us ‘appear’ open and inviting to all visitors and owners.   EREC expanded our real estate website with a creative new blog where we post these quarterly updates, as well provide interesting information on life in Cabo.   Check us out regularly.

As always, we are happy to discuss your individual circumstance at any time.  Please feel free to contact us or stop in to say hello the next time you come home.

Warmest Regards,

The Esperanza Real Estate Company Sales Team