As we all approach retirement, we often dream of someday owning a piece of Paradise, somewhere in Florida, Arizona, Hawaii, or even Puerto Vallarta; someplace with a climate conducive to kicking back and enjoying life to its fullest, year round.

To more than 50,000 retirees, Puerto Vallarta, located on the Mexican Riviera along the Pacific Ocean at the same latitude as Hawaii but six hours closer and with a lower cost of living, has been selected as their primary or part time retirement destination. Unlike the arid zones of Arizona, magnificent ocean views are available everywhere in Vallarta. Unlike the flat land and low elevations throughout Florida, the Sierra Madres provide the back drop to all of the Vallarta area providing a beautiful array of tropical flora and fauna.

The city of Puerto Vallarta lies on the innermost part of the 25 mile diameter Banderas Bay. The total land perimeter of the bay is approximately 60 miles, however only about 40 miles of shoreline is available for foreign ownership. This available land extends from Mismaloya, 10 miles south of Vallarta, to 25 miles north of Vallarta near Punta Mita in the state of Nayarit. An additional stretch of Pacific Ocean shoreline extends about 15 miles north of Punta Mita with certain portions available for foreign ownership, thus providing the total Greater Puerto Vallarta area roughly 55 miles of beachfront property.

With Greater Vallarta´s large area of magnificent land, its climate similar to that of Hawaii, and a pro-growth Mexican government with many new investment incentives, the area has virtually exploded with new residential construction and consequently, with new real estate agencies. Aside from re-sales, these listing agencies are currently marketing in excess of 100 new condominium complexes containing more than 7,000 new condominiums under various phases of construction. An additional 20,000 condominiums are in the conceptual or planning stages and are scheduled for construction during the next 15 years.

In order to promote these properties, there are currently over 80 listing agencies serving the area with approximately 500 agents, all having a fiduciary duty to the developers and property sellers. That being said, in order to avoid a conflict of interest, they must pay their dedication and loyalty to those with whom they have contractual agreements and represent; the developers and sellers. Of course, these agents will do everything within their power to sell one of their own listings first, prior to considering the listings of others, in order to satisfy their clients as well as double their own commissions.

Now that we have established that the area in and around Paradise is huge, the quantity of new villas and condos is overwhelming, and 500 listing agents are putting forth their best effort to please their clients, the sellers; certain questions arise. How in the world do visitors to the area go about locating their retirement destination without searching through 80 agencies? What assurances do the prospective buyers have that they are getting exactly what they want, in the location that best suits their objectives, and at the best price available? How, in Mexico where all legal contracts are in Spanish and the laws are somewhat different, can the prospective buyers be assured that they are being treated fairly when the listing agent is representing the developer or seller?

To answer those questions and for numerous other reasons, the use of a buyer’s agent is a prerequisite for any foreigner considering the purchase of real estate in Puerto Vallarta. There are a few agencies in the Greater Vallarta area that claim to be buyer’s representatives; however most of them also have listings within their agencies. In order for prospective buyers to be absolutely confident that they are receiving 100% loyalty and dedication, they should attempt to employ the services of an agency with absolutely no listings, no biases, and no ulterior motives; one who knows the area well, that has access to all listings, and that has the legal team, property inspectors, appraisers, mortgage bankers, escrow agents, etc. working on the buyer’s behalf.

Agents that exclusively represent buyers are quite common in the US and Canada, however they are few and far between in Mexico. Such agents do request signed contracts with the buyers stating that they are acting on the buyer’s behalf, however there is generally no charge to the buyer since commissions are shared by the listing agent.

Listed below are some of the benefits associated with using an Exclusive Buyer’s Agent in Mexico:

•EBA Represents no sellers and has no listings

•EBA Avoids dual agency and conflicts of interest

•EBA Owes complete fiduciary duty and loyalty to buyer

•EBA Maintains buyer information as strictly confidential

•EBA Has access to all properties on the market

•EBA Is unbiased in showing all properties available

•EBA Conducts an objective comparative market analysis

•EBA Thoroughly researches property pros and cons

•EBA Obtains appropriate inspection reports and appraisals

•EBA Strives ethically to gain bargaining advantage for buyer

•EBA Negotiates for buyer to optimize purchase agreement

•EBA Obtains most favorable legal and financial professionals

•EBA Prepares contracts in Spanish with accurate English translations

•EBA Works with 100% buyer dedication throughout entire process

•EBA Charges the buyer no fees for representation services

•EBA Often saves the buyer time, money, and provides peace of mind

In summarizing, the prudent buyer will always locate and use an Exclusive Buyer’s Agent when searching for his/her retirement residence in Mexico; where caveat emptor, or buyer beware, is the rule to follow. In so doing, the retiree will be assured a stress free and enjoyable first retirement experience in Paradise.

The landing page is the page that appears when a potential customer clicks on an advertisement or a search engine result link; the page you land on . This page is an extension to the advertisement or the link and is optimized with relevant keywords and phrases for the purpose of being indexed by the search engines.The way to think of your landing page is as the front door to your business. It needs to be easy to open, inviting and display a friendly look. As you sell products or services on your e-Commerce site, your landing page invites readers in to browse. We have some considerations for you to think about as you construct your front door.The first thing a visitor sees after he clicks on your ad is your landing page. Keep in mind the research about where hot spots are on the screen above the fold and upper left side of the screen. That is the area on your page to create copy or pictures that you want customers to see first. Headlines need to be in bold. Make sure visitors know the product or service you are promoting. Your message should be clear to the reader, and it should define the value of your product or service. This is a good spot for pictures or videos, because both the medium and positioning will get your customer s attention.Keep It SimpleYour page needs to be well organized. Columns may help, but remember that a single column results in more conversions than multiple columns. The flip side of that issue is that search engines look for columns, just as the human eye does. It s a good way to organize content on your page. Take a look at the composition of your page and minimize columns if at all possible. Keep your copy easy to read and understand. Visitors will click on to another web site rather than wade through what reads like a foreign language.Try to minimize the number of click required to complete a purchase. Retail stores lose customers if their service is lacking. And your site will lose customers if the purchasing process is lengthy or difficult. Whether it s online or in a retail store, customers just won t put up with hassle. Try to make buying your product or service as easy as possible; preferably, one click on the landing page should get the customer to the page to complete a purchase. No e-Commerce site reaches 100% click through rate. But yours will increase if you make the process simple.Brand ConsistencyFinally, it s important to remember branding is part of your strategy. Some of what we have talked about here will need to be tweaked for your particular site. You won t want a page full of energy if you determine a less forceful approach is desirable. Likewise, a calm and pastoral page won t work if you want an edgy feel. The tone of your page needs to reflect the branding you are trying to achieve. Tone and brand need to complement each other for maximum appeal for visitors. If you keep the front door concept in mind as you create your landing page, your chances of visitors becoming customers will improve.Two Types of Landing PagesThere are two basic types of landing pages, both defined by the type of site you are running or the type of Internet business you are conducting. A reference-landing page clearly presents information that is relevant to the visitor. These can include text, images, relevant links, or other dynamic elements relating to your business. Reference landing pages are most effective when they meet the objectives of their publishers or authors, which may be associations, organizations or public service agencies. In many instances, reference-landing pages are used for PPC campaigns and their effectiveness is measured by the click through rate and the proceeds paid from advertising that they are used for.A transactional landing page is exclusively designed to persuade a visitor to do business or complete a transaction. The goal of the transactional landing page is the sale of a product or service. If information is to be captured, the page will usually withhold information until some minimal amount of visitor information is provided, typically an email address and perhaps a name and telephone number as well enough to “capture the lead” and add the prospect to a mailing list.Landing Page HeadlinesThe headline on your landing page is the first thing that people see when they follow the link from an advertisement or email. Headlines are the most important element of your landing page, as it will either grab your visitor s attention or turn them away. Use a headline that clearly states the biggest benefit to the visitor. If you tell them exactly why they are there, its more likely they will stay longer and convert from being a visitor to a customer.In addition to giving a strong value-add statement, keep your headline positive and upbeat. Remember, the sole purpose for a headline is to grab your reader s attention. Landing Pages and Pay Per Click CampaignsPay Per Click (PPC) is an Internet marketing or advertising technique whereby visitors are directed to an advertiser’s website after clicking on an advertisement, and the advertiser pays for each visitor on a per-click basis. In PPC campaigns, the landing page should be customized to present the searcher with exactly what they re looking for and provide the most relevant and focused results. Basically a PPC landing page is any page on your site where searchers land when they click a link on a search engine results page.Landing Pages for Your Email Marketing CampaignThe layout and content of your landing page can make or break the success of your email marketing campaign. The first page that your visitors see when they click the link from the email in their inbox should mirror the email itself. Your mailer and the landing page should be consistent in both content and format, conveying a clear message of your event, sale or offering. Recipients should be able to connect with your home page easily, accessing information by clicking on multiple links throughout your mailer and landing page. Unlike other marketing strategies, results from email campaigns are easily measured. Results are reported in terms of opens , which report how many people saw your offer or newsletters, and click through rates (CTRs) measure how many people actually clicked on the links in your email.Test Your Landing PagesWhether you are using landing pages for a PPC advertising campaign or email marketing campaign, how do you know if the page you designed is effective? One of the best techniques used to test the effectiveness of your landing page is A/B split testing. A/B testing allows you to test two landing pages against each other in real-time. The two web-based offerings need to be almost identical; almost, meaning that you make just one change between the two versions or your advertisement or landing page. This one change can be just about anything; it can be simply changing the background color, text color, adding a photo or graphic, changing the text arrangement, or changing your headline. Both versions of your advertisement will be live at the same time, allowing you to compare the results of their effectiveness against each other.

Being a Realtor with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage and after viewing so many homes with many clients, remodeling your home may be of paramount importance. In and out of so many homes, people seem to want the newer, more modern style.

Many homes in the Scottsdale, Arizona area are getting older and there is hardly any land left to build new homes. There is plenty of land in Arizona to build new homes, but most of the building is going up on the outskirts of Phoenix in cities such as Surprise, Queen Creek, Casa Grande, and Anthem.

The people that want to buy in Scottsdale are not going to be able to buy a brand new home unless they knock the home down with a bulldozer and start from scratch. If you are a home owner, here are some suggestions that may help increase your re-sale-ability. Granite counter tops in the kitchen would probably be your number one. Try to make sure that the granite you pick out compliments the paint in the kitchen. If the paint in the kitchen is out-dated, you may want to consider re-painting the kitchen, and doing granite counter tops.

When discussing flooring, it seems every one prefers tile over any other type of flooring. Tile in the bathrooms and kitchen would be a great place to start. The really big twenty four inch tile is more popular than small tile. When thinking about doing tile in your home, ask a professional tile expert about which tile would look best. There are so many minor cosmetic things a home owner can do to make the property look more desirable.

So many homes appearances are absolutely destroyed by paint issues. People get bored, or they think they are professional painters, and decide to paint a room bright purple, or pink, or green. There is no problem with painting a room a color you like, but if you decide to sell the home, have all the walls re-painted back to the original colors of the home. Paint is such a cosmetic item, and such an easy fix. If possible, try to have the entire house one color such as white or light beige. It may not be a good idea to have dramatic colors through out the home. Your taste in style is probably not the same as the people that are coming to view your home that may possibly purchase your home.

Light fixtures are a relatively easy fix. Out dated or old light fixtures can be easily replaced, and are relatively cheap. Old corroded faucets in the kitchen and bathrooms is also a relatively easy fix, and not too expensive. Electrical outlet covers, probably the easiest of all, can be replaced extremely easily. If they are cracked or missing, take the extra time to replace them.

When someone purchases a home in Arizona, ninety nine percent of the time they are going to do an inspection on your home. When the buyer does an inspection on your home, their inspector is going to notice every small detail. Many reports include problems such as slow draining sinks and bath tubs, electrical outlet covers cracked or missing, light bulbs out, doors do not open and shut properly, cracked tiles on roof and many other minor issues. The fewer things an inspector puts on a report, the better that is for the seller.

Major remodeling projects might include adding a pool, or a basketball court, or a putting green, or even a playground type structure for the kids. A pool would be an extremely lovely upgrade for a home in Arizona with out a pool. It is so hot in Arizona, and homes with pools are not as common as one would think.

Unfortunately, no guarantees can be made that any of the above mentioned items will increase your property value, or guarantee that your home will sell. There are never guarantees when discussing Real Estate. The above mentioned items may or may not help when selling your home. Do not attempt any of the above projects without consulting with a licensed, insured, trained professional first.