Focus Referral Program
Focus launches Referral program
to compensate/reward those people that send us business. Focus pays a cash
referral for every client that is referred that comes on a Focus program.
Within the first week of launching the program, we received 3 referrals, which
we were most grateful for. So we invite you to refer your friends to the Focus
program and we’ll happily pay you a referral.
Focus Program EXPANDS to include Financial Seminars (at no additional cost)
In these economic times, it is imperative to STRETCH your
$$$$ to hope for a better retirement. Therefore, we added these seminars covering
the tax implications of moving to Mexico
from the U.S. or Canada. What
you will learn could change your whole concept of retirement for the better.
For
Canadians: Experts in their field will talk about Canadian
Taxes with specific attention to Non-Residency for Canadians (reduce your taxes to
only 15% withholding and never pay Capital Gains again) PLUS a
Financial Planning seminar for Canadians moving to Mexico! Find out how you can
save enough money over time to pay for your home here and, still maintain your
Canadian citizenship. Canadians also have the added advantage of the strength
of the Canadian dollar to both the peso and the U.S. dollar.
For
Americans: Additional Seminar covering tax issues on living
full or part-time in Mexico.
You will discover that you can actually work in Mexico
and be
exempt from U.S. taxes for
up to $91,000 U.S.
You’ll also get to understand the effect that taxes have on
your Cost of Living in Mexico.
This article, ‘Can
I Afford to Retire Now’ gives you an
overview.
Focus adds real estate listings to its website
After many requests, Focus moves to add
real estate properties on our website. Each property listing has its own mini
website and some even have videos. We will be continually adding new
properties. The information is much more comprehensive than can be found on
most real estate sites. We hope this helps people get a better feel of prices
and how they compare to back home.
Focus adds GEO-Mapping
Geo-mapping will help pinpoint local
services and amenities (and real estate). Visitors will be able to print
off directions and local services will be able to add their business location
to the maps.
Focus adds Videos to Focus site and YouTube
If a picture is worth a thousand words,
what is a Video worth? PRICELESS! You will find a growing list of our
professionally produced videos on the Focus site. Check out the favourites
posted below.
General Videos:
Focus
Program |
Magic of Lake Chapala |
Mexico
MythBusters
|
Activities |
Health Care |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Real Estate Videos:
| La Reserva |
Los Sabinos |
Casa Latella |
Casa Libelula |
Casa Margarita |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
Focus starts a Focus Facebook Page
Focus now has its own Buyers Agents to better serve our
clients
We have also added in 2010, our own team of Focus Agents
that act as Buyers Advocates for our clients (at no additional cost).
They are all Focus Alumni who have come on the program and moved here so they
are in the same head space as our clients and can relate to all the same
things. This is being extremely well received from Focus participants. Please
feel free to contact them directly for your real estate needs. They’ll be happy
to assist you. Check out their Profiles.
Our in-house Agents not only help our
clients with their Real Estate needs (with no pressure) but they can
offer valuable assistance through the relocation process, making for a smoother
transition. And for people looking for
real estate before they come, they can be the eyes on the ground to answer
questions or get more info about certain properties or areas. And for those
Focus clients interested in rentals, they can advise them on the different
locations and pros and cons, and recommend several property managers we have
found good to deal with. So whether our clients buy or rent, we (Focus)
are there to help you with the transition.
An important decision for people who
choose to live here is where they will live. Many people are used to owning
their own home and are encouraged about the investment opportunities in Lake Chapala,
given Veteran’s Today survey placed Lake Chapala
the # 1 Retirement choice in Mexico.
Clearly this is one of the popular areas boomers are choosing to move to, which
over time will surely affect prices upwards. Many people are choosing to buy
now, and get in ahead of the herd.
Did you know that 2011 marks the year when the number of boomers
turns of age TRIPLES:
Excerpt
from Baby boomers start turning 65 in 2011:
77,000,000
That's how many boomers
there are — more than a quarter of the U.S. population. On Jan. 1, boomers
began turning 65. Between 7,000 and 10,000 of them will celebrate that birthday
each day for the next 18 years.
Another Excerpt:
Here is a by-the-numbers
look at this generation.
Health
Boomers care deeply about
their health.
84 percent of people turning 65 this year plan to start taking
better care of their physical health, an AARP poll found.
35 percent consider this their top life-change priority.
31 percent say their physical health is worse than they thought it
would be.
Their health expenses will
be enormous.
Many people have found Lake
Chapala a very healthy
place to live. No air-conditioning and no heating, an abundance of Vitamin D (sunshine),
wonderful fresh fruit and vegetables year round, a stress-free and laid-back
live style, and living amongst the happiest people in the world, it is no
wonder people live longer and have a higher quality of life.
Focus launches ‘ASK FOCUS’
– Relocation Services (plus Ana’s Concierge Services)
A ‘One Stop’ information source for anything to do with the
Lake Chapala area. With an abundance of good
and accurate information, Alumni can simply go to Ask Focus for
anything they need.
When looking to relocate to a new country
and culture, there is a lot you need to know. The Focus on Mexico
Program provides everything you need to know about legal,
immigration, health care, real estate, cost of living, taxes, non-residency and
much much more. There is no other way to get all the information and
recommended contacts and specialists you need to ensure a smooth transition and
keep you out of trouble. We personally use all our Expert Speakers so they come
highly recommended. Moving to Mexico
is as easy as taking an 8 Day Focus program. We do all the work
and you learn and enjoy. But what to do, once you actually make the move?
Now, we have taken it the extra step and
are helping people with the actual relocation process. Everyone who comes on
our program can tap into the Focus Support System, our own Focus Welcome
Wagon. In addition to the Ask Focus site which is chock full of information,
there will be a number of additional benefits available only to people who have
taken the Focus program. Among other things, we are currently working on a Focus
Benefit card, which will give you access to discounts from a number of
local and Guadalajara
vendors. One furniture store is offering huge discounts to Focus Alumni.
‘ASK FOCUS’ is a portal site within the Focus on
Mexico site, designed primarily to help Focus Alumni make a smooth transition
to their new life in Mexico and give quick access to a multitude of information at their
fingertips. We have many more categories we are working on, but already you’ll
find a myriad of links under each of these topics below:
Directory of Services, Focus Networking, FAQ, HowTo Procedures, Moving to Mexico, Living at Lake Chapala
The HowTo Procedures is worth its
weight in gold. You’ll find HowTo get your Senior Discount Card, HowTo
Apply for IMSS, HowTo get your Drivers Licence, HowTo Set up your
Electrical Contract, HowTo get a Phone, HowTo order Propane. HowTo’s
on just about everything.
The Directory of Services covers charities,
churches, communications, dining and entertainment, government offices, places
to shop, services and much more.
Among other things, the Living at Lake Chapala
section includes a full section on Health care, including allopathic and
alternative, dental, prescription drugs, national health care plan, private
insurance and a long series of related articles. There will also be a list of
recommended providers to take the guess work away.
So when you are living here in Lake Chapala
and looking for information; simply go to the ‘ASK FOCUS’ site for everything from
restaurants to real estate, bus schedules to international flights, churches to
grocery stores, phone service to entertainment, medical services, recommended
suppliers and services and every other service available. This will also serve
as a venue for meeting other people with similar interests. Getting information
can be an arduous task. Newspapers, publications, word of mouth and even Google
are used but there is not a central source where Alumni can go to get answers.
‘ASK FOCUS’
will become that source.
If you live in Lake Chapala
already, and have worked with people you would recommend, we invite you to
share this information so we can offer a number of great choices for everyone.
Concierge Services
As mentioned, you will find all the HowTo’s
on the Ask Focus site, so if you want the adventure of applying in Spanish for
your Senior Discount Card, or want to drive into Guadalajara and take your
Drivers test in Spanish, good for you. But for those that want someone to help
them through the process, you will have access to Ana Kabande’s
Concierge Services. She can help you set up all your accounts, take
you shopping, translate for you, side trips around Mexico, pick up and drop off
at the airport for you or your visitors and even dog and house sitting. A small
list of services and Ana’s prices is posted on her webpage on the Ask Focus
site. Ana is bilingual, trustworthy, and an absolute darling.
Focus Forecast 2011
Boomers start turning 65 in 2011 at triple the rate.
Excerpt
from Baby boomers start turning 65 in 2011:
Work and money
- 13 percent of those turning 65 this year plan to retire completely
in 2011.
- 24 percent don't know when they'll quit working.
- Nearly half of boomers ages 56 to 62 may not have enough savings to
cover basic expenses.
Two-thirds of boomers will
get an inheritance from
their parents. The median amount will be $64,000, but recent hard times likely
will cost boomers about 13 percent of their inheritance.
• $60,000: Mean financial assets of boomers.