For decades now, Americans and Canadians have been discovering the benefits of living in Mexico, either full time for retirement, relocation with their family if their job allowed for it, or for annual vacationing. Buyers have discovered the one time fishing villages like Puerto Vallarta or Playa del Carmen, and have made these beautiful and now very convenient tourism centers their new home on the beachfront. Wide beaches, stretching out for miles, friendly locals and many services makes life in these places like something most people only dream of.

Other buyers have found hidden gems in colonial cities like Merida, or charming, magical towns on a lakefront such as Lake Chapala, enjoying close contact with Mexico’s centuries-old history, architecture and culture.

In both options, Mexico real estate not only provides a very relaxing and affordable lifestyle, but also a real opportunity for investment. Area’s along Mexico’s beachfront that have become favorites for Americans and Canadians, have shown some fluctuation with the financial situation of American buyers, but in general have increased steadily, providing excellent opportunities for high return with continual new investment and expansion. Vacation rental income can also be an excellent source of income from certain properties.

Mexico’s older communities with a still a smaller expat population than an alien have increased steadily, unaffected by either the bubble or the recession, although more slowly than the “boom” often experienced by beachfront locations. They also provide opportunities for residential development, rental income and business investment at a lower cost.

Both have their own advantages, and both have the potential to double as a vacation home and an investment, depending on the buyer’s usage needs and plans for investment.

To find out more about this possibility, contact an experienced, qualified Mexico agent, who can make suggestions and refer you to specialists in this field, as well as other buyers who have successfully carried out this kind of combination.

Austin Texas homes are much cheaper, but still built to last, than houses in many other big cities because the heat and the dryness of the area, as well as the fact that it is in Texas, scare most people away.

You should not be scared away by any of these conditions. Go out and look at the new homes in Austin Texas; you’ll be surprised with weather and home quality. Although there is many things wrong Texas, Austin is very different from most of the rest of the state. In the first place, Austin Texas homes are often newly built, and benefit from superior water and city services, so even though it is dry around you, there is no worry about droughts.

The hot weather is another thing. Austin Texas homes are cooled by air conditioning, but when you are out of the house, you will just have to deal with the heat, and that is all that there is to it. But do not be scared away by the Texans at least.

If you are buying a home in Austin Texas, you are likely to be living next to some of the most interesting and progressive neighbors anywhere. This is because Austin is such a Mecca of culture and art. There is a great music scene, a pretty left wing political scene, and arts and literature are also not far behind.

Austin Texas homes are not located next to rednecks in El Paso, but in an area with an artistic community to rival New York City. The east coast snobs might scoff, but I say let them, they’ll lose out. Unlike Manhattan, Austin is still growing that no one but the very rich can flourish.

Austin Texas homes are within the reach of most middle or working class families, so it really does make a lot of sense for you to move there. The amount of home you can buy can not be bought else where for the same price. No matter what your economic background is, you really should think about owning a home in Austin, where you will benefit from one of the liveliest communities in America. After all, all of the cooler and less desolate places have already been settled, so where else do you think that you are going to go, anyway?

You could move to the southwest, New Mexico. New Mexico is primarily a large rural state that has much to offer in the way of real estate, year round outdoor activities, and cultural events and celebrations. Prices of New Mexico homes vary throughout the state and greatly depend on geographical location. Santa Fe is the capitol of New Mexico, which is located in the north central part of the state. Los Alamos, home of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, is just thirty minutes west of Santa Fe, and just forty-five minutes southwest on I-25 is Albuquerque, the largest city in the state.

Historic Route 66 passes directly through Albuquerque complete with nostalgic cafes and businesses along the way. Further south is Truth of Consequences, then Las Cruces, the second largest city in the state, where I-25 ends and I-10 begins, taking motorists forty-five miles south to El Paso, Texas, and the Mexico border? To the east is the infamous alien town of

New Mexico real estate prices have traditionally been some of the lowest in the nation. With the inflow of people from other states, prices have increased dramatically. A single family home in Santa Fe will set you back in the $500,000 range, while the same home will run half that in Albuquerque. Taos homes vary entirely on the specific structure. Appreciation rates for New Mexico in 2005 were nearly 12 percent.

The Albuquerque – Santa Fe metro area includes six major communities, making it the center of the state’s commercial and governmental activities. These are the most popular places. The overall cost of living in Albuquerque is 18% below the national average, with a median home price of $170,800 in the Albuquerque metro areas. Santa Fe, one of the oldest cities in the USA, is a much more expensive place to live, with median home prices rising above $400,000, with few homes selling for anything below $250,000. Helping to balance the costs of some of the more expensive areas, New Mexico’s residential and commercial property taxes are among the lowest in the United States, with tax rates depending on the property type and location. Though Santa Fe is very expensive, but if you can afford it, it is a nice place to live. It’s beautiful, has a strong and flourishing culture and many of the events and issues that take place here are interesting and entertaining. This area has very good weather. The high-desert offers the delights of sunshine (about 300 days per year) and low humidity but not the scorching temperatures of the lower elevations. Sometimes it’s even snowing here.

You could move to the southwest, New Mexico. New Mexico is primarily a large rural state that has much to offer in the way of real estate, year round outdoor activities, and cultural events and celebrations. Prices of New Mexico homes vary throughout the state and greatly depend on geographical location. Santa Fe is the capitol of New Mexico, which is located in the north central part of the state. Los Alamos, home of the Los Alamos National Laboratory, is just thirty minutes west of Santa Fe, and just forty-five minutes southwest on I-25 is Albuquerque, the largest city in the state. Historic Route 66 passes directly through Albuquerque complete with nostalgic cafes and businesses along the way. Further south is Truth of Consequences, then Las Cruces, the second largest city in the state, where I-25 ends and I-10 begins, taking motorists forty-five miles south to El Paso, Texas, and the Mexico border? To the east is the infamous alien town of Roswell, and to the west is Silver City nestled in the Gila Mountains.

When you’re considering buying or selling a home, the national median home value isn’t going to do you much good (but if you’re curious, it’s at about $221,900). Real estate is an investment, so it is important to move somewhere your home value is sure to appreciate. The best way to see where home value prices are going in a given area is to examine past home value and sales trends, the economy, population, job opportunities, unemployment rates and attraction of that area.

New Mexico (capital city: Santa Fe) is one area that has seen quite a bit of appreciation in some areas. With a large and diverse population of about 1,954,599, New Mexico uses it’s diverse economy to keep job growth and opportunities growing, which is one major factor that can affect home value prices in an area. New Mexico relies on cattle, dairy products, hay, nursery stock and chilies as it’s main agricultural contributions. On the industrial side, New Mexico’s major sectors include electric equipment, petroleum and coal production, food processing, printing and publishing, stone, glass and clay products and of course, tourism.

With such a rich and diverse history and culture, it’s no wonder New Mexico has a big tourism sector. The strong job base and attractions to out of state visitors is one thing that has kept most of the New Mexican real estate market and home value prices steady. With several major cities (Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Las Cruces) New Mexico has plenty of opportunities for the nightlife lover, not to mention that Santa Fe is the 3rd largest art market in the United States! But it is the ancient cultures, world famous cuisines and diverse and varied landscapes that really keep people coming to New Mexico.

With over 30 state parks and varied landscapes (snowy mountains, green forests, blue lakes and white deserts) New Mexico has plenty of outdoor adventures, including camping, hiking, water sports, winter sports, cave explorations, etc. Some major historical and educational sites include the Billy the Kid Museum, Roswell and the International UFO Museum, the Space Museum, and Chaco Canyon National Historic Park – the major urban trading and cultural center of ancestral Puebloan culture. With so many different climates in one state, it’s no wonder New Mexico has so much to offer – not only do people visit, the sites make them want to relocate, therefore providing the state with a steady flow of new residents and therefore stable home value prices.

New Mexico’s unemployment rate reached a historical low of 3.5% in February and is now at about 3.7%. This low unemployment rate means job opportunities are plentiful. The median household income in New Mexico in 2005 was about $39,936 – much lower than the national value. On the flip side, the median home value in the Santa Fe area is at about $350,000, while the Albuquerque area was at about $285,000 in 2006. This means that while home value averages seem to being staying pretty high in New Mexico, the household income is low enough that it makes it more difficult to afford a home in the state.

Most real estate agents agree that since New Mexico did not experience as major a boom as other areas of the nation, they did not experience as much of a bursting of the housing bubble. The uniqueness of the area keeps home value averages high, and the first quarter of 2007 saw many higher priced homes sell – so that the median home value in the beginning of 2007 was almost $520,000. Housing under that price has been moving fast.

In Albuquerque the median home value of single family homes is about $199,000, while median home value of condos are at about $145,000. Housing is affordable, and with a large inventory, now is a good time to buy into the area. Agents in the area expect activity to increase in summer months, though interest rates are rising.

All in all, while New Mexico has some fairly expensive areas (Santa Fe) there is still affordable housing to be found, and not in such high demand that sellers can set any price they want. Home value averages continue to appreciate at a good rate overall, and as more housing and jobs become available, New Mexico is likely to see a decent rise not only in home value, but in new residents as well over the next few months.