Hurricane Norbert

Hurricane Norbert has made it's way across the baja penisula over the weekend and has weakened significantly after hitting the mainland. The eye of the hurricane was just 60 miles south of Loreto as it came over the Sierra La Gigante mountains. As with Tropical Storm Julio, there was 4-6 inches of rain, flooding in low spots and some wind. The damage was minimal to the Loreto area vs where the hurricane hit land at Puerto San Carlos on the pacific side of the Baja. The mountains do act as a protective perimeter to the Loreto area and we consider ourselves extremely lucky to have chosen to have our home here.

In contrast, homes and buildings in Puerto San Carlos were damaged, roofs torn off, palm trees uprooted and the entire area had significant flooding. This is very concerning as this is the town located on the Bahia de Magdalena where the whales migrate to have their calves. The bay is very protected and they stay the winter until the calves are old enough and strong enough to make the trek to the pacific northwest. Tourism is essential for the survival of this area and they have such a short time period to rebuild and recover for the 2008-2009 whale migration season which is from December through the end of March each year. Its been a very active hurricane season in the Eastern Pacific region, but it's almost over.........and then we can enjoy the very mild and pleasant winters of the Baja.

On a more positive note, this weekend is a planned Homeowners event in Loreto Bay. However due to limited airline flights the event will be much smaller than originally anticipated. Loreto Bay has thus planned another event for December 4-7th. Its a great opportunity for homeowners to get caught up on the progress of their home construction, speak with vendors for landscaping, furniture, electronics as well as socialize with their new neighbors. I am planning on attending the December event to follow up on some minor items with my home and take advantage of the time to get to know my neighbors better myself. Owners in Loreto Bay come from all over, WA, OR, UT, CA, AZ, CO, TX, the midwest and Canada as well. We all have varied backgrounds, some are self employed, others nearing retirement, and others with families, but what we all share in common is realizing the peace and beauty of Loreto.

Don't get caught up in the emotional turmoil.........

Wow! What a week! There has been a lot of blog posting on the status of the Loreto Bay development........and I think it's mostly spurred by our curiosity and the lack of updates or information about the development as well as the current turmoil of the financial fitness of our world economy. I also think that we are all starting to see a true village emerging these last few months and are anxious to having our own slice of heaven in Loreto. When the dream becomes threatened, we all tend to become a bit unreasonable, anxious and perhaps a bit neurotic. I would just like to remind everyone of your reasons for purchasing your homes in Loreto Bay. Most were impressed with the commitment to sustainability by the original developers, then once you visited the site, you became enamored with the town, it's people, as well as the beauty and serenity of the area. For most of us, we envisioned ourselves living here in our retirement years or at the very least, taking advantage of residing here part time. All of those reasons are still legitimate and very real. The return on investment is also still very real as well. The Villa Group has just broke ground on their development as well as the former Whales Inn site being endorsed and managed by JW Marriott Residence development. This is great news! We have major name recognition with these two resort areas that will bring potential buyers and investors to our area. These are two very different developments from what is emerging in our own resort, yet all are embracing the beauty of the Sea of Cortez which only endorses our own vision. How much better does it get?

I for one am going to stay focused on the absolute enjoyment that I experience each and every time I visit Loreto and stay in my home. I see only potential for the development and if in the end the resort ends its growth with just Founders Village and Agua Viva complete, I will still be very pleased with my choice to invest in my "own slice of paradise". The peaceful feeling that I get the minute that I step off that plane is worth every cent that I have invested. I wanted a place to "get away from it all", to leave the the stress of my every day life behind and just enjoy the beauty of the baja, the majesty of the Sierra La Gigante mountains and the quiet serenity of the Sea of Cortez. I truly believe that I have it all! I come home relaxed, recharged and full of a renewed focus for my day to day challenges. I am working toward my goal of living most of the year in Loreto. I am still very committed to this development, the RePlay management team and to every member of Loreto Bay Company that has contributed over the years to its growth and success. I am also committed to helping each of my neighbors realize their vision of owning their "slice of heaven" and will share all of the knowledge that has been shared with me over the years. We all share the same desire........let's help make it happen! Repeating the words of the original developers and marketing message........Live fully, tread lightly.........

Villa Group link http://www.villagroupresorts.com/resorts/villa-del-palmar-loreto

JW Marriott Loreto link http://www.jwmloreto.com/

ps. I love the new logo!!!