Trump in Trouble in Mexico and Las Vegas

The Donald is in the dumps. One Trump development project in Baja California, Mexico has gone belly up. Investors there who paid up to $150,000 to reserve a condo in a condo hotel there that was using his rightfully licensed name have been told that there's no way to get their money back. The local developer, PB Impulsores, has not built anything yet. Trump has told the angry buyers that because he is not the developer, he's not liable.

Meanwhile, a joint project -- Trump International Hotel & Tower Las Vegas-- involving Trump and casino tycoon Phil Ruffin is foundering. Word is that the three-quarters of the buyers of its condo hotel rooms have failed to close on their deals. That leaves the project $200 million short in paying off the its construction loan, which comes due this summer, according to the Wall Street Journal.

Vacation Home Blogs Crucial to Sales, Rentals, Says NY Times

A front-page NY Times Escapes article Friday spotlighted "the growing importance that blogs play" in today's vacation home market. "For brokers, blogs are, of course, a handy marketing tool: they’re economical, practical and easy to update. But for prospective buyers, a sophisticated blog... can help potential buyers forge a connection to a faraway community, learn the landscape of an area and... make informed purchasing decisions....

"Ultimately, agents’ blogs are tools to attract new clients. 'If you’re going to sell a home in the mountains, you’re going to have to sell the mountains,'" Elwin Wood, an upstate New York broker was quoted as saying.

Hello, buyers, developers, brokers! Vacation Home Insider is a great place to start. Use the search box to locate a region or town, then click on individual posts about these spots in such desirable places as the Colorado mountains, Mexico etc.

Robb Reports "Best" Vacation Properties

Speaking of the Robb Report, as we did the other day, connoisseurs of luxury properties will be interested to learn that the magazine has named the El Dorado Golf and Beach Club near Baja California's (Mexico) Cabo San Lucas as its numero uno for its 2008 "Best of the Best" issue in the category of vacation properties where homes can be built and/or bought. The runners-up are: The Cliffs at Keowee Springs (pictured), South Carolina... Palazzo Tournabuoni in Florence... and Residential Suites at the Ritz Carlton, Kapalua, Hawaii.

Wachovia Finances Mexico 2nd Homes

Want a vacation home in Mexico? Wondering how to pay for it? Cascadas de Manzanillo, a beachfront community overlooking Santiago Bay and the Pacific Ocean now under construction in Manzanillo, Mexico, has announced a new US-based loan program through Wachovia Bank. It will assist U.S. buyers purchasing or refinancing homes in Mexico. "Designed to look and feel like the loan origination practices in the United States," this program is supposed to give customers at Cascadas de Manzanillo the "confidence of US financing." For more info:go to the Cascadas Web site.

Houston Hosts First Second-Home Expo

The "Escapes! Second Home Expo" is set for Houston Apr. 19 and 20. Organizers say Texas is the "new hot spot for retirement, according to a recent study using U.S. Census data." Texas has now "leapt past Arizona and California to become the No. 2 retirement spot in the US. "Florida is still No. 1, but Texas is gaining." Spokesman Tony Wood suggests buyers from the greater Houston area, where the energy-driven economy is thriving, are in a better position than most to invest in a vacation home these days. The 200 exhibitors who will take part in the show at The Woodlands Waterway Marriott Hotel and Convention Center represent not just Texas destinations but Mexico, Costa Rica and Panama, all reachable by nonstop flights from Houston. More info: EscapesExpo.com

Shell,Tipi,Yurt: Yours to Rent

I'm bored with hotel rooms, condos and the like. Next time I head toward Litchfield, Connecticut I want to stay in the geodesic dome featured by HomeAway.com, a major vacation rental site, in its gathering of "Top Ten Most Unique Vacation Rentals." Number One on the list: A curvy shell house in Isla Mujeres, Mexico on the beach, complete with a pool, that HomeAway says would be where the Little Mermaid would vacation on land. At $1,500 to $2,000 a week, it looks ideal for a honeymoon. Others: a tipi near Waterton Lakes National Park in Alberta, just over the Montana line...yurt in Santa Barbara, California...and two kinds of tree houses in Costa Rica and California.

Pro Property Managers: Smart Choice

Do you need a professional property manager? Probably.

If you're a renter, don't expect hand-holding or personal service directly from owner via the Web. It might be better to deal with pro "concierge" for special requests like stocking fridge, renting sports equipment. This is true especially for those with a big group reunion, family celebration, or a business retreat.

For owners: nothing beats a pro when you need full service -- that means a 24/7 call number, agent to handle frozen pipes etc. "It's difficult to deal at a distance with putting in a hot water heating on a Sunday morning," says Michael Sarka of Vacation Rental Managers Association. Find them at VRMA.com -- they handle 150,000 vacation homes all over U.S., Canada, Caribbean, Mexico.

Thinking about Mexico? Try Guanajuato

More and more Americans are discovering how far their dollars go on house rentals and buys in Mexico. Guanajuato, not your typical American-filled tourist city, is a historic town in the north central part of the country founded in the 16th century, with silver mines and Spanish colonial-era architecture. (It's also the birthplace of painter Diego Rivera.) We note that the VRBO newsletter spotlights a 2-BR luxury Guanajuato casita as great for empty-nesters. Cost: $400 a night, $2100 a week. Both VRBO.com and HomeAway.com list additional Guanajuato places for prices beginning as low as $50 a night for an apartment.

No Debt: BelleHavens' Smart Club Pitch

The destination club BelleHavens, which is in the same deluxe class as Exclusive Resorts and Quintess, has a unique selling point that should appeal to mortgage-wary travelers: the homes in its portfolio are owned by members rather than the club's overseers, and are debt-free. BelleHavens thus calls itself the first "equity membership" club with asset protection as a key factor. That doesn't mean that visits to properties such as those at La Quinta, CA (shown); Palm Coast, FL; Kohala Coast, Hawaii; Hilton Head, SC; Los Cabos, Mexico; and midtown Manhattan come cheaply. The current price of a BelleHavens Equity Membership is a one-time deposit of $225,000 and annual dues of $18,500. Still, that means a reasonable average price of about $615 per night based on 30 nights annual usage. And peace of mind? Priceless.