Tom Kelly, the syndicated radio host and business reporter from Seattle has another great book about Mexico.  This one pulls no punches and takes aim at the foolishness of the U.S. media when it comes to factual reporting about traveling and living in Mexico.  I quote from his Introduction in "Bargains Beyond the Borders":

Introduction - The Majority of Mexico Remains Laid-Back, Welcoming and Safe
‘Not Every State Is Involved in the Drug Trade’

Jim Cramer, the bombastic, high-energy investment guru and host of the CNBC show Mad Money, told his audience in late July, 2010, that he recently purchased three properties in Mexico. Why
Jim?


"Mexico is a big country and not every province, every state is involved in the drug trade,” Cramer said. “It has to be one of the nicest places I've ever been."* * *

When was the last time the beauty was showcased – instead of a border war or a drug-related incident?
From lush and tropic mountainous municipalities on brilliant bays to iridescent sparkling water with white sandy beaches to European style architecture in houses lining cobblestone streets in quaint picturesque settings, our Spanish speaking neighbor to the south is abundantly rich in geographic and natural diversification.

Mexico is a country that provides a panorama of stunningly beautiful landscapes and indigenous culture regionally seasoned by its history and native ancestry. Pyramids, volcanoes, caves, mountains, ancient ruins, waterfalls and underground springs provide a spectacular playground for those wishing to explore and experience its natural array of beauty. Species of birds and animals, plants and flowers help create the majestic contrasts that make Mexico so incredibly appealing. Dry and arid desert terrain transcend to the humid jungle environs at opposite ends of the country providing an appreciated appeal to certain types of inhabitants. These locales have also become the destinations for many a foreigner seeking a different clime and setting to reside or vacation. It is merely a question of what you like and where you want to be. Mexico is a country that offers something for everyone.

Forty-three percent of the land area of Mexico fronts on water. The coastlines vary in their topography and geographic presentation as a result of the terrain that lines the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Cortez, the Bay of Banderas, the Mexican Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. Until the days of paved roads and aircraft, Mexico was not so much a united country as a loose federation of regions virtually isolated from one another by a rugged geography. In some areas, the mountain ranges were so impenetrable that neighboring towns were practically ignorant of each other’s existence.

Today modern communication systems leap mountains and find remote villages. Still, unifying characteristics in so large and varied a country will never be easy to find.

 ......“When someone gets killed in New York City, people in Europe don’t boycott the United States,” said Marino Tomacelli, a Mexican national living near San Diego. “There’s a general perception that only negative things are happening in Mexico.  That’s coupled with an American ignorance of the geography. If there is a mugging at night in Tijuana, they think there is going to be a problem in Cancun, Cabo and the Riviera Maya. “Nothing could be further from the truth. I continue to feel safer in Mexico than I do in the States. In fact, I think some people are promoting the violence in Mexico to keep tourist dollars in the States.”

..... Jeffrey Hill, a former Seattle resident, has four vacation rental homes in Puerto Vallarta and one in Florida (“Does that tell you which is more profitable?”) He spends most of his time south of the border and part of his year in Fort Lauderdale.

“Would I ever go out walking at 5 a.m. alone in Lauderdale or Miami? Hell no,” Hill said. “Just the thought of that scares the hell out of me. There are many neighborhoods in Seattle where I would never go out walking alone in the dark.”

Even with the killings in the country the past two years, statistics provided by the Citizens’ Institute for Crime Studies in Mexico City reveal that the murder 2009 rate in Mexico was lower than it was a decade before. In addition, the 2008 murder rate in Washington, D.C., was nearly four times that of Mexico City in 2009 (31.4 per 100,000 compared to 8 per 100,000).  In reality, the rest of Mexico is unchanged and laid-back, warm and welcoming to foreigners. It has received a bum rap, as reporters have raced to make the world believe that the entire country is on the brink of a blood bath. That is simply not the case, and many of the areas continue to appreciate, unlike most of the markets in the U.S.

......“Some U.S. newspaper or news service put out a report about some drug related shooting in Acapulco,” Hill said. “But the headline said something like ‘Drug related shooting in major Mexico resort city.’ Why didn’t they just say it was in Acapulco instead of insinuating that all resort cities have issues?

...... Are you ready for a contrarian cruise through Mexico that avoids drugs, murders and muggings yet provides proof of an inexpensive, carefree life? That’s not difficult to do because 95 percent of the country still offers exactly that. Get on board, and rest assured we won’t be crossing the border at Ciudad Juarez after dark. And, we won’t forget about your investment portfolio along the way.  “It's not such a bad idea to diversify away from stocks,” said Cramer, a magna cum laude graduate from Harvard. “I think that out of favor real estate in Mexico that's easily accessible to Americans represents a great buy . . .”

Excerpts quoted with permission of the author.   jw