By Jorge R.

This week ties together diplomacy, travel, legacy, and lifestyle on our coasts. Canada and Mexico chose to strengthen ties just as Washington grows unpredictable. Delta and Aeromexico face a forced breakup, putting connectivity at risk. Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point) takes me back to ILT’s first full deployment outside Baja, a milestone in our company’s history. And we close by sailing into the Sea of Cortez, where nautical tourism continues to anchor property value and demand.

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Subject of the Week

The visit by Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney to Mexico City this week, September 18 -19, 2025, felt like more than politics as usual. To me, it signaled a smart step toward tightening Mexico-Canada ties at a time when U.S. trade policy seems unpredictable at best.

Carney and President Claudia Sheinbaum announced a Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, backed by a Mexico-Canada Action Plan 2025–2028. The plan touches everything from prosperity and security to AI adoption and infrastructure.

And next year, those ties will be on full display when Mexico, Canada, and the U.S. co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Beyond sports, it’s a reminder that our three nations share more than trade agreements. And, to the surprise of many, including me, Canada enters the tournament as the strongest soccer team in North America, a small but telling sign of how quickly soccer balance can shift.

The timing says it all: the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (TMEC) comes up for review next year also, while U.S. tariffs are already hammering autos, steel, and lumber. By acting now, Canada and Mexico are building their own hedge. Carney called it “bolting channels” for tariff-free trade; Sheinbaum framed it as insurance against U.S. swings. I’d call it common sense.

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Expect to see more bilateral deals on ports, energy corridors, and digital infrastructure. And yes, both governments will keep lobbying Washington. I believe our growing reliance on each other may be the real stabilizer for North America.

The U.S. will always cast the longest shadow, in geography and politics. But I still see reason for optimism. Tariffs sting, yet they also push Canada and Mexico to highlight what they bring to the table: resilience, efficiency, and modernization. For me, the real story isn’t about reacting to Washington. It’s about two neighbors choosing partnership as a strategy, not as a backup plan.

And here in Baja, where so many Canadians live, invest, and contribute to our community, this feels like one of the ways forward. Strengthening Mexico-Canada ties means we’re not only better prepared for economic turbulence, we’re also deepening bonds with friends we already appreciate as part of our daily lives.

👉 What’s Your Take? Could closer Canada–Mexico ties translate into more Canadian buyers and capital flowing into Mexico’s real estate?

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The news caught my attention this week: the U.S. Department of Transportation has ordered Delta and Aeromexico to unwind their joint venture by January 1, 2026.

For nearly ten years, this partnership made cross-border travel feel seamless. I don’t see how Aeromexico was supposedly taking advantage of the system. Then again, I’m not a transportation expert; I’m just a flying customer who values connectivity and the best price. From my seat, the JV meant more options and smoother itineraries. If taken out, one route I’ll miss in particular is the Salt Lake City–Los Cabos nonstop, which I often used to head north for ski trips. That kind of convenience is hard to replace.

Maybe regulators see distortion; what I see is the risk of fewer nonstop routes, higher fares, and less convenience for travelers.

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Demand between the U.S. and Mexico isn’t going away. Airlines will adapt, but I expect more fragmented service and sharper pricing swings until new agreements or competitors fill the gaps.

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For Baja property owners, investors, and frequent travelers, air connectivity is lifeblood. Every extra stop or price spike makes visits harder and less attractive.

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👉 What’s Your Take? Do you think competition will bring new players and better service, or just leave us with fewer options at higher costs?

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Puerto Peñasco, better known as Rocky Point, was once a quiet fishing town. Today it’s a thriving vacation hub, but its modern identity was set in motion years ago by visionaries who dared to imagine more.

For ILT, this was our first big test outside of Baja. It wasn’t just an advisory role, as we were used to, it was a full deployment, boots on the ground, with every area of our team engaged. We showed up to do what we do best: align the paperwork, the processes, and the people to help turn vision into reality. Among several developers who left their mark, two stand out for me, because I had the privilege of working on their projects from the very start.

John Thomsen’s Laguna Shores carried the low-density flag, anchored by strong infrastructure, underground utilities, and wide-open estuary views. Michael Lafferty’s Laguna del Mar took a bolder approach, giving the project its name by enclosing a stretch of the Sea of Cortez to create navigable lagoons, then layering on a Jack Nicklaus golf course and a lifestyle built around privacy and family.

Two decades later, the market has reshaped their dreams. Laguna Shores today leans on rentals and second-home demand. Laguna del Mar has evolved into a gated blend of golf, lagoons, and beachfront residences rather than a strictly private enclave. Yet both still stand tall, resilient because of the solid foundations and ambitious vision laid down at the start.

Looking back, I take real pride in having been part of those first chapters. These projects remind us that vision, when paired with execution, can do more than build homes, it can define a coastline and leave a legacy that endures. To John, who has since passed, and to Michael, still thriving with the vision he’s known for, thank you for letting uno and my team be part of your bold beginnings.

👉 What’s Your Take? Puerto Peñasco was once the frontier for ILT’s first projects beyond Baja. Do you see its legacy as proof the region is ready for a bigger future

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The Sea of Cortez, famously the “Aquarium of the World”, is more than a natural wonder; it’s also a magnet for nautical tourism. Stretching from Los Cabos up to the northern reaches of Sonora, more than 3,000 miles of coastline host marinas that rival anything in California or Florida. Baja California Sur alone counts over 120 harbors and marinas catering to pleasure craft, yachting, and world-class sportfishing.

For me, this story is tied to experience. ILT has been involved in title work for some of the region’s landmark marina projects: Puerto Los Cabos, Cabo Riviera (today Costa Palmas), Marina Real in San Carlos, and Laguna del Mar in Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point). In Cabo San Lucas Marina, our role wasn’t with the federal government that built it, but with developers pursuing their own residential projects tied to it.

I was also fortunate to be part of the initial process for a planned marina near Punta Gorda, northwest of San Jose del Cabo, with developer and my first on only boss, Curt Lorenz. Sadly, Curt passed away before the project could come to life. That experience, brief as it was, gave me a sense of just how complex and demanding a project of that magnitude can be, from financing and permits to environmental and community hurdles.

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Partnerships come and go, whether it’s airlines, governments, or developers pushing into new ports. What doesn’t change is the need for solid ground beneath the big announcements. At ILT, that’s the piece we handle quietly: making sure your title, permits, and tax exposure line up before the next move.

From Rocky Point to Cabo, our services have shown owners what’s really in their fideicomiso, often spotting gaps years before they turn into roadblocks. Titles, like air routes or diplomatic plans, only create value if the foundation is sound.

For more information, email me at: [email protected]