Coldwell Banker Islands Blog

While Martha Stewart was island hopping in Abaco in the northern Bahamas over the holidays, American pop star Sheryl Crow soaked up the sun at a luxury villa on the western shores of Nassau Bahamas.

Sheryl fell in love with the Bahamas when she performed on Paradise Island Bahamas last May.

She had a ton of fun frolicking in the crystal clear sea with her son, Wyatt.
Celebs love coming here. It’s just a short hop from South Florida, but so far away.

The Bahamas is home to some beautiful luxury real estate and attracts many second home owners.

Watch Sheryl’s “Soak up the Sun” video.

^ Your Bahamas Real Estate News source

Martha Stewart, queen of cooking and decorating, is all relaxed after spending time at Great Guana Cay in the Abaco island chain of the Bahamas over the holidays.

The American business magnate is no stranger to Abaco, having visited these beautiful islands before.

Martha had lots of fun island hopping, paddle boarding, lobster and conch diving, and going on picnics in the day and private dinners at night.

And she made her share of friends in Abaco.

Lisa Roberts, a resident of quaint Guana Cay, was thrilled to meet her.

“Never in a million years would I have thought I would ‘run into you’ in my yard. It was a pleasure to meet you and talk about our mutual interest in animals. You are remarkable and meeting you definitely enriched my life,” Lisa posted on Martha’s blog.

Guana Cay is an exceptionally beautiful island paradise located off the Abaco mainland. It’s charming cottages and casual lifestyle are reminiscent of New England towns, but the beaches are powder white and the weather’s much nicer.

Guana Cay offers some of the best Abaco real estate. It’s sprinkled with lovely homes, such as Seaside Village, Summerwind and Shorecrest

Your Abaco real estate news source.

Martha Stewart, queen of cooking and decorating, flew to Great Guana Cay in the Abaco island chain of the Bahamas the day after Christmas for a relaxing family holiday.

The American business magnate is no stranger to Abaco, having visited before.

Martha had lots of fun island hopping, paddle boarding, lobster and conch diving, and going on picnics in the day and private dinners at night.

And she made her share of friends in Abaco.

Lisa Roberts, a resident of quaint Guana Cay, was thrilled to meet her.

“Never in a million years would I have thought I would ‘run into you’ in my yard. It was a pleasure to meet you and talk about our mutual interest in animals. You are remarkable and meeting you definitely enriched my life,” Lisa posted.

Guana Cay is an exceptionally beautiful island paradise located off the Abaco mainland. It’s charming cottages and casual lifestyle are reminiscent of New England towns, but the beaches are powder white and the weather’s much nicer.

Guana Cay offers some of the best Abaco real estate. It’s sprinkled with lovely homes, such as Guana Seaside Villa,
Summerwind and
Shorecrest

Looking to invest in a marina on an island Travel + Leisure magazine has rated “best in the Caribbean?”

Your search is over.

This prized waterfront property on beautiful Harbour Island in the Bahamas offers 50 wet slips, restaurant, pool and dive shop and has potential for further resort or residential development.

We should explain that although referred to as “the Caribbean,’ the Bahamas is actually in the Atlantic, just above the Caribbean. Our chain of sun drenched islands starts just 53 miles east of Miami, Florida, and boasts some of the most magnificent beaches in the world.

Kissed by the turquoise Atlantic, Harbour Island in the Bahamas is famous for its pink sand beach, historic village and charming Colonial cottages.

It’s a magnet for the rich and famous.

See listing details

(The Junkanoo holiday festival)

The most wonderful time of the year is here!

Our palm trees are lit with Christmas lights. In many of the island homes, imported northern Christmas trees are dressed in shells, sand dollars and native pine cones. And the most delicious smells of holiday cooking are wafting through the air.

We’re enjoying glorious Christmas carols and pausing to reflect on the miracle of the birth of Jesus.

The kids are anxiously checking the keyholes to make sure they’re well-oiled for Santa to magically slip through. Most of our homes don’t have chimneys and so Santa melts into a wisp of a thing to get through the keyhole.

Others are celebrating the Festival of Lights, the Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem dating back to the Maccabean Revolt.

We’re enjoying parties and annual Christmas events. The Wahoo’s running, so we’re fishing and basking under the warmth of the brilliant Bahamian sun.

All around us, we hear the sounds of Junkanoo, that amazing festival of music, dance and dazzling costumes that starts in the pre-dawn hours of January 26th, Boxing Day, and January 1, 2012.

The horns and goat skin drums can be heard into the night as the musicians put in their final practise for the parades that are the highlight of the calendar year.

Our Coldwell Banker Lightbourn Realty Bahamas real estate team wishes you a Happy Holiday Season and Peace in 2012.

We look forward to serving you in the New Year.

Talk to you soon! We’re off to listen to the National Youth Choir. Join us! Listen

Your Bahamas real estate team.

A sport fisherman’s dream, this waterfront townhouse is located on the idyllic island of Great Harbour Cay in the Berry Islands of the Bahamas.

What makes this home such a strike? Easy!

It’s surrounded by fertile fishing grounds and it’s only a skip away from South Florida. A deep water boat slip under the townhouse in one of the best hurricane protected harbours in the Bahamas makes this a unique real estate find.

The 2 bed townhouse has patios with fantastic sea views and a screened patio overlooking the marina.

This is an ideal set-up for the South Florida fishing enthusiast. Hop on over to the Bahamas for a few days of fun and sport. When you’re finished, just close up your home, hop into your boat and take off…until next time!

Can you think of a better Christmas gift to yourself?

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Remember the ancient curse, “May you live in interesting times”? While many Bahamas real estate owners are indeed cursing the current climate, many buyers see opportunities. In a “soft” market, the short-term options dwindle, but seasoned investors in for the long haul are positioned to take advantage.

In the words of billionaire J. Paul Getty, “Buy when everyone else is selling and hold until everyone else is buying.
Just like the stock market, more money is often made in a down cycle than in an up real estate market and the Bahamas is no exception.

Slower times encourage sellers to be more open to negotiation. Combine acceptance of lower prices with currently lower interest rates, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for Bahamas real estate bargains. Real estate is continually cycling, and it’s guaranteed that prices will rise again. The time to get in is now, before that begins to happen.

A “buy and hold” strategy works in this market if you have the funds and while your property appreciates. While you wait, if you have a building consider leasing it. The property can help to pay for itself with rent collected, and an investor who can pay off a small mortgage is in an excellent position indeed.

Now is the time to get going on the Bahamas real estate front. Some of you are looking to make your first purchase. There has probably never been a better time to buy. 2012 will soon be on us. Set your goals now. There are also many owner financing opportunities out there. Best of luck to everyone for next year. Buy well and you won’t regret it.

Remember the ancient curse, “May you live in interesting times”? While many Bahamas real estate owners are indeed cursing the current climate, many buyers see opportunities. In a “soft” market, the short-term options dwindle, but seasoned investors in for the long haul are positioned to take advantage.

In the words of billionaire J. Paul Getty, “Buy when everyone else is selling and hold until everyone else is buying.
Just like the stock market, more money is often made in a down cycle than in an up real estate market and the Bahamas is no exception.

Slower times encourage sellers to be more open to negotiation. Combine acceptance of lower prices with currently lower interest rates, and you’ve got the perfect recipe for Bahamas real estate bargains. Real estate is continually cycling, and it’s guaranteed that prices will rise again. The time to get in is now, before that begins to happen.

A “buy and hold” strategy works in this market if you have the funds and while your property appreciates. While you wait, if you have a building consider leasing it. The property can help to pay for itself with rent collected, and an investor who can pay off a small mortgage is in an excellent position indeed.

Now is the time to get going on the Bahamas real estate front. Some of you are looking to make your first purchase. There has probably never been a better time to buy. 2012 will soon be on us. Set your goals now. There are also many owner financing opportunities out there. Best of luck to everyone for next year. Buy well and you won’t regret it.

(Imagine watching the festival from this Paradise Island dream home)!

This weekend, we’re going to hit the waterfront to watch the Festival of Lights Christmas Boat Parade float down beautiful Nassau Harbour.

The boats leave the bay at Arawak Cay at 6.30pm, pass Junkanoo Beach and the British Colonial Hilton, and go under the Paradise Island bridges. The turnaround is at the Nassau Yacht Club immediately west of Montagu Park.
You can watch this wonderful event on the Nassau side.

Ocean Club Estate home owners on Paradise Island will be able to watch from the luxury of their magnificent homes

See Listing details for an amazing Ocean Club estate home that’s on the market.

Enjoy the show and don’t forget to pack an ice chest!

(Listing: Home with pool. Bottom left of island in foreground. Click for details.)

Visiting Man-O-War Cay in Abaco is like stepping back in time.

Even with the invasion of modern technology, peaceful Man-O-War has managed to retain its wholesome, Colonial character and tight sense of community.

Sure, it’s beautiful with homes painted in pretty pastels, an exceptional white powder sand beach and fantastic diving, snorkelling and water sports.

But it’s the close-knit and friendly nature of the people that make Man-O-War what it is ^ a friendly and caring community of people who laugh together and support each other through difficult times.

Man-O-War has a population of about only 300 Bahamians, yet it’s home to approximately 135 friends from abroad. That’s because it’s such a desirable place to live.

Many of these people are second home owners, and there are a number of beautiful Abaco real estate offerings in the area.

One of them is a home named Aynya on nearby Dickie’s Cay, which is a couple of minutes away by boat.

Aynya is a lovely 3,500 sq ft, 4-bedroom island home that stretches sea to sea. With a dock in the protected narrow body of water between Man-O-War and Dickie’s Cay, it’s a dream come true for anyone who likes to boat, fish or even dive the wreckage of the USS Adirondack (1862) just to the north east.

The upper, wrap-around porch offers amazing views and a wonderful spot to relax.

Dickie’s Cay is part of the Man-O-War community. Residents just jump in their boats and hop over to Man-O-War where they shop, dine, go to church and enjoy the various fun festivals that take place during the year.

Another reason Man-O-War’s so popular is its geography. It has one of the best hurricane anchorages in Abaco. It’s very close to the hustle and bustle of South Florida. Yet it’s another world - similar to say, Nantucket, in that it’s an island off the mainland.

The island is about 2.5 miles long and transport to Marsh Harbour, the largest township on mainland Abaco, is by boat or ferry.

The home builders of Man O War are known throughout the Bahamas for building homes that “Are built like Ships, but bolted to the land.”

The rafters and structure are usually bolted together in ship construction-fashion and weather storms well.
Man-O-War is famous for its boat-building. William H. Albury pioneered the industry building his first wooden schooner at the age of 14! Boat building has thrived on the island ever since, with builders switching from wood to fiberglass over the years.

This is truly an idyllic island paradise.
See listing details