Coldwell Banker Islands Blog

The organizers of the Le Reve Gala Ball are pleased to announce that its “Mardi Gras” themed cocktail affair will be on Saturday, June 11, 2011, at The Veranda Resort on Grace Bay Beach.

“ Due to circumstances beyond our control, we are to delay the celebration until June” said Ms Swann, President of the Le Reve Gala Ball. “This is definately a spectacular event that you will not want to miss.” The Guests will be transported to the drama of New Orleans’French Quarter, and will have the luxury of enjoying a Caribbean Mardi Gras, complete with Masquerades, parade and theatrics of a carnival. It will be a spectacular evening, pure magical! There will be a dazzling street fair, along with dancers and singers. This Gala will be one of Le Reve’s most impressive events, explains Ms Swann.

Known for supporting charity events, this year Le Reve has selected Crimestoppers Turks and Caicos as this years fundraising beneficiary.

The nonprofit association- established in 1995, assists law enforcement agencies in the Turks & Caicos Islands with reducing crime and bringing perpetrators to justice through the confidential and anonymous provision of an intelligence-gathering service. To this regard, the La ReveGala Ball committee has elected to support this very worthy organisation.

Source: http://www.suntci.com/index.

The first reason for anyone to consider a property in Turks & Caicos has to be for the good climate and the hot sun that is present most of the year round. There are many properties to choose from and now is a good time to consider investing in that dream property that you have always promised yourself. Below are some of the main reasons people choose to purchase a property in Turks & Caicos.

1. Emigrating – Has become hugely popular over the recent years, partly due to a large number of people becoming disillusioned with the high cost of living in the UK or the US or even seeing more crime in their local area. Even though the property prices have fallen in the USA and UK, your money may go further overseas, especially in a region like Turks & Caicos where the weather is near perfect all year round.

2. Holidays that Provide a Holiday – Purchasing a holiday home in Turks & Caicos can take all of the stress out of your holidays each year, no more will you need to search around to find the perfect bars and restaurants, or try to find the children something to occupy them and finding what is safe for them. In your own holiday home not only do you get an incredible change in scenery, you also get a relaxing break in your very own home without the worry of trying to find your way in a new location.

3. Retirement Investment – Buying a property in Turks & Caicos now will secure your future nest egg. If you buy now then the property will begin to pay for itself straight away, and by the time you are ready to retire the value will have appreciated.

4. Mortgages Overseas – Lots of people do not realize that mortgages are available overseas and that if you plan to buy abroad you may be able to get a mortgage in that country. Research into this subject is vital.
5. Because you can – So many people spend lifetimes dreaming of a home in the sun however there are lots of people who never realize it is possible. The interest in property in Turks & Caicos, is now high so there are more opportunities than ever to choose from.

So after all these reasons why you should consider purchasing a property here, why not have a look for yourself, you may find the house of your dreams.

It has been announced that the traditional festival, which includes Miss TCI pageant, is to take place in July this year. It was always said to be one of the countries best loved social events, and it is to rise once again this summer with the return of the traditional Provo Day. This popular, grassroots festival, which was once the highlight of the social calendar, will see the return of the Miss Turks and Caicos pageant.

This really will be a trip down memory lane for islanders with everything from the beer drinking contests to the top spinning which is expected to reemerge. Provo Day was once just a beauty pageant in the early 1970’s. Over the years, it became a colorful festival with floats, boat races and live music.

Eight to 10 local girls are expected to compete for the crown in July which will give them the chance to take part in the 60th Miss Universe held in Sao Paolo, Brazil. Thashena Adderley – President of the Festival committee said “ I remember Provo Day from when I was a little girl. It was always held in the last week of July” and “Provo Day was a very local, very intimate and really quite breathtaking. This year we are going back to the way it used to be.”

Provo Day will take place on July 29th 2011.

Source: http://tcweeklynews.com

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The Bookmakers and travel experts are all out in force expressing their opinions and odds on whether the soon to be newlyweds will go to the islands on their honeymoon, the odds have placed TCI second behind Africa for choice of honeymoon, and the British overseas Territory has made it into scores of print and on line top ten locations for the pair to consider.

PDM Leader, Doug Parnell who was successful in campaigning for the wedding day to be a public holiday said “Its just speculation at this stage and I am sire the same thing is happening in a number of potential destinations as we speak but its very exciting and great for TCI” He also added “Just to be considered is a wonderful honor and it speaks volumes for the merits of our beautiful by nature islands as a holiday and honeymoon destination.” and “If the Royal couple were to come here it would simply be worth millions and millions of dollars in terms of tourism.”

If TCI fails to be the choice for William and Kate, the islands may well get a second chance at hosting a royal honeymoon later this year, as Zara Phillips marries Mike Tindall on July 30 and already speculation has begun as to where they will be headed.

Source: http://tcweeklynews.com

New York (Reuters Life!) announced yesterday “The tiny island of Providenciales in the Turks and Caicos has been voted the top beach destination in the world, according to the travel website, TripAdvisor.”

Ranking above other popular beach destinations in Hawaii and Miami, the report was based on travelers’ reviews and ratings to select the best destinations around the world.

TripAdvisor noted that Providenciales featured remarkable stretches of sandy beach, excellent restaurants and accommodations in price ranges from affordable to ultimate luxury.

For the full article released in the Los Angeles Times on the Turks and Caicos please click here.

Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC recently announced that it is the first national real estate franchise brand to launch an iAd for the iPad, the latest expansion of Apple’s revolutionary new mobile-advertising platform. Coldwell Banker has created its iAd to inspire consumers to design their perfect neighborhood, and to act on starting their home buying search by downloading the Coldwell Banker Real Estate App for iPad.

“Because of the iPad’s larger display, its mobility and its many unique features, it is an incredibly powerful tool for real estate,” explains Michael Fischer, chief marketing officer for Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. “Our iAd for iPad allows consumers to truly engage with the process of choosing a home, and have fun doing it.”

Fischer continues, “Purchasing a home is a lifestyle decision that involves an array of factors such as schools, restaurants, transportation and other amenities. There’s a neighborhood out there that’s perfect for every combination imaginable, and our new iAd sets out to help consumers realize that their dream town can actually become a reality.”

As explained in the press release, through RISMedia.com:

“The new Coldwell Banker Real Estate iAd campaign includes three different banner ads that consumers can find on their favorite iPad apps, all focused on finding that perfect neighborhood for their next home:

• Design your own neighborhood
• What is your ideal town like?
• Build your perfect place to live

“After tapping on the iAd banner, users are greeted by a Coldwell Banker agent to guide them through the process of creating their dream town. To get started, consumers drag and drop different categories into the virtual neighborhood including: home, travel, shopping, education, restaurants and active living.

“For each category that is placed into the virtual neighborhood, users are encouraged to use a sliding scale to determine what’s most important to them. For example, for the travel characteristic users can determine if they want a neighborhood with easily accessible mass transit or if they prefer an area where having a car to get around is a priority. This interactive experience helps create a picture of a town that is right for them. Consumers can also shake the iPad to create a random dream community. Finally, an image of the dream neighborhood can be saved to the photo album with one tap, and consumers can share it with any of their contacts via e-mail, all while staying in the ad.

“After having fun creating the neighborhood or town of their dreams, consumers can use some of these characteristics to find a dream home of their own by downloading the free Coldwell Banker Real Estate App from the App Store. The app pulls agent and property videos into a user’s real estate search for cities and countries around the world. In addition, the app’s neighborhood rating system, powered by Yelp, allows users to easily identify neighborhoods that match their must-have criteria, and the property and agent videos help bring that perfect neighborhood to life.”

As reported by the LinlithgowGazette.com, 11 UK sites are potential candidates for world heritage status, which includes Turks & Caicos in the West Indies. Other sites are the Lake District, the Forth rail bridge, Jodrell Bank observatory in Cheshire, and St Helena in the South Atlantic.

Announcing the list, Tourism and Heritage Minister John Penrose said: “Few places in the world can match the wealth of wonderful heritage we have available in the UK. The 11 places that make up the new UK tentative list are fantastic examples of both our cultural and natural heritage and I believe they have every chance of joining famous names like the Sydney Opera House and the Canadian Rockies to become world heritage sites.”

The 11 sites have been whittled down from 38. Nominations from the list will be submitted from 2012 based on the strength of their case and the likelihood they will be given world heritage status.

(resource: LinlithgowGazette.com)

Amanyara, the luxury hideaway of Amanresorts, in the remote untouched Northwest end of Providenciales, has opened an on-site Nature Discovery Center, with a full-time naturalist in residence, Lindsay Mensen.

Mensen, who has been working for the past 4 years in the Turks & Caicos Islands studying the flora and fauna, will organize activities to showcase the island’s natural wonders. For younger guests, there will be daily programs co-hosted by teachers from the American Museum of Natural History’s Science and Nature department. These will include research expeditions, nature-themed yoga classes, beach walks, scavenger hunts, and turtle nesting site conservation, all focused on learning more about the islands’ indigenous land, sea and sky creatures.

For adults, there will be a morning Eco Hike to learn about the geology of Providenciales, the dry tropical forest, medicinal uses of native plants, and the birds, reptiles, and bugs of the islands. The center will also offer marine adventures, with kayaking, snorkeling and diving.

The evenings will present stargaizig and a nature documentary film or guest speaker, which could be any of these highly-regarded biologists: Dr. Glenn Gerber of the San Diego Zoo, Founder of the Caribbean Wildlife Foundation; Dr. Graham Reynolds, Philosophy in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; Dr. Peter Richardson, Marine Conservation Society and The Turtle Project; and Brian Naqqi Manco, Department of Environmental and Coastal Resources, Turks & Caicos Islands.

The resort derives its name from aman, the Sanskrit word for ‘peace’, and yara, the word for ‘place’ in the language of the Arawak Amerindians, one of the region’s first indigenous peoples. It enjoys a pristine location well removed from much of the development on the eastern side of the island. Visit AmanResorts.com to learn more about the Nature Discovery Center at Amanyara.

As home buyers move into the spring buying season, Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC has launched a new marketing campaign emphasizing the importance of a skilled real estate agent who can help buyers and sellers through the process of homeownership.

“Our consumer research shows us that home buyers want protection against making a wrong decision, whether it be financial or in choosing the right home,” said Michael Fischer, chief marketing officer, Coldwell Banker Real Estate. “We understand that for most, a home represents the biggest investment of their lives. Our campaign illustrates how people can empower themselves with information online. And no matter how daunting the process may seem, a trustworthy real estate agent can give them the confidence and guidance to make the right move.”

Fischer added, “It comes down to a simple equation; trusted agents, plus the right tools, equals smarter decisions.”

Call or visit our Coldwell Banker office to interview our agents. You’ll find them knowledgeable, experienced, and concerned about helping you achieve your real estate goals.