Coldwell Banker Islands Blog

Have a busy successful career? Wondering how to balance your job commitments with taking a week or two off to relax in the Caribbean? Here’s a tale of a newly-married couple who had some challenges leaving the working world behind, even in the quintessential vacation environment of the Caribbean.

Both husband and wife had successful careers. They decided to honeymoon at Little Dix Bay Resort in the British Virgin Islands. Ten lazy days in Caribbean Paradise, just being together, what could go wrong? The couple was eager to swim, snorkel, sail, hike, dine quietly under bright stars, dance, and relax in the double hammock.

As told to their travel agent, Bonnie Kogos:

“When we came back home, Jenna told me she wanted a divorce! We cannot be married to each other,” said the new groom.

“I couldn’t stop texting,” he confessed. “My work at the financial firm requires me to be responsible and involved. Last month, I had 17,000 text conversations. My life is so digital; I forgot how to read a clock. When my two global-international-travel-wireless cell-phones rang on the beach, I had to answer.”

“You sat on a Caribbean beach, under an expensive palm tree, looking at whispering surf and you answered your phones?” Bonnie took a deep breath. “Jason, in your marriage ceremony, you vowed and committed to leave all your wireless appliances at home. You promised to set cyber limits. Pardon this joke, but you’d only be plugged into each other.”

“Couldn’t do it,” Jason said, stifling a sob.

“At least, in the evenings, romantic time, did you turn those appliances off?”

“I turned mine off. As we showered for dinner, hers started ringing in the bathroom.”

Bonnie writes, “At my desk, I stuffed my Irish linen hanky into my mouth. You promised each other, and me, your buddy and travel agent, you’d go cold turkey. That you’d exist in a cyberless world for 10 days and rediscover each other in the world of nature in the sultry Caribbean. You declared you’d read real books, listen to music and relax. What happened to old-fashioned time and relaxation?”

“Neither of us could stay away from the Internet,” Jason said, sighing. “And we lied to each other. Jenna said she was going for a walk. I found her at the Internet Café.”

Find out how this couple dealt with unplugging while on their honeymoon and read Bonnie’s blog in the Sudbury Starabout Plugging Into Relationships.

When you visit, plan to set aside some time not just to enjoy the ambience, but to consider a real estate investment. Contact a Coldwell Banker agent to discuss opportunities.

Have a busy successful career? Wondering how to balance your job commitments with taking a week or two off to relax in the Caribbean? Here’s a tale of a newly-married couple who had some challenges leaving the working world behind, even in the quintessential vacation environment of the Caribbean.

Both husband and wife had successful careers. They decided to honeymoon at Little Dix Bay Resort in the British Virgin Islands. Ten lazy days in Caribbean Paradise, just being together, what could go wrong? The couple was eager to swim, snorkel, sail, hike, dine quietly under bright stars, dance, and relax in the double hammock.

As told to their travel agent, Bonnie Kogos:

“When we came back home, Jenna told me she wanted a divorce! We cannot be married to each other,” said the new groom.

“I couldn’t stop texting,” he confessed. “My work at the financial firm requires me to be responsible and involved. Last month, I had 17,000 text conversations. My life is so digital; I forgot how to read a clock. When my two global-international-travel-wireless cell-phones rang on the beach, I had to answer.”

“You sat on a Caribbean beach, under an expensive palm tree, looking at whispering surf and you answered your phones?” Bonnie took a deep breath. “Jason, in your marriage ceremony, you vowed and committed to leave all your wireless appliances at home. You promised to set cyber limits. Pardon this joke, but you’d only be plugged into each other.”

“Couldn’t do it,” Jason said, stifling a sob.

“At least, in the evenings, romantic time, did you turn those appliances off?”

“I turned mine off. As we showered for dinner, hers started ringing in the bathroom.”

Bonnie writes, “At my desk, I stuffed my Irish linen hanky into my mouth. You promised each other, and me, your buddy and travel agent, you’d go cold turkey. That you’d exist in a cyberless world for 10 days and rediscover each other in the world of nature in the sultry Caribbean. You declared you’d read real books, listen to music and relax. What happened to old-fashioned time and relaxation?”

“Neither of us could stay away from the Internet,” Jason said, sighing. “And we lied to each other. Jenna said she was going for a walk. I found her at the Internet Café.”

Find out how this couple dealt with unplugging while on their honeymoon and read Bonnie’s blog in the Sudbury Starabout Plugging Into Relationships.

When you visit, plan to set aside some time not just to enjoy the ambience, but to consider a real estate investment. Contact a Coldwell Banker agent to discuss opportunities.

Have a busy successful career? Wondering how to balance your job commitments with taking a week or two off to relax in the Caribbean? Here’s a tale of a newly-married couple who had some challenges leaving the working world behind, even in the quintessential vacation environment of the Caribbean.

Both husband and wife had successful careers. They decided to honeymoon at Little Dix Bay Resort in the British Virgin Islands. Ten lazy days in Caribbean Paradise, just being together, what could go wrong? The couple was eager to swim, snorkel, sail, hike, dine quietly under bright stars, dance, and relax in the double hammock.

As told to their travel agent, Bonnie Kogos:

“When we came back home, Jenna told me she wanted a divorce! We cannot be married to each other,” said the new groom.

“I couldn’t stop texting,” he confessed. “My work at the financial firm requires me to be responsible and involved. Last month, I had 17,000 text conversations. My life is so digital; I forgot how to read a clock. When my two global-international-travel-wireless cell-phones rang on the beach, I had to answer.”

“You sat on a Caribbean beach, under an expensive palm tree, looking at whispering surf and you answered your phones?” Bonnie took a deep breath. “Jason, in your marriage ceremony, you vowed and committed to leave all your wireless appliances at home. You promised to set cyber limits. Pardon this joke, but you’d only be plugged into each other.”

“Couldn’t do it,” Jason said, stifling a sob.

“At least, in the evenings, romantic time, did you turn those appliances off?”

“I turned mine off. As we showered for dinner, hers started ringing in the bathroom.”

Bonnie writes, “At my desk, I stuffed my Irish linen hanky into my mouth. You promised each other, and me, your buddy and travel agent, you’d go cold turkey. That you’d exist in a cyberless world for 10 days and rediscover each other in the world of nature in the sultry Caribbean. You declared you’d read real books, listen to music and relax. What happened to old-fashioned time and relaxation?”

“Neither of us could stay away from the Internet,” Jason said, sighing. “And we lied to each other. Jenna said she was going for a walk. I found her at the Internet Café.”

Find out how this couple dealt with unplugging while on their honeymoon and read Bonnie’s blog in the Sudbury Starabout Plugging Into Relationships.

When you visit, plan to set aside some time not just to enjoy the ambience, but to consider a real estate investment. Contact a Coldwell Banker agent to discuss opportunities.

Have a busy successful career? Wondering how to balance your job commitments with taking a week or two off to relax in the Caribbean? Here’s a tale of a newly-married couple who had some challenges leaving the working world behind, even in the quintessential vacation environment of the Caribbean.

Both husband and wife had successful careers. They decided to honeymoon at Little Dix Bay Resort in the British Virgin Islands. Ten lazy days in Caribbean Paradise, just being together, what could go wrong? The couple was eager to swim, snorkel, sail, hike, dine quietly under bright stars, dance, and relax in the double hammock.

As told to their travel agent, Bonnie Kogos:

“When we came back home, Jenna told me she wanted a divorce! We cannot be married to each other,” said the new groom.

“I couldn’t stop texting,” he confessed. “My work at the financial firm requires me to be responsible and involved. Last month, I had 17,000 text conversations. My life is so digital; I forgot how to read a clock. When my two global-international-travel-wireless cell-phones rang on the beach, I had to answer.”

“You sat on a Caribbean beach, under an expensive palm tree, looking at whispering surf and you answered your phones?” Bonnie took a deep breath. “Jason, in your marriage ceremony, you vowed and committed to leave all your wireless appliances at home. You promised to set cyber limits. Pardon this joke, but you’d only be plugged into each other.”

“Couldn’t do it,” Jason said, stifling a sob.

“At least, in the evenings, romantic time, did you turn those appliances off?”

“I turned mine off. As we showered for dinner, hers started ringing in the bathroom.”

Bonnie writes, “At my desk, I stuffed my Irish linen hanky into my mouth. You promised each other, and me, your buddy and travel agent, you’d go cold turkey. That you’d exist in a cyberless world for 10 days and rediscover each other in the world of nature in the sultry Caribbean. You declared you’d read real books, listen to music and relax. What happened to old-fashioned time and relaxation?”

“Neither of us could stay away from the Internet,” Jason said, sighing. “And we lied to each other. Jenna said she was going for a walk. I found her at the Internet Café.”

Find out how this couple dealt with unplugging while on their honeymoon and read Bonnie’s blog in the Sudbury Starabout Plugging Into Relationships.

When you visit, plan to set aside some time not just to enjoy the ambience, but to consider a real estate investment. Contact a Coldwell Banker agent to discuss opportunities.

Balmoral is a new real estate development in Nassau Bahamas that’s targeting young professionals.
With a green concept, this Bahamas real estate development is located on the western end of Nassau.
It’s gated and set on 43 acres of mature and lush tropical trees and flowering shrubbery. And what’s more, Balmoral is expected to provide almost 200 jobs.
What could be better?
The price.
Balmoral’s being touted as an affordable luxury development.
According to Balmoral’s Jason Kinsale, a land design company has created a ‘homogeneous’ development, putting a lot of effort into the environment.
Over 400 trees were tagged in order to preserve as much of the natural green space as possible.
Construction is expected to begin at the end of this month and the job should take nine to 12 months to complete.
A total of 70 lots are on the market, and 300 homes and townhouses of different sizes are to be built. Kinsale says Balmoral has been able to appeal to different market segments in what he considers affordable for the young professional market.
The developers obtained financial support from Royal Bank of Canada on the conditions of pre-sales, Kinsale said.
He said 40 percent of the single-family lots have been sold, with three townhouses and one condo remaining in phase one.
And Kinsale expects demand will be much stronger one a couple of the homes are up.
The project is to cover four or five phases and take five or six years to complete.
It’s projected that the first phase will cost about $15 million and a total of $100 million is expected to be spent at the end of the day.
Source: The Bahama Journal

Balmoral is a new real estate development in Nassau Bahamas that’s targeting young professionals.
With a green concept, this Bahamas real estate development is located on the western end of Nassau.
It’s gated and set on 43 acres of mature and lush tropical trees and flowering shrubbery. And what’s more, Balmoral is expected to provide almost 200 jobs.
What could be better?
The price.
Balmoral’s being touted as an affordable luxury development.
According to Balmoral’s Jason Kinsale, a land design company has created a ‘homogeneous’ development, putting a lot of effort into the environment.
Over 400 trees were tagged in order to preserve as much of the natural green space as possible.
Construction is expected to begin at the end of this month and the job should take nine to 12 months to complete.
A total of 70 lots are on the market, and 300 homes and townhouses of different sizes are to be built. Kinsale says Balmoral has been able to appeal to different market segments in what he considers affordable for the young professional market.
The developers obtained financial support from Royal Bank of Canada on the conditions of pre-sales, Kinsale said.
He said 40 percent of the single-family lots have been sold, with three townhouses and one condo remaining in phase one.
And Kinsale expects demand will be much stronger one a couple of the homes are up.
The project is to cover four or five phases and take five or six years to complete.
It’s projected that the first phase will cost about $15 million and a total of $100 million is expected to be spent at the end of the day.
Source: The Bahama Journal

in Queen’s Highway of Grand Cayman, this 6 bedroom/8 bath oceanfront estate of approximately 24,000 sq ft is offered now for sale. With 850 ft of cliffside seafront, a pool, helicopter pad, 4-car garage, and staff quarters for 3, this home is definitely for the buyer who wants privacy and luxury with a view. Offered at $19,000,000.

Visit our Coldwell Banker Listing page for more details.

If you are thinking about selling your home, you may want to consider the home inspections. As most inspections thoroughly check the home’s infrastructure, foundation and roof, most real estate experts recommend that you look for problems before putting your home on the market. Though older homes might have more concerns, homes of all ages and types should be given a checkup by homeowners prior to entering the market. This article describes the most common problems found by home inspectors and offers some tips on how your home can pass its eventual inspection.

Plumbing

If you know that you will be selling your home, you should try to repair all plumbing leaks as soon as possible. Besides checking for leaks throughout the home’s plumbing system, a home inspector will also check the water pressure by running multiple faucets and flushing toilets. In some cases, an inspection may also include a check of the septic system. If you have experienced drainage problems in your home, you may want to consider contacting a professional to check the septic system prior to the home inspection.

Cooling Systems

As there are many types of cooling systems, there is no standard test for home inspectors. However, regardless of what type of cooling system your home utilizes, even if just ceiling fans, you should try to ensure that everything is working properly prior to the home inspection. You may also want to consider having your cooling units serviced prior to selling your home.

Electrical System

A typical home inspection will check the electrical panel and circuit breakers that power your property for problems and test outlets throughout the home. The inspector will also check for ground fault interrupt outlets (GFIs) in the kitchen and bathrooms. Designed to automatically shut off power during a short circuit, these special outlets are an important safety feature for every home. If you live in an older home, you may want to have GFIs installed and have your electrical system checked before an inspection.

Roof

A home inspection will check for weak or missing shingles and make an assessment regarding the quality of the roof. If any poor shingles are spotted, an inspector might check underneath to see if the building materials are damaged or rotten. To prevent a poor report, you should consider replacing bad shingles and having an expert check the overall quality of the roof.

Gutters

Prior to the inspection, try to make sure your gutters are clean and rainwater is able to flow without spilling over the sides. Also, downspouts should be pointed away from the house, as poor drainage is often the cause of mold and mildew problems.

Mold and Mildew

If you have seen mold or mildew anywhere in your home, you should consider contacting a cleanup professional prior to the inspection. Regardless of where mold and mildew are found in the home, it is important to both kill the fungus and fix the cause of the problem.

As homebuyers are becoming increasingly aware of the effects mold and mildew can have on a home, you might experience difficulty selling your home if you don’t take care of the issue.

After the initial inspection, try not to be discouraged if the inspector finds a few flaws; very few homes are perfect and inspectors are trained to take note of every possible concern. Home inspections are designed to assess the working order of the home’s infrastructure and assure the buyer that home’s condition matches the details of the contract. In short, if you take care of the most important repair concerns before you try to sell, you will grant yourself a better chance of passing your home inspection.

Turks and Caicos Islands now have an exclusive reservation service providing travelers with insider insight on its resorts, hotels, villas and other attractions.

The services, collectively called DiscoverTCI, are being launched and run by Wired Island, Ltd, a local marketing agency, and include a multi-faceted website (www.discovertci.com), live-chat, a custom-designed, real-time booking engine, and toll-free phone numbers for North American and European tourists.

“DiscoverTCI exclusively represents Turks and Caicos and provides information and booking support for individuals and tour operators to help round out memorable tropical vacations for travelers from around the world,” said Val Kalliecharan, general manager of the DiscoverTCI. “Our call center is based here, so customers get to talk to agents who have visited the resorts, eaten in the restaurants and know the best snorkeling spots. Ultimately, this gives the Turks and Caicos a critical competitive edge in these tough economic times.”

Read the press release at Earth Times to learn about DiscoverTCI’s Travel Awards Program.

Here’s what they said about Turks and Caicos: “The Turks and Caicos are a small, upscale island destination located just over an hour’s flight from Miami. The island chain, a UK Territory, consists of more than 40 islands and cays, eight of which are inhabited. It is best known for its pristine and uncrowded white sandy beaches; crystal clear waters that attract scuba divers, fishermen and water sport enthusiasts; and a friendly, relaxed and safe environment for enjoying a true Caribbean getaway vacation. The Turks and Caicos offer a wide range of accommodations, from five star resorts, to family-friendly hotels and condos and luxurious villas, as well as fine dining, spas, and outdoor activities.”

The DiscoverTCI reservations services are available online, 1-877-774-5486, or res@discovertci.tc. There are no costs to travelers for using the service.

If you are thinking about selling your home, you may want to consider the home inspections. As most inspections thoroughly check the home’s infrastructure, foundation and roof, most real estate experts recommend that you look for problems before putting your home on the market. Though older homes might have more concerns, homes of all ages and types should be given a checkup by homeowners prior to entering the market. This article describes the most common problems found by home inspectors and offers some tips on how your home can pass its eventual inspection.

Plumbing

If you know that you will be selling your home, you should try to repair all plumbing leaks as soon as possible. Besides checking for leaks throughout the home’s plumbing system, a home inspector will also check the water pressure by running multiple faucets and flushing toilets. In some cases, an inspection may also include a check of the septic system. If you have experienced drainage problems in your home, you may want to consider contacting a professional to check the septic system prior to the home inspection.

Cooling Systems

As there are many types of cooling systems, there is no standard test for home inspectors. However, regardless of what type of cooling system your home utilizes, even if just ceiling fans, you should try to ensure that everything is working properly prior to the home inspection. You may also want to consider having your cooling units serviced prior to selling your home.

Electrical System

A typical home inspection will check the electrical panel and circuit breakers that power your property for problems and test outlets throughout the home. The inspector will also check for ground fault interrupt outlets (GFIs) in the kitchen and bathrooms. Designed to automatically shut off power during a short circuit, these special outlets are an important safety feature for every home. If you live in an older home, you may want to have GFIs installed and have your electrical system checked before an inspection.

Roof

A home inspection will check for weak or missing shingles and make an assessment regarding the quality of the roof. If any poor shingles are spotted, an inspector might check underneath to see if the building materials are damaged or rotten. To prevent a poor report, you should consider replacing bad shingles and having an expert check the overall quality of the roof.

Gutters

Prior to the inspection, try to make sure your gutters are clean and rainwater is able to flow without spilling over the sides. Also, downspouts should be pointed away from the house, as poor drainage is often the cause of mold and mildew problems.

Mold and Mildew

If you have seen mold or mildew anywhere in your home, you should consider contacting a cleanup professional prior to the inspection. Regardless of where mold and mildew are found in the home, it is important to both kill the fungus and fix the cause of the problem.

As homebuyers are becoming increasingly aware of the effects mold and mildew can have on a home, you might experience difficulty selling your home if you don’t take care of the issue.

After the initial inspection, try not to be discouraged if the inspector finds a few flaws; very few homes are perfect and inspectors are trained to take note of every possible concern. Home inspections are designed to assess the working order of the home’s infrastructure and assure the buyer that home’s condition matches the details of the contract. In short, if you take care of the most important repair concerns before you try to sell, you will grant yourself a better chance of passing your home inspection.