Coldwell Banker Islands Blog

This breathtaking setting is Chalk Sound on Providenciales, one of the islands of Turks and Caicos. The villa offers 4 bedrooms/4.5 baths, and is located on 2 acres of direct oceanfront. With 3,260 SF of interior space, the home features full furnishings, pool, guest house, and complete walled privacy. Asking $4,200,000.

Visit our Coldwell Banker Listing page for photos and details. Rental and management figures are available.

October was National Breast Cancer month and the islands held many activities to support the cause. Here’s a photo of all of us in Coldwell Banker wearing our Pink T-shirts on Grace Bay Beach. We wore our Pink T-shirts on casual Fridays during the month of October. Left to right Julien Marziou, Megan Dean, Krissy Thompson, me and Graham Canham.

Saturday, 24th October marked the ‘Pretty in Pink Luncheon’ presented by the National Cancer Society at Beaches Resort. The inspirational event was packed to the brim full of ladies and gentlemen dressed head to toe in pink.

Setting the atmosphere with pink and white table decorations, local dancers from the Turks & Caicos Culture set the mood. Speakers included cancer survivors, an oncologist from Miami Baptist Health, some members of the National Cancer Society, and some simply affiliated with the disease.

The three-hour luncheon finished with very involved pleas to join The National Cancer Society. If you would like to become a member please get in touch with the president Mrs. Lucille Lightbourne at 231-4374. She is also searching for help with the societies website and asks anyone who is IT skilled and willing to lend a hand to contact her.

Every 13 minutes someone is diagnosed with cancer. To minimize your chances of getting the disease, especially if you have a family history in it, exercise and a healthy lifestyle and diet with plenty of Vitamin D and calcium were recommended.

(above from TCFreePress)

The 2nd Annual Cayman Islands Cookout will be Jan. 14-18, hosted by celebrity chef Eric Ripert, of the Grand Cayman restaurant, Blue.

Brought to you by the Cayman Islands Department of Tourism, The Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman, and Food & Wine magazine, the Cayman Cookout gives guests from across the globe the opportunity to indulge in Caribbean cuisine prepared by some of the top chefs in the world. Tickets to the event are available through Cayman Islands Cookout.

Join Chef Eric Ripert for a weekend celebrating food, wine and the natural beauty of the Caribbean at the Ritz-Carlton, Grand Cayman. An incomparable roster of world famous chefs, sommeliers and spirits blenders will offer tastings, demonstrations, tours and dinners that celebrate the barefoot elegance that only the Cayman Islands can deliver.

Regent Seven Seas Cruise

The ships of Regent Seven Seas Cruises, beautifully decorated over the holidays with trees, garlands, bunting and ginger bread houses, will be in the Caribbean, French Polynesia and transiting the Panama Canal over the winter holidays this year. A 10-night voyage roundtrip from Fort Lauderdale features many of the Caribbean “Saints”: St. Thomas, St. Barts, St. Kitts, and Saint Maarten as well as the Turks and Caicos Islands. The Panama Canal is the featured attraction of sailings between Fort Lauderdale and California and Papeete is the departure point for sailings in Polynesia. The voyages also offer an ecumenical religious service over the holidays for those guests wishing to attend, and a special Christmas dinner menu in the main dining room.

Here are some insights from Travel Agent Central, from a visit during the Small Hotels Retreat on St. Kitts.

Best Properties for Romantics
“Our favorite property for romantics in St. Kitts was Ottley’s Plantation Inn. The property has 24 rooms on a 35-acre site. The master bedroom in each Royal Suite Cottage may be reserved individually as a Supreme Room. These come with a king or queen bed, a Jacuzzi and a patio with a deck and private plunge pool. The Deluxe Rooms also offer ocean and garden views, and most have king-size beds, while the others have two queens or twin beds.

“Coming in at a close second for romantics in St. Kitts was the Golden Lemon. All of the property’s 26 rooms and suites are unique, but the one thing most rooms have in common is the bright colors. In the “Great House,” clients can sleep on mahogany poster beds, which are so high that you need steps to get into them, or antique metal beds replete with colorful hangings. The villa bedrooms in the Great House are the best, featuring individual plunge pools.”

Shopping in St. Kitts
“Clients looking to shop should head to Basseterre, the capital, which is full of small shops and malls, including the Pelican Mall and the TDC Mall. This is the best spot to get local items at non-tourist prices. You can buy locally designed clothing, including the popular batik prints from Island Hopper, and artwork from local galleries. You can also buy local crafts at the Craft House. Duty-free shops also surround the Circus, which was modeled after Piccadilly Circus in London.”

Food and Drinks
“We recommend both the Reggae Beach Bar & Grill and the more upscale Beach House, which was a perfect spot for a nightcap or dinner.”

Enjoy a cruise and your stayover in St Kitts. Hope to see you during the holidays!

The International Cricket Council (ICC) next year will be giving complimentary tickets for the first round matches of the Women’s World Twenty20 tournament. “Everyone in St. Kitts-Nevis would get a chance to see the games, as the tickets are all complimentary. The details as to how you get these tickets will come later on,” Corporate Communications Officer Clement O’Garro said.

He also noted that there will be a limit of four tickets per household per match, which will be strictly enforced by the ICC so as to ensure that every fan has a chance to participate. Tickets will go on sale Nov. 1, two weeks prior to when they will be made available to the international community. Tickets will be available through local ticketing agents and online starting November 1 at ICC Events.

Apart from the West Indies Women’s team coming to St. Kitts for the 2010 event, teams from South Africa, India, England, Australia, New Zealand, Sri Lanka and Pakistan will all be competing at Warner Park in the opening round of the tournament. The men’s matches will be played variously in the remaining three host countries, with the semi-finals of both the male and female tournaments being held in St. Lucia May 13-14 and the finals in Barbados on May 16.

The inaugural BVI Kite Jam will take place March 1-5, 2010, will be a unique kite boarding experience and internationally renowned affair presented by the BVI Tourist Board and including Sir Richard Branson’s Necker Island.

Branson, an avid kite boarder, conceived of the event after staging an impromptu race between Necker Island and Anegada with friend and Google Founder Larry Page.

BVI Kite Jam will be a five-day event aimed at building awareness of the destination to the international kite boarding community, and will highlight BVI as a destination for this growing sport. BVI provides the perfect weather conditions and winds necessary for kite boarding.

Myron Walwyn, Chairman of the BVI Tourist Board said, “BVI Kite Jam will be a unique annual sporting and lifestyle event showcasing BVI’s beauty, charm and sophistication. We can’t wait to bring together kite boarding athletes, first-timers, sports enthusiasts and VIPs for this exciting event.”

Events, competitions, parties and meals will be hosted at Necker Island, Bitter End Yacht Club, Anegada and Moskito Island for participants throughout the five days. In addition, the event will support green and eco-friendly operations by obtaining a “Sailors for the Sea,” Clean Regatta Certification in conjunction with BVI Kite Jam accommodation partner Sunsail Yachts.

Read more at BVINews.

This week, the Montagu Foreshore, a beautiful piece of real estate in Nassau Bahamas, will come under the spotlight at a town style meeting at The Nassau Yacht Club.
The Montagu Foreshore Steering Committee has asked residents, vendors, businesses and others for their views on the use of the property that stretches east of the Nassau Yacht Club to the Royal Nassau Sailing Club and includes Fort Montagu.
The committee was formed under the sponsorship of the MP for the area, Loretta Butler-Turner, the minister of state for social development.
The Montagu, as it’s referred to, once played host to one of the most beautiful beaches in Nassau. But land reclamation, dredging and the erection of a sea wall are all thought to have contributed to severe beach erosion.
Over time, fish vendors moved into the area, along with jet ski operators, both competing for space to sell their seafood and launch watercraft. End result ^ traffic bottlenecks.
The Montagu’s especially significant to Bahamas residents. Fort Montagu was built in the 1700s to protect the eastern entrance of Nassau harbour from an invasion by the Spanish.
The Montagu Beach Hotel, imploded in the 1990s, is the first hotel that opened year round in the Bahamas instead of only during the winter tourist season.
It was here that the Flipper film series was shot. And it was here that Nassau couples danced their Saturday nights away, or Bahamians coming of age took their first sip of beer in the English style pub.
Over the years, the quaint charm and beauty of this gorgeous real estate was lost.
So it’s with a sense of relief that serious attention’s being focused on an area where people congregate to jog, watch the sunrise, stage regattas and enjoy cook-outs.
“We have been working to understand the uses of Montagu foreshore, the commerce on the ramp and the recreational traffic and uses since the committee was formed under the auspices of Montagu MP and Minister of State for Social Development Loretta Butler-Turner in July,” said Diane Phillips, chairman.
“Now we are most eager to get public input as we prepare to draft a report for the minister’s consideration…Public opinion is critical…”
The committee is hoping for a big turn out at the meeting at 6pm on Thursday.
Both Butler-Turner and Earl Deveaux, minister of the environment, are scheduled to attend.

4,000 SF parcel in excellent central located for sale in Tanki Leendert, an area which is very high in demand. It is only a 5 minutes drive to the beach and the downtown harbor from this area. Asking $32,300.

Visit our Coldwell Banker Listing page for photos.

AirTran Airways, a subsidiary of AirTran Holdings, Inc. has launched a sale for travel to all the airline’s destinations with fares starting as low as $39*. Travelers may purchase these sale fares online or via the reservations system at 1-800-AIR-TRAN. For Spanish, call 1-877-581-9842.

These special fares are available for purchase through November 10, 2009, andare good for travel through February 10, 2010. Like all AirTran Airways fares, prices included in this sale are available for one-way travel and do not
require a roundtrip purchase or an overnight stay. Examples:

Atlanta - Aruba - $129
Baltimore/Washington (BWI) - Aruba - $169
Indianapolis - Aruba - $169

JetBlue put more Caribbean destinations on sale, among them Aruba, Puerto Rico, and St. Maarten, with fares from $29 to $139 each way if booked by Oct. 30.

Come visit Aruba - it can’t get much cheaper!

Whether you are buying your first home or your fifth, the process of buying a home can be an emotional, time-consuming venture. Feeling that you made the right decision and got a good deal can make all the difference to your peace of mind either as an investor or owner-occupant. We wrote about the first 10 todos last week, so here is the 2nd installment.

#11 Proceed quickly
When you’re ready to buy, act. Good properties sell. This is especially true given the current state of worldwide real estate markets. However, when you work with a Coldwell Banker Realtor, you have access to the latest technology. As part of the MLS and Agent Handshake networks, our Coldwell Banker Realtors have access to properties within hours of when they are listed.

Technology works to your advantage. Our company websites allow you to sign on as a client, and receive notification of new listings via email. You save time and effort, and you can view only those homes that come closest to meeting your needs.

#12 Clarify relationships
In any real estate transaction, be very clear about who is working for whom, and what the relationship represents. Unless otherwise stated, an agent represents the seller in transactions for the sale of a home. This agent, as part of his or her fiduciary duty, must ensure that the seller’s (and not your) position is represented throughout the entire process. Get a buyer’s agent on your side, or ensure that someone is acting in your best interests.

#13 Ask for a written CMA
A Comparative Market Analysis (CMA) is an analysis of comparable homes in a given neighborhood. It shows you the sale prices of comparable homes, along with asking prices of other homes in the area currently on the market. A Coldwell Banker Realtor can request this report for any home and community. Ask for this report in writing. With this valuable document, you’ll have solid, reliable information about how fairly a home is priced compared to its real market value.

#14 Know the seller
Understanding a seller’s reasons for moving could work to your advantage during negotiations. For instance, a seller who has been transferred to another city or island may be more motivated to sell than someone who is still shopping for a new home. A vacant house, or a house that has been on the market for several months and has been reduced in price, could also provide the opportunity for lucrative negotiations.

#15 Keep it impersonal
Conversely, information could be used to your detriment. Information about your mortgage, size of down payment, move-in deadline, or circumstances for buying could be used to the seller’s benefit in negotiations. While you want your Realtor to know these details, maintain your poker face and keep your cards hidden with the sellers and their agents.

#16 Measure twice, sign once
While you definitely want to move quickly once you’ve made the decision to purchase, you don’t want to cave in to pressure for a quick close. Someone who is trying to pressure you into buying a home is likely doing so for a reason. Make sure the reasons for you to buy a home are your reasons, not theirs.

#17 Exercise your negotiating skills
Even if you prefer not to haggle, it’s worth it, especially when it’s your home and one of your biggest investments. Most people expect to haggle over the price. In the Caribbean, negotiating is a part of the culture. There is always room for negotiation, and your Coldwell Banker Realtor should be a professional negotiator.

#18 Avoid bidding wars
In some cases, the seller’s Agent may use scare tactics to rush the sale or increase the price. Falling for this trap could cost you money. If there is another buyer, or some other reason this pressure is being applied, whoever wins also loses because they tend to overpay. Let reason be your guide. If you really want to place an offer in competition with other buyers, be sure your agent protects your interests and makes it clear how high in price you will go.

#19 Get it in writing
Legally, sellers must disclose all known material defects of a property. Ask for this in writing. Also be sure to consider the ramifications of these defects. Will they be costly down the road? Are they “serious” defects? Get 2nd or 3rd opinions if necessary. Inspect, ask questions, investigate until you are satisfied.

#20 Be aware of hidden costs
While Realtors often tempt first-time buyers with rent/mortgage comparisons, there is more to a home than simply the mortgage. You will be responsible for other items including mortgage insurance, appraisal fees, legal fees, inspection fees, transfer taxes, title insurance, inspections, property tax, increased bills, condo fees, home insurance, etc. Your Coldwell Banker agent can give you a good idea of the costs associated with buying a home that are beyond its final negotiated price. Your lender can provide a Good Faith Estimate of closing costs, and your escrow officer will also state the transaction fees.

Looking for a home can be fun, but also stressful. Let Coldwell Banker be the professional working on your team.