Coldwell Banker Islands Blog

Duncan Taylor, the Cayman Islands’ 11th Governor, was sworn in Jan. 15. He is the UK’s highest representative in the Islands.

Taylor, who is 52 years old, began his career with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in 1982. In addition to home postings in London he has held the positions of Second Secretary in Havana, Head of Commercial Section in Budapest, Director of Latin American Affairs on secondment to Rolls Royce Plc.; Deputy Consul-General and Deputy Head of Post in New York. His last position, which he held from 2005, was as British High Commissioner to Barbados and the Eastern Caribbean.

In 2002 he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for his work in helping the families of British victims of the 9-11 attacks in New York.

We extend our welcome and best wishes to Governor Taylor.

Odontosyllis enopla are a tourist attraction in Providenciales, as the glow worms put on quite a display during mating season. They gather on the tidal flats where the air is calm, and the green light they emit seems to be about the size of a pin head, and the flash is brief, lasting only about a second.

The female, while swimming in circles just below the surface of the water, releases a luminescent egg mass. The male then responds by emitting short light pulses of his own, while doing a little nuptial dance until he encounters the eggs, and releases his gametes into the water. And voila, several eggs are fertilized! What visitors see are the flashing lights.

Since the worms’ spawning cycle is governed by lunar and solar patterns, what you see may vary depending on when you go. Displays are typically better in the summer and on the third and fourth nights after the full moon.

As explained by Diane Slawych in Travel at the Toronto Sun, “The tours are popular, not only because the sight is an unusual one, but also because it’s something that can’t be seen every day. The sparkling mating ritual is at its height for only two to five days after a full moon, so visitors who happen to be on the island on these days feel privileged and compelled to take advantage of their good timing. The whole display starts about one hour after sunset and only lasts from 10 to 30 minutes.”

Come to Turks and Caicos and enjoy a glow-worm-watching cruise.

Nisbet Plantation on Nevis now offers guests a hiker GPS.

Adventure travel enthusiasts, honeymooners seeking to explore or those who just like to tinker with technology are enjoying Nisbet Plantation’s complimentary hiker GPS units.

Perfect for island adventures, the lightweight, handheld Garmin eTrex® GPS tracks distance, coordinates and altitude. Guests can use the GPS on guided nature walks and hiking tours to the top of the 3,232-foot Nevis Peak with biologist Jim Johnson of Top to Bottom guide agency (http://www.walknevis.com/).

Other modern amenities available at Nisbet Plantation include complimentary wireless Internet in all guest rooms, complimentary Flip digital video cameras for guests to capture their Caribbean vacation memories of Nevis, and Vespa scooters to explore the island. Visit the Nisbet Plantation web site for more information.

The Nevis branch of the St. Kitts & Nevis Hotel and Tourism Association (HTA)is making progress with the Project Future Chef program.

Project Future Chef is a program designed to inspire, motivate, and expose high school students on Nevis to the opportunities available to them as chefs within the tourism industry.

In accordance with the mandate, the HTA secured internships with some of its member hotels for all ten (10) students in the program. The internships ran during the recently ended Christmas Break and will resume during the 2010 Easter break.

During the current semester two local chefs will mentor the students and periodically interact with the Food and Nutrition classes at both the Charlestown and Gingerland High Schools. The goals of the chefs will be to prepare the students for a demonstration/competition that will be held prior to the 2010 summer vacation.

(resource: ZIZOnline)

The British Virgin Islands won three prizes in Scuba Diving Magazine’s 2010 Readers Choice Awards, earning the number one spot for Top Beginner Diving Site, second for Top Underwater Photography and third for Top Wreck Diving.

The awards were presented based on results from the magazine’s readers’ survey. Awards were given for the following categories: marine life, visibility, health of marine environment, wall diving, snorkeling, diving for beginners, underwater photography and overall rating of the diving. Readers had the opportunity to choose the best in those categories in the world’s three dive regions, North American, Pacific and Caribbean/Atlantic.

Acting Director of the British Virgin Islands Tourist Board, Hadassah Ward, said, “The Tourist Board will continue to do its part to bring sailors and divers to experience the beauty of the Virgin Islands while working with our local partners to further protect our marine ecosystem that sustains our vibrant marine life and shores.”

(resource: BVI News)

The Ritz Carlton has announced it will open a new luxury resport on Palm Beach on Aruba in late 2012. The 320-room oceanfront resort, The Ritz-Carlton, Aruba, will offer several restaurants, a luxurious spa, two swimming pools, 24-hour casino, and Ambassadors of the Environment by Jean-Michel Cousteau family program, which introduces young guests to Aruba’s natural wonders and cultural traditions.

In addition to spacious rooms and suites, the hotel will include The Ritz-Carlton Club, a private floor accessible only by elevator key and offering light fare and dedicated concierge service throughout the day.

“Aruba is an island destination with growing appeal to the discerning travelers from Europe and the United States. Its spectacular beaches and magnificent views make the island one of those exceptional places in the Southern Caribbean, blending serenity and scenic attractions our guests seek when planning a vacation,” said Ezzat Coutry, senior vice president, Southeast Region, Caribbean and Latin America, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company L.L.C. “It is an extraordinary location for luxury development on the island.”

(resource: AsiaTravelTips)

We recently read a blog by Brian Jambor of U.S. Cybertek, Inc. which discussed how Realtors respond to internet queries. Although InsideSales.com said in a recent study a Realtor has 5 minutes to effectively call and find out how to serve an internet visitor when that query is received, the average number of hours it takes a Realtor to respond is 54 - 54 hours compared to 5 minutes!

We at Coldwell Banker have a better system. It’s called Lead Control. This is our promise to you, from Coldwell Banker Island Affiliates’ (CBIA) Lead Control:

“With CB LeadControl you will be able to instantly respond to the visitor from your iPhone or Blackberry, or pass him or her along to another agent at our firm.”

This is a system we at CBIA have created just for our clients, interested web visitors, referral customers - anyone who finds us online. Our agents can log on through any computer, update the status and activities of any customer, set up future contact times, and see instantly who to contact on any given day - or be reminded, if they have missed that call to action.

Jambor writes, “That being said, what kind of a system would you need in order to immediately contact Internet visitors? It would have to have the following features:

*Be Internet Based of Course
*Send information to your Cell Phone
*Send a copy of the information to your Email
*Add the visitor to a mailing list so he/she will receive valuable information about your market areas
*Schedule a follow up plan that alerts you via cell phone/email when you need to follow up again.”

At Coldwell Banker Cayman Islands, we are committed to this new system and to contact you, our internet visitor or prospective client, within this timeframe. We know you want and expect a fast response to your inquiry. But we ask that you include a phone number if you do want a 5-minute call back. Real estate is not a 9 to 5 job, and we pledge a combination of calling, following up, and providing content of value.

We want your feedback if you don’t feel your needs have been addressed properly and quickly. We value your business and your referrals. Give us a try!

We recently read a blog by Brian Jambor of U.S. Cybertek, Inc. which discussed how Realtors respond to internet queries. Although InsideSales.com said in a recent study a Realtor has 5 minutes to effectively call and find out how to serve an internet visitor when that query is received, the average number of hours it takes a Realtor to respond is 54 - 54 hours compared to 5 minutes!

We at Coldwell Banker have a better system. It’s called Lead Control. This is our promise to you, from Coldwell Banker Island Affiliates’ (CBIA) Lead Control:

“With CB LeadControl you will be able to instantly respond to the visitor from your iPhone or Blackberry, or pass him or her along to another agent at our firm.”

This is a system we at CBIA have created just for our clients, interested web visitors, referral customers - anyone who finds us online. Our agents can log on through any computer, update the status and activities of any customer, set up future contact times, and see instantly who to contact on any given day - or be reminded, if they have missed that call to action.

Jambor writes, “That being said, what kind of a system would you need in order to immediately contact Internet visitors? It would have to have the following features:

*Be Internet Based of Course
*Send information to your Cell Phone
*Send a copy of the information to your Email
*Add the visitor to a mailing list so he/she will receive valuable information about your market areas
*Schedule a follow up plan that alerts you via cell phone/email when you need to follow up again.”

At Coldwell Banker Turks and Caicos, we are committed to this new system and to contact you, our internet visitor or prospective client, within this timeframe. We know you want and expect a fast response to your inquiry. But we ask that you include a phone number if you do want a 5-minute call back. Real estate is not a 9 to 5 job, and we pledge a combination of calling, following up, and providing content of value.

We want your feedback if you don’t feel your needs have been addressed properly and quickly. We value your business and your referrals. Give us a try!

We recently read a blog by Brian Jambor of U.S. Cybertek, Inc. which discussed how Realtors respond to internet queries. Although InsideSales.com said in a recent study a Realtor has 5 minutes to effectively call and find out how to serve an internet visitor when that query is received, the average number of hours it takes a Realtor to respond is 54 - 54 hours compared to 5 minutes!

We at Coldwell Banker have a better system. It’s called Lead Control. This is our promise to you, from Coldwell Banker Island Affiliates’ (CBIA) Lead Control:

“With CB LeadControl you will be able to instantly respond to the visitor from your iPhone or Blackberry, or pass him or her along to another agent at our firm.”

This is a system we at CBIA have created just for our clients, interested web visitors, referral customers - anyone who finds us online. Our agents can log on through any computer, update the status and activities of any customer, set up future contact times, and see instantly who to contact on any given day - or be reminded, if they have missed that call to action.

Jambor writes, “That being said, what kind of a system would you need in order to immediately contact Internet visitors? It would have to have the following features:

*Be Internet Based of Course
*Send information to your Cell Phone
*Send a copy of the information to your Email
*Add the visitor to a mailing list so he/she will receive valuable information about your market areas
*Schedule a follow up plan that alerts you via cell phone/email when you need to follow up again.”

At Coldwell Banker St Kitts-Nevis, we are committed to this new system and to contact you, our internet visitor or prospective client, within this timeframe. We know you want and expect a fast response to your inquiry. But we ask that you include a phone number if you do want a 5-minute call back. Real estate is not a 9 to 5 job, and we pledge a combination of calling, following up, and providing content of value.

We want your feedback if you don’t feel your needs have been addressed properly and quickly. We value your business and your referrals. Give us a try!

We recently read a blog by Brian Jambor of U.S. Cybertek, Inc. which discussed how Realtors respond to internet queries. Although InsideSales.com said in a recent study a Realtor has 5 minutes to effectively call and find out how to serve an internet visitor when that query is received, the average number of hours it takes a Realtor to respond is 54 - 54 hours compared to 5 minutes!

We at Coldwell Banker have a better system. It’s called Lead Control. This is our promise to you, from Coldwell Banker Island Affiliates’ (CBIA) Lead Control:

“With CB LeadControl you will be able to instantly respond to the visitor from your iPhone or Blackberry, or pass him or her along to another agent at our firm.”

This is a system we at CBIA have created just for our clients, interested web visitors, referral customers - anyone who finds us online. Our agents can log on through any computer, update the status and activities of any customer, set up future contact times, and see instantly who to contact on any given day - or be reminded, if they have missed that call to action.

Jambor writes, “That being said, what kind of a system would you need in order to immediately contact Internet visitors? It would have to have the following features:

*Be Internet Based of Course
*Send information to your Cell Phone
*Send a copy of the information to your Email
*Add the visitor to a mailing list so he/she will receive valuable information about your market areas
*Schedule a follow up plan that alerts you via cell phone/email when you need to follow up again.”

At Coldwell Banker BVI, we are committed to this new system and to contact you, our internet visitor or prospective client, within this timeframe. We know you want and expect a fast response to your inquiry. But we ask that you include a phone number if you do want a 5-minute call back. Real estate is not a 9 to 5 job, and we pledge a combination of calling, following up, and providing content of value.

We want your feedback if you don’t feel your needs have been addressed properly and quickly. We value your business and your referrals. Give us a try!