Coldwell Banker Islands Blog

Villa Del Mar is a small hotel-condo development located just behind Ocean Club West and Grace Bay Club in the heart of Grace Bay Beach area. This boutique resort features just 42 suites and is perfect for investors looking for a property that has lower maintenance costs than beach front condos.

Our new listing is a one bedroom plus den corner suite located on the second floor. A pull-out sofa in the living area provides sleeping accommodation for 6. The den area in several of the other hotel suites have been converted to a second bedroom - contact listing agent for details.

Close to restaurants, shops, Gourmet IGA supermarket, wine stores and galleries, this central location has much to offer.

The hotel provides a “beach service” to owners and guests.

For more information on Villa Del Mar please click here.

www.coldwellbankertci.com

MLS 1100388

Long Island is one of the most beautiful, but unsung islands in the Bahamas.
Just ask famous free diver William Trubridge, whose love for Long Island in the Bahamas inspired him to set another world record and take the plunge into a new business venture.
The New Zealander broke his 15th world record at the 663ft Dean’s Blue Hole, the deepest blue hole in the world.
In December, 2010, Trubridge made history when he dived unassisted to a depth of 331 feet. He did it on a single breath he held for four minutes and 10 seconds. Just hold your breath for 20 seconds and imagine!
It was Dean’s Blue Hole, according to The Bahamas Investor , that drew him 8,400 miles from his home in New Zealand to Long Island.
Trubridge and his wife, Brittany, now call Long Island home. They teach free diving and yoga six months a year from their island home in the south eastern Bahamas.
Long and skinny, Long Island is a contrast of soft white sand beaches and rocky cliffs. Long Island is an incredibly beautiful Bahamas island that offers great fishing and surfing.
The contrasting coastlines stretch 80 miles. No more than four miles at its widest point, Long Island is divided by the Tropic of Cancer. It’s known for its magnificent coast and caves, historic churches, farming and its industrious people. Long Island has a couple of great boutique resorts.
There are some great real estate opportunities in Long Island ^ commercial, acreage and homes.
Take a tour of this land of sun and fun, and see why people like Truebridge have Long Island in their blood.

The feeling’s laid back, the homes are exquisite and the location is Paradise.
From the penthouse to all the other magnificent homes, the coveted community of Ocean Club Residences and Marina on Paradise Island off Nassau has it all.
Each home is beautifully furnished with high end finishings and offers sweeping harbour views.
Whether you want to relax in luxury, soak up the sun on the nearby powder white sand beach or play golf on the world class course is up to you. A club, spa and marina are at your fingertips.
The world class Atlantis Resort, with its casino, numerous restaurants, clubs and amazing water theme park, is only a short drive away.
*****
Another hot spot is Cable Beach, also known as the Bahamian Riviera, on the Nassau mainland about five miles west of Paradise Island.
The $3.4 million re-development of the area under the Baha Mar resort flag has sparked a real estate revival.
The one-of-a-kind Baha Mar destination is intended to complement the Atlantis resort and Cable Beach condos are a solid investment.

According to the June Cruise Trends report, Allure of the Seas, took the top spot from Caribbean Princess, Princess Cruises’ 3,600-passenger which was the top pick in the May report.
Royal Caribbean’s 5,400-passenger Allure of the Seas, which is scheduled to pay a visit to St. Kitts’ Port Zante in December this year, is the most popular cruise ship in the premium/contemporary category.
Data for the monthly reports is taken from consumer behavior and purchasing decisions based on consumer quote requests on CruiseCompete, the website that enables agents to compete for business.
At the luxury level, Queen Mary 2, the 2,600-passenger liner is the most popular for June, and in the river cruise ship category, the 162-passenger AmaBella, operated by Ama Waterways, takes the top spot.
A look back over the last year’s data reveals that the booking window for luxury and river cruises has significantly widened. The window for luxury cruises in the June report is 207 days prior to departure, up from 159 days in June 2010. For river cruises, the booking window in June was 333 days, up from 176 days in June 2010.There also was a widening seen in the contemporary/premium cruise category, although not to the degree of the other categories. For these ships, the window in June was 146 days vs. 130 in June 2010.
Turning to accommodations, inside cabins are most the popular stateroom types on premium/contemporary and river ships, while balcony cabins are most popular on luxury vessels.

Source:www.sknvibes.com

Keith George, the son of Rose Solomon and the stepson of Llewellyn Solomon, has completed an intensive leadership program with honors and a distinction.
He will receive his Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership from Nyack College, School of Business and Leadership in New York City, NY, on November 17th.
The College Review Board has selected George’s masters’ thesis, titled “The Relationship between Teachers’ Transformational Leadership Behaviors and Student Engagement,” for publication in the scholarly journals, which will become part of the featured body of research in Leadership.
Mr George hypothesized that, to the extent instructors at a particular medium size community college demonstrate behaviors associated with transformational leadership, there will be a significant and positive relationship with course engagement of students attending that institution. Also, with an increased awareness and practice of transformational leadership, the possible outcome may result in stronger commitment (Ross & Gray, 2006) and engagement by instructors, further resulting in a cascading effect on their students.
George has been living in the United States for over 15 years and has worked as a contract consultant with some of Americas’ Fortune 500 companies, including U.S. Energy Savings of NY, Verizon Corporation, and Tyco/ADT Security and Surveillance Services.

Source:/bvinews.com

La Traattoria El Faro Blanco, the Italian restaurant situated on the cliff adjacent to the California Lighthouse, was the venue for a most congenial evening of music and fine food last Saturday evening, July 9. The owners hosted the concert as a community service to raise funds for the talented Aruban performer Angelo Koolman. The singer needs to the raise the funds to compete in a Dutch version of “American Idol” for which he learned he was selected after the preliminary auditions a few months ago.
Angelo, a very popular and charismatic singer known to audience for his lead role in “Let’s Go Latin” in the Crystal Theater and now as a regular in Cilo Lounge in Oranjestad, decided to try his luck when the call went out to all corners of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. He was recently informed he made the cut, how would he get by in Holland for the three or four months required to compete?
Angelo’s very good friend, Edjean Semeleer, an extremely popular young baritone in his own right and an experienced concert promoter, came up with the idea of a unique fundraising concert together with the particularly memorable ambiance at La Trattoria El Faro Blanco restaurant.
The spectacular sunset recital, “Angelo Unplugged”, was a great success. The terraces of the restaurant were filled with fans of the two handsome young singers and they did not disappoint. This was Angelo’s opportunity to show what he co

Just as setting a listing price is ultimately your decision, so is whether to accept an offer on that Bahamas real estate. These days, you may find it difficult to decide if a real estate offer is a good one because there are so many influential factors here in the Bahamas, as well as elsewhere. Getting an offer is the first positive step. Now you need to consider your options.

Are you under pressure to sell? Whether it’s finances, family, or a new job on another island in the Bahamas, the urgency of your need to move may dictate accepting an offer lower than you had expected.

You don’t want to accept an offer on real estate that’s less than you owe, so pay close attention as to how all closing costs affect your bottom line before making the decision to accept or counter an offer. In negotiations, sometimes expenses can be shifted from one side to the other. A real estate offer is often subject to the purchaser receiving financing and this is usually a very frustrating experience since deadlines are seldom met.

You can expect a quicker closing with no surprises if there is no finance clause (provided there are no title issues and so on) and confidently begin to look for your next home or plan your next move. Even a lower offer from a pre-approved buyer may be better than a higher offer from one whose financing falls through at the last minute.

Remember, offers are about negotiation and compromise. Be flexible and reasonable when considering any and all offers that come your way. Your Bahamas real estate agent is there to help.

There’s something special about watching a storm out at sea.
We love the sun and the way the light dances on the dazzling turquoise sea. But we also like to sit under the covered porches of our Bahamas homes and watch the silver rain softly slither down from the sky across the sea until there is no horizon.
This week, while much of the U.S. is blanketed in horrible heat, many of the islands of the Bahamas have been blessed with heavy showers, followed by long stretches of sunshine. It’s hot, but the islands are lush and green, and the cooling trade winds are a balm.
Life is good at home in the Bahamas.

Home purchasers can frequently tell immediately if the home they are viewing does not suit their tastes or needs - but what goes on when they are torn between a number of options? Sometimes, purchasing a home is not as easy as finding a person’s dream property. Home purchasers may need to choose from a few different houses, and in this case it helps to use a skilled realtor to breakdown the positives and negatives of each. Here are some factors home buyers should keep in mind when going through this process.

Compare maintenance, utility and tax costs

Two houses which are similar in price may vary greatly in secondary costs. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that it is important that you request that the vendor provides past bills and property tax obligations for your perusal, because this can help the new potential home buyer work out how much they will pay for these costs. Home sellers could also have the ability to give some concept of what it really costs to maintain the home regularly. Based on Freddie Mac, maintenance costs should average between 1 and 3 percent of the home’s value every year.

Which will retain its value better?

Numerous factors determine how a homes value is calculated, including its location, condition and the value of surrounding properties. Freddie Mac reports a realtor can usually provide information on the way a particular home’s value has changed through the years, providing a rough idea on how well it’ll retain its value within the a long term. Home purchasers may finish up selecting one property over another if it seems to retain its value better.

Weigh specific qualities

Beyond financial matters, home purchasers might want to compare each home’s features and amenities one last time. Based on Liberty Mutual, it will help to consider each home’s security features and construction quality. Furthermore, NAR reports it may be useful to check each property’s neighborhood and find out which may fit their desires and requirements best. Ultimately, Freddie Mac reports these qualities can impact how well the home keeps its value with time, and realtors can offer appreciation-related understanding to assist home purchasers break the tie.

The hunt for a new home can be a hard job as everyone wants all aspects of the property to be perfect and to meet their every need. Quite often buyers will allow their heart to rule their head when on viewings, so these factors above are good to bare in mind as they will assist the purchasers to choose their new home in a practical and sensible manner.

Home purchasers can frequently tell immediately if the home they are viewing does not suit their tastes or needs - but what goes on when they are torn between a number of options? Sometimes, purchasing a home is not as easy as finding a person’s dream property. Home purchasers may need to choose from a few different houses, and in this case it helps to use a skilled realtor to breakdown the positives and negatives of each. Here are some factors home buyers should keep in mind when going through this process.

Compare maintenance, utility and tax costs

Two houses which are similar in price may vary greatly in secondary costs. The National Association of Realtors (NAR) reports that it is important that you request that the vendor provides past bills and property tax obligations for your perusal, because this can help the new potential home buyer work out how much they will pay for these costs. Home sellers could also have the ability to give some concept of what it really costs to maintain the home regularly. Based on Freddie Mac, maintenance costs should average between 1 and 3 percent of the home’s value every year.

Which will retain its value better?

Numerous factors determine how a homes value is calculated, including its location, condition and the value of surrounding properties. Freddie Mac reports a realtor can usually provide information on the way a particular home’s value has changed through the years, providing a rough idea on how well it’ll retain its value within the a long term. Home purchasers may finish up selecting one property over another if it seems to retain its value better.

Weigh specific qualities

Beyond financial matters, home purchasers might want to compare each home’s features and amenities one last time. Based on Liberty Mutual, it will help to consider each home’s security features and construction quality. Furthermore, NAR reports it may be useful to check each property’s neighborhood and find out which may fit their desires and requirements best. Ultimately, Freddie Mac reports these qualities can impact how well the home keeps its value with time, and realtors can offer appreciation-related understanding to assist home purchasers break the tie.

The hunt for a new home can be a hard job as everyone wants all aspects of the property to be perfect and to meet their every need. Quite often buyers will allow their heart to rule their head when on viewings, so these factors above are good to bare in mind as they will assist the purchasers to choose their new home in a practical and sensible manner.