During our work the past years in serving Buyers interested in owning a Caribbean fractional  as their way of owning a piece of Paradise, Marriott International  has been a major player.  They recently announced that they are closing down their development of Caribbean fractionals and residence-club products.  Their decision to pull back from this very attractive real estate product is not a surprise.  All of Marriott International’s fractional, residence club and time-share business earned only $632 million in the first six months of 2009, compared to $863 million in the same period last year for the same division of the company.  

The other two major players in this division of worldwide real estate product, Wyndham Worldwide Corporation  and Starwood Hotes & Resorts Worldwide, are now being watched to see if they will scale back their Caribbean fractional projects because of falling sales and the loan products drying up for this type real estate.  ( You may recall from earlier articles that almost half of the fractionals purchased in the Caribbean were all-cash purchases.)  I do expect announcements soon from Wyndham and Starwood. Read the rest of this entry »

FIABCI contacted me before their annual conference held at the Ritz Carlton  in Denver, Colorado to see if I would be a presenter on the topic of Blogging As A Lead Generation Machine.  I was surprised and honored with their invitation and accepted immediately.  The FIABCI – Denver conference was made up of real estate professionals from around the world sharing their best ideas for serving the needs of their international Buyers and Sellers. FIABCI – The International Real Estate Federation, has been serving the real estate needs of the world for almost 60 years.  It is the special consultant to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations Organisation (ECOSOC).  With five official languages and real estate practitioners representing all of the professions ( e.g. appraisal, brokerage, counseling, financing, property management, and development),  it is a business association with members in 65 countries giving access to more than 2 million real estate related contacts around the world. Read the rest of this entry »

Last week was the 14^th Annual Who’s Who In Luxury Real Estate Fall Conference in Bachelor Gulch, Colorado.  The headquarters of the conference was at the Ritz Carlton.  Membership in this organization is by invitation-only.  Jim Walberg and Caribbean Islands Realty were invited to join this prestigious international real estate group in 2007.  The Fall conference is the annual event which allows for the member-Brokers to gather at luxury locations in the United States to exchange ideas that are creating the best results in their various marketplaces.  Jim Walberg was a guest presenter at the conference for the fifth straight conference. Read the rest of this entry »

Jim Walberg’s  friend, Tom, just completed a move to the Caribbean this month.  Over the past ten years there have been several of Jim’s friends who he has assisted with the transition from the Mainland to the Islands.  The results have been a mixed bag.  Each had surprises and disappointments.  All of them have had adventures of a life time.  One of the biggest hurdles has been changing the pace of their daily lives.  It is unbelievable the length of our “To Do Lists”, and supposed amenities that we seem to require back on the mainland.

Tom showed up in St. Thomas on August 11^th after selling all he didn’t want to bring with him to St. Thomas.  He ended a successful career in the world of home mortgages and decided it was time to act out a life long dream.  Six months ago Tom and I started exploring what it would be like to completely change his life and move to the Caribbean.  Tom decided he wanted a job in St. Thomas in order to accelerate his entrance into a completely different life.  Below are some of the keys that I shared with Tom regarding what it takes to move to Paradise.  After you review my suggestions, I welcome any of your experiences. Read the rest of this entry »

There are 25 Caribbean countries that Jim Walberg  follows relating to their real estate economic trends.  The trends he follows includes Caribbean fractionals, villas, townhomes and condos.  In spite of the current global economic crisis there are international real estate markets that are still thriving.  Remember, all real estate is local.  Four of the locations in the Caribbean that are thriving are the Dominican Republic,  Belize, U.S. Virgin Islands, and Dominica.  There is an amazing amount of cash that continues to sit on the sidelines waiting for smart values in the world of international real estate.  The Caribbean is one of those locations where the cash is being spent.  Read the rest of this entry »

There are possibilities of hurricanes every year in the Caribbean, it is just a matter of when which islands they will hit. If your mind-set is OK about living in a region of the world with the possibility of hurricanes, then the time to buy is during hurricane season – July through October.  This is the “slow time” for Caribbean real estate, and it is the time when the smart international bargain hunters show up.

In my 30+ years of experiencing the Caribbean during July through October I have never experienced a hurricane while on-island or sailing   That is not to say they are storms to be taken lightly, but I would rather deal with a hurricane than an earthquake.  Hurricane warnings are so sophisticated that you are given several weeks to watch the storm’s progress as you decide what to do about you and your property.  There is no warning about an earthquake.  Can you believe that we live and have real estate offices in both of these parts of the world?  We wouldn’t change a thing! Read the rest of this entry »

Jim Walberg’s 2009 real estate predictions during the Caribbean Hurricane Season are ready for your review.  It is the BEST time to buy real estate, because it is considered the “off-season” for people visiting the Caribbean.

The “slow season” in the Caribbean is connected to the start and finish of the official hurricane season – June 1^st to November 30^th.  There are many people who live in the Caribbean only six months a year and move off-island June 1^st.  In addition, the crewed charter yacht industry typically end their charter season near the end of June.  There are a few yachts that charter all the way through August, but is it rare.  AND, it is my favorite time of year to assist Buyers who want a piece of Paradise because there are always some great bargains. Read the rest of this entry »

The 13th Annual Webby Awards is the most respected symbol of successful internet sites.  Over 9,000 entries from all 50 states and over 60 countries worldwide were submitted for review!

The news just arrived that Luxury Real Estate was awarded 2009 Webby Award Honoree  recognition this week in the Real Estate category – for excellent “content, structure and navigation, visual design, functionality, interactivity and overall experience”! Read the rest of this entry »

Jim Walberg, from Caribbean Islands Realty,  will be joining Michael Marquette of Marquette Turner in Australia, Jon Larrance, from Denver, Colorado, and Bruce Hiatt from Las Vegas, on a panel moderated by Victor Lund of the WAV Group to discuss “The Power of Social Networking”.

Luxury Real Estate’s 7^th Annual Spring Conference  is in Las Vegas this month.  Every year the Luxury Real Estate group meets to discuss the latest trends in their niche market, and brainstorm cutting-edge marketing techniques. There will be approximately 200 of the top real estate professionals from around the world gathering to learn and share their latest successful tools.  Given that the communication world is at galactic speed with the use of FaceBook, Twitter, Blogging, and LinkedIn, it is critical for professionals to either master these tools are be left in the dust. Read the rest of this entry »

Another of Jim Walberg’s (YouTube)  picks for pure luxury in the Caribbean is the Cayman Islands and the Wyndham Grand Bay Waterford!  This Residence Club resort was just added to The Registry Collection!!!

There are a couple of other parts of the Caribbean that are missed with those who want a piece of Paradise.  One of those special places is the Cayman Islands.  The Wyndham Grand Bay Waterford  is one of my favorite luxurious choices that you can find in the Caribbean.  The Cayman Islands are not noted for the sailing experience that I love, however if you love mash potato coral sand beaches and breathtaking SCUBA diving these are the islands for you. Read the rest of this entry »