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 »

Buying your second or third homes are not just happening in the Caribbean.  We have now discovered that many of our clients are buying in Italy, too.

Timbers Resorts, a leader in the emerging category of luxury, boutique resorts are completing the final work on beautifully restored and reconstructed farmhouse villas on 4,200 acres in the Tuscan region of Italy near Siena.  For those who are wanting to enjoy the Tuscan lifestyle, Castello di Casole  is a five-star luxury resort and Read the rest of this entry »

Who’s Who In Luxury Real Estate International Conference - Paris, France.  Day-3 - final two sessions.

The last day of the Luxury Real Estate International - Paris Conference  was focused on current and future technology critical to the international real estate community, and what are some concepts for exit strategies for selling a real estate company.

Victor Lund, one of the partners of the WAV Group, was the presenter on technology tools and trends. The research he did for this presentation was impressive.  I would recommend you visit their website  and learn more about the services they provide real estate companies around the world.  I had several discussions with Victor and his fellow partners about how the success of Caribbean Islands Realty  can even be expanded.

John Brian Losh  was the facilitator for the last two sessions of the conference. The first session was about how one valuates a Brokerage, and if one is ready to retire or move on to a new adventure how can it be sold. There was a very lively discussion on this topic. Several of the comments from the participants were focused on they could not imagine retiring. There is something unique about owning a real estate company that allows one to serve clients as long as one is able and is still finding it a satisfying and profitable experience.

Mr. Losh wrapped up the conference with a time of reflecting on the profitable ideas that we will be taking back to our real estate businesses. There was a LONG list of ideas and tools that will be serving all of us in 2009.  Some of my final thoughts from the Paris conference were:

• Some of my personal take aways from the Paris conference are focused on the extraordinary quality of the LRE members. Meeting new LRE friends and expanding friendships with those I already new was worth the price of admission.
• Each of us have unique businesses, and very specific local real estate markets in the as part of the Luxury Real Estate international membership. One can gather all the latest greatest “stuff” for our businesses, however the bottom line is it still is all about personal relationships. People do business with people they trust and actually enjoy working with.
• The ultimate power of the Luxury Real Estate network is still generally untapped. The more relationships we have within Who’s Who In Luxury Real Estate the more we are able to leverage our global real estate services and sell more properties.

From Australia to Poland, my real estate businesses have been expanded because of my participation in this important international conference in Paris.  AND…did we have some amazing fun in Paris exploring restaurants, and even some fun cave vin bars.  Actually, the fellowship time was where the long lasting effects of the Paris conference will benefit all of the delegates.  My next adventure was to Geneva after Paris.  Stay tuned…more to come.

Who’s Who In Luxury Real Estate International Conference - Paris, France.  Day-2 - all day seminars and networking opportunities.

After Wednesday night’s cocktail reception and formal dinner, the real work of the Luxury Real Estate  Paris Conference began.  With delegates from 14 countries in attendance - from Australia to Poland, Day-2 of the conference focused on how we can expand our real estate company networks in order to create a more global presence in each of our local markets.  The Hotel du Louvre  was the perfect venue for the work of the conference.  It was agreed by the delegates that the international members have barely scratched the surface of what is possible when all of us expand our sharing of information, experiences, and our luxury listings.

Day 2 of the Paris conference opened with John Brian Losh  welcoming the delegates from 14 countries. What an impressive group of professionals who have come together to share their best ideas.  The 60 delegates had the opportunity to introduce themselves and give a brief assessment as to the condition of their real estate markets given the world economic crisis. It was again a reminder that ALL real estate is local. We also had the chance to highlight one or two of our top listings that may be of interest to a room of Realtors from around the world.

Day 2:  The first conference session was titled Your International Marketing Plan - Marketing Your Listings Abroard.  Michael Audet  from the WAV Group was the moderator, with myself - owner of Caribbean Islands Realty , Olivia Hsu Decker - owner of Decker Bullock Sotheby’s International Realty - California, USA, and John Brian Losh  - founder and president of Who’s Who In Luxury Real Estate, Seattle, Washington, as the panel members.  The second session of the conference was titled Developing Your Global Brand - Perspectives From International Companies.  Marilyn Wilson  from the WAV Group was the moderator, with myself,  Ann Chiasson  - owner of Sea to Sky Premier Properties - Whistler, Canada,  and Ole Jespersen  - owner of IRG International Realty Group, Portugal.  Some of the highlights that were a part of the open discussion were;

• In the midst of the global economic crisis we need to change/adapt or die.
• Personal relationships are still the key to serving our customers at the highest levels.
• The Internet is merely the beginning of connecting to people - but it is THE critical tool to master given how people want to start a relationship with a Realtor.
• Make sure your business is leading with revenue regarding any financial decisions. Running out of money is why good businesses close their doors. Cash is KING.
• The business and marketing tools provided to the Luxury Real Estate membership are vast in order to assist all of us in the expansion of our businesses. The key is for each of us to understand what they are and then implement them.

The day ended with me having pages of notes, and a significant expansion of my professional and personal global network.  It has already opened many new doors for the marketing of our Caribbean real estate projects.  We then enthusiastically moved on to the nightlife of Paris.  Until my next report…fair winds!

London to Paris for the start of the Luxury Real Estate International Paris Conference at the Hotel du Louvre.

I took the EuroStar  train from London directly to Paris and a taxi to the conference hotel - Hotel du Louvre.  What a civilized and efficient transportation system Europe has.  I arrive a day early in Paris so I could do more walking in this city that I love so much.  And, it was 33F degrees the entire day!  I am again reminded that I don’t like being cold.  My destination was the Notre Dame.  It is a place I visit each time I am in Paris, not only for the overwhelming beauty, but to light candles for my family members who have died.  It was inspiring to walk in and have the enormity of this architectual miracle overwhelm me.

Wednesday the 21st excitement began with cocktails and the formal welcome dinner for the 60 luxury real estate delegates from 14 different countries.  Caribbean Islands Realty  is a member of “Who’s Who In Luxury Real Estate”,  and the president of LRE, asked if I would participate in two of the panel discussions.  The panel topics were creating a global brand for your real estate company, and what are the most effective methods of successfully marketing luxury properties internationally.  I was honored to be a delegate and a contributor.

During the cocktail party each of the world markets represented had unique perspectives as to how the world’s economic meltdown is effecting their bottom line profits,  remembering that all real estate is local.  And, there are markets that are still thriving and markets that are in dire straights.

It was refreshing to bring the news of what is happening with Caribbean real estate to the group - it is holding it’s own in the midst of chaos.  There are pockets of healthy activity and there are some regions that are a mess,  However, after listening to other company’s real estate updates, the Caribbean is blessed to still be in such a desirable location. 

As I mentioned in my last posting, Caribbean fractional sales  are carrying the current Caribbean real estate markets!  The purchases are generally all cash with the remaining Buyers securing some type of private financing. There are still some real bargains that you may want to check out.  Until next time… your Caribbean Realtor is one duty in Europe, and he is very cold.  Contact me  anytime for more information today!

I was invited to speak at the Luxury Real Estate International Conference in Paris this month.  London was my first stop.

We are spoiled with 85F degree weather in the Caribbean almost 365 days a year!  Europe in January is COLD.  The Who’s Who In Luxury Real Estate’s  4^th Annual International Conference was this month in Paris, and I was invited to be one of the presenters.  Before the conference I traveled to London for a few days visiting one of the ten families that make up my “European family”.  It is amazing to step into the pace of Europe with London as the first stop.  It is one fast paced city!

My time in London was generally walking this beautiful city - from Buckingham Palace  and Hyde Park,  to the museums and art galleries.  Another reason why I was in London was to meet with one of the partners of Deloitte - an international consulting firm for the top corporations of the world.  My friend is in charge of their international real estate division.  My meeting was to gather information regarding his view of what is predicted for Caribbean real estate markets in the midst of the global financial meltdown.  It was a very insightful hour with him.

What we are seeing the past six months in Caribbean real estate sales is an abrupt slow down in sales that require a mortgage.  And, the European buyers have almost disappeared.  If you recall the Russians started showing up last year in the Caribbean and they are no longer visible.  The real estate product that is predicted to thrive is the Fractional Deeded Ownerships, and the Residence Club products.  The HOT market is expected to continue in the Dominican Republic.  It was very useful to have this conversation given that we have already noticed these trends.

No matter what the economic conditions in the world we will still figure out a way to make lemonade out of lemons regarding real estate sales.  Until my next report…fair winds.

People are still focused on purchasing a piece of Paradise, even though the world credit crisis continues.  Fractionals continue to be one of the most popular ways to enjoy the Caribbean experience!

The world’s credit crisis has yet to slow down the sales of Caribbean fractional resorts.  The reason is that most of them are purchased for cash without the need for a real estate loan.  And, the mix of Buyers are still mainly from the U.S. markets - Chicago to Boston, and New York to Florida.  The people purchasing fractionals are 80% from the U.S. and 15% from England and Europe.  The remaining numbers are from Canada and South America.

You will recall from a past article about the amazing condo franctional purchases at Los Altos  in the Dominican Republic.  This super luxury complex consisting of 2 and 3 bedroom Caribbean-style condominiums was completed less than a year ago, and it is selling like hot cakes!  It is located in the world-class Casa de Campo resort.  It is Casa de Campo’s only condo project.   Los Altos combines the romance of a tranquil Caribbean getaway with the ultimate in rustic luxury.  Los Altos looks over the internationally renowned Dye Fore golf course and is located adjacent to the inviting and exciting Altos de Chavon Village with its collection of shops, restaurants and cultural events.

The typical Caribbean fractional and/or luxury real estate club sell a 1/8th to 1/12th interest in the property.  The many benefits include the management company for rentals when you are not able to visit your Caribbean get-a-way, and the maintenance of the luxury resort.  At Los Altos a 2-bedroom, 2.5-bath luxury condo starts at US$175,000, fully furnished for a 1/8th share of the ownership.  That is approximately six weeks a year at your very own luxury resort on one of my favorite destinations, the Dominican Republic.  Let me know  if you want more information on the many Caribbean fractional ownership opportunities in Paradise.