Brand new investment near St Lawrence Gap, south coast, Barbados

There’s a great party atmosphere at St Lawrence Gap which is the main strip for restaurants and nightlife and is the most developed area of the South Coast of Barbados.  I have visited St Lawrence Gap many times over the years and have seen some changes but it is still a laid back place with wonderful beaches.  I always head for Dover beach which is close by and patronise the many interesting restaurants within a short walking distance.   Here compared to the West coast, prices in restaurants seem to be more reasonable.
 
If you are lucky enough to be in St Lawrence Gap during the last week in April you can enjoy the Congaline Carnival where daily shows of mostly local music including soca, reggae, steelpan and calypso take place at Dover pasture.  If you are still there in May there is the May Day parade through Bridgetown to enjoy from the Garrison Savannah to the Spring Garden Highway.
 
The discerning purchaser is buying property in this area either for investment or for luxury vacations.  One four star development which is worth consideration is going to be situated in a peaceful location but not far from the activities taking place at St Lawrence Gap.   Those who purchase at pre-construction stage will reap the benefits of being able to choose between a one or two bedroom apartment with ocean views.  Full details about this particular development will be listed on my web site soon.
 
Keep watching!
 
Eugenie

Jazz Time in St Lucia

Upon my visits to St Lucia, I have never been fortunate enough to be there during the Jazz Festival.  This May there will be many distinguished musicians, vocalists and performers including Michael Bolton, Air Supply and Anita Baker.  This festival is an internationally acclaimed event encompassing acoustical jazz, new age jazz, fusion, rhythm and blues.

This scene is a far cry from the early 17th century when a group of Englishmen from a ship named the “Olive Branch” tried to set up a permanent colony but many were killed by Carib Indians within a few weeks.  Efforts by both the British and French to colonize the island of St Lucia proved abortive until the second half of the 17th Century.

The last transfer of power at the end of the Napoleonic wars left St Lucia in British hands and slaves were emancipated in 1836.  By the 20th century, St Lucia was finally granted self government by the West Indies Act of 1967.

Today, whilst St Lucia still remains agricultural with bananas being the most important crop, there are many sporting activities as well as traditional jazz music and tempting restaurants with excellent local cuisine.

Situated between Martinique and St Vincent, this lovely island has some of the best scenery in the Caribbean with white sandy beaches, rugged green jungles and undulating agricultural land.  It has a decidedly French atmosphere and many of the place names are French, from the capital Castries, to Vieux Fort on the southern tip of the island.

There are some lovely new developments presently being built on marinas for the keen yachtsman, and golf for the golf enthusiast on this beautiful island and for those discerning purchasers who would like to ‘live the dream’ and indulge in a change of lifestyle either for permanent living or exotic holidays, I have full details so don’t hesitate to blog.

Eugenie

Espana por favor

Twenty years ago I discovered a corner of the coast, East of Malaga on the Costa del sol, Southern Spain missed by so many in favour of West of Malaga.  I was to work in that particular area for many years and never became tired of the beauty of the then little fishing village of Nerja and the spectacular rugged coastline which was unspoiled by buildings at that time.

Driving along the coastline heading in the direction of Malaga from Almeria, the twisting winding coastal road suddenly takes a turning, just past the little Spanish village of Maro and the Nerja caves and opens up into lush vegetation and abundant breasted green hills. 

Glancing to the right, one can see the remains of an old Sugar Factory with tall chimneys silhouetted against the back drop of the Almijara mountains, long forgotten and ready to be replaced by a leisure complex or golf course.

Since the time I worked there, Nerja has discovered tourism and is much different now from the little fishing village I once knew but I have left behind many happy villa owners, some residing permanently in the area and those who have settled in admirably by learning Spanish and mixing with the friendly Spanish people – others have bought property to use as a holiday home and some purely for investment to rent out.

I can recall some very happy times whilst accompanying my clients to Nerja on inspection trips and twenty years ago, inspection trips were a good idea as many people were unfamiliar with Spain and needed a guiding hand through the often bewildering process of purchasing a property.

I often think and wonder about all those people I accompanied on trips who became friends, and looking back over those years, I realise how much I enjoyed the job of helping them to start another life or to choose a property to enjoy for holidays. I shall be recalling some of the funny happenings that took place on those trips, so any Nerja villa owners out there whom I sold to over those years - watch this space.

All for now

Eugenie

Condo Hotels come to Europe

Whilst on a long flight to Barbados recently, upon glancing through the inflight magazine, one particular article grabbed my attention, about the concept of owning a hotel room on a 999 year lease and letting the Hotel Management run it.  A surprisingly simple idea for investors seeking a hassle free investment.

Condo hotels have been popular in areas such as Miami, Las Vegas and New York for twenty years, but I must admit I hadn’t heard about this brilliant idea until I took time to read about the concept during my flight.

People can buy a hotel room or suite for personal use and rent it to hotel guests when not using it and it is rented out usually on a rotational system through the hotel pooling system.  The hotel takes a share of the rental income and is responsible for the maintenance.   It is possible also to purchase a condo hotel off plan.

This idea is proving extremely popular in Central London by investors who have a place to stay for virtually no outlay.   I must delve more into this as I believe there are other advantages such as rooms being eligible for inclusion in SIPPs (self-invested personal pensions) allowing investors to benefit from tax- free returns on both their income and capital growth.

I will shortly be adding condo-hotels to my listings on the ESI property web site so that anyone interested will be able to learn more about this brilliant idea.

Eugenie

Recession need not be all bad

Having been in the business of marketing overseas property for twenty years, I rode out the recession in the early nineties without even realising it had happened.

It was a very good time for investors and also for those in the business of selling property in a strictly honest way and with some compassion for those who were having to sell their properties because they couldn’t afford to keep them any more.

Many villa owners I had sold to overseas prior to the recession came to me to ask me to sell their villas and to try to get a reasonable price for them, and I did my best, as although prices had taken a dip, the properties had risen in price to a certain extent since they had bought them, and in some cases owners still made a profit.

For those villa owners who could still afford to keep their property and ride out the recession, it was not a bad thing, as eventually prices went up and today they are still reaping the benefits.

In Florida USA there are many ‘distressed properties’ on the market at this time, some commercial and some residential and so for the investor, the time of recession can prove to be a good time.

I am pleased to see in an article in one of the American Real Estate magazines that Realtors are doing their best to try to help the people who are not able to keep their homes by offering any alternatives which may suit their particular needs.

Times of recession can be good for those business people who are honest and handle their business in a professional manner, as recessions always weed out the dishonest and unprofessional people in business, leaving the way forward for those who are hardworking, experienced and dedicated in what they do.

Eugenie

Safe Buying abroad – stick to one overseas property professional

So many people make the mistake of trawling through endless web sites searching for that elusive overseas property, but unfortunately many Estate Agents, Developers and private individuals do not have the necessary qualifications, background or expertise, and as a result the whole business of buying a property abroad, instead of a pleasure becomes a nightmare.

It is not necessary for this to happen as long as you stick to one overseas property professional who will guide you through the whole procedure in a trouble free manner.  However, it is essential that you check whether they have qualifications to sell property in the country of your choice and a good track record.  For instance I am a Certified International Property Specialist and to earn the CIPS designation it is necessary to complete rigorous coursework devoted to learning cultural differences and international business practices.  It is also necessary to prove achievement in international real estate transactions.

I hope you will take time to view the ten minute safe buying video below.  During my interview in this video I have pointed out the pitfalls and also the best ways of going about buying abroad.   Although this video was filmed in Spain, the advice given applies to most countries.

video: Safe Buying

You can join a dedicated inspection trip to view properties as mentioned in the video but it is important you have done your homework and have your finances in place.  Alternatively, as long as you are dealing with a qualified overseas property specialist in the UK, you should take their advice when they recommend an Estate Agent in the country of your choice as you can be sure they will be reputable and you should not be tempted to wander around unknown Estate Agents which can end up in disaster.

Comments welcomed

Eugenie

Sophisticated St Kitts and Little Nevis – Jewels of the Caribbean

My first experience when visiting St Kitts and Little Nevis was during a sea voyage round the various Caribbean Islands.  I considered these two islands to be among the most desirable areas in the Caribbean.  The history is fascinating and I learned that when Columbus discovered St Kitts in 1493, he liked it so much that he decided to name the island after himself and the saint – Christopher, but 130 years later it was renamed by Sir Thomas Warner as St Kitts and that name still remains.  The British and French fought for a long time for control of the islands but eventually the British finally took over and sugar plantations appeared on the scene.

Today St Kitts is a beautiful island, as I discovered during my stop over and remains unspoiled thanks to a sensible policy of controlled development.  The population of the island are determined to keep it that way.  Basseterre meaning “low land” in French is the capital town with approximately 15,000 population where a delightful market is held regularly. I was fascinated when wandering up the side streets to find tiny shops offering original hand made jewellery – simple but decorative pieces made of shell or bone.  I was fascinated too by the sandy beaches, ruined forts, old colonial style mansions as well as a selection of modern hotels, water sports and golf facilities. A further delight during my visit was ‘eating out’.  The seafood is fantastic especially lobster, crab, sea urchin, turtle, stewed, fried, baked or grilled and served with various interesting sauces.  Of course, meat and poultry dishes were equally as tempting.  Life for people lucky enough to live in this paradise is of the highest quality.

Did you know that Lord Horatio Nelson was involved in a whirlwind romance with Fanny Nisbet while his ship was berthed off-shore on the island of Nevis.  He married her in Fig Tree village church when she had no idea at all that he would become Britain’s greatest ever naval commander.  Since then Nevis has long been the hideaway vacation ground of the rich and famous.  Nevis is also known as the “Queen of the Caribbees”, part of the Leeward Islands in the West Indies.  I was lucky enough to visit this Island which lies two miles south of St Kitts by Catamaran and enjoyed a pleasant picnic on the beach followed by swimming in the clear blue sea.  I learned that eco-tourism is an important part of this island’s industry.  There are nature trails for hiking, horseback riding, biking and facilities for tennis and golf.  There are a number of shops, museums and historical sites.

More on other islands in the Caribbean to follow in future blogs and welcome comments from other bloggers about their experiences in these beautiful islands.

Eugenie