History

It was May 10th 1503 when Columbus discovered Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.  Whilst sailing from Panama to Hispaniola strong winds prevailed forcing his ship to go off course west.  The ship’s log recorded “we were in sight of two very small islands, full of tortoise, as was the sea about, inasmuch as they looked like little rocks”.  This was the reason that at that time Columbus named the islands ‘Las Tortugas’ but the name of the islands was later changed.

When Jamaica was captured from the Spanish by Oliver Cromwell’s army the islands officially became part of the British Empire under the Treaty of Madrid in 1670, after which Spain recognised British possession of all lands, islands, colonies and places situated in the West Indies.

Today people visit the islands from all over the world, many buying land or property, which is not surprising when there is the opportunity to live and spend time on a remote island swimming, snorkelling and diving off white sandy beaches.

Music

For music lovers, the Cayman National Cultural Foundation established in 1984 promotes Cayman folk music, including the organisation of festivals e.g. The Cayman JazzFest, Seafarers Festival and Cayfest.  The Cayman JazzFest founded in 2004 is a well-known Jazz Festival.  The Cayman Music and Entertainers Association represent local musicians’ interests and professional studios such as Hopscotch Studios offer recording and post production services.  Bona Fide are local popular musicians.

Advantageous Tax Regulations

The Cayman Islands impose very few forms of taxation upon its people.  This holds true for its foreign investors as well.  With regard to Cayman property ownership, the Cayman Islands assess no regular property taxes or capital gains taxes.  There is also no tax due to the Cayman Island’s Government for other income derived from Cayman Real Estate investment such as rent or dividends.

Ideal investment – St James Place, Little Cayman

St James Place is a small luxury 16 lot development and a great investment for the discerning purchaser with a 0% interest free payment plan over 5 years and tax free.  Details can be seen by clicking  the property for sale section on our web site together with brief information about other interesting opportunities.

For fuller comprehensive information contact us by email

Until next time…

Eugenie

Andalucia

I have visited the Alhambra many times and never cease to be impressed by the majestic towers, castle ramparts, beautiful gardens and wonderful palaces;  a maze of visual delights.

For 780 years this part of Spain was in Moorish hands.  Granada was their capital and the Alhambra their fortress.  Alhambra means ‘the red castle’ and is built on a steep hill of woods and gardens and, in some ways, is quite similar to Edinburgh Castle with its total command over the surrounding area.

Ferdinand and Isabella wrested the castle from Boabdil, the last Moorish King in 1492, the year Columbus discovered America.  Over the centuries, the general aspect of the Alhambra has changed quite a lot.  In its heyday it had no less than 30 grand towers but Charles V pulled some of them down to make way for his palace.  Napoleon blew up eight more and an ‘Act of God’ (an earthquake) was the cause of some others.

Inside are richly decorated walls and ceilings with aesthetic geometric designs and delicate reliefs, lovely archways and countless fountains.  The names in the Alhambra conjure up intriguing romantic visions:  Court of the Sultana, Tower of the Witches, Gate of Justice, Court of the Myrtles, Hall of the Two Sisters, Tower of the Fair Captive, Court of the Lions… it goes on and on.

Other attractions are the beautiful 16th century cathedral containing the royal jewels and tombs of Spain’s greatest rulers, The monastery of St Jerome and the caves at Sacromonte, where gypsies entertain with music and dancing.

Over the years I have sold many properties in the surrounding areas of Granada to people from all walks of life and all are fortunate enough to be able to visit this magnificent place to enjoy The Alhambra and Generalife again and again.

Until next time,

Eugenie

The days of timeshare with it’s attendant problems are now fading away.  Fractional ownership is fast taking its place and has been around for a very long time, but it was only the very wealthy up until recently who have taken advantage of fractional ownership in luxury yachts etc.  Therefore, it is perceived to be more classy than timeshare.

Within the property sector this type of ownership is booming, mainly because those people who originally thought about buying holiday homes no longer want the trouble and expense of owning real estate they can only use for a few weeks at a time, and in these days of recession could depreciate in value.  They are seeking the value, equity and other benefits associated with property ownership and are finding this by investing in fractional ownership as it comes in the form of fractional real estate.

The similarity to timeshare is that you can stay in an apartment or town house for an agreed period every year, but unlike timeshare, you own a freehold share in the property.  Owners receive a fractional interest in perpetuity.

Fractional ownership of a yacht

Owning a yacht is beyond the pockets of most people, not only because of the initial outlay in purchasing the yacht but because of increasing annual costs of mooring, maintenance, insurance etc, not to mention the fact that the yacht is very often only used for a few weeks of the year.

Through fractional ownership, however, it is possible to enjoy pride of ownership without all the headaches and ongoing expense.  The annual fee pays for the crew, the maintenance and the management leaving you to enjoy cruising at its finest.

Contact us for details whether you wish to learn more about fractional ownership on a yacht, houseboat or in a luxury condo hotel in Disney World Florida.

Until next time,

Eugenie

The system whereby a Real Estate Agent places a property or development on their listings is difficult, as they cannot be expected to inject the amount of finance into the selling of upmarket properties on an individual basis.  This is where specialist targeted marketing comes into play.  Unfortunately, however, there are not many  companies who have the expertise in marketing overseas property combined with the very latest technology.

The current system whereby Real Estate Agents are not paid a commission until completion of sale is not fair to either them or the client, as the necessary amount of individual effort cannot possibly be made by the Agent on behalf of the client.  Therefore, agents are not motivated as they are expected to carry out a great deal of unpaid work with no reward unless a sale is made.  This is particularly hard in the case of selling upmarket luxury properties and developments during these difficult times.

It could be argued that there are some unscrupulous marketing companies who could take a fee for marketing and do very little, but on the other hand, a good experienced marketing company belonging to reputable governing bodies will charge a cost effective fee and put together a targeted realistic marketing package for each individual client.  This works well as we have experienced, having sold properties which have been on the market for years with an initial input from the owner or developer making all the difference.

Contact us for further information,

Eugenie

Eugenie Smith International Website

Property ideal for golf and horse riding

I sold this villa to the existing owners several years ago and they are now reluctantly selling due to ill-health.  The previous owner was Peter Maddocks, the well-known Fleet Street cartoonist.

Full details are available by contacting us and brief details are below:

Keen horse lovers or golfers will find this property particularly attractive as the property is situated close by to many of the best golf courses in the area including Lauro Golf and Alhaurin Golf.  For horse lovers, the orchard could be divided into three paddocks or two paddocks and a menage.

The villa is set amongst beautiful tropical gardens, well maintained and all terraces, drive and the pool area have lighting.  There are beautiful terraces and an outside covered dining area with bar and BBQ.

The very large two bed self-contained apartment is ideal for summer vacation rentals or for elderly relatives as it is on one level and no stairs.

For luxury living, the discerning purchaser would be well advised to visit this unique villa of character set in Spain’s most beautiful countryside and yet not far from the coast.

Please contact me for further details and to arrange a viewing.

Until next time…

Eugenie

Located in an historical town, the resort includes 80% of all the properties in the town – situated less then one hour from the capital city, the airport and the beaches, this resort is perfect for the new owner to place his own individual brand and renovate some of the properties to fit in with his ideas.

Having spent many years visiting the most intriguing country villages throughout Spain, I feel this opportunity will capture the imagination of anyone who would like to live and work in a totally relaxed environment, as the resort is active and working at full capacity as a country resort and has a fine corporate image, restaurant, and tourist activity programmes.

Exceptionally well priced at just one million, one hundred Euros.

Full information and pics are available to interested parties.

all for now

Eugenie

Because we have been in the business of International Marketing for over twenty years, we have many contacts in the finance world and we are now able to assist large organisations needing capital infusion for their projects from US$600million to US$5billion.  The process provides the capital needed as a grant and the client, therefore, has no repayment obligation but the Trust based in Switzerland only looks at projects with at least 10% – 20% projected cost capitalisation.  The trust is connected at the senior corporate level to one of the world’s largest multi-national private wealth management firms and client meetings and account set up are done under the auspices of this firm.

We are able, of course, to source funding at lower levels to suit developers and companies in various parts of the world but it is important to note the criteria.

a)  a sizeable cash injection must be in place by the company/ developer showing his commitment to the project.

b)  the developer or company must have experience in the project he is dealing with.

Contact us for further details

Until next time

Eugenie

Having had the pleasure of visiting  St Kitts and Nevis,  I have sampled the beauty of these lovely islands – a perfect environment in which to build either residential or commercial property.  Commercial zones are strategically located to service and support the various resort and residential phases of the development.  Residential plots will be offered in phases in a range of sizes to suit a wide market, some from 10 acres upwards.

The development will  commence with the exclusive villa development consisting of twelve prime villa lots situated on the Caribbean coast.  These lots are for sale at introductory prices but these prices will be increased with the completion of the infrastructure and landscaping, the turnover of sales and commencement of villa development.

Infrastructure is underway and will be completed by mid September 2010.

A great opportunity for the discerning purchaser in a paradise island.  Also see my blog Sophisticated St Kitts and Little Nevis – Jewels of the Caribbean

For further information and current prices contact us

Until next time

Eugenie