Personal thoughts from within the Luxury Real Estate network
Courtesy of: LuxuryRealEstate.com
LuxuryRealEstate.com is proud to introduce our new member in Toronto, Canada.
With over a decade of real estate experience while working with multiple top producing teams, Mr. Jose Arias has gained both the knowledge and expertise in all aspects of buying and selling real estate (from condominiums to luxury homes, to include commercial and investment properties.)
Jose systematically uses a straight-forward approach while dealing with his demanding clients to ensure they are absolutely confident and informed when making their real estate decisions. To further meet his clients’ needs, he has also produced a catalogue of privately owned, furnished condo units & homes in the Downtown Toronto area via www.LuxuryCityResidences.com & www.FurnishedSuitesToronto.com . All such real estate opportunities are professionally decorated while using quality furnishings that are both contemporary and sophisticated.
For more information regarding Mr. Jose Arias’ (with Sutton Group - Bayview Realty Inc.) portfolio of luxury properties, please feel free to visit http://www.torontocityresidences.com and/or contact him directly at jarias@sutton.com .
About Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate:
Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate is an invitation only network representing the best luxury real estate firms and professionals from around the world. Each affiliated member is carefully selected to represent his/her market area. Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate also hosts the industry leading Website www.LuxuryRealEstate.com (a 2009 Webby Award Honoree).
Courtesy of: Carina Sousa of IRG International Realty Group
Christie’s Great Estates hosted this year’s premiere luxury real estate conference, from 14th to 16th October 2009, for owners and senior management. International executives gathered in Boston to converse about housing market data, social media trends, industry best practices, and much more.
Ole Jespersen, owner of IRG International Realty Group (exclusive affiliate of Christie’s Great Estates in Portugal), participated in the Boston conference. He commented: “The results and figures shown are great in these times. This shows the strength of the top end independent brokers’ ability to link extremely expensive product to the very few clients around the globe based on our relationship with Christie’s. Remember, we are not franchise holders – we are owner brokers with a real connection with the world’s largest auction house – and it creates results!"
At the conference, Ole Jespersen gave a speech to the 150 participants from around the world about “Social Media in Marketing”.
About IRG International Realty Group
IRG International Realty Group is one of the leading international brokerage companies in Portugal and specializes in sales of Portuguese high-end and luxury residential real estate. IRG is the exclusive affiliate in Portugal of Christie’s Great Estates, a worldwide real estate network and subsidiary of the world’s oldest auction house, Christie’s. IRG’s Head Office is located in the prestigious Avenida da Liberdade in the heart of Lisbon and there are also boutique offices in Quinta do Lago in the Algarve, Estoril, Funchal in Madeira and in Kensington, London, United Kingdom. www.irgportugal.com
Courtesy of: Rodophe Chayla with R. CHAYLA Immobilier
Un an après le tournage de l'émission "House Hunters International" (voir le billet du 19/09/2008), l'émission a été diffusée sur la chaine américaine HGTV.
After months of waiting patiently for my TV debut to be aired it finally happened on the 25th October! I think the end result was worth the wait and although lots of the filming was cut the directors got some excellent footage of Carcassonne, Limoux and the surrounding area which looked stunning…….Enjoy!
Courtesy of: LuxuryRealEstate.com
LuxuryRealEstate.com is proud to introduce our new member in Marbella, Spain.
HANSA REALTY is one of the leading companies specializing in high quality real estate. It has exclusively build up and established the German real estate franchise company Engel & Völkers at the Costa del Sol in Spain from 2005 to 2009. HANSA REALTY has become independent in 2009 and has already become a benchmark of the real estate market in southern Spain.
HANSA REALTY presents a wide selection of properties in every market alongside the coast line of Andalucia.
Its offices on the Costa del Sol provide its clients with a professional team which will advise them on market trends, prices and assist them in searching for the property they are looking for.
The capabilities of its highly competent multilingual team, a constant information update and collaboration with real estate agencies and Webs all over the world guarantee its success and market presence.
Whether clients want to rent or let, buy or sell, invest or develop a project – whether it’s a matter of acquiring land or a turnkey property, renovation or new construction, apartment, mansion or holiday home – its portfolio is extensive and high class.
Discretion as well as protecting the interests of its customers is a point of honour for the firm. Ultimately its brand’s success is also due to these values. HANSA REALTY firmly counts on innovation and co-operation, professionalism and reliability.
For more information regarding HANSA REALTY’s portfolio of luxury properties, please feel free to visit www.hansa-realty.com and/or contact info@hansa-realty.com.
About Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate:
Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate is an invitation only network representing the best luxury real estate firms and professionals from around the world. Each affiliated member is carefully selected to represent his/her market area. Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate also hosts the industry leading Website www.LuxuryRealEstate.com (a 2009 Webby Award Honoree).
Courtesy of: Paula Maia of O & O Property Collections
Located on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, with year round peerless light condition, and only 5 ½ hours from New York city, the Algarve is about to become the Hollywood of Europe.
Portugal offers a very favorable high quality/ low cost of living ratio; which added to the fact that it has topography of 40 states of America combined and yet is roughly the size of New Jersey, makes of this project every producer’s dream.
The Holding Picture Portugal is the newest addition to international cinema, commercials, video games, music videos, and audiovisual production centers. This ambitious project has been developed by the Portimão municipality and the renowned international Portuguese actor Joaquim de Almeida, and comprises the creation of 11 super modern new studios fitted out with state-of-the-art equipment.
The prevision is for two of the studios to be up and running by the end of 2010, and wheels have been set in motion for various film projects. Amongst the feature films already planned are: - “Femina” with the renowned Italian actress Sophia Loren as the leading actress, -“Mendes”, a film based on the life of a Portuguese consul who saved more Jews than Oskar Schindler during the Holocaust. The consul role will be played by Richard Gere. - Remake of “Le Mans” which have Brad Pitt, Penelope Cruz and Al Pacino in the leading roles,.
During the first phase, the plan is also to construct post-production areas for audio and video, an area for shooting outdoor scenes and a «water tank» - a specially adapted pool for underwater filming.
The cinema studios complex will include a media park as well as a fun park for the entire family, and the central theme will be “the history of cinema and the world of cars”.
Negotiations have been taking place with CBS Paramount and Universal for the film studios, and Lynn Ferro, vice-president of CBS, has been one of the main supporters of this striving project.
Courtesy of: Kristina L. Skalak of Handsome Properties, Inc.
Two realities have met— akin to a flood tide rushing into the marsh grass — and created an opportunity for a new business. The Lowcountry has been a magnet for the international set for hundreds of years, and today the business of real estate remains under the microscope of analysis, seeking new ideas.
Debbie Fisher, the broker-incharge of Handsome Properties, pulled the two together. Mrs. Fisher has created ties across “The Pond” by starting a new venture. It all resulted from Frédéric Raggio, the owner of French real estate company, admiring Handsome Properties’s current Web site. Mr. Raggio and his family have been involved in French and European real estate for many years. Although educated in the U.S., Mr. Raggio was born in St. Tropez and has lived in the South of France and Paris for many years. He speaks several languages and is even a trained pastry chef. Debbie Fisher tells us that Mr. Raggio appreciates diverse cultures, travel, food and, especially, high-end real estate.
Hence, it is no surprise why Debbie Fisher hired Mr. Raggio to manage Handsome Properties International, a division of Handsome Properties, Inc. They are going to represent many brokers in France, offering highend rentals and sales. Some of the properties that will be offered will include pied àterres in Paris, Old World vineyards, seaside villas and palatial estates. The sales prices range from 1 million to 20+ million Euros, and the rentals are upon request.
With Charleston’s sophistication and strong ties to Europe, the opportunity to expand horizons seems obvious, but doing it is another matter. Credit goes to Debbie Fisher for having the vision to pull this together. She believes many would jump at the opportunity to purchase a European escape if they felt the process were not too complicated. Therefore, Handsome Properties has made sure they have all the connections that they may need and an international real estate specialist. They also have an international team to guide clients through the process from beginning to end.
One of the major deciding factors and an added bonus in starting up this venture was that there would be reciprocity with the European brokers; these brokers are allowed and encouraged to advertise Handsome Properties’ current listings. Advertising is encouraged on their Web sites and in their print media. This would give European exposure to all of the firm’s current listings, which suits Americans as well as European buyers who recognize the opportunity that the U.S. presents at this time. The current global economic climate meets a strong Euro, and the combination provides a strong buying opportunity just when many are hoping to sell.
Time will tell exactly what this international package will do to increase sales activity in Charleston and put Charleston more firmly on the map for Europeans to visit and explore. Other real estate firms have dabbled in crossing the Atlantic, but this is the first time a local firm has put so much into the details of the process, so as to address potential complications early in the discussions.
Those interested may visit Handsome Properties’ new International Web site at www.handsomepropertiesinternational.com.
Courtesy of: LuxuryRealEstate.com
LuxuryRealEstate.com is proud to introduce our new member in St. James, Barbados.
Alleyne Real Estate is a family owned and operated company specializing in property sales, long term rentals, property management and luxury villa rentals on the island of Barbados. This authentic Barbadian company’s real estate roots date back 380 years. The family’s Barbadian heritage commenced in 1628 with the arrival of two Alleyne brothers, the sons of a vicar in Kent, England.
In 1970 Richie Alleyne entered the real estate world when he joined Lucas Realty, a firm owned and operated by Brickie and Pam Lucas. Four years later he and long-time friend Heather Aguilar joined forces to create their own real estate business and Alleyne & Aguilar Ltd was born.
Located at Rosebank in Derricks, St. James Alleyne & Aguilar was a first for the relatively youthful real estate industry on the islands West Coast. In the 1970s the Platinum Coast was flourishing and the destination of choice for the Worlds rich and famous, and a special favorite of the British elite. A&A (as it was affectionately known) was able to capitalize on the requirements of a growing market and the company went from strength to strength.
After brokering a sale of the Glitter Bay property in St. James for the Guinness family to a British investor, Richie diversified and became the managing director of Glitter Bay Ltd. a company that initiated and completed one of the first West Coast beachfront condominium developments. In the mid-1980s Richie and Heather sold their interests in A&A to Paul Altman and Richie focused his attention mainly on the hotel industry, becoming the managing director of the St. James Beach Hotels including Colony Club, Tamarind Cove and Coconut Creek. He remained in the hospitality industry for many years, simultaneously building his reputation while gaining experience as a property developer.
Richies wife Jenny also entered the real estate arena in the 1970s, working with her husband at Alleyne & Aguilar for many years. An entrepreneur at heart and a person with great spirit and drive, in 1986 Jenny formed her own real estate management company, Jennifer Alleyne Ltd. which is now the parent company to Alleyne Real Estate.
Jennifer Alleyne Ltds first client was Sir Peter Moores who asked Jenny to manage his cluster of villas in Sandy Lane - Alan Bay, Bluff House, Landmark and Land Fall and eventually Springhead, his breathtaking country home. Shortly thereafter, she assumed management for Sir Peters closest Sandy Lane neighbour, Mr. Robert Sangster, and his stunning villa Janes Harbour. Jennys portfolio soon grew to include such spectacular homes as Dar es Salaam in Sandy Lane and Mango Bay, the house that Oliver Messel designed for an American client, now owned by Jennys long time clients and friends from Spain.
Jennifer Alleyne Ltd. has earned a superb reputation from over two decades of dedicated, personalized service. Attention to the well being of clients and their properties has resulted in a loyal client base without which the company would not be where it is today.
Jenny and Richie take the family in family business seriously. Their daughter, Dawn, is one of the longest standing employees of the company and runs the Property Management division while their other daughter, Fiona, controls the financial side of the business; nephew Paul Alleyne and Niece Mandy Mahon run the Sales and Long Term Rental divisions; and son-in-law Shane Johnson has recently assumed the role of Chief Executive Officer of Alleyne Real Estate, bringing a wealth of knowledge and successful business acumen to the table.
The main asset of Alleyne Real Estate is its diversely skilled and devoted staff, who pull together to efficiently run its expanding business. The Company operates from offices set in acres of manicured parkland at Molyneux Plantation conveniently located in the middle of Sandy Lane Estate. With 38 years experience in real estate and the younger generation set to take the company forward, let this teams intimate local knowledge work to assist you in meeting all of your real estate requirements.
For more information regarding Alleyne Real Estate’s portfolio of luxury properties, please feel free to visit http://WWW.JALBARBADOS.COM and/or contact Mr. Shane Johnson at shane@jalbarbados.com
About Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate:
Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate is an invitation only network representing the best luxury real estate firms and professionals from around the world. Each affiliated member is carefully selected to represent his/her market area. Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate also hosts the industry leading Website www.LuxuryRealEstate.com (a 2009 Webby Award Honoree).
Courtesy of: Jim Walberg of Caribbean Islands Realty
In order to post articles to a blog site you need to have internet connection. So, here I am in Road Town at Village Cay Marina with all intentions of producing four to five articles a day for the Charter Yacht Society’s annual boat show, but with only moments of having in internet connect. Because of the 80+ yachts and a 100 or more Charter Brokers wanting to get on-line the internet connection has been close to impossible. I made a commitment to Janet Oliver from Charter Yacht Society, and the various cjarter clearing houses to cover the show, and it is taking all of my creativity to get the articles to the internet.
Let’s back up. Here is the definition of an internet blogger – a citizen journalist writing about things she/he is observing in their world. What is around me in my world this week are charter crews doing all that can to show off their yachts in the best light possible so the Charter Brokers stopping by for a visit will mark in their books that this is a yacht and crew I will recommend to my clients for the upcoming season. My task each day is to discover four or five human interest stories a day to write about and add photos to the article. This is my third year providing this service to the BVI and the St. Thomas boat shows. THE critical tool in order to complete my daily work is an internet connection. With the jammed up internet service I am having to be very creative. For example, yesterday morning I was sitting in the lobby of Marie By The Sea at 5AM using their free wireless service in order to get my first day of articles posted. Yesterday at noon I spent two hours at CharterPort’s office using their wireless service to do my photo editing work – thanks to Dick Schoonover’s kindness.
Now, it is Sunday morning. The roosters woke me at 4AM so I need to get back to my writing. It is the last day of the show and the sweat is starting to show up on my brow because I have at least 15 more articles to create with photos regarding the BVI boat show. The solutions have not yet shown up, so I may have to wait for many of my postings to arrive on the internet until I get to St. Thomas where I can plug into a secured connection. The key now is for me to gather the stories from the crews, take photos, and figure out the details next week.
What I am looking for in each of my articles is the human interest side of the crews. Each of them have a unique and actually amazing story as to how they decided to get into the world of chartering. The yachts are all beautiful, but without a Rock Star crew the experience of having an unforgettable charter yacht experience may not be possible. Of course, the yacht must be in tip-top condition, but the ability of the crew to surprise and delight is at least 50% of making the charter unforgettable – from their customer service skills, their delivery of up to four gourmet meals a day, their knowledge of the sailing grounds, and of course, their ability to satisfy the daily cocktail needs of their guests.
It is the people who make up the unforgettable Caribbean experience, not the “things”. The crews are not the only ones who are part of this experience. It is EVERYONE ELSE that you meet along the way. How about Marva at the Village Cay dockside restaurant? She runs the show there. Janet Oliver from CYS is part of the show’s cast of characters. The many Boat Show volunteers such as Jane and Karen, the board members of the Charter Yacht Society such as Tim Schaaf from s/y JetStream, CYBA members lead by Louise Danley, the Brokers, and the clearing houses, ALL make up the experiences that are delivered to his amazing community of professionals.
In spite of the my momentary challenges I promise to get the word out about this community of professionals who are the ones that deliver the Caribbean experience everyday to first time visitors and those visiting the Caribbean waters each year. The charter yacht community is the unofficial ambassadors of my favorite part of the world, and I will do my part to make sure the world discovers the best way to experience the Caribbean – on a charter yacht. Well, I am off to see if I can find an internet connection to my posts up from yesterday. Until next time…your Caribbean lifestyle reporter remains on duty!
By Ron & Alexandra Siegel of Napa Consultants, International
Most vacation home buyers associate the island lifestyle with white sand beaches, tropical climate and also the escape from civilization. For those of you who would rather immerse yourselves in an island experience that is also rich in history and culture with year-round temperate climate, consider the Mediterranean island country of Malta for your next home.
Centrally located at the very heart of the Mediterranean Sea, just below Sicily, Malta is easily accessible from all major European and North African cites. A member of the European Union, Malta, with its relatively low cost of living, genuinely friendly people who speak English as one of two official languages, is politically stable, and is also one of the safest places in the area.
For sports enthusiasts, Malta has it all, from country club sports such as golf, tennis and squash, to water sports including world class scuba diving, water skiing, windsurfing and sailing, to mountain biking and hiking among ancient ruins. The variety of cultural experiences such as a carnival that dates back to the 16th century, the world’s most successful Kung Fu show, music, dance and theatrical events, set Malta apart, not just as a wonderful island to visit, but also great place to live.
Malta also enjoys a stable property market with outstanding tax advantages for foreign buyers. An exemplary Maltese property currently on market is an impressive castle built in the early 1900’s. It is one of the architectural jewels of Rabat in Malta the other major island of the Maltese archipelago. The castle lies at the edge of an elevated plateau with spectacular 360 degree views from all four towers. It is surrounded by approximately 13,500 square meters of beautifully landscaped gardens and is enclosed within high protective walls. Complimenting this castle is a beautiful private chapel—the Rotunda church of St. Maria—that can be seen from miles away.
According to Carl Peralta of 77 Great Estates, “Malta is the Mediterranean’s best kept secret; why wouldn’t someone like living in Malta? It is safe & small therefore proximity to beaches & work/schools is an advantage. Everyone speaks English and schools including University enjoy an extremely high level of education ideal for kids. Foreigners find it easy to purchase real estate in Malta”
To learn more about the Castle and other extraordinary Maltese properties, plus the tax advantages of owning a second home in Malta, contact Carl Peralta: carl@77GreatEstates.com .
Carl Peralta is a member of the LOL Team of Experts & Discussion Leaders. Please introduce yourself to Carl and comment on his discussion at LOL on Linked In.
Courtesy of: Jim Walberg of Caribbean Islands Realty
Many of you remember my article several months ago about the Save Lindbergh Bay initiative. This is a grass roots organization of people committed to keeping this beautiful Caribbean bay on St. Thomas from being the dumping site of the dredging material from Charlotte Amalie Harbor. The U.S. Virgin Islands signed a contract with the largest cruise ship in the world, Oasis of the Sea, to call on the port of Charlotte Amalie. The cruise ship holds over 5,000 people that will greatly add to the tourist revenue of St. Thomas. However, the agreement required Charlotte Amalie Harbor to create the ability for the Oasis of the Sea to dock which would require dredging the path of the ship into the harbor an additional 35 feet to the existing sea floor. The project was to take the 150,000 cubic yards of dredging material and deposit it into Lindbergh Bay. The GREAT NEWS is that Lindbergh Bay has been saved by Gov. deJongh, Jr. signing a degree to halt the dredging until a more suitable site can be found for the material.
The dredging has been opposed by not only the residents of the Virgin Islands, but by people concerned about environment issues around the world. Gov. deJongh said at a Government House press conference, “As this process proceeded, and mindful of the community’s concerns on the placement of the dredged spoils, yet the desire to ensure that Royal Caribbean maintains St. Thomas as a port of call for Oasis, I instructed my team to develop options in the event that a change of course was required.” So, after lengthy negotiations with government officials and the cruise lines, an agreement with Royal Caribbean has been reached. The contracts with the Port Authority needed to be honored, so some of the cruise ships that normally berth at Crown Bay will be shifted to Havensight on the days when Oasis of the Sea calls on Charlotte Amalie Harbor.
Now that Crown Bay will be the temporary docking site for Oasis by the Sea, Gov. deJongh, Jr. acknowledged, “Crown Bay is an interim solution. Quite frankly, it is not the ideal with respect to passenger experience — there will be issues of security screening, transportation, economic impact on passenger spending. However, it ensures that Charlotte Amalie Harbor is able to keep the ship as a port of call.”A BIG challenge with Crown Bay as the docking location for Oasis is how to move the passengers to the center of town where they all love to shop. How about creating a fleet of independent water taxis to finally serve the entire Charlotte Amalie Harbor?
Other comments about removing Lindbergh Bay from the dredge dumping came from:
- Tourism Commissioner Beverly Nicholson-Doty is committed to increasing passenger presence in areas such as Market Square and Emancipation Garden, where staging points will be set up; “We’re working on the logistics now and definitely want to encourage shopping there, so that someone can go and get a question answered or just have a cultural experience.”
- Virgin Islands Conservation Society president, Jason Budsan; “I congratulate everyone who helped make this happen. Public pressure counts. The decision is significant because the Virgin Islands is looking at ways to solve problems, balancing the environment and the economy.”
- Senator Wayne James; “It’s a great triumph on our part. I was looking at the bay a couple days ago, and I wondered how anybody could compromise the beauty of this beach.”
- Environmentalist Helen Gjessing; “I’m really pleased that the Port Authority saw the writing on the wall, that this was really not a viable project. There’s no way it could restore the eco-system of Lindbergh Bay. A lot of credit goes to the many people who kept plugging away. I really appreciate that.”
Please log in with your comments about how a few committed citizens CAN make a difference in changing the direction of being kind to our Planet
Submit Your Blog
To submit a blog entry for consideration on this web page for FREE, please send your materials to our PR Department: pr@luxuryrealestate.com