Luxury Real Estate

By Garey De Martini of Hill & Co. 

San Francisco, CA – May 14, 2009 – In the heart of North Beach, 567 Vallejo, comprised of four brand new luxury condominiums and one luxury penthouse, has been just recently completed. North Beach, ranked one of the 10 best neighborhoods in the nation by the New York Times, combines old world flavors with contemporary sensibilities.

It is extremely rare for a new development to be built in North Beach. City and neighborhood officials are justifiably concerned with maintaining the character and quality of the neighborhood. The approval process for new developments is rigorous, and consequently the few developments that are approved and completed are extraordinary.

Each luxurious home at 567 Vallejo offers 2 or 3 bedrooms, 2.5 or 3 baths, parking, top-of-the-line amenities as well as hardwood floors, granite countertops, chef’s kitchen, downtown views and more. The penthouse also has 3 private view decks. A common area roof deck offers even more views of the St. Francis of Assisi Church, St. Peter and Paul’s Church, Coit Tower, the Bay Bridge and waters of the bay.

In the warmth of the neighborhood’s favorable weather, residents will have the opportunity to walk around the corner to the famous North Beach Restaurant for a great Italian dinner or stroll over to Washington Square to take in an art show or the North Beach Festival. It is certainly an enviable lifestyle.

This is a rare chance to enjoy the old world charms of the neighborhood, while living in a world-class contemporary, luxury home.

Hill & Co. agents Lora Petroni and Stephanie Ahlberg represent the developer in the sale of these condominiums. They can be reached at (415) 321-4286 and (415) 321-4232 respectively.

Hill & Co.

Founded in 1956, Hill & Co. Real Estate is a San Francisco brokerage long associated with the City’s finest properties. With three offices and nearly 100 full-time agents, the company enables clients to successfully navigate San Francisco’s complex real estate market. Two additional Hill & Co. offices provide property management and rental services. For more information, visit www.hill-co.com.

By Carina de Sousa of IRG International Realty Group

Portugal (March 2009) - The sale of the most exclusive, luxury residential condominium in Portugal was officially launched on March 5th at Hotel Palácio Estoril. At the event, this development’s particular location served as theme for a photographic exhibition featuring “Estoril yesterday, today… and tomorrow”, which illustrated a fascinating and historic retrospective of a unique place, historically viewed by Portuguese and European royal families as their chosen home.

The unparalleled Palácio Estoril Residências is composed of 27 luxury apartments, from two to four bedrooms and is adjacent to, linked and served by the famous Palácio Hotel, a founding member of Leading Hotels of the World. Owners at this unique address will enjoy a comprehensive range of elite privileges at the Palácio Hotel as will they at the magnificent Elements Spa by Banyan Tree, Estoril Golf Club and Cascais Marina. Concierge, Catering and Room Service are just some of the options provided by the hotel that are available to residents.
 

IRG International Realty Group is the proud and exclusive sales agent worldwide for Palácio Estoril Residências and will make use of the world’s most prestigious international real estate networks such as IRG’s exclusive affiliation to Christie’s Great Estates, EREN (European Real Estate Network), Luxury Portfolio, Leading Real Estate Companies of the World, Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate and partners so as to provide the best possible exposure to the target markets for this unique project.

For information on Palácio Estoril Residências please contact IRG Estoril/Cascais Riviera Brokerage on Tel.: (+351) 21 464 3322, E-mail: palacioestoril@irgportugal.com or visit website www.irgpalacioestoril.com

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 and in Kensington, London, United Kingdom. www.irgportugal.com

By Jim Walberg
From his blog: Palmetto Bay Resort in Belize Continues To Feature “Green Development”

This boutique luxury resort on the Placentia Peninsula is a trendsetter when it comes to its “Green Features”!

Palmetto Bay Resort is one of the leaders of “green” Caribbean developments in Belize. This luxury resort has integrated into its design certain features that other developers are watching closely. Palmetto Bay Resort has carefully considered its impact on the environment from the earliest planning stages of its development. Some of the features they have implemented are:

- Geothermal cooling and heating technology.

- Solar power for outside illumination – pathways, water features, landscaping and the beach.

- Grey-water systems to recycle water.

- LED lighting that will reduce energy costs by as much as 80 percent.

- Indigenous species of plants, including fruit trees, in the landscaping.

- Cisterns to catch and store rain water and act as a renewable water supply for the saline pool, water features and landscaping.

- Strategically implemented wind power.

This gated project has plans for around 120 full-ownership condominiums. The initial phase that has just been released has 36 whole-ownership Caribbean beachfront condos starting in the low $300,000s US and they are currently the most sought-after resort luxury real estate for sale in Belize. It is just a short two-hour flight from Houston or Miami to Belize where there are no restrictions on foreign ownership of property or capital gains tax. This is a project you may want to put on your list for your piece of paradise! They even just announced a fly-in package for people who want to seriously consider this as their next tropical home.

OK… so how is this for a description of what Palmetto Bay Resort has created? As you walk into your Caribbean condo you first notice a wraparound veranda overlooking the turquoise-blue Caribbean Sea. What I immediately do is dump my watch and find my bathing suit. The temperature is around 85 degrees Fahrenheit with a delightful warm breeze, and I then head to mashed-potato coral sand. Then the stress really starts because a decision needs to made: sunbathe; snorkel, SCUBA dive; drink… because thirst is a dangerous thing; read; nap; eat; schedule a jungle tour checking out how many Toucans I can spot, and many more choices to consider. Here is the fun part – I get to do it ALL! My first task is to take out the cold beer in the fridge and head to a lounge waiting for me on the beach. All the rest of the remaining choices will show up in their proper order… actually, there is no proper order. This mindset is the way I get to “Caribbean Time” as fast as possible.

Here is more good news for those you intrigued about buying luxury property in Belize. Belize has made owning real estate very simple and easy with some of the most advantageous offshore investment legislation in the world. The official language in Belize is English, and the legal system is based on English common law. Belize has no capital gains tax, no inheritance, estate or probate taxes and no restrictions on foreign ownership of property. The ease of air travel to Belize from the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. is effortless compared to many of your choices for other tropical destinations.

Finally… you will discover a country of diversity! It has a very wide variety of ethnic backgrounds that live together in a marvelous melting pot, each adding to the cultural color of the next. Belizeans are some of the friendliest people in the world. They are a cross-pollination of cultures – ancient Mayan people, Spanish, British, African roots, Mexican, Chinese, Japanese, Lebanese and Indian influences, AND the official language is still English. This is one of the special Caribbean destinations that you will want to put on your “must-see” list. Let me know if you want more information about my favorite spots. Until next time… fair winds!


Editor’s Note:
Jim Walberg is the co-Broker/Owner of The Bay Area Team, the most-successful team at Keller Williams Realty-Danville. He is also a member of the global LuxuryRealEstate.com network. Jim is an exceptional blogger, as you can see by visiting his blogs, East Bay Real Estate and Caribbean Islands Realty, and reading his great blog entries like the one above. He is the master of fractionals and other luxury homes in the Bay Area and the Caribbean, and he always has a lot of great opportunities to share. Jim always has many awesome opportunities to share. He’s a great blogger, and I always learn a lot when I read his work. I just finished writing an editorial for the winter 2009 issue of LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine on “green” luxury homes. It was a very educational experience, and I’m glad to see these properties becoming popular as energy prices increase dramatically.