Unique Homes is visiting Barbados to tour new luxury real estate opportunities. This is the final blog from our press trip:

Throughout the week, Unique Homes has taken its readers down the west coast of Barbados to fine restaurants, across inland parishes to gullies, and to the east coast where the rough Atlantic waters make for perfect surfing conditions. Readers may have wondered how these excursions related to real estate. It’s simple. When buyers purchase real estate in Barbados—on the west or east coasts—they’re getting more than just square footage. Owners are purchasing culture, recreation, tradition and pride. All of the places Unique Homes traveled represent the pieces that make Barbados a Caribbean hotspot.

In Paynes Bay, St. James, there are two exceptional real estate options that afford charm, luxury and Caribbean flair. Beach View and Sandy Cove are both distinctive developments with their own character.

Beach View Condo Hotel—Guests and residents of Beach View Condo Hotel are welcomed into a three-acre paradise that blends into the island atmosphere. The property offers four 3-story structures with 36 two- and three-bedroom units that range from $600,000 to $925,000 (fully furnished). Only nine units remain on the market.

Step into any unit and immediately capture views of the calm Caribbean Sea, which is located just beyond the property. An open floor plan allows sunlight to rush in and sounds of the ocean to form the musical accompaniment to a picture-perfect lifestyle.

Balconies and patios of each unit look out onto two pools—one for kids and one for adults. Because Beach View is a family oriented environment, a kids’ pool was a must. And beyond the enchanting floor plans, great location and pristine property is an even more enticing feature. Beach View Condo Hotel offers its buyers the opportunity to take part in a rental pool. The idea behind the pool is that a purchased unit can be used while it is unoccupied by its owner. This setup could potentially help offset the overall price of the condo unit and turn an even bigger investment.

Sandy Cove—Located directly on the beach, Sandy Cove’s property is comprised of 15 units in total, eight of which are currently on the market. Prices range from a $3 million resale to an $8.5 million penthouse.

Unique Homes was welcomed into unit 202, listed for $3.75 million. The 2,895-square-foot abode offered the finest finishes, a grand kitchen with high-end appliances, an abundance of storage space, three bedrooms and three and one-half baths. A large balcony off of the main living area beckoned us to take a glimpse. On the balcony, we found a plunge pool, room to host guests and private access to the property’s lovely pool and spa. Indoors and out, Sandy Cove raises the bar for island living.

Whether it be a fully furnished unit overlooking the Caribbean, or a residence on the sand with private access to the pool and beach, there is always a common denominator: great weather, friendly people, and a rich culture in Barbados.

—Lauren Varga

Unique Homes is visiting Barbados to tour new luxury real estate opportunities. This is the third blog from our press trip:

It is said that rum has been produced on the island of Barbados since 1663. A legal deed provides evidence that Tyrell field—today known as Mount Gay—had in its possession the necessary equipment to make rum from 1703. The equipment included stone windmills, a boiling house with seven coppers, one curing house and a still house.

For more than 300 years, Mount Gay Rum has been producing fine spirits for Barbadians and more than 60 countries worldwide. Today, Unique Homes Luxury Media got a special tour of Mount Gay Rum and learned about the rum process and the alcohols served in the country’s popular, local rum shops. 

Between the months of February and June sugar cane is harvested on the island of Barbados. The cane takes 12-18 months to mature and is then taken to the sugar refinery where the fermentation process takes places. During fermentation, juice is squeezed from the cane fibers and boiled. The residue that remains after boiling is molasses—a thick, black syrup that is combined with Barbados water and slowly transformed into alcohol.

The molasses is transported to Mount Gay where a process of distillation, aging and maturation and blending result in four quality rum products. Mount Gay offers two distillation processes: single and double distillation. In a single distillate, alcohol is made through a continuous fractional distillation in a Coffey Still; 97 percent alcohol by volume. During double distillation, pot stills, which are copper stills that date back to the 1700s, are used to produce an alcohol that offers more flavor and is 86 percent alcohol by volume.

The aging and maturation stage takes place next. Here, the distillates are stored away for several years in while-oak barrels. The barrels give the alcohol a smoky flavor and a dark coloration.

Last, the single and double distillates are blended by Mount Gay’s master blender. The blends differ in age, taste and aromas.

Rum and sugar cane are only two products that keep Barbados’ economy booming. The country’s real estate market, tourism board and sporting events also lend to its stability. In our final blog we will report on Barbados’ luxury real estate market. 

—Lauren Varga

Unique Homes is visiting Barbados to tour new luxury real estate opportunities. This is the second blog from our press trip:

Gullies—formed when large water deposits rush through soil creating divots and waterways that lead into a larger body of water, or after a cave collapses and leaves a sizable sink hole—serve as conservation areas and eco-friendly environs for Barbados. Unique Homes toured two gullies today and got a taste of the adventurous and historic side of the island.

The first gully we toured was located in St. Thomas, Barbados and is known as Jack In The Box Gully. A series of seven ziplines carries a rider across tree tops high above the eco-system of the gully. At each of the eight platforms reached, two tour guides provide background on the island, its eco-system and the natural habitat of the gully. Our guides, Richard and Lucas, ensured that the entire experience was exhilarating and educational.

A lesson learned in the Jack In The Box Gully:  Don’t brake too quickly; speed is key on the zipline. Barbados’ name originates from the Portuguese. When the Portuguese came to the island they found Bearded Fig Trees, which are still in existence inside the gully. The tree grows vines from its trunk that hang down as if the tree is sporting a long beard. Because of this, the Portuguese decided that Los Barbad—meaning bearded man—was an appropriate name. When the English gained control of the island, the name changed to Barbados.

Later in the day, Unique Homes took a tour of Hunte’s Gardens, a gully created by horticulturalist Anthony Hunte. Mr. Hunte said that the gardens contain more plant specimens than he can even imagine. In fact, he could not even give a ballpark number.

We lost ourselves along stone pathways and found a hidden retreat. Benches and resting areas were positioned within the garden to sit, relax and take in all the different serene feelings of the environment. While taking in the sites, calming classical music pipes from Mr. Hunte’s home, located at the top of the gully.

With true Bajan hospitality, Mr. Hunte invited us into his home, where we tried his exceptional punch and some coconut water, a local’s beverage of choice.

Tomorrow, Unique Homes will report on the process of rum making after a visit to Mount Gay Visitor Center.

—Lauren Varga
 

Unique Homes is visiting Barbados to tour new luxury real estate opportunities. This is the first blog from our press trip:

We touched down on Barbados‘ west coast—known as the Platinum Coast for its powder-soft beaches, crystal clear waters and manicured properties—in the parish of Christ Church at 1:10 p.m. (EST). The Barbadians wasted no time getting us settled in to Barbados, the most-eastern island in the Caribbean. By 3 p.m., we were checked into a room at the Beach View Hotel in St. James and was sitting poolside, overlooking the Caribbean Sea.

Mirroring Barbadian style, we arrived at The Tides in an elegant, conservative fashion. The evening began with the serving of a traditional rum punch cocktail. A fresh Caesar salad and grilled jumbo shrimp appetizer, followed by sorbet to cleanse the pallet lead into the evening’s main dish. Pan-seared mahi-mahi over a creamy dish of risotto was presented as the main entree. No knife was necessary; the flaky, soft fish gently glided onto the fork with ease. And for dessert, a sweet Mars Bar and Oreo cheesecake, topped with a sliced strawberry; delicious!

Follow Unique Homes’ travels throughout the remainder of this week. Tomorrow, we journey to the eastern border of Barbados for zip-lining and a tour of St. Nicholas Abbey.

—Lauren Varga

DENVER, CO—May 12, 2009—Integrated Asset Services®, LLC (IAS®) (www.iasreo.com), a leading provider of end-to-end mortgage services solutions, today released its latest IAS360™ House Price Index. Based on the timeliest and most granular data available in the industry, the benchmark index showed national house prices falling another 1.0% in March.

The March numbers come on top of a 3.0% drop in February and a 3.5% plunge in January, the index’s worst single-month decline ever. On a year-over-year basis, U.S. house prices are now down 13.9%, with a full 10.7% coming since September when the economy began unwinding. IAS360 reports prices down 17.7 % from the height of the real estate bubble in 2006.

At the U.S. Census region levels, declines in house prices correlated to initial unemployment claims in the respective areas. Of the four regions, IAS360 reported the Midwest region falling the most in March, with a 2.5% drop for the month. At the same time, the Labor of Bureau Statistics reported the region registering the highest number of initial unemployment claims (81,957) for the same period. Among the other regions, house prices fell 1.3% in the South, 0.8% in the West, and remained unchanged in the Northeast, which also reported the smallest number of initial jobless claims.

“There was at least some leveling off in house prices for March but it’s too soon to call it a rebound in the housing market,” said Dave McCarthy, President and CEO of Integrated Asset Services. “We’ll keep looking at prices at the county level to see if there’s any cumulative light emerging at the end of the tunnel.”

Among metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs), IAS360 reports that five out of ten largest MSAs in the U.S. are down 20% or more since the housing market crashed in December 2006. San Francisco, the country’s hardest hit MSA, fell another 3.1% in March, mostly the result of Alameda County, which declined 10.6%. IAS360’s unique granular data showed that two counties in the San Francisco MSA—Contra Costa and Marin—appreciated for the period gaining 1.7% and 0.6% respectively. Las Vegas, the nation’s second most distressed MSA, was down 2.7%.  Los Angeles, meanwhile, appeared as one of the few bright spots anywhere, with house prices gaining 0.2% for the month, the first time this MSA has seen an increase since April 2008. Inside the region, IAS360 shows Orange County declining 3.2% while Los Angeles County rose 1.1%.

The IAS360 House Price Index is a comprehensive housing index tracking monthly change in the median sales price of detached single-family residences across the U.S. The index, based on all arms-length transactions, tracks data of 15,000 “neighborhoods,” which are rolled up to report on the changes in 360 counties, nine census divisions, four regions, and the nation overall. The IAS360 House Price Index is delivered on a monthly basis.

(Las Vegas, Nev.) Prudential Americana Group’s top Nevada real estate team has added a new facet to its luxury sales division. Cristine Lefkowitz and her team of luxury high-rise real estate sales professionals have joined Shapiro & Sher Group. Shapiro & Sher have been one of the state’s top luxury home sales teams for several years.

“Cristine’s expertise in luxury high rise real estate was a perfect match for Shapiro & Sher Group,” said Ivan Sher, partner. “Despite the Las Vegas real estate market, our team finished third in North America last year for gross commission income among thousands of Prudential teams. And we continue to grow by providing the best listings and most talented luxury sales professionals in the industry.”
 
“Shapiro & Sher and Lefkowitz & Team sell the best luxury properties in Las Vegas,  so it is a perfect fit to work together,” said Lefkowitz. “We now dominate the luxury real estate market in Las Vegas and look forward to continued growth and success.”

Unique Homes magazine’s evening at Twenty9th Park Madison’s art gallery opening, featuring works by Miguel Trelles, began at the main lobby entrance where we were greeted by inviting hosts decked out in sophisticated attire.

Developer Espais Promocions Immobiliaries teamed with the Gabarron Foundation—a non-profit organization that helps support and expose emerging Spanish-speaking artists and is a center for Spanish and South American art and culture in New York—to provide Twenty9th Park Madison’s residents with an enriching cultural opportunity.

“Twenty9th Park Madison has residents from all over the world, and we wanted to provide them with a unique cultural experience as well as the opportunity to support a neighborhood non-profit organization that encourages cultural diversity and cooperation,” says Andres Hogg, U.S. General Manager of Espais.

Our night continued on as we caught a ride on an elevator to the 22nd floor where 17 artworks by Trelles adorned the walls of three separate apartments. Studio, one- and two-bedroom apartments within the condo building span from 536 square feet to 1,309 square feet and are highlighted by the finest finishes. Prices on these units range from $635,000 to $2 million.

Another elevator ride to a two-bedroom, two-bath model penthouse revealed awe-inspiring views from floor-to-ceiling windows. Twenty9th Park Madison offers 10 penthouse units on the top four floors. Penthouses range from 1,255 square feet to 2,070 square feet in space and start at $2.3 million.

Interior spaces are designed with exceptional taste. Teak hardwoods map out the floor plans; Bosch stacked in-unit washers/dryers are situated for convenience; limestone tiling, soaking tubs and separate showers with rain shower heads are positioned for relaxing in the bath retreats; and top-of-the-line kitchen appliances are in place for the food connoisseur.

But, perhaps the most splendid piece of artwork and the highpoint of Unique Homes’ evening was our arrival at Twenty9th Park Madison’s rooftop. Here, views of the Chrysler and Empire State Buildings immediately caught our eyes. Quaint sitting areas and barbecue stations are set up for small gatherings or larger events.

A silent auction of Trelles’ pieces rounded out our evening. Proceeds from the auction went to support the work of the Gabarron Foundation.

Coldwell Banker Hunt Kennedy’s new development division is the exclusive marketing and sales agent for Twenty9th Park Madison.

—Sarah Binder & Lauren Varga
 

As a follow up to Unique Homes magazine’s April 7 blog posting "Luxuryrealestate.com to Honor Shari Chase, Host Mary Whipple":

RENO, Nev. (May 1, 2009)—A respected real estate powerhouse for more than two decades, Shari Chase, president and CEO of Chase International, was recently awarded the Luxury Real Estate Lifetime Achievement Award at the LuxuryRealEstate.com Spring Conference in Las Vegas.
 
The award is based on peer recognition, hard work and acknowledgement. This prestigious award is given twice annually to the Luxury Real Estate member who has set an example for the real estate industry and displayed excellence throughout his/her career.
 
“No list would be complete without this Tahoe broker, who always has been ahead of the rest,” states Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate, the awarding organization. “In the mid-1990s, when a $10 million or $12 million residence was considered the ultra high-end, Shari Chase had landmark sales of $30 million and $50 million. A record that would stand for nearly 10 years.”
 
“I’m thrilled to be recognized by my many esteemed peers in luxury real estate,” Chase notes.
 
In founding Chase International 23 years ago, Shari Chase established the notion of finding exceptional property for exceptional people. “Satisfying people’s needs is easy; we listen to our clients and use the most effective resources for marketing luxury properties.”
 
Shari Chase has created one of the most respected luxury real estate brands in the nation. Her vision and reputation as a trendsetter influences the way luxury properties are marketed today. The company is known for its cutting edge approach to real estate. Chase incorporates new ideas into all facets of her business, whether it’s implementing high tech innovations, social media networking or bundling services for asset solutions.

As CEO of Chase International, her leadership has attracted some of the finest professionals in the business. “Known for high-profile properties and clientele, her firm continues as one of the industry’s pacesetters,” states Brian Losh, of the awarding organization. “What others talk about – Chase does.”
 
Headquartered in Lake Tahoe, Nev., since 1986, with eight offices in the region (Zephyr Cove, Glenbrook, Incline Village, Tahoe City, Squaw Valley, Truckee, South Lake Tahoe and Reno) and one in London, England, Chase International and its exclusive affiliations handles a large share of the United States’ property. A recognized leader in the world of real estate, Chase International has once again taken the reins of cutting edge technology by launching www.ChaseNation.com, the first interactive social networking Web site created by a real estate brokerage as a vehicle for direct interaction with consumers online.
 
With more than 160 professional Realtors® boasting an array of industry certifications and the highest volume per sales agent in the area, Chase International successfully represents homes at all price levels. 

For more information about Chase International visit www.chaseinternational.com.