A few days off island.....

I find myself in Bermuda this week - attending a wedding (one to be definitely remembered!) and memories of our life here have flooded back. It is wonderful to see the white roofs, beautiful beaches and stunning views, but gosh! it is SO much busier than the beautiful Turks and Caicos Islands.

Living here as young teachers, in the late 70s and early 80s, we enjoyed a time when traffic lights were initially installed and we were footloose and fancy free. Elbow Beach offered sumptious brunches, Front Street enjoyed billions of tourists pouring from the cruise ships and Forty Thieves was hot hot hot.

There are strong links with Turks and Caicos, as in earlier times Bermudians developed the Salt Trade in TCI and many families invested in land and properties over the years. These strong links continue and as we chat to friends and associates, who follow events in TCI closely.

Sitting here in Southampton Parish, overlooking the Great Sound, I see in the distance two huge floating blocks of apartments, (known as Cruise Ships!) that are moored in the beautifully restored Naval Dockyard, where these super ships now are obliged to moor due to size restrictions to Hamilton Harbour. Front Street in Hamilton no longer has Trimminghams nor the Bermuda Railway Company (you those that know, you can tell its some time since I visited last!). This link is worth a look - it show the real railway in action...

We dropped off our children (no longer children now) at the airport this morning, as they depart for their homes in New York and the UK and we return to our idyllic life in TCI at the end of the week.
The heavens opened ensuring that cisterns tanks are topped up with fresh rainwater, a stable diet here still for many households. A brief drive round beautiful St Georges rekindled our time as film "extras" when the streets were turned into a Hollywood set for "Chapter Two," starring Marsha Mason and James Caan - one of many films shot here over the years. (Spot us walking across the road!).........

The excellent Royal Gazette newspaper continues to be essential reading and a must at the breakfast table. Unfortunately we were unable to enjoy breakfast overlooking the harbour. at Pinks, which is no longer in business. Hopefully our papers can continue to grow and evolve to such a high standard and we can get a daily read across the islands.

Talking to chums here who are in Real Estate, there is no Multiple Lisitng System (MLS), usually found in the US and in TCI and a bit of mystery to the average Brit. This means that most Real Estate Agents here in Bermuda, are inclinded to promote their own listings (in the main) and the seller does not have the advantage of many other agents in TCREA promoting their properties as a matter of course. Our Turks and Caicos Real Estate Association (TCREA) actively enables ALL agents the opportunity to sell a listing, so we are able to offer our clients the widest possible marketing opportunity.

Another interesting point is that there are two specific markets here in Bermuda, one local and one for overseas clients. There is very little inventory available to non-Bermudians. and what is available, is very much at the top end of the price range. Happily this is not the case in TCI, where investors are welcomed and there has been recent legislation promoting a residency qualitification (without the right to work) for those investors who purchase property over $500k. This is great news for all.

All in all it has been a great week, and really interesting to experience another British Overseas Territory in action. Tonight there is "Beating the Retreat" in St Georges, a monthly celebration of Bermuda's Heritage - which Bermuda activly promotes for tourism purposes - switching between Hamilton and St Georges.

A few days off island.....

I find myself in Bermuda this week - attending a wedding (one to be definitely remembered!) and memories of our life here have flooded back. It is wonderful to see the white roofs, beautiful beaches and stunning views, but gosh! it is SO much busier than the beautiful Turks and Caicos Islands.

Living here as young teachers, in the late 70s and early 80s, we enjoyed a time when traffic lights were initially installed and we were footloose and fancy free. Elbow Beach offered sumptious brunches, Front Street enjoyed billions of tourists pouring from the cruise ships and Forty Thieves was hot hot hot.

There are strong links with Turks and Caicos, as in earlier times Bermudians developed the Salt Trade in TCI and many families invested in land and properties over the years. These strong links continue and as we chat to friends and associates, who follow events in TCI closely.

Sitting here in Southampton Parish, overlooking the Great Sound, I see in the distance two huge floating blocks of apartments, (known as Cruise Ships!) that are moored in the beautifully restored Naval Dockyard, where these super ships now are obliged to moor due to size restrictions to Hamilton Harbour. Front Street in Hamilton no longer has Trimminghams nor the Bermuda Railway Company (you those that know, you can tell its some time since I visited last!). This link is worth a look - it show the real railway in action...

We dropped off our children (no longer children now) at the airport this morning, as they depart for their homes in New York and the UK and we return to our idyllic life in TCI at the end of the week.
The heavens opened ensuring that cisterns tanks are topped up with fresh rainwater, a stable diet here still for many households. A brief drive round beautiful St Georges rekindled our time as film "extras" when the streets were turned into a Hollywood set for "Chapter Two," starring Marsha Mason and James Caan - one of many films shot here over the years. (Spot us walking across the road!).........

The excellent Royal Gazette newspaper continues to be essential reading and a must at the breakfast table. Unfortunately we were unable to enjoy breakfast overlooking the harbour. at Pinks, which is no longer in business. Hopefully our papers can continue to grow and evolve to such a high standard and we can get a daily read across the islands.

Talking to chums here who are in Real Estate, there is no Multiple Lisitng System (MLS), usually found in the US and in TCI and a bit of mystery to the average Brit. This means that most Real Estate Agents here in Bermuda, are inclinded to promote their own listings (in the main) and the seller does not have the advantage of many other agents in TCREA promoting their properties as a matter of course. Our Turks and Caicos Real Estate Association (TCREA) actively enables ALL agents the opportunity to sell a listing, so we are able to offer our clients the widest possible marketing opportunity.

Another interesting point is that there are two specific markets here in Bermuda, one local and one for overseas clients. There is very little inventory available to non-Bermudians. and what is available, is very much at the top end of the price range. Happily this is not the case in TCI, where investors are welcomed and there has been recent legislation promoting a residency qualitification (without the right to work) for those investors who purchase property over $500k. This is great news for all.

All in all it has been a great week, and really interesting to experience another British Overseas Territory in action. Tonight there is "Beating the Retreat" in St Georges, a monthly celebration of Bermuda's Heritage - which Bermuda activly promotes for tourism purposes - switching between Hamilton and St Georges.

What a good idea

We all know that marketing is the name of the game in all forms of selling and here in Turks and Caicos we have a creative new form of marketing in a beautiful new development that has just opened up and is proving to be the "one to watch". This is the lovely Wymara - now renamed as the Gansevoort Turks and Caicos. Here is their link. Its a pretty smart up beat place, with a trendy mix of music piped around and lots of lovely looking sun-worshippers both on the beach and around the super pool. It has three well known brand name in the mix. The Exhale Spa, proving to be very popular with the locals who go each morning and afternoon to the classes, working on a unique fitness strategy, Corfusion Sport which has, apparently, a yoga style influence in the programme and friends tell me is very very stimulating. The Bagatelle Bistro brand is the provider of a poolside restaurant and beach facility, another well know brand name. Tie this in with being a member of Preferred Hotels and Resort group, there is a pretty powerful mix of brands to live up to. And. judging by the occupancy around the pool and beach during a quitet timer here in Turks and Caicos, someone is doing something right - which is great news for the owner. Which brings me nicely to the beautiful unit we have listed in this development.

Set on the 4th floor and facing wonderful sunsets, this unit is one to die for. The views across Grace Bay are truly stunning and the colours are wonderful. The unit is, in essence, two dwellings, where the main bedroom, living room, bathroom and utilities are in the main unit, with an adjacent one bed fully fitted separate linked. The furniture package in this unit is include in the price. Also the purchaser has first refusal on the adjacent studio unit.

The wonderful Grace Bay beach is at your fingertips, and is just one of the best beaches in the world. The sand is never too hot, the water never too rough, and the colours.. well, the colours really are magnificent. Adjacent to this development is a brand new children's park, set sufficiently far away so as not to be intrusive - a great asset for the family.

This is a great place for New Yorkers who can enjoy a direct flight from Kennedy, and its really very difficult to believe that New York is only 3 1/2 hours away.

So, check out this link and see if you can be tempted to become part of this lovely development.

What a good idea

We all know that marketing is the name of the game in all forms of selling and here in Turks and Caicos we have a creative new form of marketing in a beautiful new development that has just opened up and is proving to be the "one to watch". This is the lovely Wymara - now renamed as the Gansevoort Turks and Caicos. Here is their link. Its a pretty smart up beat place, with a trendy mix of music piped around and lots of lovely looking sun-worshippers both on the beach and around the super pool. It has three well known brand name in the mix. The Exhale Spa, proving to be very popular with the locals who go each morning and afternoon to the classes, working on a unique fitness strategy, Corfusion Sport which has, apparently, a yoga style influence in the programme and friends tell me is very very stimulating. The Bagatelle Bistro brand is the provider of a poolside restaurant and beach facility, another well know brand name. Tie this in with being a member of Preferred Hotels and Resort group, there is a pretty powerful mix of brands to live up to. And. judging by the occupancy around the pool and beach during a quitet timer here in Turks and Caicos, someone is doing something right - which is great news for the owner. Which brings me nicely to the beautiful unit we have listed in this development.

Set on the 4th floor and facing wonderful sunsets, this unit is one to die for. The views across Grace Bay are truly stunning and the colours are wonderful. The unit is, in essence, two dwellings, where the main bedroom, living room, bathroom and utilities are in the main unit, with an adjacent one bed fully fitted separate linked. The furniture package in this unit is include in the price. Also the purchaser has first refusal on the adjacent studio unit.

The wonderful Grace Bay beach is at your fingertips, and is just one of the best beaches in the world. The sand is never too hot, the water never too rough, and the colours.. well, the colours really are magnificent. Adjacent to this development is a brand new children's park, set sufficiently far away so as not to be intrusive - a great asset for the family.

This is a great place for New Yorkers who can enjoy a direct flight from Kennedy, and its really very difficult to believe that New York is only 3 1/2 hours away.

So, check out this link and see if you can be tempted to become part of this lovely development.

What a good idea

We all know that marketing is the name of the game in all forms of selling and here in Turks and Caicos we have a creative new form of marketing in a beautiful new development that has just opened up and is proving to be the "one to watch". This is the lovely Wymara - now renamed as the Gansevoort Turks and Caicos. Here is their link. Its a pretty smart up beat place, with a trendy mix of music piped around and lots of lovely looking sun-worshippers both on the beach and around the super pool. It has three well known brand name in the mix. The Exhale Spa, proving to be very popular with the locals who go each morning and afternoon to the classes, working on a unique fitness strategy, Corfusion Sport which has, apparently, a yoga style influence in the programme and friends tell me is very very stimulating. The Bagatelle Bistro brand is the provider of a poolside restaurant and beach facility, another well know brand name. Tie this in with being a member of Preferred Hotels and Resort group, there is a pretty powerful mix of brands to live up to. And. judging by the occupancy around the pool and beach during a quitet timer here in Turks and Caicos, someone is doing something right - which is great news for the owner. Which brings me nicely to the beautiful unit we have listed in this development.

Set on the 4th floor and facing wonderful sunsets, this unit is one to die for. The views across Grace Bay are truly stunning and the colours are wonderful. The unit is, in essence, two dwellings, where the main bedroom, living room, bathroom and utilities are in the main unit, with an adjacent one bed fully fitted separate linked. The furniture package in this unit is include in the price. Also the purchaser has first refusal on the adjacent studio unit.

The wonderful Grace Bay beach is at your fingertips, and is just one of the best beaches in the world. The sand is never too hot, the water never too rough, and the colours.. well, the colours really are magnificent. Adjacent to this development is a brand new children's park, set sufficiently far away so as not to be intrusive - a great asset for the family.

This is a great place for New Yorkers who can enjoy a direct flight from Kennedy, and its really very difficult to believe that New York is only 3 1/2 hours away.

So, check out this link and see if you can be tempted to become part of this lovely development.

Not really a dull day...

Well, its a dull and overcast start to the day here today, a rare event really and it is nice to be able to put on a long sleeve shirt and long pants, not thinking you are going to roast. This is one thing here that we really do not have, and that is the seasons, as it is perpetual summer here. We are so lucky.

We manage to keep in contact with the cricket and football via the excellent BBC feed that comes through the cable network and I got pretty excited to hear the Google and the BBC are in talks to make the BBC feed available on the internet. That REALLY would be great as the programmes from the BBC are so good - you can tell I am a Brit abroad! Indeed, some days, I have to pinch myself that we really are in the Caribbean, as the beauty, the sun, the sea and the colours are truly outstanding.

I clicked onto the photo page in my site, where Mathew has allowed me to publish his fantastic underwater pictures - (click on the fish here) gosh they are really good and just off the beach here too!.... This is one of the major draws of this island for visitor and residents alike, where we exist in a bubble of safety and beauty.
A chum of mine, who lives in the states, had not visited his holiday condo for a few months and had travelled in Europe and the south of the USA for a change, with a view to buying another holiday property. Returning back here convinced him that his original investment was a great idea and has now decided not to look elsewhere...and to invest futher here.

Some readers may wonder if moving overseas for a lifestyle change is really something that they can do - well , it can be done and it really is not that difficult now. The internet of course enables us to keep in instant contact with our families, and in real terms, "home" is only a plane ride away. Thanks goodness for SKYPE - we often wonder how long it will be before these calls are not free. Mind you, the CEO of SKYPE was on the radio last year saying that in 5 years all phone calls via computer would be free - that would be great.

The island is relatively quiet at the moment, and there is the annual fishing tournament kicking off next week. This is great fun as we get to see fabulous deep sea fishing boats in Turtle Cove Marina, and later in the afternoon, around 4pm (ish) we go round and watch the weigh-in... super stuff. Check out these two apartments that overlook the cove, as these units have premier positon for the onlooker. Here is the tournament link.

Turtle Cove is really the early heart of the Island, where the first hotel was located, its now gone, and a new whizzo development is scheduled to go there at some time, and the Cove has many restaurants to choose from. We have lovely super yachts come and go, which is a pleasure to watch, expecially the larger ones as the Captains skillfully navigate the entrance.. no mean task.

For more information on properties that are available, don't forget the homepage and navigate around the site. If there is a picture, it will probably enlarge when clicked on.. or they could be a link there as well. Try out this page.. this is a fun new page which leads to various properties quickly... its the local marketing style used in the TCREA magazine - just come out this week.

Not really a dull day...

Well, its a dull and overcast start to the day here today, a rare event really and it is nice to be able to put on a long sleeve shirt and long pants, not thinking you are going to roast. This is one thing here that we really do not have, and that is the seasons, as it is perpetual summer here. We are so lucky.

We manage to keep in contact with the cricket and football via the excellent BBC feed that comes through the cable network and I got pretty excited to hear the Google and the BBC are in talks to make the BBC feed available on the internet. That REALLY would be great as the programmes from the BBC are so good - you can tell I am a Brit abroad! Indeed, some days, I have to pinch myself that we really are in the Caribbean, as the beauty, the sun, the sea and the colours are truly outstanding.

I clicked onto the photo page in my site, where Mathew has allowed me to publish his fantastic underwater pictures - (click on the fish here) gosh they are really good and just off the beach here too!.... This is one of the major draws of this island for visitor and residents alike, where we exist in a bubble of safety and beauty.
A chum of mine, who lives in the states, had not visited his holiday condo for a few months and had travelled in Europe and the south of the USA for a change, with a view to buying another holiday property. Returning back here convinced him that his original investment was a great idea and has now decided not to look elsewhere...and to invest futher here.

Some readers may wonder if moving overseas for a lifestyle change is really something that they can do - well , it can be done and it really is not that difficult now. The internet of course enables us to keep in instant contact with our families, and in real terms, "home" is only a plane ride away. Thanks goodness for SKYPE - we often wonder how long it will be before these calls are not free. Mind you, the CEO of SKYPE was on the radio last year saying that in 5 years all phone calls via computer would be free - that would be great.

The island is relatively quiet at the moment, and there is the annual fishing tournament kicking off next week. This is great fun as we get to see fabulous deep sea fishing boats in Turtle Cove Marina, and later in the afternoon, around 4pm (ish) we go round and watch the weigh-in... super stuff. Check out these two apartments that overlook the cove, as these units have premier positon for the onlooker. Here is the tournament link.

Turtle Cove is really the early heart of the Island, where the first hotel was located, its now gone, and a new whizzo development is scheduled to go there at some time, and the Cove has many restaurants to choose from. We have lovely super yachts come and go, which is a pleasure to watch, expecially the larger ones as the Captains skillfully navigate the entrance.. no mean task.

For more information on properties that are available, don't forget the homepage and navigate around the site. If there is a picture, it will probably enlarge when clicked on.. or they could be a link there as well. Try out this page.. this is a fun new page which leads to various properties quickly... its the local marketing style used in the TCREA magazine - just come out this week.

Not really a dull day...

Well, its a dull and overcast start to the day here today, a rare event really and it is nice to be able to put on a long sleeve shirt and long pants, not thinking you are going to roast. This is one thing here that we really do not have, and that is the seasons, as it is perpetual summer here. We are so lucky.

We manage to keep in contact with the cricket and football via the excellent BBC feed that comes through the cable network and I got pretty excited to hear the Google and the BBC are in talks to make the BBC feed available on the internet. That REALLY would be great as the programmes from the BBC are so good - you can tell I am a Brit abroad! Indeed, some days, I have to pinch myself that we really are in the Caribbean, as the beauty, the sun, the sea and the colours are truly outstanding.

I clicked onto the photo page in my site, where Mathew has allowed me to publish his fantastic underwater pictures - (click on the fish here) gosh they are really good and just off the beach here too!.... This is one of the major draws of this island for visitor and residents alike, where we exist in a bubble of safety and beauty.
A chum of mine, who lives in the states, had not visited his holiday condo for a few months and had travelled in Europe and the south of the USA for a change, with a view to buying another holiday property. Returning back here convinced him that his original investment was a great idea and has now decided not to look elsewhere...and to invest futher here.

Some readers may wonder if moving overseas for a lifestyle change is really something that they can do - well , it can be done and it really is not that difficult now. The internet of course enables us to keep in instant contact with our families, and in real terms, "home" is only a plane ride away. Thanks goodness for SKYPE - we often wonder how long it will be before these calls are not free. Mind you, the CEO of SKYPE was on the radio last year saying that in 5 years all phone calls via computer would be free - that would be great.

The island is relatively quiet at the moment, and there is the annual fishing tournament kicking off next week. This is great fun as we get to see fabulous deep sea fishing boats in Turtle Cove Marina, and later in the afternoon, around 4pm (ish) we go round and watch the weigh-in... super stuff. Check out these two apartments that overlook the cove, as these units have premier positon for the onlooker. Here is the tournament link.

Turtle Cove is really the early heart of the Island, where the first hotel was located, its now gone, and a new whizzo development is scheduled to go there at some time, and the Cove has many restaurants to choose from. We have lovely super yachts come and go, which is a pleasure to watch, expecially the larger ones as the Captains skillfully navigate the entrance.. no mean task.

For more information on properties that are available, don't forget the homepage and navigate around the site. If there is a picture, it will probably enlarge when clicked on.. or they could be a link there as well. Try out this page.. this is a fun new page which leads to various properties quickly... its the local marketing style used in the TCREA magazine - just come out this week.