At Re/Max Elite we enjoy bringing you real estate news about the Turks and Caicos Islands, but we also like to provide other information we think will help people in the TCI. This week we want to turn the spotlight on Lawyer Emma Riach who has recently returned to Providenciales.

Simon Padgett, Broker of Re/Max Elite states: “Emma brings with her a wealth of experience, but most importantly a fresh and energetic approach to doing business’ Emma is one of several lawyers that I recommend because she is very efficient and most notably, she gets the job done in a timely manner!”

Emma Riach

Emma is originally a London barrister & solicitor who has been living and working in the Caribbean for the last 6 years advising on all aspects of real estate and commercial developments and transactions.  In the Turks and Caicos, as an attorney admitted to the local Bar, she has for many years advised several of the leading developers in the development of high end resorts on the islands.  Additionally she has assisted numerous private vendors & purchasers in the sale/purchase of villas, condominiums and land (and development thereof) throughout the islands.

Emma holds a number of legal qualifications and has worked over the last 16 years in the Turks and Caicos Islands, Bermuda, Anguilla, London and Paris. This provides a wealth of comparative knowledge on these countries and some of the unique advantages of real estate investment and development in the islands.  Emma feels that she is privileged to be able

to call Providenciales home and loves exploring and staying on the other Turks & Caicos Islands at the weekends. She is more than happy to impart her knowledge and enthusiasm for all of the islands with her clients.

Emma can be contacted at emmariach@karammissick.com

Re/Max Elite always looks at selling fantastic opportunities in the real estate market in the Turks and Caicos Islands, and recently has become the real estate agents of choice to market the Venetian on Grace Bay. Please take a look at these two great units:

The Venetian Unit 702
The Venetian Unit 204

The Venetian offers a luxurious year-round home or a much desired holiday escape. With the elegance of ocean-front living and set on the white sand and glistening turquoise sea of Grace Bay Beach, The Venetian captures the best in beach-front living. From its architecture to design and finishes, The Venetian offers all of the amenities and beauty desired by those seeking the best in their personal piece of the Caribbean. In terms of value for three bed condominiums in this current economy, you will not beat the Venetian, in terms of its quality finishes and most importantly its location with probably the best sunsets on Grace Bay.

The credentials of the development team are clear to see. The first of the two developers behind The Venetian, Brian E. Butler, has won the proud reputation as Cayman’s foremost builder of resort condominiums. In twenty successful condominium projects on Cayman’s Seven Mile Beach, Mr. Butler has set and achieved high standards of design and quality.

Robert Ellingson-Lewis, a co-developer and project manager, has also been involved with successful land development projects and the building of custom homes in both Canada and the United States. Mr. Ellingson-Lewis is responsible for the team’s most recent and very successful condominium development, The Tuscany.

The Venetian is a very exciting new opportunity that is due for completion January 2011. Contact us now for more information.

The View from the Venetian

Re/Max Elite is pleased to put the spot light on Ambergris Cay in the Turks and Caicos Islands, following the recent listing of Hawkins Ridge. This beautiful piece of land, a sanctuary hidden in the south of our island chain, is part of an exciting development, intended to provide a Caribbean paradise with the privacy difficult to attain many places in the world.

Ambergris Cay is easily accessible via Providenciales on private jet (taking less than twenty minutes), but the beauty of the island is that it feels like you alone know about it. It is possible to enjoy wonderful diving, snorkeling and fishing off the island. At certain times of year it is even possible to watch the whale migration that gave the Cay its name (Ambergris is a valuable waxy substance left by migrating Hump-back whales).

Ambergris Cay Beach

In keeping with the rich biodiversity of the island, the ecologically sensitive development has sought to preserve the ecosystem in place and even educate residents and visitors further with the Environmental Learning Center. This project has sought to embrace and preserve the flora and fauna of the island to continue the beautiful legacy of the region. One third of the island is even set aside as a reserve to keep those elements untouched.

Whether you decide to build a villa here in the same style as one of the fantastic examples already developed, or create a home based on your own designs, this could be one of the most wonderful oasis’s in the Caribbean.

As a follow up to this blog we will be featuring interviews and thoughts from some of the individuals connected to this stunning island in the coming weeks. Please come back to read more.

Click here to see our Hawkins Ridge listing.

The RE/MAX Elite real estate office has been busy in the Turks and Caicos! Amongst an ever increasing number of potential real estate clients visiting the TCI, we recently helped welcome a 30-strong Canadian Tax conference to the islands. The Conference was initially held in the ballroom at the Regent Palms and, set up by Canadian and former TCI resident Greg McNally, acted as a showcase for a variety of investment opportunity on the island  that would help Canadian residents make the most of their tax allowances buy purchasing in the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Tax Conference Showing of the Third Turtle

The party of potential investors were shown a variety of properties including Villas and many luxury Condominiums including those in Grace Bay Club, The Sands, Villa Renaissance, and the Gansevoort, to name a few. After this, they were even treated to a preview of the upcoming Third Turtle Club by Simon Padgett and his team.

The event  created a real buss for the investors who displayed clear interest in the island and in a range of ownership strategies, including the increasingly popular concept of fractional ownership. We hope to welcome them back in the future to further explore ownership on Providenciales!

RE/MAX Elite is pleased to pass on positive news about WestJet flight connections between the Turks and Caicos Islands and Canada.

Passengers disembarking from an Inaugural Flight to Providenciales

WestJet is scheduled to fly between Toronto and Providenciales, three times a week from now until May 1, 2010. It is hoped that a year round service will follow in due time.

This can only be good news for the Turks and Caicos Islands as North American markets continue to diversify and expand.  Please contact us if you are coming down to the islands and would like to view Turks and Caicos real estate during your stay.

The Turks and Caicos recently welcomed the inaugural flight of the new non-stop service from Toronto to Providenciales. 139 passengers touched down to be welcomed in the airport’s V.I.P. lounge by the likes of Permanent Secretary to the Governor’s Office Dr. Kingsley Been; Chairman of the Tourist Board, Dr. Hugh Fulford; Director (Ag) of Tourism Ralph Higgs; President of Air Turks & Caicos Lyndon Gardiner and President of TCHTA Karen Whitt.

Dr. Hugh Fulford welcomed WestJet and commented that he hoped “that this business relationship would grow and mushroom into something all parties can be proud of.” He added, “We have realized the positive impact the Canadian market can have on the Turks and Caicos Islands and we look forward to the benefits now and in the near future.”

Acting Director of Tourism, Ralph Higgs, went onto state, “We are very pleased that WestJet has chosen the Turks and Caicos Islands.  Our friendly people, accommodations, and beaches are second to none.” Higgs then added, “We are willing to work to ensure that the TCI benefits from this relationship with WestJet.  They can count on us as partners moving forward.”

WestJet, for their part, responded that they are continuing to seek out hotspots like the Turks and Caicos Islands to expand into and assured that places like Providenciales would be embraced by the Canadian market.

RE/MAX Elite is pleased to report good news for the Turks and Caicos Islands, coming in a press release from Grand Turk’s Government Information Service. Despite a tough economic climate around the world, the Turks and Caicos islands remain one of the most desirable Caribbean destinations. According to statistics, long-stay visitor arrivals are down slightly (2%) for the year 2009, so far. However, arrivals to the island this year remain better than expected in the climate that we have faced.

Turks and Caicos: Turtle Tail property

For the first ten months of 2009, long-stay visitors are reported to total 222,835. This is compared to 227,288 visitors for the same period in 2008. Statistics from the Turks and Caicos Government’s information service show that in 2008 cruise passengers to the Grand Turk Terminal came to 237,113. At the end of 2009 it is expected  that this figure will have increased by 45%.

Here at RE/MAX Elite we are happy to continue to pass on the good news about our islands. Please contact us if we can supply you with any more real estate information or assist you in any queries.

Sabrina Hamilton

RE/MAX Elite real estate agent Mrs. Sabrina Hamilton was born and raised in The Turks & Caicos Islands. She attended The University of Technology and The University of Phoenix, pursuing a career in Business Administration and Accounting. She also holds a Diploma in Interior Design, which fueled her interest in the real estate industry, along with her experience in working with the government as the personal assistant to then Minister Responsible for Land Surveys and Department of Environmental and Coastal Resources, the Hon. McAllister E. Hanchell.

Sabrina enjoys providing her clients with a high level of service and commitment. Having obtained I.R.E.S. (International Real Estate Specialist) Certification, she seeks to act as the exclusive agent for her clients whether they are buying or selling here in the Turks and Caicos Islands — anywhere in the world.

Being a wife and mother of one, Sabrina also embraces the opportunity to provide families with the opportunity to thrive in an environment that has one of the lowest crime rates in the world. The Turks and Caicos can boast this, along-side international award-winning beaches, friendly people and great opportunities for investments.

She has lived on the island of Providenciales since 1994, originally employed with Barclays Bank, now known as CIBC Caribbean International Bank of Commerce. She has extensive knowledge of the islands and seeks to provide you with a warm and friendly experience while fulfilling your dreams for a tropical oasis or simply a sound investment on these beautiful shores.

Contact us here or Sabrina directly for assistance.

RE/MAX Elite has more positive real estate news to report following the latest economic announcements in the U.S.  Close adviser to the president, Warren Buffett, has again gone on record stating reasons for optimism. His opinion holds that there are crucial reasons to believe that America has seen the worst of the economic situation and is now progressing back towards health.

When questioned on current economic prospects Buffet responded that “enormous” progress had been made since this time last year, he attributed this positive state to the government’s actions in in the Fall of 2008. Buffet believes that those actions prevented America’s economy from “going over a cliff”.  Furthermore he went onto state that the worst in this regard is behind us.

He was candid when asked about unemployment, citing that companies confidence would take time to be restored before before this improved.

It doesn’t seem that we are in for a quick recovery, but experts such as Buffett are confident that the fundamentals are strong and that a full return will be made. This is great news for the Turks and Caicos Islands real estate market, which is so closely linked to the fortunes in the north!

Please contact us if we can assist you in in your real estate inquiries as the market returns.

Here at RE/MAX Elite in the Turks and Caicos, our real estate agents are always seeking to extend their qualifications and expertise. Subsequently, at  the recent RE/MAX conference in Miami, all of our agents became I.R.E.S. certified (International Real Estate Specialist). More than 2,000 agents worldwide have received this designation so far. A range of networking opportunities come with this accreditation, including access to the Castles and Estates website and it’s affiliated magazine. Furthermore, our agents will receive ongoing training in the highly specialized nature of International real estate transactions and marketing. All of this is a huge benefit to our Turks and Caicos real estate sellers.  Now is a great time to come into the RE/MAX Elite office to pick the brains of our experts, contact us or see directions here.

Some recent picture from our Miami Conference:

Our RE/MAX Elite Team returned to Providenciales from Miami this weekend full of the drive, enthusism and forward thinking that it is possible to gain from a well structured conference. The team were particularly driven by the speaking of Guru Dr. Fred Grosse, who’s Keynote speach had the audience enthralled. It was particularly pleasing for the team to return back to a week where RE/MAX Elite saw a record number of enquiries  for recent months, which combined with an apparent slow US upturn bodes well for the near future!

With the team back and full of drive RE/MAX Elite will be looking to further optimize the way we work with new networking ideas, software, I.R.E.S. Certification, and a host of other plans to be put into play. Come down soon to check out what we have to offer!