EE NE FR NLI O &
The Parks at South View - Page 5
Caribbean Island Properties - Page 7
West Coast Villas - Page 9
Endorsed by the Barbados Estate Agents and Valuers Association Inc.
BARBADOS PROPERTY
NEWS www.barbadospropertynews.com • June - July 2013 • Issue 87
The view from the condos at Boarded Hall Green - Page 23
Editor’s Comments If there is one sure way to confuse your head on the topic of global property prices then goggle the main international property websites and you’ll get a motley array of mixed fortunes across the globe. Of course, Barbados is a minnow in the everchanging data that experts use to identify good and bad trends and with a population of around 286,000 it doesn’t take a lot of movement in real estate sales to distort the picture on a small Caribbean island. Little wonder we see ourselves as different and outside the mainstream, although we are very cognizant that many of our overseas buyers come from much bigger developed countries. Bringing perspective to Barbados real estate is much easier for local people as we know what we have and everyday we enjoy the benefits of living in a beautiful place with friendly people and an exotic tropical climate. We don’t need global data or international property experts to tell us what we have because we live it day after day, and whatever challenges come our way we deal with them. This is our perspective of living in Barbados. We hope through the pages of this edition you get a perspective of what you could enjoy if you buy and come to live in Barbados either part-time or full-time. Many people dream of a life in the Caribbean, but you don’t have to win the Lotto to live here as property prices cover every pocket. If it is not paradise it may be as close as you get because we offer a peaceful and healthy lifestyle in a tropical environment almost devoid of stress. None of the global property experts will capture that in data! Pamela Hiles - Editor On the Cover: Boarded Hall Green
If you would like to advertise in Barbados Property News call Pam at 228-9122 or 232-0692
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Publisher – Hiltop Publications Ltd, 11 Cottage Ridge, St George, Barbados, BB19071 Tel (246) 228-9122, Fax (246) 228-0243 Email: sportingb@caribsurf.com www.sportingbarbados.com www.barbadospropertynews.com www.caribbeanpropertymag.com www.caribbeanmortgageservices.com Editor/Advertising – Pamela L Hiles Design and Art Direction – 809 Distribution – Hiltop Publications Ltd, Brian’s Print Brokerage Printing – Coles Printery The Material and editorial contained in this publication have been deemed accurate at the time of going to print. The views expressed as editorial are those of the Editor unless stated otherwise. No part of this publication may be reproduced without the consent of the permission of Hiltop Publications Ltd.
STORE HOURS: Monday - Friday: 9am - 4.30pm
s
Saturday: 9am - 2pm
Williams Industries Complex, Warrens, St. Michael. Tel: 424 2661s Email: natalie@harrymanning.com www.facebook.com/NatzHomeFurnishings
Boarded Hall Green - Great Condos in a lovely setting
The exciting new Boarded Hall Green Development set in the St. George countryside will have special appeal to homeowners who like a rural ambience, are eco-friendly and who are looking for something different in design and lifestyle. This development ticks all those boxes and is strategically located at the new Boarded Hall Roundabout overlooking the majestic St. George Valley and barely ten minutes drive to the airport and a few minutes drive from the Bussa Roundabout, Sky Mall and the ABC Highway
created with attractive landscaping irrigated by an on-site water treatment plant, solar-powered street lights, recyclable garbage disposal, and solar-heated water. This is one of several optional extras that include a furniture package from Dwellings, an appliance package from DaCosta Mannings, air conditioners, patio awning and various electrical extras. The purchase process has been enhanced through the provision of mortgage facilities up to 100% to suitably qualified buyers. This financing may also include the furniture package and optional extras in some cases.
There are 57 condo units that vary in size from 581-1,233 Sq Ft and in design from studio to two-bedroom duplexes. There are ground floor and 1st floor options and attractive prices from BDS$246,000-$570,400.
The development with have a Management Office on site and additional features that include a communal swimming pool with gazebo, wet bar and toilet facilities.
Boarded Hall Green is a gated community with innovative modern architecture and design. Its green culture has been
Show units are now open for viewing daily by appointment or Open House on Saturdays and are well worth the visit. 25
FUN FOR EVER EVERYONE YONE AT AT THE VILLAGES!
2 & 3 Bedroom Designs Weekly Live Entertainment Recreational Activities Restaurants & Shopping Security Play Parks Playing Field & Pavilion Underground Services
Tour Our Community & Fully Furnished Model Homes Daily 8am to 5pm
Finished Home Prices Starting From BDS$ 284,900
Call 246-627-4229 For Your Personal Tour or
Visit Today
www.villagesatcoverley.net The Villages at Coverley, Coverley, Christ Church, Barbados sales@villagesatcoverley.net
Access covers - the answer to maintaining exceptional property
Detail is at the heart of design excellence in every field and nowhere more so than in contemporary architecture. Great building is so much more than just stunning aesthetics. The end result must look spectacular from every angle but the property must also function and perform reliably for its lifetime. The essential services which form the lifeblood of the building – electrics, water, ventilation, heating, air conditioning and data must all be carefully planned and installed with painstaking accuracy. Irrespective of spec or price tag however, one thing every building in the world has in common is the need to be regularly and properly maintained. Whether routine or emergency, building maintenance is not always a straightforward task, especially with today’s contemporary bent for streamlined and seamless interiors. The issue of how to access concealed services tucked away and hidden under floors, behind walls or in ceiling voids poses numerous challenges for architects, interior designers, contractors and property owners alike. For over 25 years, UK based firm Howe Green has been leading a sector of the global building services industry dedicated to designing and manufacturing innovative, practical and economical solutions for accessing concealed services. The world’s top design professionals have specified Howe Green’s high quality metal access covers and hatches for some of the world’s most prestigious buildings and residences. London installations include One Hyde Park, with its record-breaking £140m six-bedroom Knightsbridge penthouse, The Gherkin, Buckingham Palace, Cornwall Terrace on Regents Park, London’s first cable car terminals, The Victoria and Albert Museum and The Shard to name a few. Their metal fabricated access covers are of very high quality and can be in-filled with the surrounding flooring for a perfect match and uninterrupted aesthetic. The minimal show edge of the frame section gives developers a virtually invisible route to easy building maintenance. This simplicity on every front is an important factor for every modern design-led project.
Howe Green’s access covers have also been specified for Caribbean construction projects at the very top end of the island’s property market. Barbados projects have included the JADA Group’s superluxurious Palazzate development. Palazzate’s four spectacular residences range from 12,000 to 16,000 sq ft, each with smart stacked design for maximum privacy and security, private elevator entrance, luxury pool, theatre and gym. Rotherley Construction also installed Howe Green 7500 heavy-duty stainless steel access covers at The Sands. This elite gated community in Saint James is made up of eight super-size luxury villas in an exclusive compound adjacent to Sandy Lane Beach. Barbados based procurement and logistics company NSG West Indies Ltd, sourced the access covers for Rotherley and, having worked with Howe Green for several years, they were confident in recommending them for both product and service. “Howe Green has an excellent reputation for meeting exacting standards of manufacture and their products can be found in some of the finest buildings in the world. Their dedicated technical support team is also on hand at every stage from design through to installation” said Josie Hobson from NSG, Howe Green’s Barbados distributor. Barbadian property owners and developers are also looking for access covers for external water tanks large and small. Richard Centa, Howe Green’s Marketing Director and one of the four brothers who run the family business comments; “There are many examples of exceptional architecture and quality construction in Barbados. We are delighted to have supplied prestigious developments like The Sands and Palazatte. Howe Green has a global distribution network for all our core ranges of aluminium and stainless steel access covers and hatches. We can supply commercial companies and private individuals in Barbados via our distributor NSG Exports. Of course, customers are very welcome to contact us direct for product information or technical advice. Historically most of our business comes from larger scale construction projects in commercial, healthcare and infrastructure sectors around the world – rail and air, hospitals, universities and such. But increasingly, our products have been solving an important issue for prestigious residential homes at the very top end of the property market. What’s also interesting is that we have had enquiries from smaller developers and private homeowners in Barbados looking for access covers for water tanks. Our products are actually ideal for that job. They are double sealed for use over foul drainage, with a third seal to help prevent any dirt ingress between frame and cover providing a reliable solution anywhere easy maintenance and optimum hygiene is important. We manufacture to order so people can get exactly what they need at precisely the right size and without having to pay any price premium or incur delivery delays. As a company, we are certainly focused on developing our business in Barbados and I hope we can find many excuses to visit. It’s a fabulous Island.” 35
Barbados Property News Feature
Summer Weddings
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Gift Ideas
Walker’s World
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1. Jolie Lamp $ 229.95 2. 28” Silver Feather Mirror $ 249.95 3. Rusticana Oval bowl $ 119.95
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Carters
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1. Kitchen Craft® Cookbook Stand Item # 250010515 $45.73 2. Kitchen Craft® Wok Item # 250010524 $91.88 3. Kitchen Craft® Oven Glove Item # 250001130 $50.76
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DB Home
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All Prices VAT Inclusive and subject to 10% Discount. 38
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1. La Cafetiere Titania Cafetiere. Available from DB Home Sheraton and Millhouse.$109 2. L’objet frame. Available duty-free. 3. Realistic couture orchids in a glass cube vase. Available duty-free from DB Home, Limegrove Lifestyle Centre.
Dwellings
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1. Lenox Tuscany Grand Bordeaux Glass Set - $99.95 2. Amherst Bedding $499.95 3. Cuisinart 7 Pce SS Cookware Set - $399.95
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Gajah 1. Colourful Wall Art $80.00 each 2. Mother of Pearl Inlay Vase - $192.00 3. Wood Leather Ottoman – $ 491.00 Small, $562.00 Medium,$632.00 Large.
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Natz 1. Candle Holder with Metal Leaf Base $140.27 2. Square Studded & Aged Wall Mirror - $512.23 3. Floral Stitched Pillows Assorted - $118.21ea
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Archer’s Hall
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1. Assorted Gift Wrapping Paper Roll $17.63 BDS Vat Incl 2. Assorted Linen Photo Albums - $50.53 BDS Vat Incl and Up & Assorted Wedding Albums - $50.53 BDS Vat Incl and Up 3. Seahorse Triple Dip Set - $99.88 BDS Vat Inc.
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Designer Decor 1. & 2. Assorted Vases
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Dillon Amber Dane 1. Green & Teal Poppies Wall Art (sold as a pair) $404.20 VAT Incl. 2. English Garden Pillows - $70.50 VAT Incl. each 3. Mix & Match Teapot and 4 Cup Set - $173.90 VAT Incl.
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Get Started on Building Your Dream Buying your own property, be it a house, a condominium or just the land to build on, is one of the most significant and satisfying investments you will ever make. A new home is a long-term commitment, so choose your new home carefully and look to the future to imagine how it can grow to meet your needs. Regardless of what you want tomorrow, you’ve got to be able to cover your costs today. For the home-buyer, the two biggest requirements are the amount that you pay as your deposit and the monthly costs, including the mortgage insurance and other monthly bills. Depending on your tax situation, your monthly costs should not exceed 30 - 40 percent of your gross salary. On most home purchases the required deposit is ten percent. If you make a larger deposit, you mortgage will be smaller and your monthly payments may be reduced. You should make as big a down payment as you can while maintaining some savings and investments in other places. Having all your assets tied up in your house leaves you with nothing for other purchases or emergencies. To determine the deposit range that is right for you, calculate your net worth, (which is the surplus left over after you subtract all your liabilities from your assets). You should place
no more than 75 percent of that surplus as your deposit. For the first-home buyer the process can appear a bit daunting, but our Sagicor Advisors can help you find your comfort zone, and put you in touch with a mortgage officer to walk you through the process step-by-step. Here is some of the information that will be required by the lender to process your mortgage application: • Employment Information • Employment letter with name of employer, position, length of service, salary • Financial statement for 3 - 5 years if self-employed • Property Information • Conveyance, approved plans, cost estimate and estimate of value on completion if building • Valuation report and pictures of property if buying • Bank and other financial references. We can help you find the legal, inspection and insurance resources you need and we can work with you to determine the range of homes you can afford. Contact us today to get started on building your dream. Call Sagicor today at 467 7500
“A-” Ex cellent Sagicor Sagicor Life Inc is rated “A-” Excellent Company. by A.M. Best Rating Company.
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We Need a Customer Service National Campaign We live in a world of lightning communication and while it may still take time to congratulate merit, a bad experience can be relayed across the world in seconds through the Internet. Bad news travels fast and when the hospitality watchdog tripadvisor.com blasted the Barbados Immigration Department for the unfriendliness of their staff at Grantley Adams International Airport there was plenty of correspondents only to eager too join in the criticism. Trip Advisor is a reputable agency and tourism chiefs were quick to call foul, but it remains to be seen if smiling faces will emerge in the airport reception hall in the future. It begs the question-who sets customer service standards? Many companies invest heavily on staff training in the customer services sector, but it is the biggest single complaint that visitors and local people have in everyday Barbados life. Why do we have to wait until the supermarket cashier finishes her private telephone call to get served? Why do we have to queue for eternity in banks? Why do business people not return telephone calls and why do they let the phone ring forever? Why does someone’s work sit on their desk for weeks until they return from holiday? Why do some attorneys take so long to complete routine transactions? Why does a frustrated attorney need to “bum” a judge because of procrastination in the court system? Why do government and statutory workers offer a poor customer service across so many sectors of public administration? The list is endless because we have so many complaints about poor customer service in everyday private and business life. But is the answer to this straightforward question not obvious? The responsibility for setting good customer service
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Finance
standards lies with each and every one of us. It is a personal thing and if we really want Barbados to be a better place to live and work then we need to look at ourselves in the mirror and do something about it. We need a huge public awareness of customer service and we need everyone to take personal responsibility for their contribution to it. The irony in this debate is that it costs nothing to deliver in most instances! Both private and public sectors need to buy into the concept. The Immigration Dept staff at the airport are only symptoms of the wider problem and other Government workers throughout the island need to get off their high horses and deliver. Jobs for life and poor work ethic, including bad attendance, are phrases closely aligned to civil servants, who need to set an example instead of being a sector of scorn and public distain. Everyone can answer the telephone quicker and the simple courtesy of returning a telephone call should be inherent in everyday practice. Is it really asking too much for people in high positions to grasp the mettle and do something positive and constructive to improve such a basic element in everyday life? Conveyancing in Barbados takes far long and to make matters worse the cost for this poor customer service is too high. Why can’t the legal brains of Barbados not solve the problem or better still, why can’t government take over the legal industry and sort out all their problems? Why can’t banks set minimum standards for their staff? Surely loan applications could be processed within a few days and why have we long queues in the banking halls in 2013? Barbados needs a National Campaign to combat poor customer service and it needs to be driven from within the public and private sectors to have a serious impact. The benefits could be huge, but someone needs to take the initiative and make it happen before more and more tripadvisor criticism hits the front pages of our newspapers.
W G NOLLIN SE
Only One Unit left Price: BDS$405,000 Land and construction of a three-bedroom detached single storey home
For more information call 230 9215
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BEAVA News BEAVA Members Attend Educational Development Course In its quest to encourage the ongoing development of its members, the board of BEAVA (Barbados Estate Agents and Valuers Association Inc.) has introduced a series of educational seminars which started on June 04th, 2013. Tania Wardle, a member of the association’s Education and Training Committee told Barbados Property News: “this initiative demonstrates (BEAVA’s) commitment to developing an industry of real estate professionals who adhere to standards and have met academic and professional training standards to continually improve the industry.” The course’s syllabus was developed in conjunction with Barbados Community College, which also serves as home to the first four-week course. Participants will be tutored in the following topics: - Ethics & Standards of Practice - MLS Rules and Regulations - The Real Estate Process - Comparative Market Analysis - The Sales Process, from a Legal Perspective - Leases The classes are being held for members and taught by members. Tutors include Hayden Hutton, Alkins Kirton, Tania Wardle and Curtis Pounder. Legal topics will be taught by the law firm of Clarke, Gittens and Farmer.
MLS Caravan Comes to Barbados! BEAVA is calling all agents to get on board its Caravan! We are very excited about our MLS Caravan initiative which started a couple of Thursdays ago with our President, Suzanne Davis’ company, Realtors Real Estate Limited. She led by example and started the ball rolling with her very own caravan which saw agents being led on an amazing tour of properties in the St. George area.
President Suzanne Davis (centre in dress) with some of the agents who attended BEAVA's first ever Caravan hosted by Realtors Real Estate Limited.
For those who are unfamiliar with the term as it pertains to the real estate industry, an MLS Caravan is simply an organised tour of a pre-selected group of MLS property listings in a specified area. It is designed to familiarise agents and brokers with listings on MLS. Let us explain how we envision this once-a-month Caravan to work: - A specified area will be chosen – more often than not it’ll be an area with several MLS listings; - BEAVA MLS agents with listings in that targeted area will be emailed and asked if they wish to participate. Confirmation will then proceed on a first-come-first-served basis and only five or six properties will be shown per Caravan event; - Once we have the list, the date and route will be emailed to all BEAVA agents in advance; - On the day of the Caravan, participating agents will all start at one property and follow a specified route. We look forward to having all of our agents hop on board this Caravan and we foresee great results in this new venture. Welcome aboard!
Driving Their New Business Well known Barbados rally drivers Roger Skeete and Gary Clarke are no strangers to challenges on and off the road, but their latest business venture has taken them into a completely new environment and opened up a new world for this dynamic duo. Roger and Garry have bought Williams Trading Inc, the wellknown local company that specializes in quality kitchen units and counter-tops. The opportunity to buy arose because owners and founders Mario and Vanda Williams have decided to relocate to United States to promote their daughter Malissa Alana’s singing career. Roger and Garry see this as a great opportunity and are full of enthusiasm for the challenges ahead"Barbadians are now more conscious than ever of supporting local products and businesses and we want to develop the company in such a way that our goods are better than imported goods and can be offered at competitive prices. We are also conscious of our new role as employers and ultimately we hope to increase the workforce from ten employees� says Roger. WTI has an excellent reputation for the Topstone and Hanex countertops and have also been importing granite by demand. This area of the business has the potential to expand as it caters to both domestic and commercial markets. Although not as well known, WTI also does carpet tiles and offers a full range of NHT and Harmon Kardon stereo systems for the home. A significant part of the business centres on the top quality
Real Estate News
long-lasting hardwood kitchens, which are resistant to termites and ideal for tropical climates. As Garry explains'We have some amazing kitchens, crafted by the best tradesmen on the island and offered at amazing prices!" It seems there is a lot of gas in this business tank and if the two entrepreneurs deliver the same dynamic with WTI as they have on the rally circuit then this business is sure to go from strength to strength. Williams Trading Inc is located in Edgehill, St Thomas and more information can be obtained from General Manager Nicolette Campbell Unit 8 Lot 1 Williams Industrial Park Edghill, St. Thomas, Barbados , West Indies Tel: (246)-425-0062, Fax: (246)-425-4053 Email: nicolette.campbell@wti.com.bb; www.wti.com.bb
Dane Skeete, Roger Skeete, Nicolette Campbell, Megan Williams & Garry Clarke
Caribbean Property Magazine 2013 The 2013 edition of Caribbean Property Magazine is now available in hard and electronic copy (www.caribbeanpropertymag.com) This year's edition features a variety of articles from leading experts across the region and the Business and Finance section is particularly interesting with guest articles from highly regarded industry icons like Paul Altman. Dominica attorney Cecily Lees answers questions on Economic Citizenship while Scotiabank's Paul Jenkins explains what Private Wealth Banking is all about. Many readers will be intrigued by James Pollard's assessment of valuations in the current market while Simone Ward of Diamonds International has offered an interesting diamonds alternative to traditional forms of investment. Articles by David Alleyne (United Insurance), Anita Ashton (Caribbean Mortgage Services) and freelance journalist Clare Hiles on the music industry and Barbados band Cover, Drive make up this popular section. Editor is Clarence Hiles and his introductory remarks promote buying in the current Buyer's Market.