Friday, August 27, 2010

Buying property outside of Canada

My family loves to travel and many of my relatives own vacation property in Florida, Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, Germany and Thailand. At our last family reunion we met in Varadero, Cuba and members of my family who reside in Europe encouraged me to buy a cute little house in Cuba and if I had a pot full of fun money that I could afford to lose, I would. I love Cuba and it's people but just like the quiet unspoiled beauty of Puerto Vallarta in 1981, I fear Cuba will one day be invaded by Spring Breakers.  P.V was great until the Americans discovered it as a tourist destination.

Would it be madness to invest in a Communist state? It might raise a few eyebrows, but the opportunities are out there. With its crumbling colonial architecture, little changed since the days of Ernest Hemingway, and streets full of battered 1950s Buicks and Chev-rolets, Cuba has long been caught in a time warp. Yet there is change in the air: now that Fidel Castro has finally gone into retirement, the Communist regime is loosening its grip,  and recent events in the USA led to a softening of Washington’s  nearly 50year-old embargo.

Yet would you really want to invest your hard-earned money in a home in one of the few countries left on earth that - in theory, at least – still espouses Marxism-Leninism? Andrew Macdonald, an entrepreneur who has worked on a variety of projects in Cuba and across Latin America for more than a dozen years, is hoping the answer will be yes or "Si".

The island’s 11m people are still counting the cost of this year’s hurricane season, which has already been more than devastating than most, but Macdonald insists the long-term prospects are good. “It’s the Caribbean plus much, much more – like romance,” he enthuses over mojitos in the London branch of his chain of El Floridita bars, which take their name from one of Hemingway’s favourite watering holes in Havana. “It’s cultural, it’s glamorous, it’s exotic – Cuba has influenced the whole of South America, and reinfluenced Spain itself.”

Keen to take it's tourism industry upmarket and away from the all-inclusive tours with which it has hitherto been associated, the Cuban government this year announced plans to build nine golf-centred complexes on the island – which is almost the size of England – and, inspired by the success of such resort developments elsewhere in the world, decided to add residential property to the mix.
The Carbonera resort, which Macdonald’s company is developing, will be the first of the nine and set to be completed in 2011. And, in a move that may leave Castro’s more ideologically rigorous compadres choking on their Cohiba cigars, the properties will be situated in that most yanqui of institutions, a “country club” – and a six-star one to boot, with a marina close at hand.

The development will be about an hour’s drive east of Havana, near Vara-dero, the beach resort at the centre of Cuba’s drive into package tourism. It will be on a considerable scale, with 165 villas, ranging in size from 360 to 500 square metres, and 650 one, two- and three-bedroom flats. With prices expected to be set at about 1500 a square metre when the project goes on sale in November 2010, through Savills, an entry-level one-bedroom flat should be considerably cheaper than elsewhere in the Caribbean.


As well as Britons and other Europeans, the project is aimed at Canadians, who do not face restrictions on visiting the country and have become a mainstay of its tourist industry. It may appeal to Americans, too – especially those of Cuban origin – even if the boycott prevents those who live in the United States from buying in their own name.



That the authorities are allowing foreigners to buy at all is a sign of how far Cuba has come since the collapse, over 17 years ago, of the Soviet Union, which deprived Castro not only of ideological inspiration, but of his country’s main source of financial support. One of his first acts after seizing power in 1959 was to expropriate private property – putting his regime on a collision course with Washington, which has maintained a hard line against Havana ever since.


Macdonald insists property rights are safe these days, although, for the time being at least, the properties will besold on 75-year leases rather than freehold. This could change in the next few months – Macdonald says discussions are being held with authorities about “the most appropriate mechanism”.

Still, the time when British or other overseas buyers can pick up a flat or house outside designated areas such as Carbonera remains a long way off. Although the constitution now allows private property ownership, and the majority of Cubans own their own homes, they are not allowed to buy or sell them to each other, let alone to a foreigner. Instead, they can merely “swap” them – though money inevitably changes hands with such deals, albeit unofficially.

Cuba a step too far?

If you’re after sun and sea, though, is it worth looking at Latin America at all when you could buy in one of the more established Caribbean destinations, or in Thailand, or perhaps Dubai?

John Howell, senior partner in the International Law Partnership and a veteran of the foreign property scene, expects the housing markets of Nicaragua and other countries in the region to benefit from a “creeping American-isation”, boosted by the desire of that country’s baby-boomer generation to find somewhere warm – and cheap – in which to retire.

Cuba, however, remains a special case, Howell believes – especially because there is no guarantee that the country will experience the gentle transition from communism to capitalism enjoyed by the Soviet Union’s erstwhile eastern Europe satellites. “It’s a fabulous place, and will come right in the end, but it’s cheaper than the rest of the Caribbean for obvious reasons,” he says. “If I had a pot of fun money I could afford to lose, I would buy there, but it’s not the place to invest your life savings.”

Legal Advice


It is advisable to obtain qualified legal advice when purchasing a property. In some countries it is mandatory to make a property purchase through a legal representative. Your legal advisor will advise on the title of the property (its' legal ownership and any restrictions) to ensure you are getting exactly what you are paying for. In addition information can be obtained regarding any planning/building restrictions or permissions affecting the property. Planned developments for the area surrounding your property may also affect your decision to proceed with the purchase and your legal advisor should be able to obtain this information on your behalf.


After reading all of this and you still want to live in the land of the Old man and the Sea, here is a link to Cuban-Realtors.
 
http://www.homegain.com/Buyer/NM/Cuba-Realtors

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

From Drab to Dreamy (Decorating Dorms)

HGTV's Frank Fontana knows how to get maximum style out of a minimal space. Here, he shares his tips and advice for designing a dorm room that like feels like home and reveals how you can take advantage of the hottest trends in dorm room design.


As you read this article, hundreds of thousands of bright-eyed teens—possibly your own—are heading off to college for their very first "outer-home" living experience. Whether your child is an excited freshman or a seasoned senior, the transition from leaving the nest to flying solo can sometimes be an emotional and trying journey. So what can a brave and design-savvy parent do?

My advice: Help your kids create a dorm room or on-campus apartment that, at best, is a mini home away from home.

This year alone, college students—or, more likely, their parents—will spend approximately $4 billion on decorating their dorm rooms, which on average are about 200 square feet.


But you don't have to break your bank account to give your child the luxuries of home. Dorm room designing on a dime doesn't mean you have to sacrifice style for function. Rather, it's about finding a budget-friendly compromise for both and giving it a personal touch.

Top tips for dorm room design:

Add color

Create storage

Use wall décor











It used to be that colleges wouldn't let kids paint the dorm room walls, but times are changing! As long as it's painted back to a neutral color, many colleges will now allow it.



But if painting is still a "no-no" for your school, then turn to companies like Ikea and Bed, Bath & Beyond. For the price of a gallon of paint, they have great fabric panels that can add some serious style, color and drama to a room!





Feminine Color

Colorful bedding, rugs and lamps can really pull the room together. Go for stark contrast and bursts of bright color, like teal, orange, yellow and green. Use objects like throw blankets, pillows and lamps for extra pops of color.





Masculine Color

Go cool with chocolate brown, army green, navy blue and reds. Try to opt for brushed nickel, stainless and/or dark wood tones for furnishings. Remember, a dorm room can still have a pulled-together sense of style—repeating linear patterns and natural color tones can do the trick.

Storage









Since the average dorm room is about 200 square feet, the trick to a well-designed space is to use every square inch. So storage is essential.



Remember, when you have limited space and can't go out, you go up. Try stacking storage cubes from floor to ceiling for a fun and functional style.

Get bed risers and move storage under the bed.

Look into portable zip-up closets with drop-down hangers for all those cool T-shirts.

Opt for a closed storage desk and things like decorative desk containers that really help with de-cluttering a desk.

Use old travel trunks as great alternative storage units.

Wall Décor

The hottest trend in dorm room design these days is peel-and-stick wall décor.

Since most dorms don't allow students to nail or screw stuff into their mostly concrete surroundings, the next best option is peel-and-stick art and picture frames that provide a functional twist.

I like the selections from Dormco.com:

Peel N Stick picture frames above the bed

Peel N Stick chalk boards for all those notes to the roomie on the fly

Peel N Stick circle mirrors—a must since most dorms don't come with mirrors!

Peel N Stick graphics that bring a cool edge to any bland design

Bonus Suggestion

For the lucky few who might have a 250 square-foot dorm room: Use that extra 50 square feet for a mini kitchen with a small fridge, mini microwave and a toaster oven that can all live in one little neat stowaway bar area. Top Ramen not included.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Don't Stop Believing.


You are always capable of creating miracles. As long as you know it and believe it. Always.

Today, raise your expectations. Be open to all possibilities. Always.

Too many people are shouting these days and not enough people are listening. 

Today, if you want someone to hear you, whisper. Joy is the greatest antidote to depression.

Laugh often today. It’ll pick you up out of any pits you fall into.

What is happening in the Real Estate market?

Here’s a new short YouTube video that my colleague just recorded to help explain what is happening in the Real Estate Market. There’s a lot of confusion out there and the Media doesn’t help much.

I believe that this is info will benefit our clients and other realtors will find useful. Please feel free to share it. I’ve attached links to the video on Facebook and YouTube below.


http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001400978084#!/profile.php?id=842185602


http://www.youtube.com/user/coachdoughannan1#p/u