Naked people need homes too. 

Does two make a trend? Back in October we reported a homeowner including her Maserati with her real estate deal. Today we note anyone willing to spend $12.75 million for a waterfront Boca Raton mansion will get a $450,000 Rolls Royce with the deal. Home sellers in need of a valuation on your Honda , Hummer or other, please let us know this month.  

Because agents really do need to specialise these days as Jackie Youngblood, star of TLC's "Buying Naked" reminds us. No prizes for guessing Jackie specialises in selling to nudists. She explains "The nudist community's just like any other community. Except, we're nude".  

Sorry Jackie, that's completely unlike the vast majority of communities everywhere prompting one delivery man to exclaim "I was expecting to just walk in, drop the package off, but there's more than one package in that house". 

Stop staring! (Can't? then see more on our Pinterest Board here) There are classier trends arising elsewhere:  Toronto Life provides a quick cheat sheet to the housing marking for 2014. Prices will go up, reverse migration from the suburbs to the downtown core is set to stay steady and the murmur of millennials entering the market is set to get louder. Echo boomers, that's bright young things between 20 and 36 years of age to you and I, and single women are about to kick demand for affordable condos and townhomes into high gear.  

To all the single ladies, and the echo boomers, Property Advice 101: Asking a real estate agent for advice is free, you are under no obligation AND you can ask/interview/interrogate as many agents as you like - don't commit too early. 

But then, if you don't commit at all - you may end up another statistic in the worrying GOMO trend.  Grief Over Missing Out is affecting not only first time buyers who can�t land their dream home, but people in their 40's who still can't afford to buy homes for sale.  

This form of clinical depression is being tackled by helpful Rick Otton whose claim to fame is his book 'How to Buy a House for A Dollar'. "It's true that there is an easier and happier way to homeownership, but you can't tread this path unless you walk away from the old process" he cryptically shared. 


How about you take it that you're going to need more than one dollar to buy a home and walk away from some money wasting habits instead?  

Over on thisismoney.co.uk there are 50 money saving tips to get you saving for your home in 2014. We like number 44 "Take up a money-saving hobby. If a painting takes 200 hours to complete, and you normally get through a pint an hour. That's a saving of a least 700 quid a picture".  

Maybe spending 200 hours drinking $929 dollars worth of beer is a British thing, but be warned Britons, if you keep that up, you may end up doing alot more than you bargained for in the nude and without your own TV show. 

Got a query this week?  Looking forward to answering it for you. 

 

In order to achieve their goals, successful individuals access valuable networks as early as possible. They seek out a knowledgeable player in the relevant field. They keep searching until they find someone they like. Over time, a worthwhile partnership developes. 

Our latest network connection is our new partnership with Hamptons International.  


L-R: Rebecca Adlington, Marc Goldberg Head of Sales at Hamptons International, Phil Tennant Chief Operating Officer at Hamptons International accept Best Large Agency UK from John Notley of Zoopla.co.uk 

While accolades and well known branding are trustworthy signals, it's even better to meet as many people behind these names as possible. We have learned that through consistent hard work, by gaining the respect of our peers we do not to stand out as much as we get to participate in networks that net results for our clients. 

Behind the complicated algorithms of our websites and cyber connections lie realtime relationships, not with email addresses and links, but with real estate professionals.  

We talk to the people that make up our network daily to reinforce our working relationships as well as our friendships. 

Behind our logo's and corporate colours lie the bedrock of our deal making abilities, professional individuals doing their jobs, seeking out deals, working with friends, both longstanding and new. 

When you have a real estate query and you approach Coldwell Banker Cayman Islands Realty, you find out that we are real people who enjoy meeting people from all over the world. Behind our logo we're blurring the lines between deal making, making friends and working The Deal. 


If you have a query - ask it on Facebook or drop us a line, and get on the Cayman Islands Real Estate Network. 

 

(Holy Cow Batman! How do people manage without a good partner?) 

Investigate a partnership this week, get a reward of $2,147,483,647 next? 

Our partnership with Hamptons International goes from strength to strength this week. The Bermuda Sun reports from there about how linking with Hamptons in the UK is a boon for clients of Coldwell Banker. This exclusive agreement is about doing the hard work of building relationships and working out issues together. 

Can't it be the same in our society? 

The opinion poll on todays caycompass.com asks are the changes to immigration policy in Cayman Islands  for the best? 34% don't know, 26% say no, 19% say the changes are meaningless.  

As professionals used to complex issues that arise during deal making, it is clear that immigration and residency cause tension and confusion, the debates rarely give rise to goals for success.  

Owner/Broker J.C. Calhoun tackles the issue with his article on the front page of the Cayman Islands Journal. 

As he says, proper education and a transparent residency policy are the two areas that need to be working in partnership in order to get the best set of solutions for our country into place. 

What is your opinion? How does immigration policy affect your life in Cayman? Who would you partner with to deal with residency issues? Feel free to comment on Facebook ! 

Sometimes, you've just got to scrutinize a partnership: We wish Small Business owners in Texas GOOD LUCK this week. The IRS has made auditing small business partnerships in the State, rather than large corporations, it's new focus... We hope you grow business relationships and not stress related health issues Texas! 

Have you heard of the Trans-Pacific Partnership? The TPP is a proposed free trade agreement under negotiation by Australia, Brunei, Chile, Canada, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore, the United States, and Vietnam. Experts suggest it is the "most important trade agreement on the world agenda right now," with almost 40 percent of world GDP involved in the deal.  

There is talk online of a -reward- of $2,147,483,647 for supplying Wikileaks with official documents relating to the agreement. 

Anyone care to offer some partnership investigation tips?!  



Looking forward to your comments on Facebook! 

L-R: Rebecca Adlington, Marc Goldberg Head of Sales at Hamptons International, Phil Tennant Chief Operating Officer at Hamptons International accept Best Large Agency UK from John Notley of Zoopla.co.uk 

Coldwell Banker Island Affiliates, the Master Franchise of Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corp. in the Caribbean and Atlantic Island region and Hamptons International, a leading estate agency in the United Kingdom, announce their exclusive partnership. This agreement strengthens the scope and reach of both companies enabling them to offer property buyers and sellers a superior level of real estate service on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.  

The agreement allows for additional exposure of all of Coldwell Banker Island Affiliates' property listings to be marketed by Hamptons International and also displayed on their website, www.hamptons.co.uk. 

Coldwell Banker Island Affiliates has been in business since 1997, when Coldwell Banker Real Estate Corp. began pursuing their vision of a global real estate company. The islands of the Atlantic and the Caribbean were one of the first areas targeted for expansion of the Brand being just off the shores of the USA. The Master Franchise area known as Coldwell Banker Island Affiliates (CBIA) comprises all the islands from Bermuda on the North, Aruba and Curacao to the South, Cuba to the West and Barbados to the East. 

Today, CBIA has 21 offices covering 15 different islands throughout the Caribbean and Atlantic island region. Hamptons International is a leading residential agency operating in London, the South of the UK and overseas. With more than 140 years of experience in the property market and a commitment to industry innovation and exceptional levels of customer service, Hamptons International today offers a wealth of award-winning services including UK and international Sales, Lettings, Property Management, Corporate Services, Residential Development, Development Land and Valuation, and Property Finance. Headquartered in London's Mayfair, Hamptons International has an international network of more than 85 offices and is a subsidiary of Countrywide, the UK's largest estate agency and property services group.  

"This agreement is a smart move on the part of both companies. There has long been a connection between the Caribbean and the UK. Many people from the UK are looking to buy property in the Caribbean, so the agreement makes sense to have reputable real estate agents on both ends of the transaction," said Jim Reed, Managing Director of CBIA. 

"We are proud to have Hamptons International as a referral partner in the UK." Alasdair Hedley, Head of International at Hamptons International, says: "The demand for second homes outside of the UK is gaining momentum and we're thrilled to have extended our partnership with Coldwell Banker to include Coldwell Banker Island Affiliates. Traditionally the Caribbean has been a real hotspot for our buyers and we're looking forward to capitalizing on the opportunities that this partnership will bring."  


About Coldwell Banker' Since 1906, the Coldwell Banker' organization has been a premier full-service real estate provider. The Coldwell Banker System has approximately 3,100 residential real estate offices and approximately 85,000 sales associates in 51 countries and territories. The Coldwell Banker System is a leader in the industry in residential and commercial real estate, and in niche markets such as resort, new home and luxury property through its Coldwell Banker Previews International division. It is a pioneer in consumer services with its Coldwell Banker Concierge Service Program and award-winning Web site, www.coldwellbanker.com. Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC is a subsidiary of Realogy Corporation, a global provider of real estate and relocation services. Coldwell Banker' is a registered trademark licensed to Coldwell Banker Real Estate LLC. Each office is independently owned and operated.  


About Hamptons International Hamptons International is a leading residential estate agent and property services organization, operating in London and the South of the UK. With more than 140 years of experience in the property market and a commitment to industry innovation and exceptional levels of customer service, Hamptons International today offers a wealth of award-winning services including UK and international Sales, Lettings, Property Management, Corporate Services, Residential Development, Land, Valuation and Property Finance. Headquartered in London's Mayfair, Hamptons International has an international network of more than 85 offices and is a subsidiary of Countrywide, the UK's largest estate agency and property services group.