My old friend from Jamaica!

I recently took a job in the industry I have spent most of life in...the automotive accessory business...specifically custom wheels and hit the road to visit my best and favorite customers from the past (I've been out of the wheel business for about 5 years). One of my first stops was in Hartford to visit my friend Dennis...he owns a small tire shop in Hartford and is one of my favorites...if you've ever had the opportunity to get to know anyone from Jamaica, you know exactly why...warm and friendly...that's all I need to say.
When Kate told Dennis I was in the front waiting room, all I heard was "holy @#$% Mon! Bob!" And out Dennis came from the back room with a great big smile and a warm (man) hug! Now...remember, I had not seen Dennis in about 5 years, so this was a great welcome!
After catching up, and letting him know I was back in the wheel business I told him that I expected that he would have been retired and living in Jamaica by now...he went on to explain that he is building a small condo development in Mandeville and proceeded to show me some pictures...what a fabulous deal....I explained that I have this blog and my web site at SkipJackMarketing.com and when he was ready to start selling, I'd be happy to help!
Now, Mandeville is located inland, and is not ocean-front; but it is in an elevated parish and has some of the best views you can imagine, and also has some fabulous weather!I'll be providing more on these condos as Dennis provides me with more info and when he establishes the selling price (which will be in the mid-$300,000's for a 3 bedroom.
I always find it amusing how the sixth degree of separation applies in so many different circumstances...in this case it was two-fold because here, Dennis and I can connect on a whole different level, outside of the auto biz and as we continued to speak, we discovered that he knows the folks at Tyres-R-Us in Kingston, Jamaica...obviously through being in the same industry for him, but I actually sold these folks a new enterprise software system during my short stint in the technology industry. Strangely, my first sale in that industry was to these good folks in Jamaica....and I have to say that Sarah and her husband Andrew are fabulous people as well!
Now all I have to do is find someone interested in a condo in Jamaica Mon...and I am on my way there!
Anyway...stay tuned, Dennis and I are going to work out the details of the sale price etc and I will get them listed on my web site and cover all the details here as well. And as soon as I can get down there, I will get all the info on the surrounding area, restaurants, bars...what to do there and get some photos of the condos themselves. The pics I saw showed me some real nice stuff and quality construction!

Thanks for reading...and Hit 'em straight when youo get to hit 'em!

SkipJack

AARP says Belize one of the best places to retire!

Okay, so I am not ready to sign up for a membership with the AARP but I am getting close...and I am getting their mailers...and I do have to hand it to these folks for the accurate and thorough information they provide!
I've been thinking that I want to live in the Caribbean BEFORE I retire, but one of the benefits that Belize has to offer for their retirement program is that you only have to be 45 years old...which I DO qualify for!

Here's my top ten reasons to choose Belize for your retirement home:
1. English speaking (in Central America!)
2. Relatively easy to get to (only two hours from Miami or Houston)
3. Great diving (World Heritage barrier reef)
4. Great fishing (deep sea or flats)
5. Great retirement program (at least for now)
6. Under-developed (for now)
7. Plenty of stuff to do (diving, fishing, caving, Maya ruins)
8. Wonderful people
9. Low cost of living (even on the islands)
10. Orchid Bay Belize

But don't just take my word for it...read the AARP article here.

Hit 'em straight!

SkipJack

My new friend in Honduras

When I first started out on this journey of writing and discovering various parts of the Caribbean, the small island of Roatan was on my short list of places I wanted to go to. Roatan is just off the coast of Honduras and has some fabulous scuba diving...
Then I discovered Belize and fell in love with the place...Ambergis Caye and Caye Caulker as well as the Orchid Bay, which is located on the Bay of Chetumal.
But I was just introduced to Carter, who is the editor of the CaribbeanLifeClub Blog. Carter is a fabulous writer and has actually made the move...yes, he actually moved to a small town called El Pino (I think that's correct) and his blog is extremely insightful as to some of the challenges he faces while adjusting to his new home...this is a must read (must subscribe) blog for anyone who is considering a move to paradise in the Caribbean...whether that paradise is Honduras, Belize, Nicaragua or the Dominican Republic.
I wonder how many readers actually understood his Beatles reference in his article title "Pineapple Fields Forever" or maybe that was just me...

Hit 'em straight!

SkipJack
SkipJack is now on Facebook

Jimmy Buffett's S.W.A.T Boats effort stalled by beurocracy!

This has to be the most idiotic thing I have ever read! In my last post, Jimmy Buffett and the guys at Dragon Fly boats started a project to build these very specific boats...they are meant to be used in very shallow water to rescue wildlife injured or effected by the BP oil spill in the Gulf.
Here these guys are, trying to do some seriously good stuff together with the University of Southern Mississippi's Gulf Coast Research Laboratory and they are prohibited from using them to rescue wildlife by BP's Incident Command Center!
HELLOOOOOO! Can someone PLEASE help our bureaucrats wake up and smell the oil!
Go to Margaritaville.com to read the full story! And do what you can to pass this along!

Hit 'em straight!

SkipJack

Jimmy Buffett donates boats in Gulf effort...

I absolutely must give the credit to the SunHerald .com for this article and the picture....according to the Sun Herald News, Jimmy Buffett has teamed up with the USM and toured the Gulf Coast Research Lab. JB is a 1969 graduate of the University of Southern Mississippi and Buffett told the group he is interested in strategies for creating a “voice for the Gulf of Mexico.” (Let me know if I can help, Jimmy).
Buffett has teamed with Dragonfly Boatworks of Vero Beach, Fla., to create and donate special watercraft, which the boat maker calls Shallow Water Attention Terminal boats, for the lab. Designer Mark Castlow said these 17-foot boats are capable of navigating in as little as 8 to 10 inches of water through the estuaries of Mississippi.
The SWAT boats will have laptop computers and Web cams, so anyone with an Internet connection will be able to watch live as oiled animals are rescued.

Read more: SunHerald.com

Most know Jimmy Buffett (a.k.a., Bubba, JB and several others) to be the free-wheeling, sun-lovin' Rock-n-Roller who loves to have a great time! But Jimmy always puts his money where his mouth is, and the clubs that form around his phan-dom do a lot of the same...take for instance, the New Hampshire Parrot Head Club...many of the members are attending the Jimmy Buffett concert this weekend in Boston, and together with the Parrot Head Club of Eastern Massachusetts, Connecticut and Rhode Island I'm sure, are collecting old (or new) baby blankets to be sent to the Gulf of Mexico to aid in cleaning oiled water fowl! And it doesn't stop there!
So here is a bit more on the symptoms I have that prove my affliction with JBS, which is my own diagnosis for "Jimmy Buffett Syndrome"...(no, it's not in Wikipedia yet, so it must be my own personal affliction shared with many)
-Need to go where it's warm!
-Like cheeseburgers
-Tend to act like a Land Shark from time to time
-Like to sail off to some moonlit bay and take a holiday
-Like to get drunk and %&^#
-Admire girls in bikinis
-Love to change my attitude by changing my latitude
-And have an overwhelming desire to give back to a variety of communities, and just simply help when and where I can.

I'm sure there are others (symptoms) but I think you get the idea! Here's a guy we can ALL look up to...hat's off to you Bubba!

Hit 'em straight!

SkipJack

"Twenty degrees and the hockey game's on..."

All right...anyone that knows me, knows that I love Bubba's music and that I love ice hockey! but my Bruin's are starting to scare me! If I had a six-shooter I probably would've shot six holes in my freezer after tonight's performance!
Alright...back to my own private JBS (Jimmy Buffett Syndrome) for which the only known cure is a margarita on the rocks and the sound of some steel drums or a six-string instead of the six gun.
I had a very interesting conversation with one of the founders of Orchid Bay in Belize and the CEO of 7th Heaven Properties in London earlier this week (I helped bring the two together on a marketing partnership)from both ex...what was amazing to hear from both executives, is that they both emphatically stated that there is a tremendous amount of activity in Caribbean real estate by buyers! Great news for those of us who want to go where it's warm! Ari Kahn from Orchid Bay stated that while sales "are not where they were in '08 they are way up compared to '09" and Walter Zephirin of 7th Heaven Properties stated that "interest and activity amongst Caribbean real estate buyers is up nearly 70%...especially with buyers looking for homes in the $1.5 million to $5 million range."
Another common theme from both executives was that it appears that people in Europe and the US are sick of the high cost of living and exorbitant taxes...both of their web sites have free information on the cost of living in a variety of locations...well the Orchid Bay site is focused on Belize...but if you have a specific Caribbean country you would like more information about...just send me an email and I will get you that info...
For now though...hit 'em straight and put the six-shooter away...Bruin's will take it from the Flyers in game 7...hey that goes with Walter's 7 theme and the 7th Heaven Properties website!

SkipJack

Belize expecting foreign sales surge in 2010

According to a press release by Property Frontiers, Belize is expecting to see a massive surge in foreign real estate buyers and investors this year. Property Frontiers is one of the most influential and innovative companies in the International Property Investment arena.
According to the press release the revival of Latin American economies, including Belize, and the revival of international tourism to the region, will combine with reduced prices in Belize, and their previous track record of growth, to make the country a hotbed of foreign buying activity.
This makes Orchid Bay a very enticing investment, especially since the beach front casitas have nearly sold out, and the soon-to-be-built seaside condos have already begun pre-construction sales.
I have personally spoken with a few of the hotel owners in Belize and they tell me that the occupancy has not dropped...in fact, one owner tells me that they were 96% filled in February...yes...February 2010! Belize is truly a remarkable place...you really need to go there and see it to Belize it!

Hit 'em straight!

SkipJack

I can fly to Belize for HOW MUCH!?

My good friend Ari (one of the founders at Orchid Bay in Belize) sent me this link to an awesome Caribbean airfare promotion going on right now with American Airlines. You can actually fly to Belize for as little as $176! You just have to book by April 14th and complete your travel by June 7th!
Click here to check out these incredible fares to a variety of Caribbean destinations!
That works well for the upcoming spring Insider's Tours at Orchid Bay on April 23-25 and May 21-22! And to make it even better...Ari tells me that you can save $100 ($150 for couples) on the cost of the already inexpensive cost of the tour at Orchid Bay.
If you are even thinking about an investment in Belize real estate...NOWS the time to plan your exploratory visit!
Just be sure to tell Ari that SkipJack sent you!

Hit 'em straight!

SkipJack

New Condos at Orchid Bay, Belize

Who says the economy sucks and that nobody is buying? And nobody is building? Orchid Bay, Belize continues onward with the announcement of The Caribbean Condos at Orchid Bay These new condos allow you to own a private beach house that will both appreciate in value and generate rental income. The condos are located directly on the seafront and are 2 bedroom 2 bathroom 1,430 square foot units.
Click here to learn more about Orchid Bay, Belize...premium Caribbean real estate!

Starting at $249,000 USD
Click here to request more info on these condos...there aren't making any more beachfront property!
Remember, if you're going to invest in Caribbean real estate...Orchid Bay should be on your short list...and the best way to check it out is by taking advantage of the "Insiders Tours." See the dates in the side bar...

See you in Belize!

SkipJack

One Day Sale on Nicaragua!

Join our webinar today at 5PM EST, Tuesday March 5th, 2010 and cash in on huge savings with prices from 25% - 50% off!
Don't wait because you will pay more!

Click here to register for our webinar!

Click here to learn more about Seaside Mariana!

Caribbean Music Festivals

I've mentioned my own personal JBS (Jimmy Buffett Syndrome) but it doesn't stop there. I am a lover of all kinds of different music. This year I am hoping to make several of the Caribbean music festivals...personally.

One of the first is coming up later in March in Anguilla. Anguilla is a wonderfully quiet island with a lot to offer, but from March 25-28, 2010 Anguilla will come to life with the Moonsplash event by Bankie Banx. This year they are calling it a "Family Reunion" because "...we’ll be bringing back many of the favorites from the past 19 years of Moonsplash". Bankie's music is wonderfully unique "part Bob Dylan and part Bob Marley"...if you make one Caribbean music event this year...make this the one!

Hit 'em straight!

SkipJack

Challenge to the We Are The World performers

First, I want to personally commend each and every artist who performed on this recording for such a needed cause…helping the people of Haiti…I hope that I have included everyone who performed or helped produce below:

Akon, India.Arie, Patti Austin, Tony Bennett, Justin Bieber, Bone Thugs-n-Harmony, Ethan Bortnick, Brandy, Jeff Bridges, Zac Brown, Kristian Bush, Natalie Cole, Harry Connick Jr., Kid Cudi, Miley Cyrus, Snoop Dogg, Drake, Earth Wind & Fire, Faith Evans, Melanie Fiona, Jamie Foxx, Sean Garrett, Tyrese Gibson, Josh Groban, Anthony Hamilton, Keri Hilson, Julianne Hough, Jennifer Hudson, Enrique Iglesias, LL Cool J, Randy Jackson, Taj Jackson, Taryll Jackson, TJ Jackson, Al Jardine, Joe Jonas, Kevin Jonas, Janet Jackson, Kanye West, Nick Jonas, Rashida Jones, Gladys Knight, Adam Levine, Jimmy Jean Louis, Benji Madden, Joel Madden, Mary Mary, Katharine McPhee, Jason Mraz, Mya, Jennifer Nettles, Orianthi, Freda Payne, Pink, A. R. Rahman, Nicole Richie, Raphael Saadiq, Carlos Santana, Nicole Scherzinger, Isaac Slade, Trey Songz, Musiq Soulchild, Jordin Sparks, Barbra Streisand, T-Pain, Robin Thicke, Rob Thomas, Usher, Vince Vaughn, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Will.i.am, Anne Wilson, Brian Wilson, Nancy Wilson, BeBe Winans, Lionel Richie, Wyclef Jean, Celine Dion, Quincy Jones,
RedOne, Ricky Minor


Second, I want to put forth this challenge…I have a home, no…a private estate which is being offered for sale in Turks & Caicos. This Estate is truly magnificent, and can be seen by clicking here. It rests on the edge of the ocean, sitting on 2.5 private, immaculately manicured, gated acres. The home itself is approximately 11,000 square feet and what makes it so fitting for the group of talented individuals listed above, is that there are two additional “guest” cottages which can easily be converted into your own private recording studio. And while that is the perfect use of this Estate, it can also be converted into an extraordinarily luxurious boutique hotel/resort as well. The Estate is listed at $15.75 million USD.


Now…you might be thinking that this is a cheap way for me to gain exposure to this Estate with the hopes of selling it…and while that is true (yes…I do actually want to sell it) and I stand to profit from the sale…but…and this is a big but and the real purpose of this exercise…upon selling this Estate and collecting my compensation for the sale of The Estate…I will personally donate up to $200,000 to the people of Haiti via the charity organization of the buyers choice!

So…let’s just say that Wyclef Jean buys the house for the asking price…
-Wyclef gets an extraordinary private Estate and converts the “guest” cottage into a recording studio…win #1
-I get compensated for my efforts…win #2
-Wyclef chooses Yele Haiti as the organization he would like to benefit from my compensation…win #3

This is truly a win…win…win scenario. And while I would like to acknowledge those who performed on this “We Are the World” recording, as I find it truly commendable, I do not want to alienate anyone else who feels compelled to take me up on this challenge by buying this truly amazing Estate. That would include other such notable individuals and performers as Leonardo DiCaprio, P. Diddy (Sean Combs), Elton John, Eric Clapton, John Travolta, Branjolina (Brad & Anjelina), Bruce Willis, Lady Gaga….I think you get the idea.

One other thing…whoever buys this amazing Estate…I am going to ask you to help me with another fund raising project I have in the planning stage for later in the year… when all the media have moved on and the focus is no longer on Haiti…because we all know that the media will stop covering this once it no longer sells papers and airtime. I would think that whoever buys will be willing to work with me on this project, but I am not going to make it part of the deal, so no obligation.

Oh…and one other thing…I am not doing this for my own self promotion…in fact, I want the donation I make to go completely unnoticed unless the celebrity who buys the Estate, and chooses the beneficiary charity, wants the donation made in his or her name in order to promote more donations.

So let’s hear it celebrity nation…who is up for the challenge? You can either leave a comment here or follow the link below to contact me privately via my web site.

Hit ‘em straight!

SkipJack

Belize Comes to L.A.!

That's right...the Belize Tourism Board and the Belize Hotels Association will be at the Los Angeles Times Travel & Adventure Tour On Saturday & Sunday February 13th & 14th.
Where:
Los Angeles Convention Center-West Hall
1201 South Figueroa Street
Los Angeles, CA 90015

When:
Saturday 2/13/2010 from 10AM-5PM
Sunday 2/14/2010 from 10AM-5PM
Trade only hours:
Saturday 2/13/2010 from 8AM-10AM

General admission is only $10.00

The tourism board will also be there from:
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Nicaragua

This is a great opportunity to learn more about any of these destinations.

Check back soon...my next post is all about the 2010 major music festivals throughout the Caribbean...and find out which ones I'll be attending! (Can you say St. Lucia mon? or maybe Jamaica mon...maybe both!)

Hit 'em straight! Or go find 'em!

SkipJack

You'd Better Belize It!

While everyone out there is singing the blues...Belize continues to rock 'n roll. 2009 was an extraordinary year at Orchid Bay where the infrastructure has been virtually completed! What does that mean? Quite simply, from the Caribbean developer's point of view...it changes EVERYTHING...it means that owners can actually begin to move in. It also means that the pace at which future benchmarks are achieved will quicken and the community will begin to take shape!
This also means that it makes sense for House Hunters International to come down and film an episode which will include a homeowner taking occupancy at Orchid Bay...which is exactly what they are doing! In fact, I'm pretty sure that they were there last week and completed the filming.
Just for the record...Orchid Bay sold 18 of the 24 planned Casitas like the one pictured above...that leaves only six left and at $159K (with a rental management company in place) I'd hurry to grab one of the last remaining six! Just shout at me here by posting a comment (I monitor all comments personally) or by visiting SkipJackMarketing.com to request more information.
Why Belize? You may ask...Because it simply the best value in Caribbean Real Estate...bar none!

Hit 'em straight! (And please see my post on how to help in Haiti)

SkipJack

Haiti needs your help!

On January 12, a massive 7.0 earthquake struck near Haiti’s capital of Port-au-Prince, causing massive death and destruction. While the death and injury toll is only beginning to be understood, a large part of the capital is in ruins and there are reports of “total disaster and complete chaos”.

Between 2.5 and 3 million people are believed to live in Port-Au-Prince and are struggling with the aftermath of the earthquake. Haitian government officials are estimating death tolls in the thousands, and thousands more are living in the streets.

Bob’s Caribbean Blog (SkipJackMarketing) would like to join Boomers Abroad Online Community & Social Network and the millions of voices from around the world in expressing its profound sympathy for the people of Haiti in the aftermath of this devastating earthquake. We encourage all of our readers, colleagues and friends to become involved in the relief efforts.

Please Contact the Haitian Embassie in your country or host country for information on how you can help!!!

The following organizations, among others, are mobilizing rapidly:

> From Canada
· Canadian Red Cross (www.redcross.ca)
· Care Canada (www.care.ca)
· Doctors Without Borders (www.msf.ca)
· Direct Relief International (www.directrelief.org)
· FTC Canada (www.ftc.ca)
· Oxfam Canada (www.oxfam.ca)
· Plan International Canada (www.plancanada.ca)
· Salvation Army (www.salvationarmy.ca)
· Save the Children Canada (www.savethechildren.ca)
· The Humanitarian Coalition (www.thehumanitariancoalition.ca)
· UNICEF Canada (www.unicef.ca)
· United Jewish Appeal of Greater Toronto (www.jewishtoronto.com)
· World Vision Canada (www.worldvision.ca)

> From The USA
· American Jewsih Relieve Service (www.ajws.org)
· CARE www.care.org
· Catholic Relieve Service (www.crs.org)
· FAVACA (www.favaca.org)
· Mercy Corps (www.mercycorps.org) Amazon.com established a box on its homepage today where customers can contribute to Mercy Corps' relief efforts.
· Net Hope www.nethope.org
· Pan American Development Foundation (www.panamericanrelief.org)
· Save the Children (www.savethechildren.org)
· The American Red Cross (www.redcross.org)
· The Jewish Federations of North America (www.jewishfederations.org)
· Unicef (www.unicef.org)
· United Nations Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF)
· World Vision (www.worldvision.org)

> From Mexico
· Cruz Roja Mexicana (www.cruzrojamexicana.org.mx)
· Naciones Unidas (www.cinu.org.mx/haiti/)
· Unicef Mexico (www.unicef.org/mexico)

> From Panama
· Cruz Roja de Panama (www.panama.cruzroja.org)
· Sistema Nacional de Protección Civil (www.sinaproc.gob.pa)
· Unicef Panama (www.unicef.org/panama)

Thank you to the folks at Boomers Abroad Online for blasting this information out to me via email.

Please find a way to help! You can even help immediately by sending “Yele” by text message to 501501. I saw this on GMA and just read an article on Time.com. Yele Haiti is the foundation established by Wycleff Jean who was born in Haiti. According to GMA $ 0.90 of every dollar makes it to the fund. They are sending protein bars candles and flashlights via two FedEx planes tomorrow.

Calling ALL Parrot Heads (non-Parrot Heads too) Jimmy (Buffett of course!) Asks For Your Help - Donate To Haiti Relief
Jimmy is asking all Parrotheads to help Haiti by texting the word "haiti" to 90999 to make a $10 donation to the American Red Cross Haiti Relief

SkipJack

Happy New Year from SkipJack!

Alright, so it took me a while to write the Happy New Year post...but here it is! And this photo is where I am planning on writing next year's post from!
2009 was an interesting year, plenty has happened in the way of Caribbean Real Estate and the developers I work with. In the spirit of the new laws about to be imposed, or at least rumored to be imposed, on blogging as a way of advertising...I'm going to come clean with my readers right here and now...I write this blog to make money! There I said it...really...this blog is meant to keep you informed about the various opportunities that I uncover and ultimately decide to represent. You can learn more at SkipJack Marketing.

Orchid Bay in Belize is where I got my start and is the first development I became associated with, but SkipJack Marketing has become so much more...we now work with developers in 7 different countries, we have partnered with Avalon Partners on the representation of commercial/resort/development properties throughout the Caribbean, 2 developers who offer condominium hotels and have partnered with 2 of the world's premier project funding companies focused on providing the commercial funds needed to help move development projects from dream...to reality!
Hell, we even have the listing for ultra luxurious homes like this one in Turks & Caicos which is worthy of P Diddy (Sean Combs) complete with a separate "guest" quarters big enough to convert to a recording studio!
So...as SkipJack Marketing moves into 2010, I fully intend to be adjusting my latitude and ope that I can help with your latitude adjustment...when the need arises!

Hit 'em straight!

SkipJack

PS: Sign up for the email newsletter (don't worry...I won't share it) to keep posted, there's more to come in 2010!