There was a fascinating article in Reuters about how Sheldon Adelson, the Chairman of the Sands Corporation, is looking to spend $35 billion to build a mini-Las Vegas strip in Spain. He is courting the major cities of Madrid and Barcelona. If Barcelona or Madrid becomes the place of his mini-Las Vegas, what effects do you think it will have on the overseas property industry? Atlas International doesn’t sell near Madrid or Barcelona, but we do sell just south of Barcelona in the Costa Blanca North. I’m not an economist, but any draw to the coast of Spain is great for the property market. As more tourist visit the region, it is more likely we’ll see an influx of home buyers. A lot of times clients haven’t considered buying in Spain because they have never visited before. If the new casinos bring new tourist to Spain, I’m all for it.

Read the full article on the mini-Las Vegas in Spain to get a more detailed description.

Now I have another excuse to visit Spain:)

Since Tuesday April 10th, Bill Gates’s yacht has been parked off the island of Ambergris Caye, Belize. Within two minutes, you can walk to the beach from our local San Pedro office and see the Attessa IV. Immigration has been informed that Mr. Gates’s yacht will be off the coast of Belize for the next week or two. Mr. Gates has six family members with him and a crew of 23. I’m trying to get our staff to take an ocean kayak to his yacht and see if he wants to tour some homes;) Actually, I hope he buys out Lord Ashcroft’s companies so I real innovator can be a part of the Belize business community.

You can see pictures and details of Bill Gates’s yacht from an article at the San Pedro Sun.

One day I’ll have one of these;)

The Paramount Park and Lifestyle Center is a huge development for overseas property clients that would like to purchase in the southeast coast of Spain. In Murcia, Paramount is building a park that will be a center for business and culture. With the influx of millions of tourist and thousands of jobs, the Murica area will be a great place to live and invest. This one development will substantially boost the value of real estate in this region of Spain.

Take a look at the fascinating promotional video provided by Paramount:

San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize had a few episodes filmed of “The Bachelor 16” with Ben Flajnik’s. “The Bachelor” is one of the most popular reality shows on American and Canadian T.V.. Filming for the episodes was done in the fall of 2011. These episodes are expected to be shown in mid February 2012. Ben takes his dates on excursions that I have had an a chance to experience.


As the article link below states:


“Bachelor Ben goes on a group date at Shark Ray Alley at the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, has an exotic date atop the magnificent Maya Ruins of Lamanai in the Orange Walk District, jumps from a helicopter into the Great Blue Hole of Belize located in the coral reef atoll of Lighthouse Reef, goes on dates on board sailing boats and a day trip to the neighboring island of Caye Caulker, among other great adventures and dinner dates at popular resorts/restaurants in Ambergris Caye.”

The Mayan Ruins in Lamanai are amazing and the snorkeling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve has some of the most crystal clear water I’ve ever seen. I haven’t had a chance to visit the Blue Hole. It is on my bucket list!

I’ll keep you guys posted on when the Belize episodes are confirmed.

You can read the full referenced article here.

You better Belize it;)

The Florida Real Estate market is getting a lot of response from foreign nationals, particularly the areas of Miami/Miami Beach/Ft. Lauderdale and Orlando/Kissimmee. I came across this article from the Miami Herald about the influx of foreigners into the Florida Real Estate market. Find this link to the article at the bottom of the post.

Here are some highlights of the article:

- The state of Florida, so far in 2011, is responsible for 1/3 of all foreign national real estate transactions in the U.S.

- The top five countries that make up the foreign national purchases and their percentages:

1. Venezuela – 15%
2. Brazil – 12%
3. Argentina, Canada, Colombia – Remaining Percentage

A significant amount of Foreign Nationals buy in cash. Below is the percentage of purchasers from the corresponding countries that buy properties in cash.

1. Venezuela – 88%
2. Brazil – 85%
3. Western Europeans – 90%

You can read the full article here.

I’m sharing an article from Global Edge. Global Edge is an online dashboard that features articles and blogs from the overseas property industry. While all press is not bad press, much of it is certainly pessimistic. Over the first weekend of October, “A Place in the Sun” held an overseas property exhibition in Birmingham, UK. “A Place in the Sun” is a T.V. show very similar to “House Hunters International” in the U.S. and Canada. From many of the exhibitors at the show, it was a great turnout with quality people. What I got out of the article is that no matter what the perception of the markets are in the media, people still want to live in a place that will offer an improved quality of life. You are not worrying about investment yields when you are stuck in harshly cold climates during the winter. The warmth of the sun is priceless! In good and bad economic times, there is always an appetite for a more joyful life. You can read the full article here. You might have to sign up as a free member to access the article. Please do not hesitate to give any feedback in the comment section below.

In the picture above, this is the type of picture I would bring to show-and-tell on my first week back to school. Some kids are already back in school and some have been back for a few weeks. I officially make the end of summer Labor Day weekend. But the second indication that summer has ended is the beginning of college football season. I love the NFL as well, but college football is my favorite sport. In the comment section below, please share some stories of what you did this summer. I am always interested in what is going on with my blog readers and clients. The picture above is the second picture I have shared of me skiing at my family’s lake place in Lake Burton, Georgia. What did you do this summer?

All the best,

Rob

Tips to Save Energy Today

Easy low-cost and no-cost ways to save energy:

• Install a programmable thermostat to keep your house comfortably warm in the winter and comfortably cool in the summer.
• Use compact fluorescent light bulbs with the ENERGY STAR® label.
• Air-dry dishes instead of using your dishwasher’s drying cycle.
• Turn off your computer and monitor when not in use.
• Plug home electronics, such as TVs and DVD players, into power strips; turn the power strips off when the equipment is not in use (TVs and DVD players in standby mode still use several watts of power).
• Lower the thermostat on your water heater to 120°F.
• Take short showers instead of baths.
• Wash only full loads of dishes and clothes.
• Drive sensibly. Aggressive driving (speeding, rapid acceleration and braking) wastes gasoline.
• Look for the ENERGY STAR label on home appliances and products. ENERGY STAR products meet strict efficiency guidelines set by the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency.
• Visit www.energysavers.gov for more energy-saving ideas.

Source: www.energysavers.gov

Rooster Tail!

As this weekend approaches and the summer holiday season comes to an end, I’d like to wish you all the best of luck heading into fall. I spend one week every summer with my family at Lake Burton in northern Georgia. If you’ve never gone, I would highly recommend adding Lake Burton to your bucket list. In 1987, MacGruder’s List of Lists featured Lake Burton as the fourth most beautiful lake in the world, preceded only by Lake Como in Italy, Lake Tahoe in California, and Crater Lake in Oregon. The photo above is of me, water skiing behind my family’s boat. For one week each summer at Lake Burton, I escape the hustle and bustle of appointments, obligations, and deadlines. As my family lives all over, from Aruba to San Diego, it has become a yearly reunion and a treasured time for myself and my loved ones. I hope that this last holiday weekend of the summer is memorable. Take time to relax and enjoy life’s gifts, and spend less time dwelling on challenges. Have a wonderful Labor Day Weekend:)

All the best to you and yours,

Rob

This is the last and final episode of our European Manager, Mr. James Dearsley, featured in House Hunters International in Didim, Turkey.

When I saw this headline from a news article, I was extremely happy to see it. This article highlights how San Diego is becoming the “Silicon Valley South” for high paying jobs. The jobs most needed are electrical engineers, software engineers, and information-technology. There are approximately 8,000 of these jobs open and the companies are having trouble filling them. The companies are resorting to rewards to entice applicants to accept these positions. San Diego is also becoming a hot bed for green jobs. Don’t be surprised if you continue to see San Diego as the leader for adding high paying jobs to the U.S. economy. If you know anyone who might qualify for one of these jobs, send them to this blog post for the article I’m referencing. The full article is here.

Let people know!

The video below is part II of the House Hunters International episode that featured our European Director, Mr. James Dearsley in Didim, Turkey.

Enjoy!

During Wednesday’s REBA (Real Estate Brokerage Association) of La Jolla caravan meeting, Mr. Jim Cox of Fidelity National Title spoke about the sales numbers from 2009 to 2011 for La Jolla. La Jolla is the second most expensive area of San Diego, second only to Rancho Santa Fe.

The sales numbers are very interesting because like others have confirmed, the bottom has passed us.

I’ll break the numbers down in a column and row format:

***I apologize for this format. I’m limited with the software:)

May closings……….48            52             51

Closings Y-T-D…….176          243          261

Sales above $1.5…..38             48             51

Sales above $3.0……9                9            10

Sales above $5.0……2                4               1

Median Price…..$1.495      $1.324       $1.340

—————————-2009         2010          2011——————

* All Prices Are In Millions

The most interesting part of the columns is under 2011 in the rows of Closings Year to Date and Average Median Price. Total closings for the year are up compared to the previous two years. The median price is still below 2009, but increased from 2010 to 2011. These are great signs for the La Jolla market.

-Rob

Is the worst over with yet? I get this question a lot from various clients throughout my sphere of influence. It’s tricky to answer because real estate markets are very, very specific to a region. The worst in San Diego has been over with since March 2009. I’ve been telling my clients this for sometime now. But with national media outlets referring to a potential double dip in pricing in other markets, I think they might be a little premature in their evaluations. Some positive news came out from the National Association of Realtors. Pending home sales in May rose 8.2% compared to the month of April. Pending home sales are defined as contracts signed to purchase a previously owned home. Pending home sales are up 13.4% on a year to year average from May 2010 to May 2011.

What does this mean? It’s a sign that the economy is improving. However, don’t be overly excited. Traditionally, the summer months see more sales volume. I don’t have the seasonally adjusted numbers, but it would be interesting to see if this is a normal uptick in contracts being signed. The 13.4% year to year average can be misleading because of the Federal Home Buyer Tax Break in 2010. Last year in order to qualify for the $8000.00 tax credit; a purchaser had to be under contract by April 30, 2010. Naturally, May 2010 numbers would be down because buyers pushed up the buying to April 2010 instead of the summer time. The federal tax break didn’t seem to bring many new buyers to the market, all it did was put more transactions in April 2010 instead of spreading the buyers evenly amongst the rest of the months of the year.

I didn’t mean to pooh-pooh the enthusiasm of the numbers but I do feel the worst is over with in San Diego. The best it yet to come, especially from a long term point of view. The numbers in other parts of the country surprisingly showed great improvements. Particularly in previous soft markets like Indianapolis and Minneapolis.

To read the full article, I’m referencing, please click here.

-Rob

What is the local scoop on San Diego Real Estate?

Below is the latest video released by the San Diego Association of Realtors during the last week of May. It provides the statistics of the local residential home and condo market of San Diego County for April 2011.

You might have to sign up for a free YouTube account to view.

Atlas International was featured on HGTV’s House Hunters International for a couple looking to purchase a vacation home in Didim, Turkey. For those that don’t know much about Didim, it is on the beautiful Mediterranean western coast of Turkey. It is becoming a hot spot for second home purchasers from Northern Europe and the UK. Believe it or not, I actually have a few clients from the U.S. and Canada that will be traveling to Turkey next month to purchase a second home. It kind of surprised me, but once I learned how pristine the water was and the affordability of the properties, I now know why people are going there.

The Realtor in the show is Atlas International’s European Sales Director, Mr. James Dearsley. You couldn’t have a better person representing the company. Below is part one of a three part series.

Enjoy!

Rob

What is Keller Williams Realty Red Day?

Red Day is when all Keller Williams’ agents, affiliates, and partners throughout the U.S. and Canada take part in an activity that gives service back to their local communities. The market center that I work with provided two different activities that benefited the La Jolla community of San Diego. The first activity consisted of my colleagues and I singing songs, accompanied by a ukulele, to senior patients at assisted living facilities. For those that don’t know what a ukulele is, it is a Hawaiian style mini acoustic guitar. We tried to bring the aloha spirit to the locals! The second activity we participated in was a beach cleanup at the world famous La Jolla Shores Beach.

Red Day happens annually on May 12th. It is held on May 12th because that is the birthday of the Keller Williams Cultural Director, Ms. Mo Anderson. Mo Anderson is a strong advocate for charitable work amongst the local communities that Keller Williams represents.

Below is a fourteen minute documentary that I produced showing the behind the scenes activities and interviews of our participation in Red Day. I hope you enjoy:)

Rob

One of the beautiful things about San Diego living is that the environment offers one of the best places in the world for outdoor fitness. Taking care of my health and maintaining a fitness routine is a passion of mine. A trend that is happening throughout San Diego are group workout programs known as “boot camps.” Some people confuse these with military boot camps. The term “boot camp” describes group workouts in a civilian environment that are lead by a trainer or instructor. Boot camps are a great way to get a great workout from a trainer or instructor for a price that is significantly lower than that of private sessions. Plus, it’s always comforting to know that others are sharing your pain!

I wanted to tell my readers of a boot camp that I’m a part of called Gut Check Fitness. (Disclaimer: I don’t receive any type of compensation for promoting Gut Check Fitness. I just like to spread the word about gems like these within the San Diego community).

Gut Check Fitness is led by the former Guinness Book of World Record holder for Most Fit Man in the World, Mr. Joe Decker. See his website for a brief bio and description: www.gutcheckfitness.com . In 2009 and 2010, Gut Check Fitness was voted the hardest and best boot camp in all of San Diego. The great thing about this group is its participants come in all shapes and sizes, and vary tremendously in age range and athletic ability. Some of Joe’s favorite saying’s: “Work hard, play harder!” and “Get busy living, or get busy dying”. We also participate in a variety of races and events from short 5k walks to ultra marathons, to the Death Race.

Below is a video done by the local NBC affiliate of a few of our members who will be competing in the Death Race this June. Enjoy!

-Rob

View more videos at: http://www.nbcsandiego.com.

This article comes from my local San Diego affiliate, Keller Williams Realty La Jolla.

Please click here to view the 8 steps to buying a home.

Rob

The Burnham-Moores Center For Real Estate at the University of San Diego released a report on the single family home statistics for the first quarter of 2011. The report highlights the percentage of transactions for Regular Sales (normal equity sales), New Home Sales, and Distressed Sales (REO’s “bank owned properties,” Foreclosures, and Short Sales).

Here is the transaction breakdown for the single family home market of San Diego:

Regular Sales: 45%

New Home Sales: 2%

Distressed Sales: 53% (Short Sales peaked this quarter making up 9% of the market)

To read the official report, click here

Rob

I did an experiment to see what would happen if I gave up T.V. for 30 days. Now to clarify, I’m not the biggest T.V. watcher in the world, but I do love my sports. I began my experiment on Wednesday, February 9th, and ended the experiment on Friday, March 11th. There was some strategy to this. I waited until after the Super Bowl was over and wanted it to end before March Madness started for College Basketball.

There were some interesting, positive things that happened during this time. My wife and I normally have our meals on T.V. trays in front of the T.V. We couldn’t do this anymore. So we ate at the dinner table. We were able to have good conversations without the interruption of T.V. My wife was glad to say we shared more “quality time,” or QT! I managed to do a lot more reading than I normally do. I read the book Blink by Malcolm Gladwell and read three quarters of the book The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz. I always read books, but without the T.V., I probably read them three times as fast.

It also amazed me how quieter things became around the house. My house is not all that quiet since I have a dog and live on a busy street in Uptown San Diego. There just happened to be no constant background noise of the T.V.

The big ah-ha moment came to me when I realized how much extra time I had in my day. How many of you extend any of your meals or lounge time because you want to watch that special T.V. show? It is surprising how 15 minutes here, 30 minutes there can add up. What this did for me is it allowed me to realize I can live without certain things I didn’t think I could. Your life works best when it is in balance. I exercise, eat well, have a good social life, and have a good work ethic as a Realtor. The T.V. at times, especially during football season, can be a huge distraction that takes away from more important aspects in my life. To balance it out, I don’t need to quit watching T.V. all together. Maybe I just need to DVR more and not watch live T.V.?

I would be interested to know who has given up something in there lives that has ended up making things better. Please feel to write in the comment section below, or email your story to rob.handley@atlasinternational.com .

Thank you for your time,

Rob

The video below explains three tips for selling your home. The video is courtesy of Atlas International’s partnership with Keller Williams Realty in La Jolla, California.

The video below has the March statistics from the San Diego Association of Realtors. If you don’t have a YouTube account, you’ll probably not be able to see it. A YouTube account is free. You can sign up for one at www.youtube.com .
Click on the link here to view the breakdown of foreclosures by Zip Code for the San Diego Market in the month of February. This information was courtesy of the San Diego Union Tribune.