Caribbean Home Builder

Commercial Steel Buildings

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 11:39:00 -0500

The time has come when it is just as important to meet financial
ends as well as demands for high quality. You already know that it is
now a real possibility with no need to lower your expectations. There is
a wide range of applications for steel buildings, commercial use is
only one among them and there is the possibility for custom design a
commercial metal building for any application.

There are a number
of highly significant factors when operating your business. It is of
utmost importance to keep your customers and welcome new ones just as
well as see your revenue grow. Your business is also to maintain quality
standards your clients are used to even in a time of challenges of
growth and change in premises that may result in construction setbacks.
Closing your business even for the shortest of periods could bring
disastrous results that can not be afforded.

Today even the
construction of metal commercial buildings is practical reality with
direct financial advantage. Steel buildings are just as strong as
traditional buildings but come with the benefit of lower price and much
shorter construction time!

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How Green Roof Systems Save Your Business Money on Heating and Cooling

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Wed, 26 May 2010 20:54:17 -0500

There are many advancements in building materials that assist in
saving money and energy. Though research on this topic was initially
launched for energy preservation purposes, it also helps in saving money
as well as preserving environment.

U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) has determined that nearly $40 billion is spent to air
condition buildings in US, which amounts to one-sixth of the total
electricity generated annually. In order to cut down these costs, EPA
has come up with different roof materials and plans.

Roofing
products should meet two specific conditions namely (1) They must be
reflective, referring to the amount of light energy being reflected away
instead of absorbing and (2) They must have high emissivity, referring
to the quickness of how the absorbed energy is emitted into the
atmosphere again.

By research, it has been found that light colors
are effective in reduction of peak demand for cool energy in buildings.
Normally, the roof system is the heavily exposed part of a building to
sun and it tends to absorb energy, serving as a large heat sink. Hence
based on the color of the roof and its reflective nature, the
temperature rise within the roofing system can be altered. When the roof
is enveloped by a white reflective material similar to a single ply
membrane, plenum air space temperature lowers to 90ºF unlike 120ºF in
the case of dark-colored roofs.

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Share your Story with Caribbean Land and Property

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 14:45:27 -0600

Do you have a Caribbean property story to share? Well here is your opportunity to shine by posting your story on the Caribbean Land and Property Blog.

We are looking for your contributions of 300-400 word blog posts on developing or maintaining property in the Caribbean, especially those which have an environmental component.

Are you building your own home or have an unusual tale to tell? Are you installing solar, micro-hydro or even a windmill? Do you live self-sufficiently off your land or have you created a large farm? Well we want to ensure your experience and expertise is acknowledged and shared with the rest of the Caribbean region.

We are also interested in hearing from architects, planners and renewable energy businesses with features on how we can sustainably develop, enhance and protect property in the Caribbean.

The Caribbean Property blog is now open as your forum to educate and inform our readership. At the same time you will get some publicity for your project or business with a brief bio, link to your website and other contact details provided at the end of your post.

For more information or to submit an idea, please contact terri@caribbeanlandandproperty.com

Green Building in St John USVI

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Sat, 13 Dec 2008 18:55:29 -0600

St John in the US Virgin Islands has a reputation of being a natural paradise with two-thirds of the island being preserved as a National Park. Living in harmony with the environment is critical on such a small island which is only 9 miles long and 3 miles wide. To maintain the beauty of the island and its environmental integrity there is a push for private developers and owners to adopt an ecological approach to living on the island.

This year a comprehensive guide book was produced to advise all on all aspects of green living on the island. The contents of this booklet includes an outline of the native trees and vegetation, an overview of eco-friendly building, recipes to make green household cleaners and insights into the recycling and disposal of solid waste.

There are also a range of insightful tips for those who are new to the island and ways that visitors can minimize their environmental impact whilst on vacation. The booklet was produced by the Unitarian Universalist Church Green Committee and can be easily downloaded from their website.

St John also has some “Environmental Guidelines for Sustainable Residential Development” which aim to ‘promote the building of structures on St. John in balance and harmony with nature.’ This PDF guide instructs on all aspects of green building from site planning to the avoidance of light pollution and erosion control recommendations.

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A Home from the Earth - Building with Cob

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Tue, 18 Nov 2008 06:00:00 -0600

I recently went to visit some friends who have built a beautiful cob house in the hills of their Caribbean island home. Cob, which refers to a mixture consisting of earth, clay, sand, straw, and water, is an unusual choice for building materials in the Caribbean. Nevertheless Cob should definitely be considered by anyone looking to build a natural and ecological home.

The major benefits of using cob as a building material, is that it is very inexpensive and relatively easy to work with. Infact this family made their dwelling place themselves and all the children were involved in the process. The mixture can be mixed by hand although in larger projects some people opt to use more mechanical mixing tools.

The beauty of cob is that it is so organic and it can be shaped and developed with curves and bumps that result in a highly unique building. Extra parts can easily be added on to the original building when needed, so it can be a building that grows with the needs of a family. The finished cob building can be left as it is or finished with a range of natural plasters for a smoother and more sophisticated effect.
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Solar Solutions for Caribbean Properties.

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Mon, 27 Oct 2008 06:00:00 -0500

“Love and marriage, love and marriage, they go together like a horse and carriage. This I tell you brother you can’t have one without the other!”

This week I’ve been humming the Frank Sinatra tune above and while the sentiments may seem a little outdated for some, I was reflecting on how some things are just meant to go together. In particular my thought was that Caribbean properties and solar technology were made for each other. I do hope that in the future we will ensure that you can’t have one without the other!

The abundance of sun received by the region is the reason it is one of the most visited destinations in the world. As well as soaking the sun into our bodies we can now invest in more technology that enables us to harness free sunlight energy and use it to power our homes.
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Beauty and Bargains - Buying in Belize

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:46:41 -0500

I’ve visited Belize twice and loved it, so it came as no surprise to me when I read recently that Belize is becoming more and more attractive for property buyers. As the only English speaking country in Central America (it was formerly British Honduras), expats find that it is easy to move there and find their way around.

The currency of Belize is fixed at 2 Belizean dollars to 1 US Dollar which is nice and simple. The cost of living is relatively low and I just read through the introduction for an e-book that promises to show how a couple can live on just US$450 a month! In these turbulent economic times this would be a boost to anyone.

Property prices are reasonable and there is a large variety of both land and property available. Caribbean Land and Property have a good selection of properties listed for sale to choose from. The Government of Belize is creating incentives for people over 45 to relocate to the country. These include tax-free income status and duty free concessions to import all your household items, a car and even boat or a light aircraft!. They have also recently reduced the stamp duty tax on real estate title transfers. The new rate is 0% up to US$10,000 in purchase price and 5% for any amount above US$10,000.
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The Dominican Republic - A Property Hot Spot

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 08:58:12 -0500

Thinking of moving to the Caribbean? You may want to consider the Dominican Republic which is becoming increasingly popular as a place for relocation or a second home. Many property pundits and investors are agreeing that it is a hot spot for buyers in the Caribbean.

There are excellent opportunities for investment in the Dominican Republic (DR). It is one of the most stable countries in the Caribbean and Latin America. The Dominican Republic also has very low labour and living costs that, together with the laws to promote Foreign Investment, have made it very attractive for those who are looking for high profitability and security. The relatively low cost of living in the Dominican Republic is also attracting retirees who are looking for a place to live comfortably on a finite income.

Tourism is growing at a phenomenal rate in DR and thus there are more infrastructure developments in the country, greater variety of activities and increased opportunities for renting property. Getting to DR is easy as it is serviced with a multitude of direct flights from all over the US and Europe. From Miami it takes only 2 hours to be in a completely different world!

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What is a Condotel?

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 19:16:08 -0500

As a writer I love learning new words and a few weeks ago I was told one so new that when I looked it up in the dictionary it did not appear. The word is ‘Condotel’

I was privy to learn this new word through a conversation with our International Property Adviser, Wini Dean, who was also gracious enough to explain what on earth it means! Apparently a condotel is a fusion of a condominium and a hotel and even though the concept has been around for about 20 years it is only now becoming popular as one of the latest trends in property developments. In a condotel an individual owns their condo within a building that is operated by a hotel group who provide a variety of services to the occupants. So even though you are in your own home you can enjoy some of the luxuries of staying in a 4-5 star hotel.

Condotels are mostly bought as a second vacation home and thus has the added benefit of being an income generating investment when you are not occupying it. By signing an agreement with the hotel operating group your condo becomes part of the rental pool when you are not around and can be let to other clients on a daily, weekly or monthly basis.
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Home for a Boat

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 07:00:00 -0500

If you are a Caribbean sailing enthusiast you may desire to secure an island home that either is within a marina or close to a good anchorage. However the choice in the region is fairly limited and finding a property that suits the needs of both you the buyer and your boat can be a challenge.

A recent article in ‘All at Sea’ magazine, a publication for the Caribbean’s boating community, focuses on the increasing demand for luxurious properties with marina facilities. They quote Kerstin McConnell, the owner/broker of Sea Glass Properties on St. Thomas, who says “The opportunities for boaters to have a residence at a marina have, heretofore, been very rare, although the desire to have a land base near the boat slip is a near-universal one.”

Indeed at this moment the demand outstrips the supply and securing a property with boating facilities is quite a coup. Due to the high demand, buying a property with marina facilities can be a lucrative incoming generating investment through rentals for those who do not live permanently in their property.
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Time to Jump

nospam@example.com (Stewart Andrews - Contributor) — Sat, 16 Aug 2008 10:10:43 -0500

For anyone living in the UK or Europe, who has been sitting on the sidelines waiting to buy a Caribbean property, now may be the time to jump and make that property purchase in the Caribbean. Movements over the past month have seen the pound and euro fall around 5% in value against the US$Dollar, which is used for pricing most Caribbean properties.

It is difficult to predict whether this slide will continue, as the international money markets weigh the relative strengths of the US economy against the Eurozone. However, with little growth predicted through 2008 and 2009 and the threat of recession looming; there is a very real chance that the recent slide in the value of the pound and euro could continue to erode the value of these currencies possibly back to the levels sustained for many years through the 1990's, where the dollar stabilised at around US$1.55 to the pound.

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Farmland is the Caribbean’s Hottest Property

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 07:00:00 -0500

Caribbean heads of government recently met in a two-day regional Agricultural Investment Forum to discuss the rising cost of food and the crisis it presents the region.
James Moss-Solomon, a Jamaican businessman who headed the planning task force for the forum said “there has been no other time in recent Caribbean memory when such a concerted effort has been made to grow more food.” As the region pours more resources into growing more food the future looks bright for agricultural investments in the fertile land of the Caribbean.

In fact the overall global trend in the price for agricultural land has shown a sharp and continuing increase. For example, in 2007, the price for farmland in Iowa, USA was, for the first time, rising faster than property in Manhattan! This shift in the cost of land is occurring from Argentina to Australia and is signaling an increase in rural rather than urban development.

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Home Decor - The Art of the Caribbean

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 08:00:00 -0500

The human eye is attracted to beauty although beauty is definitely in the eye of the beholder and not everyone’s tastes are the same! However in a world of increasing plastic and machine-made items that all look the same, it is a wonderful thing to be able to decorate our homes with unique, handmade and local items.

The Caribbean has a wealth of both traditional crafts and new innovative artistry. From paintings to sculptures, cloth to baskets there is a beautiful item ready to capture our imagination and decorate our homes (or body) in a unique way.

Many artists are skilled in using natural resources in a unique, innovative and sustainable way. For example the basket weaving of the Kalinago people in Dominica which uses a type of grass that grows in the region, is a time-honored tradition that is passed on to each generation. The array and design of the crafts and the skill taken to create the work is phenomenal.
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The Essentials of Ecolodges

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 08:00:00 -0500

Buying or developing an ecolodge can be an inspiring and savvy decision as the Caribbean region puts more promotion on ecotourism and travelers become more conscious of where they put their vacation dollars.

Unfortunately some ecolodges fall into a trap of ‘green-washing’ and substituting hardcore eco-principles for a few energy saving light bulbs and towel reuse policy! Whilst these are good baby steps, there is a lot more to ecolodges than a few pieces of gadgetry and a load less washing!

The International Ecolodge Guidelines is an essential book for anyone contemplating investing in an ecolodge property. The crux of the book is the essential criteria for what constitutes an ecolodge and the various chapters emphasize and go into detail on these principles.

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Going for Green - Being an Eco-Property Investor.

nospam@example.com (Terri Henry - Contributor) — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 08:00:00 -0500

The United Nations recently issued a report on the need for property investors to invest in eco-properties. This is a timely piece of advice for the real estate industry which has managed to create a huge carbon footprint and can be very destructive of natural land and environments.

The report entitled “Building Responsible Property Portfolios,” was authored by University of Arizona professor, Gary Pivo and submitted to a United Nations environmental conference last week. The report urged investors to adopt the six Principles of Responsible Investment and emphasized the power of investors to influence property fund managers to make their portfolios ‘greener’.

The report also advises that being an eco-investor means good economics as well as good ecology. Most eco-properties which utilize renewable energy end up being more cost effective in the long run than traditional properties. In addition as demand increases for sustainable properties, the price for these investments will be higher for traditional developments.
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