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Combing Anguilla's Beaches for the Best
Anguilla Beach Lovers brings you the latest additions to one family's experiences of the "best of all things Anguillian." If you like this e-zine < If a friend did forward this to you and if you like what you read, please subscribe by visiting... My Dad has been keeping a journal of our Anguilla home-building project...
https://www.anguilla-beaches.com/anguilla-real-estate-journal.html#JOURNAL
If you've been following it, you know that he would fall behind his journal-keeping "duties" at times, then catch up with a flurry of pages, then fall behind again! ;-)
Recently, one year after moving into our brand new home in Anguilla, he finished the journal in a final burst of pages, finally catching up to Mike, Toby and the rest of the TurnKey Construction team. My Mom wrote a tour-of-our-home page...
https://www.anguilla-beaches.com/anguilla-home-tropical-tour.html
My Dad added one last page to the journal, with thoughts on the experience...
https://www.anguilla-beaches.com/anguilla-home.html
And then, as my Dad tends to do, he got an idea, a plan that would enable people to build a vacation home on Anguilla for 1/4 to 1/5 of the price. I'll let him tell you about it...
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Ken here, Nori's dad. It's hard to believe we've already been living in our new Anguilla home for more than a year. It seems like yesterday that we were breaking ground with my brand new Fisher-Price shovel...
https://www.anguilla-beaches.com/tropical-building.html
Living here is an absolute paradise, no exaggeration. But I realize that many factors keep most people from moving to their vacation paradises. And that gave me an idea that I wanted to run by you in this issue of "Anguilla Beach Lovers."
There are quite a few people who build vacation homes here. They come down and only stay in them for a month or two during the year. They may try to rent and cover year-round maintenance costs, or not (depending on their "hassle tolerance" of renting vs. income need). If you have the money to build a vacation home AND if you simply like to OWN, then paying anywhere from $1 million to $5 million (an up, up up!) can make sense. If you're willing to rent, the "build your own" option may come within reach, too.
Still many people don't want or need to build a full-time vacation home here. Why not reduce that cost by 75-80%?
A bit of history which led me to this idea...
None of our home-building experience would have been possible without Mike and Toby and the TurnKey Construction team. The island was red-hot and every builder was busy.
And then I got lucky... I met Mike in Montreal. He did some renovation work for us in our apartment in the city. I was impressed. He saw a book on the coffee table about building in the Caribbean and the rest, as they say, is history...
https://www.anguilla-beaches.com/anguilla-real-estate-journal.html#JOURNAL
Suffice it to say that his knowledge is as massive as he is. He is as honest as the day is long. He is the gentlest man I've ever met (also the strongest!). And he networks incredibly well, which led him to Toby (Mike already knows everyone in the construction trade on the island). Toby and Mike rapidly became great friends. They are both obsessed with getting it perfect, not just "good enough." They assembled and molded a superb team of builders and sub-trades, Anguillians all. They called the company TurnKey since I told Mike that I had no time to make a million decisions, that he needed to call me ONLY for major direction... that I basically wanted a "turnkey" process.
And I wanted a home that would be environmentally friendly, something that had yet to come to the island. Mike had expertise in that area.
Bottom line? Toby, Mike and TurnKey constructed one of the best-built, coolest-but-not-air-conditioned homes on the island for us. They built it as if they were building it for themselves.
I've learned a lot about building along the way. The most important lesson, if you want to build a home anywhere is...
Find a great builder. It's the difference between pain and pleasure during the building process. It's the difference between zero problems and tons of problems after you finish.
The TurnKey Team is about 4-6 months away from finishing their second home, the one you see in the photo on...
https://www.anguilla-beaches.com/anguilla-home.html
The construction industry has slowed down in Anguilla. We're probably near the bottom. It will rebound as the U.S. economy becomes more confident. Land prices are low.
That means that NOW is the time to be building. Mike told me "way back when" that he only wants to build one home at a a time, so he can give it his total attention. So if you want to OWN your own home(s), and if you believe that now is a great time to be making an investment like this, contact Mike directly at...
https://www.anguilla-beaches.com/tropical-building.html#CONTACTMIKE
That's not my "big idea," though. :-) Here's the idea...
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The Idea
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Before going any further, I want to make it clear that I do not make a penny from this. It's just an idea that I thought some people would find interesting and I happen to know an excellent builder who has become a close friend. So, without further ado...
What if 4 or 5 people could share the best of both worlds?... ownership/investment AND have their own place to vacation in Anguilla? Each person would actually be an OWNER. Each would have his/her name on the deed, be registered as a land-owner. This is true ownership. It would require putting certain elements in place to make sure it succeeds. For example, start with a survey to make sure LIKE-minded are matched up... same price range, personalities, neatness and conscientiousness, people who are not just in it to speculate on price appreciation, etc.
There would, of course, be an agreement to protect everyone (ex., how to divide up 52 weeks of vacation stay, right of first refusal upon sale, personal effects, etc.). You would truly own 1/4 or 1/5 as a personal asset and be able to sell it when you like (subject to right to match, etc.)
Each person would have access to their Anguilla home for more weeks than they would want to stay here AND own AND do it at a reasonable price. In other words, a $1.2 million home would only cost $300,000 when split 4 ways. A $2 million home is only $400,000 if split 5 ways. And you also split maintenance expenses 4 or 5 ways, too!
This is not "time share" or membership. You actually OWN 1/4 or 1/5 of the land and the building. A key concept is "LIKE-MINDED." Life is too short to have arguments or to deal with unpleasant people. The survey would identify 4-5 people with similar price range in mind, as well as similar personal habits (neat or slob?), similar thoughts re location (oceanfront, or inland with view), pleasant people, and so forth. --
This could be the start of a great new way to build and own in Anguilla. The best way to do that is to ask your opinion.
-----SIDEBAR-----
Naturally, if you want to build your own home, please
contact Mike directly at...
https://www.anguilla-beaches.com/tropical-building.html#CONTACTMIKE
Once he finalizes arrangements for the next home, he becomes unavailable again.
-----SIDEBAR-----
If you are interested in sharing ownership, please let me know by replying to this at my anguilla-beaches.com address...
dad@anguilla-beaches.com
Please copy-and-paste the following questions into an e-mail and add your answer below each question...
1) Location: oceanfront or inland with view (cheaper)
2) How many bedrooms? (Remember, you can also share your stay with family and friends?)
3) Inside square feet? 2500-3300? 3300-4000? 4000-5000?
4) Landscaping? Sparse? Medium? Lush?
5) Would you prefer 1/4 or 1/5 ownership?
6) What price would you pay for what you chose in the previous 5 questions.
7) Your approximate age. Under 40. 40-50. 50-60. Over 60.
8) Personal habits. Neatnik or don't much worry about keeping house.
9) Add anything else you like.
Obviously, this is an informal survey, not anything that is remotely legally binding. Personally, this is the type of concept that I'd be interested in if we were not already living here. It is the best of both worlds.
And, knowing Mike, the final result will be top-notch!
PLEASE... only answer if you do have some serious interest. I will use the level of interest to advise Mike on his next direction... co-ownership or single owner dwelling.
I look forward to hearing your answers to the above questions.
All the best,
Ken
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