With its award winning hotels, Nevis has been one of the hottest and most sought after Caribbean destination for celebrities and the super wealthy.
Although not yet as sought after as neighboring Anguilla, the island has lots of charm and character that keeps tourists coming back year after year.
Recently the islands real estate market has been heating up, with lots of new beachside developments and multi-million villas currently on the market. I had the opportunity to revisit Nevis recently and although most of my friends on island kept wanting to show me the latest beachside development or multi-million dollar villa, I found myself drawn mostly to the dilapidated buildings in and around Charlestown, Nevis’ capital city (town).
Here are a couple shots I took on my mobile phone (forgot my camera in London; excuse the poor picture quality). Although most of these houses are in bad condition, to me they represent the best value for money on island because:

1. they’re mostly unoccupied and have been for years, so once legal title (ownership) is ascertained, it should be relatively easy to strike a good deal, since the current owners are doing nothing with the properties
2. most of these houses have been built with stones and the structures are incredibly sound, having withstood the test of time, and many hurricanes.
3. a lot of these dilapidated properties are beachfront, with similar size plots with no building on them selling well in excess of US$1 million

If you’re interested in any of these properties or Nevis real estate in general, let me know and I’ll do my best to make it happen

Well, it had to happen; apparently her developer “boyfriend” whose house she “occupied” while “residing” in the Bahamas, has now put the property back on the market for a cool $10 million according to TMZ.com. Impressive, given that he bought the property last October for less than $1 million, and proof that there is indeed life (and money) after death.

This weekend, boxing legend Lennox Lewis turned down a reported £15 million to come out of retirement and fight Ukrainian slugger Vitali Klitschko, stating he was “flattered” the boxing community wanted him back in the ring, but being a “man of his word,” LL unequivocally has “no plans to return” to the ring.
And why should he?
Haute Living’s latest edition gives a glimpse of LL’s current lifestyle, chillin on the beach in Miami; and when not hanging out in Coconut Grove or Pinecrest, LL heads for the hills in Jamaica. The article also revealed that LL recently sold his pad in London (smart move) and is currently shuttling residencies between Canada, Miami and Jamrock (aka Jamaica)

At least until February, as lawyers go back and forth in the Anna Nicole eviction saga. TMZ has a pdf copy of the latest judgment

Anna Nicole Smith’s scheduled October 31st eviction has been postponed; the former topless model has filed an injunction at the Bahamian Supreme Court, claiming ownership of the million dollar mansion known locally as “Horizons”; whose ownership is also being contested by North Carolina developer G. Ben Thompson.
In a press conference last week, Thompson claims that Smith “never paid a nickel on the house,” and that all the money to “facilitate the purchase” came directly from him. Thompson who admitted having a “short relationship” with Smith now wants her evicted from the property.

[Developer G. Ben Thompson (center) flanked by his son-in-law and attorney]

Thompson also admitted having no knowledge of Smith’s finances, but was apparently of the opinion that she would have repaid him the money either from photo shoot work, or from the settlement she’s expecting to get from litigation surrounding the estate of her late husband J. Howard Marshall.
Smith claims that Thompson gave her the house “as a gift“; and Thompson’s son-in-law admitted that the deed was “conveyed in her name,” because she “needed utilities to be cut on” but was never recorded.

“We had numerous conversations and I have e-mail correspondents up until the 27th (of October) where she in her e-mails stated that she would start making payments. We told her as far as payment for the house, we did not want her to pay us back the next day. We considered it would take a year for her to pay us back. We told her to pay us when she could but we needed the note and mortgage signed to protect our interest” claims Thompson’s son-in-law.

Outside of the “whose your baby daddy competition“, the Smith scandal is creating significant political embarrassment for the Bahamian government, with the explosive accusation made by Smith’s lawyers that a popular local government minister accepted $10,000 in order to “fast-track” Smith’s Bahamian residency application.
And in related news, Smith has also filed a conflict of interest claim against Nassau based law firm Callenders & Co; who are currently siding with the developer in the battle for Horizons; with Callender’s lead attorney now claiming that an agreement had indeed taken place between Smith and Thompson for her to pay back the mortgage.

Former Playmate Anna Nicole Smith, who recently buried her 20 year old son, days after giving birth to her daughter was ordered to leave her Bahamian residence by Oct. 31, according to People Magazine.
G. Ben Thompson, a US based developer, claims ownership of the property where Smith lived; claiming he purchased the house for her for just under $1 million in August of this year as a favor to Smith, whom he “befriended” after meeting her through neighbors in mid-2005. Thompson says that Smith was supposed to buy the house from him, but Smith says the house was “a gift”.

STOP PRESS

In related news, California photographer Larry Birkhead, is now claiming paternity of Smith’s new baby and has filed papers in a California court to establish paternity and obtain legal custody of the child. Smith was also served in this matter in the Bahamas, where last week she held a commitment ceremony with her attorney, Howard K. Stern, who also claims to be the baby’s father.

Anguilla’s CuisinArt Resort & Spa has announced a $7 million, 19,000 square-foot expansion of its Venus Spa, to be completed in March 2008 and will more than triple the size of the existing facility.
Among the planned additions are areas for hydrotherapy and an exclusively designed Thalasso Pool, where guests soak in heated Anguillan sea water, a natural, mineral-based therapy favored for its healing properties. The spa’s relaxation room will offer each guest expansive views of the Caribbean Sea as they begin and end their spa experience each day.
Mmmm … nice.
Winter room rates start at about $700/night to just under $5,000/night for luxury penthouse; plus government taxes and service charges … mmm … not so nice

Some Jamaican resort towns have exceeded the level of development recommended by the Tourism Ministry, raising fears among environmentalists and officials that the infrastructure is coming under strain, according to the Jamaica Gleaner.
In places like Ocho Rios, the carrying capacity is close to being exceeded or being exceeded because of the sheer volume of development that had already taken place there,” claims a tourism minister;

“The tourism development plan stipulated that the maximum number of rooms for the Runaway Bay area should aim for between 500 and 2000 hotel rooms, yet one hotel alone is supposed to have 1900 rooms coming on top of already at least 1500 rooms (in place), the policy is there recommending these things (but) why is it there, if it’s not being given the kind of play?”

In Ocho Rios, a group called the Pear Tree Bottom Land Owners’ Association (PTBLOA) has launched a legal challenge against Spanish-developer Piñero Group, claiming ownership of The Bahia Príncipe, a hotel now under construction. The PTBLOA are demanding that the Piñero Group prove that it has legally purchased the land or relinquish possesion. The hotel now under construction at Pear Tree Bottom in St. Ann is facing a major legal challenge.

The Pirates of the Caribbean star reportedly paid $3 million (GBP1.57 million) for 35-acre getaway isle Little Hall’s Pond Cay. No word yet if his intention is to find buried treasure. Maybe he has inside information after filiming in the region. His longtime girlfriend Vanessa Paradis was said to have “questioned his logic”.
“I don’t think Johnny Depp will find buried treasure on his island.” claims David Cordingley author of Under The Black Flag: The Romance + Reality Of Life Among The Pirates; and also acted as a consultant on the film.
Nevertheless, Depp is expected to move there with his family soon “to get a bit of peace” he was quoted as saying.
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Reverend Gordon Matthews former Bajan senator, predicted that by 2010 Barbados will be owned primarily by foreign investors:

“Unless there is a change of policy, our country is heading for social dislocation down the road. It is in our interest that we take constructive action as patriotic citizens within the limits of the fundamental law to save our country for our children and our children’s children,”

He termed the situation as the “wholesale sell-out” or “rape of our land”. However, he made it clear he was not against foreign investors – what he wanted was a balance. He also did not give “rape” or “sell-out” examples in his presentation.
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