Own Your Own Island Daydreaming Isn’t Necessarily a Bad Thing
Terry Murray | Click to read full article
Who amongst us hasn’t daydreamed about getting
away from it all and escaping to your own private
island? Islands offer a true escape from the hustle of
everyday life; a connection with the environment and
the ultimate sense of personal space. Thoughts of
wandering the shores of your own island have
captivated all of us at one point or another. It
provides absolute peace with nature and an incredible
sense of accomplishment. What if this dream isn’t as
crazy as it seems?
Doug and KT Ingersoll are in the business of selling
dreams. Island dreams, that is. Their company,
Caribbean Island Brokers specializes in islands and
resorts. As island owners themselves (former island
dreamers!), they know first hand what it’s like to have
a seemingly unattainable dream of owning an island.
But their tenacity paid off. Eventually they found
their perfect island and turned that passion for private
islands into a business.
“Our island shopping experience was grueling. It was
like buying real estate 100 years ago. We knew we
couldn’t trust anything we saw on the internet. We
would find the same island on several different sites
with different descriptions AND different prices.
There’s no organized marketing system, like M.L.S.,
for islands and there is little, if any, cooperation
among agents in this niche market. We knew we could
do it better” says Ingersoll.
Island buyers are not necessarily rich, but they have
achieved a certain level of success and they attribute
their achievements to staying focused on their goals.
They have that fire in their belly that keeps them
zeroed in on their passions. For them, a private island
is that passion because they offer something different.
“Our island listing range in price from $199K to
$75M; they come in all sizes and price ranges. Our
average island sales are in the $700k range”, stated
Ingersoll making it cheaper than most luxury
waterfront properties in the US.
Islands are not only the ultimate statement of
personal success, but also the ultimate personal
challenge. But the island dreamer doesn’t let these
little obstacles get in the way of the dream. They’re
challenges to be looked forward to. Owning an island
isn’t for the easily intimidated. If you find yourself
needing the flurry of constant activity around you,
then you probably wouldn’t last long on a secluded
island. Creating a comfortable living space on a
deserted tropical island requires the owner to think
about the most basic elements of life and then work
from there. Island buyer’s thoughts and creative ideas
will keep them dreaming all day and awake at night.
Food, water, shelter, and waste disposal become the
top priority. From there everything gets easier. Unless
you are truly isolated by hundreds of miles of water,
getting supplies to your island is usually not difficult.
With recent advances in solar power systems and
reverse osmosis desalination units, producing power
and water for the island is comparable in cost to
developing a parcel in any other remote location.
Caribbean Island Brokers is a full service real estate
firm offering both buyers and sellers a service simply
not offered by anyone else in the world. “We
personally visit every property we list so we know it as
if it was our own. Buyers learn very quickly that we
know our stuff by having answers to all their
questions. Sellers also know the very thing that makes
islands special, also makes them difficult to sell. It’s
not like selling a home where you just hop in the car
and drive through the neighborhood. It’s a different
kind of client; one that needs a specialist to help that
island dreamer understand the details and to learn the
basic challenges ahead of them.” states Ingersoll. “For
us, it’s the perfect job. We’ll develop our island
someday. But in the meantime helping others obtain
the ultimate dream is the most rewarding job anyone
could have.”
Some of the newest islands we’ve managed to find include:
Glover's Atoll in Belize, one of the World's finest dive
locations. The island is the site of a former resort. The
infrastructure is still in place and the property has been
maintained well so a new owner could come in and open for
business in a month or less. It's also a favorite mooring
location for yachts traveling between Guatemala and the rest
of the Caribbean. Manta Caye is 12 acres with 12 cabanas on
the beach plus staff and owners quarters on site.
Another unique listing is the totally undeveloped island at
the northwest tip of the Turneffe Atoll. The island is 45 acres
and is located in prime fishing grounds for both Flats and
Deep Sea Fishing.
Roatan, the perfect private island estate. A home away from
home. Every detail has been meticulously planned and
implemented. The home could easily stand as an executive
home in any hi-end subdivision in the world. The home is
the ultimate in modern living in a private island environment.
It's like taking your more mainstream thoughts of an executive
estate in your own home town and putting that same comfort
and familiarity on a private island.
A complete list of islands and resorts for sale is available at
www.caribbeanislandbrokers.com
