The Diary of a Global Estate Agent - Florida

Chapter 6

To take the wife, or not. Take her, or not. Take, not, take, not. It’s a tricky one when you’re going on a business trip which on the face of it looks an attractive proposition to the missus.

I’m off to Florida on the grandly titled ‘NAEA Trade Mission’ which will take us away for a week meeting American Real Estate Agents and developers. Problem is that I’ve never taken the missus away on business. I mean, you don’t take your partner to the office – for a bit of comfort
or whatever – do you? On the other hand the benefits seem attractive. There’s a bird in your bed. The hotel room might stay tidy for once, and I’m unlikely to remain stuck in the bar until they throw me out at 2am.

Downsides are that I won’t be allowed to enjoy myself in the bar until 2am and there’ll certainly be no TV channel flicking fest every morning and evening. Bird in bed and clean hotel room win the day and she comes with me – for a week away from the kids, a week to shop, swim and sunbathe.

Wednesday
Mr Virgin transports us to Orlando during the day and before long we’re at the Hilton Garden Inn. It’s being renovated, so no swimming as the pool’s closed. Sorry love – still, there’s shopping to do. Our (very pleasant) room overlooks something resembling a nuclear research plant – no windows, and all a bit spooky. In the distance, a ride at SeaWorld soars upwards like a modern day church spire – willing us to prayer, except this one just wants you to pay.

The other delegates arrive during the day – our Commander in Chief, Chris Hall, via Amsterdam and somewhere in the North of the US. We all meet up with John Mike who is the NAR’s Presidential Liaison to the UK, who will marshal us around with great authority for the week. The overview of the week ahead doesn’t really take account of wives who might not have come along to work – they’ve got to join in – by order. Sorry love, no shopping either.

Thursday
Early bus to a resort by Pulte Homes. Bucks Fizz welcome – nice touch, before a lengthy talk by the developer. I sell homes on golf resorts, and this isn’t one of those, so I take only a vague interest in the apartments and townhouses. They provide a great lunch though. Then off to picturesque and historic Winter Park, North of Orlando. It must be one of the oldest parts of Florida dating back over a 100 years (gasp). Huge multi million dollar winter holiday homes overlook a number of connected lakes. After bumping into Jim Atkins (ex President of the NAEA) we take a boat ride around a couple of lakes. It rains hard for a while and in the absence of any roof, we all hold aloft a blue plastic sheet to cover us.

Time to speed on, and next stop is the Orlando Regional Realtors Association for a reception. This local Association has more members than the NAEA! Another wonderful spread of nosh and wine. 7 or 8 different nationalities explain how they celebrate Christmas – the Panamanians go totally over the top with ‘courting dancers’ (who looked as though they had just divorced) in traditional costume and a TV crew filming them. For the Brits, Laura Dickinson from UK company Moneycorp (who generously sponsored our coach) handed out mince pies and party
crackers. Cue, for everyone to put a silly hat on for the rest of the proceedings. We finished with
the first of many networking events.

Friday
Boarded coach and were whisked off to a very strange development near Disneyland. So strange that I kept no details for fear of catching something. The polystyrene ceiling tiles were a bad sign – the developer was from Slough, which probably had something to do with it. The cast of salesmen, advisors etc obviously had second jobs with The Addams Family across the road. A very odd bunch. Not interested, Bye-bye.

We escaped and drove to our first star resort of the trip, Reunion, being developed by Ginn who are a huge NYSE 100 company. We were due to see a number of their golf resorts during the week. After a slick introduction, a delicious lunch was served in their clubhouse and we then toured the impressive facility. Beautiful manicured golf course, and a smart selection of homes in all shapes and sizes.

And then on to Bella Collina – a Tuscan inspired development. Another Ginn resort where our home grown Nick Faldo is the course designer. The resort is very much in its infancy – the roads are in and woodland is being cleared, and that’s about it. Apart from a row of eight multi-million dollar showhomes – “Street of Dreams”, all of about 10,000 square feet, overlooking a lake. We are treated to a ‘reception’ (aka – flowing drinks and great nosh) in two of the houses, and carefully watch a large alligator crawling around the rear lawn!

Saturday
Up at 5.30am for our 6.20am coach to get us up to Flagler Beach airport. Ginn are flying us to their Ginn sur Mer resort in Grand Bahama. Their private terminal wouldn’t be out of place of a large house in Golders Green – fireplace and all!

A hop down to West Palm Beach to pick up some others and then just 20 minutes to the development’s private airstrip where they have their own customs house. This multibillion dollar resort is just underway and early investors should make a killing. For now, the deserted beaches covered in conch shells are dreamy. After lunch we all wander down to a nearby beach where a reggae band is playing which gets to the Commander, and he takes off his trousers for a paddle in the sea.

Sunday
Goodbye Orlando. We head South past endless orange groves towards The Palm Beaches and stop off at another Ginn resort – Tesoro, where we meet up with NAEA CEO Peter Bolton-King and his wife Laura. After last night, the ‘welcome’ drink of a Bloody Mary is, well… welcome. More golf to see, more lunch, more houses. It’s a big resort, so they have a helicopter (naturellement) to hand so we can see it more clearly from the air. Our pilot takes us for a spin down to the coast for a bit of dolphin chasing.

After arriving at our Marriot hotel, we are welcomed formally by John Mike and others from the Realtors Association of the Palm Beaches, as well as meeting a nice little old lady who turns out to be the local Mayor. Then a networking event where we are outnumbered about 5 to 1. The pace of the ‘networking’ is bewildering – ‘Hi, my name is Randy Yank, here’s my card, can I have yours. Good to meet you. Goodbye’ …Next! A delicious gala dinner follows.

Monday
The Missus is ‘worn out’ and skives off for the day to do some shopping at the giant City Place centre next to the hotel. We’re not seeing any golfing resorts today so I drift along accepting the hospitality and making corny Agent comments –‘very spacious’ and ‘nice high ceilings’ etc etc.

Mid afternoon we stop at the offices of the Realtors Association of the Palm Beach for an excellent lecture on the American multiple listing system, and then move on for the essential late afternoon cocktail party at the Casa Bella development in Boca Raton. Four months ago these 4,500 sq ft houses were selling for $1.2m, but the US market has recently suffered a horrendous crash (they like to say ‘correction’). Some developers are desperate for cash, and we were offered the same house for $750,000 – about £380,000. Five beds, five baths, swimming
pool – amazing value. Fortified by a couple of gin and tonics, our CEO started rounding us up suggesting we all put £25,000 in each to buy one. The cocktails had done their job, and it seemed a jolly good idea. Fortunately, we were herded on to the coach before contracts were agreed.

Tuesday
Big slap-up breakfast at Emerald Dunes where we get transported from one apartment block to another by buggy – it is all of 100 metres. Two hours later at Toll Brothers offices, a huge lunch is on offer….Toll Brothers are a huge US builder and they have some products I could be interested in.

The girls then get their dearest wish, and are granted 2 hours shopping time, whilst the rest of us get to play a bit of golf at the fantastically swish Old Palm Golf Club. Their multi-video computerized training bay shows us all just how bad we really are. The pro spends his time with a look of complete bewilderment on his face. After a quick look at an $8m home (his and hers loos in the ensuite!), we meet up with the shoppers at the clubhouse for a very smart champagne and canapés party.

Back to the hotel before dressing up for the farewell dinner at the Governor’s Club in West Palm Beach. Speeches from both sides and lots of laughter and a great meal.

Wednesday
Time to go home. Spend the morning trying to pack. We’ve picked up an unbelievable amount of gifts, brochures – you name it. Books, dressing gowns, bottle openers, frisbees, pens and pads by the ton. After chucking out what I don’t need, there’s still the small issue of an extra 50kg of luggage…

We have lunch at the incredibly swish Breakers Hotel with Laura from Moneycorp and her boyfriend. Fish and chips and a coke for $50 a head! Over the three hour drive back to Orlando we agree that the trip has been an enormous success. It has been a very full programme, brilliant organised, and we’ve had a lot of fun too. The serious side of the trip is that we have to convert our visit into earning commissions. The hard work will start when we get home.

And I’m pleased I took the Missus. She enjoyed the ‘work’ side of the trip and got to go shopping…

James Wyatt MNAEA, MARLA, TRC, REALTOR ® is a partner at Barton Wyatt International based in Wentworth, Virginia Water. Tel: 01344 843000

Where is the real Spain

Where is 'the' real Spain? For some it is Gaudi's Barcelona with its stunning Sagrada Familia cathedral. For others it might be the capital Madrid for its sheer size, inspiring art of Velazquez at the Prado museum and endless tapas bars. For wine lovers, maybe the Rioja region with the pretty Cantabrian Mountain range nearby. Or it is the bustling boulevards and gin-palace excesses of Marbella and its surrounding moneyed towns full of royalty, aristocrats and decidedly less salubrious types.

Spain is a nation of wildly contrasting vistas, traditions, people, architecture and history. One of the few places in Spain where all of these ingredients come together is in Jerez de la Frontera in the heat of Andalucia. With 200,000 inhabitants, this is a modest sized city, but it packs a punch way above its weight while some of the best of ‘real’ Spain there is.

Take sherry for example. You can buy sherry just about anywhere in the World these days. Bahrain? Sri Lanka? Costa Rica? All of them important sherry. Brits are still the biggest drinkers of this unusual wine – more so than the Spanish even. Jerez is the worldwide centre of sherry. It all comes from Jerez. Today there are still some very British sounding companies including Harveys (everyone’s favourite Auntie has a bottle of Harvey’s Bristol Cream don’t they?) and Sandman’s. But the giant of them all is the colossal bodega of Gonzales Byass who amongst other brands, produces Tio Pepe. A tour of this fascinating place on their little tourist train is educating and ends with a welcome tasting. I came home with quite a taste for it.

Jerez is the cradle of flamenco. You can’t really get much more Spanish than the somewhat gypsy-esque sight of traditional flamenco dancing and the unmistakable music which accompanies it. There are more than a dozen flamenco penas in Jerez although surprisingly noen of them are much over 40 years old. Try CENTRO CULTURAL FLAMENCO DON ANTONIO CHACON in c/salas 2. They don’t charge to get in, but they do expect you to drink!

Little known to many English visitors, and visited by even fewer, this City nevertheless has direct air links with UK airports and is gradually putting itself on the UK tourist trail.

The new golf resort of Arcos Gardens in nearby Arcos de la Frontera has been a great influence in promoting Jerez and the surrounding area to the UK market. And, with good reason too as I recently found out.

Arcos Gardens is being created from 440 acres of former olive farm on gently sloping land, with wonderful views towards the whitewashed hilltop town of Arcos de la Frontera.

At the heart of the development is a World class 18 hole golf course designed by Landmark (who designed amongst others, the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island). With wide and fairly forgiving fairways, the greens are well protected with accuracy a must. But with 5 tees on each hole, the course is fun for higher handicappers from the forward tees, and a challenge for top players from the back tees.

The course has been in play for two years now and you’d be forgiven for thinking it had been there for many more years. The fairways are as green as green could be, fringed by mature olive trees. The greens are fast and as good as you’ll find in the US. The views towards Arcos de la Frontera and the surrounding Andalucian countryside make this a memorable course to play.

Around the gold course 470 new home of Andalucian style are under construction –a very low density which mean more open spaces and good sized gardens for many of the homes. Of the 80 two bedroom townhouses, just four are still available at about £275,000. There is a very well organised rental programme for these houses and already there are repeat corporate bookings which is testament to the quality of service and facilities this resort has to offer.

There and four bedroom detached villas in good sized plots range in price from £520,000 to £765,000 and will be ready for early 2009.

The final phase will be finished in 2012.

Despite this resort having a real Spanish feel about it, the sales director Regan Berger is very definitely English although he and his family have lived in Spain for many years now. Ashley Northridge is the golf pro who originally came from Wentworth. Also on site is Simon Holmes golf academy. Simon is well known on Sky TV as a golf pundit, and has coached Nick Faldo, Ernie Els, Darren Clarke and many others. Simon has decided to move to Arcos Gardens permanently with wife Melanie and young family when his house on the 10^th fairway has been completed. He is also a consultant to the Swedish Golf Federation who base themselves at Arcos Gardens over the winter months.

The centrepiece of Arcos Gardens may be the golf course, but there is so much more to do. The gorgeous 300 year old Cortijo Fain is currently a boutique nine bedroom hotel with a competent restaurant and atmospheric bar where residents can enjoy tapas and drink the excellent local wine late into the evening.

Future plans include the new Clubhouse which will be finished early next year and which will provide superb facilities including a very smart Spa. Tennis, equestrian facilities, mountain biking and plenty for the kids to do are all coming soon.

Outside Arcos Gardens there is almost too much to do – from Motor Racing at the F1 circuit outside Jerez to rock climbing, fishing and all manner of water sports on the local lakes. Some of the prettiest and most unspoilt coastline is about 45 minutes away.

Right on the Arcos Gardens doorstep though is Arcos de la Frontera. In my search for the ‘real Spain’, this is as good as it gets. It has been described as the ‘romantic queen’ of the white cities (the other favourites of mine being Ronda, Zahara, Grazalem and Estepa). Arcos is set stop a spectacular sheer cliff and is a delightful mish-mash of steep narrow streets – a strong reminder of its Arab inheritance. About 30,000 people call this home. It is a town for walking and there is plenty to keep you walking for a long time. He many churches were nearly all started in the 16^th century and there is also a closed convent. The 8 nuns sell home made biscuits which you can buy from there through a blind spinning cupboard and a one way mirror. Look closely enough and you can see the nuns behind.

Just around the corner is the main town square, the Plaza del Cabildo where the views down the river and the surrounding countryside are majestic. The unbalanced local man use this as their preferred suicide point (the ladies strangely use the other side of town!).

The market, shops, bars, restaurants and so on make this a genuinely ‘A’ grade real Spanish town.

The mix of Arcos Gardens with its new locally influenced architecture and World class golf course and the traditional towns of Arcos de la Frontera and Jerez de la Frontera is a delightful combination. It is the ‘real Spain’ at its best.