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Private Islands

Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty Reports Robust 2018 Residential Real Estate Market

Resort-Style Living. According to Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty, the demand for luxury resort-style properties such as those found on Kamalame Cay (above) saw a significant surge in 2018.

Nassau, The Bahamas (Jan. 21, 2019) — According to Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty, 2018 was another healthy year for luxury residential real estate sales with the company’s list price averaging $1.55 million and sales prices averaging $1.4 million.

“Overall, 2018 was a strong year for sales with a slight increase over the 2017 performance,” said Lana Rademaker, Chief Brokerage Officer for the company, noting that there has been a significant increase in demand for homes in the Family Islands. “Markets like Hope Town, Harbour Island, Kamalame Cay, Treasure Cay and Spanish Wells are ideal entry markets into The Bahamas. People come down for holidays and end up returning as buyers.”

Rademaker added that the uptick in visitors and buyers in both Nassau and the Family Island markets can be partially credited to the increased number of direct flights into these markets from the U.S. and Canada. Major carriers such as American Airlines, Air Canada, JetBlue and Delta offer daily flights to The Bahamas and recently announced direct flights from Chicago and Houston to Nassau will offer even more opportunities for easy access to The Bahamas.

“The enviable lifestyle of The Bahamas has always been a major attractor to buyers in addition to the fact that we’re an English-speaking country with a stable economy,” Rademaker said. “And now with even more direct flights to our islands, people are able to get here more conveniently and frequently, making our country a strong choice for those who want to own a vacation home just one flight away.”

Another factor is the growing demand for unique resort-style residential properties such as those found on Kamalame Cay, which is about a 20-minute flight from Nassau.

“We are constantly striving to stay ahead of market trends and seek out distinctive opportunities for our clients,” Rademaker said. “I am proud to announce that one of our top agents, Vanessa Ansell, participated in seven transactions on Kamalame Cay this past year, making it one of the most active periods in the history of the luxury resort. Through her strategic marketing and carefully cultivated relationships, Vanessa has positioned herself as the go-to real estate advisor for Kamalame Cay.”

To further accommodate and more fully service this ever-increasing market activity, Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty expanded their sales team with the addition of two new agents in 2018. In December, the company also opened a new office location on Harbour Island next to the popular Piggly Wiggly food store on King Street, the island’s main thoroughfare.

“Nurturing ongoing client relationships is our number one priority as a company,” Rademaker said. “The more visible we are in the markets we serve, and the more knowledgeable our agents are, the more value we can provide to people whether they are current, past or future clients.”

The company’s ongoing mission to continually seek out ways to better serve their clients was further augmented when the firm hosted a four-day NINJA Selling Conference for their entire company at the Grand Hyatt Convention Center at the Baha Mar Resort in October 2018.

“The conference was an incredible experience,” Rademaker said. “Our entire company gathered together for four days to focus on expanding our knowledge and skills as real estate professionals. Designed to help agents capitalize on their strengths, conquer their goals and transform their business, the content of the NINJA Selling Conference aligned perfectly with our company’s culture.”

New developments like BahaMar, GoldWynn, the Pointe and the soon-to-be redeveloped Hurricane Hole on Paradise Island are also providing exciting new opportunities for buyers in the country’s capital.

“The great thing about The Bahamas is that we’re constantly growing and progressing as a country,” Rademaker said. “There is always new and fresh inventory to explore, which makes it a very exciting market to live in, work in and invest in.”

About Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty

Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty has 10 offices located throughout the islands of the Bahamas, providing unsurpassed market knowledge of Abaco, Eleuthera, Harbour Island, Exuma, Nassau, Paradise Island, Ocean Club Estates, Lyford Cay, Old Fort Bay, Albany and Private Islands. Head office 75 Shirley Street, Nassau. For additional information, please contact 242-322-2305 or info @SIRbahamas.com.

About Sotheby’s International Realty

The Sotheby’s International Realty network currently has approximately 22,000 affiliated independent sales associates located in over 970 offices in 72 countries and territories worldwide. Each office is independently owned and operated.

January 17, 2019 by Damianos Sotheby's International Realty

Damianos Sotheby's International Realty

A Guide to Living in The Bahamas

A Guide to Living in The Bahamas. Known officially as the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, The Bahamas is an archipelagic state consisting of more than 700 islands, cays, and islets in the Atlantic Ocean. Below is a brief overview of our beautiful country.

DEMOGRAPHICS

The Bahamas is a chain of 700 islands and cays, approximately 30 of which are inhabited. The population is estimated to be slightly more than 300,000 people, most of whom reside on New Providence, Grand Bahama, Abaco and Eleuthera Islands Islands. The Bahamian archipelago begins about 50 miles off the coast of Florida and stretches for 550 miles to the Southeast. The Bahamas is an independent, English-speaking country with an adult literacy rate among the best in the world (95%).

INFRASTRUCTURE

The Bahamas has comprehensive and modern infrastructure, with electricity and water in abundant supply. Telecommunications services and facilities in the Bahamas are state-of-the-art, with direct international links provided through a 100% digital switching system.

THE BAHAMAS MAIN ISLANDS

New Providence (pop. 241,200); Grand Bahama (pop. 61,300); Abaco (pop. 17,224); Eleuthera (pop. 11,165); Exuma (pop. 7,314); Andros (pop. 8,000).

CURRENCY OF THE BAHAMAS

The official currency of the Bahamas is the Bahamian dollar. The Bahamian dollar is equal in value to the U.S. dollar, and the two are used inter-changeably throughout the islands.

THE BAHAMAS GOVERNMENT

The Bahamas has an extremely stable and pro-business Government, with the longest running uninterrupted democracy in the Western Hemisphere (over 280 years). On July 10, 1973, The Bahamas gained its independence from Great Britain and remains a fully democratic nation, governed by its own Parliament and Constitution. The Constitution of the Bahamas proclaims the islands as a sovereign democratic state, sets forth requirements for citizenship and guarantees fundamental human rights. The Bahamas retains its ties with the Commonwealth of Nations (formerly the British Commonwealth) and also retains the British monarch as its figurative head of state.

For more information about The Bahamas, visit The Commonwealth

About Sotheby’s International Realty
The Sotheby’s International Realty network currently has approximately 22,000 affiliated independent sales associates located in over 950 offices in 69 countries and territories worldwide. Each office is independently owned and operated.

About Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty
Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty has 11 offices located throughout the islands of the Bahamas, providing unsurpassed market knowledge of Abaco, Eleuthera, Exuma, Nassau, Paradise Island, Ocean Club Estates, Lyford Cay, Old Fort Bay and Private Islands. Head office 75 Shirley Street, Nassau. For additional information, please contact 242-322-2035 or info.Bahamas@SIR.com.

May 16, 2018 by Damianos Sotheby's International Realty

Damianos Sotheby's International Realty

Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty Exclusively Lists Blue Island, a 700-Acre Private Island in the Southern Exuma Cays

A Private Island Oasis. Located 147 miles southwest of Nassau in The Exumas, Blue Island is the largest private island currently on the market in The Bahamas offering 700 acres of pristine developable land and panoramic ocean views.

THE EXUMAS, The Bahamas (Feb. 23, 2018) — Imagine boarding a private jet in New York at 2 p.m. on a Friday, mid-February, flurries of snow piling up on the tarmac as you ascend into the sky. You’re tired, you’re stressed, and you’re ready to disconnect. Now imagine it’s three hours later and you’re stepping off that same plane onto a remote private island. Balmy, 80-degree breezes brush across your skin as you disembark, and the only detectable sounds are those made by swaying palm trees and ocean waves as they lap up on the nearby shore.

This is what awaits visitors to Blue Island: peace, solitude, sanctuary.

Situated in the southern Exuma Cays, the 700-acre island is located 147 miles southwest of Nassau, or about a 30-minute flight, and offers not only the utmost in seclusion but also an array of desirable features such as a brand-new 5,700-foot jetway; six white sand beaches; 15 miles of lush nature trails lined with mango, banana and coconut palm trees; hilly terraces; and, a 5,000-square-foot main house offering panoramic views of the Atlantic.

“It’s the largest private island currently available in The Bahamas,” said Steve Donovan of Damianos Sotheby’s International Real Estate who is exclusively marketing Blue Island. “There are numerous places where you could build a house or beach bungalow, and each would have its own beach. And with hills reaching up to 90 feet from sea level, Blue Island offers the kind of security and shelter that discerning investors seek out.”

And with the mainland of Great Exuma a short boat ride away, Blue Island offers the best of both worlds—the ability to relax in your own private world combined with convenient access to supplies, staff, restaurants and shopping.

Between its location in the Exumas, easily one of the most beautiful places in the world, and its development potential, Blue Island is ideally positioned to become the next ultra-exclusive resort along the lines of Mustique or Necker Island,” Donovan said. “And with 700 acres to work with, you could even include an 18-hole golf course. The possibilities really are endless.”

For more information about Blue Island click here, or email Steve Donovan at steve.donovan@sothebysrealty.com

About Sotheby’s International Realty

The Sotheby’s International Realty network currently has approximately 21,000 affiliated independent sales associates located in over 900 offices in 68 countries and territories worldwide. Each office is independently owned and operated.

About Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty

Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty has 11 offices located throughout the islands of the Bahamas, providing unsurpassed market knowledge of Abaco, Eleuthera, Exuma, Nassau, Paradise Island, Ocean Club Estates, Lyford Cay, Old Fort Bay, Albany and Private Islands. Head office 75 Shirley Street, Nassau. For additional information, please contact 242- 322.2305 or info.Bahamas@SIR.com.

February 22, 2018 by Damianos Sotheby's International Realty

Damianos Sotheby's International Realty

Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty’s Exclusive Listing Deep Water Cay is Famous for Bonefish and the Celebrities They Attract

Bonefish Paradise. Located about 150 miles northeast of Miami, Deep Water Cay was founded as a private fishing club in 1958 by Palm Beach guide Gil Drake Sr. and Field & Stream editor A.J. McClane. Since then, the resort has become an exclusive escape for public figures and celebrities like newscaster Tom Brokaw, famed actors Liam Neeson and Michael Keaton and Grammy Award-winning singer Huey Lewis.

NASSAU, The Bahamas (Feb. 7, 2018) — When you hear the names Tom Brokaw, Liam Neeson, Michael Keaton and Huey Lewis, a few things probably come to mind: all have been household names at one time or another; each has received awards for being the best in their respective fields; and, they’re all pretty much recognizable wherever they go. What you probably didn’t realize is that they are all also fisherman—bonefish fisherman to be precise—and have spent time angling in the flats off Deep Water Cay.

Deep Water Cay, a two-square-mile private-island resort located on the eastern end of Grand Bahama Island in The Bahamas, has become almost as famous for its celebrity guests as its bonefish—almost.

“Deep Water Cay is one of the oldest Bahamian bonefish lodges in existence,” said George Damianos, President and Managing Broker for Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty which is currently marketing the private island. “The catches made over the years are a part of the resort’s legacy and they’re why Deep Water Cay has evolved into the ultimate Bahamas fishing resort.”

Rated No. 3 on the list of “Top 25 Hotels in the Bahamas” by Caribbean Journal, Deep Water Cay is easily accessible with a 4,200-foot runway with Customs and Immigration available on request for private planes, plus direct flights from the U.S. and Canada into Grand Bahama International Airport (FPO) on several major airlines, including American Airlines, Bahamasair, Delta, Silver Airways and Sunwing. Founded as a private fishing club in 1958 by Palm Beach guide Gil Drake Sr. and Field & Stream editor A.J. McClane, the resort features 200 square miles of flats, and a fully-equipped marina that can accommodate boats and yachts up to 65 feet.

In addition to its world-class amenities, Deep Water Cay has a close partnership with the Bonefish & Tarpon Trust (BTT). Resort guides tag fish prior to release, and when the fish are caught again, habitat and health data is captured and provided to BTT scientists for study.

“The north shore of Grand Bahama is widely acknowledged as one of the three top locations in the world for big bonefish,” Damianos said. “Between the BTT conservation partnership and Deep Water Cay’s reputation as a best-in-class fishing and luxury resort destination, Deep Water Cay will continue to attract people from all over the world for generations to come.”

For more information about this exclusive listing, please contact George Damianos at (242) 424-9699 or (242) 362-4211 or via email at george.damianos@sir.com

Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty has been an industry leader since 1945 specializing in the listing, marketing and sale of luxury and waterfront properties. With 11 offices throughout The Bahamas, Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty boasts the most experienced and successful team of real estate professionals, consistently ranking among the top producers in The Bahamas real estate industry.

About Sotheby’s International Realty
The Sotheby’s International Realty network currently has approximately 21,000 affiliated independent sales associates located in over 900 offices in 68 countries and territories worldwide. Each office is independently owned and operated.

February 7, 2018 by Damianos Sotheby's International Realty

Damianos Sotheby's International Realty, Sotheby's International Realty

Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty Exclusively Lists Whale Cay, the Private Island Made Famous by Oil Heiress Marion ‘Joe’ Carstairs

An Island Fit for a Queen. In the biography The Queen of Whale Cay, author Kate Summerscale writes that Standard Oil heiress Marion “Joe” Carstairs left London at the age of 34 to become the self-appointed ruler of Whale Cay. The private island located in the Berry Islands is being introduced to the market by George Damianos, President of Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty.

NASSAU, The Bahamas (Jan. 12, 2018) — In the biography The Queen of Whale Cay, author Kate Summerscale writes that Standard Oil heiress Marion “Joe” Carstairs left London at the age of 34 to become the self-appointed ruler of Whale Cay, an historic private island located in the Berry Islands in The Bahamas. For nearly 40 years thereafter, Carstairs happily spent her days smoking cigars, racing motor boats and entertaining the likes of The Duke and Duchess of Windsor, and legendary actress Marlene Dietrich.

Although Carstairs sold the island and moved to Miami, Fla., in 1975, her legacy lingers as do the homes and infrastructure she built during her “reign.” Today, the island’s nearly 12 miles of coastline continues to attract worldwide attention for its celebrated fly-fishing, big game fishing, snorkeling and scuba diving, but also the sanctuary it continues to offer.

“The Bahamas has long been known as the top private island retreat in the world,” said George Damianos, President of Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty, which has the exclusive listing for the property. “But it’s not simply the crystal-clear water and year-round sun that is attractive to investors, it’s the fact that private islands in The Bahamas offer seclusion and security combined with the ability to stay closely connected to the world. Miami is only a 30-minute flight away.”

Situated between the Bahama Banks and Tongue of the Ocean, Whale Cay’s total acreage is estimated to be 711 acres and includes a 4,000-feet paved airstrip which can accommodate charter flights and small private jets. Additionally, on the northern side of the cay, there’s a two-and-a-half-mile long natural waterway that, if dredged, could provide excellent anchorage and marina for boats.

“Whale Cay is one of the largest, contiguous, fee simple islands in the Caribbean,” Damianos said. “And with no Crown Land, the island is uniquely unconstrained for development.”

For more information about this exclusive listing, please contact George Damianos at (242) 424-9699 or (242) 362-4211 or via email at George.Damianos@SIR.com.

About Sotheby’s International Realty

The Sotheby’s International Realty network currently has approximately 21,000 affiliated independent sales associates located in over 930 offices in 69 countries and territories worldwide. Each office is independently owned and operated.

About Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty

Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty has 11 offices located throughout the islands of the Bahamas, providing unsurpassed market knowledge of Abaco, Eleuthera, Exuma, Nassau, Paradise Island, Ocean Club Estates, Lyford Cay, Old Fort Bay and Private Islands. Head office 75 Shirley Street, Nassau. For additional information, please contact 242-322-2035 or info.Bahamas@SIR.com.

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January 12, 2018 by Damianos Sotheby's International Realty

Damianos Realty

Bahamas Private Island, Cat Cay for Sale

Located in the Berry Islands is Cat Cay, a Bahamas private island for sale. Cat Cay is a 30+ acre Bahamas island with beautiful sandy beach and untouched foliage situated just north of Bird’s Cay. Four miles away is Chub Cay another island in the Berries which is equipped with a five thousand foot airstrip, marina with fuel dock, restaurant, customs and immigration so travel and supplies are also easy to do.

For more information on this real estate opportunity visit the listing page and contact George Damianos, the listing agent and Broker at Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty.

Cat Cay, Berry Islands, Bahamas Private Island

October 4, 2017 by Damianos Sotheby's International Realty

Damianos Sotheby's Int. Realty

Top 10 Private Islands According to The Telegraph

The Telegraph, a well known and trusted United Kingdom newspaper, recently released an article listing the Top 10 Private Islands. In that list Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty had two Bahamas private islands. One holding the number 4 slot while the other property takes the number 2 spot!

Private Island Paradise

THE BAHAMAS, November 21, 2013 – The Telegraph, a UK newspaper with a Saturday circulation of 1,714,000 ranked Private Island Paradise in the Exumas, Bahamas number 2 on their top 10 private island list. Ranked amongst an archipelago of islands stretching from Italy to the British Virgin Islands, on a list that celebrates unique topography, first-class accessibility and footprint free beaches, the beautiful 38-acre island in Pipe Creek also received the coveted Property of The Week title. The Telegraph’s property maven Liz Meek describes the private island as,

“[Located] half an hour from Nassau, and an hour from Palm Beach, this gorgeous island combines a remote feel with convenience. You could be back in London in less than twelve hours – if you wanted. There is all the turquoise sea and white sand you could want, as well as enough features to keep your extended family and friends amused for weeks. Between them the main and guest cottages sleep 22, and there is also a stone chapel, tennis courts, helipad and dock.

Sandy Cay

Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty offers these and other private islands in the Bahamas for sale. Search Bahamas private islands here. To continue reading this article view it on our website here: http://www.sirbahamas.com/eng/article/top-10-private-islands.

January 20, 2014 by Damianos Sotheby's International Realty

Providing access to luxury real estate and homes throughout the islands of the Bahamas. Our team of Bahamas Real Estate professionals provide unsurpassed market knowledge of Abaco, Eleuthera, Exuma, Nassau, Paradise Island, Lyford Cay, Ocean Club Estates, Old Fort Bay, Sandyport, The Residences at Atlantis and Bahamas Private Islands. Expertise. Collaborative efforts both here and globally allow us to focus on providing you with an extraordinary customer service experience, regardless of your price point. Founded in 1945, Damianos Sotheby’s International Realty offers a comprehensive agent and client support system, with an emphasis on experience, knowledge and integrity, from the most knowledgeable real estate professionals in the Bahamas.