Luxury Real Estate

Courtesy of: Carl Peralta of 77 Great Estates

The Medical Council is the competent authority for the registration of Doctors and Dentists in Malta. It is not the competent authority for employment matters.

Please find a brief outline of the procedures:

1) First one must be granted registration as a MD. An application form and a set of explanatory notes may be provided upon request. Authenticated copies may be scanned and sent by email or by mail. Having a duly filled application form and all the documents listed, the Medical Council will discuss the case and inform the applicant accordingly;

2) After registering with the Medical Council, if one is a specialist, one must then apply with the Specialist Accreditation Committee (SAC). An email is to be sent to the Registrar SAC;

3) For employment within the Public Service, one may visit: www.sahha.gov.mt.

Usually practitioners whose primary qualification is not from an EU-Country are usually asked to sit for an examination. These are the conditions:

The exam is usually held during the last week of March and September. It consists of an interview (oral) in the following subjects:

1. Family Medicine 2. Public Health 3. Medicine 4. Paediatrics 5. Obs and Gynae 6. Surgery 7. General Pathology 8. Psychiatry

One must produce a copy of the first degree in medicine and a good standing certificate from the competent authority where a Medical Practitioner is registered. Price for the exam is €1,170.

It is recommended that one studies the 5^th year syllabus which may be found on the University Of Malta’s Medical School website; kindly click here. Please find all the modules which are covered by M.D. III, IV and V Year students during the Clinical Years.

The Medical Council abides by the: Health Care Professions Act 2003 Chap 464 found in the Laws of Malta and by the EU Directive 2005/36.

For further information, kindly contact: medicalcouncil.mhec@gov.mt and should you require anything whatsoever, kindly contact 77 Great Estates on (00356) 2125 2455; (00356) 9944 7444; skype: info.77greatestates or info@77GreatEstates.com.

Courtesy of: Carl Peralta of 77 Great Estates

The Medical Council is the competent authority for the registration of Doctors and Dentists in Malta. It is not the competent authority for employment matters.

Please find a brief outline of the procedures:

1) First one must be granted registration as a MD. An application form and a set of explanatory notes may be provided upon request. Authenticated copies may be scanned and sent by email or by mail. Having a duly filled application form and all the documents listed, the Medical Council will discuss the case and inform the applicant accordingly;

2) After registering with the Medical Council, if one is a specialist, one must then apply with the Specialist Accreditation Committee (SAC). An email is to be sent to the Registrar SAC;

3) For employment within the Public Service, one may visit: www.sahha.gov.mt.

Usually practitioners whose primary qualification is not from an EU-Country are usually asked to sit for an examination. These are the conditions:

The exam is usually held during the last week of March and September. It consists of an interview (oral) in the following subjects:

1. Family Medicine 2. Public Health 3. Medicine 4. Paediatrics 5. Obs and Gynae 6. Surgery 7. General Pathology 8. Psychiatry

One must produce a copy of the first degree in medicine and a good standing certificate from the competent authority where a Medical Practitioner is registered. Price for the exam is €1,170.

It is recommended that one studies the 5^th year syllabus which may be found on the University Of Malta’s Medical School website; kindly click here. Please find all the modules which are covered by M.D. III, IV and V Year students during the Clinical Years.

The Medical Council abides by the: Health Care Professions Act 2003 Chap 464 found in the Laws of Malta and by the EU Directive 2005/36.

For further information, kindly contact: medicalcouncil.mhec@gov.mt and should you require anything whatsoever, kindly contact 77 Great Estates on (00356) 2125 2455; (00356) 9944 7444; skype: info.77greatestates or info@77GreatEstates.com.

Courtesy of: Paula Maia of O & O

Property has regained its popularity with high net worth investors who plan to raise their exposure to the asset class, according to a survey by Barclays Wealth and the Economist Intelligence Unit.

The survey found 35 per cent of investors plan to hike the property allocation in their portfolios over the next two years, double the 17 per cent who planned to reduce it over the same period.

Enthusiasm for property has sunk since property values tumbled, but demand may have been revived by the massive injections of money into economies via central bank rate cuts and other fiscal measures taken by governments.

Investors in nine of the 10 biggest markets are planning to increase their property allocation over the next two years, the survey found. Internationally, nine in 10 investors planned to hike their portfolio allocation by 1-4 percentage points.

“The tumble in property values has shaken even the most seasoned investors’ confidence. Despite this, these findings suggest that investors believe we are approaching the beginning of the end of the downturn. It appears that those surveyed are prepared to not only exploit undervalued opportunities, but also to commit further to property over the next two years in the belief that they will benefit from favorable returns," said Rory Gilbert, head of UK high net worth, UK & Ireland Private Bank at Barclays Wealth.

Jim Walberg of Caribbean Islands Realty.  

Diageo’s Captain Morgan Rum’s distillery in the U.S. Virgin Islands is finally scheduled to produce rum by the end of the year. Diageo, the parent company of Captain Morgan Rum, and a United Kingdom-based company that is the largest distilled spirits maker in the world, expects the construction of their new St. Croix location to be completed by October and have rum in the aging barrels by December. This week’s simple announcement is packed with controversy that has been boiling for over a year. The rest of the complicated “story” is worth the read.

For many years, a third party distiller in Puerto Rico has been producing Captain Morgan Rum and selling it to Seagram’s. Diageo bought the Captain Morgan Rum label in 2001 inheriting this third party manufacturing agreement. They have looking for years how to arrange a way for them to produce their own rum under the Captain Morgan Rum label. With the manufacturing plant now being built for Diageo to produce the rum themselves, Puerto Rico will be losing millions of dollars that were coming to their territory from the rum excise tax. Since they will not be getting any of these taxes, they are protesting to the Congress that the U.S. Virgin Islands should not get any of them either, because the USVI is going to use these taxes in order to finance the construction of the new distillery on St. Croix.

Here is a brief description of the rum excise tax program. Rum produced in the U.S. territories and sold in the U.S. is taxed at $13.50 per proof gallon, and $10.50 per proof gallon is then returned to the territory where the rum is produced. In 1986 the amount was extended to $13.25, but that extension must be reauthorized periodically and that reauthorization was due by the end of 2009.

Not only is Puerto Rico protesting to Congress they are lobbying to have Congress change the rules related to the remittance of the rum excise tax to be paid to the USVI. Puerto Rico is not just mad about the loss of millions of dollars of the rum excise taxes, they are FURIOUS! They have secured a member of Congress with Puerto Rican heritage, Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.) to co-sponsor HR 2122 to eliminate the rum excise tax. He said, “It is preferable for the whole program to be dismantled than to have it used like this. If one is going to use the program to enrich companies, it doesn’t have to exist at all.”

Puerto Rico and Rep. Gutierrez are claiming the USVI have enticed (bribed) Diageo to sign the agreement to produce their own rum on St. Croix by financing the construction of the manufacturing facility using the rum excise tax. And, when the cost of the plant has been recovered, the USVI will also share a portion of the rum excise tax with Diageo. Virgin Island Gov. John deJongh Jr. has stated to Congress that Puerto Rico’s case is completely wrong. The USVI’s never entice an established Puerto Rican business to leave their island.

Since 2001 when Diageo purchased the Captain Morgan Rum label they have looking for alternatives to end the arrangement it had inherited with Puerto Rico. Number One: Diageo has never has produced rum in Puerto Rico so how could they be lured away. Number Two: Since 2001 Diageo has been searching for a site where it could produce its own rum. Number Three: Diageo concluded very quickly it could not make a satisfactory arrangement with Puerto Rico. Number Four: Diageo had investigated sites in Jamaica, Guyana and Guatemala before they ever entered discussions with the USVI Virgin Islands.

This is a BIG deal for the USVI and their financial future. It will create about 120 new jobs, and generate almost $3 billion in rum excise taxes to the USVI over the 30 term of the agreement. We believe this is a significant Win/Win for the USVI and Diageo, and it is anticipated there will be no change in the laws regarding the rum excise tax rules currently in place in Congress. What are your thoughts about this drama between Puerto Rico and the USVI? Until next time…fair winds!

Doreen Conti of 77 Great Estates. The goal of giving form to a complex situation like the credit crisis is to quickly supply the essence of the situation to those unfamiliar and uninitiated. For further information, kindly click here: http://vimeo.com/3261363.

Courtesy of: Silvana Malpelli of Brown Harris Stevens Residential, LLC

New York, NY, December 3, 2009: Women in Relocation a New York City-based national organization of relocation professionals, held their 4th Annual Holiday Luncheon and Silent Auction on Tuesday, December 3rd, 2009 at BancCafe in New York City.. Dedicated to providing a forum to meet and network with colleagues, Women in Relocation is committed to making a positive contribution to local real estate communities. This year the group chose “The Bridge Fund of Westchester”, www.thebridgefund.org, whose mission is to assist vulnerable, working individuals and families threatened with the loss of their housing. Gail Fattizzi, a member of the group shared her thoughts, “They fill such an enormous need in the community. One thing that always caught my attention is the cost it takes to house a family in a shelter versus the small amount it taken to keep families in the present home. The emotional toll on the family and economic pressure on taxpayers is incredible. They truly have performed miracles.”

At the end of the event, attended also by Barbara Hayes, CEO of the Bridge Fund of NYC, Lisa Buck, Director of the Bridge Fund of Westchester and Noemi Mendez, a client, the group shared proceeds of the Silent Auction totaling over $1,300. In total the group made donations of over $2,800 this year.

“In light of the economic environment, The Bridge Fund of Westchester is especially grateful to “Women in Relocation” for their compassion and generous donation to our program. This financial support will be felt directly by the families we will be assisting this month. These are families who will be able to remain in their homes not only for the holidays but for the long term.”, says Lisa Buck, Director of The Bridge Fund of Westchester.

For more information, feel free to visit their website at www.womeninrelo.com.

For more information visit their website, www.womeninrelo.com.

ABOUT WOMEN IN RELOCATION:

About “Women In Relocation”

Women in Relocation is comprised of national relocation professionals whose mission is to make a different in local real estate communities in need of real estate assistance. The group was founded in 2006 by Silvana Malpelli, Senior Vice President, Director of Relocation and Broker Specialist Services for Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales. For more information, call Silvana at (212) 508-7362.

Courtesy of: Frederick Peters of Warburg Realty

2009 has been an extraordinary year; we began it by closing the 13th Street and Harlem offices and downsizing our staff, we had a difficult market and falling prices, and we experienced a lot of drama both internally and externally. I am delighted to report that we are ending the year comfortably in the black – and as I said in my recent blog entry this success is really due to all of you, your hard work and adaptability in the face of adverse conditions. So from the bottom of my heart I thank you.

The collapse of the financial markets, the Madoff story, and Marc Dreier that all share a theme: the ascendancy of greed over integrity and of personal gain over the common good. As you are all members of the Warburg family, I just want to say a few words about the family values which were passed on to me and which I in turn hope to emphasize as beacons for everyone who carries the Warburg card.

My grandmother’s grandfather, Jacob Schiff, was not only the leading American Jewish banker in this country at the turn of the century, but also its leading Jewish philanthropist. Among his many works was the construction of the Jewish Theological Seminary on 122nd Street and Broadway, the endowing, along with my great grandfather Felix Warburg, of the 92nd Street YWHA, the funding for the Henry Street Settlement House, and the creation of programs to resettle Jewish immigrants all over this country. My great grandfather Felix and his wife Frieda also gave their house on 92nd and Fifth, where my grandparents were married, to the Seminary to become the Jewish Museum. I am proud to say that their names appear as benefactors in many books about New York and on plaques all over the city. They believed that service to their communities was the pillar of their public lives, an obligation to be embraced. And they believed profoundly in the power of good deeds. I have by my desk the motto which my great grandfather always had on his desk which says : “I shall pass through this world but once. Any good therefore that I can do r any kindness that I can show to any human being, let me do it now. Let me not defer or neglect it for I shall not pass this way again.” My grandfather Walter Rothschild, for whom Adrienne Caplan worked many years ago when she did the training program at Abraham & Straus, the store founded by HIS grandfather, taught my mother that there was never any excuse for charging any personal expense to the business. It lacked integrity, he told her, and your unblemished reputation for integrity is the most important business asset you will ever possess.

So this is what I believe – that conducting our business with honor will not only make us proud but will also make us successful. I believe that it is less important to coax every dollar out of a situation than to serve the best interests of the client and customer. I believe that within the company and without, the way we conduct ourselves with others defines who we are, and that emotional intelligence counts for more than intellectual intelligence in most business and personal situations. And I ask you all to be my partners in insuring that we do what we say, that we treat our colleagues and co-brokers with respect and appreciation, and that we are always mindful of doing not the easy thing or the thing everybody else is doing, but the right thing. These are the values for which the Warburg name has always stood. You are members of this family, every one of you, through your association with the company, so these are YOUR family values too.

Courtesy of: John R. Wood

By: Laura Layden, Tracy X. Miguel

The retirement dream of many — joining a country club — is becoming more attainable and affordable.

With the economy wreaking havoc, golf clubs are hacking fees like a 30-handicaper in a sand trap. The Daily News surveyed more than 30 golf clubs in Southwest Florida — from communities with mandatory memberships to public facilities — and found bargains are as bountiful as birdies and bogeys.

From slashing initiations fees by 60 percent to eliminating them altogether, local golf clubs are going to extreme measures to attract business.   

“I definitely think if anybody is interested in golf it is now more affordable than what it used to be and I think that trend is going to continue,” said Hilda Gilbert, membership director at the Club at the Strand, a private club which once hosted an LPGA Tour event and has decreased family initiation fees to $32,000 from $55,000 in the past five years.

Discounted country club memberships and attracting new members is becoming a national trend.

Clubs have increased membership marketing by 69 percent and 60 percent of clubs have a greater focus on member retention, according to the National Club Association’s 2009 Private Club Operations Report Executive Summary. The survey also found that 31 percent of clubs have discounted initiation fees and 23 percent have offered trial memberships.

“We also have seen that 50 percent (of clubs) are offering special financial offers,” said Cindy Vizza, director of communications and knowledge management of the National Club Association. “Clubs have had to take action to remain viable and a place where their members are hoping to come during this time.”

Supply and demand

Golf courses are aplenty in Southwest Florida, causing plenty of competition amongst each other. To attract members, the Country Club of Naples, a private golf club in East Naples, has discounted its membership prices by 60 percent.

During a promotion that lasted until Nov. 30, a full golf membership cost about $15,000 at the Country Club of Naples. Today, its costs $20,000 plus tax compared to as high as $50,000 five years ago, said Ian Coleman, director of membership and marketing. Even though annual dues are $7,960, plus an annual $1,200 food minimum per member, golfing privileges have never been cheaper.

“It’s a trend where everything is going,” Coleman said.    

With the price drop and a $2 million renovation, Country Club of Naples has attracted 27 new club memberships for the year, Coleman said. To promote new memberships, existing members are even receiving a monetary initiative for referring their friends to join the club.

Keeping golfers on the courses and the clubs operating is a growing dilemma across the country. At least 500 clubs nationwide are reporting serious financial challenges, according to a recent survey by the National Golf Foundation. Memberships at at-risk clubs, as the foundation defined them, is down 29 percent.

One trend that is hurting clubs is that Tiger Woods isn’t the only person not playing golf these days.

“Golf is affected by the economy like any other business,” said Tom Stine, a co-founder of Golf Datatech, which monitors many golf industry statistics.

Overall, golf rounds played in the nation are down 1 percent, Stine said. In Florida, golf rounds were down 0.8 percent and in the Naples-Fort Myers area, it was down 0.4 percent.

Staying on course

In a fight for survival, members are scrambling to buy their clubs from developers. Cash strapped, some developers have been forced to shut down their golf courses.

Developer-owned clubs face more uncertainty. That uncertainty has forced some to drop their initiation fees during the past year.  

Trouble with its former developer and owner, Ginn Cos., and the bad economy led Quail West in North Naples to start offering one-year trial memberships in February that don’t require initiation fees. A new developer has stepped in to resurrect the development and members recently purchased their club. Still, initiation fees have been kept low to try to draw new members in during hard economic times.

At one time, the joining fee for a golf membership at Quail West was $175,000. It dropped to $125,000 and now there’s a discounted rate of $75,000, said John Gamba, a board member of the Quail West Foundation. For those who can’t pay $75,000, there are other less expensive options under different terms.  

“We felt we had to change,” Gamba said. “We are trying to vary our offerings to match the different requirements in our marketplace.”

Now there’s a clubhouse-only membership with a joining fee of $25,000. The club is also open to nonresidents.

In a battle to avoid bankruptcy, Bonita Bay Group has been looking to sell off its golf and other recreational clubs in several communities. Last week, it sold the Club at Mediterra in North Naples to members for $6.8 million in cash. Members also assumed $15 million in debt for a Community Development District, which was created to pay for roads and other basic services needed at start-up.  

The club lowered its initiation fee to $50,000 in late August as its future seemed more questionable under the control of Bonita Bay Group. Now that the club is member-owned joining fees are expected to increase to $70,000 in January, said Richard Schmidt, president of the Mediterra Board of Governors. By June, the fees are expected to grow to $85,000.

“The biggest problem most of the clubs are having now is most of them don’t have enough members,” Schmidt said. “Southwest Florida is overbuilt for golf clubs. You have too many clubs chasing too few members.”

His club hopes to reach the break-even point in two years. Over the next few years, he expects to see other golf clubs fail in Southwest Florida.

“No one has ever seen an economy like this one,” Schmidt said. “Everyone has had to readjust. There is going to be a shakeout. There has to be. It’s inevitable.”

At the Shadow Wood Country Club, another golf club owned by Bonita Bay Group in Estero, the joining fee for a golf club member dropped from $35,000 to $32,000 this year. Members recently struck an agreement with the developer to buy the club. After turnover, the initiation fee will rise to $40,000.

The fees are market driven, said Dave English, president of the Shadow Wood Country Club’s member board.

“If nobody pays $40,000 then you’ve got to adjust it. If a lot of people do you can hold it. All the clubs are going through the same thing,” he said.

More deals

Despite the failure and sale of some clubs creating difficulty in the real estate market, John R. Wood Realtors President Phil Wood said sales in golf communities have improved.

“Through all the golf communities we are seeing an increased demand,” Wood said.

The Daily News called 82 golf clubs in the area. Not all of them responded or commented for the report. But many were reporting the trend of dropping prices.

In what could be described as a test drive, some clubs are delaying initiation fees to attract members.

Eagle Creek Country Club, a private golf bundle community in East Naples where membership is mandatory, is offering a 12-month introductory rate of $5,000. The golfer will have to decide whether to remain and pay the full fee of $60,000 — or $25,000 for non-residents — or to resign from the club. 

The promotion has been going on for about a year, marketing director Jennifer Johnson said.

And one local club has eliminated the initiation fee altogether as part of a promotion.

This month only, Windstar on Naples Bay, a private golf club in East Naples, has waived its $65,000 initiation fee, General Manager and CEO Lonnie Eberhard said. Even though golfers will have to pay $10,400 in annual dues and food and beverage allowances, the Windstar on Naples Bay price would be the shopping equivalent to the day after Thanksgiving.“It’s definitely a buyer’s market,” Eberhard said. “The clubs business is a driving part of the Southwest Florida economy.”

Courtesy of: Marquette Turner Luxury Homes

What is 1 Million Women? A non profit organization consisting of daughters, mothers, sisters and grand mothers collectively working together to cut 1 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, the major greenhouse gas pollutant which is triggering climate change.

Each member’s challenge is to cut 1 tonne of carbon dioxide from their daily lives, within a year of joining. The challenge is to have 1 million women, reducing their carbon emission by one tonne. As at today, there are 7,644 women trying to do this, me being one of those determined women.

1 million tonnes of carbon is a big figure and tough to visualize, given we can’t see it, but this is ways to think about it:

Enough gas to fill 2.1 billion wheelie bins with carbon dioxide

20 billion balloons

The pollution created by 250,000 cars in a year

The amount of Carbon Dioxide pollution given off by a giant coal-fired power station every 2 months

Where to start? One of the benefits of 1 Million Women is they have a guide showing what you can do in different areas of your daily life. There are progress charts to follow how you are going plus the benefits of online forums and events to help pick up tips to learn more.

There are five areas that I can look at immediately to head towards my goal:

FOOD: Cut out 1one red meaty meal a week for at least a month.

HOUSEHOLD: Ditch the second fridge to cut back on electricity consumption

FLIGHTS: Use tele or video-conference to cut at least one short-haul return flight.

SHOPPING: Recycle at home or away to avoid wasting resources

GETTING AROUND: Cut 5km or more a week of car travel by using online services

To become a member of this fabulous cause go to http://www.1millionwomen.com.au

Courtesy of: Marquette Turner luxury Homes

On Friday 13th November, the last Foxtel Lap in Australia took place in Martin Place, in the CBD of Sydney.

A huge thank you to the Marquette Turner Luxury Homes team that took part, running lap upon lap from 8am til 6pm to raise money for the Murdoch Children’s Research Institute.

The team comprised of:

Attila Reman, Camilo Bustamante, Christine Watson (C), Eitan Franklin, James Elfverson, Jared Rollason, Jarrod Slowik, Justin Ashley, Mark Downie, Michael Duke, Michael Marquette, Neil Gardiner, Rosie Gall, Sarah Murchison and Simon Turner.

Whether running one or two 30 minutes sessions, everyone’s efforts were exemplary, although we must congratulate Michael Duke whom managed the most laps of our team.

Donations can still be made by going to the Foxtel Lap website and choosing Marquette Turner or an individual runner – any contribution goes directly to a fantastic cause.

Below we’ve listed the Sydney results – as you can see the Marquette Turner team managed to surpass the magic 1000 lap target, something that as one of the smallest companies taking on some giants, we are very proud of.

Thanks again and we’ll be back next year!