Luxury Real Estate

By Jim Walberg
From his blog: Some East Bay Real Estate Is On The Slippery Slide Of FEAR!

Once you get on the Slipper Slide of Fear, it is difficult to get off! Please stay off that slippery slide!

So, I picked up USA Today last Saturday on my flight to the Luxury Real Estate Fall Conference in Philadelphia where I was a presenter. The USA Today headline was, “FEAR is a slippery slide!” In some of my past comments I have used the sailor’s mantra, “Do not be fearful!” It still applies today, in spite of an almost 900-point recovery on the Dow Jones the past two days. Don’t forget… once you step on the “slippery slide” of fear, the momentum carries you away very quickly.

The voice of experience, the voice of the local authority, and the voice of credibility can still prevail. And we are the ones that need to be that voice. I just completed a walk from the Philadelphia Ritz Carlton to Constitution Hall, the Liberty Bell, and other reminders of the work our founding fathers did on our behalf 230+ years ago. What an inspiring day! (You may recall this is the organization that is the acknowledged authority of luxury real estate! It was founded by John Brian Losh with a vision of connecting the best luxury brokers and agents in the world – 1,900 members from 65 countries.)

Do you think they were afraid? Of course they were. But, the consequence of letting fear paralyze them from action was not acceptable. Instead of the “slippery slide” of fear taking them away from the liberty and freedom they so dearly wanted for our country, they discovered – step by step – the actions needed to create the most incredible democracy in our world’s history. It was very hard. Thousands of lives were lost as part of that payment for liberty. And, the founding fathers never lost site of end result that was required – FREEDOM!

There is a book I have enjoyed reading several times – “The Tipping Point.” They have a very insightful analysis of Paul Revere’s ride in Boston a few days before the Revolutionary War was officially declared. His ride was so effective that it mobilized the citizens along his route in a manner that called them to action in stopping the British from confiscating their arms stored in Concord. Did you know there was a second rider who was sent in a different direction to alert another section of Massachusetts to immediately prepare to defend Concord. Does anyone remember his name? In fact, I had never heard of him before I read “The Tipping Piont.” He was totally and utterly ineffective in his call to arms.

What was the difference between these two men with similar intentions? Paul Revere was one of the most respected local authorities on what was happening within the colonies which he believed required a liberation movement to break away from British rule – even if it meant war. I would like to be as effective as Paul Revere during these uncertain economic times. We are the local citizens calling our “citizens” to action in order to work through the financial crisis we are in. Will you join me as we serve our clients and communities, and help them off the “Slippery Slide of Fear?” (You get bonus points if you email me with the other freedom rider’s name whose ride was a waste of time.) Contact me with your thoughts. Until next time…


Editor’s Note:
Jim Walberg is the co-Broker/Owner of The Bay Area Team, the most-successful team at Keller Williams Realty-Danville. He is also a member of the global Luxury Real Estate network. Jim is an exceptional blogger, as you can see by visiting his blogs, East Bay Real Estate and Caribbean Islands Realty, and reading his great blog entries like the one above. He is the master of fractionals and other luxury homes in the Bay Area and the Caribbean, and he always has a lot of great opportunities to share. Simply marvelous. This is the last blog entry from Jim that I will have the privilege of editing and posting to the Luxury Real Estate Blog. I am always impressed by his enthusiasm, cheerful disposition and unparalleled kindness. Thank you, Jim, for being such a good person and being a light to a world of shadows and fear. You are amazing.

By Robert Lockard

Ilya Moshenskiy, the Principal Photographer of Ilya’s Photography, recently came home from an eventful trip to Cannes for the International Boat & Yacht Show. He arrived with a whole bunch of beautiful photos highlighting the celebration of luxurious watercraft of all shapes and sizes. Check out his collection of photos here:

http://ilyaluxury.com/gallery/luxury/Cannes%20International%20Show/expl.php?user=Cannes%20International%20Show

Ilya is no stranger to covering big events with his keen eye for small details. Near the end of summer this year, he took time to photograph beautiful images at Seafair in Seattle. He has also been present at many Luxury Real Estate conferences, and he will be at the 13^th Annual Luxury Real Estate Fall Conference on Oct. 11-14, 2008. He’s such a hard worker and we definitely appreciate all of his efforts here at Luxury Real Estate.

Enjoy some of his amazing work below. Be sure to contact him at Contact him at ilya (at) ilyaestate.com or 425.883.2246 for all of your photography needs, including luxury homes, events, food and more.

Editor’s Note:
Robert Lockard is the Public Relations & Media Specialist with LuxuryRealEstate.com. I am Robert. I create all of Luxury Real Estate's newsletters, write the editorials in LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine and much more. All of the photos in this blog entry are the copyright of Ilya’s Photography.

By Las Villas de Mexico

Las Villas de Mexico, a newly announced collection of luxury resorts spread across Mexico’s top tourist locations, is sponsoring the 13th Annual Luxury Real Estate Fall Conference, which will be hosted in Philadelphia on October 11-14, 2008 at The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia.

Planners of Las Villas de Mexico are currently building 1,000 luxury properties in four locations: Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Cabo San Lucas and San Jose del Cabo. Subsequent phases are expected to include other Mexican destinations such as San Miguel de Allende. The first pre-construction purchase opportunities are scheduled to be offered in the first week of December 2008.

“We have created a whole-ownership concept that is altogether different from anything else on the marketplace,” said Brett Sawyer, director of international sales at Las Villas de Mexico. “By purchasing a Las Villas de Mexico home, owners become part of a greater community of multiple locations throughout Mexico, all of them dedicated to the very best luxury experience, from world-class golf and spas to stunning beaches.”

A twist on the traditional vacation home, Las Villas de Mexico allows buyers to stay at a number of homes in other popular locations while still maintaining ownership of their own property. Maintenance and security are also handled by the resort while the owners are away. Within five years, Las Villas de Mexico planners hope to complete construction on a total of 10,000 resort residences in other well-known vacation spots across the country.

“Every home we build is designed to be inspirational,” Sawyer said. “Perfectly wrapped in the history of each region, Las Villas de Mexico showcases an ideal blend of modern amenities. Behind every wall, inside every cabinet, we have filled every home with state-of-the-art convenience.”

Las Villas de Mexico will sponsor the Opening Night Reception at the Luxury Real Estate Fall Conference. More than 250 LuxuryRealEstate.com members from around the world are expected to attend the conference. Niurka, a highly sought-after keynote speaker, consultant and peak-performance coach, will speak at this event.


Editor’s Note:
Hmmm… this blog post sounds kind of familiar. I figured I’d give credit to Las Villas de Mexico for this blog post since they sent it to me. I hope you enjoyed it!

By Brian Langhorst

We have over 200 members from around the world joining us for the 13^th Annual Luxury Real Estate Fall Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania! The dates are October 12^th through 14^th at the historic Ritz-Carlton Hotel. We have members coming in from all across the United States and Canada, as well as Spain, Mexico, Australia, Argentina and Thailand! We very much hope you will join us as well! There are great room rates still available at the Ritz-Carlton.

Please contact me at 206.695.4846 or BLanghorst (at) LuxuryRealEstate.com to learn more about this industry-leading referral and networking event.

See you in Philly!

Editor’s Note:
Brian Langhorst is Luxury Real Estate‘s Membership Manager. He meets members’ unique needs through the dynamic services LuxuryRealEstate.com provides. Holy cow! Two blog entries about the Fall Conference on the same day. We must be getting close to that event. Be sure to save your spot soon.

By Michael Marquette
From his blog: Australian Real Estate Agent in Final Four for International Real Estate Award

Australian Michael Marquette, founder of Marquette Turner Luxury Homes, is one of only two non-American Award Nominees at the 13th Annual Luxury Real Estate Conference to be held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA on Saturday, October 11th through Tuesday, October 14th, 2008!

One of only four international real estate agents nominated in the category of Outstanding Rookie, Michael Marquette will be joined at the award’s conference at the Ritz-Carlton by fellow agency founder Simon Turner.



The Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate network is the most prestigious luxury real estate organization in the world, and its website LuxuryRealEstate.com is the most-viewed luxury real estate portal in the world. The invitation-only industry peak body is made up of almost 6,000 offices worldwide.

Marquette comments that “It is such an honour to have been initially invited to be a part of the exclusive Who’s Who, so to have been nominated for an award is truly humbling.”

He continues, “As an Australian, I’m very proud to have been recognized. With around 120,000 luxury real estate agents in 65 countries, the Who’s Who is an amazing network and I’m thrilled and excited that our hard work has been noticed. What this nomination also demonstrates is what Simon Turner and myself have long believed, that Australian real estate deserves a forward-thinking, savvy luxury agency to showcase some of the stunning properties that our country has to offer to a worldwide audience.”

Furthermore, “The launch of our company and its success and recognition in just 18 months is testament to the belief of our clients and others important to us in what Marquette Turner Luxury Homes has to offer, and we look forward to further cementing our place in the market.”

Other top real estate industry awards to be awarded during the conference include the Lifetime Achievement Award, the Billionaires Club, Extraordinary Philanthropist, and the Biggest Sale in 2007.

Michael Marquette & Simon Turner are very much looking forward to meeting and learning from some of the world’s leading agents and the most influential people in real estate worldwide.

For more information, please contact Michael Marquette at +61 433 170 170 or via email michael (at) Marquetteturner.com.au.


Editor’s Note:
As he mentioned above, Michael Marquette is the co-Founder and Director of Marquette Turner Luxury Homes, a member of Luxury Real Estate in East Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded on Australia Day 2007 by Marquette and Simon Turner, Marquette Turner is a property consultancy company covering the Australian states of New South Wales and Victoria. Marquette has a background in medicine and a large retail and wholesale business. It is so wonderful to hear the excitement and enthusiasm of these luxury experts about attending our conference and benefiting from the networking opportunities there. Marquette and Turner are busily establishing themselves as the go-to guys in their market. Last week, Turner was invited to a prestigious event celebrating the first A-380 aircraft in Australia. Keep up the great work!

By Brian Langhorst

As many of you know, our 13th Annual Fall Conference is being held this October 11th – 14th at the historic Ritz Carlton Hotel in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. But did you know that Philadelphia:

- Has 0% sales tax on certain items!
- Is the largest city in Pennsylvania.
- Is the sixth most populated city in the United States.
- Is home to famed Morimoto Restaurant, run by chef Masaharu Morimoto, one of the original Iron Chefs.
- Is the nation’s 4th largest consumer market.
- Has the oldest diamond district in the United States!
- Is home to luxury jewelry stores Lagos and Tiffany & Co.
- Was the nation’s first capital in 1774.
- Is home of the Rodin Museum and houses the second-largest collection of works outside of France.
- Is home to Comcast, Lincoln Financial Group, CIGNA, Sunoco and many more.

We are very excited to be traveling to Philadelphia this fall and hope that you will join us at this industry-leading event bringing together the best luxury real estate professionals from around the world.

To learn more about Philadelphia, visit helpful websites like www.GoPhila.com.

Contact me to register for the Fall Conference: BLanghorst (at) LuxuryRealEstate.com

I look forward to seeing you there!


Editor’s Note:
Brian Langhorst is LuxuryRealEstate.com’s Membership Manager. He meets members’ unique needs through the dynamic services LuxuryRealEstate.com provides. The Fall Conference is a great opportunity to meet with agents and brokers who specialize in luxury homes. Don’t miss out! The photo above is from www.flickr.com/photos/aymlis/20975366 and it is the copyright of aymlis.

By Robert Lockard

Jim Walberg, the co-Owner/Broker of The Bay Area Team in San Francisco, told me something really cool a few days ago. He said, “Bloggers are the most open and sharing community I have found on the Internet. They want every blogger to win!” I have definitely found that to be true.

As a blogger, I often find myself learning a great deal about what is effective and what is not from other bloggers with more experience than me. I have received a lot of positive feedback and support in my blogging from Eric Kodner, a luxury homes Broker with Wayzata Lakes Realty and Madeline Island Realty. Eric is an awesome blogger, and he has more than 110,000 points on ActiveRain.

In addition, I just did a simple search on ActiveRain for “blog tip” and I found a whole bunch of great ideas for improving my own blog posts. I particularly like Ronnie Roach’s Blog Tip of the Week. He confirmed my suspicion that I should use a different term than “blog” to describe each post I write. Another great resource is the Daily Blog Tips Web site.

There are many other examples out there, but these show how helpful and open the blogging community is. Jim is right! He’s been blogging for two years and he currently has two blogs, one called Caribbean Islands Realty and another called East Bay Real Estate. He also contributes many of his blog posts to the Luxury Real Estate Blog, which I appreciate very much.

I appreciate all the people who take the time to let me know when they agree with what I write and those who share their disagreements, too. Feedback is very helpful, and bloggers are often happy to give it. In fact, I hope you feel free to let me know if you think I’m a little naïve on this topic or to share your own experiences with helping fellow bloggers or receiving help from them.

By the way, Jim shared this quote with me as I was writing a news release about his upcoming presentation at the 13^th Annual Luxury Real Estate Fall Conference on effective blog strategies and tactics and the positive effects that can come from blogging. This event will be in Philadelphia on October 11-14, 2008 and you're welcome to attend.


Editor’s Note:
Robert Lockard is the Public Relations & Media Specialist with LuxuryRealEstate.com. I am Robert. I create all of Luxury Real Estate’s newsletters, write the editorials in LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine and much more. You can share your blog entries on the Luxury Real Estate Blog by emailing them to me. Thank you very much! The photo of Rosie the Blogger is from www.flickr.com/photos/notionscapital/2493066577 and it is the copyright of Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com.

By Yvonne Harvey

I was surprised to see a copy of US Airways Magazine on my desk this week with a sticky note on it saying “Info for Conference.” I was perplexed on what that would have to do with our conference in Philadelphia. Then I saw it. In the top right-hand corner in small letters are the words “Philly’s Best-Kept Secrets.” Well, hello!

I thought I would list them out for you, and maybe you can guess which one really jumped out at me.

1) Center City – It’s dynamic and diverse, but also compact and walkable – offering something for everyone.

2) America’s Most Historic Square Mile – The Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, The National Constitution Center.

3) A Lively Arts Scene – Music, dance, theater – whatever calls to you, Philadelphia has it.

4) Tax-Free Shopping for Apparel and Shoes – Enough said.

5) Entertainment & Nightlife – With dozens of trendy nightclubs and other up-to-the-minute hot spots, you’ll be able to party ‘til the wee hours.

6) Great Eats – From cheese steaks to five-star dining, Philadelphia has culinary offerings to satisfy every palette.

7) Room to Roam – Even though Philadelphia is a big city, it also has some great outdoors. Run wild in one of America’s largest urban parks.

8) Easy Access – Philadelphia is a quick Amtrak train ride from Washington, D.C. and New York. The airport offers 1,600 daily departures and arrivals to 122 domestic and international destinations.

9) Rooms for Everyone – We have lots of hotel rooms, meeting spaces, and the Convention Center all in the heart of Center City.

10) Historic Service – The Philadelphia Convention & Visitors Bureau sales and service team is one of the most critically acclaimed in the industry.

So, did you guess which one jumped out at me? Wait for it …. TAX-FREE SHOPPING! Can we say Neiman Marcus, Coach, Tommy Hilfiger, Michael Kors and Juicy Couture!

As it says above… enough said.

See you in Philly!


Editor’s Note:
Yvonne Harvey is the Events Coordinator for LuxuryRealEstate.com. So when you come and enjoy the wonderful presentations, discussions and networking opportunities at Luxury Real Estate conferences, you know who to thank. It looks like there are now 13 great reasons to attend the Fall Conference in Philadelphia – besides, of course, the networking opportunities, knowledge waiting to be shared, etc. The photo above is from www.flickr.com/photos/vic15/15082596 and it is the copyright of vic15.

By John Brian Losh

I am currently watching John Adams on DVD, it is a seven-part biopic miniseries about John Adams and the story of the first fifty years of the United States. The miniseries is based on the book “John Adams” by American historian David McCullough. It is one of best history films I have ever seen, and has received lots of critical acclaim.

It has given me a whole new appreciation for our founding fathers, the Declaration of Independence, and the Constitution of the United States of America. Many of the scenes from this miniseries were filmed in historical sites throughout Philadelphia, like Constitution Hall. Join us this fall in Philadelphia for our conference in October, and see for yourself! It’s a real-life history lesson!


Editor’s Note:
John Brian Losh is the CEO/Publisher of LuxuryRealEstate.com and the President, CEO and Broker of Ewing & Clark, Inc. in Seattle. He tirelessly trots the globe meeting with members of LuxuryRealEstate.com and getting the scoop on industry trends. The Founding Fathers are some of the best people who ever lived. They are some of my biggest heroes, especially George Washington. There’s a great movie about the creation of the Constitution called “A More Perfect Union,” which I highly recommend.

By Yvonne Harvey

You are in for some wonderful treats at the 13th Annual Luxury Real Estate Fall Conference. We are honored to have Niurka speak at the conference. You know those times when you just feel something is right…? That is how I feel about Niurka speaking to all our members. I know she will empower and entertain all of our conference attendees, and I hope that you will be one of them. Be prepared to be inspired!

An important part of the Fall Conference is the presentation of top industry awards. We are honored to be presenting Lois Schneider, founder and President of Lois Schneider Realtor the Lifetime Achievement Award. We are also introducing several new awards this year to those deserving members on Monday, October 13, 2008.



Making its mark in a spectacular historic building in Center City, The Ritz-Carlton, Philadelphia will host this year’s conference. Walk in the footsteps of America’s forefathers and become a part of history. Stay in one of America’ most venerable cities and absorb the character of American landmarks such as Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell.

To sign up for the 13th Annual Luxury Real Estate Fall Conference, click here.


Editor’s Note:
Yvonne Harvey is the Events Coordinator for LuxuryRealEstate.com. So when you come and enjoy the wonderful presentations, discussions and networking opportunities at Luxury Real Estate conferences, you know who to thank. This will be an event to remember! It’s not too late to sign up for the Fall Conference, so if you’re a Who’s Who in Luxury Real Estate member, contact Yvonne Harvey today to reserve your space.