| “It is the
place many say was the real inspiration for Alex Garland's “The Beach”
(the author lived and travelled there) and there are lots of wondrous beaches
that fit his idyllic descriptions. For those who now find Thailand too
overrun with the disciples of Garland, Di Caprio or the Lonely Planet guides,
then Palawan could be the place.”
The Guardian,
Saturday December 23, 2000
INVESTMENT
POTENTIAL OF ISLANDS
There’s an
old joke in Real Estate “And on the 7th day God stopped making Islands!”
Its true though, islands are a limited commodity, and offer an incredible
investment as they appreciate rapidly. Demand is a so an important factor.
Indeed, the supply-demand balance is perhaps much more significant than
for other real estate as one cannot just create another island. Good
islands don't come cheap. Islands are like diamonds and are a unique one-of-a-kind
investment. Over the last 10 years the price of islands in the Caribbean
has increased by up to 300%, that’s over 30% per year, a great investment
in any terms.
Even 70 years
ago islands were recognized for their investment potential. "As a symbol
of great possession, the privately owned island may yet supplant even the
steamship." predicted Dwight Macdonald, 1st issue of Fortune Magazine,
1926.
As far as
I’m concerned islands are THE best form of property investment for the
following reasons.
1: “And
on the 7th day God stopped making islands!” That’s my little joke, but
its true. Islands are THE most limited real estate commodity on the planet.
They can’t be created and as the world’s population grows, less and less
become available.
2: Many
countries prohibit the sale of islands for security or national interest,
that means that the available market for islands is even more limited.
This makes islands in countries that allow their sale (such as the Philippines)
decidedly more valuable.
3: Privacy.
An island offers the ultimate in privacy. It’s your very own castle, protected
by the nature’s own moat. You have the utmost sense of privacy in that
you can patrol the boundaries of your little kingdom and see that you are
lord of all that you survey.
4: Exclusivity.
Theirs is nothing that can match the exclusivity of an island. An island
by its very nature excludes and keeps out others. But it’s more exclusive
in the sense of being special. What do many people do upon gaining great
wealth? Buy their own island. From the Roman Emperor Tiberius’ island of
Capri, to Hollywood’s stars of today, every person of wealth or celebrity
dreams of owning their own island.
5: Safety:
Again, the very nature of the island, being surrounded by water, gives
you the additional safety of being able to keep out those who may threaten
the safety of you or your family.
6: Romanticism:
There is nothing more romantic, or idealistic than the dream of owning
your own island. It’s the dream of every little boy (and some not so little)
to run away to some island and live like Peter Pan, and the Lost Boys.
Buying an island is an emotional, not a rational decision, and that’s why
they sell so well.
7: Unique:
Each island is unique. Like a woman they are all beautiful and have their
own unique characters and appeal. Also each island has it’s own name and
history. They are unlike any other form of property in that they are entire
unto themselves.
8: Prestige:
There is no more prestigious property in the world than a private island.
A Castle on the Rhine, Private Villa in Bali, Mansion in Beverly Hills,
Pied a Tierre in Paris, they all pale in comparison to the prestige of
having your very own Private Island. Also buying owning your own island
the universal law of most countries is that you can rename the island whatever
you want. What better than naming the island after you wife or daughter?
Or after yourself for that matter?
9: An
island is never liable to property of boundary disputes with neighbors,
it’s boundaries are clearly delineated by it’s shoreline.
In late 1991,
Australian Ken Druitt sold his half of Bedarra Island (12ha of freehold
tropical island off Australia’s Great Barrier Reef) for about $1 million,
almost 30 times the price he paid in the early 1950s. The late actor Raymond
Burr (TV’s Ironside) purchased Naituba Island, in the Lau group east of
Fiji, for $US16,000 in 1969. He sold it in 1983 for a reported $US3 million,
nearly 200 times his original purchase price! But were you to buy an undeveloped
tropical island and develop it the returns can be even greater!
"The value
of an island also depends on various factors, including location, size,
proximity to the mainland, accessibility, climate and topography, existing
infrastructure like electricity and water supply, other developments, communities
on the island, redevelopment potential, political stability of the mainland
country and the legal and taxation implications of owning an island, says
Gillian Tso, Director of Sotheby's International Realty in Hong Kong.
Sotheby's Tso estimates that the largest supply is "generally off the coasts
of Canada, the coasts of New England, and to a lesser extent in the Caribbean,
the South Pacific and Europe. Very few are available in South-east Asia."
Almost Paradise", by Bee Ong, Property Review, Singapore, July 1998.
Right now,
there are less than a thousand islands for sale around the world, some
have houses, electricity and water, some have nothing but sand and a few
palm trees. However, around the world the price of the cheapest tropical
island is at least 3 times, and up to 10 times the cost of a similar island
in the Philippines. The Philippines offers islands at bargain basement
World Prices, yet as beautiful as any tropical location in the World.
If you don’t
believe us here are the links of other realtors around the world selling
islands. Please examine their websites carefully and see if you can find
an island as beautiful as the islands we have for sale at a comparable
price anywhere else in the world.
http://vladi-private-islands.de/
www.privateislandsonline.com/
www.levet.com/
www.private-islands.de/
www.island.net.com/~klund/islands/
www.hgchristie.com/
www.pacislands.com
www.islandforsale.com
www.bcoceanfront.com/private-isl.html
www.emeraldfutures.com/
www.tropicalproperties.com
THE WORLD’S
MOST EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY
There is nothing
more exclusive and sought after in the world than having your own private
island, it becomes effectively you own little kingdom. From Riccardo Montalban's
Fantasy Island to Dr. No's Crab Key, private islands are exactly that -
private. Roberto Rossellini and Ingrid Bergman loved the Italian island
of Stromboli. Princess Margaret found peace and quiet on the island of
Mustique. Richard Branson, Marlon Brando and Malcolm Forbes (whose Laucala
Island in Fiji is on the market at $10 million) all created their own Private
Island Kingdoms for peace, privacy and tranquility. Some companies buy
islands for corporate getaways and to hold seminars. The quickening pace
of the information age and technology that makes it easier to stay in touch
from afar means demand from harried professionals for remote getaways is
unlikely to fade.
Islands
of the Rich & Famous
Marlon Brando
Te’tiarao, French Polynesia
Richard Branson
Necker Island, the Caribbean
Ted Turner
– Founder of CNN St Phyllis Island, Sth Carolina
Bill Gates
- Microsoft 25 acre Sleepy Cove - Nova Scotia 2,000 acre Forsythe
Island NZ
Aristotle
Onassis Skorpios Greece
John Wayne
Taborcillo Island, Panama
Errol Flynn
Navy Island - Port Antonio - Jamaica
Tony Curtis
Rocky Island, Nova Scotia
Rodolf Nureyev
Li Galli Islands, gulf of Naples, Italy
Rock band
“Abba” Island in the Baltic Sea
Bacardi Family
Island near Granada
Disney family
Echo Island, San Juan islands - Washington
Du Pont family
Cherry Island, Chesapeake bay Maryland
Robinson family
Nihhau Island Hawaii
Peggy Rockerfeller
Buckle island Maine
Bjorn Borg
Kattilo - Sweden
Baron Rothschild
Bell Island the Bahamas
PRIVATE
ISLAND RESORTS
Some individuals
have also developed their private islands into resorts. Karl Kohlbecker,
the German engineer who bought Little Water Caye, in Belize and has been
transforming the 40,000sqm island into a holiday destination since last
year. The island is about 45-minute boat ride from Belize. www.littlewatercaye.com
Kohlbecker has been living on the breezy island for a year to oversee the
development of three cabanas, a seawater desalination plant, solar energy
system, wind-powered generator, and other amenities.
The most spectacular
of these private islands belongs to a member of the family of the Shah
of Iran, who bought a coconut plantation island named D’Arros in the Seychelles,
along with the neighboring atoll of St. Joseph in the Amirantes group.
The Iranian Prince Sharam built an elaborate house there, along with a
landing strip, conveniently within executive-jet range of Teheran. It was
to become a valuable hideaway when the imperial family's fortunes collapsed
in 1979, and it has since been a productive source of income: When the
prince is not in residence, the island is rented out for millionaire holidays
at $5,000 a night.
For those wishing
to start a resort, a private island is undoubtedly the very finest investment
money can buy. Island by their very nature are exclusive, in the true sense
of the word – they exclude. There are many famous island resorts in Palawan
including Amanpulo, and El Nido Resorts and Palawan certainly offers much
scope for the canny investor. At present prices for island in Palawan are
at rock bottom and those with hard cash can pick the island of their dreams,
often for less than the price a luxury house in the US.
For those interested
in starting a small island resort, here are some links to some of the smaller,
very exclusive island resorts throughout the world.
www.turtlefiji.com/
http://www.maravu.net/
www.grenadines.net/
www.com/carib/deadmans.htm
www.island-specialplaces.com/
www.capecairo.com/mnemba.html
www.wildafrica.co.za/inhaca.html
www.seasoninstyle.co.uk/fregate.htm
http://vahine-island.net/
http://mai-moana-island.com/
www.wadagi.com
www.netilus.com/fijiisland.matagi
www.chinaseaisland.com
www.skyinet.net/~travelvision/pansukian
www.queenslandislands.com
www.haggerstoneisland.com
www.haggerstone.com
www.slh.com/slh/island.html
www.twinislandresort.com/
CHOOSING
AN ISLAND
The potential
for price appreciation, though, varies from island to island. Location
is the most important factor affecting the value of an island, when you
buy an island. You're not just buying an island, you're buying its surroundings.
There should be a village nearby where one can get supplies and an airport
close at hand, for instance. In other words, what makes an island feasible
is the infrastructure that is available to it.
An island with
buildings on it will usually need an on-site caretaker, who will water
the plants and keep the houses clean. Building infrastructure on an island
can also be more costly than on the mainland as all supplies and workmen
must be transported by boat.
When shopping
around, you have to not only consider the price of the island but how much
it's going to cost to bring it up to livable standards if it's not already
livable. Is there fresh water? Is a home included? If not, construction
costs will run about thirty-percent or more over land-based homes. How
do you get back and forth? Can you live comfortably in isolation with no
stores or restaurants within walking (or swimming) distance?
You'll find
water is the most important element on an island. Every island has some
variety of options to obtaining fresh water. Look for a ground water table
high enough to dig a well. If a well already exists, have it inspected
to insure it's dependable. Fresh water can often be gotten from a cistern
and catchment arrangement for collecting rainwater. Check the annual rainfalls.
The estimated amount of water needed annually for part-time island living
is 30,000 to 100,000 gallons for full-time living which will require about
forty inches of annual rainfall."
DEVELOPING
YOUR ISLAND
OK, that the
bad news, now for the good news. Everyone has either read the story
of Robinson Crusoe, or is at least aware of the story. A lone man
washed up on an inhabited island, with just a few tools, and his wits to
battle the elements, and build a home for himself. Well luckily for
you, you’re living in the 21st century, not the 17th-century, and the rapid
development of alternative technology during the 1990’s has made living
even on the most remote island, a realistic goal.
Transportation,
communication, electricity and fresh water were once complicated concerns
to consider when developing an island, but today, these are non-issues.
Thanks
to the proliferation of low-cost tourism, direct flights are available
to practically every corner of the world. Where island residents once had
to communicate with crude radiophones, or VHF radio, wireless technology
now enables them to talk and work as well as if they never left the office.
Cellular telephones, satellites, the Internet and pre-fabricated homes
have made even remote islands palatable. Solar and wind-powered utility
equipment and advances in water purification systems also have made extended
island stays easier and more comfortable. A $20,000 desalination unit will
provide enough fresh water for a household of four. To set up a roof with
solar cells will cost less than $2,000; a wind generator between $2,000
and $10,000, depending on size.
When considering
the purchase of an island you have to not only consider the price of the
island, but how much it's going to cost to bring it up to liveable standards
if it's not already liveable. Is there fresh water? Is a home included?
If not, construction costs will run about thirty-percent or more over land-based
homes. Good soil and vegetation can make living on your island much more
enjoyable. Severe climates, hurricanes, tidal waves and abnormally high
tides should be investigated before you make your decision.
How do you
get back and forth? To access your new island home and most islands, you'll
need either a boat, helicopter or seaplane. Because of the tides, swimming
back and forth is not recommended.
You'll find
water is the most important element on an island. Every island has a variety
of options to obtaining fresh water. Even a small sandy island will often
have a ground water table high enough to dig a well, this is because fresh
water is lighter than salt and will create a lens-shaped pool under an
island, which will even extend below sea-level. If a well already exists,
have it inspected to insure it's dependable. Fresh water can often be obtained
from water cisterns and other catchment arrangement s for collecting rainwater.
Palawan has good annual rainfalls. The estimated amount of water needed
annually for part-time island living is 30,000 to 100,000 gallons for full-time
living, which will require about forty inches of annual rainfall. If you
decide to just holiday there obviously less water is required.
The quickening
pace of the information age and technology that makes it easier to stay
in touch from afar means demand from harried professionals for remote getaways
is unlikely to fade.
Jeanne and
Mark Foley were part of a Sydney-based syndicate that came together in
1988 to purchase tiny Pataiera Island, 70km west of Tahiti. The couple
read an advertisement in a newspaper seeking parties to outlay a combined
total of $250,000 for the island. Eight families participated, at a cost
of a little over $30,000 each. “Pataiera is only half a kilometer long
and wide with waving palm trees and white sand beaches," says Mark Foley.
“There were initial problems," Jeanne adds. "No water, no buildings, and
transport of materials was as expensive as it was infrequently available."
A fishing boat captain transported their equipment there in return for
a few days' holiday on the island. A thatched building to hold 10 people
has recently been completed and a bore sunk.
TRY BEFORE
YOU BUY
An island is
a big investment and we wouldn’t want you to purchase an island to find
out later that you don’t like travel by boat, or having to rely on your
own power and facilities. , So, one solution is to rent an island and try
out island living before you lay down your money.
Basic islands
come with nothing but trees and sands, so plan on bringing along a sleeping
bag, tent, food and water. Spending a few days on a tropical island will
make you a believer or change your mind quickly. Luxury islands come with
houses, use of a boat, fresh water and everything you need to enjoy yourself
and live in luxury (hence the name, luxury island). Basic islands come
with nothing but trees and sands, so plan on bringing along a sleeping
bag, tent, food and water. Spending a few days on island will make you
a believer or change your mind quickly.
For the more
adventurous type you may try the full Robinson Crusoe style existence quite
easily in Palawan as it has 1,707 the Philippine’s 7107 islands. It's the
least populated group of islands in the Philippines if not all of Southeast
Asia. There's countless islands there which haven't even been named yet.
Paradise Island, of the west central coast not far from Port Barton was
called "Bruno Island" after a French backpacker who decided to build a
native house and live there. He leased it for a pittance from a local fishing
family. Since he hasn’t been back in years they now run it as a small resort.
As far back as the 1970’s a Japanese guy built a "bahai kubo" a small native
house not much larger than a king sized bed to stay a few months each winter
on tiny Colocoy Island, slightly to the north.
“Far offshore
on idyllic Tamlagun Island, a German called Frederick lived a real-life
Robinson Crusoe existence surrounded by all kinds of animals until his
death in May 1994. A Philippine family now lives in his tropical Garden
of Eden.” Philippines Travel Guide, Jens Peters, 2001, p 780.
For the really
adventurous who are considering buying an island we can arrange the rent
of your own Robinson Crusoe style uninhabited tropical island. Contact
us for details.
PRIVATE
ISLAND RESORTS IN PALAWAN
For the less
adventurous we suggest staying a few days on a private island resort to
get a feel for the area. Here are some of our favourites.
Paraiso - Albaguen
Island
www.paraiso.ch/flashed.htm
Capsalay -
Pagdanan Bay
www.goldnet.it/palawan-island/splash.htm
Coconut Garden
Resort – Cacnipa Island
www.uni-hohenheim.de/~patricka/texte/palawan.html
Lamud Island
- Busuanga
www.lamudisland.com/welcome.html
Discovery Island
Resort Decanituan Island
www.ddivers.com
Evergreen Diving
Resort Popototan Island Busuanga
www.evergreen-diving.de/
Malapackun
Island, Quezon, Palawan
Flower Island
Resort, Taytay
PRIVATE
ISLANDS AROUND THE WORLD FOR RENT
http://realestate.escapeartist.com/Properties/Islands/For_Rent/
www.unusualvillarentals.com/islandrentals.shtml
www.tahiti-nui.com/islands/tuamotu/Sauvage.asp
www.dream-island.com
www.littlewhalecay.com
www.littlethatchisland.com
www.taprobane.com
www.cairnsinfo.com/accom/villas/bedarra/index.htm
www.ndirect.co.uk/~forrest/
www.gardencay.com
www.bahamsvg.com/wellman.html
www.legasse.com/dolphinisland/
www.bandos.com
www.te.com/carib/deadmans.htm
www.royalvacation.net/yourown.htm
www.channelcay.com/
www.darbyisland.com
www.myna.com/~dphilip/raguana1.htm
www.teatablecay.com/
www.goin2travel.com/compasscay.htm
SPECIAL
LAWS REGARDING ISLANDS IN THE PHILIPPINES
There are special
laws regarding the ownership and development of islands within the Philippines
as they are regarded as national assets. By Presidential Proclamation all
islands in the Philippines have a Moratorium on their status, this means
that if they are currently Tax Declared or Alien and Disposable they can’t
be upgraded to Fully titled. The result of this is that there are very
few Fully Titled islands in Palawan. Also, no island under 5 hectares may
be developed for commercial purposes, although this doesn’t prevent a residence
being built there.
The same laws
which apply to the development of beaches apply to the beaches of an island.
Therefore, the surrounding shoreline of an island is the property of the
Philippines Government, the owner of an island must apply for a “Foreshore
Lease”. This covers the area from the Low Tide mark, to 30 metres from
the Low Tide mark.
THINGS YOU
CAN DO ON YOUR OWN PRIVATE TROPICAL ISLAND
Impress your
friends- Laugh at those back home- Live a healthier lifestyle - Eat a natural
diet- Have independence - Live the castaway experience- Beach-comb - Have
a slower pace of life - Be self reliant - Live a free life - Isolate
yourself - Build an unusual house - Garden - Have sunshine every day -
Cool breezes - Be spiritual - Find yourself - Have time alone - Write poetry
- Write a book - Be Hedonistic - Cook in the open air - Get
a tan - Get naked - Spend time with children - Picnic and climb trees -
Indulge in art - Go fishing - Indulge in a hundred water-sports - Camp
- Bird-watch - Explore the jungle - See marine life - Cheap holidays for
all your friends and family - Be the biggest fish in your pond -
Disappear - Make a fresh start - You can rent or resell.
THINGS YOU
WILL NEVER FIND ON YOUR OWN PRIVATE TROPICAL ISLAND
Theft - Disease
- War - Dangerous animals - Terrorism - Vandalism - Tourists - Busy roads
- Pollution - Snow - Rheumatism - Noise - The need to lock your doors -
Tarmac- Cement- Concrete - Plastic - Oil slicks - Relatives (unless you
want them)- Fluoro lighting - Pressures on your marriage - Litter.
Cheyenne
Morrison, the author, has the Elysian Fields website with real estate in
the Philippines - They specialize in islands and have addition information
on living in the Philippine Islands - Vist their website at Elysian
Fields Real Estate |
