Top 15 Reasons to live in Cayman Islands

1) Grand Cayman is the Safest Country in the Western Hemisphere. We have a strong and respected police department that contributes to the Peace and Order of the Island.

2) Best Climate. It surpasses Palm Springs or Palm Beach in the United States. 80’ to 90’s year round.

3) It is not in the middle of nowhere. You can travel anywhere in the world with relative ease. Only one hour flight from Miami.

4) No Income tax and No Property taxes and No Capital Gains in Cayman real estate!

5) There is no onerous tenant/anti-landlord legislation.

6) We are a British Crown Colony; therefore we benefit form a highly developed level of Political, Economic and Judicial Stability while also maintaining a high decree of autonomy.

7) The Tap Water is Safe to drink, clean water is provided by Reverse Osmosis.

8) There are approximately 20,000 persons on work permits (out of a total population of about 53,000) with the vast majority on a 1 year lease.

9) There is no substantial Over Supply of Residential real estate on the island. ie. There is no such thing as 5 model homes, a builder may build one and if it does not sell then he will rent it out long term and it will pay for itself over time. The real secret of the Island is that there is not too much of anything so Nothing is in Excess!

10) Government guarantees title of ownership.

11) No restriction on Foreign ownership (over 3 titles in your personal name requires a Trade & Business License)

12) Sophisticated planning and zoning bylaws with highly skilled building trades to assure your home is built to North American and European standards that you are accustomed to.

13) Highly skilled and sophisticated Doctors and Hospitals.

14) We have some of the most beautiful beaches and diving in the world along with world class restaurants, hotels Cayman islands condo.

15) Grand Cayman is a Very, Very Safe Oasis in a Troubled and Chaotic, World!

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How to save for a down payment

Owing a home is the start to building your wealth. It is a forced savings plan because instead of paying your landlords mortgage in rent you are pay yourself and building up equity. But how do you get that 5 or 10% down payment and another 7.5% for stamp duty? Here is a few ideas:

1) Pay yourself first! I know you will say “but I live pay check to pay check and I cannot make ends meet now” Try to put aside 5% or even 10% of your paycheck in a separate account, an account that is not connected to your debit card!  For example, if you earn $700 a week, that is only $35, you spend that at the movies, right?

2) Look for any ways to save, small or large! Skip the $3 cup of latte every morning costing you $15 a week for a full year and you just saved $780! All these little things add up!

3) Make your payments on time or even a day early. Paying late fees is like burning a $25 bill!

Don't wait to buy Cayman real estate - land buy NOW and wait for it to appreciate, there is no property tax in Cayman Islands.

I hope these tips can help you save faster! Please "like" us on Facebook.

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8 Tips to stage your home for selling

1) Clean your front porch and door and it’s called curb appeal.

2) Say goodbye to clutter! All that stuff on the kitchen counter must go, if you cannot throw it out, hide it!

3) Float your furniture in the room, resist the urge to push it up against the wall, this makes the room look larger.

4) Remove a non-essential pieces of furniture from each room to make the room look larger.

5) Lighting! So important, make sure the windows are clean and let the sunshine in. Replace burnt out light bulbs, a good rule of thumb is 100 watts for every 50 sq ft.

6) You may love purple or orange but paint the walls a neutral colour.

7) You may love your dog or cat and may not even notice the smell, keep pet toys and beds clean and hidden

8) Clean, clean, clean the home, reorganize cupboards, limit personal photos and kids paintings.


Visit our site @ http://www.capitalrealty.com.ky for details on Cayman Real Estate.

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5 things you Should ignore when house hunting

Paint, Carpet and Wallpaper: Try and ignore the ugly or bold paint colour in the room. Paint is one thing that is very inexpensive to change and easy to change in a day! Same thing applies to wall paper, it may not be your personal taste but it is easy to change.  Yes, the shag carpet is so 70’s but that is an easy fix, you can go with porcelain tiles to travertine or hardwood floors.

Visit @ http://www.capitalrealty.com.ky for more information on Cayman Real Estate.

Popcorn Ceilings: Contractors used popcorn ceilings to hide the flaws in the 90’s but it is easy to have it scrapped off and recoated to flat or knock down finish.  Warning, do this before you move it, it is a messy job!

Kitchen Appliances: This is where the family congregates and relates their day, it is the heartbeat of the home.   The appliances are a big ticket purchase and the appliances are sold with the home, so use them until you can afford to change them or time to replace them.

Commercial Real Estate Cayman

Curb Appeal: If the front of the home is a bit boring, give the house a chance, you might be surprised. Or if the home is a bubblegum pink colour and it is just a bit too much, you can always paint it.  With some imagination you can fix up the front of the home with new landscaping or even painting the front door.

Funny Smells:  Yes, this can be a turn off and we do try and educate our vendors, often times they cannot smell the pet odor but a good deep clean will often fix that. Focus on the bones of the home and the potential.

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4 ways to keep your home ready for Showings

...live in the home but have it ready on a days notice for your realtor to present your home. If you are realistic about your list price then hopefully it will sell quickly and shorten your time.

Here are a few suggestions that can assist you:

1)    Start packing now, get motivated to clean and remove all the items you do not use. Start with one room at a time, pull everything out of the closets and only put back the items you need to keep.  Everything else goes out the front door or put it on ecay.

2)    Rent a storage unit to move some excess furniture that you will need for your new condo or home. Too many piece of furniture or an extra dresser can make the rooms look smaller than they are. Cluttered rooms are a turn off for any purchaser.

3)    Put away any unnecessary items on the kitchen or bathroom countertops.   Anything you do not use on a daily basis put behind cabinet doors.  Buyer do not want to see your stuff!  Think of a hotel bathroom vanity only the essentials are shown.

4)    Make a plan and share with your realtor, let her know when you cleaning lady comes in and when the best days for showings is. Do you prefer weekdays or weekends? Try and be according to potential buyers when possible.

Visit @ http://www.capitalrealty.com.ky for more details on Cayman Real Estate.

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Prepare Yourself to Own your Home

Start a savings account: We all know how expensive Cayman can be, but make sure you put a little something away from your paycheck every week. 5 to 10% of each paycheck should automatically be transfer to your savings account. (My savings account is not connected to my debit card, so I have to actually go into the bank to withdraw it, helps me control the impulse buys).
   
Pre-approved: Contact at least 2 local banks and arrange for an appointment with their lenders. They will “Pre-approve you”, basically tell you home much you can afford to buy. They will ask you to fill out a questionnaire and tell them how much money you make and your expenses. Make sure you pay your credit cards on time and never miss the minimum payment.

Visit @ http://www.capitalrealty.com.ky for more information on Property Cayman.

Do research: Write down your Needs and your Wants, you will find you may have to sacrifice a few wants for a larger home or a home in a different area. Find a Real Estate Agent: Then call a full time CIREBA trained, real estate agent who will be able to find something in your budget, hopefully Capital Realty! Cayman have homes priced from CI$200,000 and up and condos from CI$119,000 and up, so stop paying your landlords mortgage and pay your own. If you don’t feel comfortable with the agent, keep looking, you will be working very closely with them and you need to have a good relationship. Make sure they LISTEN to you or else they may be showing you something you told them you hated and it is a waste of your time. Please do not work with 3 or 4 different agents because we have access to all the same inventory and we could show you the same property as another agent, frustrating for all!

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Grand Cayman property for sale!

Engaging the services of a Professional Real Estate Agent is wise and sensible. Whether you are selling or buying, leasing a commercial space or relocating your family, you will find the services that the Team at Capital Realty can make moving a less stressful. Over 10 Real Estate agents have many years of experience and valuable market knowledge of real estate in Grand Cayman. We are known for our outstanding customer service. We care about you and your family’s needs and we listen to you. When we listen to you (most sales persons have a tendency to talk and talk) but we make it a point to listen so we can analyze and appraise your options and then help make your decision successful. All 10 Real Estate professional are CIREBA trained. Check out our Featured Properties and contact us today.

Capital Realty is a successful and friendly real estate office of 10 Sales Associates or Commercial Real Estate Cayman Agents, in the Grand Cayman and they are a great team of professional and resourceful business people. After proven and tried methods we agree to have a successful brokerage and effective Real Estate Associates we need the following key fundamentals such as:

1)       Great customer services with good communication, we are sales people and we like to talk but we understand that if we do not stop and listen to you we won’t understand your wants and needs.

2)       We need to keep up with technology and take training including social media and sales coaching.

3)       We continue gain market knowledge so we can tell you where the current market was and we need to read and interpret the current market treads.

4)       We will share our personal contacts and reputable trade’s people that can help you, whether you need an architect, lawyer, doctor, interior designers, a plumber or a finish carpenter, we will introduce you and help you make your goals a reality.

5)       The Realtors at Capital Realty will go the great lengths for our clients and customers because in many cases our clients and customers become our friends.

Visit @ http://www.capitalrealty.com.ky for more details on Cayman Luxury Real Estate.

We will help you enjoy Cayman Islands as much as we do!

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