Star is now awash in deals! So, what happened? Either developers got antsy and finally decided to make a move, or it's just a bubble. We’ll see. However, the reality is that—until the economy gets its legs and consumers regain confidence—it will be hard to get sales. That said, this is the time for deals and planning for sales. Yes, employment got a shot, but the coming months are going to tell the tale. And, what of inflation? Will it not come?
Star is tracking deals in Texas, New York, Colorado, Louisiana and North Carolina. All projects, save one, need money, but that's expected. Almost all have inventory ready to sell, which got hung up with the recession. Some have willing bankers, others not.
We are a Gold Sponsor of the Ragatz Conference, held March 12–13 in Scottsdale, Arizona. Organizers expect around 250 attendees, certainly down from the good years, but better than 2011. Star will have a full complement in tow. I am moderating one session and sitting on another panel. It will be interesting to see who turns out this year: those looking for a job or those looking to staff up a project? Dick Ragatz has powered on through the recession, and our hope is that a broader representation of registrants attends this year than the past two years.
I've taken over two discussion groups on LinkedIn: Luxury Resort Development Group and Luxury Fractional Group. They total about 3,500 members—more than half of whom come from outside the USA—with some 8 to 12 new members joining every day. There are many deals in the two groups, though I’m not sure how many ever get taken up. The daily ebb and flow is very interesting to follow. We know this is the era of connectivity.
I ran into Bobby Coats of the Registry Collection in Kalispell, Montana, on February 2nd, and he confirmed little action for Registry but good activity for timeshares. On that note, Bob Wengel reports from Vegas that the more budget-priced timeshares are selling at a fast pace.
To be sure, this February looks better than the past three Februarys. So, that’s a start!
