Thursday, September 05, 2013

Catching Up with Carl: April/May 2013

At our Seahorse project—located on the Gulf Coast of Texas and an hour from downtown Houston—we are charging ahead with plans to get in sales by June 1st. We're excited to welcome Richard Korowicki as sales director. Richard previously worked with both the Teton Club and Pronghorn and achieved top sales at each project.

We are kind of stymied on the electronic component for our homes and for the Beach Club. Our area of the Gulf Coast is not on the major grids, so what we use for Internet, bandwidth for movies on demand and how we remotely regulate the heat and air are all very expensive. Any suggestions?

These days, the challenge is to fit out a beach house that will be used by three generations, with the kids wanting all the access and toys and the grand-folks perhaps not caring quite as much. How many big, flat-screen TVs does it take to trick out a five bedroom home including one bunkroom?

Until the Beach Club is finished next spring, our temporary sales center will be a modular unit, 22 x 45 feet with viewing deck, handicap access and maybe not quite enough parking. Recall that all our buildings, including the pool and its surrounding 3,500 square foot deck, will be 17 feet off the beach! Now, that’s a picture worth seeing.

As any developer knows, the process of getting started has hundreds of details. We continue to be impressed with architect Margit Whitlock, who has great advice and work-arounds. Our team of my partner, John Howton, our project director, Scott Tracy, and our marketing guru, Chris Cannon, are all high performers as is our sales guru, Richard Korowicki. In a real twofer, his wife, Amy, will back him up for sales!

In other news, Marvin Rappaport of the Florida Keys reports good success with his EB5 program. His trip to China was very successful, as have been the subsequent visits by contacts he met there. This virtually ensures the Marriott Residence Inn plus 11 to 18 cottages on the Gulf will be a ‘go.’

Don Dauzat of the French Quarter in NOLA reports that he has a buyer almost in place for the square block thanks, in part, to the willing seller.

Why is all the action in the southeast?

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