Catching Up with Carl: February 2013

Seahorse Beach Club is on target for a spring opening. Last week, our team traveled to Texas to meet with architect Margit Whitlock, who designed the Beach Club, and home designer Alan Kent, who designed the Ocean and Bay homes. We approved almost-final plans for all the buildings. This is going to be one terrific amenity complex: Plans include a 75-foot pool some 13 feet off the ground, surrounded by a large deck plus a kiddie wading pool, and the Beach Clubhouse is replete with a movie theater, kids’ game room, bar, indoor and outdoor dining, treatment rooms, workout equipment, family changing room, three hotel-type rooms for prospects and owner rentals and a sales center.

Pat Hanes came down from outside of San Antonio to share tips on how to make Seahorse even more attractive to Texas buyers. As a result of Pat's comments, we plan to use the priority rotating reservation system first invented at Deer Valley and used by Star in all projects through 2005.

In conference news, I'm heading to London for the Leisure Real Estate Conference being held February 28th. This is the evolution of the Fractional Life Conference presented in past years, which I spoke at in 2011. I'll be speaking at the fractional breakout on Feasibility, Market Analysis & Program Design, and then again on Marketing and Sales. Later in the day, I'll participate in general session panel: The Resort Real Estate Market—Have We Reached the Bottom Yet? I fear that the UK and Europe are behind the U.S. in a recovery, so I'm unclear on what I can add. Our former World's Finest partner, Russell Bragg, is also speaking. We have been in touch on our respective areas, and it will be good to see him. The last time was 2011.

I attended the GNEX Conference in LA two weeks ago: It was very well presented and certainly posh, held at the famed Beverly Wilshire. Sharon and Paul Mattimoe of Perspective Magazines, which put on the conference, are very good marketers and business people, and it was nice to catch up with the many industry folk in attendance. Star is continuing to move ahead with Marvin Rappaport and Randy Rieger's Marathon Key project in the Florida Keys. It is an approved EB5 operation after years in the approval process. We are also working with Don Dauzat and his New Orleans, French Quarter project. Whatever happened to projects close to home?