
A group of colleagues from St. Croix and St. Thomas attended the Coldwell Banker GenBlue Conference in Miami for some professional development from the best of the best in real estate. GenBlue is a global gathering of agents, brokers and industry leaders.

One of my favorite sessions was led by two top Coldwell Banker brokers, Jenny Ames from Chicago and Wendy Walker from Phoenix. This invitation-only event was part of the Previews certification, which focuses on Luxury Real Estate. Jenny Ames shared her experience of developing a strong luxury strategy for her market in Chicago with a full complement of power-house players. A fellow Previews certification attendee also from Chicago, Joe Kotoch with Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage in Lincoln Park, shared a unique story of selling a large home to a Chicago Cubs player; his sports agent background certainly worked wonders for him! I am looking forward to implementing these ideas back home on St. Croix for our luxury market.
I also enjoyed spending time with Jade Mills, one of the top Brokers in all of Coldwell Banker, from Beverly Hills. It’s an honor to be part of such a talented and worldly network of real estate professionals.

Virgin Islands Water & Power Authority (WAPA) announced on November 1 that the completion of their propane conversion project, along with the addition of solar power to the grid and the introduction of new, more reliable and efficient generators to the power plants, will lower the cost of electricity while ensuring increased operational efficiency and reliability. In an email to customers and on the WAPA Facebook page, Julio A. Rhymer, Sr., Executive Director/CEO, says:

Although island life is generally pretty relaxing and peaceful, things slow down a bit more during the Fall months here on St. Croix.
Speaking of the outstanding restaurants on the island, Shupe and his team have been hard at work transforming another boardwalk location. Brew, a restaurant, brewery and lounge, is expected to open October 7. Also, be sure to mark your calendars for
House and condo sales were up this August compared to last year! We also hear that the Virgin Islands Department of Tourism intends to spend $2 million on marketing by year end, with some fun promotions planned. It’s a great time to own a property with rental potential on St. Croix!
A little background on John: He currently lives in Midland, Texas, and is originally from Arlington, Texas. He’s a real estate investor by trade and a licensed Texas real estate broker. While he’s not ready to retire, he’s known for awhile that he’d like to have roots in the Caribbean, somewhere under the U.S. flag, and St. Croix, USVI, was the natural choice.
Twice voted Best Real Estate Broker on St. Croix. Coldwell Banker President's Circle three years in a row. 