At Christmas time the seasonal drink in the Caribbean is sorrel which is part of the hibiscus family.This plant originated from India and Malaysia and is an annual plant. Each year seeds can be dried and replanted.

Sorrel has a white flower with a red sepals.After the white flower has withered the sepals continue to grow and are picked and peeled from the seed. It can then be dried or frozen for out of season use. It is possible to obtain white sorrel but the most popular is the red variety. Its taste is slightly tart.

Sorrel contains vitamin C, Calcium, niacin, riboflavin,iron and flavonoids. The flavonoids give the sorrel flower its dark red colour. These are recognized as antioxidants and are said to strengthen the immune system and help to reduce the risk of cancer.

The drink is prepared by peeling the red petals from the seed and boiling with a little ginger,cinnamon and sugar. It is then left to steep. It makes a lovely wine if left long enough. Some people add rum to it. It is usually served cold in the Caribbean but is delicious as a hot drink.

Photographs courtesy of Colin Lees of Nature Island Destinations

Mark Sharp,the Chief Executive of the Association of International Property Professionals recently said that whole ownership “will become a luxury” in the overseas property market. The reasons for this are the increasing price of property and at the present time as it is a bear market buyers are uncertain about commmitting hard earned funds particularly if they are not able to sell their properties at home.

The simplest form of fractional owership is when buyers purchase a property as tenants in common and each person gets a share in the property.This means that on death each buyer’s share goes into their estate. It also means each person can deal with their share in the property e.g sell, provided there are no agreed restrictions to the contrary.

A more sophisticated form of fractional ownership is where the property is purchased by a Trust Company and held in Trust for the purchasers. The purchasers do not have a legal estate in the property but they have a beneficial interest. This is often done with vacational properties.

A third more complex structure is where the property is owned by a company and the Trust Company then holds shares in Trust for the buyers. Under this scheme the buyers do not get beneficial ownership but if for example they are buying a holiday home in a development they may then be offered the equivalent of a time share in the property commensurate with their investment.

The benefits of fractional ownership are
1) smaller investment at the outset
2)shared costs and expenses
3) if buying in a development the buyer may be able to put the property in a rental pool when not using the property.
4)The buyer can purchase a fractional share in a better quality property than if purchasing the property outright
5) This form of ownersip makes more economic sense for buyers unable to spend a lot of time overseas maybe because they are still working.

In the New Year Safe Haven Real Estate will be launching such a project in a stunning development which has won many accolades including from National Geographic. The Development is perched on a hilltop above the Caribbean Sea and is also next to a river. All of the villas and bungalows are tucked into the natural landscape.

Buyers will be able to put the property into a rental pool so that they can benefit from the property all year round.

Please be advised that the Internet Provider

is

having difficulties regionally so until further notice please email us at info@safehavenrealestate.com.

Thanking you for your patience and understanding on this matter.

The First ever Whale Fest competition was held in the Uk on the 5th and 6th of November 2011.

The Clash of the Titans competition was a Fund Raising Event to raise funds for
There were 4 other celebrities taking part in the competition who answered questions and made a presentation.

Carla Armour, the other participants were:

Mark Brownlow – Film producer / director who worked on Ocean Giants, Planet Earth, Blue Planet and many more.
Andrew Sutton – Cameraman/photographer/film maker, Director and founder Nice Images London & Madrid, and joint founder of a diving and marine research centre in Tanzania.
Phillip Hoare – BBC broadcaster and author of, Leviathan or The Whale, which won the 2009 BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for non-fiction. He presented the BBC 2 film Arena: The Hunt for Moby-Dick, and directed three films including ‘Philip Hoare’s Guide to Whales’ for BBC 4’s Whale Night in 2008.

Carla won with 53 votes the nearest contender gained 23 votes. Carla and her family are founders of an umbrella organisation called “Caribwhale” a Non Profit
Organisation. The mission statement of the organization is “To foster an environment that will protect cetaceans and their habitat in the Caribbean, promoting responsible whale watching, supporting non-invasive scientific whale research, conservation, education and advocacy. “

Well done Carla.

In Dominica Cat’s Claws is a herb that was and is used to support the immune system. This herb proliferates in the Portsmouth region of Dominica.

It is also used for arthritis. Simply draw as a tea.

When taking herbs if you have an existing health condition always let your health professional know.

We are simply letting our readers know what these herbs have traditionally been used for in Dominica. Is it co-incidence that Dominica has so many centenarians ?

This herb should not be taken by pregnant women.

On the 5th of December a ground breaking ceremony was held for drilling of geothermal energy in Laudat. Drilling will be undertaken by the Icelandic Drilling Company who entered into a contract with the Government of Dominica in April 2011. The project which is worth over 17million dollars is funded by the French ,the European Union and the Dominican Government.

In 2008, Dominica spent $49.1 million on diesel import for the purpose of energy generation. In 2009 the figure was $63.1 million and in the first half of 2010 38.9 million.

It will be interesting to see how Domlec embrace Geothermal energy which Dominicans hope will lower their energy costs. At the present time excess solar energy can be given back to to domlec but no payment is recerived.

An interesting web site to read about the pros and cons of geothermal energy is http://www.energy-consumers-edge.com/pros_and_cons_of_geothermal_energy.html

COCONUTS

Dominica has long been renowned for the number of centenarians living here.  Ever wondered why? There are so many wonderful fruits,vegetables and herbs on this tiny island .

One of the gentleman who works with Safe Haven Real Estate, who is an advocate for natural remedies, tells me he has not been to the doctor for anything other than a check-up for insurance purposes for thirty years. Another is in his seventies yet is able to traverse Dominica’s hilly terrain with ease.

 COCONUT OIL

• reduces  wrinkles
•  promotes healthier hair and nail
•  is an excellent natural lubricant

COCONUT WATER

Electrolytes are present in the human body, and the balance of the electrolytes in our bodies is essential for normal function of our cells and our organs.

Coconut water has all of the five electrolytes the body needs, potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, sodium, and calcium and is an ideal drink  as it is sugar-free, salt free and cholesterol free.

Local folklore also says it is great 

• for headaches
• to reduce blood pressure
• to boost immunity
• to regulate digestion
• to promote healthier hair and nails
• to boost circulation by carrying oxygen and nutrients to cells
• to promote heart health
• to enhance mental agility
• regulates PH balance in the body
• helps with urinary tract infections

That’s not all  apparently  as it is sterile and has a perfect PH balance it has been used  in emergency blood transfusions!

Of course coconut water in a tin or bottle may not be as  healthy as the real thing as sometimes sugar is added but when you visit the Nature Isle make sure you drink plenty of this elixir from a young “jelly nut” . Enjoy

Coastline to west of the Lots taken from beach

View of northern boundaries of the Lots

We are pleased to offer two  adjacent Ocean View Lots for sale  in the established Hodges Beach  Development, Calibishie. Lots may be purchased together or separately. They are 17,500 sq ft and 17,740.  All electrical lines and cables are underground and roads and drains are concreted. There are fire hydrants throughout the Lots.

 There is a footpath to the Beach below which has a white sand beach.-rare in Dominica which has mainly volcanic beaches.

This development has walking access to two of Dominica’s best beaches – Pointe Baptiste and Hodges Beach as well as the Hodges River.

There are spectacular views of the Red Rocks which are a special feature of this coastal area and the beautiful Hodges Bay. 

The Development  is very upmarket and there are some beautifully designed house already there. At just US$4.46  this is an amazing deal. Below are some of the houses to be found in the Development.

For more information contact Safe Haven Real estate e-mail safehaven@cwdom.dm

It was reported in Overseas Property Magazine of  7th of November 2011 that the United Kingdom was setting up  a new  HM Revenue Customs Unit to  deal with what the British Government  sees as tax avoidance by the rich. By the rich they mean any-one who has a property overseas.

It seems that the Unit will be looking at overseas assets first. This would include some-one who owns a property overseas.

It was reported in the Overseas Property Magazine that HMRC said that it will be using sophisticated “data mining” techniques to try to track  people who own overseas properties, but do not pay the right amount of tax and who reside in the UK.

We are pleased to offer this charming house above the coastal  village of Coulibistrie at a 10% reduction.

The house which featured on a Place In the Sun  a British T.V programme has been reduced to just  US$146, 938. It is set above a small seaside village on the West Coast and overlooks a river.

The land size  is 1.37 acres.. The property is on two levels and has two bedrooms and two bathrooms. It has all utilities. For more information seehttp://www.safehavenrealestate.com/details1.cfm?id=637