AAhhh! How I enjoy riding my motorcycle along West bay road at 8:15 in the morning.

Nortwest point to airport at that time of day, with a Car 45 minutes, with the Motor bike 17 minutes, no speeding!

flufdriver have you got a bmw? If so I think you've passed me lots of times while I sit in traffic. :(

Yeah, that would be me on that blue F650, unfortunately we are now getting to the time of year when you can expect a rainshower at any time, so I'll have to use a car to go to work.

O well, I suppose there are people in this world that have a more difficult commute to work then me.

That's for sure and I used to be one of them. You should be pretty safe during May it's usually pretty dry.

I rode bikes in tropic climes (based in Honolulu for 3 years) and was thinking of getting one for Cayman but was a little concerned about some of the less defensive type drivers i've seen so far.

Any concerns,advise or close calls.

Well, I have been riding all over the world and anytime you go outside the areas that have good driver education programs, the Car operators regard motorcyclist as second class road users.

I have therefore devised my own way of riding which has stood me in good steed so far! I assertively claim my piece of the pavement and will not yield to intimidation. i rarely try to recognise other roadusers but continoiusly scan the road ahead as well as evaluate all the conflict possibilities and if I am riding south on West Bay road there are lots of side roads to be concerned about. Also riding close to the center line gives you a little more time to avoid incursions from the side.

Basically riding a motorbike is very much like flying, you have to have good situational awareness, always be in positive control of your bike and think ahead!

I just love it!

I think it's a great idea. Riding a bike on a small island that has relatively high gas prices and traffic congestion, solves a lot of problems.

It's a real bonus when you love riding it and you've got a good climate for it.

Do you mind me asking how the insurance costs compare to say a small car.

Cayman beach property sells for $3.263 million
 

A dozen waterfront acres on Grand Cayman's North Sound sold for $3.263 million Saturday, 5 November, in an auction managed by J.P. King Auction Company, Gadsden, Ala., U.S.A.

Dubbed Crystal Shores, the property near the Grand Caymanian resort attracted 10 registered bidders, who gathered on the waterfront for live music and refreshments as the auction hour approached.

The properties were offered in six individual parcels, and bidders were invited to make offers for groups of parcels and for the entire property. Halbestadt purchased all six parcels.

"Everybody keeps talking about how soft the market is in the Cayman Islands, but I didn't see that today," said Craig King, President of J.P. King. "What I saw was the auction method doing what it does best _ getting the attention of prospective buyers, spotlighting the property and getting a fair market price," he said.

Very Interesting. :D

On the Insurance cost question,

Motorbike Insurance for private individuals generally goes @ CI$ 1.00 per CC (third party risk only)

Most people enjoy reasonable discounts, i pay about CI$ 300 per year for my 650.

I understand that if the bike is owned by a company then comprehensive insurance is available, at what prize i don't know.

Cayman Real Estate Purchase Incentive
 

With less than one month remaining on the special reduction of stamp duty on property transfers, the Cayman Islands Government is set to extend the real estate purchase incentive, possibly for another six months, a reliable source told us!

While the stamp duty reduction has been in effect for 17 months now, a Remax real estate agent thinks it has only started helping over the last year or so. "Since 80% of our real estate business comes from off-shore, I found there was a lead time of six to nine months before our foreign investors found out about the reduction and got down here to look at properties."

Besides increasing sales to overseas investors, he says the measure also helped another market. "The stamp duty reduction, along with the low interest rates and the low down-payment terms being offered by banks, have stimulated the local housing market a great deal," he says, adding, "I would certainly like to see the stamp duty reduction extended for another six months."

You must be considered a pretty good risk as I think $300 CI is quite reasonable for a 650. Makes me think I should be looking at getting one,

Hi DB

Sorry for the inconvenience we hope to have all the website problems rectified in the next couple of weeks!

Heh flufdriver
Have you seen the new speed bump installed on Jade Drive out at West Bay yet?

Our IPG and Castaways websites are now operational again.

Sorry for any inconvenience, we expect the prior problems have been rectified. Although we do expect minor down times this week due to us switching our websites to new servers.

Once that has been accomplished we will be implementing a number of new features in the near future.

So check back often. :D

More Good News for Cayman Real Estate
 

"Land sales On Grand Cayman were up over 51 percent for the first quarter of this year compared to the corresponding period last year, according to Land Registry figures just released by the Cayman Government".

It sure didn't seem like it to me, if it was it's probably a bubble, I think the year end stats will tell the tale and I doubt there will be much of a change from last year especially if you factor out the Ritz-Carlton sales.

I would generally agree with your comments, it'll be most interesting to see the year end data.

UPDATE
 

Only 3 units left for sale in Block "A" of Castaways Cove - Phase II of the Reef Resort.

When are you starting Block B of Castaways?

We're planning for early 2004 but we should have a more exact timeframe at the end of this summer.

And myself and a number of others I know are patiently waiting for that information. :)