Ragatz Associates has announced the expansion of their 12th Annual Fractional Interest Conference to include more segments of the resort real estate industry. The 2012 event will be held March 12-13 at the Hyatt Regency Scottsdale Resort and Spa at Gainey Ranch. While the focus will remain on shared-ownership components – such as fractional interests, private residence clubs, and destination clubs – most featured products can be generalized as whole-ownership components. These include resort condominiums, single-family detached vacation homes, master-planned destination resort communities and vacation rentals. Due to the broader range of products, the Conference is attractive to a wider audience and has been renamed the Ragatz Fractional & Resort Real Estate Conference.
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“It is apparent that the world of resort real estate is becoming increasingly integrated, including more mixed-use developments, a greater cross-over of product lines, ever-changing consumer use patterns and purchase motivations,” said Richard Ragatz, Ph.D., President of Ragatz Associates (www.RagatzAssociates.com). “During our global consulting work, we find that developers are active in more than a single resort real estate product. Today, more than ever, it is critical to understand how many components can blend together to create developments that are most appealing to today’s multi-motivated consumers.”

The 2012 Conference will have several sessions on consumer trends including changes in decision-making patterns and which resort real estate products make most sense to various buyers. It also will emphasize marketing and selling to today’s consumers, as well as how to determine the most appropriate product(s) to offer. The educational content of these sessions is applicable to the entire resort real estate industry.

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Ragatz Associates and Resort Equities, LLC, today announced a strategic alliance to create a boutique, commercial real estate brokerage firm – Ragatz Resort Realty.  The firm will focus exclusively on resort-oriented real estate, including resort hotels, whole-ownership projects, shared-ownership projects such as fractional interests, private residence clubs and resort timeshare, as well as raw land suitable for resort development.  This new alliance with Resort Equities, LLC will allow Ragatz Resort Realty to provide unparalleled service and support to prospective buyers, sellers, joint venture partners, investors and lenders regarding resort and hospitality projects located around the globe.

“After an extensive search for the right association, Ragatz Associates is thrilled to partner with Resort Equities to expand our namesake resort brokerage,” stated Dick Ragatz, founder of Ragatz Associates and a leading authority in the resort real estate industry, of the new alliance.  “We’ are now able to provide our brokerage clients with the most comprehensive and effective solutions to the unique challenges and the timely opportunities in today’s marketplace.” 

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RCI and The Registry Collection have been confirmed as Platinum sponsors for the 2011 Shared Ownership Fractional Summit Middle East, which will be held at Dubai’s Burj Al-Arab on 21 November. Unofficially billed as the world’s only seven-star hotel, the Burj Al-Arab is the ideal venue for an event focusing on the world’s five-star property market.

Event organiser Fractional Life launched the Summit last year to focus on the MENA region’s huge potential for shared ownership in all its forms, and the speaker list included luminaries from the region’s fractional real estate, timeshare and fractional yacht sectors. The Summit is designed to promote awareness of shared and fractional ownership real estate in the MENA region, and to enable industry professionals to make new business contacts and share best practice.

Dimitris Manikis, Vice President, Business Development, Europe and the Middle East, said: “We’re delighted to be sponsoring the Shared Ownership Fractional Summit Middle East for the second year. The MENA region has huge potential for shared ownership in all its various forms, and the conference will enable both experienced industry professionals and potential newcomers to the sector to get together, make new contacts and share their experiences in a truly stunning location.”

The inaugural event was held at the spectacular Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi, and attracted delegates and speakers from the major hospitality groups such as Marriott Vacation Club, The Hideaways Club, Arabian Falcon, Trinity Yachts, Citadel Trustees, HVS Hospitality Services and the écurie25 supercar club.

Fractional Life events manager Tracey Carter said: “We set the bar last year by hosting an innovative new conference at the stunning Yas Hotel in Abu Dhabi. “This year we will deliver an even better event at the awe-inspiring Burj Al Arab, one of the world’s best known hotels and the Gulf’s most iconic building.” For speaker and sponsorship opportunities, please contact Piers Brown.

International experts will analyze new business opportunities in the South American market from May 31-June 1, 2010.

In view of the significant growth in the South American leisure-oriented real estate and vacation property industry in recent years, RCI, a leader in vacation exchange, and HVS Buenos Aires, a leading consulting firm in the hotel, tourism, and leisure industry, are organizing the first South American Shared Ownership Investment Conference – SASOIC 2010, a unique event where the growth potential of these industries across South America will be analyzed and discussed.

SASOIC 2010 will be held at the JW Marriot in Rio de Janeiro on May 31-June 1. The conference is aimed at businessmen, manufacturers, and hotel chain consulting firms, building companies and real estate agents, and investment and financial institutions, among others.

The purpose of SASOIC 2010 is to encourage the sharing of experiences among local and international developers of vacation clubs and fractional property to explore growth and expansion opportunities in South America.  Likewise, and with a special focus on the Brazilian market (which according to RCI data has accounted for the highest sales rate of vacation intervals throughout the region), conference attendees will learn more about the needs of Brazilian customers regarding this line of business and thus develop products that may meet their vacation and leisure expectations.  SASOIC 2010 stands out as a key regional event for strengthening the leisure-oriented real estate industry as a strategic activity for development in South America.

In order to achieve its goal, the structure of SASOIC 2010 has been built around discussion panels –consisting of international investors and businessmen- and keynote conferences by experts and analysts of the industry in the Americas and in Europe. Attendees will therefore gain in-depth knowledge of avant-garde design, the focus on developing value-added services, and the new amenities that contribute to meet the needs and demands of increasingly sophisticated and discerning customers.

Arturo García Rosa, President of HVS Argentina, HVS Peru and of SAHIC (South America Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference) pointed out: “The Shared Ownership industry and its different schemes and vacation property have a great future in Brazil and in other important South American destinations. SASOIC 2010 is a great opportunity to share experiences and participate in a business with a bright future”.

Luis Mirabelli, Business Development Vice President of RCI South America, stated: “SASOIC 2010 will be a world class event that RCI and HVS are proud to organize with the aim of encouraging the development of the leisure-oriented real estate industry in major tourist destinations in Brazil and in other South American countries having a huge potential to attract investors and generate growth opportunities for the real estate, hotel and vacation and fractional property business”.

For more details on the event, please visit www.sasoic.com

About RCI
RCI is part of Wyndham Exchange and Rentals, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and the European leader in vacation rentals, with exclusive access for specified periods to more than 73,000 vacation properties in approximately 100 countries. Wyndham Exchange and Rentals is comprised of vacation exchange, including RCI, the worldwide leader in vacation exchange and provider of travel services to businesses and consumers and The Registry Collection program, the world’s largest luxury exchange program; vacation rentals, including Endless Vacation Rentals, Landal GreenParks®, Novasol®, and other renowned vacation rental brands, through which vacationers can rent a variety of property types, from city apartments to villas; and NorthCourse® Leisure Real Estate Solutions, an international leader in providing a full spectrum of advisory, research, and asset management services. Wyndham Worldwide Corporation is one of the world’s largest hospitality companies with leading brands in lodging franchising, vacation ownership, vacation rentals and vacation exchange.

For additional information visit www.grouprci.com or the media center of www.wyndhamworldwide.com.

About HVS
HVS Global Hospitality Services is the leading global consulting firm in the hotel, tourism, and leisure industry. Founded in 1980 by Steve Rushmore, HVS has 30 offices strategically located around the world and a staff of more than 300 highly trained consultants.

HVS Argentina, which this year celebrates its 10th anniversary of operations in the region, actively works in the Latin American market offering a wide range of services both for the hotel industry and for tourist destinations and projects. This consulting firm founded by Arturo García Rosa in 1995 was established as HVS Argentina in 2000. It is focused on providing services to the hotel and tourism industry in the region, including, in addition to Argentina, other countries such as Chile, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela, Panama, Costa Rica, Bolivia, and Paraguay, among others.

Since 2008, it has been organizing the South American Hotel & Tourism Investment Conference (SAHIC), which has become a classical event in the investment world in the region. This year’s edition is scheduled to take place in Cartagena, Colombia, on September 27-28, 2010.

For more information please visit www.hvsargentina.com & www.sahic.com

Investors Subscribe to Purchase Equity in Lebanon Premier Western Ranch and Resort

An innovative resort venture which promises authentic western log cabins, horses and a Dallas Style Mud Wrestling ring complete with mechanical bulls and horses opens up share offering to private investors to own equity in a 65 unit resort in the mountains of Lebanon.

Few countries in the world today can boast a 30% increase in tourism and real estate values other than Lebanon.

The Ministry of Tourism has declared a surge in demand for hotel rooms, with number like 20,000 additional rooms could be added in the next five years.

Brand hotels such as Movenpick, Four Seasons, Intercontinental have all planted their roots firmly in the the Playground of the Middle East, and building is brisk and the market is dynamic.

However, one new development, under planning stages seems to stand out among the new projects planned for tourism and real estate development outside the capital, Beirut.

Dukesville as it is called, is a real American style western ranch, complete with horses and real Dallas Texas style modern saloon, with mechanical bulls, mud wrestling, line dancing, muscle cars, and the first drag racing track in the country.

The project is the brainchild a Chekri Helou, a native Lebanese who was inspired by the old wild western traditions during his living experiences in the USA.

Mr. Helou is no stranger to the Western Ranch business. He was one of the founders of another venue in Lebanon 3 years before, leaving that successful enterprise to complete his vision of a full hotel and ranch community in a more popular location.

Authentic Resort Entertainment, SAL will develop 65 units in the hills of Lebanon on a 42,000 metre parcel that enjoys views that tourists would die for, says Bassim Matta, Chairman of the Group.

The company has undertaken an agreement with an international hotel management company to operate the hotel aspect, and is in the process of accepting subscriptions from the public sector to allow individuals to become partners in this unique log cabin hotel resort.

Individuals may apply for cabin partnership and receive the lions share of the revenue, while also enjoying usage benefits annually. We predict on a worst case scenario the return on investment will be between 18% to 24% annually, says Matta.

Lebanon has proven it is resilient to geo political tension, and has always bounced back from what others may perceive as doom, but what the Lebanese have become to accept as everyday life in one of the most panoramic country sceneries in the world.

Situated 20 minutes from world class ski slopes and 20 minutes from spectacular beaches, Dukesville in Ajaltoun will attract 80 percent of its market share from the local market. Our clients love their children, but also demand the bet of entertainment when it comes to their own precious leisure time.

Our purpose built Western Star Saloon will knock the boots off of anyone who dares to try to sit quietly during one of our stunning shows. We are able to accommodate 150 persons in our boutique western style resort accommodation, and 300 persons per night in our restaurant ,saloon entertainment center.

We have appointed World Class Group, leaders in leisure resort consulting to guide the resort through the stages of hospitality development and investment products, including a form of shared ownership through condo hotel licensing.

According to Michael J. Tolan, CEO of World Class Group,” the project will meet its 10,000,000 required capitalization through small and medium investors who will benefit from the spectacular attractions that will drive traffic to this theme park resort.”

“Phase one of the project will open in 2010, and the resort completion, including a full amenity package which promises many surprises to the market, will finalize in 2011.

“Investors may participate in the ownership of the resort for as little as 18,000 usd.”

For Further Information, contact Michael J. Tolan, CEO, World Class Group on mjt@worldclass-uae.com

Star Resort Group (Scottsdale, AZ), a leading developer, marketer and seller of resort real estate in North America, has reacted to the business climate with a “cautious optimism” when it comes to fractional ownership.

Carl Berry, CEO of Star Resort Group and pioneer in the shared ownership resort industry, notes that there are key hard steps and soft steps to success in making the product work in 2010-2011.

Steps to Success

1. Know the market. Are people ready to buy? Star Resort Group’s SMART assessment program surveyed customers to determine this factor. Surprisingly, in late 2009 and early 2010 the results have been surprisingly positive.

2. Know new media and new media lead generation. There’s lots of talk about web sites on steroids, social media, blogging, search engine marketing, EDM marketing, pairing with industry websites, with real estate broker websites and the like. There’s lots of talk out there. But, how does one make it work?

3. Get a CRM program (such as SalesForce.com) to capture all these new media leads in a format that works for 24/7 and gives permitted users access 24/7 to track prospects and sales.

4. Get the right project. Sounds simple doesn’t it? But, the core adage of location still holds true, quality building is still important, stylish furnishings are still necessary, and the correct size for the bulk of the market is paramount.

5. Determine the right share size to sell. Offer multiple share sizes. Be innovative in the use plan. Have a common sense reservation plan. All this sounds simple, but this is the area where success or failure will largely be defined.

6. Build the HOA budget with a combination of ‘built-in’ services and other a la carte services. The balance in this task is to meet the expectations of the owner for carefree vacations with an annual fee that makes sense as it’s applied to their use. At Star we’ve done a full 180 going from all-inclusive to a combination of included services and extras. Naturally, there’s no fooling with the maintenance and reserves for replacement part of the budget.

7. Deliver a level of hospitality management that will fulfill the owner’s expectations.

8. Educate and train the selling staff in the science of how to sell fractions. There’s no ‘art’ here; just the science of knowing the product and documents; to be unconsciously conscious in the presentation; and to fully understand the decision making process of the buyer who are concerned first with personal use and second with ongoing costs. Lastly the staff should understand that maybe one of the buying ‘unit’ will want the fraction more than the other, so if there is an ‘art’ it’s bringing along the trailing buyer.

9. Sales of documentation and registration in selling jurisdictions are necessary and must be accomplished before hard sales begin.

10. Marketing from Branding to EDMs, from Old to New Media must be skillfully planned and executed to first fill the customer pipeline with qualified leads; and secondly, to keep the pipeline full for the selling staff.

11. Administration and escrow management is vital for this process and translates the product into cash in the final analysis. Does the title and escrow company accept credit card down payments? Can a documented sale be closed within 30-days?

12. Purchase financing is mandatory. At this time there is no third-party financing available due the financial collapse of September 2008. Therefore, developers have to make the loans and warehouse the loans until they can be sold. Star estimates that will be mid-2011.

The twelve steps above are all ‘soft’ steps.

The ‘hard’ steps involve product:

Product to Sell

1. The ideal situation is to have completed product, completely furnished, with all amenities in and ready to use. However, presales are sometimes necessary and provide an advantage in that, last minute configurations to the product can be made based on customer response. If presales have commenced, a firm construction loan needs to be in place, subject to the presale requirement, so the buyer can expect a semi-firm date for construction to begin and occupancy to occur. At Star we’ve sold in all situations. In a recovering market like there is today, the more certainty the better.

2. Before there can be new product to sell there’s the total lack of development and construction financing, and also buyer financing. These markets are still frozen save for a very few isolated cases of local banks continuing to work with their developers. The vise banks find themselves in is that on one hand the Federal government says to, ‘Get the money out’, and on the other hand the FDIC auditors say, ‘Don’t you dare make any loans’. This is a nationwide situation.

3. The current end loan options out there are:

A. The developer makes and holds the balloon loans for the 3, 5 or 7 year period.
B. Some brokers are working with developers to ‘package’ their developer-made loans in the right form to be sold, if and when the market opens up.
C. Lastly, some developers are just stuck as they don’t have the capacity to get releases from their lender, save for all cash sales or huge down payments, and to then carry the paper themselves.

4. There’s been talk of private money coming in for the loans, but there’s also the consensus that private money will flow first to timeshare loans as they yield is much higher than for fractions.

The real question is how will fractional developers move beyond potential stumbling blocks to successfully bring in those who want quality, vacation home living at an affordable price?

Star Resorts is a leading developer, marketer and seller of luxury fractional ownership real estate, private residence clubs, timeshares, and whole ownership resort real estate products in The Americas and soon in Europe.  Star Resorts provides sales and marketing, development and management expertise to developers throughout the United States, Canada, Mexico and Central America. The Company also develops resort projects for its own account, and is unique in that aspect.

Find out how Star Resorts can assist in the development of your project. www.starresortgroup.com

Manzano Golf Resort Part of a Trend of Attracting Oenophiles to Fractional Ownership

An interesting trend is brewing these days, linking the wine industry and the real estate trade in marvelous ways.

This movement affords prospective investors the venture of a lifetime: fractional vineyard ownership – and it’s proving quite the opportunity for those seeking an investment prospect that is distinctive from the traditional vacation retreat acquisition. For the wine aficionado who leaps at the chance for vineyard exploration at every turn, there could be no greater appeal than that of a vacation haven amidst the vines.

Due to the increase in vineyard tourism, luxury developments on vineyard estates are emerging the world over, and the opportunity for further expansion is vast, especially as wine consumption grows each year. While fractional interest residences, in general, have been on the rise as a result of the downed economy, owning the piece of the vineyard pie is proving rather enticing to fine wine enthusiasts. Indeed, there could be no better way for a wine devotee to relish a respite from the stresses of everyday life than in a well-appointed locale offering all the charming accouterments of an operational winery, along with those benefits commonly found in highend developments, such as swimming pools, exercise rooms and the like.

Manzano Golf Resort, in Tuscany, offers a similar opportunity. Although villa owners aren’t technically acquiring a fraction of a vineyard, top-tier owners at the resort will receive 250 bottles a year of fine wine from the nearby Tenimenti d’Alessandro vineyard, which produces some of the finest Syrah wines in the world. Indeed, there’s no better way to unwind from the pressures of everyday life than in your very own luxury vacation home, glass in hand, as you marvel at picturesque views of the surrounding Tuscan countryside.

Aside from the obvious benefits of a luxury home on or in agreement with a vineyard estate, fractional vineyard ownership proves highly favorable to the wine enthusiast, providing a level of access which the general consumer cannot experience through vineyard tourism alone. The owner partakes in a share of the harvest – able to enjoy an allocation of the wines produced at the vineyard – and, at the same time, expands brand recognition of the label. Moreover, the estate becomes one in which like-minded individuals with
similar objectives share in the experience.

It’s a win-win situation, and one which begs appreciation by all those involved.

Owning a second home with fractional vineyard ownership home confers the advantages of an exclusive resort vacation, replete with the benefits of all that a working vineyard has to offer. For the oenophile, a more perfect union could not be envisioned.

Resort Real Estate Event for the Fractional Interest Industry To Focus on Improving Business Performance in a Transitional Economy

Registration is now open for the 2010 Ragatz Associates Tenth Annual Fractional Interest Conference, a highly anticipated annual forum which will discuss recent and anticipated influences affecting this unique resort real estate industry. The conference is scheduled for March 29-31 at The Fairmont San Francisco and will be co-hosted by The Registry Collection.

“While the recent financial crisis has affected every element of the real estate market, in the long term, shared-ownership products such as fractional interests are likely to be the first to rebound,” says consulting veteran Richard Ragatz, Ph.D. and event host. “The key is for the development community to be prepared and properly positioned for the turnaround, which is certain to come.”

Like many experts in the resort real estate industry, Ragatz believes that today’s affluent consumer is becoming increasingly in sync with “green” influences – purchasing only the amount of vacation time they can personally use and financially afford.

Attending this year’s conference is critical to companies currently in the fractional interest industry along with those considering entering this highly specialized field. Conference attendees will learn how some companies continue to make sales in a transitional economy, as well as innovative marketing and sales strategies.  With many troubled whole-ownership resort real estate projects throughout the U.S. today, it is critical for developers of these projects to understand whether their project is appropriate for fractional interests. Ragatz says that his conference will respond to such concerns.

The 2010 conference will emphasize conducting business in the fractional interest industry in today’s economy.  Critical topics of discussion will include:
•    Are troubled whole-ownership resort developments appropriate for fractional interests?
•    The search for financing
•    Innovative marketing and sales strategies in a transitional economy
•    How affluent consumers make decisions in times of economic uncertainty
•    Insights and advice from industry experts

The conference should be of major interest to companies already in the fractional interest industry (including private residence clubs and destination clubs), and especially to companies considering entering the industry.  As in the past nine conferences, included will be formal presentations, panel discussions, and a series of small group break-out sessions. Last year’s conference attracted 450 participants from over 30 states and 12 countries.

The March 2010 conference will feature presentations from over 60 speakers, including representatives from the land development, hotel, finance, legal, internet and public media industries.  Speakers include representatives of Hyatt, Fairmont, Timbers Resorts, Preferred Residences, Ward Financial, Life Rich Real Estate, The Registry Collection, The Harrison Group, East West Partners, and the American Resort Development Association (ARDA).  A special luncheon speaker will be Ralph Bowden of Bowden’s Market Barometer.

Results from the 2010 Edition of Ragatz Associates State of the Fractional Interest Industry will be presented, describing current conditions of the industry in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Current research on affluent consumers also will be presented.

Some 25 companies are again supporting the conference at various sponsorship levels. Platinum sponsors include Ballard Spahr, Baker Hostetler, Timbers Resorts and Preferred Residences. Gold level sponsors include ARDA, Weinstock & Scavo, Greenberg Traurig, and Robb & Stucky Interiors.

Registration for the conference is $850. For groups of two the fee is $750 each and for three or more it is $700 each. To make hotel reservations by phone, call 1-800-441-1414, and mention that you are attending the Ragatz Associates Fractional Interest Conference to receive the discounted rate.

For questions and registration information, visit www.ragatzassociates.com, or contact Sarah Winter at 541-686-9335 or info@ragatzassociates.com.

About Ragatz Associates
Ragatz Associates is internationally recognized as the leading consulting and market research firm in the resort real estate industry. The firm has conducted more than 2,500 studies in over 70 countries since its formation in 1974. It specializes in feasibility analysis and consumer research.

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