TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin SXM on HGTV's Caribbean life tonight (Easter)

According to this thread from a few weeks ago: http://www.traveltalkonline.com/for...mp;Board=stmartin&Number=1687533
Forum member anjariasonal will be searching for a property on the Dutch side in tonight's second episode of Caribbean Life (9:30 on HGTV in the US)

I saw that in the Daily Herald the other day. Hopefully we will remember to watch it tonight.

DVR? now you just need to remember to record it. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

Yes I looked and it is ready to record this show. The 9:00 show is about PR. I record 100% of the Carib Life and House Hunters Intl shows. A fair cheap way to travel around the world.

I do the same thing! Both are set to record!!

If you can believe it, we don't have one! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" />

Well I hope that you do have a color TV.

Yeah, got that last year.. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

I see wine in your personal photo, so it looks like you have everything you need.

No DVR here either!

no VHS or DVD recorder?

VCR recorder but that will be obsolete shortly as the cable company is going digital.

VHS?? Can you buy tapes for those any more?? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

We don't either! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Well, <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/duh.gif" alt="" /> we were watching TV and totally forgot all about it was on!! Was it good?? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" />

Kind of lame. Looking to spend 1M+ and I wasn't real impressed with the selections.

I just finished watching the episode. They had a budget of $1.5 M and bought a place for 1.6 that was listed for 2.1. All three properties were really nice. A few clips around the island were shown and the last part was filmed at the Loterie Farm.

We recognized the 3rd home that they looked at...it was villa #1 at Ocean Club, one of the privately-owned oceanfront villas.

Keep in mind the realtor decides what other two homes will be showcased on the show

the only reason i agreed to do the show was because i wanted to spread the word that it is a vacation rental

they completely edited that out

also lot of the high end homeowners might not want their homes exposed

the other thing was lot more condo's on the market at that price and we were not interested in any condo's

I always thought that the other two homes were basically homes that the purchaser probably would have no interest in. Thanks for confirming that.

One thing continues to crack me up: they showed (again!) the Bon Appétit restaurant sign as an example of the "French side" when, in reality, it's adjacent to Flamingo/SB Resorts.

Villa Carabella I had never seen

the last villa we had a contract on and then fantasea owner's brought the price down and we went for it

my husband actually had not seen ANY of the houses, he saw our home after we closed, we went from the airport to closing, to the house.

so to have him see the ocean's club villa which we were under contract for $775 was stressful, he loved that place too and would have been happy with that, but I like more privacy and love the large yard fantasea came with. he was like now why did we spend double the money?

keep in mind i had been to sxm 3 times before we bought, i was also analyzing rental income based on my imaginary marketing.

Imagine the stress level when your husband has not seen the house you bought, comes the first evening and thinks i over paid, luckily over time he has fallen in love with it

we also bought this as a partnership with his brother, who tried to walk out when he first visited 6 months after closing, by the end of the week he promised to buy us out. he wants the house all to himself. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Thumbsup.gif" alt="" />

I take a lot of pride that two savvy businessmen trust me blindly that i will do the right thing

also this house is the most expensive house we have ever bought

phew.

Yes, for sure, buying any house is stressful, but making that large a purchase which your spouse hasn't seen, would make me very nervous also! Glad it seems to be working out for you.

That is one over-the-top amazing story. Thanks so much for sharing and of course glad it worked out for all concerned.

Anjariasonal, Thanks so much for sharing your experience and hope that you will always be pleased with your choice. I loved it!!

We always enjoying watching the programs about island living. Glad it all worked out and thank you for sharing.

that is a great story for sure. I would never have the b**** to buy a house before my wife saw it.

question, how has the rental aspect worked out for you since the show anjariasonal?

that is a great story for sure. I would never have the b**** to buy a house before my wife saw it.

question, how has the rental aspect worked out for you since the show anjariasonal?

I guess i meant since you bought not since the show since it just aired

Just watched this episode. I knew that all of their shows were "staged", but having direct owner input sort of puts this over the top in terms of interest. I now consider this the most interesting thing I've ever learned on TTOL.

Now if only those places were for sale for $10,000, I'd be interested.

Looks like a really neat place you ended up with, but I did like them all.

here's more of our story
for all that wonder did she marry into money? lottery

came from india at 13, grew up in the ghetto's of india

3 bathrooms 30 families shared

met husband at college, he was working the grounds at our college, read trash picker upper.

got married, worked hard, shared meals, no drinks, shared one dessert at 7-11 .25 icecream sandwich

no furniture for 3 years, bought 3 more town houses/condos by the time we were 25

drove honda civic, beat up till 5 years ago. all our cars die they don't get leased or exchanged

no wasting
no fancy restaurants
no showing off

here's how i was able to buy this house in sxm sight unseen by my husband
i promised him that the mortgage on it would be paid by me, through my other homes, if that fails i would go get a job.

for years i worked 5 am to 1 am so i could be home at 2pm when the kids get home

america is the land of opportunity in the truest sense.
grateful and blessed

never forget where we started for

if you see me i am in sweats normally, no makeup, no hair, no jewelry, no name brand

i am able to step up when needed, now sometimes occasions demand it

but we are happiest at hole in the wall places and if you are going to be pretentious get out, we have no time for that BS.

ok off to do research for my next project

couldnt agree with you any more. Nothing turns me off more or faster than people that are pretentious, feel they are better than others or think money makes them more important!

good for you!

Very cool story and hope your get a lot of enjoyment out of your beach place. Very cool of you to share.

My grandfather and grandmother came from Eastern Europe in 1906. He ended up working in coal mines to support the 9 children born here and most of the children ended up with PhD's and all of them were college grads.

By the way, when I win the lottery, maybe we can be neighbors. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" />

Cant find it to watch anywhere ... from here in the Uk xx

Great life and work ethic! We watched the show and enjoyed your experience, even though it didn't reflect how it really played out. But I get it, what we saw was necessarily scripted by the show for entertainment. You guys seem like a really nice couple. One question. How are those steps to the beach working out?

Will post a link when I have one

Steps are working out great, no complaints

Have retained all the old vendors so that helps if anything breaks down, they come quite fast

The episodes are usually posted on the Canadian HGTV site about a week or so after showing.
http://www.hgtv.ca/caribbeanlife/video/#sVCB_HeaderContent

Watched the episode and have followed your story since you first started posting questions before you purchased. Now I'm happy to hear the back side of the story as well. Great story and well-deserved! Btw, saw the listing on VRBO - love the changes you made. Everything is gorgeous! Hope to spot it when I'm on Dawn Beach this summer <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Clapping.gif" alt="" />