Archive for the ‘Nicaragua in the news’ Category
Think differently about Nicaragua real estate investments
Friday, March 28th, 2008
Can real estate investors “do well” while “doing good”? Can local communities in Nicaragua benefit from the massive growth in real estate investing in the country? Is there a sweet spot where charitable initiatives increase investment return and social welfare at the same time?
These thorny questions get at the heart of what responsible property investing is all about. Investing that creates value in society and the environment while at the same time being financially profitable. This is the sort of “win–win” situation that everyone likes to be part of.
Community REfund, an initiative launched in 2007, is offering the simple solution to achieving just that. The REfund model encourages every participant in a real estate transaction to contribute funds at the time of closing. There are at least 5 participants in a standard transaction: the buyer, the seller, the real estate agent, the title insurance company and the legal firm. Add a bit of peer pressure and you have all the ingredients for a powerful funding mechanism.
“As a foreigner who both benefits and contributes to the rapid real estate development of Nicaragua, I believe it is my responsibility to support programs which serve to provide opportunities for the mutual advancement among local communities.” Brooke Rundle, Coldwell Banker Nicaragua Real Estate.
“We are proud to offer our services pro-bono to Community REfund, an initiative vital to the long term sustainability of Nicaragua’s real estate and tourism sector.” Terencio Garcia, Managing Partner, Garcia & Bodan.
To ensure that contributions make a real difference on the ground, Community REfund has two main programs - the Savings Start program supporting small business owners and micro-enterprise development and Community Bridge targeting community led projects in key real estate investing areas.
At the heart of these programs is an asset based approach to alleviating poverty and encouraging community development. Assets such as an education, a property or a successful business increase self sufficiency on an individual and family level, while adding to the economic stability of the community in general. This thinking links logically back to the REfund funding driver – a real estate transaction – fundamentally, an asset building activity in itself.
“The Association of Nicaraguan Investors and Developers has chosen Community REfund to be its core charitable program. We encourage our members to support the program to ensure that local communities benefit from real estate development activity.” Tuey Murdock, Board Member, Association of Nicaraguan Investors and Developers (ANID) and First American Title Services, Nicaragua.
Community REfund joins well established social responsibility programs active in Nicaragua such as the Fundación A. Jean Brugger, part of Pelican Eyes…Piedras y Olas, a luxury resort in San Juan del Sur and the Nica Dev fund run by Donn Wilson, real estate developer and social entrepreneur.
“If we can get responsible property investing right in Nicaragua, at this stage in the property development cycle, we’ll be creating a foundation for long term value not only for real estate investments but for local communities and society at large.” Chris Berry, Pelican Eyes…Piedras y Olas and Fundación A. Jean Brugger.
The smart thing to do as well as the right thing to do
Jon Thompson, Program Director at Community REfund (and director of Communidad Connect which oversees the mechanics of both Savings Start and Community Bridge) has an excitement about the initiative that is contagious. In the Monthly REfund newsletter, he reports that Community REfund has already begun to make a difference in San Juan del Sur. A community well has been constructed in Bernardino and water filters have been installed throughout the rural countryside. The Savings Start program is now opening up registration to its first 15 local micro entrepreneurs.
“Community REfund is a great initiative which gives investors, realtors and developers the opportunity to make a difference in the local community. I think it is important that the people living and investing in Nicaragua give back. I try and stress this to my clients.” Zach Lunin, Aurora Beachfront Realty.
With support from across the Nicaraguan real estate investment community, from brokers, to developers to investors, Community REfund is poised to make a big difference to the lives of local communities in Nicaragua. There is much more information on the initiative at www.communityrefund.org Have a browse through the site, link to it, spread the word, get involved, and help make real estate investing in Nicaragua an engine for community development and social and financial stability.
Nicaragua real estate scores with swimsuits
Saturday, February 23rd, 2008
The Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Edition 2008 is on the newsstands. And Nicaragua is one of the locations for the photo shoot.
With over 230 million page views already at SI.com, since the edition launch on February 12th, Nicaragua is gaining widespread exposure. Eric Ames over at NuWire Investor notices that some of the photos are taken near San Juan del Sur on Nicaragua’s Pacific coast.
The shoot locations are stunning and showcase some of Nicaragua’s best beaches which, slowly but surely, are finding their place on the worldwide tourism map.
And the Nicaragua real estate cycle starts again. It all starts with a vacation, then turns into a compelling reason to buy.
Technorati Tags: choose nicaragua, nicaragua property, nicaragua property tour, nicaragua real estate, nicaragua real estate tourA fleet of the best Earthship posts from around the world
Saturday, February 16th, 2008The Earthship concept may be new to Nicaragua real estate but, search around a bit, and you’ll find Earthships all over the world. They work in all climates, on most terrains, gradients or exposures, within cities as well as in remote areas, completely off-the-grid.
And people are blogging about Earthships and the logic of green building. Here are some of the best blogs and posts citing Earthships in Canada, throughout Europe, Australia and of course Taos, New Mexico where it all started.
- The first Earthship to be built in England was Earthship Brighton, on the south coast. The Guardian covered the story and it looks like more Earthships are to follow on a prime development site overlooking the Brighton Marina.
- We hear from treehugger how the Earthship concept crossed the English channel to Normandy, France.
- In September last year the CNN described Earthships as future-proof buildings in an article covering the Earthships of New Mexico.
- True to their strap-line “inspired people creating positive change,” EcoSpace Conscious Community are helping spread the word about these houses made out of tires.
- Over at off-grid-net we hear news of Earthships in Spain, Portugal, Greece and Ireland.
- Another plug about the logic of recycling what is normally garbage and making it into a home courtesy of fudgeforbreakfast in the spirit of making a difference.
- Hat tip to Our Earthship for charting a journey towards sustainable living.
- Windmill power and Earthships just might be “the wave of the future” according to Windmills To Power your Home.
- And Paradoxes of Whole Living talks about the New Mexico Earthship work and links to photos of a Canadian example.
- A list like this wouldn’t be complete without a link out to Earthship Biotecture, the group who started it all and a resource for all things Earthship.
What about back here in Nicaragua?
Nicaragua real estate. Going green?
The logic of Earthships and green building is also catching on here in Nicaragua.
With the building of the first Nicaraguan Earthship well underway, we think we are witnessing the start of a green movement in Nicaragua real estate.
Beautiful tiles hand made in Granada arrive on Day 28
Monday, February 4th, 2008
The bond beams on the greenhouse have been poured and are ready to receive trusses. Leaving the site in the very capable hands of Phil Basehart and Seth Larsen (Earthship Biotecture), project manager Dave Kniffin headed off on a supply run.
Check out the Granada Tiles! (Granada is a beautiful historic colonial city located on the shores of Lake Nicaragua around 90 minutes drive away.) The tiles are hand made in Nicaragua and normally exported to the US and Spain. But they were virtually given to us by a neighboring land owner who likes our project and happens to own the company that makes them.
Technorati Tags: Earthship, green, green building, green movement, green real estate, Nicaragua, nicaragua property, nicaragua real estate, sustainable construction, sustainable housingNicaragua real estate: The buzz about the Nicaraguan Earthship is building
Monday, January 28th, 2008We’ve been keeping a daily blog on the construction of a house made out of tires which cools itself passively, creates its own power and harvests its own water. Known as an “Earthship” the house design was conceived by architect Mike Reynolds from Earthship Biotecture, in Taos, New Mexico.
Ever since the construction team arrived in Nicaragua and teamed up with the local community of El Carizal to begin the building, the buzz has been growing:
- Steve over in Newcastle, England updated his readers about the Nicaraguan Earthship
- Closer to home, MyBootsnMe visited the site and took a couple of great shots
- La Prensa, Nicaragua’s daily national newspaper wrote an article about a house made out of a thousand tires and thousands more bottles and cans (Spanish)
- And Dave Kniffen from Casa Llanta reflected on the vision behind the Nicaraguan Earthship initiative in a thoughtful article written on Day 16 of the construction.
There’s also a You Tube video for those who want to see a day by day demonstration.
We are proud to market this Earthship community to our network. The location is great (only 15 minutes south of San Juan del Sur), the logic of green building can’t be faulted, and the construction quality is top class.
Download the floor plan from our property listing, spread the word, contact us for more information, and help kick start what could be the beginning of a green movement in Nicaragua real estate.
Technorati Tags: Earthship, green, green building, green movement, green real estate, Nicaragua, nicaragua property, nicaragua real estate, sustainable construction, sustainable housingDay 16 of the Earthship Construction – A reflection by Dave Kniffin
Saturday, December 22nd, 2007Since the conception of this project, people have asked me what we are doing here, “What is the vision?” or “What is the goal?” And at any given time, the best I can do is offer a snapshot of where we are, and where we are going. It’s an evolving dream. Still, at the base of it all, it’s about community, responsibility, ecology, and logic.
Developments happen everywhere, so we’ve made a choice on how we are going to develop. If we don’t do it this way, someone else will do it their way. Maybe our way helps the local community, instead of using them to help ourselves. Maybe our way is a little better for the environment than the conventional build. At the end of the day though, it’s a logical decision.
We live in a world, especially in Nicaragua, of limited resources. A sustainable home gives you total freedom and independence. The decision to build or live in an “off grid” home is not moral, it just makes sense. Who you rely on is who controls your life.
Create your own electricity, capture your own water, treat your own sewage, and grow your own food and then you are not talking about ideals of independence or freedom, you’re living them.
And if you build a community where everyone earns the ability to provide themselves with life’s basic needs of clean water and food, you create a safe place where neighbors look after each other. We don’t give to the community, we build capacity within the community.
And this community is exceptional. I know that theft is a constant struggle in every part of the world, and I’m sure it exists here as well. But we did not lock up tools at our job site. We had no incidents of theft or vandalism. I don’t think there are many developments anywhere that could say that. It is about the community, beyond even what the locals understand, and it seems that they value that.
The crew itself is great. Eliseo and Camilo are all that anyone could ask of a cement mixing team. The pride and ownership that Eliseo has taken for the mixer is an example to even the Earthship crew. The speed at which Camilo works allows him to get ahead of schedule from time to time, and he is quick to provide comic (often mischievous) relief to the crew.
Miguel Angel and Eduardo are another great team. They both have experience in construction, but no real specialty areas. Despite any lack of knowledge, these are two guys that no one has had to tell to get to work. They are both quite, though quick to smile. And from shoveling dirt, to cleaning bottles, to lifting trusses, we have yet to find anyone more efficient.
In this last week it has been fun to watch leaders emerge. Marlo, 35, with a family of five is an exemplary figure to the younger boys both on the site and in the community. He neither smokes nor drinks, and goes hard everyday. He is often the last to leave at the end of the day, refusing to depart before the tools have been properly cleaned and stored.
Fernando Contreraz, son of Efrain, is another strong presence. He is both intelligent and determined, a gentleman with a firm handshake and skilled hands. One of the few literate men on the workforce, I hope that he will continue to develop his building skills while taking on more of a managerial role with the crew.
Jose is the youngest on the crew at 16 years old. He has just graduated sixth grade which means is now attending school only once a week. My understanding is that this is typical in the community since at this point he is expected to start working. Although his age limits his ability to lead, his work ethic is exceptional and his smile is priceless. Someday he’ll grow into that red baseball cap that still slides around on his head.
There are others that have shown strengths and overall it has been a very productive time. Mostly though, it’s about the community. Getting to know these people has been a pleasure. From here, most of them take next week off for the holidays and then begin the endless quest for obtaining temporary jobs to support themselves and their families.
When I return, I look forward to getting as many of them back onboard as possible. Realistically, work will slow slightly as we move into more complex systems and the finer details of the building, so I’ll probably take five to seven and train them as we plan out the next phase. Maybe if this first project gets sold, I can start on another structure or two and have the crew on a permanent basis. We’ll see what the New Year brings…
We’re currently talking about moving forward with five “Tire House Cabanas” (for sale or rent) in an effort to get more people involved in the community and project. I think we’ll run an internship program/tour this spring where we can use the funds to bring a few members from the Taos Crew back down for a week or two. The itinerary is evolving, but could consist of a few days of work, a day of surfing, and a canopy tour, amongst all the other local activities and great food of course. Anyone interested should contact casallanta@gmail.com. We’ll lock down dates in the next few weeks.
Whatever happens, we’ve started something pretty special here. I’ll move forward with that. The rest will take care of itself.
Saludos,
David Kniffin
www.casallanta.com
Earthship construction: Day 14 and Day 15
Friday, December 21st, 2007
The building is taking shape and as hard as it is to put the project on hold for the holidays, we have made great progress. Since Monday, we have been working with a local crew of fifteen as well as three experts in sustainable building from Taos, New Mexico who have stayed to continue to train the local force, and project manager David Kniffin.
There are so many small jobs that need to be done before a project goes on hold for any length of time. Much of the morning was spent cleaning and organizing. But once realistic goals were established and more cement arrived, thanks to the endless trips to the local ferriterias by Lydia Kniffin (of Casa Llanta), the crew eased back into their routine.
The bond beam for the smallest room (systems, washing, and storage), was poured today meaning that the only structural part of the main building left to complete will be the smallest dome.
A third of the front face (the greenhouse) is complete, with three trusses locked into place. The front bottle wall climbed steadily today as well.
The insides of all three rooms have been sight leveled and are just about ready for flooring. We are waiting to see how the first adobe coat cures in this environment before committing to an adobe or concrete plaster finish.
The tools are stored and holiday greetings are exchanged.
Feliz Navidad and we’ll see what the New Year brings for Casa Llanta and the community in El Carrizal.
Technorati Tags: Earthship, green, green building, green movement, green real estate, Nicaragua, nicaragua property, nicaragua real estate, sustainable construction, sustainable housingEarthship construction: Day 13
Wednesday, December 19th, 2007
The day was rainy but spirits were high. Luckily down here in Nicaragua the rain is soft and warm. Presently half of the house is harvesting water into the east cistern when it rains. This means that the oxcarts may not have to haul water for the construction of the project anymore.
Part of the goal for the remaining American team is to hand off to the Nicaraguan crew the techniques for building and Earthship. The intention is to train the local crew to be proficient in this unusual type of construction as they will be the ones building the remaining homes in the community.
Today the Nicaraguan crew plastered the bedroom dome and laid the bottle bricks. Justin worked on establishing the remaining interior arches which hold up the bond beam for the north side of the wood trusses while Demain and Ted built the forework for a portion of the bond beam on the exterior arched wall.
During lunch the sky let loose with a deluge of water making the building a slippery and muddy mess.
It certainly didn’t stop progress on the building though.
The remaining bottle formwork was completed for the systems room, more bottle work on the south wall was done and the whole site received a thorough internal cleanup as the rain has a tendency to send people inside looking for things to do in the dry.
Ladders are at a premium so the crew has become creative in building quick scaffolding to access the areas up high. The formwork on the south side is ready for concrete.
The structure is close to being built and it is now easy to imagine the proportion and location of the spaces. Two more days for the three amigos from Taos. Time has passed by too quickly and San Juan del Sur has been a beautiful and friendly temporary home.
Technorati Tags: Earthship, green, green building, green movement, green real estate, Nicaragua, nicaragua property, nicaragua real estate, sustainable construction, sustainable housingEarthship construction: Day 12
Tuesday, December 18th, 2007
No fibers this morning. Lydia and Jo have volunteered to drive to Managua to buy fibers at the one store in the country that sells them. That drive is a minimum five hours return trip on a less than perfect road, so their efforts are appreciated even before they depart.
At the job-site, the morning is running notably smoother than the previous day despite the few hours of rain last night. It’s a muddy start to the day, but the Nicaraguans glide through the mud like hockey players on ice. It is clear that the mud will not slow us down.
Nevertheless, rain this time of year is strange and we hope that it doesn’t continue. Until the roads are prepped for rain, they are nothing more than flat canals that will simply channel the water in small rivers, cutting away at the soft, exposed topsoil.
There are probably too many hands considering the skill sets of the local crew, the materials, and the technical work that is needed today.
But, it’s a great group of people and the individual personalities are an addition to the site. The people here are eager to work, but the work is new, so it is expected that there will be some standing around.
By the end of the day, Demian has a small section of the front face up to Bond Beam height. Justin has the door-frame placed in the systems room. And Ted has bounced around every spot on site, making sure that everything is up to Earthship standards.
Good forward progress today.
Technorati Tags: Earthship, green, green building, green movement, green real estate, Nicaragua, nicaragua property, nicaragua real estate, sustainable construction, sustainable housingEarthship construction: Day 11
Monday, December 17th, 2007
Today this unique Nicaraguan real estate project entered a new phase. Of the 11 Earthship experts from Taos, New Mexico, USA, only three remain. Ted Elsasser, Justin S, and Demian Larsen have all stayed on to continue to teach the local crew. Two new locals have joined the workforce. They had been observing the work on the site all week and volunteering their hands here and there. It seemed appropriate to make their involvement official.
It’s Monday and there is a different energy surrounding the