 |
| View through opening that I remembered |
It was an ordinary day. Just got back from visiting with David who is
the property manager for a series of three properties located on the top
of the hill overlooking the cruise ship port on the island of Sint Maarten.
A few months ago Carol and I saw an ad in Caribbean Life and Travel
magazine that gave a link to a rental property called Vista Royale. We visited the site and saw photos and a description of not only Vista Royale, but two other properties that were owned by a husband and wife from New Jersey by the name of Alan and Royce Samit. Descriptions and photos really got our interest and we emailed the Samits
asking for more information. We told them that we were visiting the
island soon and were wondering if we could see what the properties
looked like in person. They returned the email and gave us the name of
their property manager, David, and their housekeeper Audrey. Well, we
called David and made arrangements to see the properties today. One was a
3 bedroom house while the other two were condos, one a 1 bedroom and
the other a 2 bedroom. He told me he would give our name to the guard
at the entrance to the gated community, and after getting directions, we
headed across island to the location. Wow, talk about steep inclines,
this had quite a few that led to the community on top of the mountain
that overlooked the harbor as well as the capital city of the Dutch side
of the island, Philispburg. After arrival, David came to meet us and had us follow him to the a parking lot closeby.
We visited the 3 bedroom house first and then headed to the condos
which were located next to each other. As soon as we walked to the
entrance steps I knew I had been here before, even thought I knew that
wasn't possible. Ever feel you have seen or have done something that
you know you never did, but could just swear that you did? Exactly how I
felt. As I walked through the portico and down the steps I could
remember doing it before. But where? Well, we looked first at condo
#115 which he told us he owned, but was similar to the one directly
across from his. Condo #114 was occupied and he wasn't sure we could
look in it. As I looked around his condo I said to Carol, "I've been
here before." "Not with me you haven't," she said. I must have seen it
in a dream, I guess. Anyway, we were able to look in #114 and then
went to #112 to take a look at that. Both had the most fantastic views
of the harbor and surrounding landscape. And, you could see it all by
sitting in your infinity pool on the decks of the properties. Did we
like them? You bet. As we were leaving, all of a sudden it hit me.
"David, was your property ever featured in House Hunters International?"
I asked him. He got this funny smile on his face and said, "Yes it
was. As a matter of fact I was the one they were going to feature on
the show. I was going through a divorce and was going to buy a property
on the island and they thought of using my story. But, they decided it
wasn't the right kind of story for the show and chose the workers from
the cruise ship who auditioned also." Seems you have to audition for
the spots on the show. He went on to explain that ...... "The other
couple had already purchased a property two years before, but their
condo still wasn't finished. They thought they could show a couple of
properties as well as the unfinished property they had purchased and
make a show out of that. In the meantime I purchased this property I
just showed you and they asked if they could use it as one of the
choices for the show. That's why you probably remember the condo." "I
knew I had seen it before," I told Carol. She also remembered it now.
The couple featured on the show, Dia who was from Oklahoma City and was a singer on a cruise ship, and Garo,
her boyfriend and sound engineer on the same cruise ship visited
David's house, another that I couldn't remember, and the place that they
had purchased two years earlier in the condo development called The
Blue Pelican. On the show they eventually buy the house they already
owned and shortly thereafter, it is finished and you get to see what if
looked like furnished. Some of you who watch
the show remember any of this? I certainly do. I guess I should
realize that this is meant to be entertainment and sometimes you have to
MAKE things work out and not hope they do, but having them choose a
house that they already own ......... that's going a little to far for
me. It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.
 |
| View from David's deck that were shown in the show |
 |
| View of the harbor |
 |
| Gate to the Community where the properties were located |
No comments:
Post a Comment