1)The houses at Cherry Gardens are too expensive and CCM will build them for half the price

I was so shocked to hear an exchange between Mary Clarke and the Honourable Mark Brantley during an “On the Mark” program where Mr. Brantley claimed that the houses were too expensive and that “the CCM could build them for half the price”.  It sounds good, almost poetic but it is blatantly false.  I have been valuing homes now for the past five years. Let us look at the facts.  A Bamboo house which is 3 bedroom 880 square feet with approximately 5000 square feet of land is being sold by the NRP for $168,308.00.  Land at Cherry Gardens is conservatively valued at EC $6.50 a square foot due to the fact that it has all the amenities and infrastructure needed.  This is about the same price that land is sold in Prospect.  Conservatively then land alone is $32,500.00.  A basic estimate for construction is $280.00 a square foot which would mean that an 880 square foot home would cost $246,000.00.  It means that if one were to pay for a bamboo home at market value it would be $278,900.00 which equates to just over $110,000.00 or approximately 40% savings.  The NHLDC then saves each bamboo home owner 40% of market price.  If the CCM can get a Bamboo house done at half the price it would mean that they would be selling house and land at $84,154.00.  This would mean that even if the CCM sells the land for $2.00 a square foot, they want to convince us Nevisians that they could build the houses at $84.00 a square foot.  Now which contractor in 2011 will build a house for $84.00 a square foot when the cost of living continues to increase especially when their regular market price is $200.00 more at $280.00 a square foot? Log on to www.nhldc.com for yourself and click on floor plans and do the math for yourself.  I asked Michael Dore for a second opinion.  You can even ask Mr. Spencer Brand or Mr. Edric Stanley who are seasoned valuers and ask them how much houses are valued for.  Ask a contractor how much they build houses for.   The truth is only Jesus who gives us what we don’t deserve freely can give us a house for that and Mark Brantley and the CCM certainly isn’t Jesus.

2) THE CCM will remove fuel surcharge for domestic users when they get into power

I did my checks and called Mr. Cartwright Farrell to ask him about this fuel surcharge matter.  He directed me to Carilec.com which “is an association of electric utilities, suppliers, manufactures and other stakeholders operating in the electricity industry in the Caribbean.” It was established in 1989 and oversees the operations of all electricity companies.  My research showed that the fuel surcharge in Nevis for the month of May was the second lowest in the entire OECS bettered only by St Lucia who has a much higher tariff structure than Nevlec anyway.  Additionally Mr. Farrell explained that approximately $800,000.00 was paid on fuel for domestic users last month.  Let us do the math.  It means that if CCM gets into power they will use government money to pay $800,000.00 per month for our electricity.  Where will this money miraculously come from?  If they decide to charge higher commercial rates of fuel surcharge it will result in a marked increase of goods and services.  The businesses will be passing on the increase back to our pockets in the supermarkets and stores thus further driving up the cost of doing business in Nevis and making it harder for people to get into business.  So again it sounds poetic but where is the proof of its possibility.

3) THE CCM will bring back Newfound and get a 150 room hotel within 2 years of it being in office

This is the most blatant hogwash ever. Lets analyse.   In 2004 Newfound’s accounts showed that it was already in a deficit situation.  By September of 2006, Newfound was listed on the UK’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM) at 65p. per share.  However by May 9^th 2009, the price was only .35p.  They were delisted three days later on May 12 2009 because they could not afford be on the AIM.  To add insult to injury, by 2009, their Humber Valley Resort, went into bankruptcy.  Newfound went through new ownership and new management between 2006 and 2009 and still had liquidity issues.  By 2009 all Newfound could say they owned was a 75% share in the 430 acres of land in Nevis (the NRP took back 170 acres) and some interest in the 40 acres of land in St Kitts known as Ocean Edge Estate. To make matters worse in 2009 Newfound was partly owned by a UK Company Agilo Ltd.  Agilo is described as a Fund that invests in distressed companies.  Fast forward to the Humber Valley Resort Website (www.humbervalley.com) today and you will see a Press Release there from March 2010 which shows that Noton Enterprises Ltd et al have purchased Humber Valley Resort under a new entity Humber Valley Resort Corporation 2010.  By 2011 Newfound does not even own anything in the Ocean Edge Estate and is basically no more.  The CCM again wants to act like Jesus and rise Newfound like Lazarus from the dead and miraculously force this broke company with no history of sustained success to build a 150 room hotel within 2 years.  Give me a break.

The CCM will continue to campaign in poetry but they will have to govern in prose.  Selah

1)The houses at Cherry Gardens are too expensive and CCM will build them for half the price

I was so shocked to hear an exchange between Mary Clarke and the Honourable Mark Brantley during an “On the Mark” program where Mr. Brantley claimed that the houses were too expensive and that “the CCM could build them for half the price”.  It sounds good, almost poetic but it is blatantly false.  I have been valuing homes now for the past five years. Let us look at the facts.  A Bamboo house which is 3 bedroom 880 square feet with approximately 5000 square feet of land is being sold by the NRP for $168,308.00.  Land at Cherry Gardens is conservatively valued at EC $6.50 a square foot due to the fact that it has all the amenities and infrastructure needed.  This is about the same price that land is sold in Prospect.  Conservatively then land alone is $32,500.00.  A basic estimate for construction is $280.00 a square foot which would mean that an 880 square foot home would cost $246,000.00.  It means that if one were to pay for a bamboo home at market value it would be $278,900.00 which equates to just over $110,000.00 or approximately 40% savings.  The NHLDC then saves each bamboo home owner 40% of market price.  If the CCM can get a Bamboo house done at half the price it would mean that they would be selling house and land at $84,154.00.  This would mean that even if the CCM sells the land for $2.00 a square foot, they want to convince us Nevisians that they could build the houses at $84.00 a square foot.  Now which contractor in 2011 will build a house for $84.00 a square foot when the cost of living continues to increase especially when their regular market price is $200.00 more at $280.00 a square foot? Log on to www.nhldc.com for yourself and click on floor plans and do the math for yourself.  I asked Michael Dore for a second opinion.  You can even ask Mr. Spencer Brand or Mr. Edric Stanley who are seasoned valuers and ask them how much houses are valued for.  Ask a contractor how much they build houses for.   The truth is only Jesus who gives us what we don’t deserve freely can give us a house for that and Mark Brantley and the CCM certainly isn’t Jesus.

2) THE CCM will remove fuel surcharge for domestic users when they get into power

I did my checks and called Mr. Cartwright Farrell to ask him about this fuel surcharge matter.  He directed me to Carilec.com which “is an association of electric utilities, suppliers, manufactures and other stakeholders operating in the electricity industry in the Caribbean.” It was established in 1989 and oversees the operations of all electricity companies.  My research showed that the fuel surcharge in Nevis for the month of May was the second lowest in the entire OECS bettered only by St Lucia who has a much higher tariff structure than Nevlec anyway.  Additionally Mr. Farrell explained that approximately $800,000.00 was paid on fuel for domestic users last month.  Let us do the math.  It means that if CCM gets into power they will use government money to pay $800,000.00 per month for our electricity.  Where will this money miraculously come from?  If they decide to charge higher commercial rates of fuel surcharge it will result in a marked increase of goods and services.  The businesses will be passing on the increase back to our pockets in the supermarkets and stores thus further driving up the cost of doing business in Nevis and making it harder for people to get into business.  So again it sounds poetic but where is the proof of its possibility.

3) THE CCM will bring back Newfound and get a 150 room hotel within 2 years of it being in office

This is the most blatant hogwash ever. Lets analyse.   In 2004 Newfound’s accounts showed that it was already in a deficit situation.  By September of 2006, Newfound was listed on the UK’s Alternative Investment Market (AIM) at 65p. per share.  However by May 9^th 2009, the price was only .35p.  They were delisted three days later on May 12 2009 because they could not afford be on the AIM.  To add insult to injury, by 2009, their Humber Valley Resort, went into bankruptcy.  Newfound went through new ownership and new management between 2006 and 2009 and still had liquidity issues.  By 2009 all Newfound could say they owned was a 75% share in the 430 acres of land in Nevis (the NRP took back 170 acres) and some interest in the 40 acres of land in St Kitts known as Ocean Edge Estate. To make matters worse in 2009 Newfound was partly owned by a UK Company Agilo Ltd.  Agilo is described as a Fund that invests in distressed companies.  Fast forward to the Humber Valley Resort Website (www.humbervalley.com) today and you will see a Press Release there from March 2010 which shows that Noton Enterprises Ltd et al have purchased Humber Valley Resort under a new entity Humber Valley Resort Corporation 2010.  By 2011 Newfound does not even own anything in the Ocean Edge Estate and is basically no more.  The CCM again wants to act like Jesus and rise Newfound like Lazarus from the dead and miraculously force this broke company with no history of sustained success to build a 150 room hotel within 2 years.  Give me a break.

The CCM will continue to campaign in poetry but they will have to govern in prose.  Selah