The credit crunch is hitting buyers in Las Vegas hard and some would-be investors now can’t land a loan. Read Full Article »

A recent court ruling in Florida may have a big impact on condo buyers looking to get out of their pre-construction contracts. Read Full Article »

So this is what it has come to. Condo-hotels, over. Condo-motels, hot enough to land a cover story in the New York Times. Read Full Article »

The Halogen Guides network of websites is growing fast, and to better serve our readers we’ve put together a short and confidential reader survey. Read Full Article »

With construction at a standstill, and the developer desperately seeking new financing, RockResorts pulls out of a deal to manage the Chateau at Heavenly Village, a struggling Lake Tahoe condo-hotel. Read Full Article »

Will a combination of recognized name brand and more exotic destinations spell success for Nikki Beach in the condo-hotel game? Read Full Article »

Fed up buyers and possible class action lawsuits. Will the latest challenges to hit the condo-hotel market knock out this once highflying concept? Read Full Article »

The condo-hotel market is struggling, and now some owners may find they are unable to quickly sell their units because of strict clauses in their contracts. Read Full Article »

Luxury developer Capella will offer whole and fractional ownership options at three of its upcoming resorts. Halogen Guides takes a look at what’s for sale and what you’ll pay. Read Full Article »

Second home sales have taken a direct hit in the current real estate market slowdown, according the National Association of Realtors’ (NAR) annual survey of investment and vacation home buyers. The realtors group, always eager to put a sunny spin on ... Read Full Article »

The “f” word has reared its head again. Foreclosure rates are up across the country as homeowners are squeezed between falling home values and rising mortgage rates that have made keeping up with monthly payments a struggle for many. ... Read Full Article »

Bal Harbour was founded by Robert C. Graham sixty years ago as a “dream village,” and the community’s small size has never been exploited; developers have long adhered to a philosophy of “quality, not quantity” here, and the result is ... Read Full Article »

At the annual Ragatz Associates Fractional Interest Conference this week, the expected sunny spin on the growth of the private residence club industry was shadowed by a grim reality. First Fractional Funding, a Greenwood Village, Colo.-based mortgage company that ... Read Full Article »

The 1 Hotel + Residences, a luxury condo-hotel project in downtown Seattle, has stopped construction pending a redesign of the building that will scale down the number of condo units in the building, according to an article in the Seattle ... Read Full Article »

Nearly 300 inches of snow have fallen this ski season, and real estate sales of mountain homes and fractional residences remain strong, but the founders of Idaho’s Tamarack Resort couldn’t escape the fallout from the multi-billion dollar French banking scandal. ... Read Full Article »

Wine and mud may seem like odd bedfellows, but in Calistoga, Calif., on the northern edge of Napa Valley, the two go hand in hand. Tourists flock to this corner of wine country to dip themselves in the mineral ... Read Full Article »

Two things that legendary ski destination Telluride has no shortage of are 14,000-foot peaks and luxury vacation home options. With a first-of-its-kind gondola system connecting the historic town of Telluride to the nearby modern resort enclave of Mountain Village, ... Read Full Article »

Think Idaho, and likely the second home hub and celebrity mecca, Sun Valley, comes to mind. But Idaho’s resort living footprint is now expanding to other areas. Most notable is Tamarack Resort, a ski mountain and growing vacation ... Read Full Article »

Florida has been one of the hardest hit states in the U.S. real estate slowdown. Tourism mecca Orlando has suffered accordingly, but is also seeing projects go forward because of the area’s appeal to foreign buyers. This week Orlando ... Read Full Article »

It’s no secret that Costa Rica’s Peninsula Papagayo has become a tourist magnet. Located on the country’s north Pacific coast, only 30 minutes from Liberia’s international airport, the 2,300-acre peninsula is comprised of 15 miles of coastline, 31 distinct beaches ... Read Full Article »

These aren’t easy times for the condo hotel industry. While home prices are dropping and sales of new homes sank more than 26 percent last year, condo-hotel developers have their own host of worries: namely, getting their projects off ... Read Full Article »

These aren’t easy times for the condo hotel industry. While home prices are dropping and sales of new homes sank more than 26 percent last year, condo-hotel developers have their own host of worries: namely, getting their projects off ... Read Full Article »

Dubai is the land of over the top gimmicks, from its vast indoor ski resort to its man-made palm tree-shaped private islands. It’s no surprise then, that two of its newest luxury real estate developments, Damac Heights and Lincoln ... Read Full Article »

Las Vegas is living up to its easy come, easy go reputation. In the home of the eternal optimists (riches after all are just one blackjack hand away) the past week has turned out a mixed bag of news. On the ... Read Full Article »

As Palm Springs undergoes its renaissance as a desert luxury destination with more than just golf, the city is also beginning to attract more developers and second home buyers. Nearby desert community La Quinta is already home to residences owned ... Read Full Article »

As Palm Springs undergoes its renaissance as a desert luxury destination with more than just golf, the city is also beginning to attract more developers and second home buyers. Nearby desert community La Quinta is already home to residences owned ... Read Full Article »

As Palm Springs undergoes its renaissance as a desert luxury destination with more than just golf, the city is also beginning to attract more developers and second home buyers. Nearby desert community La Quinta is already home to residences owned ... Read Full Article »

As Palm Springs undergoes its renaissance as a desert luxury destination with more than just golf, the city is also beginning to attract more developers and second home buyers. Nearby desert community La Quinta is already home to residences owned ... Read Full Article »

As Palm Springs undergoes its renaissance as a desert luxury destination with more than just golf, the city is also beginning to attract more developers and second home buyers. Nearby desert community La Quinta is already home to residences owned ... Read Full Article »

Hollywood has taken quite a shine to Toronto and a bevy of films are being shot in this cosmopolitan Canadian city. But it’s not just the movie industry eyeing our northern neighbor. Developers have flocked to Toronto, which now has ... Read Full Article »

A new luxury lodge—a green chateau of sorts—is set to open at Heavenly Village in South Lake Tahoe as part of a $420 million redevelopment plan. At the base of the Heavenly Mountain Resort near the California state line, the Chateau ... Read Full Article »

The Dominican Republic, once a distant second fiddle to such Caribbean destinations as St. Thomas and Anguilla, has confidently stepped into the spotlight thanks to an impressive crop of luxury resort developments, 21 golf courses (including designer courses by Dye, ... Read Full Article »

Winter sports lovers eager to stake their claim on the Colorado snow and own some mountainside real estate will be glad to hear that Kor Hotel Group has announced the groundbreaking of the Viceroy Snowmass, minutes from Aspen Mountain. The condo ... Read Full Article »

There is no shortage of condominiums in South Florida these days (the Multiple Listing Service has nealy 23,000 condos and townhomes for sale in Miami alone) and while some projects have stalled, there are noteable projects getting ready to open ... Read Full Article »

With successful real estate developments in fractional-heavy locales like Aspen and Hawaii, Ritz-Carlton is now headed south to Miami. Scheduled for completion in 2009, the Ritz-Carlton Club and Residences, South Beach, will consist of several oceanfront towers, one of which ... Read Full Article »

Mammoth Mountain, tucked into the eastern Sierra Nevadas, has largely been a ski resort destination for Los Angelenos willing to make a five hour drive for premium snow. Since the resort lacks regular commercial air service, it has been relegated ... Read Full Article »

San Diego has traditionally had two personalities, both sleepy. As the summer home for Arizona residents, San Diego has long attracted desert dwellers escaping triple digit heat. The beach town is also a relaxing escape for those high ... Read Full Article »

San Diego has traditionally had two personalities, both sleepy. As the summer home for Arizona residents, San Diego has long attracted desert dwellers escaping triple digit heat. The beach town is also a relaxing escape for those high ... Read Full Article »

San Diego has traditionally had two personalities, both sleepy. As the summer home for Arizona residents, San Diego has long attracted desert dwellers escaping triple digit heat. The beach town is also a relaxing escape for those high ... Read Full Article »

It’s no secret that the Florida real estate market has taken a broadside hit. There have been high profile project flame outs (who can forget the failed Hilton sister entrance into hospitality with the never opened, Nicky O condo ... Read Full Article »

If you think Canada is simply our sleepy neighbor to the north just take a look at Vancouver, where the market for luxury resort condominiums has taken on a price frenzy akin to the New York real estate market. Exhibit ... Read Full Article »

If you think Canada is simply our sleepy neighbor to the north just take a look at Vancouver, where the market for luxury resort condominiums has taken on a price frenzy akin to the New York real estate market. Exhibit ... Read Full Article »

The building that Donald Trump famously called his “Mona Lisa” when he bought it in 1988 has finally opened its condo hotel sales. After closing in April 2005 for $400 million of renovation, and recently selling private residences for as ... Read Full Article »

The building that Donald Trump famously called his “Mona Lisa” when he bought it in 1988 has finally opened its condo hotel sales. After closing in April 2005 for $400 million of renovation, and recently selling private residences for as ... Read Full Article »

Weekend warriors who ski and snowboard can find a wide open getaway in the wilderness of Idaho, at the developing Fairmont Tamarack condominium hotel. Built near Big Payette Lake, the Fairmont condo hotel project will have 224 rooms, 69 penthouses ... Read Full Article »

With recent press coverage in the Wall Street Journal and in the Seattle Times, the $120 million Four Seasons Seattle project remains a prime example of robust condo hotel development, even in a soft housing market. From the developer’s perspective, ... Read Full Article »

With recent press coverage in the Wall Street Journal and in the Seattle Times, the $120 million Four Seasons Seattle project remains a prime example of robust condo hotel development, even in a soft housing market. From the developer’s perspective, ... Read Full Article »

With recent press coverage in the Wall Street Journal and in the Seattle Times, the $120 million Four Seasons Seattle project remains a prime example of robust condo hotel development, even in a soft housing market. From the developer’s perspective, ... Read Full Article »

Helium Report has launched our sixth directory of luxury fractional ownership providers. Over 170 condo hotels are represented in this latest directory, which includes listings in the U.S., Caribbean, Canada, Mexico, Central America, Europe, and Asia. Some examples include: Calistoga Ranch ... Read Full Article »

Real Estate: State of the Lake Tahoe Market When considering where to buy homes in the Lake Tahoe area, Helium Report asserts that market research is essential. Tom Bruno, a Coldwell Banker broker with 30+ years of experience in the Lake ... Read Full Article »

We came across this condo hotel article in the Wall Street Journal a little while back. As with most mainstream coverage of condo hotels, a good portion of the article is a primer for people new to the concept (see ... Read Full Article »

Eugenia Levenson of Fortune magazine recently identified five key markets for buyers in the volatile condominium market. The article is part of Fortune’s 2007 retirement guide, so the recommendations are more targeted to residents than speculators. #1: Miami Miami’s overbuild is now ... Read Full Article »

The four-part Helium Report Guide to Condo Hotels concludes with some key questions for consumers to ask before purchasing. With the basics of condo hotels explained, analyst Calvin Chin distills the final questions. See the first three parts to the ... Read Full Article »

Luxury goods marketers spend a good deal of time honing their pitch; positioning their goods and services in a restrained and dignified manner that resonates with their clientele. But the pressure of “making the numbers” and the gut instincts of ... Read Full Article »

Discovery is a weekly look at projects, planned or under construction, featuring luxury vacation properties around the world. Discovery content is independent and not paid for by the featured company. Discovery’s aim is to provide objective information and to help ... Read Full Article »

A popular option for those who want to get involved in luxury real estate is condo hotels. Condo hotels essentially allow consumers to buy (and then later rent, if they wish) condominium units at their hotel. As with any real ... Read Full Article »

The Miami real estate market, emblematic of the boom, is now partially symbolic of what is happening in the downturn. Affluent consumers seeking second home alternatives should reference a May 6th article in the New York Times. Some of the ... Read Full Article »

Earlier this month, the Edge Group announced that it was canceling the planned W Las Vegas mixed-use project. First proposed in 2005 for a 2008 opening, the project plan included 3,000 condo hotel units, 10 restaurants and nightclubs, a 75,000 ... Read Full Article »

We continue our four-part Guide to Condo Hotels with a look at some brands and sample projects. Analyst Calvin Chin explains the major condo hotel players and some of their residential offerings. Continued from Helium Report’s Guide to Condo Hotels ... Read Full Article »

The National Association of Condo Hotel Owners (NACHO) was founded in 2006 and is, as described on their website, “a non-profit trade association, representing the entire life cycle of the condo hotel segment from interested individuals and buyers, developers, supporting ... Read Full Article »

We continue our four-part Guide to Condo Hotels with a look at the cost of ownership. Analyst Calvin Chin breaks down the math and analyzes both income and appreciation potential. Click here to read Part 1 of the Guide (Condo ... Read Full Article »

We’re extending our editorial coverage this week to include another luxury real estate option: condo hotels. In a four-part series, Helium Report analyst Calvin Chin explains the concept, analyzes the numbers, reviews major players, and provides a list of key ... Read Full Article »