E+S (Envisioning and Storytelling) is one of the greatest real estate markets in North America and beyond .. and this is why

A small collection of E+S's latest press releases to help promote their luxurious and truly unique recreational and residential real estate developments.

E+S uses story to help the largest masterplanned village in New Zealand become a reality

In a country where many things seem fresh, Jacks Point is something altogether new. This 3,000-acre haven, framed by the aptly named Remarkables Mountains and beside the pure waters of Lake Wakatipu, is the first masterplanned community of its kind in New Zealand.

As a groundbreaking undertaking that will be closely watched, countless questions arose for the development team early in the project: What is this place and who is it for? How could Jacks Point protect the integrity of the land and embody the spirit of the area? How to tread lightly? And above all else, how to do this right?

To get to the bottom of what Jacks Point is and could ultimately become, Darby Partners Ltd., the developers and masterplanners for the Jacks Point project, joined E+S on an envisioning journey. Part of the process included a two-day event in adrenaline-filled Queenstown, where a mix of participants gathered to generate the raw material for a consistent, strategic story to guide the vision of this first-ever township.

What will this community look like, feel like, live like? What elements will help Jacks Point put itself - and New Zealand - on the international map? These were the questions tackled together, and we're happy to say the answers are, like the mountains that frame Jacks Point, remarkable.

For more information, contact Ashley Willard by email at ashleywillard@storydriven.com or by telephone 604.913.2226 for the full story.

The developers behind the famous Reynolds Plantation come to E+S to shape their future

Linger Longer, the family development company best known for the success of its Reynolds Plantation in Greensboro, Georgia, was in an enviable position and poised to enjoy a period of significant growth.

As the senior leadership considered its promising future - and before they embarked on a second project to add to their portfolio - Linger Longer needed help defining exactly what the company behind this very famous Plantation stood for. What do they believe in? What differentiates them? How could they create a vision clear enough to guide the company during this time of change? And how could Linger Longer remain true to its core values and strengths no matter which project it pursued?

Enter partner, Envisioning + Storytelling.

To ensure its past success directed its future, Linger Longer participated in E+S's tailored process not only to define its corporate DNA but also to imagine future projects worthy of its aspiration. The observations and big ideas from the session were captured in a Storyline - a foundational document expressing a concise, inspiring direction for Linger Longer and each team member within the company.

E+S and Linger Longer are now working together to bring this story to life. In fact, the strategic pillars of this corporate Storyline have already been applied to the first Linger Longer development outside of Reynolds Plantation - Achasta, a 1,000-acre project in Dahlonega, Georgia.

For more information, contact Ashley Willard by email at ashleywillard@storydriven.com or by telephone 604.913.2226 for the full story.

E+S helps Disney developer transform a once-loved resort ina New England icon

The century-old Mount Washington Resort in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire has a colourful past of ups and downs, from being the first of its kind in 1902 to falling into receivership in the early 1990s.

But some recent attention, love and capital have returned the hotel to its rightful place as one of the most beloved resorts in the east. Following some considerable legwork by three local families (who restored the hotel, and acquired neighbouring golf courses, ski areas and sports clubs), the renowned master planners and developers of Disney's Celebration Community in Orlando came on board.

Celebration Associates engaged E+S to bring about a complete transformation of the Grand Dame as well as 925 surrounding acres, asking how they could do more than just piggyback on the resort's current success. Together, E+S and Celebration wondered how this place could become a vibrant, 21st century destination. How it could attract the attention and hearts of year-round visitors from New Hampshire, New England and beyond.

E+S and Celebration worked closely to gather a sophisticated team of stakeholders and inspirational leaders to unite the disparate pieces of the existing resort into an entity with a single, distinctive "spirit of place."

From this process, the strategic story of the Mount Washington Resort has now emerged. Complete with its own lexicon of ideas, words and themes, this unique and highly practical document will inform long-range development plans and provide team members with a shared understanding of everything from architecture to landscaping, retail programming to the overall feel of the destination.

For more information, contact Ashley Willard by email at ashleywillard@storydriven.com or by telephone 604.913.2226 for the full story.

E+S shows French Hospitality icon Relais & Chateaux how its story goes far beyond luxury

What started in 1954 with eight small, passionate hoteliers on the route between Paris and Nice has grown into a fraternity of 460 establishments (including 150 restaurants in Relais Gourmands) in more than 50 countries on five continents. Without question, the last half of the 20th century belonged to Relais & Chateaux's brand of personalized, luxury hospitality. But what of this century?

Relais & Chateaux recently partnered with E+S to define its place within this competitive landscape, specifically to pinpoint the unique space R&C could own and operate, both as a brand and an association. How could it reaffirm this uniqueness in an enduring story, told in new ways to new audiences? And how might its vast network of members work more effectively to transition the equity of one positive guest experience into another?

Using a process honed over the last two decades, E+S worked with Relais & Chateaux and a group of global thought-leaders, including representatives from Moet & Chandon, American Express, Lancel, Brown-Forman, IMG and Expedia France, to devise a creative yet strategic plan to ensure this unrivaled association stays that way. Presented to Relais & Cheateaux's Board of Directors in Lyon, France in June 2007, the themes and big ideas of its emerging story were universally accepted.

The story is now unfolding. Contact Susan Davis by email at susan@storydriven.com or by telephone at 604.913.2226 to find out more.

Perth Real Estate Prices Close in on Sydney and Small Real Estate Developers in Australia

Property prices in Perth are within reach of eclipsing Sydney as the country’s most expensive, median price data for the September quarter of 2006 shows. Originally published in the Australian Property Investor December 2006 edition on Page 18.

Perth House Prices climbed 39 per cent to $491,587 over the year to September, while Sydney house prices were flat at $520,253 according to composition adjusted medians released by Australian Property Monitors (APM). Unit prices in Perth were up 44 per cent at $341,730, whereas Sydney unit prices dropped 4 per cent to $351,922.

Michael McNamara from APM said the margin between Sydney and Perth house prices was now only 5.5 per cent, just three years ago, Perth prices were half those in Sydney.

“It is interesting to observe that if Perth continues to outperform eastern capitals by the same proportions, then it will soon surpass Sydney for the title of most expensive median house price in the country,” McNamara said. However, he said 39 per cent annual growth was “clearly unsustainable” and tipped that the Perth market would peak in the December quarter this year.

Darwin’s explosive growth also continued in the year to September, with its median house price surpassing Melbourne and Brisbane to make it the fourth most expensive city for houses. In the September quarter itself, growth in Darwin was slowing but still relatively strong. House prices were up 5 per cent over the three months and unit prices climbed 4 per cent.

McNamara tipped that Darwin, like Perth, should peak in the December quarter. “For these markets, much depends on commodity prices as property prices correlate strongly with the commodities index,” he said.

Price growth along the eastern seaboard was virtually non-existent in the September quarter for both houses and units, a fact McNamara puts down to interest rates. “Early this calendar year, property markets in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane showed positive signs, leading us to believe that moderate quarterly growth in median prices would be expected throughout 2006,” he said. However, interest rates rises this year have seen buyers in the markets retreat to a more cautious position.

“Eastern seaboard capital cities are now experiencing a stabilisation phase in their property cycles and we predict that trend will continue for the next 12 to 18 months.”

On a different note, Adelaide rentals are in hot demand. Adelaide’s Hills district has put up the ‘no vacancy’ sign, recording a nil vacancy rate in September. The vacancy rate across the city as a whole remained at 1.6 per cent, Real Estate Institute of South Australia figures showed. That is under the national benchmark of 2 per cent. The Hills region, from Crafers to Nairne, recorded a zero vacancy rate, while the western suburbs had the highest proportion of rentals available at 2 per cent.

Small real estate developers and home developments

Tips and inside knowledge from the Dec ’06 issue of the Australian Property Investor magazine.

Inside Knowledge about small real estate developers
Small developers should always allow themselves a little bit of breathing space with their financing, Tom Riley says, because prices tend to change over the course of a job. He says the contract price for his real estate project grew by about 5 per cent over the 12 months it took to complete. However, thanks to the years he’s spent working in the building industry the price rise didn’t come as a nasty surprise to Tom.

“The real estate contract grew just under $20,000 over the 12 months,” he says. “I was anticipating that there’d be the rise and it wasn’t outside the parameters of what I thought it might be.” Other small developers should be aware that the home prices they’re quoted might change as well, he says. “I hear people say, “we’ve got a fixed price contract’ and they probably have, but there’s always a rise and fall clause in there – and it’s usually a rise.”

As a result it’s not the best idea to spend the maximum amount you can access right from the outset. “You need to be in a position where you’ve got a little bit of extra money to play with.” Tom says he doesn’t blame his real estate builder for the rise, as material costs climbed over the 12 month period and so did the charges for real estate sub-contractors.

Tom’s small real estate development tips
1. Not everyone wants to live on the edge. Have a workable back-up plan in case things go pear-shaped.
2. Running your real estate proposal past the council before you buy can save a lot of anguish later on.
3. Put everything in writing. Even things you think are obvious can be misinterpreted by real estate builders, and you may have to make costly compromises later on.
4. Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Some real estate developers think everyone else is stupid anyway, so you might as well ask if you don’t know.
5. Don’t over capitalise for the area you’re building in. There’s no future in building $500,000 townhouses in a suburb where the media price is under $200,000.
6. Do the sums, then do them again, then halve the potential profit and halve it again. If you can live with the result, do it. If you’re young enough, do it anyways – time will fix most mistakes. Real estate property investment can be forgiving if you can wait long enough.