A facinating article in the new Spring/Summer issue of Private Islands Magazine reveals  how the business of selling private islands actually began. The article is particularly interesting because most island enthusiasts probably think that Farhad Vladi started the business. It turns out that Farhad Vladi gave up on trying to sell islands back in the 70s and it was his then partner Rene Bohm that persisted and ended up finding the first buyer, which sparked the creation of the island business.

I have read pretty much every article ever written about private islands, and many of them mention Farhad Vladi, but none of them mention Rene Bohm.

Read the Full Article

German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently recommended that Greece should sell of some of its state assets, including some of it’s private islands. According to reports, Josef Schlarmann, a senior member of Merkel’s Christian Democrats, and Frank Schaeffler, an MP for the Free Democrats - the junior partner in the centre-right coalition  - apparently told Germany’s Bild daily that the Greek government should consider selling stakes in all its assets to raise more cash.

The BBC says that “dotted in the blue waters of the Aegean are some of the country’s most valuable assets - about 6000 islands, of which only 227 are inhabited”. Some sources say that your own private island could cost as little as 1.5 million euro.

Chris Krolow of Private Islands Online, in a statement did note that more Greek Islands will be coming on the market over the next few months, but would not confirm whether or not these properties would be listed by the Greek Government.

If the economic crisis continues in Greece this could present a rare opportunity to purchase a prstine Greek Island, something that rarely comes on the market.

Source: BBC

However, new delvelopment is bringing new life to the island, transforming it into an ideal urban oasis for New Yorkers.  The new island will draw on the manmade topography of lower Manhattan as a starting point. The southern tip of the island will be transformed into an artificial landscape with occupiable mountains constructed of reclaimed materials from existing Governors Island buildings. Complementary wood bicycles will be available to ply the winding paths between the hills as well as access the adjacent tidal basin, a 10,000 seat amphitheater, and the perimeter promenade with is unique views of New York City and surrounding landmarks.

It will be fantastic to see what this island looks like upon completion. New York is really in need of more recreational space and I think the island will do a great job in achieving this.

Did private islands kill a prominent CEO?

The recent world economic problems have had the unfortunate side-effect of increasing suicides due to business failures and bankruptcies. Sadly, Steven Good, CEO of Chicago-based auction house Sheldon Good, joined those ranks earlier this year. While the reasons for his death are truly known only to him, a failure of a highly publicized private auction and ensuing lawsuits by clients may have played some role – an auction he may have been mislead into holding by a man named Cheyenne Morrison, who at the time claimed to be “The world’s biggest island broker”. However, it appears that Mr. Morrison was not all he made himself out to be – and that his deception may have had devastating consequences for the auction.

UPDATE: Since the private island auction, it has been confirmed that Cheyenne Morrison has been fired from his home-based sales job at Coldwell Banker, and no longer markets himself as a “private island broker”.

UPDATE #2: The original article that brought to light Cheyenne Morrison’s possible involvement in this tragedy has been removed by request of the author.

The bridge house floats on steel trusses that literally bridges the gap between two sloping hill sides.  The house which is pictures was built in Australia for $175,000  and made use of eco friendly material including a rainwater collection system and a photovolatic system. 

To see more great photos of this home visit Inhabitat.

Enjoying a campfire on an island
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Location, location, location: It’s very important to use an open area for your fire. There shouldn’t be branches, power lines or any other debris dangling above the fire.

Clear the area: Make sure there are no boulders, rocks, branches lying around in the vicinity. The spot may seem ideal during the day, but come night time it can become a minefield to walk through.

Choose your seats: You want to figure out which direction the wind is moving and move your seats upwind of the fire. If your guests find themselves sitting downwind they may very well spend the evening breathing smoke.

Choose the size of your fire: Every time my kids visit we end up with these massive fires, and I will admit I tend to get carried away. The fact of the matter is you don’t need to have a fire that can be seen from space if you are only toasting marshmallows. Figure out what you need the fire for and how many people will be sitting around it. Using your common sense you can figure out how big your fire should be.

Dig your hole: Dig a hole about 4 inches deep and coat the bottom and sides with 1 inch of sand (if you are on your sandy beach you probably don’t need to coat). You can also use rocks as a surface for the fire instead of sand. However, the rocks will get scorched and can be unsightly. Avoid root systems, root fires can smolder underground for years!

Ring with Rocks: Outline the hole by piling rocks around the outside. Rocks provide no real safety function but they make the fire look good. Avoid using porous rocks as they have been known to explode.

Start your fire: Use dried kindling and newspapers to get your fire going. Once the fire is going, add larger blocks of wood for a longer burn.

Enjoy: bring, booze, fireworks, bad jokes, marshmallows, scary stories or whatever your friends and family enjoy.  You can build the most beautiful campfire but if you aren’t having fun then what’s the point.

Say goodnight safely: Do not leave your fire unattended at night, even if it has died down. No matter how small the fire is always dowse it with copious amounts of water before turning in. This will help prevent the fire from flaring up and causing damage.