Santa Catalina Island, Calif.
$699,000
A 1,109-square-foot furnished Mediterranean-style condominium in Avalon with two bedrooms and two bathrooms and a golf-cart parking space
DETAILS: The condo, built in 1988, has travertine tile floors and two balconies including a private deck off the master bedroom. Shared amenities include a pool, an 18-hole putting green and a croquet court.
ISLAND LIFE: Santa Catalina Island is 22 miles off the coast of Los Angeles. A ferry between Avalon and Long Beach, Calif., departs about every two hours. Most residents use golf carts for transport.
Juan Dolio, Dominican Republic
$630,000
A 2,259-square-foot contemporary villa with three bedrooms, four bathrooms, staff quarters and a two-car garage
DETAILS: Completed last year, the two-story home comes fully furnished. The triple-height foyer has a wooden staircase made of Brazilian hardwood and eucalyptus railings. Floor-to-ceiling glass sliding doors opens the dining and living rooms to the pool and yard.
ISLAND LIFE:The villa is part of a private gated community called the Club Residences, Collection Guavaberry. There’s an 18-hole golf course, polo and equestrian facilities.
NEARBY SANDS: Residents have access to a private beach club and beach, a seven-minute drive away.
NEARBY SANDS: Hamilton Cove, a private beach, is just outside.
Harkers Island, N.C.
$749,900
A bank-owned oceanfront home of 3,827 square feet with four bedrooms, five bathrooms and a powder room on 0.6 acres
DETAILS: This three-story home, built in 2006, includes a two-car garage, an elevator, two offices and a porch with a hot tub.
ISLAND LIFE: Harkers Island, on North Carolina’s central coast, is about five miles long and 0.75 miles wide and has a large second-home community.
NEARBYSANDS: The home sits on the edge of West Mouth Bay. There’s a beach out front at low tide. There are other sandy beaches nearby on the island.
That is a really beautiful home, but unless I had the cash to buy it, I wouldn’t give a bank the time of day to finance it.
Banks have earned their place on my Public Enemy list; #3. They just don’t see us as people like they use to. Insurance Companies and Lawyers are worse and, of course, my list is exclusive of government, but Banks look at us and see no heart, no soul, no face. It makes me glad that they bombed and sad that we saved them.
http://splashinthepacific.wordpress.com/2009/09/05/public-enemy-3-banks-by-a-thumb/