As of April 1, 2012 you can now bring your pet with you on your vacation to the Turks and Caicos Islands. Read up on this document and see what the reqirements are.

BRINGING YOUR PETS TO THE TURKS AND CAICOS ISLANDS AFTER APRIL 1, 2012
The import conditions for bringing a pet into the Turks and Caicos Islands will be revised
to ensure the continued protection of the domestic pet population from rabies and
potential diseases conveyed by ticks and tapeworms. These measures also serve to
protect public’s health while making the importation of pets a much smoother process.
However, until then the current rules will apply.
The Department of Agriculture is urging persons to become familiar with the new
conditions and to ensure that they comply. It is the owner’s responsibility to ensure that
the requirements are met before they decide to travel to the Turks and Caicos Islands
and that all the required documents are accurately completed and submitted on time.
The conditions will depend on whether you are coming from a country considered by the
Department to rabies free or not. The Department currently considers these countries to be free of rabies:

1. Antigua,
2. Australia,
3. Anguilla,
4. Barbados,
5. Dominica,
6. Jamaica,
7. Montserrat,
8. New Zealand,
9. Republic of Ireland,
10. St. Kitts,
11. St. Lucia,
12. St. Vincent,
13. Virgin Islands,
14. United Kingdom
If you are not travelling from any of the countries listed above the import conditions for
pets coming from rabies endemic countries will apply to you. Please ensure that your
pet has been treated for ticks and tapeworms; and is vaccinated against rabies, and
thereafter blood tested for antibodies to ascertain its level of rabies protection. Failure
to comply may result in the animal being refused entry and be returned to the country of
origin at the owner’s expense.

The Department is also recognizing the frequency with which resident pets leave and
return to the Islands. In an effort to address this, the department will also beginning on
that date implement a “re-entry card”. This card will allow resident pets to enter the
territory without an import permit once certain criteria are met.
Owners are also being urged to check the prohibited breeds list to ascertain whether
their pet appears thereon. Breeds that appear on the list will not be given permission to
the Turks and Caicos Islands.
With the high levels of travel to and from the Turks and Caicos Islands and throughout
the world, the risk of infectious diseases is ever increasing. It is our goal to ensure the
Turks and Caicos remain safe for pets as well as their owners. It is our goal to warmly
welcome all visitors who wish to enter these islands with their pets while protecting our
rabies free status.
Dr. Mark Butler
Government Veterinarian

For further information on entry conditions and to see animal import check lists as well
as permit samples, please contact the Department at
animalhealthservicestci@gmail.com or visit our office in Butterfield Square,
Providenciales, Turks and Caicos.

There is absolutely no doubt that like most economies on planet earth, the Turks and Caicos Islands is experiencing a bifurcated real estate market. The global polarization of wealth has created an environment in which the high net worth investors are the ones with the purchasing power and hence the not too surprising results of this analysis of the high-end of the TCI real estate market. The results indicate that the high end has hit recovery!
Here in TCI the properties that are performing well (both from a perspective or tourism and real estate sales) are places like the Amanyara and Parrot Cay (for the very wealthy), the high end luxury resorts on the Grace Bay Beach, and villas scattered around the Leeward, Long Bay, Blue Mountain and Chalk Sound areas. The data used in this article comes from the Turks and Caicos Real Estate Association – Multiple Listing Service (TCREA – MLS) and is not comprehensive in that it does not contain sales from the Amanyara and Parrot Cay. Also, it is difficult to collect data from the local land registry office because it is not yet computerized; hence to collect the data would require individual property hand searches. We do however use a Torrens land registry system which is quite advanced, titles are guaranteed by The Crown and we do not require title insurance.

There were 35 sales in the past 14 months for a total of $60,205,000. The average monthly sales were $4,300,000. For the previous 24 month period of January 1, 2009 to December 31, 2010 the market saw 24 sales for a total of $33,501,700 and average monthly sales of $1,400,000. This represents over a 200% increase in the monthly dollar volume of sales in the two time periods.
It is necessary for any market to hit bottom in order to recover from a recession. Sometimes we miss the early warning signals that the market has hit recovery because we tend to look at data in a tidy cyclical fashion. One of the concerns that I have with the periods of time that I have used in this analysis is that the earlier period covers 2 calendar years and the later period contains 1 calendar year and an extra January and February. One could argue that my data is skewed because the months of January and February are busy months for real estate closings here on Providenciales. The periods were not selected in order to present a biased view but rather to take a snapshot of what is happening in the market right at the moment – to provide a current and up-to-date perspective.
The results of my analysis indicates that if you are in the market for a high-end luxury property here in the Turks & Caicos Islands and wondering whether you would be jumping in too soon, my advice would be to second guess yourself no further – it has bottomed out and on its way up!

Richard Sankar
Co-founder/Broker
Tropical Paradise Realty
www.tprealty.com
richard@tprealty.com
649-231-6211
Candidate for a master’s of science in Real Estate Development, Nova Southeastern University

Check out the January 2012 issue of Ocean Home Magazine! On page 38 you’ll see a feature on the Turks & Caicos Islands, it’s fantastic that these amazing islands are getting noticed all over the world. If you’ve been thinking of buying real estate here, it’s time you started taking steps to secure your own piece of paradise, before our well-kept secret isn’t a secret anymore! There are still plenty of island hideaways, and we’ve still got lots of unspoiled charm! http://digital.oceanhomemag.com/issue/49578

Using natural vegetation in your landscape plan, is a great way to create an environment that is truly Caribbean. It’s also one that will leave you far less frustrated than attempting to use plants that are not suited for the environment.

Here on Providenciales there is little in the way of topsoil, and most of the year we get very little rainfall. The rain we do get is quickly burned off by our hot island sun.

While cruising around the island, have a good look at the natural landscape. We have some incredibly beautiful flowering plants, some hardy and pretty cacti, not to mention many varieties of trees that can provide shade without being a burden on your cistern or water bill.

For more information you can check out the following book: http://www.amazon.com/conspicuous-economically-important-tropical-Caribbean/dp/0961261021/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1315416037&sr=8-7

And have a look at one of my favourite island plants…the Flamboyant Tree.

Shopping on Providenciales used to be sort of like a treasure hunt, only frustrating and without a prize at the end. But in the past few years, things have changed dramatically. It’s now possible to get virtually anything you could want or need, right here on island!

We are served by several grocery stores, my favourite is in the Grace Bay area and is called Graceway Gourmet. It carries fresh produce, great cuts of meat, a huge selection of dry good not to mention they have a fantastic deli with delicious meals, and a first rate coffee shop that can make any kind of fancy coffee you desire.

For clothing, we have Blue Surf Shop at The Saltmills which carry trendy casual brands like O’Neill, Billabong, and Reef. There’s also Philosophy Boutique where you can go to find casual clothes as well as dressier items for a night out, it is located at The Regent Village. At Graceway Plaza on Leeward Highway you can find a great bookstore, Unicorn Books, Flamingo Pharmacy, and another grocery store, the IGA.

These are just a few of the places I shop regularly, if you’re looking for a specific item, odds are your concierge – or your Realtor! – can point you in the right direction.

Like most island nations, our utility costs can quickly get out of control in the hot months of summer. With temperatures creeping and humidity peaking, the benefits of a properly positioned home, with all the right features, can make a huge difference in your energy costs.

Here on Providenciales and the other islands in the Turks and Caicos, we enjoy a virtually year-round trade wind that often cool your home sufficiently, but the home must be angled to catch the breezes. Windows with shutters are preferable, so you can shut out the sun and limit solar gain – not to mention the rays’ fading effect on finishings and furnishings! Keeping your cooking out of doors will also help, that means BBQs and outdoor kitchens, all year long!

But one of the very best ways to keep cool is, of course, a relaxing dip in the sea.