Black Jewel

Chapter 29 - Re'Olan Island

Darlene and the others left the restaurant and went to check out the new property on Re'Olan Island. It was only the most expensive zip code in South Florida. It was a secluded residential community nestled on three hundred acres of tropical paradise. This man-made island housed exquisite condos, luxurious waterfront mansion estates and a small resort. Blue skies and blue ocean was this paradise's backyard. Living here was a lifestyle, not just a residential experience.

Re'Olan Island catered to the rich and famous and provided state-of-the-art amenities, including an elite 2-story fitness center, 9-hole golf course, lavish day spa, an interactive park with a children's playground, an international bank, grade school K-8, two grocery stores and wellness co-op wth a farmer's market inside. There were also a variety of restaurants, designer boutiques, medical offices, business offices and all emergency services were available. Golf carts were the mode of transportation around the island.

There were three ways to get on and off the island. The main source of transportation was by ferry or private yacht. There were twelve ferry stations readily available for residents and visitors. Ferry services ran every twenty minutes, 24 hours a day for departures and arrivals. There were also two marinas housing private yachts.

The second way was by helicopter. There was a small helipad on the east corner of the island. The roof of Blair's building and golf course could also be used in case of an emergency.

Last, there was a small bridge that connected the island to a parking garage just over the water. Residents could travel by golf cart across the bridge and retrieve their vehicles from the garage.

Blair, Crystale and Carla all lived on Re'Olan Island. Lola and Blair's parents owned a penthouse there as well.

Blair lived in the most prestigious sub-division, Luna De Oro. It was the single tallest condo building residing in the very center of the island. Luna de Oro had eighteen floors offering only forty residences and came with over-the-top architectural designs, marble flooring, concierge service, private elevators and a golf cart per resident.

However, Blair's parents converted the seventeenth and eighteenth floor into the largest living space on the island. With just over 16,000 square feet between the two floors, Blair's unit was the most extravagant and custom-designed to fit his taste and style. It had six bedrooms, seven bathrooms and an open floor plan. He also added a mini glass elevator inside the unit and garden terraces.

Crystale, Lola and Blair's parents owned the only penthouses in the second most prominent condo sub-division, Aqua Azul. Aqua Azul was comprised of three buildings with fifteen floors in each of them. They were the second tallest buildings on the island with penthouses residing on the top floors. These four-bedroom, six and half bath homes had 7,980 square feet of high ceilings, stylish architectural components and floor to ceiling windows that overlooked the ocean. Theirs' came with private golf carts and concierge services as well, but only because of who they were.

Then, there were two sub-divisions that housed mansion estates, Casa Del Mar and Casa Del Paraiso. These estates ranged from 9,000 to 14,000 square feet with at least four bedrooms.

Carla and Bynum lived in Casa Del Mar sub-division. They resided in a 10,000 square foot, Spanish hacienda with six bedrooms and eight bathrooms and a private pool with jacuzzi. Bynum added a basketball court to practice and Carla added a dance room.

Darlene was the broker for the island. She teamed up with Blair's parents and created a lucrative partnership. She was responsible for all real estate transactions that occurred: from purchases and sales to leasing and rentals. Blair, Crystale and Lola were three of her six licensed real estate agents under her brokerage firm in Miami. So, everyone made money and it stayed within the family.

Darlene's new project was Mar Del Reyes. It was a newly constructed sub-division that sat on the southeast side of the island. Three of the four buildings contained one and two bedroom condos while the fourth building contained what no other development had...spacious lofts.

They went into the building manager's office in building one. Darlene opened her briefcase and got down to business.

"Ok...so the expected revenue for each of the buildings with one and two bedroom condos is 50 million. The building with the lofts is expected to make 100 million. You can pick the building you want. I'm taking the lofts. And this time, you can only purchase the first floor as investment properties."

"I'll take building 1," said Blair.

"I'll take 2," said Crystale.

"I have three," said Lola.

"All of the buildings have the same layout. There are design differences, but all upscale and premium materials."

"Why do we only get to purchase one floor in each building?" asked Blair.

"Because there are only twelve floors this time."

Blair's parents usually allowed a larger number of units to be purchased at cost for them to invest, however there weren't that many floors. And since Darlene was the broker, they had first dibs.

Lola, Crystale and Blair each purchased the first floor of their buildings, giving them five units. Darlene purchased the first floor of lofts, giving her three units. They'd turn around and sell at market value to earn a huge profit.