Supply and demand. It is the most fundamental of principles and the backbone of the free market. Why? Because limited availability always enhances desirability; perhaps nowhere is this truer than in the luxury resort real estate market.

As we all know, there is only so much shoreline along the Sea of Cortez. The valleys surrounding Lake Tahoe may be home to a seemingly endless Sierra Nevada skyline, but fine homesites there are clearly finite. And newly emerging communities in exotic locales such as St. Kitts Peninsula will only remain undiscovered for so long. 

Contributing to the scarce opportunities for luxury real estate in such wonderful places are the significant challenges in developing the land that does remain. With credible environmental concerns and ever-growing conservation efforts, even when land can be acquired, it cannot always be made available to those who want to buy it.

The unprecedented transfer of wealth from baby boomers also contributes strongly to the demand for upscale luxury real estate. Never before have so many had the means to acquire homes, second homes and vacation homes in the best places. What’s more, this generation of buyers is largely predisposed to acquire something of lasting value. So, one quickly sees the strong nexus between able buyers and the scarcity of distinctive communities in highly sought-after places.

Yet, in the final analysis, it is more than scarcity alone that drives the demand of our day; for the able must be willing. And that which makes them willing is finding true excellence where they look. Highly informed and acutely astute buyers of our time demand communities that are created in good conscience, with sound economics, absolute quality and world-class amenities. And they quickly recognize developments where these factors are absent. Quite simply, these are the ingredients that propel IMI-represented communities — and the truly upscale market we represent — into a state of constant demand.

Said another way, IMI represents what makes the luxury, resort real estate market so strong: developments that are created by visionary developers with sterling reputations, that are capitalized by equity partners with the highest credentials, and are designed by renowned planners with distinctive talent. This results in communities that possess a level of exclusivity, comfort, luxury and beauty, making them the best in their class.

As IMI partner Ron Rasmussen puts it: “People will never stop buying what they want when they can afford it. So, in a very real sense, the biggest risk these discerning customers face is the risk of a lost ownership opportunity.”

This is why IMI remains committed to introducing you — our customers — to the most distinctive and sought-after luxury, resort communities in the most sought-after destinations in North America and the Caribbean. And that is why the market for such offerings has never been stronger.