Castlewood?

[warslayer]

Hi, I'm a newbie here in money mind.. some sales from Castlewood has been calling me saying i gotta hv a 5% guaranteed return in 1st year .. sounds too gd to be true .. can I know if there are any feedback or comments on this pls?

i googled for an existing thread but seems like not much was discussed.. is this something new? any advice? thanks!

 

[Dividends Warrior]

Ignore the sales call.

 

[lawtjw1985]

/ignore. Nothing is guaranteed =D

 

[C32B]

Castlewood is for young children. Stock market is for adults.

 

[alexchia01]

I had encountered Castlewood's sales people at this year's investor's fair before.

After much Q&As, I still don't understand why they do what they do.

This company is weird.

Castlewood portrait itself as a developer, yet it focus more on its investment program than its development project.

The Hotels were suppose to be completed in Oct 2013, but it was pushed back to Feb 2014. And looking at the progress pictures from their website, the project seems to be in its early stage. So I doubt they can complete by the Feb 2014 deadline.

Even so, they didn't explain to the investors why the project is delayed. They just keep asking for more money.

During the Investor's Fair, their sales person's main sales tactic is the 5% to 18% guaranteed annual return. However when asked where the guarantee come from when the hotels are still in development, he could not answer.

No hotel, No income, so how to guarantee 5% to 18% return?

He keeps throwing smoke answers at me. Anyway, I don't think he knows how the 5% to 18% come from too. He just want to close sales and get his commission.

I must say that Castlewood has very impressive website, looks legit. However, if you look closely, the company has yet to produce any concrete result. Just lots of hype on what to come, if it ever come.

 

[warslayer]

hmm.. thks for the advice.. i will reject him better be safe.

 

[Mr.Huttons]

Will Castlewood Investments be the next Gold Guarantee etc...?

The returns are too good to be true. If the hotel isn't bulit yet how in tarnations are they getting the money to give out the 5% returns to investors? (ponzi ponzi ponzi)

 

[Shiny Things]

The returns are too good to be true. If the hotel isn't bulit yet how in tarnations are they getting the money to give out the 5% returns to investors? (ponzi ponzi ponzi)

Yeah, we've had the scam siren up about Castlewood's Nikki Beach Phuket thingy for years. In in 2012 they said "it'll be done in 2013"; in 2013 they said "it'll be done in 2014". Now they're saying it's going to be open in 2015, and they're still raising money for it. I'm not sure if it's an actual scam, because they did have construction photos up at one point, but it still seems like a ridiculous money pit and I'd stay right the hell away from it.

 

[archcherub]

Yeah, we've had the scam siren up about Castlewood's Nikki Beach Phuket thingy for years. In in 2012 they said "it'll be done in 2013"; in 2013 they said "it'll be done in 2014". Now they're saying it's going to be open in 2015, and they're still raising money for it. I'm not sure if it's an actual scam, because they did have construction photos up at one point, but it still seems like a ridiculous money pit and I'd stay right the hell away from it.

once again, the taxes on fools are due again...
this castlewood has been for years...

for the sake of previous investors, i hope im just too skeptical and that the whole project makes money for all investors.

argh, who am i bluffing....

 

[Erwinlow]

This company resurfacing again with their beach resort in Phuket. Website sounds so legit, says insured by a Fortune 500 company etc so your investments are safe. Then again, no free money in the world...if everything guaranteed still need investors like us put in money...

So, another 'scam'?


http://www.agoda.com/en-sg/nikki-be...s=1t1&gclid=CIbB4p3uocECFQyTjgodPBwAzA&cklg=1

is this it?

 

[tiny]

Sounds like MLM

 

[Shiny Things]

Nikki Beach Resort Samui, Thailand: Agoda.com

is this it?

Nope, that's the one in Koh Samui. Castlewood's alleged project is over in Phuket.

 

[wahkao3]

anything that needs to be marketed to you is probably a crappy investment

 

[zirhk3355]

I went to scrutinize the legal papers of this investment; very dodgy. You do not own any property or strata title, not even a share of the coy. You only have an agreement with the coy that it will "share" the profits with you. In this way you have very little rights to recover your funds if the coy go burst because you are right at the bottom of the creditors' list.

They also do not have publicly audited accounts for us to check. If we do not buy shares of dodgy listed coys, let alone private coys as such.

Run as far away as you can.

PS: I am not sure how is Castlewood's website deemed to be professional or legit. Its a typical one-page 'call-to-action' site that can be done up from a template in a few hours, meant to collect sales leads. There are no legal/financial data, be it on the company or developments. The rep office in Singapore is registered in Ann Siang Hill, I think its one of those small shophouses??

 

[wahkao3]

You only have an agreement with the coy that it will "share" the profits with you. In this way you have very little rights to recover your funds if the coy go burst because you are right at the bottom of the creditors' list.

ok lah. that sounds better than equity tranche leh

when you do business with your business partners, its pretty much the same arrangements.

 

[wahkao3]

Castlewood Group currently offers investment opportunities in the Nikki Beach Hotel and Spa, Phuket.
Investment Facts

Unique Buy-to-Lease Opportunity
Luxury 5 Star Branded Hotel in Phuket, Thailand
Fully Managed Long Term Exit 2020, Short Term Exit 2016
Freedom to choose between Fixed or Variable Returns
Tax Free
No Stamp Duty
HDB Friendly
Fully Insured by First American Title Insurance, one of the world’s largest underwriters, itself a Fortune 500 Company
Held in Trust by Intercontinental Trust, an independent member of Baker Tilly, the 8th largest provider of accountancy and business services in the world

Investments start from as little as SGD$35,000, giving you the choice of fixed or variable returns.

To help investors understand the full potential of their investment as well as a full understanding of all potential situations, the Castlewood Group has developed IRIS. IRIS is a unique real estate product which allows investors to invest at all levels, giving them a short, medium and long term solution.

At Castlewood Group we believe that IRIS will revolutionize property investment, taking away the inherent inconveniences of owning and renting property for profit, offering them peace of mind and control over their investments' performance whilst receiving solid first hand advice and support.

Castlewood Group buys, builds, manages, guarantees returns and provides exit strategies for our clients; a simple hassle free real estate investment solution.

 

[wahkao3]

i would still prefer investing in the stock market. invest in stock market more transparent. I can see the company's P&L,balance sheet and cashflow on a quarterly basis. The listings are regulated. There is a market price that tells me how the crowd thinks of the value of this company and anytime I need cash, I can sell out.

Invest in castlewood I dunno how to do FATA

 

[zirhk3355]

ok lah. that sounds better than equity tranche leh

when you do business with your business partners, its pretty much the same arrangements.

How is that better that equity?

In business you probably become a director or shareholder of the coy registered with ACRA, so you are always entitled to the assets of the coy since you own a share of it.

Castlewood is definitely not the developer; they are an agent to raise funds for the developer. So how is the funds being channeled to the developer, eg do they lend it to them? Or invest into the developer? Either way, you do not have any recourse with the developer because they have no contract with you.

And in Thailand they do not allow foreign ownership; so the holding structure would be thru some WOFE, held in cayman island or faraway places, funds channeled thru some complicated offshore banking structure...you don't want to go into that...

 

[zirhk3355]

i would still prefer investing in the stock market. invest in stock market more transparent. I can see the company's P&L,balance sheet and cashflow on a quarterly basis. The listings are regulated. There is a market price that tells me how the crowd thinks of the value of this company and anytime I need cash, I can sell out.

Invest in castlewood I dunno how to do FATA

Exactly. Castlewood will never let you see their P&L balance sheet, let alone cashflow (which coy let you see their cashflow btw?? ). Even if they do also no use; you are just seeing the financial data of the agent, not the developer that you THINK you are investing into.

 

[Cookie Muncher]

Wood is not rock solid