Despite slow sales, the head of the Rum Cay Resorts project is confirming intentions to forge ahead with its second-home component ? pointing to signs of a nationwide development turnaround within the next 12 months.

"I personally have seen markets changing quite well in recent weeks," said John Mittens of Montana Holdings, the development company behind the project. "We are getting more phone calls from people who are expressing (an) interest in investing and we're getting modest inquires from people interested in land plots and asking about opportunities to buy a home."

Though it's no way near the booming levels seen prior to the financial meltdown of late 2008, he said interest levels and investor confidence has grown lately. While a date has not yet been set for the start of construction on neighboring Sumner Point, there are still plans to build another second-home development around the existing marina.

While the deal on acquiring the land has been closed, there are still some additional payments to be made, said Mittens. The second home component of the project is now being timed around the upturn in the economy.

"People will still keep coming to The Bahamas," Mittens asserted. "In the American psyche, The Bahamas will always be seen as a sort of exotic place and I think it will come back.

"It's just all a matter of time."

It's one of the reasons why he believes investors will mobilize over the next year, kick-starting stalled projects to meet the now-undetermined global economic upturn. Mittens pointed to the recent announcement that the Baha Mar project will indeed be starting in the upcoming months.

Just last week, The Guardian reported that China State Construction Engineering Corporation committed to investing $99 million in the Baha Mar Resort. The firm is also now finalizing details with Baha Mar officials related to a $1.92 billion construction contract for the planned redevelopment of the Cable Beach strip.

That will act as inspiration to other investors, said Mittens. His words echo those of the President of the Chamber of Commerce Khaalis Rolle, who asserted that Baha Mar will likely lead to growth in foreign direct investment (FDI) levels.

"I think it will play a significant role if only in increasing the confidence level and as the current investors go through refinancing of their project, I think that's going to help somewhat change the climate," Rolle said earlier. "What Baha Mar does is it helps to bottom out the negative confidence level.

"People are now beginning to look at this as a sign that things may be turning around [and] we just need a couple more wins like this and we're going to see things level off."

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