Two upcoming consecutive episodes of the popular HGTV series “Beachfront Bargain Hunt” are expected to feature St. Thomas and several local professionals, according to Steve Bornn, managing director of Virgin Locations, which handled the local production logistics for production company Magilla Entertainment.
“Beachfront” usually airs every Sunday on HGTV at 8p.m. (EST)
The show centers on the search for and buying a home or vacation villa in a seaside destination.
The episode this Sunday, titled “Family Retreat in St. Thomas,” is slated to feature local realtor Kerstin McConnell, owner of Sea Glass Properties, uncovering island vacation homes for clients from Ohio.
The next show, “Staying Put on St. Thomas, USVI”, will air on Jan. 29.
Look for St. Thomas natives and residents Rosa Thomas and Manuel Maras to take center stage in Rosa’s successful search for her new home on island. Fellow St. Thomian and real estate agent Dayle Barry also of Sea Glass takes them through the process.
Magilla and Beachfront are frequent visitors to the U.S. Virgin Islands, having produced more than 10 episodes in all three islands.
“These kind of repeat small productions with long hotel stays, local film crew hires and purchased services yield multiple benefits to the economy, including jobs and cash infusion. Not to mention valuable exposure of the tourism destination," Bornn said.
A former film commissioner, Bornn said Virgin Locations is a consortium of on-location film production services. “You could say that we are a privatized ‘Film Commission’ with rapid response.”