The boom in the Island's property market has led one realtor to take the plunge and go it alone by starting her own business - Ruby Dane Real Estate.

Ruby Dane has been a realtor for over 14 years and has set up her company with a view to servicing the busy market. She will be dealing with commercial and private property and also hopes to help her customers buy up new condominiums and land.

“I have been thinking about going it alone for some time,” said Ms Dane. “But just right now was the right time to do it.”

Ms Dane left her job at Bermuda Realty in January and has been concentrating at setting up shop since then.

So far she has a handful of houses of varying sizes across the island and is working on developing this portfolio.

“I love working for myself,” she said. “But it is amazing, the day seems half as long. When you work for yourself, your time is gone more quickly and time is more precious. But it is very nice and I enjoy it.”

Ms Dane said she has seen amazing changes in the realty market since she started a decade and a half ago.

“When I started a working-class family could sell their house for say $350,000 and buy their dream house for $500,000 to $550,000. Now your dream house is worth anything up from $850,000 to $900,000. A lot of people have realised that they cannot afford to move and that is why the condo developments have become so popular.” And she sees no end to the continued price hikes to the Island's property. “It is just about supply and demand. There are simply not enough houses out there for the demand. They would have to build an awful llot of houses to make up the deficit.”

She said the only way for ordinary men and women to get their own piece of the rock was to save as hard as they could.

“It takes a lot - maybe a couple living off one salary, stuff like that. But it is not easy for the blue-collar worker to buy his or her own house.”