What to Know About Buying a Property in the Caribbean

By: Albert Scheper

Buying Caribbean Property is not as simple as walking into your travel agent's office and ordering a ticket to the Caribbean. There is actually more to buying Caribbean property than meets the eye. What gives?

Take buying Barbados Real Estate for instance. You may be surprised to find out that you cannot pursue full-time formal work while you are on any Caribbean Island. This means that over 7,000 islands in the Caribbean region permit foreigners to buy property, stay for a certain period of time, but few will allow you to work while you are there. On the Bahamas however, you can get a homeowner's permit so you can legally stay on your property but you are not permitted to work. On the other hand, the Calcos and the Turks will grant a foreigner a visa good for five years provided he can do work that an island national cannot perform.

Buying Caribbean Property has become easier anyway because the Caribbean islands local government leaders have opened up their territories for investment by foreign nationals. If you are buying property in Barbados, then you have to register first with the Central Bank of Barbados as your legal adherence to the existing rules and regulation in the place. You can expect to pay from 1% to 2.5% in legal fees when buying Barbados Real Estate.

Buying Property in Barbados can be quite costly though, so it is not for the faint-hearted or a weak wallet buyer. For instance, buying Property in Barbados' Sugar Hill area may cost you $293,000 if you are buying a one-bedroom apartment. If you want a fancy a 3-bedroom house with 2 bathrooms, completely enclosed gardens, and a grand view of the nearby coastline, be prepared to shell out a total of $750,000. And for the ones who really have the moolah, a five-bedroom property beside the beach will run to as much as $7,750,000 total.

Buying Caribbean Property really has great perks that could motivate you to purchase your own someday. You can enjoy pretty comfortable weather, climate and temperatures year-round here. Sunshine practically never ends, the beaches are clean and sandy, and the scenery all around you may convince you never to leave (or at least keep extending your vacation until your boss rings you up frantically on your mobile phone wondering if you are ever coming back to work). While it's fascinating to stay in the Caribbeans, it's important to consider the weather too. Watch out for possible heavy rains or tornadoes when purchasing the best estate in the islands.

If you have started researching about buying Barbados Real Estate or simply just buying Caribbean Property, you may want to look beyond just your options on Barbados and start examining the other Caribbean islands as well for alternative options. In some places, you may find condos which are priced from $350,000 (such as those in Bermuda). Some Caribbean islands may also place some kind of restriction on purchases by foreigners, like maybe barring foreigners from owning properties like condos so you need to double check this if it applies to your case.

Caribbean Properties
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