Investing in The Caribbean

The Caribbean Islands offers investors a superb selection of property investment opportunities.

The Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic has beautiful white sandy beaches, enjoys stunning weather, breath-taking scenery, an inviting lifestyle and, most importantly, the property market is nearing perfection. The Dominican Republic is a relatively new location for tourists and overseas property buyers. After years of dictatorship, the Dominican Republic is a safe and secure destination, where the government is based on the US model, the currency is tied to the US Dollar and the blooming tourist industry now accounts for $1.3 billion a year.

Since the late 1980s there has been a growing expat population in the Dominican Republic, which has traditionally proven popular with French buyers, even though the national language is Spanish.

The Dominican Republic benefits from an inviting and stable climate with temperatures rarely drop below 22ºc. Tourists travel here to enjoy the glorious beaches, fabulous weather and the famous ‘laidback Caribbean lifestyle’.

With an inviting tax-status, an abundance of affordable property built to extremely high standards, a year-round climate which never gets too unbearably hot or bone-jarringly cold (although the ‘wet season’ is rather aptly named) and a lifestyle which is as far removed from the stresses and ‘rush mentality’ of Northern Europe as possible, the Dominican Republic is heaven, on earth, only nine hours away.

How else can you change your life so dramatically in just nine hours? From the windswept landscape of bland Britain – with its familiarity, crime, taxes and expense – to the quiet serenity of delicious Dominican Republic - where something as simple as a stroll along the beach can change your perspective on life - a simple flight can do wonders for your quality of life.

St. Lucia

St Lucia offers the wonder of the undiscovered; adventures into the unfamiliar; the freshness of the unspoilt and the stimulation of the exotic. Diving into crystal clear seas then a massage in a spa is a St Lucian speciality. St Lucia’s cultural treasures are a fascinating mélange of its rich heritage and many traditions, and it has a well-deserved reputation for warmth and charm. Investors are starting to appreciate the advantages of St Lucia. It’s as beautiful as Barbados but property prices can be up to 65% less. However, this is set to change as the World Bank recently placed the island in the top 30 countries in the world to invest in, ahead of Barbados and Antigua, meaning St Lucia’s prices are likely to leap - great news for investors who get in there early.

St Lucia is a key water-sports destination with diving, snorkeling, sailing, yachting and wind surfing making waves with water lovers. Hiking, running and trail-running are also popular throughout the island. As one of the Winward Islands and part of the Lesser Antilles, this small, lush gem also offers a calendar of exciting events including the world famous St Lucia Jazz Festival and international cricket.

Direct nine hour flights from the UK have made St Lucia popular with tourists and investors alike, especially with long haul flight prices continuing to decline. Voted the world’s 4th most beautiful island in the Conde Nast Traveller Awards, St Lucia enjoys a stable economic and political environment with high probability of future price appreciation. Over the last five years, property prices on the island have doubled and in 2006, prices rose on average by 15% while value for money has remained stable.

Barbados

Barbados is the Caribbean island best served by direct flights and has always had a reputation as the Caribbean’s ‘Monaco’ and as a playground for the rich and famous. With a long tradition of hosting romantic escapes, of wild water sports, of white sandy beaches and international sporting events, there’s a little something for every sun-seeker on this exotic isle.

An international elite, including Tiger Woods, Cliff Richard and Gary Lineker, favour this Caribbean gem for its gastronomic delights of shrimp, dorado and snapper. Water based activities including sailing on super yachts and catamarans and scuba diving in crystal clear seas combined with its pulsating nightlife have made it the bolt-hole of the financially gifted. No longer the preserve of retired folk either, Barbados has a fresh new face fuelled by entrepreneurial, sporting and celebrity wealth.

With extremely advanced telecommunications and excellent air links, it outshines its less developed neighbours. However, these advantages add up so that Barbados is by no means a bargain basement destination, with properties ranging from around $250,000 for a small apartment inland to multimillion-pound villas on the beachfront.

Barbados has traditionally been the Caribbean leader in tourism and its government is keen to keep the holidaymakers and investors coming. Mammoth investment is evident everywhere with new marinas, trendy shopping centres and revitalised Barbadian attractions all around. A highly-skilled and productive workforce ensure that the infrastructure is superior, an important factor for investors far from home. The rental potential on Barbados for holiday properties is superb for investors looking at the buy-to-let market. Properties in Barbados have been steadily rising at around 10% annually in this year-round destination and hosting part of the Cricket World Cup in 2007 helped further boost the island’s profile.

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