Buying A Property In The Caribbean

You usually have plenty of choice when you want to buy a property in the Caribbean. From the Bahamas to St Lucia or the Barbados, the number of places you can go to is wide with approximately 7,000 islands, islets, reefs and cays!

But because this area is a hot spot for tourists, the price of properties can vary greatly as you certainly will not be the only one around looking to buy a property in the Caribbean.
The geography and the climate in this area can vary from one island to another. You will find islands that have a relatively flat terrain as well as island with mountains everywhere. Usually the climate of the region ranges between sub-tropical to tropical. And even though the weather is usually great throughout the year, hurricanes are a common thing in this region of the world!

As well as having a wide range of islands to choose from, there are also plenty of types of properties to buy like houses, villas, apartments, condos…But people looking for the ultimate overseas property to buy in the Caribbean should keep a close eye on the market as they could come across a small islet for sale and be offered the chance to own their island….
A large percentage of the Caribbean territories usually have a requirement that real estate agency practices are regulated and a real estate investor should check out the specifics of the regulatory guidelines before doing anything if they are interested in buying a property there.

Notable exceptions include countries like Haiti for example, which is actually the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and which has a real estate market plagued by corruption.

Certain countries like Cuba for example, disallow foreign freehold ownership of immovable property. There are often ways around these rulings with black market property deals being done quite regularly. Any real estate investor considering working outside of a country’s constitutional laws should be aware that his subsequent assumed legal rights to own the property assets purchased will not be enforceable in a court of law.

But most of the Caribbean countries are not like Cuba and countries like Barbados, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago have active policies to encourage foreign direct investment and have regulations in place to not only allow for foreign freehold ownership of real estate but they have regulations in place granting foreign owners the same legal rights as their domestic citizens when it comes to their property assets.

Travel to St Lucia

st lucia all inclusive resorts

St Lucia Weddings Benefit From Multiple and Easily Accessible Destinations

St Lucia is becoming increasingly popular as a choice for destination weddings. This small Windward Isle in the Caribbean is the perfect location for exchanging vows, as it offers a lot of variety for newlyweds and their guests should they choose to explore their surroundings.

Here are several prominent settlements and attractions that can be visited before or after your wedding.

Castries
As the capital of St Lucia, Castries offers a full-fledged shopping experience in a relaxed environment, and, as its motto “A Safe Harbour for Ships,” is also a stepping-off point for other regions in the Caribbean, including the island of Martinique to the north. Cruises leave the waterfront, and flights can be chartered from Vigie Airport.

Soufriere
Residing in the shadow of the Twin Piton Peaks, Soufriere on the placid west coast of the island is considered to be as close to paradise as one get in the Caribbean; it’s no wonder St Lucia weddings are often planned here. The town is close to the volcanic Sulphur Springs hotspring resort, and offers easy access to towering Mt Gimie, the highest peak on the island, and is famous for its nature hikes.

Vieux Fort
Vieux Fort, legendary of haunt Blackbeard, history’s most infamous pirate, is considered to be St Lucia’s second city, and is also the location of Hewanorra International Airport at the southern tip of the island.

Maria Islands Nature Reserve
Administered by the St Lucia National Trust, this nature reserve is composed of two islands lying off the coast of the island, due south from Vieux Fort. The islands are home to rare species of lizard, as well as frigates, terns and other seabirds.

Micoud
Lying on the wilder east coast of the island, facing the open Atlantic, Micoud is a small village that is close to nature. Of special interest are the Liverpool Rocks, which features both marine and terrestrial protected areas.

Frigate Islands Nature Reserve
This protected region on the Atlantic Coast of the island is home to large numbers of seabirds as well as mangrove swamps. It’s possible to traverse the reserve on foot, or view isolated coastal rookeries by charter boat.

Travel to St Lucia

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Time Travel Exotica

Travel and time, they go together. When you travel you take time, whether for business or pleasure or both there has to be time. If you are traveling for pleasure it takes some freedom doesn’t it and money. Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to travel wherever you choose, in a moments notice, maybe to an exotic location in the blink of an eye? Read on….

Did you know?

In the past week many of my associates have heard about how people are not traveling because of the economy. Do not believe these comments. The travel and tourism industry and the manner in how I will show you how to apply my secret… “Time Travel Exotica” principal right now is stronger than ever. The travel and tourism industry continues to be a multi-trillion dollar worldwide business. It is almost its own mini-economy.

Here are some interesting facts!

“Cruise spending is up in a down economy in destinations visited by cruise line-members of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association.

Cruise tourism boosted revenues for ports and businesses in Florida, Latin America and the Caribbean in one of the gloomiest financial years since the Great Depression, according to an FCCA-commissioned study from Business Research and Economic Advisors.

BREA reported that FCCA-regional cruise tourism in 2008-2009 generated more than $2.2 billion in direct expenditures, 56,000 jobs and $720 million in employee wages among 29 destinations surveyed.

“This certainly is wonderful news, but it doesn’t surprise me,” Michele M Paige, FCCA president, told association members attending the 16th Annual Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association’s Conference and Trade Show in St Lucia. “FCCA members are known for seeing opportunities — not obstacles.”

FCCA Chairman Micky Arison agreed. “No industry is recession-proof, but the cruise industry traditionally has been recession-resistant,” said Arison, chairman and CEO of Carnival Corporation & plc.

The new study analyzed spending by passengers, crew members and cruise lines in destinations ranging from the Caribbean islands, Mexico, Central America and South America, said Andrew Moody, Ph.D., president of the Exton, PA-based research group. Among BREA’s findings:

Cruise passengers (17.56 million) spent $1.71 billion in 29 participating destinations. An average of 52 percent of passengers bought shore excursions, generating $328 million in total payments to tour operators. Passengers also bought watches and jewelry ($634 million); clothing ($168 million) and other goods and services ($164 million).

Crew members (3.24 million) spent nearly $289 million in the 29 destinations, mostly for clothing, food and beverages, as well as jewelry, electronics, perfumes and cosmetics.

Cruise lines spent an estimated $279.9 million in participating destinations for port fees and taxes, utilities, navigation services and ship supplies.

“These expenditures have a direct impact on local employment and wages,” Moody said. “Local businesses… create additional jobs and income.”

BREA-surveyed destinations included Antigua & Barbuda; Aruba; The Bahamas; Barbados; Cayman Islands; Curacao; Dominica; Dominican Republic; Grenada; Jamaica; San Juan, Puerto Rico; St Kitts and Nevis; St Lucia; St Maarten; St Vincent and the Grenadines; Trinidad and Tobago; Turks and Caicos and US Virgin Islands in the Caribbean; Acapulco, Cabo San Lucas, Cozumel, Ensenada and Huatulco in Mexico; Belize, Costa Rica, Honduras and Nicaragua in Central America, and Cartagena, Colombia, in South America.

Paige noted that polled passengers said they enjoyed their cruises, a strong indication that they are likely to cruise again in the region and spend money.”

So as you can see… the travel and tourism industry is transcending much of what other industries are experiencing.

Now, I bet you would like the answer to the question, how to apply my “Time Travel Exotica” principal right now? That is to be able to have the money, the freedom, the time and ability right now, to travel to an exotic location of your choice? Simple!

Travel Ventures International! Before I learned about TVI my Time Travel Exotica principal was only a dream… now its a reality.

TVI has entered North America July 2009 and is growing leaps and bounds. The team of which I am proud to be one of the leaders, TVI World Team, is the most productive in North America. I am racking up travel faster than you can say, “board the boat!” Truthfully, many have joined our team primarily not for the travel only but for the compensation plan. As you will see… instead of spending the high dollars on advertising like most companies do, they decided to use the power of the three megatrends to advertise their company.

Travel to St Lucia

st lucia all inclusive resorts

Things to Do in St Lucia

So many exciting events take place in St Lucia and the fun isn’t simple restricted to diving, boating and sightseeing events. If you’re in the Gros Islet area and you’re not opportune to watch the finest of West Indian cricket, you can opt for the Friday Night Jump Up event instead, it offers some of the best and most replete examples of the excitement in St Lucian nightlife.

If you fancy adventure with a bit more energy try zipping. Basically you will be taken to an area in the forest were you are literally flying in between the trees having the thrill of your life! Usually most reputed hotels will have information on the time and prices, it is definitely a must do activity. If you’re in St Lucia in May, you wouldn’t want to miss the all-important Jazz festival. Artists come to the country from all over the world for this event and despite its name, it isn’t restricted to Jazz music only.

The event is so huge it’s ranked #2 in the Caribbean, not even Jamaica comes close, Trinidad takes the top spot. Weather St Lucia enjoys typical tropical weather, not something you should be particularly bothered about, just make sure you arm yourself with the necessary bare necessities before visiting. As with other Caribbean and coastal regions, hurricane season usually comes with torrential rain and other such conditions, not that any of this should stop you from enjoying the beauty of the Island and what it has to offer.

Travel to St Lucia

st lucia all inclusive resorts

Caribbean Islands To Fit Your Lifestyle

Choosing the right island can definitely make the difference in your vacation experience. Many travelers assume the islands of the Caribbean are all the same, with great beaches, plenty of sun and warm turquoise waters . . . and most islands offer plenty of the above. I say most because the islands of Dominica and Saba are not on any beach lovers list.

Aside from spending time at the beach, most vacationers enjoy a particular lifestyle or activities such as: Shopping, Gambling, Nightlife, Quiet and Secluded, Hiking, Golf, Photography and Nature, History and Archeology buffs, Snorkeling, Diving, Sailing, All Inclusives, Family Friendly Islands, and the list goes on.

Just remember when spending your hard earned money, choosing the right Caribbean island will ensure the “perfect” Caribbean vacation.

SHOPPING IN THE CARIBBEAN – You can shop on any island, but if you are looking for a “shop til you drop” experience, head to St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, or Curacao (pronounced cure-uh-sow). Both islands have extensive stores, shops and designer boutiques that rival any U.S. or European city. Other islands that offer a variety of shopping are Barbados, Grand Cayman, Puerto Rico and St Martin/St Maarten.

CARIBBEAN GAMBLING CASINOS – The largest gambling casinos in the Caribbean are found in Aruba, The Bahamas (Cable Beach & Paradise Island), Curacao, San Juan, St Croix, and St Maarten.

Barbados and Jamaica only have slot machines. Antigua, Belize, Bonaire, Guadeloupe, Martinique, St Kitts, St Vincent and Turks & Caicos all have much smaller gaming operations.

CARIBBEAN NIGHTLIFE – Lots of fun when the Caribbean sun goes down can be found on Barbados, Curacao, Dominican Republic, Jamaica, Puerto Rico, St Martin/St Martin, and St Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

QUIET AND SECLUSION – Travelers who are looking for a more peaceful, secluded vacation will find it on Parrot Cay which is located on Turks & Caicos, St Kitts, St Vincent & The Grenadines, and Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands.

HIKING IN THE CARIBBEAN – Dominica – Valley of Desolation and the Boiling Lake; Dominican Republic – Pico Duarte Ascent (Caribbean’s highest peak); Grenada – Mt. Qua Qua; Guadeloupe – La Soufriere Volcano; Jamaica – Blue Mountains; Puerto Rico – El Yunque National Forest; St. Kitts – Bloody Rivers Stream; Tobago – Little Tobago Cay; Trinidad – Asa Wright Nature Center; and the US Virgin Islands – 2/3 of the island of St John is a nature preserve.

GOLF – The best Caribbean golf courses are found on the islands of Aruba, The Bahamas, Barbados, Bermuda, Dominican Republic, Guadeloupe, Jamaica, Nevis, Puerto Rico, St Croix and St Thomas.

CARIBBEAN PHOTOGRAPHY AND NATURE – Dominica, Jamaica, St John, St Lucia are wonderful islands for photography and nature lovers. In fact Dominica is called the nature island of the Caribbean.

HISTORY & ARCHEOLOGY BUFFS will find the Caribbean islands of Barbados, Curacao, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico quite interesting.

SNORKELING – Antigua, Bonaire, Grand Cayman, Curacao’s Marine Park, St Martin, The Grenadines, Tobago, St Thomas, Turks & Caicos, St Croix and St John all offer the best snorkeling in all the Caribbean islands.

DIVING – Caribbean diving enthusiasts prefer Bonaire, Grand Cayman, Saba, The Bahamas, St Croix, Turks & Caicos, and Virgin Gorda.

SAILING – the best sailing in the Caribbean can be found on Antigua, Barbados, St Martin, The Grenadines, US Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands.

CARIBBEAN ALL INCLUSIVES – Both Jamaica and The Dominican Republic do not have an infrastructure that is set up for tourism. This is why both islands offer an abundance of all inclusive hotels and resorts. Jamaica is the largest of the Caribbean islands, and has many points of interest, however the roads are extremely bad. It should be noted that Jamaica is one of the most beautiful islands in the Caribbean, and travelers should be careful in choosing which part of Jamaica to visit. English is spoken in the resort areas, however once you get into the Dominican countryside, Spanish is required.

FAMILY FRIENDLY CARIBBEAN ISLANDS – Anguilla, Antigua, Barbados, British Virgin Islands, Jamaica, St Lucia, Tobago and Turks & Caicos. Also, the Four Seasons on the island of Nevis offers a great kid program, and all the Hyatt Regency resorts throughout the Caribbean offer family friendly vacations.

Hopefully this will give travelers a guide to choosing a Caribbean island that will fit any lifestyle.

Travel to St Lucia

st lucia all inclusive resorts