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Originally Posted by Kimmykim
St Kitts is a bit more developed than the rest, so the prices are higher. However, with investment in StK, you also have the opportunity to carry a second passport as a citizen (something that isn't offered in that many others) and some of the new development commercially there (race track and cricket) make for very attractive possibilities. StK also has a very liberal ownership policy for foreigners, as opposed to some of the other countries on the list.
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Sure second passports and stuff can be handy on occasions - many of the islands offer this after living there for a relatively short time - also a few Latin American countries (including Costa Rica - tho the value of passports can be kinda limited). There can also be some "cost" of being a citizen
Same with property rights - more often than not, a "foreigner" has the same rights over property ownership blah as a local born citizen.
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Originally Posted by Kimmykim
As more and more Americans become disenchanted with the current (and future) political shenanigans in the US, I think you will see alot more expatriation by wealthy US citizens. Couple that with the rest of the world who already have no qualms about moving to newly developed areas and the potential for massive ROI is stable for years to come. Choosing a country to invest in should also involve a LOT of research into the political stability of that country. CAFTA, the treaty that's going to put a lot of Americans on the run -- think sportsbook owners etc due to the fact that extradition will start to happen -- may also leave alot of opportunities to buy property at great values and have stable poli situations. US dollars into these CAFTA countries, for those that don't already have good infrastructure will also help. Nicaragua for instance, has a telecom setup in parts of the country that rival anything else in CA, and in parts of NA. US dollars funded alot of development when there was a military presence in the area, and these systems are still in place and maintained.
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Stuff like sportsbooks are.. OK to a degree, but have not much influence on the property market (least locally here), - but they do employ a fair number of locals. Kaplan's corp is prob one of the biggest here and they have invested many millions into IT and comms stuff, - but they are still peanuts in relation to other international corps who have operations (outsourcing) here. The latter do have an influence on property values - especially when troops of middle/senior management need homes.
Not sure about CAFTA
It's often a five letter word around here - they still have not agreed to sign it, but prob will after a few more changes are made. There is an "awareness" after NAFTA where that did more damage and complications than any benefit, but will happen, - probably sooner than later. There are also ongoing trading deals with other nations as well which will/does attract investment into the country.
Nico does have excellent comms and competition between the "baby Bells", good roads for the most part, but foul political stability which was OK for a while until it started getting problematic again.
The "marketplace", least as far as property goes in CR, - is from a number of countries, Canada, US, UK and Europe generally. The future market is prob going to be more from the EU and part of the reason for a new airport to handle the traffic. This will be bigger than the existing international airport and designed to handle the new Airbus aircraft (needs a longer runway) - and geared towards direct flights from the EU.
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Originally Posted by Kimmykim
There are a lot of places online to do research, just be wary of the dozens of realtors and agents that are in the property business. Titles and ownership in most countries are strictly regulated and doing business with a reputable agent is key.
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Caribbean is slightly different - but agree, - don't ever rely on a realtor in the region. They may be 100% honest blah, but often operating without any controls or oversight. There are purported "professional associations", but in reality - they don't mean a thing - especially if you have a problem
Best professional assistance is from a good lawyer (often even harder to find) who has a track record of real estate dealing. Never accept a word out of a realtors mouth without is being confirmed by your lawyer. Also handy if he/she (your lawyer) is either obnoxiously wealthy, has a reputation to lose or comes highly recommended by someone you trust - less likely to be a problem. Even better - involve your lawyer in your project if this is possible and make him your corp legal counsel - exactly what we have done.