The Caribbean Island Best For Property Investment

If you’re looking to buy a
holiday home in the Caribbean then you may already have considered the likes of
Barbados and Jamaica.  However, a
leading property expert has also recommended St Lucia as a great place to buy
an overseas property investment.

Saint Lucia a great place to buy property

Terry Hobbs, media manager for a
leading property website, claimed that the island’s ‘immense beauty’ and
‘wonderful’ climate make it ‘comparable with Barbados in lots of ways’.

In addition, the cost of buying
property in St Lucia is often lower than on neighbouring Caribbean islands.

St Lucia is located north west of
Barbados and is home to around 175,000 people.  The capital, Castries, is situated towards the north west of
the island and contains more than one-third of the population.  The official language is English;
although Kweyol – a French-based Creole – is spoken by 95% of the population.

The volcanic island is more
mountainous than many other Caribbean islands, with the highest point being
Mount Gimie, at 950 metres (3,120 ft) above sea level.   Saint Lucia is also one of the few
islands in the world that boasts a drive-in volcano.

Mr Hobbs noted that St Lucia has
one of the lowest crime rates in the Caribbean, as well as an active tourist
board, which works hard to improve the island’s appeal to overseas visitors.

And, it is possible to fly direct
from the UK to the small isles.

If you are thinking of buying a
property in St Lucia, Mr Hobbs explains that individuals will need to apply for
an Alien Landholding Licence, which costs 1,500 East Caribbean Dollars (EC$)
(£357).  Once this has been
accepted, you will then pay another fee dependent on the amount of land in
question.

Property with less than one acre
will owe EC$5,000, while those with more than this will cost EC$10,000.