Once you've decided on the perfect Caribbean island for you, you're ready to find the property that is right for you. When searching for your dream property, here are a few tips for selecting real estate to keep in mind. "Don't focus on beachfront property only," advise the Spruances. "It carries a higher price without many benefits. For sure, one can often step off the deck onto a beach but one also buys into a nearly guaranteed attack of mosquitoes and sand Flees, particularly at dawn and dusk." Most beaches are public, and anyone can use them, sometimes to the detriment of your property. "A "belonger" may decide to place a boat, trailer, or whatever on the beach nearby, let it rust away and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it," say the Spruances.
Instead of concentrating on a beachfront location, the Spruances recommend going for the breeze. "Purchase Caribbean real estate that faces Southeast to north so you are exposed to the trade and/or north wind. This assures breezes for your home at all times, and practically eliminates mosquito problems. If you buy with a little height in mind you will have breezes and a view."
Those wanting to build their own home sometimes find it difficult to find a desirable piece of land on a small island. One option is to buy property with an existing home and then renovate that home. This is the strategy the Spruances used, "We opted to purchase an older home on fee simple property. We bought with 'location, location, location' in mind with the plan of removing the old house and building a new one." They transformed what was once a small 1,800-square-foot block house with a Ferro-cement roof into a gorgeous, 4,000-square-foot home.
Some property owners, like Keith Dickinson, choose to purchase a condominium in a developed community. "Our condo is part of a brand-new complex. We have a fantastic property in an ideal location that is even better than we have hoped," Dickinson says of his Barbados getaway.