The Bay Islands of Honduras:
Are the Caymans, Turks and Caicos and the Virgin Islands getting too expensive? There are a group of Caribbean islands off the east coast of Honduras where the prices are a lot lower, the lifestyle a bit more relaxed and the natural setting every bit as gorgeous.
White, coral "flour" beaches, turquoise, azure and sapphire blue waters and pristine coral reefs grace all the Bay Islands of Honduras but otherwise, the three main islands vary quite a bit. Utila is the flattest, but it is ringed by some of the deepest coral reefs and has the best diving. Roatan has a high rocky spine of uplands, making it the most visually exciting. Guanaja, which Columbus called the Island of Pines, is still well blanketed with trees.
There's great fishing and sailing but diving is the main attraction here. Reefs can be close enough to wade to, but there are also corals walls that plunge down to the depths and hold a variety of coral colonies and soft sponges. The waters teem with colorful fish.An added advantage for Americans is that, unusually for this Spanish-speaking nation, the lingua franca in the Bay Islands is English.
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Caribbean Real Estate Investment:
With US Marketing Cooling, Real Estate Investors Should Look To The Caribbean:
While the last few years have seen an unprecedented expansion in US real estate markets, recent signs strongly suggest that the air is beginning to leak out of the property bubble. Mortgage rates are rising and the average time to sell a home is increasing as well.
With the US marketing slowing, it's a good time for real estate investors to look outside the United States for opportunities. One such opportunity is in the Caribbean. Investment in island vacation homes can be a shelter from a possibly stormy US real estate market.
What to Look For:
Before investing in Caribbean real estate (or any overseas property, for that matter), you should weigh a number of factors that affect property values and the ease with which you can invest. In most cases these issues are minor and can be solved with the help of a local realtor, but you should be aware of them all the same.
Local Property Laws:
You should first know the local laws regarding the purchase of land by foreigners. In some countries you cannot purchase property without forming a local corporation. Other countries have more lenient regulations. In Honduras, for example, you can purchase up to ¾ of an acre of land in your own name without forming a corporation. If you do need to form a local corporation to buy your property, make sure you use a realtor who can help you with this process.
Visa Requirements:
If you plan to use the property for short vacations, visa requirements are not a significant issue. But if you plan to take extended vacations, you will need to know the local visa requirements.
For many countries in the Caribbean US citizens can stay for up to 30 days without a visa. After that period you will need a visa extension that can lengthen your stay for several months. After that you may have to leave the country before reentering.
Travel Time:
Are you planning to turn the property into a vacation rental? If so, ease of access is an important factor to consider. Is airline service available to the area? Do any airlines fly directly from US cities?
Medical Services:
An increasing number of Americans are looking to retire outside the US and this influx of retirees has an important affect on property values. Medical services are a critical factor for these retirees. If an area has good medical care and inexpensive prescription drugs, this can boost property values.
Caribbean Opportunities:
To many people the term "Caribbean" applies only to the archipelago extending from Puerto Rico to Trinidad. But many excellent investment opportunities also exist along Central America's Caribbean coast or Western Caribbean. Costa Rica and Honduras are popular with eco-travelers and US retirees. Belize and the Honduras Bay Islands draw scuba divers lured by their extensive reef system.
Central America's Caribbean coast such as the Bay Islands of Roatan, Utila and Guanaja also offer significantly better investment opportunities than other parts of the Caribbean. On St. Thomas, for example, homes have an average sales price of $500,000. Here in Roatan and the Bay Islands of Honduras the same home would start at about $125,000. Property values are increasing, so a relatively small investment can yield good returns. Smart investors should explore opportunities throughout the Bay Islands.
Author Bio:
Michael Rodgers is the Broker / Owner of Roatan Realty, which serves the Bay Islands of Roatan, Utila and Guanaja. The company offers comprehensive listings of local properties and organizes real estate investor tours of the islands.
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Scuba Diving on Roatan and the Honduras Bay Islands:
What's your idea of a tropical paradise? Perhaps it includes palm trees, sandy white beaches and crystal blue water. What if it had no crowds and featured some of the world's best scuba diving as well? That pretty well describes the Honduras Bay Islands.
Located in the western Caribbean off the coasts of Honduras and Belize, the Bay Islands are one of the few unspoiled tropical paradises left on earth. They consist of the islands of Roatan, Utila, Guanaja and over 60 islets sitting atop the world's second largest barrier reef.
Discovered by Columbus in 1502, the islands were long a refuge for pirates like Henry Morgan. Today they feature a laid-back lifestyle, a friendly English-speaking population, and a great vacation opportunity for divers and non-divers alike. Scuba Diving & Snorkeling.
The Bay Islands have become one of the Caribbean's top dive destinations because of their large reef system and great variety of corals and sponges. The water features good visibility, little current and over 800 species of fish. Diving depths vary from reefs in 15 feet of water to sea mounds that slope down 200 feet.
Roatan, the largest of the Bay Islands, is about 42 miles long and 2 miles wide. Both Roatan's northern reef and southern fringing reef boast around 40 dive sites each, offering spots for both novice and experienced divers that are characterized by plummeting walls, crevices and caverns. Roatan features a number of excellent shore diving sites, including the famous Spooky Channel. An ancient streambed forming a cut through the reef, Spooky Channel can be reached from the pier at the Bay Islands Beach Resort.
While snorkelers can explore the 8-foot crack at the top of the reef, divers can swim through shafts of light in the much wider interior of the channel. The smaller island of Utila has gained a reputation as a great place for beginning divers. It offers the least expensive dive certification courses on the planet, and has become something of a Mecca for low-budget travelers.
Competition between over a dozen small dive shops has brought prices down to between $125 - $150 for an open water certification course or an advanced open watercourse. Recently it has been discovered that Utila is also one of the best places in the world to see whale sharks, the world's largest fish (don't worry, they're harmless). March, April and May are the best months to see these giants. Other spots offer the opportunity to dive and swim with the dolphins.
Other Activities:
While scuba diving is the main attraction, there is much more to see and do on the Bay Islands.
Non-divers can get a close look at the coral reefs with the C-BUG mini-sub. Located on Roatan's West End, this two-person submarine will take you down as far 700 ft. below the surface.
Families will love the Tropical Treasures Bird Park on Roatan. The park contains one of the most extensive collection parrot species in Central America. Carambola Gardens offers a relaxing stroll through a diverse collection of flowering plants, ferns, fruit trees and orchids. Kids will love Roatan's Iguana Farm, where the over-hunted green iguanas that laze about.
Many companies also offer sea kayaking from Roatan's West End, another way to experience the beautiful coastline. From half-day rentals to one, two or 6-day tours, sea kayaks offer the most adventurous way to get around to the island's best snorkeling spots.
Getting There:
Continental Airlines flies directly from Houston to Roatan. The airline also flies from Newark (New York) to San Pedro Sula on the Honduran mainland, with a connection to Roatan. You can also fly either American Airlines or Continental Airlines via Belize City to San Pedro Sula and catch a connection to Roatan. TACA Airlines, the low fare Latin American carrier, flies directly to Roatan from both Miami and Houston. The airline also flies from Los Angeles, New Orleans and San Francisco, with connecting flights to Roatan.
The Bay Islands Tourism web site has a very useful schedule of national flights. Once on the islands inexpensive taxis, bus service and water taxis can get you to any destination.
Where To Stay:
The islands feature a number of dive resorts, including Anthony's Key Resort on Roatan's north shore and the Coco View Resort on the islands south shore. Most are designed to blend in with the island environment, and none are built higher than the tallest palm tree.
Visit www.Roatan.ws to learn more about Roatan Island and the various accomodations that are available to you.
Michael Rodgers is the Broker / Owner of Roatan Realty, which serves the islands of Roatan, Utila and Guanaja. The company offers comprehensive listings of local properties and organizes real estate investor tours of the islands.
