RetireRoatan

Roatan's Growth is Evident

Princess Cruises will remove Jamaican ports from its western Caribbean itineraries beginning next year, according to Cruise Critic, a popular industry Web site. Roatán, Honduras, will replace Montego Bay and Ocho Rios on seven-day western Caribbean itineraries. The decision was attributed in part to the island's poor performance on passenger surveys. Cruise Critic cited passenger concerns about crime and a too-visible drug culture in Jamaica. The island is included on some Princess 2008-09 itineraries.

This Retirement Strategy Will Work Today, Not Tomorrow

  “Like many financial advisers, Kelemen tells clients not to bank on Social Security as a source of income -- especially if they are still in their 30s or 40s. Even the Social Security Administration offers a bleak assessment: Given the current rate of payouts and the expected number of retirees, the Social Security trust fund will be exhausted by 2041, and ‘there will be enough money to pay only 75 cents for each dollar of scheduled benefits.’ That's straight from the statement you get each year stating how much of a payout you can expect.

‘The middle class is hurt by the fact that two legs of the three legs for retirement are disappearing -- Social Security and pensions,’ says Andy Brincefield, CFP, a financial adviser with the Consolidated Planning in Charlotte, N.C. ‘They just can't count on Social Security the same way.’

Roatan's Exponential Growth Factor

Roatan is really gaining momentum in its growth.  The sleepily little undeveloped  island is transforming right before our eyes.  I am being generous when I say the island is < 10% developed as not to steer anyone wrong, however, the developed areas are exploding and beginning to spread out.  The two vehicles you see the most these days are taxis and cement trucks. The mall complex being built in the French Harbor (15 min. east from the airport) is being completed with cement trucks going in and out like waves.  The mall will bring in the islands first big chain restaurant Applebee's.  The island's first golf course has finally revealed its course layout

Today's Status on U.S. Retirement

  There are many great reasons to owning property on a Caribbean island, especially one that defines paradise.  Caribbean real estate will eventually hit the equilibrium point where prices are generally the same.  The world is getting smaller each day and people are discovering our island.  Easy flights can be had from Europe to Newark International Airport then from Newark International Airport straight/non-stop to the Island.  In Roatan taxes are low, labor is inexpensive, and capital gains are only 4% of your profit from the sell of your home.  Roatan is still undervalued by a substantial margin when compared to the rest of the Caribbean.  Now is the perfect time to purchase your property and secure your nest egg and secure if not upgrade your standard of living.  Below is another reason why you should shrug off the stress of retirement and start with your Roatan real estate purchase.

"NEW YORK - Nearly one-third of baby boomers ages 51 to 61 are at risk of not having enough in savings to finance a comfortable retirement, according to a study being released Tuesday by the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College."  -- MSNBC - http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20042927/

NAR Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey

This article is being reprinted from the National Association of Realtors Newsletter, April 17th, 2008...

In spite of a decline in the total vacation and investment home sales, second-home sales accounted for 33% of transactions in 2007. Sales of vacation properties fell 30.6% to 740,000 in 2007 compared to the prior year which boasted a record 1.07 million, while investment-home sales fell 18.1% to 1.35 million (down from 1.65 million in 2006), according to NAR's new Investment and Vacation Home Buyers Survey report. During this same time, primary residence sales declined 10% to 4.34 million in 2007 from 4.82 million in 2006. NAR Chief Economist Lawrence Yun cited the disappearance of speculators from the market as the reason for the decline, leaving the market to serious buyers. The disruption in the mortgage market and tightening of credit during the second half of 2007 also impacted this market sector, but lifestyle factors and strong demographics (including a peak of population in their prime years for buying recreational property), point to a positive outlook for the vacation home market. While U.S. buyers may be taking a wait and see attitude, foreign buyers are taking advantage of the weak U.S. dollar and are propping up second-home sales. Conversely, Inman News reports that U.S. buyers are looking abroad for their second home investment in such markets as Costa Rica, Belize or Mexico, taking advantage of newer resort markets where prices are still relatively low and the U.S. dollar can buy more than at home.

Roatan - Great Vacation Rental Market

The truth is most houses near the beach rent for $1200-$2800 a week. After doing a search on vrbo.com, the results are about 100 listings for ALL of Roatan. The demand for places to stay are only increasing, with double the cruises coming in just the near future and more flights directly to Roatan. A new Carnival port is in development, the current Coxen Hole port is booked solid and In 2007 more flights were released from Europe and USA.

Want to get in on the real estate boom in it's early stages, contact TJ Lynch, an expert on Roatan real estate and property in the Caribbean!

The Pros and Cons of Offshore Investing

Offshore investing is often demonized in the media, which paints a picture of investors stashing their money with some illegal company located on an obscure Caribbean island where the tax rate is next to nothing. While it’s true that there will always be instances of shady offshore deals, the vast majority of offshore investing is perfectly legal. In fact, depending on your situation, offshore investing may offer you many advantages.

Is Roatan Growing . . Population (Pt1 Growth Series)

POPULATION

THEN Published in 2000 ... 28,000 People

NOW Published in 2007 65,000 People. Current Article

Investment Returns, Best Options

Although property prices on Roatan have increased significantly in  the past few years, by international standards they are still very  inexpensive. Considering this area is an island and tropical environment, inexpensive parcels of land are still available. There  are many options on the market, home sites, single family homes,  lots, condos, businesses, development land, commercial land etc. 

Consider what you are looking to achieve with the purchase, your  goals, whether short or long term, and the returns you are looking  for. A good real estate agent will be able to assist you, and be sure  to get a second opinion and do some research yourself.

Below you will find a variety of properties, from community property  to stand alone homes and lots. These prices are just some ideas on  property increasing values during the past few years on Roatan.

facts taken from (RELOC and Investment Guide)

Partners in Education on Roatan (PIER)

Continuing our series on Roatan growth. Today we discuss education on the island.

Founded in 2006, PIER'€™s main purpose is to develop an excellent public school system in order to

•   promote the economic development, and
•   enhance the quality of life of the Islands€™ citizens'

PIER advocates for excellence in education by encouraging business and community members to work with the parents, students, teachers, administrators and community to Adopt-A-School; to develop volunteer opportunities in local schools such as classroom assistant, tutors, mentors, motivators, ESL tutors and public speakers; and to raise funds for education excellence.