RetireRoatan

US Economy Pushing More to the Tropics

As the US struggles with band aids and chewing gum to piece together an almost lost economic system, more and more inquiries are coming through to Roatan websites.  Inquiries from persons close to retirement looking at parking some money outside their country and wanting to buy in Paradise before prices rise further.  With more than 13,000 Baby Boomers retiring daily in the US alone, we're getting more and more calls regarding our properties and businesses for sale in the Islands.

Inquiries into businesses is way up over last year, and we're surprised to see many emails talking about early retirement along with requests for information on existing or needed businesses.  Roatan, growing at a pace that's hard to keep up with, is showing just slight indications of slowing down.  Roger Salinas, who owns and operates one of Honduras' largest commercial construction firms says, "We've got more business on Roatan right now than ever!" and adds "we're about a week away from completing our portion of the Royal Caribbean Cruise ship port and have now started the Carnival Cruise Line's new multi-million dollar terminal in Mahogany Bay."  

Despite the economic woes in the States, the tropics are on fire still...  Real Estate is active, tourism is steady and more and more people are relocating than ever before!  For more information on how you can own property in the Bay Islands, contact TJ Lynch, RE/MAX Bay Islands at [email protected] or visit our sister site at www.buyroatan.com

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.

Money Isn't the Key to Retirement Bliss

"Elizabeth Brinckerhoff never thought adjusting to retirement would require so much work.

"It took about six years to get used to it," she says.

Isn't building the nest egg the hard part? Well, apparently, money isn't the key to retirement bliss, although scarce savings could trip you up as you try to walk away into the sunset."  -- MSNBC Retirement

Enjoying life is what retirement is all about.  There is no better place to experience relaxation coupled with a low cost of living like you will find in Roatan.  One of the western most Caribbean islands.  If you are interested in hearing more email me [email protected]

How to move your belongings to Roatan

After people have purchased their home in paradise, the question arrives, "How do I get my belongings to Roatan"?  There are several ways to move your belongings to Roatan.  The first option is to simply send your belongings to one of the two shipping companies serving Roatan, Hyde Shipping and Dip Shipping.  Hyde shipping goes directly to Roatan, where as Dip Shipping goes through the Port of Cortez.  I recommend Hyde Shipping and I will share the contact and phone number with you shortly. 

Delaying Retirement, Here You Don't Have To

"NEW YORK (CNN) -- Charles and Anna Burge were so certain of retiring to Florida this year that they had begun packing up their house. The dining room of their Long Island, New York home is barren, spare a virtually empty china cabinet and a pile of cardboard boxes that hold its former contents. The couple sold their kitchen table, got rid of chairs, took pictures down from the walls and began sending belongings to their Florida condominium.

'We sold our dining room chairs and now we're sort of living half and half not,' said Charles, a superintendent with New York City's Sanitation Department.

Homes in foreclosure top 1 million

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- More than one million homes are now in foreclosure, the highest rate ever recorded, according to a trade group which warned Thursday that number will continue to climb.

The Mortgage Bankers Association's first quarter report showed that a record 2.5% of all loans being serviced by its members are now in foreclosure, which works out to about 1.1 million homes. That's up from the 2% of loans, or about 938,000 homes, that were in foreclosure at the end of 2007.

The report also showed that 448,000 homes, or about 1% of loans being serviced, began the foreclosure process during the first quarter. That's up from about 382,000 homes, or 0.83%, that entered foreclosure in the last three months of 2007.

Roatan's market continues to be strong and full of great buys compared to other Caribbean Islands. Maybe now, with the economy in the States in the dumpster.... it's a good time to look at investing abroad.

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/