RetireRoatan

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

Many Americans Tap Retirement Funds Early

A poll from Harris Interactive found that nearly a fourth of Americans actively planning their retirement prematurely withdraw money from their accounts.  Explore the low cost of living on the Caribbean island of Roatan.  Don't dip into your retirement early.  Low Taxes.  Low Costs.  Increasing Land Appreciation.  The island is less than 10% developed, so there is room for everyone...  To learn more about retirement and property ownership email TJ ([email protected]) or Bill ([email protected]).

Left Shoe or Right Shoe Washing Up on Shore

How come most of shoes washing up or Roatan shores are left shoes? Who ends up with all the right ones?
Could they come from one legged people? Are they meant only for one legged recipients? After closer analysis, 8 out of 10 pairs washing up on Roatan shores are left shoes. According to a PhD work of Curtis Ebbesmeyer, an American oceanographer, left shoes follow a different drift pattern then right shoes. When a container ship loses a cargo of Nike shoes, left pairs end up at different beaches, coasts and islands. Roatan, for that matter, seems to be on the path of left shoes. There has to be another island, possibly Cayman Islands, that the right shoes drift to. - courtesy of the Bay Islands Voice

Roatan Tourist Season

Roatan's location in the Caribbean creates an ideal temperature all year round. Rainier months can be between November and January. Technically, our high season is January through June.

Thankfully, Roatan is not really an area that sees much hurricane activity. The island does receive tradewinds however, they provide nothing much other than a cool breeze or occasional storm.

Ready to Fly Here: Check out Kayak.com

Wow, this site searches many of the airlines for the best flight to and from Roatan. Also combines airline itineraries for the cheapest fairs. A great feature is graphs showing the best days to travel, what the rise and fall of costs have been over the past 90 days. Kayak.com features pricing on hotels, cruses, car rentals, travel agency deals and more. Sure there is priceline.com, expedia.com and travelocity.com (to name a few) and this site actually searches those too for you. Play around with kayak.com from your city and get a great persepective of the best flights/costs for you.

It should be noted too that cheapflights.com allows you to put in flight parameters and than as a second step select one of the MANY online ticket websites mentioned above and search those real time all from one website. Pretty cool!!!

Survival Tips to Help Gringos

Gringo - a non Roatan native . . .

1. Indecision is the key to flexibility.

2. There is absolutely no substitute for a genuine lack of preparation.

3. The facts, although interesting, are irrelevant.

4. Someone who thinks logically is a nice contrast to the real world.

5. Things are more like today than they ever were before.

6. If you think there is good in everybody, you haven’t met everyone.

7. Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious.

8. The trouble with life is you’re half way through it before you realize it’s a do it yourself sort of thing.

9. And finally, one that I heard in Helene some ten years ago: “Just because the waters be calm don’t mean there be no crocodiles.””

.. from Bob McCain, Roatan Discussion Group

Quick Tip: Investing in Roatan Island Real Estate

If you’re interested in purchasing or building a rental property  there are several factors to consider. Location as in all real estate dealings is the most important aspect to consider. On Roatan,  beach front properties and properties with an ocean view and a pool are easiest to rent. Higher end properties with amenities including a/c, cable or satellite TV and internet rent the best for as much as  $2,500 to $3,500 a week during the high season.

The Government of Honduras

The government of the Republic of Honduras is based on the democratic system and divided into three branches: executive, legislative and judiciary.

I Love Honduras !

The country is divided into 18 departments or states, and every four years, a new president, legislators from the different states and municipal authorities are elected through a multi-party system. There are two dominant parties, the conservative “Nationalista” party and the Liberal party. The current president of Honduras is Manual Rosales Zelaya, a liberal party leader who took office in January 2006.

A Trip to the Beach: Living on Island Time in the Caribbean

This is the true story of a trip to the beach that never ends. It's about a husband and wife who escape civilization to build a small restaurant on an island paradise -- and discover that even paradise has its pitfalls. It's a story filled with calamities and comedy, culinary disasters and triumphs, and indelible portraits of people who live and work on a sliver of beauty set in the Caribbean Sea. It's about the maddening, exhausting, outlandish complications of trying to live the simple life -- and the joy that comes when you somehow pull it off.

Canadian Dollar vs American

Wow our expert team has just learned some great tips if you are buying/investing from Canada or elsewhere in the world and need to exchange for American money. Banks can charge a higher exchange rate when converting your dollars to American money. Great news though, their are 3rd party companies out there who can exchange at a better rate and thus save you money. TJ at buyroatan.com has written a fantastic article in more details of the ins and outs, make sure to check it out. HiFX has provided us with their currency tool and are a great exchange service, you can play with their calculator below to get an idea of rates and savings.