Caribbean Real Estate - A Number of Positives Concentrated in St. Lucia

Online, June 18, 2010 (Newswire.com) - The Caribbean is one of those areas of the world in which the affluent desire to spend their leisure time. As such, it's an area where real estate values may fluctuate, but they never experience price collapse, as recent markets have in other parts of the world. Recent analysis and reporting from Merrill Lynch has been very positive, with global communications, sports facilities and a green policy named as positive factors desired by global investors. The Caribbean as a whole is quite desirable, but St. Lucia has emerged as a hotspot, with all of these traits and policies.
There's plenty of money available globally for real estate investment, with the only question being which areas of the world will benefit. The value of tourism and foreign investment isn't lost on the government of St. Lucia. Focusing on promoting tourism, there are also some very attractive real estate and tax incentives for foreign investors. With no taxes on rental income, capital gains, inheritance and repatriation, there's plenty of incentive to purchase real estate for fun, the beauty of the area, and future appreciation. The World Bank recently placed St. Lucia in the top 30 countries in the world in which to invest.

With much of the allure and many of the advantages of Barbados, but prices up to 60% lower, the area is no longer under the radar. Appreciation in the double digits recently shows the strength of the market while other areas of the world have suffered price softening. While St. Lucia seems to be the focus of attention for investors right now, there is still a lot of activity in other areas of the Caribbean. The entire area clearly targets the affluent vacationer. All of the islands boast luxury resorts and top rated hotels. Scuba diving, golf courses and surfing all help to draw more than 2 million visitors annually.

Growth is evident across the islands, with Aruba construction recently creating hotel capacity that's now five times what it was in 1985. Offshore banking contributes to the popularity of Aruba and the Bahamas. The government of the Island of Margarita is also focusing on developing tourism, with a significant portion of the island's GDP dependent upon vacationers. It isn't all about the rich though. There are still real estate investment opportunities in a diverse range of prices across the islands. For a number of reasons, global investment is attracted to the Caribbean.