Newsletter - March 2009 [ 03/24/2009 ] March 2009 Roatan Real Estate Newsletter Why Roatan?- not Mexico, and other places south? I am often asked this question by people looking to relocate to Roatan or invest in the island for vacations or future usage. Why Roatan? Why not Panama, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala, Belize? Obviously there are pros and cons to all places. I could go down the line here doing an evaluation of each country or place but there’s really no need. It comes down to a couple of things as far as I am concerned. First of all, Roatan is a Caribbean island; none of the others are. Islands have a certain "lure" about them, a mystique and a seduction which conjures up the same image in everyone’s mind – warm, clear water and soft sand between your toes. As a practical matter, islands also have the advantage of cooling breezes from the sea during the heat of summer, (yep - you are a heck of a lot closer to the equator here). Roatan is only 2-3 miles wide which means that the air is approximately the temperature of the water. So when the air temperature wants to be 100º the breeze can easily make it in the 80º's. Very nice. Geographically, it is like comparing Florida with eastern Caribbean Islands; tough to do. Florida is a nice place; warm climate, nice beaches…..a good spot. But when you think of Cayman. BVI, Bahamas... is Florida in your thought process? I wouldn’t think so and often neither are the pricing structures. I believe the same comparison can be made when looking at Central America versus the Bay Islands. Central American countries have warm climates; have beaches and certainly pluses to consider. None, though, are islands. The Bay Islands are mainly English speaking. To some people that may not make a difference, but to many that is a big deal, especially if they are coming from North America. Purchasing property in a foreign country is a cultural difference to begin with, but now throw in learning a new language to boot? English speaking is a real plus for most comfort levels. Other points to put in your decision-making hat: Honduras is a democratic country, has tropical islands which are mostly English speaking, reasonable prices, white sand beaches, aqua blue waters, direct flights from the states and seasonally from Madrid, Rome, Milan and Canada, low taxes, many pluses..................... elements sure do add up on the plus side of the evaluation process in favor of a place like Roatan. -Skyquest-Medical Emergency Helicopter Great News for the island! Although, as mentioned in previous letters, medical care in this country is actually pretty good, (personally I feel in some instances better than in the U.S), what has always been a shortcoming is emergency care on the island or evacuation to mainland facilities. We do have a couple of ambulances - a good thing - though it has been an issue in critical situations to get specialized care off the island in a hurry. Well no more. A new service, “Skyquest”, is ready to go. Australian Helicopter pilot Ron Shortis has arrived with a very special Sikosrsky 62A “chopper”. This helicopter seats 8-10 people and has the unusual ability to actually be able to float on water if needed and provide sea rescue. Although they also will be doing helicopter rides for cruise ship guests, this bright red, recently completely restored and rebuilt helicopter with a brand new quarter million dollar engine is ready to go. Good news for everyone, especially those thinki ng of making Roatan their special place to retire to or own a second home. -MLS Portal -Many of the people who are subscribers here on our newsletters are seriously thinking that Roatan is or will be a great place to invest, be a part time resident or actually live. There is no doubt that living here is not like living “there”; pretty much no matter where you are living right now. Weather, culture, conveniences, communications, low property taxes, and huge offshore tax credits for U.S. citizens, ($91,400 in 2009 per person!). The differences are numerous. Everyone considering a Roatan purchase should personally research as much as possible and part of our job as a real estate company is to help provide you the information you may need to make that decision, to educate, so to speak. We can point you in the right direction to information sources and this month I would like to introduce you to Customer Portals. A customer portal is access to our Multiple Listing Service at a much higher level than the public is normally allowed. It allows you to use our MLS software to generate searches on properties, rate those properties, review them, communicate with your consultant and even get alerts when new listings happen via email or automatic RSS feeds. Basically your choices are automatically sent right to your inbox. By taking advantage of our portal system your research is in one spot that you can refer to and keep track of, password protected. It comes with a short video explaining how it works and how to use it. Now, this level of interactivity is not for everyone, but if you think this is something you might like to do, please send me an email and I will set you up with the software and access capability. -New Listings, Good Deals….. Very nice home on the east end. Quiet but not too far out of the way. Includes two cars and a boat. It does not get much more turnkey than that. http://www.roatan-realestate.com/listing.php?id=564 Excellent deep water parcel for land bank for future estate, mini development or compound. Over two acres on the water with 140 feet of frontage. A lot of benefit to this investment. http://www.roatan-realestate.com/listing.php?id=565< http://www.roatan-realestate.com/listing.php?id=565> West End Villa over 1800 sf , 2br/2ba. Very good rental potential. Community pool, concrete construction only two years old. Turnkey. A good buy. http://www.roatan-realestate.com/listing.php?id=562 Beach at a good price. Approximately 1/4 acre beachfront lot in popular Sandy Bay. It extends from the paved road to the sea with access on 3 sides. Residential or commercial property. http://www.roatan-realestate.com/listing.php?id=560 Over 0.50 of an acre with 72 feet sand beach frontage. Close to new Pete Dye golf course Two excellent building sites with power, water and road access. Beach at a very good price. Now is the time. http://www.roatan-realestate.com/listing.php?id=551 New Listing - Beach front home in Sandy Bay- http://www.roatan-realestate.com/listing.php?id=566 Always a smart play for investment? Pristine Bay/Black Pearl Pete Dye Golf course. Want to golf Roatan by the end of the year? Second phase home sites and condo….. http://www.roatan-realestate.com/listing.php?id=418 Not sure what you want. Do a search on the island MLS. Over 800 choices there. http://link.flexmls.com/gjxb4o3fevi,2 -Roatan Real Estate Seminar and Tour Good news for those of you who weren’t able to make our last real estate tour schedule – we’re planning another one! Come and spend a week, or more, with us on Roatan in September and learn all about what’s involved in purchasing a vacation home, a building site, land, an income-producing property, a retirement home or an investment piece of paradise. In three days, we will package together all the “need-to-know” information for buying property overseas….even the questions you didn’t know you need to ask! We’ll spend day one in a seminar setting, during which you will hear about legal issues, insurance, title insurance, communications, building….and much more. All this invaluable information and 2 days of touring the island to look at different properties is included in the fee of $200 per person, or $375 per couple. You couldn’t accumulate all this experience on your own without spending a lot of time here, not to mention expense, even if you knew the “secret” questions you need to ask! We will introduce you to the people you need to know and the services you will need to un-complicate your life…..and give you ideas on how to finance your purchase; did you know you can use your IRA or 401K to purchase a second home? Did you know you can retire here and not pay taxes? Not only will we share these answers with you, but you’ll receive our considerable experience in the real estate business to help you find just the right property for your needs. This seminar and tour is not to be missed. And there’s no risk to you, only benefit. We will refund your fee when you buy property here, if it’s during the tour or within one year of the tour…there’s nothing to lose. If you would like information regarding this opportunity drop me an email and I will get you that info. Better yet, let me sign you up today so you don’t miss out on a space – 20 people is our absolute maximum, so we can deliver the individual attention you deserve! -Cool Treats Looking for a cool treat on a sunny afternoon? Try this…….. go to West End to the Palms Mall, walk a few steps down in the mall to visit Serena’s “Cream of the Trop” Ice Cream Parlor. Home made ice cream made right there on the premises. Delicious!! Some very unique flavors. When you are done top it off with an espresso right there and call it the afternoon of taste treat sensations. Exploding taste buds - always a pleasure! -Places to stay………… The island really has some great locations for any taste and budget. We like to highlight various options for our readers regularly. These options vary from small boutique type locations like Sante, a top rated on Trip.com B&B to a larger end West Bay Beach brand new facility like “Infinity Bay” Last month I mentioned “Turquoise Bay” for the resort that is just a little out of the way that provides the ultimate in quiet solitude while still having top end amenities and service. Paya Bay and Royal Playa resorts are small and remote locations that are on the east end of the island, the latter by boat access only. If you want to feel like “you are not at the end of the earth but you can see it from there” these last two are great choices to absolutely get away from it all. http://www.vrbo.com is a great spot to start looking at privately owned homes if resorts are not your thing. If you have questions about any of these places drop me a line and I will point you in the right direction. Time to say good bye for this month. Thank you for reading and please feel free to write us with any questions you may have. Service before, during and after the sale is who we are. Best regards, Larry, Wendy, Janine, Alex, George, Tom, and Mario.