Many people have the dream of having their very own piece of paradise. That’s something you can achieve by buying a property in the Caribbean — as you’re probably already aware of, this is truly one of the most beautiful corners of the Earth. However, compared to a real estate market that you’re more intricately familiar with, there are some particulars regarding the Caribbean that you need to be aware of. With that in mind, we’ll give you a guide on some of the common mistakes that people make in the process of purchasing a Caribbean property, as well as tips on how to avoid them!

Common Mistakes

The most oft-repeated mistakes to avoid when buying a property in the Caribbean are:

• Working with untrustworthy professionals
• Taking online descriptions for granted
• Not taking the weather into account

Working With Untrustworthy Professionals

The Caribbean is an extremely attractive area, particularly in terms of real estate properties. That’s precisely why, unfortunately, many speculators and disingenuous fortune seekers come here in search of easy money. Of course, if you want to make a fortune honestly, finding a job around here is pretty easy.

But let’s face it — there’s a lot of money to be made by dabbling in real estate. That’s why real estate agents of varying qualities pop up around the Caribbean. Many of them do not have the experience or education required to do their job properly, and thus push an unsure buyer into making potentially bad decisions.

What To Do

Every step of the way, you need to make sure that you’re cooperating with a legitimate company, agency, or individual. And that’s true even if they’re an employee of a huge household name.

Don’t forgo making that effort — not just for real estate agencies. For instance, when you purchase a home and start planning your relocation to the Caribbean, make sure you’re working with a quality moving company. Professional movers from movage-moving.com hold up to background checks — and you need to be certain that you’re doing one!

Taking Online Descriptions for Granted

We can’t count the number of times this happened to someone. They browse the internet in the process of buying a property in the Caribbean, and finally find the home of their absolute dreams. East Coast-ers with enough money to afford a property here often find an offer that seems simply too good to pass on. They see a great view of the ocean coupled with an extremely affordable price, and they’re off to the races.

But before you look for ways to transport your belongings from NYC hassle-free and make a down payment, you should take a closer look. In many cases, what you don’t see in pictures is more important than what you do. Sure, a gorgeous view may indeed be real. On the other hand, there are other things to think about when buying a property anywhere, including the Caribbean. There may be some crucial amenities missing, or the infrastructure is badly maintained. Trust us, in most cases, there’s something that explains an unusually low price.

That’s why you mustn’t trust second-hand impressions. Before buying, you need to see the house for yourself. Conduct a thorough investigation of the property, ideally with a professional that’s going to know what to look for. Remember that many real estate agents do not have a legal obligation to inform you of any reasons due to which the seller is offering a lower price. That’s why you need to find out for yourself.

Not Taking The Weather Into Account

There are ways in which the Caribbean is represented in pop culture that may make you forget what the islands there are actually like, if you’ve never explored them for yourself. Bear in mind that, while the region offers more sunshine than you’d know what to do with, some of the local islands also get a lot of rain over the year. And the lushest and the greenest ones generally get the most rain. On the other hand, dry areas that have cactus-like plants get far less rainfall.

When you decide on buying a property in the Caribbean, you need to take this into account. The weather is a major factor in your decision about where you’ll purchase a home. For instance, Curacao tends to be very dry, but rains are heavy when they do fall.

Also, you need to make sure that you are adequately prepared to handle the heat yourself. You will need a pool and an interior that’s properly air-conditioned if you’re going to spend any reasonable amount of time here. And if you want to spend time outside, you should pick a home that offers the most shade in its surroundings.

Generally, elements such as the wind, sun, and rain have a major impact on your Caribbean household. The salt that’s found everywhere in the air tends to weather the facades, and even stainless steel can rust around here. If you’re building any kind of structure of your own, its vicinity to the ocean will enlarge annual maintenance costs.

Speaking of which, when hurricanes hit some of the Caribbean islands, they can leave quite a lot of damage. If you’re going to buy a property on St. John’s USVI, for instance, you may want to think about purchasing a hurricane-proof property.

Conclusion

As you can see, buying a property in the Caribbean can be the opportunity of a lifetime — but it also entails thorough research before you can be sure that you’ve gone for the right offer. Always do a background check of the different realtors involved, explore the property in person, and think about all of the other factors that have to be taken into account.