Saint Kitts and Nevis Property Investment For Sale

"Not only a natural wonder but St Kitts & Nevis is the ultimate tax haven."

A tropical paradise of beautiful sand beaches, rocky coastlines, lava formations, precious coral reef lagoons and verdant rainforests, Saint Kitts and Nevis is a natural wonder and world renowned for its excellent preservation of eco systems.

Historically the country was reliant on its large sugar cane industry but since its closure by the government in 2005 the economy has become depended on tourism although there is a diversification program which also includes agriculture, export-orientated manufacturing and offshore banking.

Many of the islands’ old sugar estates still stand and have now been converted into hotels and luxury resorts, there is a deep water port aimed at the cruise tourists and there some impressive 5 star marina and second home developments being built. The real estate market has also been given a boost through the government’s “Citizenship by Investment” program, in which economic citizenship is granted to international investors who make investments of at least US$350,000.  The programme grants full residency status and 0% income, capital gains, wealth or inheritance tax. With property prices stable and rental yields good Saint Kitts and Nevis is considered a truly excellent tax haven.
 

Geography

St. Kitts is officially known as St. Christopher and is situated in the eastern part of the Caribbean. In the southern part of the island there are several spectacular white beaches with pearl blue waters. The island is made up of three groups of rugged volcano peaks. Covered with several sugar cane plantations and rain forests the island has many exotic fruits on offer such papayas, mangos, avocados and bananas. The island of Nevis, the twin federation island, is two miles and a short ferry crossing away from St. Kitts.

Government

St. Kitts is an independent Commonwealth Realm and the Brisith Monarch is the head of state. The Governor General acts on the advice of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet. St. Kitts and Nevis have a national assembly of fourteen members. All the members serve for five year terms. Both the Prime minister and the Cabinet are responsible to the parliament. The islands are full members and acting members of the Caribbean community (CARICOM) and the Organization of Eastern Caribbean states (OECS).

Language

English is the official language on the island but the locals speak it with a slight dialect.

Standard of Living

Although some of the most touristy places can be expensive, living on the island is generally relatively cheap, a lot cheaper than some European countries.

St. Kitts and Nevis is a federation where tourism, agriculture and small manufacturing industries dominate the economy.  

The economy has suffered in the past from hurricanes and is vunerable to drops in tourist numbers due to outside economic factors or natural disasters.

Key Industries

The island is very small and with the growing number of tourists visiting the island, more imports are needed to sustain the gradual grow in numbers. Key industries outside tourism aremachinery, food, electronics, beverages and tobacco.

Relatively under-developed compared to other Caribbean islands, St Kitts has a property market in the throes of its youth. Sellers have been waiting for prices to increase and so market development has been slow. However, the pace of development has been increased by the arrival of certain big names in the hotel and property development worlds to create luxury resorts, with a deep water port also recently created for the cruise tourists in mind. 

Basseterre

The capital of St. Kitts, Basseterre occupies a two mile stretch along the southwest coast of the island. The town is situated in the Basseterre Valley surrounded by flourishing hills and mountains. Boasting some of the most spectacular historical ruins within the Caribbean, Basseterre has been destroyed by some of the worst natural disasters and undergone hurricanes, riots, floods, fires and earthquakes in past years.

Brimstone Hill Fortress National Park

The Brimstone Hill Fort has been recognised by the UNESCO world heritage site for having historical, intellectual and architectural importance. The fort was occupied by the British for several years but abandoned in the mid 19th century. Now restored to its former glory the fort was classified a national park in 1987 and has since been a popular tourist attraction on the island.

Sandy Town

Sandy town is the second largest town on the island of St. Kitts, located on the North West coast. When the town was developed in the 1620s it was an important commercial centre with a active shipping port, but over the years attention turned to Basseterre and the town became quieter, and following a hurricane the town's port also closed. Sandy Town has now been developed into an important industrial centre for manufacturing equipment and has received improved tourist interest. The entrance to Brimstone Hill Fortress is also situated in Sandy Town.