Montserrat is one of the most beautiful islands in the world. Its lush, tropical, and serene environment is one of the things that attracts tourists to the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean. If you’re looking to invest in the Montserrat real estate market, just like most Americans, then this article is for you.
You’ll discover five significant investment ideas in the Montserrat real estate market. But before that, let’s look at the Montserrat real estate market and how profitable it is to invest in it.
The Montserrat Real Estate Market
Before experiencing a series of deadly volcanic eruptions in the 1900s, Montserrat was one of the Caribbean’s most popular tourist destinations. It was nicknamed the “emerald isle of the Caribbean” because of its serenity, lush rainforest, and high mountains.
Since Plymouth, the former capital of Montserrat, and other areas of the island got covered by a volcano, the “British overseas territory” has been short of real estate investments. The government has invited foreigners, including Americans, to come and help rebuild the land. Therefore, with the new capital, Little Bay, under construction, there’s a huge investment opportunity for Americans and other foreigners in Montserrat.
While there are investment opportunities in other sectors, the real estate market seems to have the most promising ROI. Apart from the promising return on investment, investing in the Montserrat real estate market comes with a residence permit and makes way for British Overseas Territory Citizenship (BOTC). So, depending on your investment budget, the Montserrat real estate market has an irresistible offer for you.
5 Investment Opportunities for Americans in Montserrat Real Estate Market
These are five investment opportunities for Americans in the Montserrat real estate market:
1. Land Flipping
With Montserrat being one of the most popular retirement home destinations for most Canadians, Americans, and Europeans, land flipping is one of the most lucrative investments you can make there.
There are many undeveloped lands on the Emerald Isle of the Caribbean. To buy land, you first have to meet the owner and make an offer. Some owners might want you to deal with their real estate representatives directly. Whichever one you choose, once an agreement is reached, you’d have to apply for an Alien Land Holding License (ALHL).
Once the purchase is completed and you have full property documents, you now have the right to hold and resell the property at a later date. To ensure the property is not overvalued, do your own background checks before making an offer. Furthermore, you may want to make an offer based on your own calculated return on investment too.
2. House Flipping
If you want a better ROI than what’s obtainable in land flipping, then house flipping is another great opportunity for you in the Montserrat real estate market.
There are many sound, beautiful properties you can buy and resell in Montserrat. With minor renovations and additions, you can end up selling the property with a higher ROI than you imagined. Houses on this beautiful Caribbean island range from $120,000 to $1,000,000. You can earn up to 20% ROI on a single house flip. However, the real money in house flipping lies in flipping multiple houses in a year.
It is possible to build wealth by flipping houses in Montserrat. Not only are houses cheaper on the island than on other islands, but the government also provides incentives to investors. From the waiving of import duties to other tax exemptions, you’ll find out that the most profitable time to invest in Montserrat is during this rebuilding phase.
3. Rental Properties
Another way to invest in the Montserrat real estate market is to build or acquire rental properties. This ranges from houses, office spaces, retail stores, and vacation rental apartments.
There are a lot of families who want to visit Montserrat for temporary residence but don’t have the money to acquire a house. Even tourists who intend to spend a couple of weeks or months on the beautiful island would need somewhere comfortable to pass their nights. What’s more, there are people (especially remote workers) who intend to live in Montserrat permanently but don’t want to invest in a home yet. What about those who need retail stores, office spaces, and warehouses?
Since the recovery from the volcanic eruptions began, most people who fled Montserrat are returning, along with their families. Even the number of tourists is gradually increasing. This has led to an increase in the demand for rental properties in Montserrat. This is a huge opportunity for you to provide them with comfortable residences and office spaces and earn a good rental income.
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4. Relaxation Properties for Tourists
The increase in the number of tourists and permanent residents has led to an increased demand for hotels, restaurants, bars, and other relaxation centers. Montserrat being home to really tasty shrimp and seafood presents a good investment opportunity for hospitality centers.
You can build and manage these properties yourself by putting them up for rent or by actually running the business. You may also decide to build, run the business to show its profitability, and sell it off. There are very few of these properties on the Caribbean island, so you’re sure to make profits on the investment.
5. Foreign Direct Investments
You can profit from the real estate market in Montserrat without physically owning a property on the island. Your money could yield profitable returns if you invest in government-owned real estate.
For the past six years, since the Montserrat government made public its plans to attract foreign direct investors, the island has witnessed tremendous growth. There have been lots of infrastructural developments in all of its cities, especially the proposed new capital, Little Bay.
The government offers several mouthwatering incentives to investors who are willing to take a huge financial gamble on Montserrat. The incentives are in the form of tax exemptions, customs fee waivers, etc. Furthermore, the government offers citizenship opportunities to investors, as it plans to raise $62.5 million from the program.
Conclusion
Montserrat is a beautiful island that offers the serenity, beauty, and fun that Caribbean islands are known for. Despite the ruins created by the volcanic eruptions, the Montserrat government believes the beautiful island will rise again, like a phoenix, from the ashes.
This is already evident in the developmental changes going on on the island. And you can take advantage of the opportunity to build wealth from Montserrat’s real estate market.
Hopefully you found value in this article on how you can take advantage of the investment opportunities for Americans in Montserrat’s real estate market.
