The real estate market in St Lucia has seen comparable growth matching other popular islands in the Caribbean such as Barbados; however St. Lucia is quite more affordable.   And buying real estate in St. Lucia can be done with peace of mind due to the country’s affiliation with the UK.  In fact the head of state for St. Lucia is Queen Elizabeth II thus sovereign representation is on island by the appointed Governor.   Nationally, St. Lucia is a parliamentary democracy with a Prime Minister and cabinet and with a stable economic and political environment that foresees a high probability for real estate price appreciation over the next decade.  St. Lucia is seen as having a lot more potential further to its increasingly attractive track record since prior to the millennium.

Buying real estate is relatively straightforward in St. Lucia with a process similar to that in the UK and US. The main difference is non residents must obtain an Aliens Landholding License; a relatively simple process where the purchaser applies and is granted by the government a non transferable license for the property or plot of land.  This is a permanent license which does not require renewal and usually takes six to eight weeks and is handled by your lawyer.  It is a process that involves 4 government departments from the Planning Department (where it is submitted), the Attorney Generals' Office, the Prime Minister's Office to then finally the Governor General's Office for final signing. After the License has been granted, the actual transfer of title takes place.  The license costs are within reason but are significant for plots over 1 acre for private property and 5 acres for commercial property. 

One other consideration when buying property in St. Lucia is when one purchases land only, it is required  by law to develop or build on the land within 2-3 years from the date of purchase.

St. Lucia has a capital gains tax of 10% on real estate sales.  This interestingly however can be mitigated by purchasing real estate via a company.  It takes around six weeks to create a company at a cost of US$1,185.18 (ECD 3,200) and what with Capital appreciation since 2000 estimated at 10% per annum this is an attractive viable option.

St. Lucia is a member of the Eastern Caribbean Currency Union (ECCU) which issues a common currency in the Eastern Caribbean Dollar or-ECD and is pegged to the US Dollar, 1 US Dollar = 2.70000 East Caribbean Dollar  (1 EC= 0.37037 USD) . Currency converter here. The Central Bank of St. Lucia regulates monetary policy and banking activities for the island.  The country is also a member of the Caribbean Community and Common Market (CARICOM) and is the Head Quarters for the Organization of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS).

St. Lucia has 2 international airports on the island: the main Hewanorra International Airport at Vieux Fort is to the south and George Charles Inter Island Airport in Castries is in the north. St. Lucia is one of the most accessible islands in the Caribbean, and has a number of non-stop daily flights from the United States by: American Airlines, Delta, US Airways, Air Jamaica and BWIA.  Flight times are 3 ½ hours from Miami and 4 hours from New York.  During the peak season of November through to March, a number of charters fly from London and Toronto.   Flights times from London are 8 hours.  International flights, outside the Caribbean land at the main International airport to the south and when vacationing to the north, a favourable option is to helicopter to the north airport instead of the shuttle. It is only about 15 minutes, compared to the 2 hour bus ride, and the flight presents amazing pictures and views particularly in flying over the Island’s rain forest.

St Lucia offers some of the most dramatic natural beauty in its 19,000-acre rain forest to the Gros Piton and Petit Piton’s; the islands stunning twin peaks surrounded by rich forest, to hiking on the Pigeon Island National Park, to the Soufriere Estate/Diamond Botanical Gardens and Waterfall, and onto its shores where some of the best Caribbean beaches are found; particularly on the calm western side which is protected from high Atlantic winds by the islands mountainous interior.  And as the island is not over-developed, isolated beaches can even be found.  Some of the most popular beaches though are in Rodney Bay, Pigeon Island, Choc Bay, Vingle, La Toc, Marigot Bay, Anse Castenet, Anse de Sables and Vieux Port.

So welcome to the island of St Lucia, where its natural beauty is often beyond description and a beauty that is more than mirrored by that of its people; so very warm and welcoming, You will be sure to call St. Lucia home.