Tortola Real Estate, your next  investment?

Consider Tortola real estate if you want to live in a place where the people are friendly, the trees are palm, the weather is balmy and gentle, and where you can watch dawn over the ocean from your kitchen lanai. Every time I visit the island, I think about Tortola real estate as a possible next investment.

Tortola is the largest of the British Virgin Islands, but it's still so small that no spot on the island is more than a mile and a half from the ocean. Its mountainous terrain was formed by volcanic activity millennia ago, and lush greenery grows in the fertile soil everywhere on the island.

The largest town on Tortola and capital of the British Virgin Islands, Road Town, boasts 25,000 people, over a third of Tortola's residents.

Because of the small city/open country nature of Tortola, it's easy to find just the right property to live in. Do you want a hidden tropical paradise, a house on the mountainside or the beach that you and your family can retreat to for vacations or as a permanent home? With few people and hundreds of hidden coves and valleys, Tortola is a wonderful place to find privacy in paradise while still being in easy reach of city-based conveniences. If you prefer to live in town, there are plenty of condominiums and smaller homes available in more settled places, with the added advantage of convenience to marinas.

While simple beauty in a home is one thing, investment is another; after all, there are beautiful homes in California or Mexico too. But Tortola real estate is also a great choice for retirement or second home investment. The British Virgin Islands is an emerging real estate market, which means if you've given up on finding a perfect second home or vacation property in the rapidly-softening American market, you'll find beautiful homes on Tortola that will increase in value in the future. In addition, Tortola is very financially sensitive, and has no capital gains tax as well as other tax and financial advantages. It is worth your time to do the math.

Does Tortola real estate cost an arm and a leg?

This sounds like a millionaire's paradise. Surprisingly, though, it's also very affordable. Many people have found affordable vacation homes and retirement homes, and it's very easy to rent out vacation homes when you're not on the island. (You do have to have special permits from the government to purchase and rent property as a non-citizen, but these permits aren't too hard to get.) Alternatively, undeveloped land is plentiful here, even oceanfront lots, and the prices are comparable to mid-range Florida coast properties. What a wonderful place to build your dream home complete with boathouse!

If you want to check out Tortola real estate before buying anything, small furnished rental apartments are available by the month at very reasonable rates. Think about it: shopping for your vacation or retirement home while bare boating (that's renting your own boat without crew for cruising), deep sea fishing, scuba diving, or just sunning on the beach. Be warned, though: once you've strolled the classic beach town streets in Road Town or seen the sun set over Tortola's gorgeous beaches, you may never want to go back to the mainland.

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