BUYING A PROPERTY IN BAHAMAS

Newcomers to The Islands of The Bahamas quickly realize that they have stumbled upon not one, but many destinations. Between the "poles" of Grand Bahama and Great Inagua are 23 inhabited islands and thousands of unpopulated islets and cays (pronounced "keys"). Cosmopolitan Nassau seems a world away from the desert-like wildlife sanctuary of Inagua.

On many of the islands, tiny villages seem lifted from the Massachusetts coast and set down amongst palms and pines and iridescent sands. These beautiful islands lie only 50 miles off the Florida coast.

Buying in the Bahamas

Real Estate costs vary across its many islands here is a flavour of what you can expect:

Nassau/Paradise Island

Economically the most important island of The Bahamas, home to its capital, Nassau, the seat of government. Nassau is a sophisticated, charming old town built on a sun-splashed hillside overlooking the sea. Nassau/Paradise Island also includes the resort areas of Cable Beach and Paradise Island. New Providence and Paradise Island offer perhaps the widest choice of residential property in the Bahamas. Much of it is very up-scale, with homes in the millions of dollars being rather common. Homes in exclusive Lyford Cay, which lies at the far west end of the island, start around half a million dollars.

Exhuma

With direct air links to the island and great real estate prices Exhuma is worth a closer look. Compared to other islands in The Bahamas prices are here are in expensive. The main settlement is George Town on Elizabeth Harbour, with its pleasant pastel homes. There are communities being built right now.

Eleuthera

Easily reached, with direct flights from the U.S. to all three airports, Eleuthera is just over a mile wide and 110 miles long Here, the roots of modern Bahamian history were planted by the "Eleutheran Adventurers," who established what was probably the first true democracy in the western world more than 300 years ago. Much of the early colonial atmosphere is preserved in the tiny fishing villages and sprawling farming areas. The island is 110 miles long and only two miles wide along most of its length. Just offshore is Harbour Island (renowned for its pink-sand beaches).

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