How to Buy Real Estate in Haiti

Think carefully about your reasons for buying in Haiti. Few foreigners look to Haiti as a retirement home possibility, and even fewer think about the island for investment. Both of these facts make Haiti attractive to the island adventurer looking for an non-tourist destination and the business speculator looking to open up a new market. Despite this, careful consideration should go into any Haitian real estate possibility.

Look to areas near Labadee if you're thinking about private real estate. Labadee is a fenced-off piece of Haitian land owned by the Royal Caribbean International company. Since the company goes to great lengths to improve security in the area, Labadee and its environs are a better place to look for private real estate.

Find an excellent local attorney and real estate agent. The average property deal in Haiti takes years to finalize and involves numerous laws and government agencies. A local attorney will help bypass a lot of the red tape and pitfalls of purchasing property on the island. An experienced real estate agent will advise you on up-and-coming areas and warn you about common problems on the market, making the investment and commission fees worthwhile.

Consider surrounding islands--Tortuga, La Grande Caye and a few other Haitian islands. While they are subject to the same, difficult Haitian property laws, they are slightly more connected to the easy Caribbean lifestyle that attracts tourists and expats to the region.