For unsuspecting passengers, it’s quite unnerving as the boat skids down one 4-5 feet wave and leaps out of the water on the next, Tambo expertly controlling the throttle. For those used to it, the $30 round trip fee is part of the joy ride in getting over to Nevis in fifteen minutes, from Turtle Beach. The alternative is to drive several miles into Basseterre, the capital of St. Kitts and wait for a scheduled ferry to Charlestown that takes 35-40 minutes for $12. Time is too precious on this island to be waiting around for ferries. 

Tambo is just one of the characters of Turtle Beach life that is starting to attract the attention of people looking at development land for holiday homes or retirement properties on the southern peninsula.

We fell in love with this area, buying land a few years ago for $4/sf and there are many opportunities to still get in early before full off-island developments take hold.

St.Kitts, an island of 64 sq.miles has a population of approximately 46,000. Its major industry used to be sugar cane, but when the last factory closed in 2005, a large percentage of this land became government controlled and the island focused heavily on tourism. In 2004, the Marriot was the first major hotel chain to see the tourist potential on this island, and opened up a 1000 room hotel in Frigate Bay, seven miles north of Turtle Beach. The L’Auberge and Mandarin Oriental Hotels are slated for construction in 2006/7 on southern peninsula. Go to www.stkittspeninsula.com for more details on these high-end luxury developments. Visitors to the island can slowly pass their days going golfing, scuba diving, sea-kayaking, trekking through the tropical forests to the top of the island volcano, or island hopping over to Nevis with it’s almost permanent white cap of cloud hanging over it’s volcano.

Wayne and Annie Walker purchased coastal property in 2002, overlooking Turtle Beach for less than $4/sf, and completed the house by 2004. It now sits majestically nestled into the hillside overlooking the bay and directly across from Nevis, with a two-minute walk down to the sea.

House prices above Turtle Beach range from $400 to $1million. Their first-hand experience is that building on the island can be frustrating, slow and costs can escalate, so be sure to follow up on all references from builders. Talk to locals and find out which architects are recommended the most and go look at the homes they have built.

Non-nationals purchasing land must apply for an Alien Land Holder for permission to buy (properties in Frigate Bay are exempt, falling under the tourism development belt the island is continuing to develop). The license, primarily for background checks, takes a couple of months. Residential Property tax and Land House taxes vary, depending on location and type. For example, the southern peninsula is 0.5% of the market value. Frigate Bay is calculated by taking 4% of the market value (property or land), then taking 5% of that value to arrive at the annual tax. A 25% rebate is given for properties occupied by their owners, solely for residence.

Purchasers only pay local attorney fees of about 2% of the purchase price for handling and transfer of the property title, and the Alien Landing license.  We used real estate lawyer Charles L. Wilkin, of “Kelsik, Wilkin & Ferdinand”, Basseterre (869) 465-2645.

The restaurant closes at 6pm and we had the beach cove all to ourselves. At night you could relax in the balcony hammock, swaying back and forth in the warm sea-breeze and look across the waters to the twinkling lights of Nevis and Oualie Bay where Jimmy Buffet sometimes stayed to write his music. We like to spend Christmas here each year because it is what it is today and not what it thinks it can be tomorrow.

In 2001, there were two homes built on the phase 1 development of 25 lots. Today there are still only 11 completed homes. Islands are slow to change, but now, recent off-island developers have seen the incredible opportunities on the southern peninsula, and plans are marching forward over the next several years for a marina, Rees-Jones golf courses, high quality, up-market homes and restaurants.