A Fully-Furnished, 3-Bedroom Home for as Little as $164,500

What's more, as I mentioned earlier, you can still find extraordinary property values. Here are a few examples of what your money will buy today:

• A charming, three-bed, two-bath home in Turtle Crossing, on the western tip of Roatan -- just a quick 10-minute walk from the island's beautiful West End beach. This doll-house-like cottage up on a hill boasts beautiful ocean views and takes in terrific breezes. It comes fully furnished, high-speed Internet access is available, and you get use of the community pool, too. Asking? Just $164,500.
• Waterfront and garden lots just outside the active beach town of West End list for as little as $18,000. A lot approximately a quarter-acre on the water here is priced at $49,000.
• Half-acre lots in the upscale Parrot Tree Plantation development, where you have access to a 2,000-foot white sand beach, retail shops, and marina slips… and where the views are lovely, you can buy a half-acre lot for $59,000.
• At the exclusive Lawson Rock development, a gorgeous, gated retreat on Roatan's north shore, seaside lots list for $239,000 and up. Hillside view lots start at $79,000, and smaller "village lots" near the community's pool start at $49,000.
• On Utila's white sand Jack Neal Beach, a 15-minute boat ride from town on the south shore, lots on the beach start at $79,000. Just back from the beach, you can own a one-acre lot for $35,000. A two-bedroom, one-bath home on offer here lists for $119,000.
• At the Posada del Sol Resort on Guanaja -- red tile roofs and creamy stucco tucked into a hillside, just steps from the beach -- much activity is afoot. The owners have on offer one-third acre lots situated from the Oceanside to the ridgeline on offer from $60,000 to $90,000. Owners will have full use of the resort facilities.

Two big-name resorts are weighing in with some heavy-hitting marketing power, which should help increase the number of tourists and give a corresponding boost to property values. Wyndham Hotels and Resorts is slated to break ground on Roatan before the end of the year on a new, high-end condominium and resort project on a fabulous north shore beach. 

Pre-development prices start at just $119,900 for a studio, $159,900 for a one-bedroom, and $246,900 for a two-bedroom, which makes this one of the best investment buys going on the island today. (You can reserve yours for just $5,000.) 

What's more, a golf course is slated to go in adjacent to the property, which should broaden further its appeal to travelers and give property values an additional boost. 

The Iguana Bay Kempinski Hotel (a $11.3 million, five-star property) is slated for construction on Guanaja in 2005. The luxury complex includes 36 secluded bungalows, which will reportedly rent for $1,500 a night each. This high-end exposure should lend a decidedly upscale appeal to the islands.

Safe, Attractive Investment Climate

I've visited the Bay Islands 22 times over the past nine years. And I have to say, it's not just the good-value property deals… the lush, tropical climate… and the proximity to the States that make these islands so attractive. In addition:

• · The pro-business, pro-investment government is stable, led by President Ricardo Maduro, a businessman fluent in English and with an economics degree from Stanford. As it happens, he owns a property development in the islands, and so he has a personal interest in seeing tourism numbers and property values there increase.
• Better air access and lower-cost fares make getting to the islands easier and cheaper. Continental Airlines has just announced a new non-stop flight weekly from Houston to start June 12, 2004.
• Tourist numbers have climbed steadily over the past few years and continue to increase. By mid-2003, foreign tourist arrivals in Honduras were up an impressive 17% over the prior year. More and more European visitors are discovering the islands. A charter from Milan to Roatan brings nearly 300 passengers a week.
• You can get the goods and services you need. A deli-grocery called Bulk Gourmet provides locals with a selection they rave about -- everything from vine leaves to potstickers. Several new restaurants have also sprung up, further adding to an already ample selection of ethnic and local offerings.
• Medical care is adequate, with two small hospitals and several clinics serving the island. Plus, in an emergency, air-evacuation services can now whisk you to the mainland in half an hour.
• On tiny Utila, the air access is better than ever, and the island's new airport accommodates larger planes. What's more, the Tennessee Valley Authority, together with a newly formed power company, has rewired Utila's town with wind turbines to provide efficient, 24-hour electricity.

Though everyone likes a good value, a quest for a more sane existence is what really drew Therese and Michael Bennett to Roatan from San Francisco. They said, "We constantly notice nature here. You hear insects, birds, and the wind or rain in the trees rather than traffic and car alarms. Your skin is so much happier here -- we laugh at all the ads for moisturizers in the U.S. media. You can pretty much throw them away here. You wear less clothing and have the fresh air on your skin all the time. We get claustrophobic back in what we call 'The Excited States.'  Rain sounds so different here, hitting dirt and trees rather than pavement and buildings.

"The key is that you do pretty much what you want to.  If you want a quiet day, you take one. There are no quarterly reports due.  No luncheon meetings 'so we don't cut into the work day.'  No commute. That sense of control over your life is priceless, and almost impossible to imagine until you experience it. It is by far the best part of living here."

For more information about investing and living in the Bay Islands of Honduras, you can reach me at +1-800-926-6575 or +1 561 - 243 - 6276 or click here to visit The Agora Travel Website -