But the description of our ideal home all but tumbled out of us in short order. We wanted a pod-style Balinese house. Hal Sorrenti designed it, and Nelson Abbott built it. (Contact Hal at: www.sorrentidesign.com  email inspire@sorrentidesign.com); contact Nelson at:  abnel@bitelnet.com.)

One year later, we moved in. 

The boxes piled high in our container on the ship from Miami, FL, held Pier One furnishings in reds and oranges. We brought everything, from refrigerators to light bulbs. 

And today we have an inside garden flourishing riotously and tables groaning under vases of newly picked orange birds of paradise, red hibiscus, pinks of the torch ginger, and leaves from the varieties of crotons.

Our nearest neighbor, five lots away, became our dearest first friend. She, a mother of twins, was a writer who spoke of her assignments and how they exposed her to island lore and locations. Immediately, I jumped at the chance to write while here, and I met the publishers of the two island magazines. 

(On Roatan, there's no daily newspaper with news of murders and wars, so in the mornings, we simply enjoy our fresh mango juice and slices of sourdough French bread from the bakery.) 

I was interested in learning more about our new home, and so I began writing for the magazine that covers the community and the people who make it work. And within time, I became the editor, in fact.

Would it be corny to say it’s a joy rounding the bend of the road on the way to do an interview? Would it surprise you to know that we think of Roatan as our home, and our USA townhouse as our jumping-off place? 

Our gray hairs are showing, yet we feel alive and adventuresome.

Plenty of Good-Value Real Estate Still Exists

Can you do what we did? Absolutely. 

There are still a multitude of opportunities in real estate -- affordable and beautiful. 

• On the Bay Island of Utila there is Escapa, a new exciting unique community with white sand beaches and azure waters.  Here residential lots start at $59,000 and beachfront at $249,000.
• Design a house atop a hill, to see the far-ending reaches of the sky meet the water. You could do it at Blue Ocean Reef, where lots start at just $119,000.
• See the possibilities of a family grouping themselves together in a condominium project with elevators for grandma and swimming pools for the wee ones. You could do that comfortably at Pineapple Villas, where units list for $179,000 and up.
• Picture nestling in the trees (mangos, cashews, almonds) at Casa Can-Do, a home wrapped around a dipping pool with total privacy and serenity…but with a mile long white sand beach, large swimming pool, and a soaring A-frame open-air restaurant just a short walk away at Palmetto Bay Plantation. Asking price is $459,500
• Be comfortable in an upscale resort environment. At the sophisticated, south-side Parrot Tree Plantation, there are established condominiums, beachfront homes, and hillside lots. Preconstruction prices on the beachside condos start at $249,900.
• Key Hole Bay is a planned community, still in the early building stages. They have won two Honduran awards for environmental innovative methods of protecting the reef from run-off. An easy walk from the gorgeous West Bay Beach, 1500 sq ft. condominiums start at $394,000 with 15% and 20% preconstruction discounts.
• Infinity Bay Resort and Spa on West Bay Beach is for those who enjoy the crowds, as many Europeans do when they go to the seashore. Located right on West Bay Beach, ocean view units here are priced (pre-construction) from $258,760 for a one-bedroom to $789,360 for a three-bedroom.
• Sunset Villas is a quiet retreat behind West End, a young person’s paradise. Music at night, plenty of walking and meeting on the funky oceanfront street, and gatherings of tightly pressed, laughing people at bars like the Purple Turtle and Sundowners makes it the in-place. Units here start at $99,999 for a one-bedroom condominium and larger units start at $199,999 (pre-construction).

Prices on the Rise, But Still a Caribbean Bargain

Prices for properties on Roatan have increased since we bought three years ago. More people have discovered the island. More amenities are in place -- better roads, new restaurants, a bakery, a deli, etc. And it's easier to get here on more frequent flights. 

So for us, it's been a sound investment. Those trends will continue, I believe.

And, as I've said, you've hardly missed all the good deals. When you compare the prices here today to what you'd pay for comparable properties elsewhere in the Caribbean, the condos, homes, and lots on Roatan still represent an extraordinarily good bargain. 

For many, many years, this island was known only among divers and adventurers -- with more than 100 dive sites, it's an underwater paradise. Because it was relatively difficult to get to, it wasn't over-built or over-commercialized.

That's a blessing. Because even today, as more people discover it and prices creep up, it's still not a jumble of buildings. There are vast tracts of undeveloped land, and it feels like you have space to breathe and enjoy a relaxing lifestyle. 

Plus this has become a splendidly international destination, too. We have friends from mainland Honduras, Canada, South Africa, Great Britain, Holland, Vietnam, Italy, China, and many from the United States.