How do you buy a private island?

Answer 1

There are actual real estate sites dedicated online to Island real estate. Do a search query as "Island for Sale". It's a property like any other, so you would buy it much like a house or a piece of land. Down payment, mortgage, etc.

Every piece of land in the world is claimed by an individual, corporation or government as having legal deed and ownership of the property. Just like any other piece of real estate, a private individual would purchase the private island, which is just another form of real estate land, from the current owner. The new owner would be subject to the laws of the government who has jurisdiction and control.

Centuries ago before the world was settled, then the first who arrived had the initial opportunity to claim the land - provided that they could also defend the land (or island) from others who might try to take the land away from them. Empires and governments expanded their rule to political borders that encompassed the public and private land for which they establish the law, and

landowners record their real estate with a branch of the government.

Land ownership is much different than sovereignty. Purchasing property within the political borders of a government's rule does not establish that real estate to be a sovereign nation, only a citizen with property holdings. Establishing sovereignty or a sovereign nation requires the new individual or individuals that comprise of this new government to procure their own military, food supplies, water, sewer and sanitation systems, hospitals, roads and infrastructure, utilities, fuel, and manufactured goods and services - which has the potential

to cost many millions of dollars. The above must be established before luxuries amenities, beaches and other items associated with the lure of a private island can be built. Few private individuals have the resources to establish absolute sovereignty from any government.

Certain political and religious organizations (or "cults") have attempted to assert sovereignty from the laws of the United States government, as well as state and local laws, under the false premise that land ownership establishes sovereignty. However the rule of eminent domain trumps citizen from having the absolute right to exclusive control over privately owned land, water and

mineral rights and airspace to otherwise establish their own laws on privately owned land. While citizens are granted the right to privacy (as afforded and granted by government, not as an otherwise inherent right), this is far different than sovereignty.

Even if a person or group of persons were to establish sovereignty from any government, nonetheless, their nation would be subject to other countries willing to trade, and the new nation must have something to offer besides depleting their capital to subsidize the general fund of the new nation. The new nation must produce to manufacture goods or provide services to have a GNP in order to trade with other nations. While it might be possible to sustain life without relying on international trade (settlers might be able to procure the bare essentials on a primitive island), this stunts and limits the growth and quality of life for the citizens residing on the island, resulting is low citizen retention. Cooperation with other government is essential.

Even purchasing a private island without the intent of sovereignty, still would require the acquisition cost of the land, and in the case of a primative settlement, might require the private individual to bear the costs of establishing the utilities, roads and infrastructure on the island to make the island inhabitable. The extreme cost, legal paperwork, coordination with contractors

and suppliers and planning make it prohibitive for any individual to purchase a private island, unless the island has already been established with utilities and accommodations. A few corporations, such as cruise lines, have acquired private islands for the business reason of profiting from tourism. They are also subject to the local laws and pay taxes to the government entity who in turn provides military protection, Law and Order, flow of commerce goods and services, and sources to utility lines.

Purchasing a private island for personal use, residence or private recreation would cost well into the millions of dollars. Purchasing a private island for business use, such as tourist, would cost in the millions to billions of dollars, depending upon accommodations and amenities provided. Purchasing a private island to form a new government entity with the intent of global sovereignty would cost well into the billions of dollars. Regardless, this is an extremely complex and expensive undertaking in which the work involved might far exceed the idealized grandeur and lure of perceived luxury.