Homes in Jamaica are possibly some of the most in demand property in the Caribbean. The fact that the country has rapidly increasing market value and booming capitalization rates on dwellings, Jamaicareal estate has now become a sure footed investment for both those seeking residential, commercial, industrial and luxury homes. Building a home in Jamaica presents even more benefits with respect to earning a solid return onproperty investments. Though there are extreme differences between buying a home in Jamaica and building one the basic principle remains the same, appreciation of the value of the asset is the all important fact.

Having a good knowledge of how property investment works is also very important. If you don't know the process involved in buying a home in Jamaica or at the very least buying a second home in Jamaica and what it entails you are at a serious loss and truly set back in such a way that it can result in a poor decisions when making that crucial investment. This is a major problem for people who are in the Diaspora and want to acquire land in Jamaica. It is the lack of proper information sources that tend to exacerbate the matter.

Let us assume that you are a person in the US or UK and you want to know how much does it cost to own a home in Jamaica. You would need to follow up with one of the sources that have as much data about finding mortgages, getting appraisals, finding Jamaica real estate lawyers, locating a property for sale and how to actually get the complete process started. You could also venture into matters that involve a house auction in Jamaica. This means that you can find a relatively lower costing property than the normal cost that would be at the very least JMD$3,000,000.00.

Homes for sale Jamaica time share apartments and other types of real estate are very important to almost every investor. It is fundamental that anyone attempting to invest in a rental home in Jamaica have a complete understanding of the process from start to finish. We have added a complete step by step guide that will even help you acquire Jamaican beach front properties for sale. This guide was put together by realty agents and other top real estate consultants and individuals that have gone through the process of property acquisition in Jamaica.

Basic Guide to Purchasing Jamaica Real Estate:

- Locate the property for sale: This is done by using to Jamaican realty websites that have a very large database of residence homes up for sale.

- Contact property and real estate lawyers in Jamaica in order to retain them as your attorney during the purchase process.

- Once you have located a house that you want one of the residential listings Jamaica then you will need to contact the agent and or owner if the asset is being sold as FSBO (for sale by owner).

- Get a copy of the land sale agreement and then have your attorney review the contract and make whatever changes are needed.

- Once your lawyer is comfortable with the contract you will be required to sign and make a payment of 15% of the agreed sale price to help account for the Jamaica land taxes that will be levied on the sale.

- Within a few days you will be required to pay a further 7% in order to accommodate other tax requirements.

- When this is done and the title is returned to you then you are now the owner of the property.

Mortgages for properties in Jamaica are quite easily accessed. This includes companies such as Scotia Bank, First Caribbean Bank, Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS), Victoria Mutual Building Society (VMBS) and theNational Housing Trust (NHT). If you are in the market to purchase a home in Jamaica or you ultimately intend to go the route of buying land and building a house in Jamaica then any of these financial institutions can truly assist your endeavors. This does not matter even if you are on the island or in the US, UK or Canada. However we wanted to list out the different costs associated with buying a house in Jamaica.

Registration Fee Stamp Duty (shared by vendor and purchaser) Transfer Tax (paid only by vendor) Cost of Sale Agreement (shared by vendor and purchaser) Land Surveyor Id Report - the cost of surveying land in Jamaica is below JMD$20,000 Valuation Report - the complete value of the real estate. Legal fees (payable on vendors and purchasers side) Quantity surveyors certificate - needed only if repairs are required such as with a beachfront fixer up Jamaica. Fees to Utility Companies - sent to JPSCO, NWC to inform them of change of ownership. Smaller Stamp office fee, this is a minor fee paid up at the tax office.

If you intend to purchase mortgage houses for sale in Jamaica then you will need to complete several measures. First the Jamaica mortgage company would need the following:

• Signed Sale Agreement

• Property Tax Certificate

• Photocopy of Certificate of Title

• Valuation Report from an approved valuation company

• Income verification letter Last two months pay slips (even if you are paid weekly)

• If self employed - a statement of income confirmation from an auditor licensed with the Institute of Chartered Accountants (ICAJ) Cash Flow

• Projections on your business Proof of your age - birth certificate or otherwise.

• A registered commissioned land surveyors report Jamaica property closing cost of about 6% of the sale price.

An approved plan if you intend on building a home in Jamaica. This is what you would need to present to the mortgage company in buying a home in Jamaica.

To start the process of buying property in Jamaica with low deposit - anywhere from five to 20 per cent of the purchase price - is paid to the vendor's lawyer to get a sales agreement signed. The balance of funds is acquired through a mortgage from a lending institution ... Then there are the dreaded closing costs.

To avoid the shock of Jamaica property closing costs, it is advised at the onset to add on approximately six per cent to the sale price of the property for coverage of any incidental charges. Contrary to the inference of the term, closing costs are not all paid at the closing of the deal. Closing costs include charges such as mortgage loan commitment fee, registration of the property, stamp duty, and sales agreement preparation. Some of these fees are shared between purchaser and vendor and are termed half-charges. It is important to be cognizant of fees associated with buying house in Kingston Jamaica.

HALF CHARGES TO THE PURCHASER (CLOSING COSTS) The purchaser, is required to pay half the cost of the following fees:

• Stamp duty - 4.5% of the purchase price

• Registration - $5.00 per thousand

• Sales Agreement - The vendor's real estate lawyer determines the cost.

• Valuator's Fee

GETTING THE MORTGAGE In getting a mortgage leading institutions - Victoria Mutual building Society (VMBS), Jamaica National Building Society (JNBS) and First Caribbean Building Society (FCBS) - all combine with the National Housing Trust (NHT) in providing funds for the purchase of residential property.

The state-owned NHT offer loans to contributors at two per cent to eight per cent, based on the salary of the applicant, but the amount available is capped at a maximum $3.5 million per contributor. You can find NHT Jamaica houses for sale with ease using our search function.

However, the joint financing mortgage program between building societies and the NHT allows additional funds to be borrowed and the total loan repaid through the building society. Typically, residential mortgage rates are offered depending on the ownership status of the applicant. These are very low in comparison to bank rates for property lots in rural and urban areas.

At building societies, first- time homeowners are charged between 13.75 per cent and 14 per cent, but if an applicant already owns a home then expect to repay at least 15 per cent for the mortgage. Each building society, however, offer its own special promotion, for example JNBS has a 100 per cent financing to women under specified circumstances. This is perfect for people search for Jamaica national building society property listings.

"Its only for women in special circumstances, where the sale price is at least 10 per cent less than the valuation of the property," a JNBS representative explained.

Residential listings Jamaica mortgages are generally financed up to a maximum period of 35 years, or to maximum age of 65, and calculated taking the amount borrowed and the repayment time into consideration. In other words the older you, are the less time you'll have to repay a mortgage and monthly payments will, therefore, be higher.

Incidentally some building societies finance the purchase of a lot at a maximum 90 per cent. For the most part, however, up to 95 per cent financing is offered in Jamaican dollars for purchasing or building a home, and 70 per cent financing property in Jamaica in other currencies at commensurate rates. For instance, at VMBS, foreign currency mortgage loans attract interest rates ranging from eight per cent to 9.5 per cent, depending on the currency.