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Long Lease vs Freehold St Maarten: Ownership Types (2026)

Aerial view of a coastal hillside town with dense greenery, winding streets, and colorful houses, with the blue ocean in the background.

Long-Lease vs Freehold: Sint Maarten Ownership Types TL;DR In Sint Maarten you will buy land one of two ways: freehold, where you own the land outright forever, or long-lease (erfpacht), where you own the building but lease the land for a fixed term, usually 60 years, at an annual ground rent. Freehold in Sint Maarten […]

Financing Property in St Maarten: Foreign Mortgage Options (2026)

Two-story Mediterranean-style house with yellow walls, white arches, and a wraparound balcony, set above a stone retaining wall with flowering shrubs.

Foreign Mortgages in Sint Maarten: Your Options TL;DR Yes, foreigners can finance property in Sint Maarten, but most US and Canadian buyers pay cash or use home-country financing because local mortgages for non-residents are limited. Local and regional banks that do lend to foreigners typically require 30 to 50 percent down, charge rates around 6 […]

Title Insurance in St Maarten: Do You Actually Need It? (2026)

Overhead view of a Sint Maarten property title file, cadastral map, notarized deed and a brass key

Title Insurance for Sint Maarten Property: Do You Need It? TL;DR Title insurance in Sint Maarten works differently than in the United States. On the Dutch side, a civil-law notary verifies and registers title through the public Kadaster, which already provides strong legal certainty, so traditional US-style title insurance is uncommon and often unnecessary. Where […]

St Maarten Property Due Diligence: A Complete Checklist (2026)

Property deed documents and a cadastral survey plan on a notary desk in Sint Maarten, lit through louvered shutters

Due Diligence on Sint Maarten Property: A Complete Checklist TL;DR Property due diligence on Sint Maarten is more rigorous than most North American buyers expect: there is no MLS, no centralized title database, and the legal system is Dutch civil law, not US common law. A complete checklist covers title history at the Cadaster, outstanding […]

Notary Fees in St Maarten: What Buyers Actually Pay (2026)

Marina with white yachts docked along a blue bay, red-roofed buildings on a small island, green hills in the background.

By Wei Landgraf, Sint Maarten real estate agent and full-time resident. Last updated: July 2026. On the Dutch side of St Maarten, the notary fee for a property purchase is roughly 1 to 1.5 percent of the purchase price. A civil-law notary is required by law on every sale: they run the title search, draft […]

Mullet Bay St Maarten Real Estate: Living by the Golf Course (2026)

Aerial view of a tropical island with turquoise beaches, a golf course, and a small coastal town.

Mullet Bay Real Estate: Living Near the Golf Course TL;DR Mullet Bay sits on Sint Maarten’s southwest coast, home to the island’s only 18-hole golf course and arguably its best beach. Real estate here is mostly condos and a handful of villas, typically running $350,000 to over $1.5 million depending on size and view. You […]

Philipsburg Apartments for Sale: City Living in St Maarten (2026)

Covered outdoor patio with wicker seating around a round table, a pool, and lounge chairs overlooking the ocean and rocky coastline.

Philipsburg Apartments: City Living in Sint Maarten TL;DR Philipsburg apartments put you in the only true downtown on Sint Maarten, within walking distance of Front Street, Great Bay Beach, restaurants, and the courthouse. Expect to pay roughly $180,000 to $450,000 to buy a one or two-bedroom, or about $1,200 to $2,800 a month to rent, […]

St Maarten Closing Costs: A Buyer’s Complete Breakdown (2026)

Balcony view over turquoise sea with boats, palm trees, and distant mountains at sunset/sunrise.

By Wei Landgraf, Sint Maarten real estate agent and full-time resident. Last updated: July 2026. Closing costs on the Dutch side of St Maarten run about 4 to 6 percent of the purchase price, and the buyer pays them. The two big pieces are a transfer tax of roughly 4 percent and a notary fee […]

Terres Basses Saint-Martin Real Estate: A Buyer’s Guide (2026)

A luxury hillside villa with an infinity pool in Terres Basses on the French side of Saint-Martin

Terres Basses Saint Martin: Luxury Real Estate Guide TL;DR Terres Basses is the gated, low-density luxury enclave on the French side of Saint Martin, home to four beaches and some of the island’s most expensive villas. Terres Basses villas for sale typically range from about $1.5 million for a modest hillside property to well over […]