Transferring Money to Buy Property in St Maarten (2026)
To pay for a St Maarten property, your funds are wired into the mandatory notary's escrow account, and the notary releases them at closing. On the Dutch side daily life and most transactions run in US dollars, which simplifies things for North American buyers. The key is timing and paperwork: start the transfer early, expect […]
Long-Term Rentals in St Maarten: A Buy-to-Let Guide (2026)
Long-term renting in St Maarten trades the higher headline income of Airbnb for steadier, lower-effort returns. Your tenants are residents, expats, and workers on annual leases rather than a rotating calendar of guests. It means less management, more predictable cash flow, no nightly-rate seasonality, and different tax treatment. It suits an owner who wants a […]
HOA & Strata Fees in St Maarten Condos: What Owners Pay (2026)
HOA or strata fees are a real monthly cost of owning a St Maarten condo, and they vary widely by building. They typically cover shared insurance, common-area upkeep, security, water in some buildings, and reserves for big repairs like roofs after a storm. The exact figure depends entirely on the building, its amenities, and how […]
Best Time to Buy Property in St Maarten: Market Timing (2026)
There is no single best month to buy in St Maarten, but timing does matter at the edges. High season, roughly December to April, brings the most buyers and the most competition. The quieter, hotter months and hurricane season, September to November, see fewer buyers and sometimes more motivated sellers. The real answer is that […]
Buying Property in St Maarten Without Visiting (2026)
You can buy property in St Maarten without setting foot on the island, and plenty of overseas buyers do. It works because a civil-law notary is mandatory and handles the title search, deed, escrow, and registration, and you can close by power of attorney. The safeguards are the same as an in-person buy, done remotely: […]
What Is My St Maarten Property Worth? A Seller's Guide (2026)
To value a St Maarten property you compare it to what similar homes have actually sold for, adjusted for location, condition, build quality, and view. There is no public MLS here, so real comparable data lives with agents, not a website tool. Online estimates are close to guesses. The honest way to price is a […]
Importing a Car to Sint Maarten: Costs, Duties, and Registration for New Residents
TL;DR Importing a vehicle to Sint Maarten involves shipping cost, Customs-assessed import duty, and a local registration and roadworthiness inspection — and for most new residents, the total lands higher than they expect. - Import duty is assessed by Sint Maarten Customs based on the vehicle’s value and type, not a flat fee — get […]
New Construction Developments in Sint Maarten to Watch in 2026
TL;DR New construction on the Dutch side has picked up noticeably since the post-Irma rebuilding cycle, with a mix of gated residential communities, boutique condo buildings, and luxury villa projects now in various stages of construction or pre-sale. - Buying pre-construction (“off-plan”) means buying a deposit schedule and a developer’s track record as much as […]
Sint Maarten Digital Nomad and Remote-Work Residency Options for Property Buyers
TL;DR Sint Maarten does not have a dedicated “digital nomad visa” the way some countries have introduced — remote workers and location-independent buyers use the island’s existing residence permit categories instead. - The most common route for remote workers is a residence permit based on sufficient means or self-employment, not a permit tied to a […]
Building a Custom Home in Sint Maarten: Permits, Contractors, and Cost Per Square Foot (2026)
TL;DR Building from the ground up is a fundamentally different transaction than buying resale — you’re managing permitting, a contractor relationship, and a construction loan (or cash draw schedule) instead of a single closing. - Land cost and construction cost are two separate budgets, and buyers routinely underestimate the second because import costs on materials […]