Capital Gains on Sint Maarten Property: U.S. Tax Reality TL;DR Sint Maarten does not levy a capital gains tax on the sale of private property, which sounds like a clean win. It is not, if you hold a U.S. passport. The IRS taxes Americans on worldwide gains, so you still [...]

Property Tax in Sint Maarten: Annual Costs Explained TL;DR Property tax in Sint Maarten is low compared to North America. On the Dutch side there is no annual recurring real estate tax the way US and Canadian owners are used to. Your real recurring costs are a one-time transfer tax [...]

Rental Income Tax in Sint Maarten: What Foreign Owners Owe TL;DR If you rent out property on the Dutch side, rental income tax in Sint Maarten generally involves three layers: a turnover tax around 5% on gross rental receipts, income or profit tax on your net profit at progressive rates, [...]

Inheriting Property in Sint Maarten: A Practical Guide TL;DR To inherit property Sint Maarten heirs must work through the Dutch side’s civil-law system, where a local notary (notaris) handles the transfer of title, not a lawyer in the American sense. Dutch law includes forced heirship rules that can override a [...]

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 [...]

Buying Property Through an LLC in Sint Maarten TL;DR Buying Sint Maarten property through an LLC (locally a BV, or sometimes a US/foreign entity) can simplify resale, limit personal liability, and ease estate transfer, because you sell the company shares instead of re-deeding the land. But it adds setup costs [...]

Dutch Bank Mortgage Requirements for American Buyers TL;DR Getting a Dutch bank mortgage as an American buyer on Sint Maarten is possible but harder than at home. Expect a 30 to 40 percent down payment, interest rates roughly 1 to 3 points above US rates, proof of local or regional [...]

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 [...]

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 [...]

Notary Fees in Sint Maarten: What Buyers Pay TL;DR Notary fees in Sint Maarten typically run about 1% to 1.5% of the purchase price on the Dutch side, and they are part of total closing costs that usually land around 4% to 6% for the buyer. The notary is not [...]