Buying Real Estate in the Cayman Islands

There are no restrictions on foreign ownership of real estate if the property is for personal use and there are no annual property or capital gains taxes. If the property is rented out as an investment, then no tourist tax is payable if the property is rented to residents (although, if more than two properties are owned for rental, there will be additional licences required, namely a Trade and Business and Local Companies (Control) Law Licence).

Cayman’s Land Registry office enables transfers to be relatively quick and simple. Every piece of property is registered under a unique block and parcel number, which means every owner is registered and the Government guarantees the accuracy of the entries recorded at Lands. A potential purchaser may examine the records regarding any piece of property to check whether there are any liens, charges or restrictions on it. Unless stipulated within the covenants for a particular development, there are no time deadlines for building on raw land. The land can be held undeveloped indefinitely and many families are land banking for future generations. Planning approvals are valid for five years following the grant of planning permission.

Upcoming Open House

lightbulb Find open houses this weekend

arrow_forward_ios

Commercial real estate is also very attractive as an investment opportunity as Cayman's economy continues to expand.

Neighbourhoodskeyboard_arrow_right

Much like a big city, each neighbourhood and borough in Cayman has it’s unique qualities, quirks and characteristics. Read on for an explanation of residential areas not only in Grand Cayman, but in the Sister Islands too.

Read More

Timeshareskeyboard_arrow_right

Timeshares allow you to dip your toes into the Cayman Island's real estate market whilst enjoying a guaranteed vacation destination.

Read More

Select a Real Estate Agentkeyboard_arrow_right

When buying a property, it’s more productive to work with one real estate agent. As mentioned before, the Islands’ MLS is run by CIREBA and it ensures the best market coverage to view every property on all three Islands. Here is a list of some of the recommended agents, but please visit the Realtors in Cayman page for a comprehensive list.

For a full list of our recommended realtors, please visit the Realtors page.

Online Property Search

If you would prefer to do your own real estate searches, you can look on ecaytrade.com and see what properties there are for sale from private sellers. Many real estate agents will also use this platform, as well as Facebook Marketplace, to further advertise their listings. You can also browse properties on the CIREBA website, www.cireba.ky. If you find something that interests you, the contact information for the property's agent will appear on the listing. Remember, the seller pays the commission to the agent at the closing of a sale transaction, so it is always worth working with an agent to find you a property, as it will cost you nothing and they will do most of the legwork! If you would prefer to rent rather than buy, click for our guide HERE.

Know Your Client/Customer (KYC)

Please keep in mind that the sale or purchase of real estate in the Cayman Islands constitutes as Relevant Financial Business for the purposes of Cayman's anti money laundering measures.

As part of the Know Your Client/Customer (KYC) requirement, your real estate agent or any professional acting in relation to a real estate transaction are required by the Cayman Islands Government to collect your identification details such as passport or driver's license numbers and source of funds (by way of a bank statement) as well as other relevant information to finalise the transaction.

If you need further information about this requirement, please contact a legal conveyancing professional found on the Legal Conveyancing page.

Stamp Duty & Other Feeskeyboard_arrow_right

Stamp duty, which is payable on all real estate transfers and purchases (other than those between close family, aka ‘by love and affection’), is 7.5%. However, first time Caymanian buyers can avail themselves of certain concessions where applicable. Click HERE to find out more.

Strata Titles

Residential property in Cayman is often sold as part of a strata plan if it is in a condominium or apartment complex. Most countries have the concept of freehold property, where the owner has ownership and responsibility for the land they own and all buildings on it.

Strata ownership is less familiar to many people, but very common in Cayman. The following is an explanation of how it works:

• If you buy a property which is part of a strata plan, you will have the registered title of the house or apartment that is situated within the property in the plan. You will also own a share and have voting rights in the ‘strata corporation’ which owns all the land in the strata plan including estate roads, communal gardens, shared pools, etc.
• The strata corporation has an obligation to insure the strata property and maintain it for the benefit of the owners, along with the right to recover the costs of doing so from them. There will be rules and regulations governing how the strata company is run (known as strata by-laws) and an annually elected committee that is authorised to run the corporation. Examples of monthly strata fees you might expect to pay are: CI$375 for an inland two bedroom townhouse (excl. insurance); CI$650 per month for a three-bedroom inland apartment (excl. insurance); and for properties on the water, especially along Seven Mile Beach, you could easily pay between, even over CI$800–CI$1,200 (CI$400 maintenance, CI$350 insurance and CI$65 sewage charge). Your realtor will be able to find the exact strata fees for you.

Mortgageskeyboard_arrow_right

Most banks and financial institutions in Cayman offer mortgage packages. Interest rates are quoted based on the KYD and USD prime rate published in the Cayman Islands by the retail banks.

The prime rate in Cayman normally fluctuates in accordance with changes in the United States Government Federal Reserve rate, also referred to as the “New York Prime Rate”. Banks usually ask for deposits of between 10%–35% as a contribution towards the purchase price or construction cost. Long term interest-only mortgages do not exist in Cayman. Mortgage amortisation terms are normally offered from 15-30 years, but typically not exceeding retirement age.

It is worth comparing what kind of deal the different banks will give you, as a variance of 1% or even 0.5% on your interest rate will make an enormous difference. Banks will usually charge between 1-3% above the prime rate, giving the lower percentage rate to those with the greater deposit. Banks also charge a commitment fee of up to 1% of the loan amount and some charge an early repayment penalty. Establish a meeting with your chosen bank to determine the best possible rate and terms that can be offered. Cayman banks have historically been very cautious when lending money. That being said in the latter half of 2023, Cayman's banks have been offering considerable deals on mortgages to try and combat the slow down in lending due to high interest rates. As of October 2023, it is not unusual to see banks advertising 5% down payments, fixed rates for up to 7 years, and as much as a 40 year amortization period for qualified applicants. That being said, always read the fine print!

Read More

Real Estate & Pension Withdrawals

As of December 2023, those that are Caymanian and have a private pension can now withdraw up to CI$50,000 to purchase an existing dwelling, to construct a new dwelling unit or to purchase residential land.

Those that have an existing property can now withdraw up to CI$100,000 from their private pension, as long as it will completely pay off their outstanding mortgage.

There are restrictions on the new rules, including that the following month (after being given a cheque from the pension company), the recipient must increase their pension contributions by 3% per month (from 5% employee contribution to 8%) until the total amount has been repaid or the recipient retires.

Please see the National Pensions (Amendment) Act, 2023 for all the details.

Home Inspections & Site Surveyskeyboard_arrow_right

In the UK, it is common practice to have a Chartered Building Survey completed before purchasing a property, whereas in the US you would most likely have a Full Home Inspection done by a licensed home inspector. There are companies that provide both services in the Cayman Islands and it is highly recommended that you have one done when purchasing a home.

Read More

Property Valuations and Appraisalskeyboard_arrow_right

Whether applying for a mortgage, or purchasing or selling a property it is customary to instruct an independent valuation surveyor who is a registered valuer, chartered surveyor and member of the RICS (Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors) to carry out a valuation report.

Read More

Legal Conveyancing (Closing)keyboard_arrow_right

Conveyancing is the technical word that is used to describe the way that a property is legally transferred from one person to another. Technically, you can do the conveyancing yourself, but if the property is being bought with a mortgage, your lender will insist that you use a lawyer to confirm that the property is free from any liens or other encumbrances and to draft the appropriate charge documents.

Read More

Pitfalls to Avoid

Below are the various pitfalls you will want to avoid when buying a property in Cayman. Many, such as unpaid strata fees by the previous owner, will be caught by a conveyancing lawyer during title checks.

However, there are other pitfalls which are less obvious but equally easy to avoid:

• Water Bills: Make sure the final water bill on the property has been paid by the previous owner. Water companies are under no obligation to reconnect water supply to accounts that have been disconnected due to non-payment and still have unpaid, past-due charges. Renters are also encouraged to ensure previous water bills have been paid for by the landlord or previous tenant prior to moving in.
• Air Conditioner Servicing: Check whether the property owner has been regularly servicing the A/C units. A lack of regular maintenance will greatly reduce the life expectancy of air conditioning condensers and new systems can cost thousands of dollars. As a condition of the sale, request that the seller have the property’s units serviced and provide a report on their condition.
• Pest Control: Find out if the previous owners had the property sprayed regularly for ants, roaches, termites and other pests. Failing to have done so could put you at risk for an infestation problem. If you are buying a wooden house, get the house checked for termites before you buy the property.
• MEP Report, Home Inspections and Site Surveys: As a condition of purchase, it is very important that you get a Home Inspection and/or a MEP report (Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing) done on the property before you finalise the sale. Significant problems can reduce the value of the property. If you are purchasing raw land, then a Conditions Site Survey is recommended by a qualified engineer who will assess, among other things, whether your new house will need to be built with pilings, thus hugely increasing the cost of building. More information on what the technician does, and why it is important, is listed in the next section of this chapter.
• Planned Special Assessments: If you are buying a condo, a good realtor will request a report from the strata’s property management company that confirms whether any special assessments are planned on the apartment complex. Special assessments may involve considerable costs and you might well be able to get the existing owner to pay for them (or have them deduct it from the sale price).
• Hidden Costs: Ask your realtor to request a breakdown of the monthly costs of running the property in the summer and in the winter months. It is not uncommon for a four-bedroom house on a 1/3 acre (particularly in a windy position) to have an average water bill of CI$650 per month and an average monthly electricity bill in the region of CI$1,000-CI$1,500+ depending on the month of the year, size of the house and whether the property has been well insulated (if the house has Icynene spray foam insulation in the attic, it will not only significantly reduce your electricity bills but help hold your roof together in the event of a major hurricane).