Searching for Cayman Islands Property for Sale

The Cayman Islands have a particularly strong draw for a lot of different buyers. Those who are looking for a tropical getaway, a home away from home and investors alike are all drawn to the islands. They offer plenty of natural beauty, beautiful weather throughout the year, modern infrastructure, a stable government, and safe, high quality of living. Whatever your personal reasons are for seeking out property in the tropics, the Cayman Islands will offer something for you to love. It doesn’t hurt that there is so much to see and do throughout the year, either.

In the search for property for sale wherever you look and not just in the Cayman Islands, before you even start looking, you should establish what your goals are. Though this is not exclusive to a search for Cayman Islands property for sale, there are still the same basic considerations you have to take.

The first thing you will want to determine is where you want to buy. Though the three Cayman Islands have plenty in common, they are different enough that you should take some time to think about where you want to be before you even look at the type of property you want to find for sale.

Choose a Location First

Whenever you buy property, the location should be key; hence the oft-quoted statement, “There are three things that matter in real estate: location, location, and location.” While the people heard spouting this platitude are typically investors, it matters even to homeowners who just want to enjoy the fruits of the area.

For example, as you are about to find out, the Sister Islands, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman, are far less developed than Grand Cayman, which is some distance away. If you are looking for a quiet tropical getaway, these two islands probably can offer you a supreme place to settle. By contrast, if you would like the option of more activities and amenities, shopping, and sightseeing, with some additional culture mixed in, then Grand Cayman might be the place for you. Here’s a bit of a more in-depth look at the three wonderful islands that make up the Caymans.

Grand Cayman

Grand Cayman is the westernmost of the Cayman Islands, and it is also the most developed and the largest. There is significantly more development on this island than there is on Little Cayman and Cayman Brac.

That means it is busier, but at the same time, you will never run out of things to do. Grand Cayman is not only home to George Town, the modern capital of the Caymans where you can see quaint historical architecture alongside modern buildings, but you can also take advantage of lavish shopping opportunities as well. The Owen Roberts International Airport, the main international airport for the Cayman Islands, is on Grand Cayman, as well as the main harbour catering to imports and exports to the three islands. The majority of hospitals, including Health City, and other smaller healthcare facilities are located on Grand Cayman and are available to cater to the needs of visitors during their stay on the island.

Grand Cayman is also home to the Caymans’ most famous beach, Seven Mile Beach. Here you will be dazzled not only by the beautiful white sand beach and crystal clear water, but also by the many opportunities for water activities, amazing sunsets, and dining at some of the finest restaurants in the Caribbean that you will find along the Seven Mile Beach area.

Grand Cayman also offers a number of other attractions, like the National Museum of the Cayman Islands, Queen Elizabeth II Botanic Park, the Cayman Turtle Centre, Dolphin Discovery, Stingray City in the North Sound, and fantastic diving, among others.

In addition, on Grand Cayman, you will find important historical sites like Pedro St. James Castle and the Mission House in Bodden Town, the original capital of the Cayman Islands. The long and short of it is that Grand Cayman has some of the best opportunities in the islands for shopping, dining, soaking up the culture, and just being involved in island life in general. If you’re interested in Cayman Islands real estate that will put you at the heart of the action, Grand Cayman may have the most to offer you.

Cayman Brac

Cayman Brac, which along with Little Cayman is called The Sister Islands, is the easternmost island in the Caymans. Like Little Cayman, it is also much smaller and less developed than Grand Cayman and is better geared toward those that enjoy the silence and serenity of quiet living.

Cayman Brac, like Little Cayman, has a lot of natural sights to see. It is perhaps best known for its Bluff, a limestone cliff that runs the length of the island; but it offers divers, boaters, and fishermen a lot to love as well. In fact, there is even a shipwreck off the coast that is a popular site for those who follow both of these disciplines. Cayman Brac is also well known for its limestone caves and sinkholes which present explorers with a never-ending supply of recreational adventures to pursue.

Yet Cayman Brac is not only known for its natural beauty, as it contains places of cultural focus and interest as well. In fact, the oldest museum in the Caymans finds itself on Cayman Brac, the appropriately named Cayman Brac Museum, where you can get a glimpse into the past lives of those who have lived on and lent their influence to the islands.

Cayman Brac also is home to other locations of interest such as the Cayman Brac Heritage House, where a functional homestead is maintained in the cultural traditions of the old ways of the islands. As a center of cultural heritage, there are a number of programs and events that are hosted on the grounds yearly, whereby you can get closer to the roots of the area.

In short, Cayman Brac provides plenty of opportunities for a quiet, simple living for those who are looking for property in the Cayman Islands that will offer them a balance of culture and quietude.

Little Cayman

Little Cayman is the smallest island of the Cayman Islands and is much quieter and less developed than Grand Cayman and Cayman Brac. In a lot of ways, nature is the central focus of the island, and for those looking for a quiet retreat where the tropical landscape and beautiful water views reign, Little Cayman may be the way to go. It has as much to offer in terms of nature and sights as Grand Cayman has in the way of bustle and culture. Little Cayman has a population of fewer than 200 people, and you will find more birds and iguanas than people on the island.

It’s only a mile wide and a few miles long, and much of the island is undeveloped. Sites like Booby Pond Nature Reserve constitute the focus of the island, and pristine white beaches with quiet stretches of water dominate the rest. It is also home to one of the most popular dive sites in the world, Bloody Bay Wall Marine Park, which is teeming with marine life like turtles, rays, sharks, and other tropical fish. It’s not just a sight to behold for divers, though. Fishermen will love Little Cayman as well for the many opportunities its waters provide.

For the more adventurous, a visit to Cayman’s unofficial fourth island, Owen Island, is a must. Owen Island is a little islet just to the south of Little Cayman that can only be accessed by water. Sail or kayak over to the island to enjoy a day of peace and quiet, snorkeling, or a picnic. Though it is just a stone’s throw from Little Cayman, Owen Island has no permanent residents or buildings. Take a trip there and you will be able to enjoy a true escape.

Think about Your Preferred Property Type

Once you get the location in which you want to refine your search for property out of the way, you have to start actually looking for Cayman Islands property for sale. You might have made the distinction that you want to find some property in Grand Cayman where you can be close to it all. By contrast, it might have been more appealing to you to stick with a smaller, quieter location like Cayman Brac or Little Cayman.

Once you have a location in mind, you can get into the specifics of the types of Cayman Islands property for sale that you actually want to pursue. Here at Crighton Properties, we can put you in touch with a number of different types of properties, including homes for sale, condos, undeveloped properties, and more.

A House

If you’re looking to settle down and make a new home for yourself, a house might be the way to go. All properties are different, but generally houses come with land and privacy that you might find valuable if you are actually going to relocate. That isn’t even to mention that houses have all of the amenities that most people could want in their lifestyles, along with more space than alternatives like condos can provide.

A house might not be for everyone, as houses do tend to be more expensive than smaller properties like condos, but if you are going to make a new home for yourself there might be a lot of value in a house. Something else to consider is if you will be bringing a family with you, as extra people require extra space. That’s just something to consider, but if you are trying to keep costs down or only need a little space, then you might be just as happy with a condo.

A Condo

Condos are generally much smaller than houses (but not always) and they tend to have smaller facilities. However, some homeowners might find condo living a lot more affordable and convenient than what you would experience in a house.

If you are looking to get a home away from home and you want to be near the center of it all, then a condo can be ideal for you. There are many condos on the islands that are right in the middle of the action and many of them are ideal to move into.

Something else to keep in mind is that, as most condos are smaller and easier to take care of than houses, they are more fitting for those who want a smaller home away from home that they can periodically visit.

A Piece of Land

With all of this being said and accounted for, it is important to keep in mind that ready-built properties are not the only type of Cayman Islands property for sale. In fact, if you are looking to really take the reins and design and build your dream home from the ground up, then a piece of land is really what you should be looking for.

Depending on how you work everything out, it might be the most economical investment you can make as well. Consider the fact that land tends to be more affordable than buildings, and you might be able to get your dream home off the ground for less than you expected.

More important than this, however, is the fact that your imagination can take charge when you take the initiative to work with a developer and build your own home. You don’t need to shop around for what is already out there and can make it a reality yourself. So, if you aren’t pleased with what you see already developed, get in touch with a member of our team and get shopping for property that you can develop yourself.

Commercial or Residential?

Finally, one more note to touch on is the matter of whether you want to buy a property for its commercial or its residential value. If you are thinking about setting up or building a business, then of course you will want commercially valuable frontage where it is permissible to set up a business. However, this might not be ideal for a homeowner who is looking to escape from the hustle and bustle of business. It’s just one more thing to keep in mind that our team can help you work through.

Get in Touch with Us!

For nearly 50 years, our team here at Crighton Properties has been connecting our clients with the properties of their dreams, and we can do the same for you. While it is definitely an arduous process to research a market and figure out where and what you want to buy, the home you’ve always wanted is at the end of it all.

We’ll be by your side through every step of the process, and we can help to answer questions about property types, historical values, local attractions, and things to do, and more. We’re not just a member of CIREBA. We’re a committed service provider whose history of success hinges on customer satisfaction. The first step is picking up the phone and making a call - get in touch with our team at 345-949-5250.