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Roatan and Bay Islands Discussion List Archive
| Posted On: | 18-Mar-2003 |
| From: | "ivangrowth" [davidborton.....com] |
| Subject: | [roatan] LandProperty Values |
In the previous post, Dan Roberts said, "We are not rich, but plan on retiring their someday." What follows is merely my opinion on future property values on Roatan (I omit Utila and Guanaja in that I haven't visited them). I believe that up until this point, Roatan has remained in the obscure recesses unless one is a diver or snorkelling fan. I believe this is about to change and will have a tremendous affect on property values on Roatan. Residents of Roatan will have more challenges facing them than grading the north/south road in West End. First, a qualifier; I don't own property, I don't plan on buying property, and I have no vested interest in seeing the values on Roatan rise. But as we traveled to Roatan, it became apparent that the "word" about Roatan is going to get out. Now the Norwegian Cruise Line docks in Coxen's Hole. The sailing ship travels weekly from Playa del Carmen to West Bay (with North Americans, Europeans, and wealthy Mexicans). The "hiddeness" of Roatan will not continue, and the demand for property will drive values up like nothing islanders have seen before. My own guess is that within a few years, all individual lots will have to be bought from developers, not from islanders. How well will the life on Roatan be in 5-10 years? It seems to me that Roatan is at a critical juncture. It will be incumbent upon residents, ex-pats and Hondurans working together, to ensure a viable future: * Create a safe water supply for a burgeoning population, * Once and for all, deal with sewage issues before the reefs are impacted further, * Create a health care system for Hondurans who can't fly away to Houston for quality health care, * Create zoning that is "Roatan" appropriate, * Figure out a system so Hondurans who work in the tourist/service sector can maintain an adequate roof over their families when the property values go screaming. * Get serious about an educational system on the island for the next generation. If the Honduran government isn't going to do it, harness the resources of the community (ex-pats and Hondurans) to ensure the children of tomorrow have a fighting chance. * Constructively finding a way to deal with the phenomena of mainlanders emigrating to Roatan for the "good life," thereby creating an excess of labor than diminishes the earning power and quality of life of those working on Roatan. This becomes a community issue as the ills of poverty seep into a community. Roatan can deal with this in its infancy rather than waiting for social problems to become worse as income disparity increases further. You have a wonderful island and we delighted to spend time with you. We wish you continued blessings as you work to enrich life on Roatan even further. I look forward to returning in about 10 years to see how that journey is coming. Dave Borton Your own Online Store Selling our Overstock. | |
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