If you are looking for a great investment and a tropical paradise, the Bay Islands offers the most for the money in the entire Caribbean. Utila is a mere two hours from Miami, Houston, Atlanta, and New Orleans. Utila has a stable, safe and friendly environment, excellent & fast improving infra-structure and a booming local economy. English and Spanish are both primary languages on the Bay Islands. The culture lends itself to an easy going lifestyle with a very low cost of living.

Where can one find prime beachfront land in a wonderful tropical paradise with secure title, a stable safe and friendly environment, excellent infra-structure and a booming local economy. Add to the mix a tax free business environment, English speaking locals, an easy going lifestyle with a very low cost of living and it becomes clear that Utila offers some of the best investment opportunities to be found anywhere in the Caribbean at this time.

Land prices here have yet to reach a level that accurately reflects their potential. The vast majority of the Bay Islands have yet to be touched by developers and there are hundreds of bargains to be found.

You can own the tropical getaway you've always dreamed of for a small fraction of what it would cost you elsewhere in the Caribbean. Think what it would have cost you to buy a home in the Caymans 10 years ago. Realtor's report that the average home-sale price in much of the Caribbean is around $1,000,000. In the Bay Islands, you can own a comparable property for much less. Sufficient infrastructure such as phone lines, paved roads, regular flights in and out, restaurants, dive shops, grocery stores makes life here comfortable. But the beaches remain pristine and not overrun with tourists. Vast acres of land sit lush with greenery with not a home in sight. Virtually all the beaches here are accessible by boat only and as a result have remained untouched and unspoiled.

The growing size of the ex-pat community in Utila stands as a clear testimony to the popularity of the island lifestyle. The climate, the lush gardens, the Caribbean Ocean and clean air are also popular. Another very popular aspect to life here is the low cost of living. Eating out, having an evening cocktail in a local bar, taxi rides, shopping and other living expenses are very low. Many ex-pats value the fact that they can afford full time home help and a gardener at a fraction of the cost in the West. For example, you can hire a live-in maid who will cook and clean for you full- time for just $40 a week and a masseuse for $2 per hour.

Utila offers 100% Caribbean lifestyle at a fraction of the cost; it is relatively unknown and, therefore, still inexpensive.

Honduras has been safely under the wing of the US for many years now. The central government has been very stable for 30 years and the President, an American educated intellectual who is married to an American first lady, is very popular. The Bay Islands themselves have their own local Governor and municipal structure seeing to it that the islands are ever improving. Crime on Utila is virtually non-existent, and local laws work to keep the communities stable and happy.

For starters, a pro-business, pro-investment president took office in January 2002. Ricardo Maduro, a businessman fluent in English and with an economics degree from Stanford, won on a campaign that promised his government would fight crime and corruption, find new ways to encourage tourism, and help businesses prosper. Plus Maduro owns development property in the islands, so he has a personal interest in seeing tourism numbers and property values increase.

The huge popularity of scuba diving combined with the creation of reef protection zones around the islands means that the long-term prospects for the area are excellent. Fishing is still a major source of revenue for the local economy but tourism is fast catching up as the divers, fishing tourists, sailors and other adventurers keep on coming.

It has never been easier to live and work completely legally in Honduras. Unlike many Caribbean islands, you can move to the Bay Islands to live and work with relative ease. Residencies are easy to come by and foreign nationals can own and operate businesses without any trouble.

Retiring or moving to Honduras is easy. You can apply for a residency and receive it in less than 2 months. The retiree legislation allows you to bring in your car and household goods duty free and to receive your Social Security and pension income tax-free. The Tourism Incentive Law provides 10-year tax holidays for qualifying businesses like hotels, restaurants, and other tourist-related services.

The construction of Utila's new fully equipped airport is completed. The runway is large enough to accommodate jets and will make it even easier to get to Utila.

In conjunction with the new airport, Utila now has good roads linking town with the North side and East end of the island. The arrival of the Utila Power Company (UPCO) and the salination plant that will service the entire island as well as the Cays has made daily life much more comfortable. With well-stocked supermarkets, wonderful new restaurants opening all the time. Communications are state of the art in Honduras. The telephone lines are excellent and internet connections are reliable and cheap.

Reform of the land ownership laws in Honduras in recent years has created a much safer environment for investment in real estate. Central registration of deeds and readily available title insurance enables you to invest with absolute confidence.

Decree 98-93 of Honduran law allows for the creation of special tax-free status or ZOLT status for a wide range of business activities. The ZOLT status allows businesses to operate with tax-free imports and zero sales tax as well as a total income tax exemption for a period of 20 years.

Warm and sunny but with the trade winds keeping the edge off the heat, the Bay Islands is famed for its outstanding climate. The short rainy season runs from October to January, otherwise its blue skies during the day and star packed skies at night.

Utila is warm and sunny but with the trade winds keeping the edge off the heat, the Bay Islands is famed for its friendly climate. The short rainy season runs from October to January, otherwise the weather calls for blue skies during the day and star packed skies at night.

Utila shares the second largest barrier reef system after the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. This means great diving and snorkeling, great fishing and great eating! Utila also happens to be one of the best places in the world to swim with the ever so popular whale shark. The creation of the reef protection zones around the island means that the long term prospects for the area are excellent.

Windstar Cruises, the premier luxury 5-star cruise line, announced it is calling on Utila as a port of call starting in January 2005. The Wind Star is a luxury cruiser and handles a maximum of 200 passengers. One can only imagine the benefit to the local economy. This will obviously impact island property values much like it did when Roatan’s real estate market exploded with the advent of cruise ships.