Wanna Live for Free?

Listen people, this is not for everybody, however I did it with a clear focus, living modest, and working extra shifts.
Some distractions along the way, because this is life, and it was a long term plan of mine, to live rent free, and in a couple of years, I will have achieved it. The year of my focus is the year 2022.

Living free, and pay no rent, that sounds so great, but it is not easy at all to achieve it. At this moment I still pay a little to live in a tiny house (32m2/ 300 sq.ft. apartment) however in some years that will be reduced to o.

How did I start and how can you create this life too?

I found myself a full-time job, on a location where I knew I could spend my weekends on the beach, and enjoy time outdoors every day of the year and spend tropical years on an island, without winter, snow, and cold weather, all the way South in the Caribbean. No desire to go on vacation since I had my ideal beach located within 10 minutes drive from my house (a rental).

I only knew 2 people in Aruba, and that was enough for me. I knew that during my days off, I wanted to enjoy, have fun, and work towards something for the future.

From my salary, which is not high at all in the Caribbean, I tried to safe some money each month, which was hard, and did not go as fast as I expected.
During that time I kept my costs low, no smoking, little alcohol every now and then, no Starbucks, no gym membership, no pedicure, no children and so on.

Once I saved enough after many years, to put a down payment to buy a small piece of land, I asked the bank for a loan, and showed them my pay slips, proof of savings, and a letter from my employer, and they approved.

I was over the moon happy. It is all about making choices in life, and this is what I choose to do for me.

fixxer upper in Aruba

For the next 4 to 5 years, after I sign the loan agreement, all money earned I lived from, plus put into paying off that bank loan for that plot of land, so each month I wired a little extra to the bank, to be done as soon as was possible in my situation. The bank allowed me pay of the loan sooner without extra penalties, so a great opportunity for me.

Once I paid of the loan for that parcel of property land, I spoke to a mortgage specialist, to request a mortgage in order to build a house on my land.

The deposit for that mortgage, was my land.

So no savings used, only during the first 4 to 5 years, paid of the land, used that land parcel to use as down payment for a mortgage to build a house.
It takes time, I know, but you do have the time. As long as you want this as bad as I wanted this, and have an income, you can do this too.

result of the house built on that parcel of land

Do you want to read to rest of the story and learn more? 

Please leave your email address in the link on the top of this blog, and I will send you the rest of the story.

I am here to assist you, no costs, free of charge.

Real Estate in Aruba

so many great listings, where to start?

the best is to check the website for yourself, see link;www.arubahouses.com if you are interested to buy a condo, house, piece of land, or rent long term in Aruba, please contact me via;miriam@arubahouses.com
Yearly property tax is just 0.4%, I know, hard to believe it can be that low. Rental income is high, so it is easy to make money with your investment #Aruba.

Real Estate tips for buying in Aruba

Buy land, a condo or a home on Aruba.

Very often we hear from our clients that they were told that non-residents cannot buy land, a condominium or a home in Aruba. We can tell you that these stories are not true. All non-residents can buy land or a house in Aruba going through the same process as the Aruban residents. They can buy a home on property land as well as on long lease land.

Long Lease land

Besides property land you can buy a house which is built on lease land. This land is owned by the Land of Aruba and the lease is for 60 years.

A yearly fee is paid for these lease rights. After the 60 years, the lease period will automatically be extended with another 60 years. The only thing that might happen when the lease period is extended is an increase in the yearly fee.

Most of the houses situated in Arashi, Malmok, Tierra del Sol, Topaz, Safir, Esmeralda, Ruby, Opal, Salinja Serca and Palm Beach are built on lease land. Many non-residents have bought there and will keep buying in those areas although the homes are built on lease land!

The reason they keep buying houses in those areas is because of their locations. These areas are close to the spas, golf course, tennis courts and shopping malls. Another huge advantage is the distance to the ocean.

Condo projects

Currently there are several condo projects in development on Aruba. For more information about these projects, you can contact us and we will be more than happy to assist you. 

Taxes

The most attractive fact when you are thinking of buying a house in Aruba is that the costs related to the ownership of a house or land are very low.

The only yearly tax you have to pay is called land tax. This land tax is usually based on the selling price. The first USD 34.000 is free of tax. On average you pay USD 4 per USD 1.000.

CLARIFICATION REGARDING STAY OF VISITORS WITH PROPERTY IN ARUBA

Recently a press release was published regarding the maximum amount of stay in Aruba. This information was not well understood in the timeshare industry and among other visitors with property on island.
The Ministry of Urban Development, Infrastructure and Integration together with the Ministry of Tourism, Transportation, Primary Sector and Culture would like to clear up this misunderstanding.

Aruba has a large percentage of loyal visitors that have property in Aruba (Time Share, Condominium, Residence, Apartment). These are valued visitors of Aruba and the Government of Aruba maintains a friendly policy for these visitors.

Visitors that do have a property in Aruba (Time Share, Condominium, Residence, Apartment) or a yacht in territorial waters of Aruba with a minimum length of 14 meters or more, or those with a Dutch nationality, are the only visitors that can be admitted for a period of a maximum of 180 consecutive days and a maximum of 180 days per calendar year.

The Minister in charge of Integration and the Minsiter in charge of Tourism have sent a letter to all airlines to clarify this government policy to avoid that visitors with a valid airline ticket with a round-trip ticket beyond 30 days, are challenged by the airline.

The visitor can indicate the amount of intended days (maximum 180 consecutive days, not to exceed a total of 180 per calendar year) on the ED card. The visitor must have the documents to prove property ownership, a valid passport, a valid round-trip ticket, proof of sufficient funds for the amount of stay on the island. If the immigration officer gives the amount of days requested, the visitor does not have to go to DIMAS to request an extension of his/her stay.
As an example, if a tourist shows to the Aruba immigration that he has 60 days of time share, he/she can receive a permission to stay 60 days. If the visitor cannot show this at immigration, he/she always has the option to request an extension from DIMAS. Again, the total stay cannot surpass 180 days in a calendar year.

For tourists that do NOT own property in Aruba, other rules apply. Tourists without property can remain a maximum of 90 consecutive days in Aruba and a maximum of 180 days per calendar year.
In general, immigration would give 30 days at the border. For an extension, the tourist can apply at DIMAS (60 additional days).
The total amount of days a tourist can stay on the island cannot surpass 180 days per calendar year.

Funny Real Estate Quotes

see link; Funny Real Estate Quotes

5 signs it's time to buy a home

1. You want control of your surroundings and environment

If you find yourself wanting to put in a swimming pool, remodel your bathrooms or make other  changes to the property, it is a sign you should be looking to buy, There are things you can't do when you're sharing/ renting a space. If you want to install a new kitchen or build an outdoor pizza oven, you can't do that if you're a renter.  

While homeowners might be willing to invest $30.000,- remodeling their kitchen, they simply won't do that in a home they rent.

2. You're interested in a specific city or Caribbean island
If you want to live in a specific neighborhood, it may be time to put down roots.  

If you want your children to be in a particular school district or you want your family to live in a specific part of the island, then it's time. It may be better for your kids to have that stability. A lot of parents don't want to think about moving around all the time when they have kids in school.

3. Your family grows — or shrinks

Many times, people are inspired to buy because they find they have too many people in their family for the number of bedrooms. You're just moving through the progression of life, and sometimes you find that you need a bigger property. Families may realize this when their kids reach school age, or when their family is growing. Also, many baby boomers are buying these days, but they're downsizing rather than looking for additional space.

4. You find a good deal

At a certain point, it's time to stop thinking about "what if" and start taking steps to make the purchase, especially with interest rates on the rise. When you find a good deal, it's time to act, so spend Less, Save More, and live better.

Maybe you've had your eye on a house for quite some time and it's still on the market. Houses are moving, so if you wait any longer, there's a strong possibility you'll lose out.

If you're considering a purchase, look at what the market is dictating. If you're waiting for the price to get 20 percent lower, that may not be realistic.

 5. You have the down payment

As soon as you have your down payment saved, don't be afraid to part with it.

A lot of people reach their goal and then they don't want to part

with that money. The danger is that your eyes will start to get bigger, and you may try to purchase a bigger home than you can afford.

A lot of people keep thinking something bigger and better will come along, but that day might not come. At some point you have to say; this may not be our dream home, but it's a good home and we're going to go ahead and do it.

Wise investing

The prospect of buying inexpensive properties, making cosmetic improvements and flipping those homes back onto the market for a hefty profit causes many people to ponder becoming real estate investors.
And while a fraction of those who take this approach are successful, most of them have worked for other people to learn the business, have extensive experience in real estate and contracting and/or have the resources to support themselves — and cover some losses — so they can focus on flipping homes full time for a few years to get started.
For everyone else, the best way to make money in real estate is to focus on the long haul: Buy cash-flow positive properties, do due diligence before buying and keep tenants for a long time.

Learning as you go
Buying rental properties for long-term hold is likely to be a successful way to earn money in real estate. But it isn’t easy; in fact it’s a lot of hard work. Most rental property owners have horror stories of lessons learned from losing money and the hassles they’ve experienced on rental properties. But they learn as time goes on, and they start to earn consistent income. And once they do, they laugh about the past and most of them would swear they’d do the same thing over again.
Wise investing
If you make smart real estate purchase decisions and buy decent properties that are cash-flow positive, put money into improving those properties, select good tenants and work hard to keep those tenants, then you can earn a nice retirement “pension” plan.
Beware that buying decent properties is no easy task: The education is formidable, and you will feel some pain over time as mistakes you make come to light. But it can be a great long-term wealth building tool if you’re patient and stick with it.
For most people, building real estate wealth simply takes time.

www.arubahouses.com

Aruba- Century 21

http://www.century21.com/international/

email: mdengeln@yahoo.com

real estate information for Aruba 2009

HISTORY
Over the past decade, prices on Aruba have risen by 30 to 40 percent, depending on location.
PRESENT
For the time being, there is a disconnect between what sellers expect for their properties and what buyers are willing to pay. As a result, housing prices have not yet fallen in Aruba, however the market has cooled considerably. There are many properties for sale right now — more than ever. The majority of foreign buyers in Aruba come from North America, Venezuela and Europe. Among European buyers, the Dutch are the most common. Most foreigners buy homes in the Noord (North) area near Palm Beach and Eagle Beach. In the North, you'll find Residential homes, commercial properties, condominiums and gated community homes. It is in the North, that the return on investment is the highest, and the demand is great, for buying and renting.
BUYING BASICS
There are no restrictions on foreign buyers. Many properties have “long leases,” which cost $700 to $800 a year for new construction and last for around 60 years. (80 percent of North is long lease land).
Most properties allow 50 percent financing, and mortgage interest rates usually run around 8 percent. Buyers should estimate paying a transfer tax of 6 percent at closing, on properties over $140,000, as well as a 1 to 1.5 percent fee for notary and registration costs.
A downpayment of 10% is needed when purchasing Aruba real estate, the rest payment upon closing (2 to 3 months after signing purchase agreement). Please check out:
http://www.arubahouses.com/ for great properties, in all areas and price ranges.

FEATURED

Homes from $62.000,- 3 bedroom under construction, Tanki Leendert, as is, where is.

homes and land for sale in Aruba

http://www.arubahouses.com/

luxury villa for sale- walking distance from Palm Beach-Aruba, $1.100.000,-

Keito, luxury 2 story villa across from Palm Beach. With 5 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms, 2 kitchens, swimming pool, jaccuzi, garage, seperate apartment. please email me for more information.

casnan , arubabroker, real estate, invest, properties

http://www.casnan-real-estate-aruba.com/listing/index.php

http://arubabroker.com/

buying real estate in Aruba tips

Non-residents can buy a house in Aruba !!
For example people from the United States of America , Canada , The Netherlands, e.g.
can buy land or a home in Aruba like the Arubian residents can.
They can buy a home either on property land as well as on lease land.

Lease Land
Besides property land you can buy a house which is built on lease land.
This land is owned by the Land of Aruba and a 60 year lease has been given.
For these lease rights you pay a yearly fee. After the 60 years the lease period will be automatically extended with another 60 years. The only thing which may happen when the lease period is extended is that the yearly lease fee will increase. Most of the houses which are situated in Arashi, Malmok, Tierra del Sol, Topaz, Safir, Esmeralda, Ruby, Opal, Salinja Serca and in Palm Beach are built on lease land. Many non-residents have bought there and will keep buying in those areas although the homes are built on lease land!!

Taxes
The most attractive fact when you are thinking of buying a house in Aruba is that the
costs related to the ownership of a house or land in Aruba are very low.
The only yearly tax you have to pay is called land tax. This land tax is usually based on the selling price.
The first US$ 34.000 is free of tax. On the balance you pay US$ 4 per US$ 1.000.
For example: selling price of the home is US$ 234.000. The land tax is calculated as follows:
US$ 234.000 - US$ 34.000 = US$ 200.000 / 1.000 = US$ 200 * 4 = US$ 800 per year.

Closing Costs
When you are thinking of buying a home in Aruba then you have to realize that there are additional costs involved besides the selling price.
These closing costs are approximately 5 to 8 percent depending on the selling price.
The closing costs are calculated as follows:
Transfer tax (one time tax) 3 percent when selling price is <> Afl. 250.000,-
Notary fees transfer deed 1 percent of selling price
Notary fees mortgage deed 1 percent of selling price

Insurances
The yearly insurance fee for an extended fire and theft coverage is approximately US$ 4 per US % 1.000 of value.
The yearly premium for a US & 200.000 home is US$ 800.

Procedure
When you have seen a home which you want to buy a Purchase and Sale Agreement should be signed after the price negotiations.
A ten (10) percent down payment of the selling price payable towards the ascrow account of the selected notary is usually agreed upon.
The buyer will select the notary by the way. The deed can be signed within 8 weeks after signing the Purchase and Sale Agreement.
For legal support concerning the contracts we advise you to contact the selected notary.

http://www.arubahouses.com/
email: miriam@arubahouses.com

Century 21- Aruba- Caribbean

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MX97vMD1lR8&feature=related

blog posts

This Aruba blog informs you about hotels, restaurants, trips, tours, real estate and more, with links and pictures. Since 2004 this blog has been updated frequently, to inform Aruba visitors. Thanks for visiting and all your comments and tips are welcome. (new postings almost daily!)
http://arubahouses.com/