Do you want to report "How to buy land in Jamaica"
Im interested in buying land in Jamaica, where and how can I start ? I am currently living in the UK ​ EDIT: So I've figured out where to buy land from, now I'm wondering where can I find builders ? Where can I find builders in Jamaica ?
The first thing you need is a Jamaican lawyer that works in real estate matters. Without a good lawyer, I would say buyer beware. A good real estate lawyer knows all the steps and processes to complete a legal and binding sale.
To buy, you can also check Jamaica classified website for listings. To build, you can have the real estate lawyer source a contractor for you. As an overseas person, I recommend you use a professional contractor. Local masons may be cheaper, but not all if them are professional in conduct.
I urge caution. What I learned in the 90’s is that real estate laws in JA are weird. If you are buying from someone, their entire family has claim rights to part of the property. So when someone finds out a foreigner is buying property, “family” members come out of the woodwork and you can’t close until they have all been contacted to receive their portion. Land titles can be held up for years while trying to resolve these issues. That said, it doesn’t mean you can’t take possession, just that finalizing the fact that YOU own it outright can sometimes get held up.
Come on now, that sounds ridiculous and like perhaps you’re mixing up the info you were given… Besides someone’s opinion from \~30 years ago, do you have any evidence to support this claim?
OP, my family bought a home within the last 5 years. It was a relatively smooth process that did not involve anyone besides the property owner and their lawyers.
>So when someone finds out a foreigner is buying property, “family” members come out of the woodwork and you can’t close until they have all been contacted to receive their portion
The only thing remotely resembling this that I’ve come across is in situations where there is no title or the land is unregistered. One needs to be able to demonstrate having cared for the property, and since other family members can lay claim to the property you’re required to publish a notice in the newspaper to give others the opportunity to make a claim. We gleaned this info from a query made to the Land Administration & Management Programme. Will update once I find a link verifying that info.
Edited to add: found it - https://www.nla.gov.jm/content/why-does-it-take-so-long-get-registered-title-land-which-was-previously-unregistered
