Bahamas

The Bahamas is not one market. Nassau and Paradise Island carry the population, the flights and most of the apartment stock. Grand Bahama is a separate economy again. The Family Islands — Abaco, Eleuthera, Exuma, Harbour Island — are quiet, sparsely serviced and where the large beachfront compounds sit, often on acreage that no smaller territory could offer.

Who buys here

North Americans, overwhelmingly, and often people who arrived by boat before they arrived as buyers. Deepwater access and a dock are frequently the deciding feature rather than the house itself. Villas dominate the outer islands; apartments and gated condominiums cluster around Nassau.

What ownership involves

The country is British-derived in law and English-speaking, which makes the paperwork familiar to most buyers. The real costs are physical. Nearly everything is imported, so building materials, food and electricity are expensive, and a remote island compound may run on generators and cisterns. The islands are low-lying and sit squarely in the hurricane belt — insurance and elevation are live questions, not afterthoughts. On the Family Islands, resale depends on a small pool of buyers and can take a long time.