Cayman Islands

Grand Cayman holds nearly all of it — a strip of beachfront condominiums along the west, a working capital behind them, and quieter canal and inland neighbourhoods spreading east. Cayman Brac and Little Cayman lie a short hop away, barely developed by comparison.

Who buys here

Two kinds of buyer overlap. One lives and works there: the islands host a large expatriate workforce in finance, law and insurance, and they rent and buy year-round. The other is a North American or European owner buying waterfront for part-time use. Condominiums are the dominant form on the beach; villas appear on canals and in the eastern districts.

What to weigh

Cayman is expensive, and not only in purchase price — imported goods, utilities and strata fees on a beachfront building all run high. The islands are flat and low, so storm surge and elevation matter as much as wind rating. Building standards tightened after Hurricane Ivan, and construction is correspondingly costly. The upside is stability: institutions work, direct flights are frequent, and the market is liquid by regional standards.