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Five Things to Look for When Buying an Island
By Islomaniac | August 26, 2007
People always ask me, what do you look for when buying an island? The truth is there are a lot of things that you should look at when examining an island. This is why it essential that you always get professional advice before purchasing an island. Nonetheless, here are five things that I would look for when buying an island.
Freehold: There are essentially two kinds of islands, freehold and leasehold. Freehold means that the island is owned out right in much the same way you own your home. Leasehold means that you purchase the island for a stipulated period of time (i.e. 99 years). While most islands in
Proximity: Some people prefer very remote islands. I on the other hand 
prefer islands that are close to civilization. I enjoy my privacy, but I also find it comforting to know that there is a hospital, grocery store, mechanic etc near by. Therefore, when looking for an island close proximity to civilization is essential.
Habitable: Can you live on the island for long periods of time? Can you build a house on the island? Is the island subject to frequent storms, hurricanes, droughts etc? If your island is completely uninhabitable or uninhabitable for large portions of the year it likely is not a good investment. Ensure before buying the island that you can get permits to build, and inquire about weather patterns in the area to ensure that you can maximize your enjoyment of the islands.
Safety: Although islands exude a sense of safety and privacy you want to examine the political climate of the area around your island and the attitudes of locals towards foreign island owners. Some locals deeply resent their islands being sold to 
foreigners and this can put you at risk. Therefore ensure that the political climate around your island is one where you will feel safe and comfortable. A final suggestion would be to offer signs of good will to the locals, make donations to local charities as a way of giving back to the community.
Mainland access: It is great to own an island but if its impossible or challenging to get to it, it can turn into a huge hassle to get there. Thus I would recommend ensuring that you have readily available access to your island from the mainland. This may include owning a lot or parcel of land adjacent to your island or using a public or private marina to launch your boat.
These five tips are not necessarily meant to cover the full spectrum of things you should look for when buying an island. Rather they are, I feel the most important characteristics to look for when buying an island. Feel free to submit your own suggestions in the comments section.
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