Port St. Charles Lagoon Townhouse, Barbados
A completed freehold townhouse inside Port St Charles, the gated community built around a working lagoon marina in St Peter, at the north end of Barbados's west coast above Speightstown. The development describes itself as an official port of entry with immigration, customs, coastguard and police on site, berths up to 200 feet with 13.5 feet of draft at low tide, and six mega-yacht berths on the offshore breakwater for yachts to 250 feet. It suits a buyer who owns a boat or expects to, wants a finished building rather than a completion date, and wants a legal footing in Barbados rather than a passport — Barbados runs no citizenship program.
What you actually own
Freehold and completed: no diminishing lease, no developer performance risk, no rendering standing in for a building. Almost every home at Port St Charles includes a private berth, and the 22-acre gated community has two beaches, two pools, a gym, tennis and pickleball courts and a restaurant on site.
Two things I confirm in writing before exchange. First, how title moves: Barbados prime homes are often held through an offshore company, so the sale becomes a share transfer rather than a conveyance of land, with different tax, succession and diligence consequences. Second, the berth — its length, and whether it conveys with the residence or is separately licensed. It is a large share of the value and should not be a verbal assurance.
The honest cost of holding it
Closing is light on the buyer: in Barbados the seller pays property transfer tax — 2.5% above BBD 150,000 on developed land — and stamp duty at BBD 10 per BBD 1,000. Your side is legal work at roughly 1% to 2% plus 17.5% VAT and disbursements, so total buyer outlay usually lands at 2% to 4%.
Land tax is annual, charged on assessed improved value: nil to BBD 150,000, then 0.10%, 0.70% above BBD 450,000 and 1% above BBD 850,000, capped at BBD 100,000. It follows the assessment, not your price, so the seller's bill is not yours. The service charge is unpublished, and in a community that maintains a breakwater and a dredged basin it decides whether this is a comfortable hold; I want the accounts, the reserve balance and the levy history before I form a view on price.
This property qualifies for the Barbados Residency by Investment program.
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Interested in Port St. Charles Lagoon Townhouse, Barbados?
Book a private call with Dan to explore availability, ownership options and eligibility.
Book a Private CallDan Merriam & Associates acts for the buyer. Our advice is independent, not contingent on any sale, and we hold no brokerage or developer mandate.
Frequently asked questions
Can I rent it out?
Rental income is Barbados-source income for a non-resident owner, taxed at 12.5% on the first BBD 50,000 and 28.5% above that, with no personal deductions. Short-term letting brings the Room Rate, Product Development and Shared Economy levies into play, and VAT registration is compulsory above BBD 200,000 of turnover. Read the association by-laws first — marina communities commonly restrict minimum stay and tenants' use of berths and amenities.
Does it qualify for citizenship or residency?
Residency only. Barbados sells no citizenship, but real estate valued at US$300,000 or more opens the Special Entry and Reside Permit, reported as a renewable five-year permit at US$5,000 per adult with spouse and dependent children includable. It carries no work authorisation for Barbadian-source employment, and I confirm the current fee schedule with Immigration in writing before anyone applies.
What happens when I sell?
Barbados charges no capital gains tax, so the exit is largely administrative — provided the inward funds were registered with the Central Bank at purchase, which is what lets you take the money back out. If you are a US citizen or green card holder, the United States taxes you on worldwide income regardless of a second citizenship or residence permit, so the absence of Barbadian capital gains tax does not spare you US tax on the gain.
What's the catch?
Three things. The service charge is unquantified until I see the accounts, and a thin reserve in a community that owns a breakwater is how special levies happen; the berth that supports the price also narrows your eventual buyer pool, so plan to hold rather than flip; and if title comes as company shares rather than land, that is a decision to make at purchase, with advice on both sides of the water.