I will always have a soft spot for Jamaica. It’s like a magnet pulling me back year after year.

The feeling it evokes when you step off the plane and you are hit with the warm breeze, the smell of the sea and the sweet reggae music playing in the background.

It announces to me – Welcome home!

Born on the island north coast, my family migrated to Canada in the late 80’s.

We made multiple trips back home each year visiting family and friends. I remember sitting on my Grandma’s veranda eating a fresh batch of coconut drops. My grandma always made sure my auntie would make it for me. Followed by the mangoes, sugar cane and guineps (yes, all at the same time!) avoiding the thoughts of the guaranteed “calic” I would get due to the amounts I was eating.

In 2007, I made up my mind; I needed to own a piece of the land of my birth.  But where would I start and how would I manage this from abroad?

I started with the purchase of land and like many lots in Jamaica, it is still sitting there empty.

I was plagued with the thoughts and questions – how much will it cost me to build?  Who is going to watch over my materials so that someone does not steal it!

Now that I paid my money for the land, what’s the process to get my title?

Sigh, time to think of a new plan!

By 2016, my family had grown to the point where staying in the homes of family or friends was getting uncomfortable. I was paying crazy hotel bills so instead I decided to buy a home in a gated community.

It was still a confusing and frustrating period. Not knowing who to trust, which builder, which lawyer?

I questioned if I would really have the house in the brochure at the end of it all?  Will someone run away with my hard-earned money? Who will manage this property when I am away? How would I get it furnished? How can this property make money for me while I am away?

At the end of the day, it was someone who had gone thru the process I was currently experiencing who held my hand and walked me thru the process.

Jamaican proverb: One, one coco full basket

Things take time, nothing happens overnight. This is true when you are embarking on the purchase of a home on the islands. It takes time, planning and executing a planned course of action, with the right team.

This is why I founded Rutty Caribbean Consulting Inc., where I aim to consult my clients on the logistics of owning a home in the islands and connecting them with  trusted resources to complete the transaction.

Stayed tuned for more on how to simplify your Caribbean home ownership.

Likkle more!