FAQ

A: New Winds Realty is a professional organization that has a fully educated sales team. They are aware of the local market and know the latest market trends. The benefits of choosing for New Winds Realty are:

1. You get a professional agent who put your interest first. New Winds is your ‘full service realtor’. We support in the whole process of selling the house, our job doesn’t end with the closing the deal.
2. You’ll get a complete marketing package containing e.g.: your house will be listed on our website. Also, your house will be advertised in the monthly local realty paper ‘De Makelaar’ and also several daily papers. As an eye catcher we will put a sign outside of your property to attract even more potential buyers. These are only a few examples of the marketing services we provide.
3. We give you inside tips and tricks on how to sell your property as quickly and with the highest selling price possible.

If you want to know more about our services you can make an appointment with one of our New Winds professionals.

A: Follow the next 5 steps for a successful property purchase.

1. What are you looking for?
   Start by creating a prioritized list of features you want in your next home and the reasons why. Use it as your search guide, but remember that depending on your funding, you will probably need to make some compromises. In addition, talk to your real estate professional about where you want to live. Location is a huge part of any move. New Winds Realty professionals are trained to help their clients narrow down their choices by sharing market trends and local information.
2. What price range?
   Now that you know what you want, it's time to see what you can afford. You can start by crunching the numbers yourself. But the best way is to get pre-approved for a mortgage. This process can often be performed in under an hour and it accomplishes two important goals. It will tell you how much you can afford and what your monthly payments would be. New Winds Realty can help you out with your mortgage as a free extra service.
3. Shopping for homes
   Once you know what community you'd like to live in and have an idea of how much you can afford, its time to start checking out actual properties. Beginning this search online can help save you time since it can help you target homes that meet your search criteria.
   
   Next, Begin visiting homes in person. Ask your New Winds Realty professional to arrange visits and attend open houses that are in your target area and price range. When comparing homes, make sure to look at all aspects of the property. Are both the houses renovated? Do they both have the same amount of bedrooms and bathrooms? Are both houses located on the same or similar streets?Remember to keep an open mind when you are looking at homes.
4. Making an offer
   Once you find the home you want, you need to make an offer for the house. Typically this is a very difficult and trying time since both parties have totally different goals. In most cases it is better to have a third party, such as a real estate professional, negotiate the offer. If you have any personal interaction with the homeowner, don't give out any information about your move, your current housing status, financial status or your feelings about their property - positive or negative. This could hurt you in future negotiations.
5. The final closing
   Before you arrive at the closing, make sure all the necessary paper work and deposits have been completed. If the mortgage, title work, homeowners insurance and other items necessary under local laws are not completed and brought to the closing table, the closing may not happen on time. And, depending on what the contract says, this could result in further action including financial penalties and even the loss of your rights to the home.

Once you close, it's official - you own the house! But there might be a few things you want to do before you lay out the welcome mat. These include arranging for an alarm system, turning on the electricity, subscribing to the local paper, arranging for lawn services, etc. This could also be a good time to make some needed renovations.

A: Yes, there are no restrictions whatsoever on buying property in Curacao.

A: Any foreigner who want to exercise a profession must have a work permit. The work permit will normally be granted only if there are no qualified persons available locally. In general, requests for work permits will only be taken into consideration if filed through a local employer, who has to accept full responsibility for any possible expenses to be made by the government relative to the employee.

A: In general, tourists are permitted to stay a maximum of 14 days on the island. In case they want to remain longer, an extension may be requested at the Immigration Office. American citizens may stay a maximum of three months without a residency permit. Citizens of the Netherlands may stay up to six months.

A: Anyone who comes to live on Curacao needs a residence permit. Application of Residence permits must be accompanied by a number of documents, such as proof of income or bank reference, valid passport, certificate of good conduct, official birth certificate, medical certificate, proof of health and accident insurance, and proof of ownership of a home on Curacao.

A: Financing in Curacao is expensive. Rates are around 9%, and local banks will finance only up to 70% for non-residents. Using the equity on your own home is advisable. Contact your bank about the possibilities. New Winds Realty can help you out with your mortgage as a free extra service.

A: The closing costs are approximately 5% of the selling price and are calculated as follows: Transfer tax (one time tax) is 4% of the selling price, notary closing fees are 1% of the selling price.

A: Throughout the Kingdom of the Netherlands, and on the island of Curacao, there are two legal forms of land ownership. These two forms are property land and long lease land. Most resort areas throughout the island feature long lease land as the typical form of ownership. Your New Winds Realty professional can help you sort this out.

Property land means that you own the land and on an annual basis you will pay property taxes to the government based upon the assessed value of the property and the improvements constructed upon the property.
Under the long lease form of ownership, the government of Curacao, through the Directorate of Land Administration, gives out the long lease properties. These long lease properties are given out for a period, usually, of sixty years. The long lease fee is determined at the beginning of the contract based upon location, and the size of the property, and is fixed for the duration of the long lease term. The long lease fee is collected yearly. At the end of the long lease term, the government will typically extend the long lease contract for another sixty year term at an increased yearly fee. If, for any reason, the government will not extend the long lease contract, they will have to compensate the owner at the current market value of their property including all improvements constructed upon the property.
Both forms of ownership are afforded equal status and protection under the laws of Curacao and the Netherlands Antilles.

A: No, the notary can assist you with all necessary steps, and you can do many things by fax or email. In case you will not be present for the closing, and you need a power of attorney, the notary will prepare one for you and send it by fax. With this in hand, you just need to have notarized.