Real estate is the best long term investment you can make.  And who wouldn't want to invest in paradise?   While real estate prices have been rising in Jamaica, like many parts of the United States, Jamaica real estate is still a good bargain when compared with other parts of the Caribbean.

In fact, the real estate market in Jamaica is so vibrant that franchising operations for RE/MAX have been announced for the island.   The franchise real estate company's decision to establish itself here makes Jamaica the 57th country for the global network, according to Peter Gilmour, RE/MAX senior vice president of international franchise sales and brokerage. George W. Plummer will be managing director of Capital Holdings Ltd. which purchased the franchising rights and will operate RE/MAX< Island Estates in the capital city of Kingston. Plummer is a native of Kingston and has operated several businesses the last 20 years, including a construction and real estate development company. He will be joined in the operation by his wife Sharon, who has been in the banking industry for 12 years.

"With the RE/MAX International network of brokers and sales people, we should have good referrals," Plummer commented. “RE/MAX is featured on many cable stations that Jamaicans tune into and that's what first sparked my interest in RE/MAX. The real estate climate in Jamaica is excellent right now," he continued. "That's part of the reason we decided to get into mainstream real estate – because it's very active, very vibrant right now. Cities where the real estate business is particularly busy include the capital city of Kingston, Mandeville (Jamaica's mountain resort), Ocho Rio and Montego Bay."

With it population of 2.7 million, Jamaica is in a strategic location between Cayman Trench and Jamaica Channel, the main sea lanes for the Panama Canal.

"If their past involvement in their communities and country are indicators of the future, then we’ll see great things happening in Jamaica because of George and Sharon," said Gilmour. "They are hard working and talented people with a deep commitment to helping make this new operation a success."

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Jamaica Observer