Frigate Bay is the first area most buyers ask us about. Restaurants, cafes, bars, mini-marts, the beach, a casino and the island’s nightlife strip all sit within walking distance. On a small island where a car is normally a condition of daily life, that is unusual, and it shapes who buys here.
Below is who buys here, what the costs typically look like, and what we currently hold in the area.
What Frigate Bay is
Frigate Bay is a residential and leisure area of St. Kitts favoured by local professionals, students, expatriates and foreign residents. Few parts of the island bring those groups together in the same streets. That mix keeps the area occupied through the year rather than only in the tourist season, which widens the pool of people who might rent from you, or buy from you later.
Who buys in Frigate Bay
- Owner-occupiers. Residents who would rather walk to a restaurant, a bar or the beach than drive to it.
- Expatriates and foreign residents. People relocating for work or retirement who want an established area with services close at hand from week one.
- Buy-to-let investors. Owners letting furnished condos and houses to the university market and to working professionals.
- Citizenship by Investment buyers. Purchasers whose main objective is the citizenship route, and who will also hold or let the property.
All four compete for the same stock, which is worth knowing before you make an offer.
The buy-to-let case
Frigate Bay sits close to Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (RUSVM) and the University of Medicine and Health Sciences (UMHS), both around 10 to 15 minutes away. They bring students and faculty to St. Kitts on academic cycles rather than tourist ones, so demand here does not switch off out of season.
We can speak to this from our own portfolio. We let four furnished condos in Frigate Bay at rents between USD $1,100 and USD $2,700 a month. Those are achieved rents rather than asking figures, and the spread shows what a furnished condo here commands depending on size, condition and specification. You can see the full range on our Frigate Bay rentals page.
What that range cannot tell you is your yield, because yield depends on what you pay. Bring us a specific property and we will work the numbers through with you.
What buying typically involves
The outline below is how purchases in St. Kitts and Nevis are usually structured. None of it is legal or tax advice, so take your own before committing.
The Alien Land Holding Licence
Buyers who are not nationals of St. Kitts and Nevis normally need an Alien Land Holding Licence to hold property here. It is a formal application rather than a box to tick, which is why non-national purchases run through a local attorney from the outset. Your attorney will confirm whether it applies to you and what it costs.
Who pays what
- Realtor commission is 6%, and the vendor pays it. As a buyer, you are not charged our commission on the purchase.
- Stamp duty typically falls between 5% and 18.5%, and it is also a vendor cost. Where a sale sits in that range depends on the circumstances, so sellers should establish the figure early rather than at closing.
- Buyers carry their own separate costs, principally the Alien Land Holding Licence where it applies, and legal fees.
Citizenship by Investment
St. Kitts and Nevis operates a Citizenship by Investment programme, and a qualifying real estate purchase can be one route into it. We do not publish thresholds, eligibility rules or processing times here, because the programme sets those terms and revises them. Tell us at the start if citizenship is part of your reason for buying, because not every property qualifies and it narrows the search considerably.
What we hold in Frigate Bay
We manage and let four furnished condominiums in Frigate Bay, which gives us a working view of the buildings, the service charges and what units actually achieve:
- Manor by the Sea, 3 bed / 3 bath with ocean views
- St. Christopher Club Gardens, 3 bed / 3 bath, 1,600 sq ft
- St. Christopher Club Gardens, 1 bed / 1 bath, Zenway Boulevard
- Vista Villas, 1 bed / 1 bath cliff-top
A good deal of what changes hands here never reaches the open market. Owners approach agents quietly, condos change hands between people who already know the buildings, and the sale is often done before a listing would have appeared. Registering your requirements with us gets you in front of those first.
Give us the brief and the budget, and we can approach owners on your behalf.
Frequently asked questions
Can non-nationals buy property in Frigate Bay?
Yes. Non-nationals typically need an Alien Land Holding Licence to hold property in St. Kitts and Nevis, and a local attorney handles that application as part of the purchase. Confirm your position with an attorney before committing.
What does a property sale in St. Kitts and Nevis cost?
Realtor commission is 6% and the vendor pays it. Stamp duty typically ranges between 5% and 18.5% and is also a vendor cost. Buyers meet their own costs separately, principally the Alien Land Holding Licence where it applies, and legal fees.
Is Frigate Bay a good area for buy-to-let?
It is the area we are asked about most for that purpose, given the walkable amenities and the year-round demand the nearby universities support. We let four furnished condos there ourselves at USD $1,100 to $2,700 a month. Whether a particular purchase works depends on the price you pay.
Can buying property here lead to citizenship?
St. Kitts and Nevis runs a Citizenship by Investment programme, and qualifying real estate purchases can be a route into it. We do not publish the thresholds or rules, because the programme sets them and they change. Take advice from a specialist.
How do I find out what is for sale in Frigate Bay?
Tell us what you are looking for and we will work on it directly, including approaching owners in the buildings we manage who have not put anything on the open market.
Are prices in US or Eastern Caribbean dollars?
US dollars. Every price and rent quoted on this site is USD, not XCD.
Tell us what you are looking for
Get in touch with as much of this as you can:
- What you want to buy: condo, house, land, or undecided
- Whether you will live in it, let it, or both
- Your budget in US dollars, and how firm it is
- Your timing, and whether you are already in St. Kitts or buying from abroad
- Whether Citizenship by Investment is part of your reason for buying
We will tell you honestly whether Frigate Bay suits what you have described, and if it does not, which part of St. Kitts does. Then we go and look for it. Contact us to get started.