Fiji Real Estate and Homes for Sale

ABOUT FIJI, AN ISLAND GUIDE

Fiji has always been one of the world's great escapes.  

Just a quick three hours flight from Auckland or Sydney, and now with direct flights from Los Angeles, Fiji offers a unique opportunity to own your own piece of Pacific Paradise. 

Fiji has become increasingly popular.  This is in large part due to Fiji’s proximity and comparatively, inexpensively priced land vs. destinations such as Tahiti and Hawaii.  

Fiji has more than 322 islands each fringed with coral reefs and lapped by year round warm blue waters – creating a haven for relaxation and recreation - fishing, diving and snorkelling to name a few.    

Amid its wealth of natural beauty, Fiji true magic lies in its people and the fascinating blend of their diverse cultures.

FIJI CLIMATE

Fiji enjoys a tropical climate, with year round warmth, making it popular escape from the winters in both the northern and southern hemispheres. 

Fiji has only two major seasons:  

The Wet & Warm Season, “Fiji Summer” - December to April with temperatures averaging 88F (31C), higher rainfall and humidity. 

The Dry Season, “Fiji Winter”  - May to November with temperatures averaging 84F (29C), less rainfall and humidity. 

Temperatures vary due to each islands topography and cooling trade winds.   

Fiji has  pronounced dry and wet zones on its major islands especially Viti Levu and Vanua Levu.  The smaller islands and coral atolls on the other hand receive little rain and a lot more sunshine. 

BUYING FIJI REAL ESTATE
LIVING FULL TIME OR PART TIME IN FIJI

Visitors can actually stay in Fiji for up to 6 months on a tourist visa which suits a good number of purchasers/ owners of Fiji real estate.

If you plan to spend longer periods of time in Fiji, the most expedient thing to do is to apply for renewable three-year permanent residency.  This does not however mean you have to give up your existing citizenship or passport. 

TYPES OF LAND OWNERSHIP 

Freehold

Historically Fijian chiefs traded with Europeans – they exchanged good including land for valuables like muskets.    

In 1874 British Imperial rule ratified a good number of these historical land “transfers” and thus created land with “freehold” title.   Approx 10% of Fiji land is freehold  - a rare commodity in the Pacific. 

Freehold land in Fiji ranges from tropical plantations to beautiful beach front, even to entire offshore islands.

Ownership of land in other Pacific Islands including Hawaii, Vanuatu and Rarotonga can only be obtained by way of lease. There is no freehold title in those islands.

The concept of leasehold land is relatively common in Europe, for example in many “prime” locations in London (UK) owning property can only be achieved by way of lease.

Crown Lease
The Fiji Government itself controls about 7 percent of the land and issues leases for up to 99 years.  These “Crown Leases” provide a second sector of clearly defined and secure land ownership.

Native Lease
The balance of land approx 83% is in Fijian “communal” ownership. In 1940, the Native Lands Trust Board was established to manage that land. 

Owned communally, native land cannot be sold, but leases of up to 99 years are available.  The number of NLTB lease tenants range from multimillion-dollar resort hotel companies to small vegetable farmers and households and is growing rapidly

For more on Fiji Land including:

• Types of leases

• Process of buying real estate

• Application for Consent to a Dealing, visit the Fiji Island Trade and Investment Bureau

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING FIJI REAL ESTATE

Considerations when buying property in Fiji include:

1.   Utilities like power and water.  Keep in mind that the farther you are away from a large town the property, the less likely to have access to ANY utilities.

2.    Proximity to town, shopping, and an airport: There is a lot of beautiful property available in Fiji, however much of it is an hour or more away from a town. This can become a fairly daunting challenge given the condition of some of the dirt roads, especially during the rainy season.

3.    Beach vs. hill/view lots: Many people dream of having a beachfront home but it is not always the most desirable. 

Under Fijian law, no beach is considered private in Fiji; indigenous people always have a right of access – a factor to take into account if you live nearby a local village.

With so many elevated sites available, many hill lots can offer great views, privacy, cooling trade winds, and still be only a few minutes walk to the nearest beach.

4.    Home vs. land purchase: While it would be perfect to just find that already built house on the beach, constructed homes usually command a premium.  In many cases (if you are not under time pressure) it is easier and much less expensive to buy the land and have a local company build a custom or kit home for you.   Most builders are from Australia and New Zealand and know their trade well.

5.    Accessibility: Land is sometimes sold that has no legitimate road access to it. The question of access should be addressed on the back of the title by way of a legal easement that sets forth your way of access. Without this, you could be in for trouble. This is especially important when looking at the more remote properties. This problem can be circumvented when you purchase from a development company that guarantees road access to your property, and in many cases provides road maintenance for the development.

FIJI REAL ESTATE & POLITICS

Fiji’s politics can best be described as a little “messy”.  Several military coups have taken place over the years with the most recent in 2006.  Democratic elections are scheduled for 2009. 

For more Information refer to sources like Wikipedia, Portals to the World, selected by Library of Congress Subject Experts, and others on the internet.

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