Jamaica Property & Housing Blog
News, analysis and practical guides on Jamaican property, housing, mortgages, renting, building and investing — updated every day.
Jamaica Property Market
- Buying Paradise
Five Caribbean islands sell citizenship with a condo. Jamaica sells property to anyone but has never sold a passport. Inside the passport trade, the US crackdown, and who is really buying the Caribbean. - Fenced Out
Jamaica has 795 kilometres of shoreline. Just 4.5 kilometres is designated public beach. Who owns the rest, what the law really says, and what the new beach policy would change. - NLA Outage Leaves Property Deals in Limbo
National Land Agency system failures disrupt property transactions, title searches and mortgage processing across Jamaica, raising concerns over economic costs. - Faith, Inc.
Banks, mortgages, insurance, housing estates, even a power station. Which churches have gone furthest in becoming businesses, and what Jamaica’s credit unions, started by a priest, tell us.
- Buying Paradise
Five Caribbean islands sell citizenship with a condo. Jamaica sells property to anyone but has never sold a passport. Inside the passport trade, the US crackdown, and who is really buying the Caribbean. - Fenced Out
Jamaica has 795 kilometres of shoreline. Just 4.5 kilometres is designated public beach. Who owns the rest, what the law really says, and what the new beach policy would change. - NLA Outage Leaves Property Deals in Limbo
National Land Agency system failures disrupt property transactions, title searches and mortgage processing across Jamaica, raising concerns over economic costs. - Faith, Inc.
Banks, mortgages, insurance, housing estates, even a power station. Which churches have gone furthest in becoming businesses, and what Jamaica’s credit unions, started by a priest, tell us. - The Land Barons
Not the King, and not a Jamaican. Meet the families who own the largest stretches of private land on earth, how they got there, and why one American rancher now holds an area the size of Jamaica. - Heaven’s Landlords
The Catholic Church is estimated to hold 177 million acres, an estate 65 times the size of Jamaica. Here is how the world’s churches rank as landowners, and why nobody can honestly give you a top 100. - Negril Water Pipeline Works Set for November as Motorists Face Lane Restrictions
NWC plans November pipeline works between the North Negril River bridge and Negril Roundabout, with lane restrictions and a September 2028 completion target. - Money Flowing, Homes Waiting: Jamaica’s Property Market Outlook for Q4 2026
Inflation at 8.6%, rates rising and a fourth quarter of contraction, yet remittances, insurance payouts and a 41,000-home pipeline are keeping Jamaica’s property market moving. Our Q4 2026 outlook follows the numbers. - Jamaica’s Housing Boom Hits a Water Supply Wall
Nearly 5,900 proposed developments failed to secure NWC endorsement over two decades, exposing infrastructure pressures on Jamaica’s housing supply and affordability.
- Buying Paradise
- Fenced Out
- NLA Outage Leaves Property Deals in Limbo
- Faith, Inc.
- The Land Barons
- Heaven’s Landlords
- Negril Water Pipeline Works Set for November as Motorists Face Lane Restrictions
- Money Flowing, Homes Waiting: Jamaica’s Property Market Outlook for Q4 2026
- Jamaica’s Housing Boom Hits a Water Supply Wall
- Jamaica’s Property Market Faces a Reckoning: New Rules, Rising Costs and the Fight to Build Homes
- Seventy Years Outside the Fence: How Jamaicans Lost Their Beaches — and Are Winning Them Back
- Landlords Are Selling Up. Could Jamaica Be Next?
- Jamaica’s Cash Buyers: The Overseas Money Reshaping Who Can Afford a Home
- DAILY CARTOON: Skip the Fees, Lose the House?
More: Jamaica Property Market →
Mortgages & the NHT
- The Mortgage Trap: Why Owning a Home Is Getting Harder in Jamaica and Britain
Mortgage payments are rising, household budgets are shrinking and the dream of owning a home is being pushed further out of reach. Britain’s housing market offers a warning, but Jamaica faces an even more complicated challenge. The real question is - BOJ Raised Rates. Does That Mean Your Jamaican Mortgage Is Next?
KINGSTON, Jamaica — When Bank of Jamaica raises interest rates, a familiar fear quickly follows: mortgages are about to become more expensive. It sounds logical. BOJ raises its policy rate, commercial banks raise mortgage rates, buyers lose purchasing power and - Jamaica’s Next Housing Problem: What Happens When the Mortgage Outlives the Paycheque?
Longer mortgage terms, later home purchases and rising property prices could leave more Jamaicans paying for housing well into retirement, while lifelong renters face an even harder calculation. - Britain Is Panicking at 5% Mortgages. In Jamaica, 5% Can Look Cheap
KINGSTON, Jamaica — British homeowners are being warned of a mortgage reckoning as borrowers who secured extraordinarily cheap loans around 1 per cent five years ago prepare to refinance at rates closer to 5 per cent. For Jamaica, there is
- The Mortgage Trap: Why Owning a Home Is Getting Harder in Jamaica and Britain
Mortgage payments are rising, household budgets are shrinking and the dream of owning a home is being pushed further out - BOJ Raised Rates. Does That Mean Your Jamaican Mortgage Is Next?
KINGSTON, Jamaica — When Bank of Jamaica raises interest rates, a familiar fear quickly follows: mortgages are about to become - Jamaica’s Next Housing Problem: What Happens When the Mortgage Outlives the Paycheque?
Longer mortgage terms, later home purchases and rising property prices could leave more Jamaicans paying for housing well into retirement, while lifelong renters face an even harder calculation. - Britain Is Panicking at 5% Mortgages. In Jamaica, 5% Can Look Cheap
KINGSTON, Jamaica — British homeowners are being warned of a mortgage reckoning as borrowers who secured extraordinarily cheap loans around - BOJ Raises Policy Rate to 6% as Inflation Pressure Builds
Bank of Jamaica has raised its policy rate by 50 basis points to 6.0 per cent, with potential implications for mortgages and property finance. - Jamaican Buyers Still Want Homes, But Not at Any Price
Jamaica’s housing market is producing an unusual contradiction in 2026. Mortgage lending is growing, demand for homes remains strong, diaspora - You Can’t Control Mortgage Rates, But Jamaican Homebuyers Have More Power Than They Think
For Jamaicans trying to buy a home in 2026, the conversation about affordability can sometimes feel as though it begins - Want a Mortgage in Jamaica? The Costliest Saving Mistake May Be Waiting
Five or ten years can make an enormous difference to the deposit sitting between a renter and the front door of a first home - Jamaica’s Retirement Housing Clock Is Ticking
A British study has exposed a growing fear about paying rent and mortgages after work ends. Jamaica may face an even sharper version of the same problem.
- The Mortgage Trap: Why Owning a Home Is Getting Harder in Jamaica and Britain
- BOJ Raised Rates. Does That Mean Your Jamaican Mortgage Is Next?
- Jamaica’s Next Housing Problem: What Happens When the Mortgage Outlives the Paycheque?
- Britain Is Panicking at 5% Mortgages. In Jamaica, 5% Can Look Cheap
- BOJ Raises Policy Rate to 6% as Inflation Pressure Builds
- Jamaican Buyers Still Want Homes, But Not at Any Price
- You Can’t Control Mortgage Rates, But Jamaican Homebuyers Have More Power Than They Think
- Want a Mortgage in Jamaica? The Costliest Saving Mistake May Be Waiting
- Jamaica’s Retirement Housing Clock Is Ticking
- Cheaper Mortgages Abroad Test Jamaica’s Own Affordability Gap
- When Global Crises Strike Mortgages, Jamaica Feels It Too
- A Lender’s Bet on 2026: What Jamaica Can Learn from Cautious Optimism
- When Cheap Rates Don’t Last: A Caution for Jamaican Borrowers
- A Rental Market Under Strain: Lessons from the UK’s Buy-to-Let Rate War
Renting in Jamaica
- Jamaica’s J$40,000 Rental Crisis
KINGSTON, Jamaica — A Jamaican earning the national minimum wage of J$17,000 for a 40 hour week makes roughly J$73,700 a month before deductions. Put that worker into Jamaica’s rental market and the numbers become uncomfortable very quickly. A J$40,000 - J$40,000 and Invisible: Jamaica’s Rental Market Has a Problem No One Wants to Admit
There is an uncomfortable truth about Jamaica’s property market. If you are looking for a house or apartment renting for J$250,000 or J$300,000 a month, there is a reasonable chance that a real estate professional will be willing to invest - Owner, Operator, Occupant: Who Is Responsible in Jamaica’s Changing Rental Market?
England’s new Renters’ Rights regime is about to make landlord registration a much bigger part of renting. But what happens when the property owner is not actually the person renting rooms or homes to the people living there? Consider Peter. - Higher Landlord Costs Could Push Jamaican Rents Up
The next squeeze on Jamaican renters may begin somewhere they rarely look, not with the monthly rent notice, but with the cost of owning and maintaining the property itself. Jamaica is not facing the same landlord tax changes currently causing
- Jamaica’s J$40,000 Rental Crisis
KINGSTON, Jamaica — A Jamaican earning the national minimum wage of J$17,000 for a 40 hour week makes roughly J$73,700 - J$40,000 and Invisible: Jamaica’s Rental Market Has a Problem No One Wants to Admit
There is an uncomfortable truth about Jamaica’s property market. If you are looking for a house or apartment renting for - Owner, Operator, Occupant: Who Is Responsible in Jamaica’s Changing Rental Market?
England’s new Renters’ Rights regime is about to make landlord registration a much bigger part of renting. But what happens - Higher Landlord Costs Could Push Jamaican Rents Up
The next squeeze on Jamaican renters may begin somewhere they rarely look, not with the monthly rent notice, but with - $29-Million Waste Holding Station Opens in Westmoreland to Speed Up Garbage Collection
A new $29-million NSWMA holding station at George’s Plain, Westmoreland, will let garbage trucks offload locally instead of driving to Retirement, St James, easing the post-hurricane backlog. - When the Dream Stay Turns into an Airbnb Nightmare
A public complaint by former Miss Jamaica Universe April Jackson raises wider questions about what happens when a short-term rental dispute overwhelms the holiday itself - 53 Cottages on Church Land: A Chattanooga Congregation’s Ground Lease Is First Under a New Zoning ProgrammeA Chattanooga Baptist church will ground-lease its land for 53 rental cottages for seniors and families, the first project under the city’s new flexible zoning programme, with construction due in 2027.
- Talks Begin on Reopening Alpart Refinery, With First Phase Targeted for June 2027
The Government is in talks with Alpart’s operator on restarting the Nain refinery in St Elizabeth, with a first phase estimated at US$490 million targeted for completion by June 2027. - Jamaica’s Rental Property Boom Comes With a Warning
KINGSTON, Jamaica — At first glance, the calculation appears irresistible. Buy an apartment in Kingston, rent it to a professional
- Jamaica’s J$40,000 Rental Crisis
- J$40,000 and Invisible: Jamaica’s Rental Market Has a Problem No One Wants to Admit
- Owner, Operator, Occupant: Who Is Responsible in Jamaica’s Changing Rental Market?
- Higher Landlord Costs Could Push Jamaican Rents Up
- $29-Million Waste Holding Station Opens in Westmoreland to Speed Up Garbage Collection
- When the Dream Stay Turns into an Airbnb Nightmare
- 53 Cottages on Church Land: A Chattanooga Congregation’s Ground Lease Is First Under a New Zoning Programme
- Talks Begin on Reopening Alpart Refinery, With First Phase Targeted for June 2027
- Jamaica’s Rental Property Boom Comes With a Warning
- Could You Afford to Rent After Retirement?
- The School List Is Also a Property Map
- Jamaica Took Most of Airbnb.org’s Caribbean Emergency Housing Nights
- Grotto Tenants in Barbados Say Sewage and Leaks Have Made Homes Unsafe
- New Prime Minister, Rent Controls in the Air, and a Market Barely Breathing. Britain’s Housing Month in Full
Looking for property rather than property news? Search homes, land, rentals and Wanted Ads across all 14 parishes.
Buying a Home
- DAILY CARTOON: Sold, But Still Waiting
The house is sold and the key is in hand, but with the National Land Agency reporting a systems outage, closings and mortgage money are left waiting. - Jamaica’s Cash Buyers: The Overseas Money Reshaping Who Can Afford a Home
KINGSTON, Jamaica — A growing segment of Jamaica’s property market is being shaped by buyers who do not necessarily need a Jamaican mortgage to purchase a home. Many are returning Jamaicans who have spent decades working in the United States, - Jamaica’s Property Buyers May Have More Bargaining Power Than They Think
As UK homes sell below asking prices, Jamaica’s property market raises questions about negotiation, overpricing and opportunities for buyers. - The Homes We Bought, the Prices We Paid and the Regrets That Followed
Jamaica’s pandemic property boom opened doors for some buyers and created expensive commitments for others. Years later, the real measure of homeownership may be less about rising prices than the lives people can afford to lead.
- DAILY CARTOON: Sold, But Still Waiting
The house is sold and the key is in hand, but with the National Land Agency reporting a systems outage, closings and mortgage money are left waiting. - Jamaica’s Cash Buyers: The Overseas Money Reshaping Who Can Afford a Home
KINGSTON, Jamaica — A growing segment of Jamaica’s property market is being shaped by buyers who do not necessarily need - Jamaica’s Property Buyers May Have More Bargaining Power Than They Think
As UK homes sell below asking prices, Jamaica’s property market raises questions about negotiation, overpricing and opportunities for buyers. - The Homes We Bought, the Prices We Paid and the Regrets That Followed
Jamaica’s pandemic property boom opened doors for some buyers and created expensive commitments for others. Years later, the real measure of homeownership may be less about rising prices than the lives people can afford to lead. - Buyers Urged to Check Disaster Resilience Before Signing
As Jamaica prepares to mark International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, a veteran engineer is urging home buyers to check sites, approvals and structural reports before committing. Insurance gaps exposed by Hurricane Melissa add weight to the advice. - The Deposit Is No Longer Jamaica’s Biggest Homeownership Problem
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Britain has a new answer to one of homeownership’s oldest problems. What happens when someone earns enough - Cash Doesn’t Win Every House Anymore
KINGSTON, Jamaica — For years, there has been an almost automatic assumption in Jamaican real estate that the buyer with - Property Week: Buyers Push Back as Jamaica’s Housing Pressures Mount
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica’s property market is sending mixed signals. Buyers are gaining negotiating power in Kingston and St Andrew. - Letter of the Day: Who Can Actually Afford to Buy a Home in Jamaica Anymore?
Dear Editor, I have been looking for a home in Jamaica for more than a year, and the experience has
- DAILY CARTOON: Sold, But Still Waiting
- Jamaica’s Cash Buyers: The Overseas Money Reshaping Who Can Afford a Home
- Jamaica’s Property Buyers May Have More Bargaining Power Than They Think
- The Homes We Bought, the Prices We Paid and the Regrets That Followed
- Buyers Urged to Check Disaster Resilience Before Signing
- The Deposit Is No Longer Jamaica’s Biggest Homeownership Problem
- Cash Doesn’t Win Every House Anymore
- Property Week: Buyers Push Back as Jamaica’s Housing Pressures Mount
- Letter of the Day: Who Can Actually Afford to Buy a Home in Jamaica Anymore?
- Homebuyers look beyond Kingston for real value
- What It Really Costs to Buy a Home in Jamaica
- $91-Million Solar-Powered Water System Brings Supply to 1,000 Clarendon Residents
- Housing Supply Cannot Remain a Slogan
- Jamaica’s Year End Property Window Is Still Open
Property Investment
- Jamaica’s Housing Investment Push Gathers Pace as Billions Flow Into New Developments
Jamaica’s housing sector attracts J$17.42 billion across three developments as public-private partnerships expand, but affordability and delivery remain major concerns. - Is Jamaica Building Another Airbnb Bubble?
As short-term rentals reshape Jamaica’s property market, investors face changing occupancy, rising costs, legal restrictions and new taxes. Is this a bubble or a warning about unrealistic expectations? - Throp-X Credits Conference With US$150 Million in Jamaican Property Deals
Throp-X founder Winthrope Wellington says the conference has helped facilitate US$150 million in Jamaican real estate deals, including hotel-to-condominium investment in Negril. - Knutsford Express Bets on Property as Morant Bay Centre Slowly Fills
Knutsford Express is preparing to open a depot at the Morant Bay Urban Centre and finish a commercial development in Mandeville, as the bus operator looks to rental income after a sharp fall in profit.
- Jamaica’s Housing Investment Push Gathers Pace as Billions Flow Into New Developments
Jamaica’s housing sector attracts J$17.42 billion across three developments as public-private partnerships expand, but affordability and delivery remain major concerns. - Is Jamaica Building Another Airbnb Bubble?
As short-term rentals reshape Jamaica’s property market, investors face changing occupancy, rising costs, legal restrictions and new taxes. Is this a bubble or a warning about unrealistic expectations? - Throp-X Credits Conference With US$150 Million in Jamaican Property Deals
Throp-X founder Winthrope Wellington says the conference has helped facilitate US$150 million in Jamaican real estate deals, including hotel-to-condominium investment in Negril. - Knutsford Express Bets on Property as Morant Bay Centre Slowly Fills
Knutsford Express is preparing to open a depot at the Morant Bay Urban Centre and finish a commercial development in Mandeville, as the bus operator looks to rental income after a sharp fall in profit. - Pension Funds Cleared to Put More Savings Into Private Assets
The Senate has approved investment regulations allowing Jamaican pension funds to hold up to 7.5 per cent of assets in private investments, rising to 10 per cent in April 2027. The change could, over time, open a new source of long-term finance for housing and development. - London Villa Manager Makes Jamaica a Main Growth Target
Bocobay, a London based vacation rental company managing about 400 homes in four countries, says Jamaica is one of its two main targets for growth, with a 43 unit St Ann development among its projects. The expansion comes as tighter rules for short-term rentals remain on the national agenda. - Jamaica’s Gun Law Fight Is Also a Property Story: Why Security Matters to Returning Residents and Investors
As defence lawyers withdraw services over Jamaica’s 15-year mandatory firearm sentences, the argument reaches far beyond the courtroom. For returning residents, homeowners and investors, perceptions of safety can influence where people buy, what they are prepared to pay and whether they invest at all. - AI Could Reshape Jamaica’s Tourism Map
Kingston, Jamaica, 23 September 2026 Artificial intelligence could soon influence much more than how visitors discover Jamaica. It may increasingly - Royalton Reopens Five Jamaica Resorts After Major Upgrades
Royalton has reopened five Jamaican resorts across Negril and Montego Bay following major renovations, restoring significant tourism property to operation. A sixth Jamaica resort is already planned for summer 2027 as hotel investment continues across the island.
- Jamaica’s Housing Investment Push Gathers Pace as Billions Flow Into New Developments
- Is Jamaica Building Another Airbnb Bubble?
- Throp-X Credits Conference With US$150 Million in Jamaican Property Deals
- Knutsford Express Bets on Property as Morant Bay Centre Slowly Fills
- Pension Funds Cleared to Put More Savings Into Private Assets
- London Villa Manager Makes Jamaica a Main Growth Target
- Jamaica’s Gun Law Fight Is Also a Property Story: Why Security Matters to Returning Residents and Investors
- AI Could Reshape Jamaica’s Tourism Map
- Royalton Reopens Five Jamaica Resorts After Major Upgrades
- Putting Their Money Where Their Beliefs Are: Is Jamaica Ready for Values Based Investing?
- Faith Was Never Meant to Keep Jamaicans Poor
- Who Gets to Own a Piece of Jamaica?
- Closed Hotels Pitch Their Comeback at JAPEX 2026
- Closed Hotels Pitch Their Comeback at JAPEX 2026
Buy, rent, build: Jamaica Homes guides
- How to Buy a House in Jamaica: Step by Step
- Buying a Home?
- First Home?
- Mortgage Ready?
- How the NHT works — and what changed
- What it really costs to buy a home
- Is buying off-plan safe?
- Is building cheaper than buying?
- Family land: why it’s a legal risk
- Selling? What you may pay instead of CGT
- Is buy-to-let a thing in Jamaica?
- Moving back to Jamaica: the reality
Housing in Focus
- The House Plan Is Free. The Struggle Is Not
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica may soon have an answer to one of the simplest questions facing aspiring homeowners. Where can someone get a proper house plan without spending money they can barely afford? The Government says it has designs ready - Government Adds $9.65 Billion to Hurricane Housing Recovery
The Government has committed an additional $9.65 billion to help Jamaican families repair homes damaged by Hurricane Melissa in October 2025, as efforts continue to restore housing security across affected communities. The funding will support outstanding payments under the Restoration - Jamaica’s Social Housing Push Faces the Test of Time
A four-year wait for a new home in St Catherine highlights both the value of Jamaica’s social housing programme and the challenge of delivering secure accommodation more efficiently. - Housing Grants: Check Your Records
Incorrect identity records, inactive bank accounts and disputed property claims are delaying housing assistance in Jamaica. Officials urge applicants to verify their details, while national ID enrolment remains voluntary.
- The House Plan Is Free. The Struggle Is Not
KINGSTON, Jamaica — Jamaica may soon have an answer to one of the simplest questions facing aspiring homeowners. Where can - Government Adds $9.65 Billion to Hurricane Housing Recovery
The Government has committed an additional $9.65 billion to help Jamaican families repair homes damaged by Hurricane Melissa in October - Jamaica’s Social Housing Push Faces the Test of Time
A four-year wait for a new home in St Catherine highlights both the value of Jamaica’s social housing programme and the challenge of delivering secure accommodation more efficiently. - Housing Grants: Check Your Records
Incorrect identity records, inactive bank accounts and disputed property claims are delaying housing assistance in Jamaica. Officials urge applicants to verify their details, while national ID enrolment remains voluntary. - DAILY CARTOON: The House Is the Easy Part
Under the New Social Housing Programme, the paperwork before a house can take two to four years while building is often the quickest step. Today’s cartoon looks at the wait. - Montego Bay Road Opens Housing Questions
The Montego Bay Perimeter Road could improve access to land for housing. Officials also report discussions on settlement regularisation, but no new sites or titling timetable have been confirmed. - 11,000 ROOFS Cases Await Funding
More than 11,000 ROOFS cases are ready for payment once additional funds arrive. The ministry reports over 49,000 assisted and thousands still awaiting support. - Borrowed Builders: Can Peru’s Playbook Speed Jamaica’s Rebuild?
Jamaica and the UK will split the cost of bringing in Arup, Mace and Gleeds — the firms behind Peru’s post-flood rebuild — to power NaRRA. Peru shows what that can deliver, and where the limits lie. - A Year Under the Tarp: Melissa’s Victims Are Still Waiting for Homes
One year after Hurricane Melissa, about half of 118,000 assessed households are still waiting for repair grants, and 2,500 modular homes bought for families who lost everything have barely begun to reach them. What was promised, what was delivered, and why the gap is so hard to close.
- The House Plan Is Free. The Struggle Is Not
- Government Adds $9.65 Billion to Hurricane Housing Recovery
- Jamaica’s Social Housing Push Faces the Test of Time
- Housing Grants: Check Your Records
- DAILY CARTOON: The House Is the Easy Part
- Montego Bay Road Opens Housing Questions
- 11,000 ROOFS Cases Await Funding
- Borrowed Builders: Can Peru’s Playbook Speed Jamaica’s Rebuild?
- A Year Under the Tarp: Melissa’s Victims Are Still Waiting for Homes
- Jamaica Plans to Share Approved House Designs
- NHT Offers 189 St Catherine Homes in November Intake
- NHT Opens Four-Day Window for Pensioners Seeking J$1.5m Solar Grants
- Jamaica Turns to British Experts to Accelerate Hurricane Rebuilding
- DAILY CARTOON: One Year On, Home Is on Its Way
Building & Design
- Devon House: The Complete History, From a 1667 Church Grant to Kingston’s National Treasure
Nearly 360 years of land, ambition, loss, rescue and reinvention: the full story of Devon House, from the 1667 church glebe and George Stiebel’s Venezuelan gold to the 1965 rescue and the debates shaping it in 2026. - Three Officers, J$13.4bn and One Finished Climate Project
Jamaica’s climate change unit ran for about two years with three officers, MPs heard, and only one of five priority projects allocated J$13.4 billion has been completed. - Cabinet Backs Plan to Shield Palisadoes and Port Royal
A shoreline protection plan for more than 14 kilometres of the Palisadoes Peninsula has been approved for NaRRA’s work programme, as the government moves to answer questions about how the new authority will be held to account. - Regulator Wants Coral Plan Before Hanover Resort’s Sea Works
Jamaica’s Natural Resources Conservation Authority has deferred a beach licence for marine works at the Grand Palladium expansion in Hanover until the developer files a plan to relocate coral and seagrass. The decision shows how coastal approvals in Jamaica come in layers.
- Devon House: The Complete History, From a 1667 Church Grant to Kingston’s National Treasure
Nearly 360 years of land, ambition, loss, rescue and reinvention: the full story of Devon House, from the 1667 church glebe and George Stiebel’s Venezuelan gold to the 1965 rescue and the debates shaping it in 2026. - Three Officers, J$13.4bn and One Finished Climate Project
Jamaica’s climate change unit ran for about two years with three officers, MPs heard, and only one of five priority projects allocated J$13.4 billion has been completed. - Cabinet Backs Plan to Shield Palisadoes and Port Royal
A shoreline protection plan for more than 14 kilometres of the Palisadoes Peninsula has been approved for NaRRA’s work programme, as the government moves to answer questions about how the new authority will be held to account. - Regulator Wants Coral Plan Before Hanover Resort’s Sea Works
Jamaica’s Natural Resources Conservation Authority has deferred a beach licence for marine works at the Grand Palladium expansion in Hanover until the developer files a plan to relocate coral and seagrass. The decision shows how coastal approvals in Jamaica come in layers. - A Year After Melissa, Jamaica’s Great Houses Confront Wind, Money and Memory
Hurricane Melissa tore the roof from Greenwood and flattened Georgian Falmouth and Black River. A year on, Jamaica’s great houses face three tests: surviving stronger storms, paying for repairs, and telling the truth about the people who built them. - Four New Hospitals Put NaRRA to the TestCabinet has approved new climate resilient hospitals for Black River, Falmouth, Hanover and Kingston, with the National Reconstruction and Resilience Authority set to help deliver them. No costs have been announced and several sites are still being finalised.
- Ocho Rios Container Puts Council Planning Under ScrutinyThe Integrity Commission found that a gaming lounge in a shipping container was placed on municipal land in Ocho Rios without permits, a lease or fees. The case shows the tension when councils act as both landlord and planning regulator.
- Trelawny Opens Amnesty for Unapproved Buildings
The Trelawny Municipal Corporation has opened a four-month amnesty, running to 31 January 2027, for owners of buildings put up without approved plans, joining a string of parishes pushing homeowners to regularise before enforcement. - Jamaica’s Rebuild Could Reshape the Construction Market
Kingston, Jamaica, 7 October 2026 Jamaica is preparing for a sharp increase in construction activity as hurricane reconstruction moves into
- Devon House: The Complete History, From a 1667 Church Grant to Kingston’s National Treasure
- Three Officers, J$13.4bn and One Finished Climate Project
- Cabinet Backs Plan to Shield Palisadoes and Port Royal
- Regulator Wants Coral Plan Before Hanover Resort’s Sea Works
- A Year After Melissa, Jamaica’s Great Houses Confront Wind, Money and Memory
- Four New Hospitals Put NaRRA to the Test
- Ocho Rios Container Puts Council Planning Under Scrutiny
- Trelawny Opens Amnesty for Unapproved Buildings
- Jamaica’s Rebuild Could Reshape the Construction Market
- Spanish Town’s Cathedral Is a Glorious Muddle
- Montego Bay Waterfront Set for Major Redesign
- Closed Hotels Pitch Their Comeback at JAPEX 2026
- Closed Hotels Pitch Their Comeback at JAPEX 2026
- Why the Jamaican Dollar Matters More to Your Build Than Your Mortgage Rate
Diaspora & Returning Residents
- Seven Years, £127 Million and 66 Deaths: The Windrush Compensation Scheme, Examined
Britain promised to put right the wrongs done to the Windrush generation. Seven years after compensation began, about a third of decided claims have produced a payment, at least 66 claimants have died waiting, and the Home Office is still marking its own homework. A full accounting of what happened, what didn’t, and what could have been done better. - Built to Leave: Jamaica Is Third in the World for Brain Drain
Jamaica ranks third in the world for brain drain. Here is the full global list of 175 countries, what the exodus has cost the island, and how it is reshaping who can afford a home. - Jamaica Hails the Diaspora’s US$3.12 Billion. Where Is the Red Carpet Home?
The diaspora sent US$3.12 billion home in 2025/26 and remittances now outweigh tourism and foreign investment. But for every Jamaican who chose to come home in the latest count, about 25 left. We looked at what the state actually offers returnees, their children and their grandchildren. - NHT Refunds Go Bank-Only as Overseas Jamaicans Seek Clarity
The NHT’s 2026 refund instructions require direct bank deposits, although earlier guidance allowed remittance payments. Overseas contributors without suitable bank accounts face unanswered questions.
- Seven Years, £127 Million and 66 Deaths: The Windrush Compensation Scheme, Examined
Britain promised to put right the wrongs done to the Windrush generation. Seven years after compensation began, about a third of decided claims have produced a payment, at least 66 claimants have died waiting, and the Home Office is still marking its own homework. A full accounting of what happened, what didn’t, and what could have been done better. - Built to Leave: Jamaica Is Third in the World for Brain Drain
Jamaica ranks third in the world for brain drain. Here is the full global list of 175 countries, what the exodus has cost the island, and how it is reshaping who can afford a home. - Jamaica Hails the Diaspora’s US$3.12 Billion. Where Is the Red Carpet Home?
The diaspora sent US$3.12 billion home in 2025/26 and remittances now outweigh tourism and foreign investment. But for every Jamaican who chose to come home in the latest count, about 25 left. We looked at what the state actually offers returnees, their children and their grandchildren. - NHT Refunds Go Bank-Only as Overseas Jamaicans Seek Clarity
The NHT’s 2026 refund instructions require direct bank deposits, although earlier guidance allowed remittance payments. Overseas contributors without suitable bank accounts face unanswered questions. - From Injustice to Stage
A compensation payment arising from one of Britain’s most damaging immigration scandals is being turned into something its recipient never - Returning to Jamaica? Why Britain’s Changing State Pension Could Matter More Than You Think
A quiet change taking place in Britain’s pension system could have surprisingly important consequences for thousands of Jamaicans who have - The AI Bubble May Burst. The Revolution Will Remain
From peenie wallies and vinyl records to Google and artificial intelligence, technology has repeatedly changed ordinary life without asking permission. The evidence suggests that AI is both an investment bubble and a genuine revolution. - A Florida Adventist Church Writes a Cheque to Rebuild a Church Melissa Destroyed in Western JamaicaRestore a Child and the Palm Springs SDA Church in Florida presented a cheque to the West Jamaica Conference to keep rebuilding an Adventist church destroyed by Hurricane Melissa, as mission teams returned to help children and families.
- As US Mortgage Rates Climb Again, Jamaica’s Diaspora Buyers Feel It Too
Kingston, Jamaica, 18 August 2026. Mortgage rates in the United States ticked higher again this week, with the average 30-year
- Seven Years, £127 Million and 66 Deaths: The Windrush Compensation Scheme, Examined
- Built to Leave: Jamaica Is Third in the World for Brain Drain
- Jamaica Hails the Diaspora’s US$3.12 Billion. Where Is the Red Carpet Home?
- NHT Refunds Go Bank-Only as Overseas Jamaicans Seek Clarity
- From Injustice to Stage
- Returning to Jamaica? Why Britain’s Changing State Pension Could Matter More Than You Think
- The AI Bubble May Burst. The Revolution Will Remain
- A Florida Adventist Church Writes a Cheque to Rebuild a Church Melissa Destroyed in Western Jamaica
- As US Mortgage Rates Climb Again, Jamaica’s Diaspora Buyers Feel It Too
- Retrology Comes Home
- Investor Residency Plan Inches Forward, Four Years Behind Schedule
- Single Father and Twins Get New Concrete Home in Flanker After Melissa
- UK Asking Prices Fall 1% in July: What Britain’s Cooling Market Means for the Diaspora
- Rhythms of Resilience: Bob Marley and the Soul of a Jamaica Rising from Ruin
More: Diaspora & Returning Residents →
About the Jamaica Homes Blog
What is the Jamaica Homes Blog?
Jamaica Homes has been writing about Jamaican property for years. This page brings together all our reporting, guides and commentary on buying, selling, renting, mortgages, building and investing in Jamaica — for people on the island and in the diaspora.
How often is it updated?
Every day. Each section on this page fills itself automatically with the newest stories from that topic.
Can I list a property here?
Listings live on Jamaica-Homes.com. For advertising on the news site, see our advertising options.
Can I contribute an article?
Yes — property professionals can submit content, subject to our editorial standards.
Latest headlines
- Buying Paradise
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- The Billion Dollar Acre
- Fenced Out
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