I've been coming to Honduras and the Bay Islands for 15 years. Over that time, I've seen the effects of foreign investment on Roatan.  Due to the delicate ecosystem of the reefs, I cringe at development that doesn't take into account the values of mangroves and the damaging effects of runoff from clearing land.  Feeling a bit protective of my favorite hideaway Utila, I'd often thought of buying a slice to try to protect at least a little tiny bit.  (And also of course there is the benefit of having a winter getaway) Seeing almost the whole South Shore for sale made me act.  When I started pursuing it, what drew me to Utila Realty was that Andi and Brad are Marine Biologists.  It couldn't have been more perfect.  I felt like their first priority is the Island and although development is never what land needs, they are excellent stewards and examples of  trying to do it responsibly.  They have a wealth of knowledge on solar power (an excellent option on an island that looses power frequently) and even composting toilets!  Mary is I think one of the kindest people I've ever met, honestly.  I don't think one second of her smile is for business, it just radiates from within.  I felt guilty for all of the extra questions extraneous to the actual sale, but Mary never hesitated to help.  In addition, they draw you into the community and are well connected on the island to put you in touch with anyone you may need to contact.  I feel better about Utila development if  Utila Realty is leading the helm.  

Future South Shore Resident,   
Kelly,   Minneapolis, Minnesota
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Since before my wife and I were married we dreamed of owning beachfront property somewhere tropical. We began searching on our own – Mexico, Belize, Panama and the list goes on – but the more we looked, the more complicated it seemed. Beachfront property was scarce and anything that was available was way out of our price range or in an area where ownership of land was not altogether secure. Then we met Andi who told us about living in Utila and introduced us to Brad and Mary at Utila Realty.
 
We told Brad we were looking for land to build a vacation home with the potential to be an income property. He took us around to each listing that might fit our criteria and some that he thought would be of interest – even just to compare and see what we’d get for our money on Utila. Utila Realty was unlike any real estate company we've ever dealt with – dedicated, honest and noticeably looking out for us, the customer and not for themselves or the commission. They walked us through the in's and out's of buying land in Honduras and happily answered any questions we had to ensure we were more than confident about our purchase.
 
We are now officially part of the Utila community and living the dream – all thanks to Brad, Andi and Mary at Utila Realty.
 
Tim and Melinda, Canada
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Brad at Utila Realty helped our family buy a beach house in March of 2007.  We are extremely happy with the way Brad handled negotiating, closing the transaction, and title.  Brad carefully explained every step of the process to us, and made buying foreign property seem easy.   He and his wife Andi even helped get the property listed as a vacation rental.  The house has been generating income since we bought it.  I am amazed at Brad's commitment to his clientele, his knowledge of the local real estate process, and his integrity.     

Sanborn family, California
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Our dream was to move to a warm, sunny, beautiful and relaxed tropical island – and we found that in Utila. The next stage of our dream was to buy a house – and we were delighted when we discovered that on Utila we could still buy a piece of beachfront land and afford to design and build our perfect beach home. However, we lived in the UK and so were very nervous of making the wrong decisions, not asking the right questions or getting caught out by local legislation or complexities. We wanted to ensure that our hard eared money remained secure until we bought the land but who would guide us through this ?
That is where Utila Realty and Brad, Andi and Mary came into their own. We found them to be honest, straightforward and highly professional people who cared about the island and us and wanted us to make the right choices. They gave us all the options, flagged all the things we needed to think about, guided us through every aspect  of the purchase and made the whole process of deciding and purchasing simple and enjoyable. We never felt “sold” to or pressurized and always felt they had our best interests at heart.
We have now made the permanent move to Utila and our beautiful beach house is almost complete. (Ahead of schedule and in budget!) - and we love it.  The process of moving here and settling since we arrived has been facilitated by the warmth, friendship, support and help offered to us by Brad, Andi and Mary. They’ve given us invaluable advice and have welcomed us into the community.
For anyone thinking of Utila as somewhere to live (whether permanently or just for vacations) – we would say “dive in”, you won’t regret it as long as you do it with Utila Realty. We would be happy to share our experiences with you if you have any questions – feel free to ask for our contact details – and we hope to see you in Utila soon!

Sarah and Dec Dowdall, UK
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Last year Utila Realty handled the sale of my lot on the South Shore. They made everything easy from the signing of the sales contract to the transfer of the funds to my account at the end of the sale. I was living in the States and everything was done by telephone, email, or DHL.
  I can't say enough about their efficiency, honesty, and keeping me well informed during the entire process. Whether buying or selling on Utila, Utila Realty is the team for me.

Linda Baiz, Florida
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Ludy and I were just speaking last night about how we have never received such excellent service in any arena of life as we have from you. Your attention to details, privacy, confidentiality, ethics, and level of professionalism are par excellence. This sale would never have gone through without your commitment, sense of timing, knowledge, and expertise. I cannot say enough about how dearly we have appreciated all you have done for us under the most difficult of circumstances. Everyone in the family feels the same and I will personally see to it that they each contribute to this testimonial since all have expressed a sincere desire to let you know how impressed we have been with your services.

Sylvia Daple, Michigan
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Being from Alaska, it was not cost effective for me to travel back and forth to finalize my Utila land purchase.  Fortunately, Mary and the rest of the team at Utila Realty came to my rescue!!  They took control to make sure the process kept moving and I was informed of the progress.  Without their assistance I probably would have had to give up on my dream of owning a slice of paradise.  I look forward to working with the Utila Realty team in the future and would recommend their services to anyone.  A top notch company with top notch staff!! 

Greg   Anchorage, Alaska
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I have received nothing but graciousness, incredible efficiency, and a high level of competence from the wonderful staff at Utila Realty. The concept of buying an international property---on an island, no less---is a bit daunting for any newcomer. I was initially at the intellectual level of Buying International Property for Dummies. Brad explained everything very clearly and carefully regarding titles, surveys, property taxes, closing costs, and legal assessments. He drove me all over the island, honestly telling me the pros and cons of numerous properties. When I felt comfortable and confident enough to make my choice, I left the island basically leaving all of the logistics in their hands. This was such a relief.

Since then, they've gone beyond the role of just being my realtors. They've made a huge effort to introduce me to people on the island, so I've been able to start feeling acclimated and accepted in the Utila community. This effort, of course, is priceless.

I definitely feel very lucky that I chose Utila Realty (Brad, Andi, and Mary). 

Lisa Railsback, Texas
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From our very first contact right through until closing the team at
Utila Realty made purchasing in Utila as easy as purchasing in my home
town.  They had impeccable communication throughout the deal which
lead to a flawless closing.

Next time I am looking to buy or sell in Utila the team at Utila
Realty will be my first and only call.

Nicholas Nowak
Real Estate Developer
Grand Cayman, Cayman Islands.
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After researching various Caribbean  locations for investment and future retirement locations, we became very intrigued with the Bay Islands and Utila in particular. It seemed to offer a rare combination of beautiful reef systems, relatively low cost of living, and the ability to purchase fully titled water front at reasonable prices. That said, the process was unfamiliar and there's no lack of horror stories floating around the internet about buying property in Central America and Caribbean islands. We finally decided to make contact with Utila Realty, and followed up with a visit to the island. We fell in love with it and decided that this was indeed where we wanted to invest and eventually live. Brad and Andi gave us very good insights into the  practical realities of life on the island, and introduced us to several residents in the community. As marine biologists they even provided fascinating insights into the biology of the inner lagoons and reef system. Over the course of the property purchase, they provided us with step by step guidance on the intricacies of the process. They also provided us with a trust worthy and responsive attorney to handle the legal aspects of the transaction, and clarified any questions that came up along the way. Our confidence in their integrity and competence grew along the way as did our appreciation of their tire-less efforts to ensure our that our transaction was handled properly, and that every question we had was answered to our satisfaction. They have become good friends and even after our transaction completed continue to assist us in many ways with our future plans on the island. Their associate Mary is a most delightful and helpful person as well. These are the definitely the folks you want to work with if you're contemplating taking a stake in Utila!

Doug and Linda Joseph,    Connecticut

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 "Excellent services, even from Europe I could follow all the processes, I was quickly informed after each step. To Buy with Utila Realty is as easy as going to Utila choose what you want, come back home and relax. Utila Realty will keep you up to date. Thanks a lot for your help in buying the land of my dreams"
 
 "Un servicio excelente, desde Europa he sido capaz de seguir todo el proceso de principio a fin, se me informaba rápidamente de cada paso conseguido. Comprar con Utila Realty is tan sencillo como ir a Utila, elegir lo que quieres y volver a casa. Utila Realty te mantendrá al corriente de todo. Muchas gracias por vuestra ayuda en la compra del terreno de mis sueno"
 
Thanks and regards
Pascual,    Spain

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Dear Andi, Brad and Mary,

Jimmy, Sylvia and I would like to thank you for providing us with such excellent service in the sale of our property on Jack Neal Beach.  We were so pleased at your professionalism and your follow through.  We have sold a variety of properties, and never have we experienced a Realtor that was so knowledgeable, thorough and always on top of things.  We also thank you for your patience, and for being so gently persistent with us to get you all the needed documents.  We know that we would never have been able to do this ourselves.  You earned every penny of your commission!

If you ever need a recommendation, please don't hesitate to give our name.  We will happily sing your praises.  They are well deserved.

It has been a pleasure working with you, and we wish you the best of luck and success in your business.

Sincerely,

Lourdes Price, Sylvia Daple and James Daple

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Even though we did not finish our purchase we have to say that the service, disponibility and cordiality of Utila realty was what we were looking for. Living in Canada could have made every step complicated, but Brad and Andi made it very easy by their honesty, their level of competence and their ethics. We alway dreamed of having our piece of land somewhere near the ocean and good diving spot, our dream is only put on ice for the moment. If you are looking to buy in Utila, Brad and Andi have your best interest at heart. Without hesitation we are recommending Utila realty for selling or purchasing.
  
Thank you Brad and Andi for your integrity
 
Nathalie and Marc, Canada 
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Brad, Mary and Andy have helped us so much with putting our Mango Tree Building on the market. Their advice and good humor make it nice to work with them in an unfamiliar situation.

Thanks all,

Carrell & Marty Ebert,  Utila
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I was extremely pleased with the effort and results produced by Utila Realty in selling my property. Their efforts and tenacity during difficult economic times paid off. What impressed me even more, was their ability to close the deal in three weeks and handle everything in Utila, so I didn't need to make an additional trip to close the sale. Great staff, Great Marketing, Great Staff!
 
Richard Jaross
Eagleville, PA
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