Vacation Homes for Sale in St Maarten / St Martin: A Buyer's Guide to Owning a Second Home

Oct 12

6 min read

Short answer: the best vacation home in St Maarten / St Martin is the one you can lock, leave and trust. Secure building. Someone on site. Beach or marina within minutes. This guide covers where buyers look, condo or villa, what it costs to own from abroad, hurricane season, Dutch side or French side, and the furnished homes we have for sale on 12 October 2026.

Andreu Realty sells and manages property from 36 Airport Road in Simpson Bay, licensed on both sides of the island, and most of our buyers live in North America or Europe. Flights land at Princess Juliana International Airport on the Dutch side, a few minutes from most of the homes below. Browse everything on St Maarten real estate for sale.

What makes a good vacation home here

You will spend weeks here, not months. The home has to look after itself the rest of the year. Four things matter most:

Lock-and-leave. Hurricane shutters or impact glass, nothing fragile outside, and a layout that is easy to close up in an hour.
Building security. A gate, a guard or controlled access. Our guide to gated communities in Sint Maarten covers the main ones.
Management on site. A building manager or a property manager who checks the unit, takes deliveries and opens the door for repairs.
Beach or marina access. Walk to the sand, or keep a boat at the dock. That is why most of our vacation-home buyers end up in Cupecoy, Maho or Simpson Bay.

Furnished matters too. On 12 October 2026, 41 of our 63 listings are sold fully furnished, so you can arrive with a suitcase.

Where buyers look

Cupecoy has the most choice: 22 of the condos, villas and townhouses we list are there, from beachfront buildings like Cupecoy Beach Club to the Porto Cupecoy marina, where some units come with a boat slip. Maho is walkable, with restaurants and the beach at the door; a poolside one-bedroom at La Terrasse is $285,000. Simpson Bay puts you on the long beach and the lagoon; the Aqualina beachfront two-bedroom is $1,100,000.

Pelican Key offers villas with ocean views from $1,900,000. On the east coast, Oyster Pond and Dawn Beach are quieter; an ocean-view one-bedroom at Princess Heights is $299,000. Indigo Bay has the Infinity Villas by Elie Saab from $3,250,000.

On the French side, Terres Basses is the island's private estate, with Villa Avanti at $7,150,000, and Grand Case is the dining village, where the new Lotus villa is coming soon at $920,000.

Condo, villa or townhouse

Most second-home buyers choose a condo. It is easier to leave, and the association looks after the pool, gardens and building. Here is what our inventory looked like on 12 October 2026:

Condos and penthouses: 38 listings, from $285,000 to $2,950,000, median $650,000. See condos for sale in Sint Maarten.
Villas: 16 listings, from $920,000 to $7,150,000, median $1,925,000. See villas for sale in Sint Maarten.
Townhouses: La Maddalena, a new development in Cupecoy, from $625,000 (coming soon).

Condo fees are the cost buyers forget. On the 26 condos we list with a published monthly fee, they run from $350 to $1,500 a month, median $661. Our condo fees guide goes building by building. A villa has no association fee, but you pay for the pool, garden, security and every repair yourself.

Owning from abroad: management, costs and taxes

If you rent the home while you are away, our property management fee is 20% of rental revenue, with the first month free and no upfront costs. If you keep it for yourself, you still need someone with keys. Either way, budget for:

Association (HOA) fees on a condo.
Windstorm insurance, and the deductible, which is often a percentage of insured value.
Electricity, water, internet and TV. Air conditioning drives the electricity bill.
Cleaning, upkeep and repairs. Salt air is hard on appliances and metal fittings.

Renting brings tax duties. On the Dutch side, turnover tax is 5% of revenue and non-residents who qualify as entrepreneurs must register and file (Grant Thornton), and room tax applies to guests who are not registered residents of Sint Maarten (Government of Sint Maarten). On the French side, every furnished tourist rental must first be declared to the Collectivité de Saint-Martin (Collectivité de Saint-Martin). Confirm the rules with a tax adviser before your first guest.

Buying costs are simple on the Dutch side: closing costs of about 5.5% of the price, including the 4% transfer tax, and a purchase usually takes 30 to 60 days. Our buyer's guide walks through each step, and cost of living in St Maarten covers day-to-day bills.

Hurricane season and insurance

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November (NOAA). Most owners visit in the winter high season, so the home is often empty when storms come. Before you buy, check the shutters or impact glass, the roof, and the building's own storm plan. After you buy, get windstorm cover in place and name someone on the island who will close up, check the home after a storm and send you photos. Our hurricane season guide has the full checklist.

Dutch side or French side

Prices on the Dutch side are quoted in US dollars; the French side uses the euro. On Sint Maarten a civil-law notary handles the transfer; in Saint-Martin it is a French notaire, with its own taxes and fees. Foreign buyers can purchase on both sides: read can foreigners buy property in St Maarten, and our comparison of the Dutch side and the French side. Most of our vacation-home listings are on the Dutch side; for the French side, see villas for sale in St Martin.

On the market now (12 October 2026)

Ten furnished homes for sale that suit a second home, all marketed with a rental program or short-term rental in mind. Prices as of 12 October 2026:

La Terrasse, poolside 1-bedroom, Maho Village: $285,000.
1-bedroom investment condo, Maho: $310,000.
The Hills Residence, turnkey 1-bedroom, Simpson Bay: $350,000.
Blue Marine Residence, 2-bedroom, Maho: $490,000.
Sapphire Beach Club, 2-bedroom beachfront, Cupecoy: $650,000.
The Hills, new 3-bedroom, Cole Bay: $695,000.
Porto Cupecoy, 2-bedroom marina condo: $750,000.
Cupecoy Beach Club, 3-bedroom beachfront: $1,200,000.
Porto Cupecoy, single-level penthouse with private pool: $1,399,000.
Villa with private pool and studio, Simpson Bay: $1,550,000.

Want more? Our luxury condos guide covers beachfront and marina residences, and the property management guide explains what a manager does once you own.

Questions we get

How much does a vacation home cost in St Maarten?

On 12 October 2026, the condos Andreu Realty has for sale run from $285,000 to $2,950,000, and the villas from $920,000 to $7,150,000. Furnished, rental-ready one-bedroom condos start under $400,000.

Can I rent out my vacation home when I am not there?

Often, yes, but check the building rules first: some associations restrict short stays. On the Dutch side, expect turnover tax registration and room tax on non-resident guests; on the French side, furnished tourist rentals must be declared to the Collectivité. Andreu Realty manages rentals for 20% of rental revenue.

What does it cost to own a second home here besides the price?

Condo fees (from $350 to $1,500 a month on our listings with a published monthly fee), windstorm insurance, electricity, water and internet, upkeep, and management if you rent. Buying on the Dutch side adds closing costs of about 5.5%, including the 4% transfer tax.

When is hurricane season in St Maarten?

The Atlantic hurricane season runs from 1 June to 30 November. Owners who live abroad should have windstorm insurance and someone on the island with keys and a written storm plan.

Can foreigners buy a vacation home on both sides of the island?

Yes. Foreign buyers can purchase on the Dutch and the French side. A civil-law notary handles the transfer on the Dutch side, where a purchase usually takes 30 to 60 days; a French notaire handles it in Saint-Martin.

Tell us how you want to use the home, and when you plan to be here. We will send what fits, including homes that are not advertised yet: contact Andreu Realty, call +1 721 550-0150 (Dutch side) or +590 690 08-2220 (French side and WhatsApp).

Sources: NOAA, tropical cyclone climatology (hurricane season dates); Grant Thornton, indirect tax guide, Sint Maarten; Government of Sint Maarten, Tax Administration statement on room tax, 17 July 2026; Collectivité de Saint-Martin, declaration of furnished tourist accommodation. Prices, fees and inventory: Andreu Realty listings, 12 October 2026. This guide is general information, not legal or tax advice.