Property for sale in Cook Islands

Are a self-governing parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand. The fifteen small islands in this South Pacific Ocean country have a total land area of 240 square kilometres (92.7 sq mi), but the Cook Islands Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers 1.8 million square kilometres (0.7 million sq mi) of ocean.

The Cook Islands are a democratic sovereignty of 15 small islands near New Zealand. Tourism on the islands has been growing over the past few decades, and has reached a point where the flow of tourism has become a small industry. This growth has had direct effect on the property market.

Like many other South Pacific island nations, the Cook Islands' economic development is hindered by the isolation of the country from foreign markets, the limited size of domestic markets, lack of natural resources, periodic devastation from natural disasters, and inadequate infrastructure.

 In the 1980s and 1990s, the country lived beyond its means, maintaining a bloated public service and accumulating a large foreign debt. Subsequent reforms, including the sale of state assets, the strengthening of economic management, the encouragement of tourism, and a debt restructuring agreement, have rekindled investment and growth.

The only people allowed to buy houses, aside from nationals, are those who have owned a business in the Cook Islands for the last three years.

Land in the Cook Islands is customarily owned, and cannot be bought freehold. The maximum lease obtainable by a non-Cook Islander is 60 years. All lease agreements over five years require approval from the Leases Approval Committee. Foreign Enterprise registration by the Development Investment Board is a pre-requisite for lease assignments to non-Cook Islanders.