Wealthy buyers are flocking to Puerto Rico, paying record sums for homes in places like the Dorado Beach Resort. VIDEO: Gil Stose for The Wall Street Journal

Why Wealthy Homebuyers Are Flocking to Puerto Rico

Favorable tax policies, warm weather and a shift to remote work has transformed the island into a full-time destination

In the weeks before real-estate agent Wanda Ithier’s client bought a $40 million house on the Caribbean island of Puerto Rico in March 2022, the sale price was a moving target.

The 13,560-square-foot custom home—located in the Dorado Beach Resort, about 25 miles west of Puerto Rico’s 500-year-old capital city of San Juan—first hit the market for $29.95 million in November 2021, according to Zillow. Amid a market run-up, the price jumped to $34.5 million a few weeks later, and Ithier said it rose higher still during the negotiations that followed. She said her client ultimately agreed to pay $40 million the following March, more than 33% above the original asking price, setting a record for the island. 

Copyright ©2025 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 87990cbe856818d5eddac44c7b1cdeb8