Let's Buy an Island: How a Dream Vacation Became a Viral Investment Opportunity

Written by:

Steve Marcinuk

Date:

10 Jun 2025

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Island ownership may seem like a fantasy, but for a growing group of investors, it is becoming a reality. Marshall Mayer, co-founder of Let’s Buy an Island, witnessed just how powerful the idea could be when their venture became an internet sensation.

“We were the 63rd most read article on the internet that year,” Mayer recalls of their viral moment in 2022. “In the same year the war in Ukraine broke out, the same year that Queen Elizabeth died, the same year that they discovered Shackleton’s ship, we were ranked among the most-read stories online.”

What started as a casual conversation about buying a private island has since evolved into one of the Caribbean’s more intriguing real estate ventures. The project is now centered on Coffee Key, Belize, where a boutique resort development is offering investors not only financial returns but the chance to own a piece of paradise.

From Idle Dream to Viral Sensation

The genesis of Let’s Buy an Island dates back over a decade when one of Mayer’s co-founders had a revelation during a conversation in the Philippines. “I think we all kind of forget that islands are land, they’re property, you can own them too,” Mayer explains. “There was this moment of, ‘Oh, you can buy one of those. Like, that’s a thing.'”

This realization led to purchasing the domain letsbuyisland.com, which sat dormant for nearly ten years before the group revisited the concept. Their initial approach was deliberately open-ended: pool resources to purchase an island somewhere in the world.

After exploring options from $30,000 river islands in Canada to uninhabited properties in the Philippines, Estonia, Panama, and Malaysia, the team ultimately settled on Belize, purchasing Coffee Key in December 2019, just months before the COVID-19 pandemic temporarily halted their plans.

The project gained modest traction initially, but everything changed in March 2022 when a freelance reporter joined a camping trip to the island. His subsequent article for CNN Travel went viral almost overnight.

“I woke up one morning to 20 texts from different friends saying, ‘Is this you?'” Mayer recalls. The story was republished in over 60 languages worldwide, generating more than 3,000 emails from potential investors in the first week alone.

“It wasn’t just 3,000 people who clicked a link and hit send,” Mayer emphasizes. “In internet terms, that’s several miles worth of travel to get to that email. They had to read the article, find the name, Google it, click on the website, go to the contact form, fill it out, and hit send. That’s a huge funnel to get through.”

Why Belize? The Perfect Location

Belize emerged as the ideal location for several compelling reasons:

1. Legal security: As a former British colony, Belize operates under common law with a central land registry, providing strong property rights for foreign investors. “In some countries, it becomes quite difficult as a foreigner to own property outright and feel like you have real legal title over it,” Mayer explains, contrasting Belize with countries where historical claims can lead to ownership disputes.
2. Strategic location: Coffee Key is just 15 minutes by boat from the mainland and less than an hour from the international airport, making it “the most accessible private island in Belize.” As Mayer notes, “Every other private island in Belize is either in the far north or the far south of the country, requiring several hours of travel, a second plane, or seaplane.”
3. Natural beauty: Belize boasts the second-largest barrier reef in the world (better preserved than Australia’s Great Barrier Reef), the famous Great Blue Hole diving site, white sand beaches, cenotes, rainforests, and Mayan ruins.
4. Tourism potential: While tourism is already Belize’s second-largest industry, Mayer believes it has significant untapped potential. “It could easily be as popular, if not more so, than the Cancun-Playa-Tulum area, which is just a few hours drive north.”
5. Practical advantages: A dollarized economy eliminates currency risk, while direct flights connect Belize to major cities across North America, Europe, and Latin America. The bilingual population (English and Spanish) makes communication easy for international visitors.

The Vision: A Boutique Island Resort

The viral response prompted the team to think bigger than their original modest plans. Working with a prominent Belizean architect, they’ve designed a boutique resort that balances luxury with environmental sensitivity.

The plans include:

• Five one-bedroom overwater bungalows
• A two-bedroom overwater penthouse with full kitchen and living room
• Seven two-story buildings on land, each containing two guest rooms
• A central common area with a rooftop offering 360-degree views
• A restaurant and bar seating 36 guests inside and 18 outside
• Multiple beach areas, including a full-service beach and a quieter “no kids, no music” beach
• A pool, cabanas, and an eco-friendly driving range using biodegradable golf balls that dissolve into fish food

“We want it to be bold, we want it to be Belizean, we want it to be modern but Belizean,” Mayer says of the design, which incorporates Mayan-inspired archways and walkways while preserving the island’s natural mangroves.

Beyond the resort itself, Mayer has a personal passion for marine restoration. “I’d like to create artificial reef structures around the island as a pilot project,” he explains. “Ideally, within a year or two of opening, we’ll have multiple small reef structures with coral attached to them and fish populating them—places you can snorkel to right off the coast.”

The Investment Opportunity

With permits secured and designs finalized, Let’s Buy an Island is now raising capital to begin construction. The total raise is approximately $5.25 million, with $1 million already covered or committed.

Mayer projects an expected IRR of around 17% net and a multiple on invested capital of approximately 3.74x, based on what he describes as conservative occupancy and rate estimates. The construction timeline is estimated at 22 months, with a few additional months for finishing touches, about two years total from groundbreaking.

The team brings substantial relevant experience to the project:

• Founder Gareth has run a global tour company for 12-15 years, specializing in off-the-beaten-path destinations
• Marshall Mayer has 15 years of experience working in emerging markets including the Philippines, Turkey, and Ukraine
• Oscar, a native Belizean and former real estate agent, provides local expertise and networking
• Jodie Joyce brings a background in business and law, with a decade in entrepreneurship
• Alexander Riegler contributes 12+ years of experience in real estate investment and development, having overseen portfolios worth $700 million across Southeast Asia

“In terms of management and running this business, we’ve got decades of experience across this team,” Mayer emphasizes.

A Slice of Paradise with Returns

Let’s Buy an Island represents a distinctive opportunity to participate in a project that combines vacation property ownership, hospitality investment, and the appeal of island life. The viral response to the initial announcement demonstrates the powerful attraction of this concept to people worldwide.

For investors seeking both financial returns and the chance to own a slice of paradise, Coffee Key offers a compelling proposition, a private island experience with the potential for strong returns, backed by a team with the expertise to bring this ambitious vision to life.

As Belize continues to grow as a tourism destination, this development is positioned to capitalize on increasing demand while offering something truly unique: an accessible private island experience that balances luxury with environmental consciousness, all within easy reach of international travelers.

Disclosure: The author has a financial interest in this project.