The dream of many people that look to get away from it all, is to own their own island. Enclosed by water, the wind, sand, and the occasional sounds of wild animals, you can sit back and relax without worrying about the everyday problems of people from the big land.

The buyers don't have to go to the South Seas to find an island for sale although there's a nice selection out there. One may find hundreds of islands for sale in North America, ranging in size from under an acre to hundreds of acres. For example, there's Maple Island (2.5 acres in British Columbia for $110,000) and Emerald Island in the Adirondacks of upstate New York (8.5 acres, 4-bedroom house, boathouse for $699,000). You can also buy half an island, for instance, Joe Island in Tampa Bay, is an island with a slice currently up for sale for $995,000.

There is even a couple of islands for sale on e-bay.

To buy an island is the same as to buy any property. The consumer shop around, decide what he/she can afford and negotiate. When buying an island, avoid advertisements that tell you that you will live in paradise.

Remember that there are no good values on the market that are presented like that. The majority of islands are sold through brokers with serious, financially well-off sellers who are rich enough to own an island or two, so the first step is contacting a broker in the area you're interested in and see what they have to offer.

Fine islands don't come cheap. Islands are a unique one-of-a-kind investment. Purchasers aren't lining up on the shoreline ready to make an offer, so most island sellers are negotiable on price. Keep in mind that islands do come and go. So if you're in the market for an island, start shopping around. There are at least a thousand islands for sale around the world, some with houses, electricity and water, some with, well, nothing but trees and sand.

You also have to consider how much it's going to cost to bring it up to liveable standards if it's not already liveable. Find out whether there is fresh water and a home is included. In case the answers are “no”, mind that the construction costs will run about thirty-percent or more over land-based homes. Also think how you will get back and forth. And can you live comfortably in isolation with no stores or restaurants within walking distance?