From our experience of purchasing a house in Aruba, here are a few suggestions.
Realtors - check with many as I believe they only sell their own listings.
There is leased land and property land. Have a realtor explain the difference.
All sales are handled by a Notary. They take care of all legal work, collect gov. tax, etc. Their fee is based on the sale price of the home. Closing should take 8 - 10 weeks, but this is Aruba. Any slight hitch will stall it. Our closing took 4 months. Also exchange rate ($ to AFL) should be discussed. You will do better than the 1.75 rate. All Notaries are private business, but must be approved by the government.
Location. There are few street names in Aruba. Most addresses are by "area." Examples are Bubali, Washington, Gasparito, Koyari. I have yet to find a map listing all of them.
Most home do not have hot water. It can be installed.
Some homes do not have closets or laundry rooms.
Make sure house has no water problems from rain.
If you negotiate with the owner to leave furnishings, curtains, blinds, etc., get it in writing. Also maybe take pictures of the items.
Here is a partial list of some realtors web sites: When I posted this, ReMax & Sunshine were not coming up on my computer.
Absolute
www.absolutearuba.com
Aruba First
www.arubafirst.com
Best & Solid
www.arubahouses.com
Better Homes
www.betterhomesaruba.com
Cas Bon
www.casbon.net Check out their Info on faq. It will show estimated expenses.
Coldwell Banker
www.coldwellbanker.aw
Re/Max
www.remax-itrrealty
Sunshine
www.sunshine.com
There are others. Check the Aruba phone book.
I am working on a list for new construction. Will post if I get it done.