Sanctuary Belize

I am glad to hear you are keeping an open mind about the tour.  I went on the Feb. tour to see how the development has progressed & meet with a builder.  There were people on my tour who did not buy a lot....so don't worry...take your time to decide. I have 2 lots side by side in Equestrian Estates.
Sanctuary recently purchased Kanantik resort, where you will be staying.  There are lots for sale at Kanantik where there will be a future development...much like SB...only on a smaller scale.  Those lots are more reasonable than Sanctuary. No harm in checking it out. The tour you have booked is for Sanctuary...Enjoy.

Great, and thanks for the reply...Don't get me wrong, I'm loving everything I see with regards to SB, but just not ready to lay down a large sum of money when it may be years before we could have a house built.  Still adjusting to the retirement income level vs what I was making.  I'm also looking at other arenas to build up that monthly income again so that investing down there would not be a big worry.  I do like the Equestrian Estates with what seems to be bigger lot sizes so that you could build your own little compound if you chose to do so and live there and rent out additional rooms or pods depending on what you build.  It's all very exciting to think about.

Anyway, again I appreciate your feedback

Paul

Good idea...I purchased the 2nd lot for investment only...you build or not when you are ready.  My 2 lots have increased by 25-30% in less than two years...you can't get those rates at a bank. Sanctuary is flexible about your down payment & the interest rates are excellent...they work it out to what you can afford per month. 
Yes you can build a large compound type living area but it is expensive.  $130. to $150. sq ft is the norm.  The Mennonite houses are less per sq ft.  I am downsizing....just me & my cat so I am building the minimum...1200 sq ft.  I will have a big backyard to enjoy.
The lots around the Kanantik resort might suit your needs better.  That development is just beginning so your 5 year plan will work out great.
Do take your time exploring Belize.  There are areas that are more reasonable...the Placencia area is one of the most expensive...it also rains more there.  Google a map of Belize...you will see the areas have different names eg. Placencia is in the Stann Creek region.  Then google the different regions to get an idea of the prices.  Have fun exploring.

Hello all you SB guys and Gals, and those who either want to be or think otherwise. I'm another one of the "careful guys" checking everything out before coming Down. Did my due diligence, was on the live webinar couple nights ago, talked to my SB investment girl for an hour live, and just booked the tour end of August for the wife and I. With all the lots already sold, and deposits down on lots, they can't all be stupid, so something must be good here.
I'm going into the eyes wide open , doing ths 4 day tour, then heading to Ambergris Caye for 10 days to investigate there before making my decision. That being said, SB sure doesn't feel like a bad deal at all, no sir. ;-))
Thanks to the people on this that actually did the tour, bought lots, and talked about it. Look forward to maybe being neighbors down the road. I'll bring the wine !;-))

I just joined the forum so that I could reply to this thread.  My wife and I went on the tour in November 2013 after listening to the webinar twice.  We had already decided to eventually retire outside the US.  We really enjoyed the tour and ended up buying a lot through a realtor from one of the early purchasers.  He had purchased a few lots as investments.  Had we not stubbled upon the resale we were preparing to buy one of the new lots.

The sales staff from Sanctuary Belize was very friendly, knowledgable and not at all pushy.  In face there was a couple there who decided early in the tour that they were not going to buy at that time and they were encouraged to look into going on a Mayan ruin trip, river rafting, scuba diving or hike to a local waterfall.  I think they just chilled by the pool and no one pressured them at all.

We are going back soon to continue planning to begin building on our lot later this year. We plan to vacation there until we retire and move there full time.

I could see us buying additional lots as long term investments or maybe even future retirement home for the kids.

Apparently there were several negative untruthful comments posted about Sanctuary.  I heard there were complaints & the comments were removed...I understand it got pretty nasty.
  Thank you for sharing your experiences.  It is nice to hear positive comments from someone who knows what they are talking about.
   I am in the process of moving there as well.  Hope to meet you one day.

Does anybody have or has anybody been told when homeowners will start occupying SB?  My understanding is that it took 6 years to build the marina and that "plans" are in place for shops, 'a' bar, etc.  What exactly is the time frame for SB to hit max occupation?  5, 10, 15, 20 years down the road?  Thank you.

Hiya Reddoglover.  My husband and I bought into Sanctuary Bay several years ago as an investment property because we no where near retiring and building.  It is so gorgeous.  If you send me your email addy I can send you the new prospectus they just sent us.  They do believe in keeping you in the loop.  I hope you get to meet Johnny.  His family owns the preserve and he is just a fantastic man to know.  I know you guys will be going out the island, check out the office!  The entire sales crew, the ladies that cook and the "kids" that run Johnny's boat are wonderful too.  You will see things there that will make you want to go home and quickly pack for the adventure of your new life.

We also built a rental unit in San Ignacio that will one day build the home I will get to live in near San Ignacio.  There are many options open for you in Belize if your taste doesn't meet up perfectly with what is offered.  I'm sure You will find the neatest place for you. 

I am in San Antonio TX until retirement day!

Jodi Vinson
[email protected]

My wife and I just finished our SB tour.  I will be honest, I was actually shocked by little they pressured us....none.  There was no pressure at all.  I will also tell you, no I did not purchase anything and there was no continued bombardment to try to get me to.  I expressed my reason on my own of why I wanted to wait and they were fine with that.  I spent a lot of time asking questions to David Chadlum, Tour Manager, and he was very friendly and gave me, what I believe, to be honest answeres.  Of course everything is a positive, they are trying to sell lots, but I believe they were honest all the time.

The reason so houses are reselling is because there are few houses to sell.  The development is growing and houses are being built but it is slow.  There was no sign of a scam or of the development running out of money.  I believe this is a great opportunity for some, not all.  I may purchase in the near future but I want to get some things in line first and don't want to put the cart before the horse.  Once I expressed this to the team, they were fine.

I believe many people have bought into development plans in Belize and lost.  I know that is true, but my wife and I truly had a wonderful time getting to know everyone and seeing the properties and lots of sale.

They did tell me that they expect 30-40 homes to be bulding by the end of this year.

Everyone complaining about the "pressure" and "tactis"...seriously...there was none and for that I am grateful.

David

Just finished the tour and still in Belize.  I was told 30-40 homes to be in building by the end of this year, a few are already in pleace but just a handful.

They have lots of development to do and will be expanding the Equestian area further as well.  Future development will take them another 10-15 years before full occupancy.  If you were to see the Marina that was built you would understand the time it took to make it.  My only concern is that they seem to be putting off things that will bring people faster; restaurant, shops, etc.  I know the questions always will be what do you focus on first?  Honestly, I was hoping to see more developement when I arrived but I do get the fact that you can't open a restaurant if there are no people there to serve.

The beach club was well underway and the pool looked to be completed very quickly.

David

David
Thanks for the update on your visit to Sanctuary. Wife and I are booked end of August for a two week visit. Starting at Sanctuary, then heading to Ambergris Caye for 13 days to check out some condo's and area.
I'm a firm believer that only fools rush in ;-)  like hearing there is very little "selling"
Gary

Just returning from a vist and tour.  I had read all the comments good and bad and have learnt long ago that if you want the facts so see it yourself.  Most of the time the people that complain are the majority of posters because they have or think they have a complaint.  The people that enjoy something very seldom write their opinion.  Before I went on the tour of Sanctuary I took a tour with 2 other realestate agents from the north and from close by in Hokins. First I will tell you that you need to be careful buying property not just in Belize but anywhere.  Check out what you think of buying before you go and make sure you have your list of questions.  I saw some great dream developments that I hope will come about but some I have my doubts. A couple pieces I just about decided on depending on what I saw in Sanctuary. I then arrived a day early for the Sanctuary tour which gave me a good chance to watch the staff without all the other possible buyers around and had many chances to chat with them and get my questions all answered.  I had no trouble making my decision to buy but had to finnaly aproach them as when they say there will not be any pressure they mean it. I can remember being told at some point pior to going but can't remember when that when you decide just go talk to them if it is no you then just enjoy the rest of the holiday but if you wish to purchase try to do it soon and again enjoy the rest of the trip.  I had decided by midday Sat. and finnaly approach them and had everything signed Sat. night.

There was no comparison between what is being built there and any other development I saw.  One of the very noticable things is that construction is advancing past any photos that are published. In other words there is activity going on and the development is continuing at a very good pace.  Yes there are not a lot of homes finished yet but they are building and there are about 10 to 12 finished and about 4 more under construction. But remember the homes finished are for families living there or close to it and until very recenty there wasn't even a marina finished, and now there is a marina, the store is almost got a roof and the beach club house is almost finished. Until now it would have been hard to live there with nothing around.

I have no Idea how many of the tour group bought but I believe that it would have only been 1 or 2 that didn't but at least 2 I know of bought 3 lots and more that bought 2 lots. This without pressure.

They don't need to as what you see sells it.

Ok all,

We are just finishing up our tour of Sanctuary Belize after spending 7 days down here in this beautiful country.  My take is that they are the real deal.  We spent 3 days touring both the development and their private island.  Homes are going up and there are a number of homes already completed which are beautiful.  We met both owners of lots as well as those living here full time now.  We fell in love with the place and can see the vision of where they are going with this development.  There is still a lot of work to do, but it will be THE place to live in my humble opinion when everything is completed.  The interesting thing we found is how quickly all who were on the tour bonded together.  There was no sales pressure.  They did have a couple of presentations to discuss the details of the property as well as the banking methods in financing a loan for a house.  All who were here that had bought previously stated that their lots had appreciated in value in the short time since they had purchased their lots.  Even at the island when we met with the directors of the tour about our decision to purchase or not, they told us that we shouldn't purchase if it would put a burden on our finances.  We chose not to purchase at this time, but it's only because I need to put a pen to paper and figure out how to make this work.  It is not inexpensive.  The lots are highly priced and only going up, but I can see both the investment potential as well as the joy of living in this infant expat community.  The people we met and dealt with were in our opinion great.  It is worth the look if for not other reason than to experience the beauty of belize.  We will be back!

Did they tell you how much the current HOA fees are?  Did they project how much they might increase in the future?

PapaCharlie....I am so glad to hear you had such a wonderful experience on the Sanctuary tour. It really is something...isn't it?  I hope you can get your figures to work out because it really is a good investment.  One of my lots has increased in value by 45% since I purchased in Oct. 2011.  Where can you get that kind of return on your money? Hopefully you can join the wonderful community we are building.

Datasavant....the letter I received regarding the HOA fees suggested $100.00 US per month However, the fees have not been implemented yet.  Like everything in life, I am sure the fees will eventually increase.  As the development grows there will be more garbage to handle, more wear & tear on the property, more workers...basically whatever needs taking care of... We as homeowners will eventually have a say and vote on any increases.

Greetings PapaCharlie
Just want to thank you for your update, and opinions on the place and tour.
My wife and I will be spending 3 weeks in Belize, making our decision, starting with
Sanctuary. Love the positive vibes.
Gary

TravelWriterGary and PapaCharlie the first paragraphs of your respective Profiles are eerily similar.

abelizehomeforus.wordpress.com

Abacaba...just read your post. It is good to hear positive comments about Sanctuary...especially from a fellow Canadian.  I live in Ajax. Welcome to the wonderful community we are building in Belize.  I purchased in Equestrian Estates.  Where did you purchase?

Are you talking from personal experience??  Sorry, disregard, first time blogger.....

HeyTrueblue...No problem...we all make mistakes.  Welcome to the Expat.com.  Where in Stann Creek are you??

With regards to the HOA fees, David told us that the HOA fees would begin to be collected at $100/month per lot owned starting in July of this year.  What they want to do is build the pot so that when the homeowners do take over eventually once the development is sold at I believe the 80-85% mark, the Homeowners Association has a large bank to begin operations with.  Then hopefully, this large bank will prevent those HOA fees from increasing.  It sounds like a lot of thought is going into the formation of the association because the last thing somebody who is moving down to Belize to get away from the suffocating regulations of the US/Canada wants to do is be at the mercy of another governing body, especially when you've invested what you're investing in this development.  All I know for now

Paul

By way of introduction, my wife and I are from MN, where we have a home on a lake.  After a 22-yr career as a USAF pilot, then a full 20-yr career as an airline pilot, and with over 15 years living/working in Asia, my wife and I are now retired.  We split our time between our lake home and cruising (now in the Aegean) on our 43' sailboat.  We first visited Sanctuary Bay---now Sanctuary Belize--in 2005, and bought our first lot after we spent a week plus in Belize. We have seen several changes in the development, have been through the law suit and the receivership, and I was very active in an 0wner-group known as the SBOG (Sanctuary Bay Owners Group),trying to provide an information conduit for lot owners and ensure lot owners had a voice. When we first bought, there were only 102 homesites planned.  The current plan, with considerably more home sites (and more people/users) seems very much realistic to us, and will likely be able to support the businesses and activities currently planned.  We have since sold our first lot (at a significant profit) and bought our current lot on the canal, so we can have our sailboat in our own slip.  Bottom line...we are still high on the development and on Belize in general. There are some issues, to be sure, and any investment (especially in a third world country) bears close and careful consideration.  There have been some folks in the Calif office that seem( to me) a little pushy in the past, and we have had (and know of another) a bad experience with one of the "endorsed" builders.   As soon as we complete our sail through the Medd, and then across the Caribb, we plan to build on our lot and call it home.  The development has been a long time in coming together, no doubt.  But, on the other hand, they do continue to build, have sold lots of lots, and according to Johnny Usher, are debt-free...all good signs I think! There is lots more to build...the marina village (with all its shops), the airpark and runway, the golf course, and the undeveloped lot areas, etc.,as well as building homes.  But a lot has already been done.  All-in-all, and considering the size of the development/operation, we have nothing but good feelings about Sanctuary Belize, and are eager to recommend it. Nothing is for certain, but like someone wrote earlier...this seems like the "real deal" to us, too.

I just returned from the tour and I can say first hand that the place does sell it self.  There is no pressure from the people at SB at all.  They know the place will sell itself unless you have something totally different in mind.  The lot prices are a lot higher than in most of Belize but this development has a totally different product to offer.  Not just land but a community.  There is risk, like all investments but I felt that the risks where fairly low.  The place runs on cash flow. They have sold around 800 lots and most with owner financing.  That gives them $500,000. to $1,000,000. per month in cash flow.  The work is continuing at a fine pace and workers where busy finishing up the beach club while the canals where being dug in during the last of the dry season.  They have huge investment in the place and I don't think they would pull up stakes and run.  The investment will take a while to pay off if you are buying for appreciation reasons.  As an owner you could not compete with the captive audience that the tour gives them and the discounting and owner finance.  That said, if this place comes out only half as good as it looks like it will.  It will be the premier community in all the Caribbean

Good to see you again Papa charlie,  I'm sure you can guess who this is from the tour as there was only two couples from MN.  My wife and I really enjoyed getting to know you all.  You were dead on with your comment on how fast we all bonded together.  I hope the whole community does the same.

Hey Halleb,

Great to hear from you and see you on the post here...Sanctuary Belize has become one of my priorities to get taken care of.  I truly look forward to being community neighbors in the future.  Another tour is a definite must within the next year for us.  Take care my friend and tell your bride we say hello...

Paul

My wife and I are planning to come to Belize for our second and a lot longer visit some time in November. How we can book a tour to Sanctuary and how much time in advance?

Go to Sanctuary Belize's website.  You can also contact Angie West, client concierge...her email address is [email protected]

Thank you!

Just out of curiosity, Papa Charlie,, who is "David" and when did he tell you that the HOA dues would be starting in July?  A manager/President for the HOA was appointed and announced last fall, and suddenly, without any due process,or published budget or agenda,  or other representation dues were due.  Several lot owners questioned the process, and Luke Chadwick (principle) published a letter retracting the whole process.  He agreed that, according to existing covenants, responsibilities, budgets, operating rules, etc, needed to be published....before....the HOA and its dues should be established.  He had estimated that a 60 day period may be required to develop and publish the procedures.  To date, nothing has been published!  As recently as 2 weeks ago, when I contacted the Calif office(Victor) with a request for HOA status, among other issues,  I was told that there was no information available!  Perhaps David has some inside info that would be good for the rest of us lot owners to know?

Sailcrazy,

David Hadlum who was the main guy running the tour down there when we were there said that during one of the evening presentations to our group.  What I posted earlier was the jist of the conversation or at least how I understood it.  HalleB, you were there as well, is that how you understood it?  I apologize in advance if my information was incorrect, but just reporting what I heard.  I'll check with some of the others from our group to see if they understood it the same way.

Papa Charlie

Thanks for the info Papa Charlie.  It may well be a good date....it wouldn't be the first time the Calif office had incomplete info on a question. Last summer I wrote them, asking several questions regarding the marina (a few months before it opened).  They had no answers, but a month later an article appeared in the monthly newsletter of the Seven Seas Cruising Assn...it was written by a cruiser who had spent a week in the bay and had met/talked with the newly appointed SanctuaryBelize marina manager.  And it answered all my questions!!  Thanks again.

I spoke personally to David about the HOA dues and he did say that $100 per month should be  great plenty for some time to come.  Giving the fund the head start and balance it needs to be a healthy HOA when the builder steps out the owners take over.  He did not say exactly when they would start other than to say soon.  He might have said July during the evening presentation,but I was to busy jawing with the  new  friends we were making and didn't catch the date.  I include you (Paul) in that group.  I do hope you make a decision to join us there in the future.  My biggest issue is how I can get financial ready to make the move.  This was to be a retirement plan, but I now am on a mission to see how quickly I can get there.

Back on the HOA subject.  Do the math and you can see with the number of lots sold to date, within one year the HOA would have a $1,000,000 balance .  That with very little expenses for the first 2-3 years.  This should give the HOA a very healthy head start.

Sent a chat message down to David and Julie asking about the specific date.  While July may have been mentioned, there is nothing in concrete as of today.

Paul

a healthy head start is $1000000??   I expect that until there are bonded and elected reps from within the pool of owners a pot of money is simply an inducement to embezzlement.

the real problem with the sanctuary is that you can not "get there from here".

What do you mean "the real problem with the Sanctuary is you can not get there from here"???

driving?   2 ferries and lots of bumps.

If you take what they call the puddle jumper (small plane) from Maya Air; they now land on an airstrip in the Kanantik Resort. Maya Air flies all over Belize.  It isn't that expensive....probably cheaper than driving.  They pick you up in an air conditioned van at the air strip.  Its is a very short drive.

The balance needed in the HOA may seem like a large number but this development will have 1800 homes wen complete and I think 5 clubs counting the private Island.  Depending on what they are going to have the HOA in control of, that may well be on the light side.  From where I live HOA's cover lawn care, garbage pick up and snow removal.  Don't think snow removal will be a big issue in Belize. 

Wow, I can't believe how much misinformation is being banted about on this forum regarding Sanctuary.  It is quite obvious that those who are posting the negative comments and bad information have never been to the development and checked out all the facts and details.  Really is amazing how freely the false information is being posted here.

I've owned two lots at Sanctuary Belize for 3 years now, and am down to visit the development regularly as I gear up to build my house there.  I am not in any way a part of the developer's team nor a salesperson for the project, simply a lot owner and soon to be living part time there splitting my time between Sanctuary and the U.S.

All but 3 of the homes currently built there are privately owned.  The developer built 3 model homes last year, but everything else built and being built is by private individuals for their personal use.  There are a huge number of new homes scheduled to be built within the next 12 months, and there are over 400 lots already sold.  The very large safe harbor marina opened last fall and development of the marina village is now getting started.  The developer is selling lots faster than they ever forecasted as the demand has been overwhelming.  It really is a one of a kind development that has done spectacular even in spite of the world economic downturn the past 4 years.

As for comments about high sales pressure, nothing could be further from the truth.  It is as low pressure as it could possibly be.  Matter of fact, when I bought my lots, after attending the 4 day property tour, I had to go to the sales staff and ask them/tell them I wanted to purchase.  Everyone literally had to go and ask the developer how to start the purchase process.  Absolutely NO "time-share sales type pressure" involved with this project.  Sanctuary sells itself and a large percentage of the new purchases are by friends of existing property owners who can't speak more highly of the project and the development team.  It really is a place you need to visit and check out for yourself. 

The tour weekend package they offer is a highly discounted vacation package with everything included once you arrive in country.  All in-country flights/transportation, lodging at their fantastic Kanantik Resort, all meals and drinks, and lots of fun activities out on the private island and in-land jungles. For those who have never been to Belize, signing up for the Sanctuary 4 day tour weekend is an excellent way to see and visit the area for half of what it would normally cost you.

As I said earlier, I don't work for Sanctuary and I am not an investor in the project.  Just a very happy property owner who did his due diligence before buying 3 years ago, and has gotten to know the people behind the scenes who have been making the project such a success.