Moving and building question

Hello,
Where have you seen that Mennonite houses are not good? I;m a contractor form the states and am looking at getting a shell and finishing myself as it will be cheaper. There homes are really very good from what I have researched. I am building several or looking to build several. What have you found in your travels?

Ive only heard great things about the Mennonites buildings as well.  Also, it was my understanding that many of the buildings at Mahogany Bay in San Pedro were from the basic construction of the mennonites, that's whatwe were told when looking at them.  Beautiful and seemed very well constructed.  Also, with Hilton purchasing the property....Im sure it had to meet high standards.

Compared to the dimensional lumber and species here in states I am sure they are quite solid. That's good to hear also , thanks for the feedback.

Twice here on the expat blog.

I read it here. Go down and check previous blog posts. It is the one headed "Any thoughts on Mennonite houses" Maybe they chose to go with some that claimed they were Mennonite builders or a a less than reliable one. Pays to do your homework.

True due diligence is definitely needed. On my side it helps I know proper construction practices. Belize is like most other countries in the fact they are following the gold standards of the US as far as building codes and regulation, I am sure there are many exceptions but in areas with a high expat presence there seems to be more regulation.

We are planning to act as consultants at some point for folks in Belize wanting to build. We may even offer services to folks depending on red tape, permits etc.

That sounds awesome. Do you plan on moving in the near future?

I own my own general contracting company so moving completely is not in the cards, however, I am looking to winter there and travel frequently throughout the year. Last year it was the dead of winter here so I went to Mexico bought a scooter and looked at Playa del Carmen and the coast. Mexico is a great place to visit! Belize being close to Chetumal and its conveniences seems to be a great choice.

On the 11th (next week) I am going to buy one maybe two lots (to be brief a Lowes and other clients don't like to pay their bills). Then I will come home try to collect some A/R and complete some other projects in preparation to head back and start building before Christmas.

We are in the process of building a website to sell the whole package to clients. This way people get the benefit of my experience and can do business in the US which undoubtedly makes people feel more comfortable.

One half acre in a "development"  with an 800 sq ft. wood home will sell in the $50k range complete. I have also secured financing through a company call Light Stream. We also use them for project financing though the company. Some may want to make payments via credit card--we have that covered too.

I have also thought it would be nice to have scooters, a small 4 x 4, 4 wheeler/golf carts for folks to get around when they vacation or retire there. It is very intimidating for people who don't travel to make a decision like that.

I have been all over, Jamaica, all over Mexico (non-touristy) Lebanon in the Middle East (in June). So this for me is no biggie. I walked around Beirut's Muslim neighborhoods with no issues--I then realized--time to turn off the TV.

For someone to be able to turn to us instead of trusting people in another country I think is a win win for both parties.

That sounds awesome. We are looking at moving to AMBERGRIS CAYE  in a couple of years. Hopefully a beach lot to retire.   Ambergris Caye  is probably  way out if your area. I wish you luck. Sounds like you have a great plan!

Ambergris Caye is nice, but expensive. It isn't that far from the mainland. Corozal is nice because you are 15 minutes from Home Depot, Walmart, Sams Club etc. They also have a movie theater among other amenities.

Our Mennonite house withstood an almost direct hit by Hurricane Iris, a strong cat 4.

On the water or inland?

My husband and I would like to come down and check out homes for income property.  Should we buy condo or invest in lot then build. We would not be living there while construction so little nervous.
We want to stay somewhere in Corozal.  Any suggestions. Thanks

On the water in Seine Bight. That was 2001. We've moved inland a few years ago and got pummeled pretty hard by hurricane Earl in August. No damage to the house and out buildings. But we had about 30, some of them huge and old, trees uprooted and lots of shrubs and bushes bent to the ground.