Possibility of buying property

Canadian Millwright;
Welcome to the forum from a fellow Canuck. I always wonder what the hurry is to buy property. When first arriving and not having had time to make local contacts, chances are you will pay (overpay) the Gringo price and maybe even get stuck with a property that looks different when the season changes. Buying/selling property is not like Canada, it is easy to buy but may take several years to sell if you find out after a few months that is not the piece of paradise that you envisioned.

Most people would recommend that after you decide what part of the country is right for you, if anywhere ultimately, still not buying for at least a year until you become familiar with your surroundings. However, to each his own. Good luck with your research, ask your questions and let me know if/how I can help.

something like 40% of expats decide Belize isnt for them and return north. Best to rent for awhile and get to know the place.  real estate is difficult to sell if you decide to leave or have a heart attack.  Best to source real estate by walking around and asking what is for sale.  what you see online is over priced.

When you come to Belize take time and do your research! I am originally from Belize and my mother and grandparents were also Belizeans. My husband and I just relocated from the U.S. We chose the seaside town of Corozal because it's laid back with friendly people and very inexpensive to live here. COROZAL is only nine miles to the Mexican border and the town of Chetumal with duty free shopping and state of the art medical care! The weather here is Fantastic and less humidity as well. Take a look at the different areas such as San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Placencia, San Ignacio, Corozal, etc.... Belize is a beautiful and mesmerizing country but then I am a little bias! If I can help you just contact me and I will be more than happy to share my knowledge of my Beatiful Belize with you!!!

Travelgirl, I will be in Belize early next year. I could use your hell. I plan to settle in Corozal. Hope to hook up with you. I am coming from Southern California.

Ruth

Hi Ruth ~ I would love to show you around our peaceful town of Corozal! Have you visited Corozal before?

I just left Consejo/Corozal --very nice, friendly, laid back. The properties I bought are in Consejo Shores. We are currently setting up our corp in Belize as well and will be helping folks out to build, as consultants etc. Great area!

Hi. Name is Larry. I own property in Serenity Sands. I need to make contact with a reputable builder. Do you know anyone? Your input would be of great help.

Thanks

Yes, I spent one week there. I passed through earlier this year. I like the town

I agree with post 4 completely but there are realities involved and real estate is of them. The best deal is when an expat dies and heirs up north want to be rid of the property.  You do have to be patient and willing to hang around like an ambulance chaser.

Cruise, smooze, you have to get on land, first, rent and discover Belize first.  It may not even be your cup of tea.  Its not for every one.  It took me 4 years to find the place I love and I am a Canadian and hate winter

I see a lot of people advising others to rent not buy, but does anyone not think the same as me, money paid out in rent is 'dead' money?

You're doing the math really poorly the reason you want to rent for the first year is so you can figure out if you want to stay in Belize or if you want to be in a different part of the country real estate is really difficult to sell in Belize so if you don't like what you bought your home with it for some years it's estimated that something like 40% return back North

The idea that rent money is dead money is an idea that's older than I am but in the case of Belize it's just not true for about a year or so

What if you bought in Corozal and found out you hated the bay, what if you bought in the mountains and just did not like the temp and the dampness at night, what if you bought in the beaches area and did not like wind, bugs etc,   Then you got a house you do not want .  Then what .  You have to decide what area, temp and what you want.  Renting is best. Because you do not know Belize if you do not visit
You have no idea of costs  of any thing etc etc etc as they vary every where

My two cents.....Mexico is cheap and now is a great time to buy in one of the tourist areas--the peso is free falling. There are two markets, gringo pricing and local, I had boots on the ground and was able to find both. Belize--more expensive, quiet not as much infrastructure, no corporations to really speak of---GOOD THING. If you spend some time and TALK to people you will find what you are looking for---and always always always negotiate, there is a lot of land in Belize it just depends on what suits your definition of paradise. I have lots for sale but so do 100 other people, we also build to suit. (that might have been three cents) Belize is a great country--the people are too!

Mexico presents probably double the difficulties in a gringo owning land as compared to Belize things like a ejido landl and and not being able to actually own land near the ocean.

Actually, you can now "own" land near the ocean & ejido really isn't a concern like it used to be, in Mexico, you have a Bank/Real Estate Trust through HSBC or Santander if it is the "restricted zone" and you are the beneficiary of that trust. They cannot just take your property. and it also depends on what type of property you are looking for. Outside the restricted zone real estate transactions are the pretty similar to the US, Fee and Simple Title just as in most countries of the world including the US and Belize.

Some people just got thrown off their property in Tulum by the federales and it was ejido land itis still an issue.  having the land owned by a corporation or a Bank Trust is not the same as owning it yourself in the restricted Zone Gringo cannot actually own land and if you think the corruption in Mexico makes purchasing land the same as in the US or Canada you are very wrong

I have property in Mexico--12 acres--the last thing you would want is ejido land, that is exactly why they were thrown off. The restricted zone is quite small, anywhere else in Mexico you get title to your property and the real estate trusts are also safe. You also have to be street smart and business savvy enough to know how to do business in a foreign environment/country. To think that any Canadian or American or European is just going to waltz down to Mexico or any other South/Central American Country and receive the same protections as you do at homes is just simply and obtuse idea. When you start making money you make yourself a target. They also didn't do their homework, ejidatarios don't actually own the land, the Government of Mexico does. This style of ownership goes back to the Aztecs, it is a form of "ownership" but not the type we as westerners are used to. To an American, ownership means having what is known in real estate circles as "the bundle of rights" (possession, enjoyment, control, exclusion, and disposition). Ownership to them is just a matter of possession. Stay away from Ejido land and you will be fine.

and yet they do waltz down there and think things will go just like back home.  hope you are familiar with squatters rights in Mexico.  another thing to watch are condo sales in places like PDC.  when a developer doesnt pay off the contractor the contractor comes after the new owners.

I thought this was a forum for talking about Belize issues. Why aré we worrying about problems in México?

Aré there many people who live somewhere cold, think they would like to live somewhere hot, but then when they get there, decide they would actually perder to live somewhere cold after all?

Good point

Already covered that issue that's why the advice is to rent remember?

Just a friendly conversation sharing ideas --nothing wrong with that! Yes which is why I chose Belize, Corozal to be exact as a place to invest. PDC was fun for two months--that is about it. Nice place to visit now and again. So yes unless you are well traveled in that region always rent, get the flu, have a bad day --and then see if you still like it. I did all of that which definitely helped me make my decision.

Hi Larry....Diana in Cleveland, Ohio did you make any headways with finding a builder since your post in November?  I am looking for the same just wondering.

garyclarke1962 wrote:

Aré there many people who live somewhere cold, think they would like to live somewhere hot, but then when they get there, decide they would actually perder to live somewhere cold after all?

I am guessing there are some who need the climate change and can not live in a place where the temperature is constantly hot throughout the whole year. The way I see it is those who have to wear layers of clothing to keep warm, continuously digging snow from driveways and sidewalks and getting holes on the side of their car from the salt on streets would look forward to warmer climate so they don't have to worry about snow and can wear shorts and a t-shirt all year round. I am looking forward when I will be there to bask in the sun.

Inadequate health care, corruption, family situations up north and third world standards also play rolls. Like I said further up an estimated 40% return back north.

katzgar wrote:

Inadequate health care, corruption, family situations up north and third world standards also play rolls. Like I said further up an estimated 40% return back north.

I can tell you are  proficient at getting stuff off the interweb, however I am curious how much time you have actually spent in Belize, and when were you last physically in Belize?

Do you disagree with some of my information

Your informaion is always  as accurate  as the internet provides. I think the question as to when you were last in Belize is fair. When a question is posed about how Belize and those living there are affected by things, or  in this thread how bussiness within Belize is transacted, dry statistical information from the net is not what is being asked for, personal experiences and recomendations of those in situ is far more relevant

It's been about 3 years since I was in country but I would still insist that neither one of you are able to show what if my information is incorrect. The flipside is one has to assume those in country have a vested interest in their answers

I did not dispute the accuracy of your information. But the only vested interest i have is to help and give some ideas of what LIFE in Belze is like for my family and I in the part of Belize we have our property.
An example I can give, last spring I put up a post about the fact that  lot of the local people in our area were  saying they expected a bad Hurricane season, basing it on local weather and animal patterns. I was asking if any others in Belize were getting the same Vibe.
You kindly explained to me how to use the weather forecasting  web sites. Which of course most Belizeans who have a computer have as a bookmark anyway.
At that time none of the web sites were predicting a particular bad season for Belize. Untill  a storm was forming in July. But the local predictions 2 months earlier  were right and there was a direct hit, Hurricane Earl.  That is the difference between, local knowledge and internet information.

RANT ALERT ~ IF YOU WANT TO HELP. WHY NOT BE HELPFUL?

I am not singling anyone out, just sharing some recent observations regarding this particular forum.

There is IMHO a difference between being correct and being helpful. Short answers like "you won't be able to work there" while mostly true is just a lazy response to a complicated answer and therefore not very helpful.

I think questions like do you live there? and what do you do there? are relevant for those seeking information to evaluate the persons motives providing the information. I believe that Google Search is a great tool but unfortunately most information provided online about Belize is posted by Resort, Real Estate, or Tourist industry Driven businesses. And while not untrue it is often sugar coated to entice buyers rather than to actually inform. Even many of those blogging tend to share only the bright spots of their days and are  creating passive income from resulting advertising. So to say "Google it" or "get someone to show you how to use YouTube" are again in my opinion not very helpful.

I personally am selective about comments I respond to. Lately I have replied less for two reasons. First people seem to be more argumentative, and second people asking questions seem to have it all figured out. Not everyone, but a general observation of late. A couple of visits to a resort does not qualify you as an expert on Belize. Believe me.

I think that spreading hear-say or assumptions does a real disservice to those trying to do their due diligence, no matter how much we trust our source. I also think that if one can't share their actual experience, then maybe our comment is not relevant or really helpful. As I often say, and I have a lot of sayings, lol, "we should speak when we have something to say, rather than because we have to say something". I will answer questions based on my experiences in San Pedro and in Cayo. Sure I also have some impressions about Corozal, but are my self concluded impressions helpful? Well, probably not so much.

I have seen others say "check out the Government Website". This tells me that you have never done it because these sites in Belize are usually outdated or provide very limited information that only begs more questions. But you might not even know that unless you already knew some of the answers based on living experience here. So if you are trying to be helpful maybe check the site yourself, then provide the link to that page rather than site or resource that you blindly promote. or are encouraging others to use that is not very helpful.

Not everyone that lives here has a vested interest in others moving to Belize. And, not everything on Google is complete truth either. You can usually sort out who is sincerely trying to help in these forums by their collective responses to multiple topics. So I would say personal expat experiences from someone with no agenda are what are most relevant. Determining who those people are, I guess is a similar talent to Googling it or searching it on YouTube.

The flip side is that I also see new posters that think they have it all figured out already. Or that they shrug off any warnings posted because they have experience in another culture, and know how to deal with that. Know you are probably not the exception to any of the rules. Being argumentative will discourage those that are truly here to help, insights that you can't possibly get in a first world nation may be missed, it will  encourage short unhelpful answers, and will put a target on your back, opening the door for those to friend you for their ulterior motives. Just saying. My view from the cheap seats.

Good Luck with your research.

END RANT

katzgar wrote:

Inadequate health care, corruption, family situations up north and third world standards also play rolls. Like I said further up an estimated 40% return back north.

What are the family situations up north?

Go ahead and read what you quoted see if your comment makes any sense at all

billdoesbelize wrote:

RANT ALERT ~ IF YOU WANT TO HELP. WHY NOT BE HELPFUL?

I am not singling anyone out, just sharing some recent observations regarding this particular forum.

There is IMHO a difference between being correct and being helpful. Short answers like "you won't be able to work there" while mostly true is just a lazy response to a complicated answer and therefore not very helpful.

I think questions like do you live there? and what do you do there? are relevant for those seeking information to evaluate the persons motives providing the information. I believe that Google Search is a great tool but unfortunately most information provided online about Belize is posted by Resort, Real Estate, or Tourist industry Driven businesses. And while not untrue it is often sugar coated to entice buyers rather than to actually inform. Even many of those blogging tend to share only the bright spots of their days and are  creating passive income from resulting advertising. So to say "Google it" or "get someone to show you how to use YouTube" are again in my opinion not very helpful.

I personally am selective about comments I respond to. Lately I have replied less for two reasons. First people seem to be more argumentative, and second people asking questions seem to have it all figured out. Not everyone, but a general observation of late. A couple of visits to a resort does not qualify you as an expert on Belize. Believe me.

I think that spreading hear-say or assumptions does a real disservice to those trying to do their due diligence, no matter how much we trust our source. I also think that if one can't share their actual experience, then maybe our comment is not relevant or really helpful. As I often say, and I have a lot of sayings, lol, "we should speak when we have something to say, rather than because we have to say something". I will answer questions based on my experiences in San Pedro and in Cayo. Sure I also have some impressions about Corozal, but are my self concluded impressions helpful? Well, probably not so much.

I have seen others say "check out the Government Website". This tells me that you have never done it because these sites in Belize are usually outdated or provide very limited information that only begs more questions. But you might not even know that unless you already knew some of the answers based on living experience here. So if you are trying to be helpful maybe check the site yourself, then provide the link to that page rather than site or resource that you blindly promote. or are encouraging others to use that is not very helpful.

Not everyone that lives here has a vested interest in others moving to Belize. And, not everything on Google is complete truth either. You can usually sort out who is sincerely trying to help in these forums by their collective responses to multiple topics. So I would say personal expat experiences from someone with no agenda are what are most relevant. Determining who those people are, I guess is a similar talent to Googling it or searching it on YouTube.

The flip side is that I also see new posters that think they have it all figured out already. Or that they shrug off any warnings posted because they have experience in another culture, and know how to deal with that. Know you are probably not the exception to any of the rules. Being argumentative will discourage those that are truly here to help, insights that you can't possibly get in a first world nation may be missed, it will  encourage short unhelpful answers, and will put a target on your back, opening the door for those to friend you for their ulterior motives. Just saying. My view from the cheap seats.

Good Luck with your research.

END RANT

Checking the government website is as good as any a place to start

So, so good. Thank you, billdoesbelize. I, too, have been a victim of the less than helpful advice to "google youtube videos." Thankfully, it doesn't take long to figure out who is truly helpful and you're definitely one of those people. Now if I could just figure out how to block the "clutter!"