New members of the Belize forum, introduce yourself here – 2017

Hello everyone!
My name is Todd and I purchased property between sarteneja and Orchid Bay!
I plan on starting to build in the next few months and sooooo many questions, some of them have been briefly answered already and looking through your thread.
Many things to figure out and do, from all the technicalities of building on your property Kama importing your goods into the country, and opening a business in Belize! Any thoughts Or comments would be greatly appreciated. And if anybody else out there is in that area please let me know and we can meet. I will be back in that area in about a week but just for the weekend. Then I will return over Easter

what sort of business are you starting?  Are you aware you may not do the work of the business but you may manage it?

Hey everyone!  I'm planning on moving to Belize (Placencia to be specific) this spring. 

I'm thinking of driving down from Canada and was wondering what the costs are for duty on all personal belongings and the vehicle I'd be driving down.  I've tried to find this info online but the results aren't clear.  Thanks in advance!

Did you look at the GOB website

Not sure.  Which site is it exactly?  If it's the gov't site, I still couldn't find exact details on costs.

ccaetano14 wrote:

Hey everyone!  I'm planning on moving to Belize (Placencia to be specific) this spring. 

I'm thinking of driving down from Canada and was wondering what the costs are for duty on all personal belongings and the vehicle I'd be driving down.  I've tried to find this info online but the results aren't clear.  Thanks in advance!

This might help...

webportal.atlasintl.com/Customs%20Docs/belize.pdf

Yes, I too am planning on relocating, Corozal is where my lot is.  I wish to begin building in the summer 2017 heading down in February to find a builder if anyone has a recommendation.  Currently residing in Cleveland, Ohio I am a Remax Real Estate Agent.

I'm going back down there this weekend and will get you the information of another field that we are using.

Thank you.

His banner is Jerry Boland
But I need to make sure I can give his number out on here

Thanks sloputtputt!  That was a great help!

ccaetano14 wrote:

Thanks sloputtputt!  That was a great help!

You are welcome!!

Hello, we are Lorrie & Brad, from CT, USA.  We're considering retiring/moving to Caye Caulker by the end of 2017.  We'll be visiting Caye Caulker April 18 - 29, 2017 (12 days/11 nights) to "live" and see if it is what we are looking for.  If it suits us, we will return home and begin the process of making the permanent move to Caye Caulker by the end of the year.

If we do decide to move to Caye Caulker, our plan would to initially rent for 6-9 months and explore the option of buying land and building or buying an existing property, preferably "of the grid" in the Eden Isle area (but open to all areas of the island).

Our research to date on rental properties is limited, with almost all advice being that long term rentals on Caye Caulker are primarily done by "word of mouth" and best pursued  while physically on the island.  We do plan to make contact with as many island folks/expats as possible while there in April, to increase our chances of "word of mouth" rental options, but would also like to put out "feelers" on as many expat forums as possible, to increase options.

If anyone on this forum has/knows of someone that has long term rental property(s) on Caye Caulker and would be willing to contact us privately to discuss options, we would be most appreciative.  We aren't necessarily looking to enter into a deal at this point (however, it would be great if we came home in April with solid options), but would like to get a feel for what is available (home size, monthly rent range, utilities cost, etc.)

Thanks in advance of any information, advice or direction!

my only comment is that CC is very little.  might be best to rent awhile and see if you get claustrophobic, it is about 5 miles long

Yes, we're aware of CC being small and relatively undeveloped, and actually those are prime reasons for choosing CC as our destination.  Our trip in April is to give it 12 days trial living (we've rented a house with all amenities we need to "live") to give it a practice run.

We do plan to rent for 6-9 months if we decide to move there.  What we're looking for is information on long term rentals available on CC.

Here is three properties on CC...

http://www.sothebysrealty.com/eng/sales … ker-bz-blz

CayeCaulker2017Maybe wrote:

Hello, we are Lorrie & Brad, from CT, USA.  We're considering retiring/moving to Caye Caulker by the end of 2017.!

Sounds like you have a good plan, however before buying any property I would suggest taking  7-10 days to rent a car driving to other parts of the country just to gain confidence  there isn't another place that might just be an even better fit. I did not plan it out, just played it by ear, day by day. Not only can it be educational, informative, fun and entertaining, but when other folks mention some of these places you will have a better idea of what they are talking about.

My first trip to Belize in 2006 was a 7 day sail on a 70ft Catamaran out of san Pedro to several smaller Cays with I think  4 days back in San Pedro itself. I have been to many Caribbean islands and at one time almost bought a condo in Antigua.  I immediately liked Belize, except the San Pedro area was just way too touristy for me.

Next year was a similar trip out of Placencia. I liked it a lot so went back almost every year for a couple weeks at a time until 2015 when I retired and was able to do three trips with the last trip that year spending December in Placencia. During October I realized there were many other areas I only knew on a map, so before I bought property I did what I suggested, rented a car, spent almost two weeks visiting other areas of Belize a day or more at a time.

By looking at other areas, I confirmed to myself that Placencia was where I wanted to spend most of my time in Belize. So early 2016  I bought a little ocean view house in the Village, 450 ft to the beach.

PS: not trying to sell you on Placencia, just on the idea of looking abound as much as you can before buying anyplace.

Good advice about seeing more of Belize before you tie yourself into a long term decision. Specialy as your initial desire is the Cayes, which is somewhat isolating  yourself from the rest of the country.
For a tiny country Belize is really very diverse. When looking for property I was pretty certain it would be in the far west Cayo, or the south Dangriga/Placencia. Only after looking at many places in those areas did I rediscover Belmopan.
An area I knew 20 plus years ago and had dismissed it as the ghost town that closed at 6 pm as it was in the nineties.  I now have some lovely property, 10 minutes outside of the Capital which is becoming a  busy vibrant small city, and the location is so stunningly central I am able to get most anywhere I would want to be in a 2 hour window.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, well taken and appreciated.  In regards to the post by sloputtputt, we have visited every Caye Caulker realtor website and are familiar with most properties and land plots available on the island.  What we were hoping for was information, or direct contacts, for any possible long term rental properties that might be available, starting in Fall 2017.

We've centered on Caye Caulker for the reasons folks have recommended we look elsewhere...lol!  We are seeking the "disconnected, out of the way, isolated and slow & easy lifestyle" that almost everyone says is Caye Caulker.

We've been researching our move to Belize for over almost 2 years, more earnestly in the last year, and entered into our search with considerations of checking out all parts of the country, before centering in on any one area. However, while both of us independently "looked around", we both came to the thought, again independent of the other's thoughts, that Caye Caulker was "calling out to us".  When we had the conversation that reveled to each other our thoughts about Caye Caulker, we were pleasantly surprised, but not shocked, that we had each come to the idea on our own.

As stated, we have a 12 day trip planned to Caye Caulker at the end of April, in which we plan to immerse ourselves into Caye Caulker "living" as much as can be done in that time period (making meals at "home", shopping, exploring the island, interacting with expats and locals, checking out real estate options all over the island, and just hanging out).  We have contacted a local realtor and have had many very helpful and insightful communications with them on not just properties/land available, but also on living on the island.  We're initially drawn to the Eden Isle/southern section of the island, which we are aware is "off the grid" and something we both believe we'd like to explore.  The realtor has been very helpful in relating relevant information about this area.  This information has not only been helpful in assuring ourselves this is what we want to do, but has made us even more excited about the possibilities and eventuality of this move.

Of course, the April trip will be our definitive answer to the question of whether Caye Caulker is the place for us to retire to.  We are cautiously optimistic that it is and that we will be there, full time, by the Fall of 2017.

Again, if anyone knows of, or has information about long term rental properties on Caye Caulker, please post or PM us with details.

There are a couple different ways to look at this you might look at Northern ambergris caye as it is very very quiet and Rural which sounds like what you're looking for a couple of other places to look would be outside of dangriga or outside of Hopkins both very small towns and a lot of isolated areas

Is the ocean important to you because there are a number of in land here is that are pretty rural

CayeCaulker2017Maybe wrote:

Again, if anyone knows of, or has information about long term rental properties on Caye Caulker, please post or PM us with details.

http://www.longtermlettings.com/find/re … e_Caulker/

When you visit/move to Belize, you will be on a Tourist visa for a year or two,  it needs to be renewed every thirty days, I think the  closest government office is in San Pedro for the renewal.

CayeCaulker2017Maybe wrote:

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, well taken and appreciated.  In regards to the post by sloputtputt, we have visited every Caye Caulker realtor website and are familiar with most properties and land plots available on the island.  What we were hoping for was information, or direct contacts, for any possible long term rental properties that might be available, starting in Fall 2017.

CayeCaulker2017Maybe
While all the suggestions are certainly correct here, I think you are aware of these things and that you and your wife have already made a mutual decision of where you want to initially land (so while these suggestions are valid for others who might read the thread in the future, they're probably not helpful to you). If I read your initial and follow up qualifications of your question correctly, you are looking to find direct contacts with property owners that rent them out long term.

I would suggest posting an ad in the "classifieds" found under the "Handy Tools" tab at the top of the page. Be as specific as you can about what you are looking for. I don't have any direct contacts on Caye Caulker, but if you would like to private message me I would be happy to provide some other options to help you get your actual question answered.

Hello Todd, my name is Lan and my wife Ann.  We bought a property two years in Finca Solana, Corozal Town and will be building our home this year.  We have been visiting Belize four times now, we have looked at Orchid Bay, Sarteneja and some where in between as well.
We plan to be in Corozal this March 2017 to finalize the construction contract with our builder.
We definitely can share your concerns.  We would love to meet up with you and share our experiences with you as well as learning from yours.
My email address is [email protected], I don't have a local phone number yet until we arrive to Corozal.  We hope to meet up with you in March.
Please contact me via email.

Lan and Ann

Ltn141052;
The forum encourages members for their own protection to not share their personal information in posts. Please review the forum code of conduct to participate. Here is the link https://www.expat.com/forum/viewtopic.php?id=192480

A suggested way is to click on the profile image of the person that you would like to share with and you will have the option to "Send a message" or request to be added to their contact list by clicking on "Add to contacts".

Ooops sorry

Hey belize2020,

I am from Cleveland also, and am purchasing in the Cansejo area. If you don't have answers to questions, maybe I can help.

Ray

Hi everyone,
We are Ark and Elena, live in New West, BC. Considering moving to Belize when we get retired. Maybe it's time to start gathering all pluses and minuses together to decide if Belize is a good option for us...
We are planning to come over to San Pedro in March 23-27 and try to get as much info as possible. We already have a reservation in hotel. It would be great to meet some of you guys and besides having some beer discuss how you managed to settle down in Belize and get to know some tips of what to pay attention at... Would appreciate any feedback from you, Belizeans...

I spent a good deal of time looking and visiting Belize as a place to start a business and decided not to do it because of heart issues.  Probably the biggest downside to retiring to Belize is Healthcare everyday Healthcare is fine in Belize but the really fancy stuff like Bypass or valve replacement you're going to have to go back North for. There are pros and cons to living in the different areas of Belize so I always suggest renting there for about a year and learning the areas before you make a final decision coastal areas are obviously going to access the ocean better but are going to be more expensive. Keep in mind that there are often two prices for things in Belize one for the locals and one for the Gringos. The real estate you see online is going to be priced high as a way to get more money out of North Americans with a lot of equity to take south with them. You say you are going to San Pedro for a few days but you don't say that the ocean or the beach is important to you if it's not important to you consider locating inland, those areas will be cheaper than San Pedro

VNGRDV wrote:

Hi everyone,
We are Ark and Elena, live in New West, BC. Considering moving to Belize when we get retired. Maybe it's time to start gathering all pluses and minuses together to decide if Belize is a good option for us...
We are planning to come over to San Pedro in March 23-27 and try to get as much info as possible. We already have a reservation in hotel. It would be great to meet some of you guys and besides having some beer discuss how you managed to settle down in Belize and get to know some tips of what to pay attention at... Would appreciate any feedback from you, Belizeans...

Ark and Elena;
Welcome to the Belize Forum. You will find many perspectives to FAQ's in previous threads as well as in some of the blogs found under the "COMMUNITY" tab at the top of the page.

This forum is a great start to ask questions and to access the plus and minuses of life in Belize. But I often say that while you can maybe make a decision that Belize is not for you online, the decision that it is for you can only be made after extended visits away from the comforts of the resorts.

The things to pay attention to are, well.................... everything. The biggest mistake that many expats often make is to assume that anything in Belize is the same as back in Canada or the US. It is estimated that as many as 40% -50% of expats end up leaving within the first year and even more by the end of the second year. While Belize has been everything that we had for, "the reasons that many of us love Belize, ironically, are the exact same reasons many others leave".

As Katzgar has correctly pointed out in the previous comment, many things such as Real Estate, Health Care, location, Security, Cultural differences, etc. need to be accessed based upon your individual reality, expectations, and comfort levels.

If you are looking to get different perspectives, I would encourage you to explore the various regions of Belize. The country is quite diverse geographically and San Pedro is not necessarily a true gauge of typical life for most of us in Belize.

I encourage you to ask many question of as many people as possible. Let us know how we can be of further assistance in your due diligence research process.

I Hope this helps.

Good health is probably a Cornerstone to make your retirement in Belize a good experience another aspect to retireing in Belize is to do it as lightly as possible by that I mean real estate can often be very difficult to sell down there and renting might be a good option another good option is to be down there 6 months of the year and back up north with family for six months of the year another aspect to consider is the way things are done if you know and understand and can abide what's called Island time you'll get along just fine in Belize but if Island Time bugs the heck out of you Belize may not be for you

My wife and i are looking for investment/rental property near Dangriga that we can use part of the year and rent out the rest of the time until i retire in about five years. She is a counselor and I am a teacher / administrator of an Adult Education Centre in Bella Coola, Canada. We raise golden retrievers and enjoy meeting people, culture and good conversation.

If you want to rent out  your property when not living in it you have to decide if you want to be there for the main season and rent it for the  'off' season (lower rates) or reverse and make your vacation time the low season and go for Higher rates for renters. High season is about the Start of December to Easter,  This Coinicides with the end of  and therefore 'less' wet season and  before the really hot part of the Dry season sets in. Traditionally May can be VERY hot. Hurricane season is May/June to November.

I am a teacher with July and August off with a couple of weeks off too at Christmas and in March. So for at least a 4 to 6 weeks a year I would be there during the LOW SEASON and my property available for rent most of the rest of the year.

You might also look at Hopkins it's only a few miles from dangriga and in general has better beaches

I was thinking of doing the same but it's a really long drive and was advised that there'd be serious safety concerns driving through some parts of Mexico with a car full of stuff.

I am looking into packing my car full and shipping it, it's actually not as expensive as you'd think.

Hi all!
I've been planning a move (slowly) for over a year now and am getting close to getting my final preparations in order. My main goal is to find somewhere to live (that's how I found this site). Looking forward to reading others experiences and learning, it's a huge leap! My plan is to semi-retire (I work remotely).

My biggest concern is making the move with my older cat, but we will figure it out.

After checking out a few places, I think somewhere near Placienda or Hopkins area is where I'm targeting. Safety is always a concern for me living alone.

ann_eliese wrote:

Hi all!
I've been planning a move (slowly) for over a year now and am getting close to getting my final preparations in order. My main goal is to find somewhere to live (that's how I found this site). Looking forward to reading others experiences and learning, it's a huge leap! My plan is to semi-retire (I work remotely).

My biggest concern is making the move with my older cat, but we will figure it out.

After checking out a few places, I think somewhere near Placienda or Hopkins area is where I'm targeting. Safety is always a concern for me living alone.

so much of what you need depends on your criteria which you provide a bit of.  Be sure you investigate your internet needs in the various areas you are interested in.    I know people work remotely from Ambergris Caye but not sure in other areas.  Southern Belize is wetter then northern Belize.  Things like couriering sticks back north and serious surge protectors may be needed.