Sanctuary Belize

WE are leaving for the tour on the 19th of July. WE have a lot on hold for us. We have been to Belize several times and are looking forward to exploring this end of the country. Is there anything you can advise us to do, consider, or think about before we go down.

I've been going to Belize since 1976 when I lived in  Placencia for 6 months and fell in love with Belize and its people.  I ended up buying in the north just outside Corozal.  I started out with 18 acres and 2100 feet of waterfront.  I sold off most of it and now we have our home on 3 acres with 250 feet of waterfront.
Over the years I've seen countless developments start up to great fanfare only to be abandoned to the jungle, very few have done what they said they would do.  There are two in Consejo that have been a great success, Consejo Shores and Mayan Seaside.
Reading this thread and then searching out information on Sanctuary Bay/Belize.  I find the whole thing very strange.  I am always leery when a bunch of first time posters suddenly come out of the woodwork praising this place and putting down anyone who disagrees. My guard is also up immediately when people suddenly announce their property values have jumped in value at unheard of percentages.  How do you know it is increased in value?  Have you sold off extra properties as proof, as in Belize the value of something is exactly what you can sell it for, not what you think you can sell it for.
I would only suggest that before you buy anything from anyone, check out he alternatives. Believe me there is not shortage of property for sale in Belize, you will never be left with no property to purchase.  Buyer beware, specially in Belize.

I agree with Corozal Dave.

Just saw your posts, and you are exactly correct.  We've been a lot owners since 2005, have been there more than a couple of times, and can completely echo your comments on the development and the lack of pressure to buy--the place DOES sell itself!!!.  But....for the sake of complete accuracy, I must add that the HOA is still an unknown issue. It did not start out legitimately The "President", while a lot owner herself, is appointed ( NOT elected) and is also a paid member of the development team.  All the other members of the HOA Board except the Teasurer, are members of the developers staff, paid by him, and to my knowledge NOT lot owners.  The only "saving grace", in my opinion, is the Treasurer.  He is, as you mention, a lot owner, has built his home there and is a full time resident, has  professional background in finance and money management, and is (in my opinion) a trusted voice and watchdog for the lotowners. But...the HOA is still developing and is not yet cast in concrete...time will tell how it works, and works out.  FWIW!

Well, skepticism is certainly a good and prudent thing.  No matter what area or property you are interested in, do your homework and go look at the property in person and spend some time there getting to know the people in charge and making things happen.  I spent time traveling all over Belize a number of years ago looking at different properties and developments.  I visited Consejo Shores also, and spent time with the developer who subdivided the property and began selling lots 20 something years ago.  Spent a lot of time on San Pedro and visit there every couple of years.  Fun place to visit, but not where I'd ever want to live. Spent time in Cayo district and hiking the jungles.  Have spent a lot of time in Placencia too.  Didn't buy property until I had a good idea of what all the options where in the different parts of the country. Also visited Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Mexico, and the entire Caribbean. Took my time and weighed the pros and cons of each local. First thing I did was narrow my choice down to Belize, then I spent a lot of time looking at property all over the country.

Must say, there is a reason Sanctuary has been selling over 30 lots a month when most other developments have been struggling.  There is no other development that even remotely compares. For those who have never visited the development, it is easy to be skeptical and blow off all the claims and slick marketing as all flash and no substance.  However, it is the real deal and is hugely successful for many reasons.  First of all, it is a massive project in size at 14,000 acres of total land.  The center piece of the project is the huge 1st class sheltered marina and marina village that is now underway.  This is not a development that is attracting those on a shoestring budget.  It is a development that is geared toward those who want to live in a large community that is similar in standards to what one would be accustomed to in the U.S. or Canada but with a Belizean flavor.  Of the 14,000 acres only 3,000 will be developed into residential lots and village, the rest is set aside as wildlife preserve and natural buffers between the various residential areas. 
One of the biggest things going for Sanctuary is the fact that the development has absolutely no debt. That is unheard of these days, especially for a project this size. The land is all owned free and clear and all the improvements and infrastructure being built is being done with cash on hand from the brisk lot sales and monthly income from in house lot financing receipts.  The developer decided from the beginning that it was not going to borrow funds in order to build out the community.  It has done everything from cash income.  This was a huge selling point for me as there is no chance the project could ever go under due to inability to pay a bank loan.  If lot sales dropped off to O, the project would still survive as there is no debt to have to keep servicing.  Granted, the continued infrastructure build out would cease, but the development would never go under. Lot sales continue to accelerate each year and they are closing over 30 a month last report I heard.  Demand is so high they have had to increase the property tours from one a month to 4 per month.  As for appreciation on lot values, it is real and there have been many buyers who have resold lots for nice profits.  Each time a new phase of the development is opened, the lot prices are increased and that brings up the value of all the earlier phases.  The project still has a long way to go regarding future lot sales as only about a 3rd of the 1800 planned lots have been developed/released/sold to date. 
As you can tell, I'm very happy with my decision to become part of this community 3 years ago and I've made some wonderful friends among the others who have bought here.  It really is a community of like-minded folks and is a very happy place.  And once again, I do not work for the developer and have no financial stake in the project.  Just a happy property owner, and there are hundreds just like me who will say the same about Sanctuary.

Yes, we are awaiting the HOA documents that are to be distributed to all the owners.  I am President of my HOA here in the US so have some experience in how these associations are set up and operate.  In a new development it is common for the developer to set up the initial HOA board with people he appoints to get the organization going.  Once the HOA is established and fully functioning there will be new elections for board of directors and thence officers.  That is when the HOA slate is chosen by the property owners.  I imagine that election would take place 1 year after the HOA goes live.  For now, at least we will have an independent property owner (Tom H.) as Treasurer and he is very trusted by the other property owners and vastly "over-qualified" for the position.  We will be in good hands as far as oversight of the HOA funds.  Now, we are just waiting for the distribution of the initial HOA articles of incorporation, bylaws, covenants, etc...  Once we get those and review/comment/accept, the HOA will go live.

Well , at the start of this thread it was revealed that the previous owners , were jailed , then the property "sold" to relatives , I think it was .. Anyway , go for it folks .. but do yourself a favor ,, go to the website , you will find that you can't get far without giving these sales persons your phone number , like I did. Yep , my phone started ringing and Darrin was on the line saying he was in Belize and even gave me his phone number , along with huge sales pressure . He said how nice it was living there . I google the area code , it was California.. Now having been in Cancun and met the timeshare people whos job it is to get you to go to a time share presentation ,where the pressure starts , I cant help but notice all the people here touting this place ( that has nothing built in the way of housing lol ) are all trying to get us to go down to see for ourselves , yep thats what the timeshare people do too , just get the mark in to us and we will do the rest.. If you ever had a vacum salesman or life insurance salesman at your door and had a hard time getting him out , remember the vacum salesman was only trying to get a few hundred from you , the high pressure sales people at S.B. are trying for your life savings and they are among the best in North America ,and on commision .. So there you are being bullied , stared at ., humilliated if you find a reason not to buy ... Do you realy want to put yourself through this???
Check the people who are touting the place .. yes that's right ,they want you to visit , guess what then? you guessed it ..
        Oh yeah check out their website , then submit your phone number and get a taste of things to come ... ( ask for darren)
Good luck ..
to all the folks on this site working selling SB , Hi ..
I'm awaiting your rebuttles.

Xcaret,

At least one of those who are happy with their purchase at SB and plans to build and retire there are pleased that you didn't buy there.  And you got some of your facts wrong. One, and maybe two of the original investors were tried for tax evasion.  It was not sold to their relatives.  They are not involved in SB any longer.

The reason you are seeing a lot of new forum members posting their interest is because SB and Belize in general are being heavily advertised in the US at a time when a lot of Americans are ready to retire.  We look on line and do our research,then some of us have found SB, visited and decided that it's the place for us.  Now we're excited about our future homes and are sharing our opinions.

Our family has been considering purchasing property in Belize for vacations and a possible retirement home.  I have been researching Sanctuary among other developments and individual properties.  We were planning a tour of Sanctuary this fall; however, Victor explained that the tour is not the time to gather information about the development but the time to purchase.  He indicated that all of my research should be completed prior to my arrival for the tour.  Has anyone else had this experience?  Has anyone gone on the tour to gather information about the development as a potential investment? 
In light of Victor's pronouncement, I am trying to further my research and knowledge of Sanctuary.  I would appreciate any information anyone can offer.  We are more than a little disturbed that the tour is not an information gathering time and rethinking our interest in Sanctuary.

First off, to those who think we all work for SB.  You are wrong.  This is the first place I have ever visited that the hype did not live up to the actual development.  Now that is just my opinion of course.  This place is way more expensive than just about anywhere else in Belize and they are selling 30+ lots a month.  What does that tell you.  You may get a representitive from a broker here in the US that may seem like pressure but I Will guarantee you that you will not get that on tour.  That is my rebuttal. 

Yes the tour is the time to purchase and when most people do.  But you are under no pressure to do so and if you want to go home and think about it for a year that's fine with them.  The problem I see with waiting is that phases sellout quite quickly and prices are going up.  It's free market principles.  From what I can see, much of the future phases will be higher priced lots.  So I would encourage you to do your do diligence ahead of time.  Maybe make it a 10 day trip and seek out a realtor in Belize and vist other property's first. Then go on tour and make an informed decision.  I did just that and for me, SB has a totally different product to sell and it was what we wanted.  Just so you get a feel for the cost.  One could own beach front home in many areas in Belize for what a lot will cost in SB not on the water.  And I still bought.

If you want to live in Belize and be part of a Belizen culture and In a established community then SB is not the place for you.  What SB is, is a new community of mostly expats building a new village that is very environmentally sensitive with a ton of on site amenitys.  There will be people from all walks of life here, many people with money along side many blue collar workers who want to retire.  I meet people who sell insurance, many retired military personnel, politicians and mechanics all on my tour.  And a wonderful bunch they were! All but one couple purchased on tour and they are on the fence.

I'm a SB lot owner and I will just ditto Halleb.  I can't wait to move in when our time comes.  Shop around find whats right for you.  Have fun on the tour.  I promise you will enjoy it.

I might add that the tour is an informational gathering time on the development.  That said, most people are sold by the end of the tour and want to purchase.  But if you want to go on tour and have no intensions of purchasing while on tour, just tell them that on the second day and they will tell you to enjoy your vacation.  That's it. No pressure.  You can visit and ask all the questions you want and they help you make an informed decision.   One thing I found was that negotiating price while face to face and on tour will get you a better deal than once you are back and call and say I want to buy.  I am looking at a second lot and have not been able to get the deal I want.

FWIW.....I have been on the "tour" twice, once before we bought our 1st lot (and it was indeed an information gathering effort for us) and then a few years later AFTER we had purchased our 2nd lot.  Unless they have significantly changed the "tour" it is just that--a tour of the development, a chance to meet and talk to the principles (face-to face), see the overall development plan and what has (and has NOT been) done to date, and a chance to see with your own eyes just what it is  and what it is not.  I have had conversations with Victor before, and, well, I would not put a lot of stock in what he evidently passed on to you.  From my personal experience, as well as the feedback I've received from others who have made the tour, it IS just that...a tour and a chance to gather info first hand, see for yourself, and make up your own mind if it's for you.  As an added bonus, however, the principles' are there, you can talk to then face to face, make an offer (if you're so inclined) and negotiate one-on-one for whichever lot looks like the one for you. And they were always in a "selling" mood when we were there! The ONLY pressure I ever saw, or heard of, was from the other members of the tour, in that they were asking who had bought what.....and NOT from the staff.  And Dave,...if you haven't been on the tour, maybe you shouldn't be so quick to put the bad mouth on it!

I find it amazing. I have read each and every comment and no one, not even one, whether you find the prices high or decent mention real prices. I have been researching other areas on Ambergris Caye with ReMax and Grand Belizean Estates and the prices are reasonable....less than $35k for the lots but small. Why no details on those of you that have purchased in Sanctuary. The only way to find out pricing is to go on the tour? very odd.

We are taking a trip on July 25 and are planning on buying something on Ambergris Caye, does anyone have a better suggestion or link for me to go to? Sanctuary sounds good but maybe beyond my price range, but since no one talks about price, not really sure.

Current pricing in SB range from $149,000-$699,000 lot sizes are large in some areas upto 7-10 acres.  Water front not so much.  Discounts are available depending on amount down.  The best thing they have going is that they (SB) do there own financing.  Rates are from 8% to 0% upto 30 years.  Keep in mind this place runs on cash flow.  So the more cash you can give them the better the deal.  If you have nothing down and want to finance for 30 years, then the discount is little to nothing and the rate is on the upper end.  If you can put 50% down and pay the rest in10 years then the interest rate is 0.

The difference in my mind is that at SB you are buying into a community, where as an investment else where you are buying just that, an investment.  I don't wan t to live in a tourist community where people are only there two weeks out of the year and the locals look at you like you are the rich cringo invading thier town.  I wanted friends that are going to spend 4-12 months of the year here.  I'm sure that places can be found elsewhere in Belize but I found everything I needed in SB and am satisfied with my decision.  Everybody is different and you all must find your own peace with what you finial purchase. SB is not for everyone.  All I would say is check it out and see if it fits your personal needs.  The price is getting to be a barrier for a lot of people.  The cheap prices went away when they flooded the marina. But in the in house financing makes it very easy to buy if you want to vs trying to get a loan from a Blezian bank or re financing you existing home

Is that price range for the lot only?

Plz read the entire thread.

excaret
I gave up years ago trying to preach to the dillusional few that SB is the scam of a lifetime but I see that a sucker is still born every day. I absolutely love the post about the Marine area being the alfa and omega and was now underway. It has been underway for at least 10 YEARS. This is so funny. And now the HOA all members of the developer OMG is that hysterical or what? A couple years ago I researched the people saying what a great time they had on the tour and how nice the sales people were and found they were all professional promoters man did they go wild when I posted that called me names etal. How many houses have been built by these supposed lot buyers and how many have been resold? What was the purchase price and the resale price? Guess what there are no answers. In closing STAY AWAY FROM SB suckers

retire hopeful    I can not stress too strongly that the best way to find your dream place here in Belize is to come and pick a spot to rent for at least 6 months, better 12 months so you can experience the seasonal changes.  then use that base to explore all 5 districts.  each district is markedly different.  find what suits you best.  Some make a financial committment without this exploration, then do not like their location or decide to return to No America after a year or 2.   Resale of housing here can be problematic.  Gringo housing is priced out of the market for Belizeans.  Supply exceeds demand. 
wishing you best luck in your adventure. 
I love it here...

Joemac, you are so far off base in your comments it is absolutely amazing.  You and excaret have never been to Belize, and not done your research to learn the true facts, yet you sit back in N. America and throw grenades and bad mouth and make absolutely baseless accusations.  It is a real shame that you are so negative.  Please learn the facts about Belize and any development that you feel inclined to post comments on before you make such ridiculous claims.  Everything you just posted is completely inaccurate.  You are simply wasting everyone's time who is on this forum.  Please go visit Belize, and any of the developments you want to comment on, then come back home and feel free to post your educated first hand knowlege and thoughts.

Isn't it interesting that all those who have been bad mouthing Sanctuary, have never been there and know nothing about it!

JB

He is just trying to get a rise out of us.  It's what he and a few others do for entertainment.  Just ignore them and when no one takes the bait, they will go away.

Being that I'm a member of this forum that "sanctuary Belize " is part of ,I get email notices when someone posts here .. I read whats said , and sometimes agree,other times I don't ..
Since the whole thing seems fishy to me ,from the posts made by those touting the place ,and not having straight answers for the honest folks who are asking them, I thought I'd check the Sanctuary Belize " web site once again..  Still no photos of any residences , Oh yeah , you cant get onto their website without giving them your phone number (yeah they called again). Anyway the project has been underway for quite some time ,and several people on here ( the one's with the few posts) have bought and I assumme built their dream homes there .. I went to google maps, I looked down south of hopkins ( you can see each individual building at Hopkins on google map), but not Sanctuary Belize , there's nothing at all, just little letters saying "Sanctuary Belize" oh yeah one building is standing.. some lines drawn, and familliar names of places mentioned in the area, but NO residences..
So I beg you folks who own property there to send the coordinates to your lot , so the rest of us sceptical folks can take a peek.. Better yet when your flying into Hopkins area , take an ariel photo of all the housing.. All ten years worth of building,that's been going on..My next and last question ,is with all the buying and selling going on ..where does the money go? All these years of selling , and raking in money, and nothing built, and with cheap labor too!!
Your turn touts...

I agree with Halleb that the negative, misleading, and incorrect posts about Sanctuary Belize are likely just people trying to get a rise out of other forum readers and members.

I read several posts on a different Belize forum site before I found expat-blog.  There are several posts there which the moderators eventually had to remove because they were just bickering back and forth.

Those posts actually caused me to do more research on Sanctuary Belize than I might have done otherwise.   

So, I'll take the bait and respond to excaret for the sake of the readers who are actually interested in finding information about Sanctuary Belize.

1.  You do not have to provide any personal information to view the entire [link moderated] website, or the SanctuaryBelize FaceBook page.  You do need to provide your name and phone number to request that they call you.

2.  There are several photos of houses which have been, and are being built in Sanctuary Belize on the website and FaceBook pages.

3. The reason that you don't see more than two or three houses in Google Earth is because the images that cover Sanctuary Belize are from 2006 and 2009.  When you out your cursor over a map in Google Earth the approximate date of the image is displayed at the bottom of the frame next to the coordinates.

4.  As for where does the money go: I have no information about how much it costs to develop all of the roads, canals, underground utilities, marina, beach club, yacht club, marina village, equestrian center, model homes (there are three of them so far), and so on, but I'm sure that it is not cheap.

Hi Have you checked out Royal Colony Estates in Corozal area.  We found this location thru our tour we took last year.  We are planning  our move to Belize for June 2014.

The marina is dug In and flooded, all the docks are in for 220 carft upto 120'.  I was told that the marina cost $40 million to dig and when you see the amount of earth that had to be moved, I would say that's about right. The beach club and pool are just about finished with the pool full of water and ready or use.  Most of the channels are done around the left side ( Sopadilla area) .  Roads to the other areas are mostly in and ready to go.  At least 10 homes done or under construction.  I would guess from what I am hearing that near 50 homes will be in the place by this time next year.  The private island is undergoing a lot of changes and some buildings are now being build.  The hotel at the beach club has I think 4 beach side residence complete.  The organic garden is in and operating, the wood shop is also in operation (it uses the lumber from the trees cut to clear the lots for custom furniture)
I would attach pic but don't know how.

Just returned from SB.  Reserved a lot with a 5k "refundable" deposit.  When I decided not to buy, sales man will not refund the deposit.  No response to my emails or phone calls.  Funny, before the trip the guy was calling me 3 times a day.  Executed the deposit charge in 10 minutes.

Please beware and be careful.  SB smells like a con job.  Facilities are slow to be put in, houses are slow to be built, developer will not show financial statements.  Significant TV advertisements being run to spike up short term demand.  Name dropping (Glenn Beck is buying...)  My best guess, this developer disappears into the night.  What are you going to do sue him?  Good luck.

BTW, the "beach club" pool is about the same size as the one at my house.  My spa is actually bigger.  The answer to the golf course questions was they are looking at building 3 holes and you will play the same 3 holes 6 times for a round of golf.

They are selling the dreams, not the real estate.  As they say, there is a sucker born every minute.

did you get the 5K deposit refundable on the contract you signed?

I have read every post here...and I have to say things are very confusing.

  Buy Ocean front property in Corozal, lots of ex-pats here...laid back life style. I acre lots for sale 4 mile Lagoon.

"Glenn Beck is buying"....that alone would make me run as fast as I could!

Anyone considering purchasing property here needs to investigate carefully.  this takes time and personal experience.   Please come and rent for awhile THEN decide if and where you will feel most comfortable.  Discover WHO has reliable information.  There can be title problems.  Read this blog carefully.  In my opinion there are some longtime residents who have great information to share.  The reverse is also true.

Yes, it was very clear and I had my attorney review before I authorized the charge.  This really brings home that once they have your money they can do anything they want.  You have very little if any recourse except a lawsuit that will likely be very expensive and go no where.

Ha, I did think this was funny as a sales pitch.  When I got back I pulled up Glenn Beck's website "the blaze.com and guess who advertisers on the site.....buybelize.com

I just came back and I not only did not buy, I left 2 days early.  I asked for audited financials and could not get them.  Some man has the audited financials and he is out of the country for a while...

Of all the posts about SB, supporters and detractors, no one has written that they have seen actual audited financials (particularly a statement of cash flows).

The promised international airport, in my opinion, will never happen.  An airport may open up (it may not also) but if so, it will be domestic.  Much different then what my salesman said going in.  The promised golf course, in my opinion, will never be built.

The "canal front" lot I reserved had no canal.  No matter where your lot is you cannot get a decent view unless you push up to a 40 ft maximum height.

Area is extremely remote.  There is "unplugged" and there is in the middle of no where.

Oh but wait, Glenn Beck is buying in and they bought the "tents" for future real estate prospects, on the advise of Richard Bransum...

NO possible way the marina cost 40 million dollars to build.  I would gladly prove this point if the developer would supply potential investors with a statement of cash flows.  I would not even buy a penny stock without first reviewing the financial statements.

Thomas must you stick your finger in the holes to believe!  Everything one does in this world requires some faith.  Now it is possible the the developers will cut and run with the money, but I have seen nothing  that would lead me to believe that is there intent.  Until its build and finished, there will always be a chance that it will not come together.  $ 40,000,000. In a marina Is a fairly large investment for someone who is scamming people.  Sorry the pool is not upto your imperial standards.  I'm sure it will be just fine for Glenn B and myself though.

From my stand point.  This is a world class development.  That being the key word here. DEVELOPMENT.  If this place comes together even half as good as it seems, it will be way too expensive for most people.  Right now you can get in with easy financing and fair prices for what is being offered.  The faith part is that they will build it.  This place is at least 5 years out from being fully functional.  But when that happens, it will be one of a few places on earth this nice.  And I assume the price tag will follow. 
They also own land for future development between SB and Kanantik resort.  Seems funny that they would buy 8000 more acres plus  Kanantik resort if they plan on running with the money.  The evidence just doesn't add up for a scam. 
I would agree that any home built in the next few years is going to have a wait  before it can be sold for anywhere near what it will cost to build.  People on there own can not match the marketing machine and finance ability this place has going for it.  Then there is the financing in Belize.  Not cheap!  Mostly you are looking for cash buyers,  So if you buy in SB it would my opinion that 5-10 years is the shortest time frame one could expect to get a return.  The resales will pick up once the resort is sold out 90% or so.  But until then

Buyer beware,

I think that I may have identified your core issue with Sanctuary Belize.  In your profile, which you created today when you joined this forum, you stated that you want to live in the Dominican Republic. It seems like you inadvertently went to the wrong country.  The Dominican Republic is a nation on the Eastern side of the island of Hispaniola, part of the Greater Antilles archipelago in the Caribbean region.  Haiti is on the Western side. 

Cheers,
LuckyLarry