Looking for information about Belize

I'm looking for houses to buy....not land. I still haven't found a good way to look for them online.

Hi lorreann,

A new topic has been created from your post on the Belize forum for better views and interaction.

I suggest you to read the article Accommodation in Belize which might help you find some tips about buying accommodation in Belize.

Please feel free to post an advert in the Houses for sale in Belize section, can help you find what you are looking for.

Regards,

David.

Expat-blog team.

You might wish to consider retirement someplace more desirable than the Banana Republic of Belize. I lived and worked there for close to five years and there is little I don't know about that armpit, nor will you read about it in glossy mags. If you must settle there avoid the evil empire (Sanctuary Belize).

You might want to check out Belize a bit more carefully.  I did a lot of looking into that country and decided that it wasn't a place worth vacationing let alone retiring.  You can't even get a cell phone without registering it with the government.

Lorreann:

re:  Pesticides are commonly used on the food supply

We have been living in Belize for only 4 months now. We have traveled there 4 times before moving down. We are of the opinion that many growers do use pesticides. Therefore before eating food washing it well is recommended. We are planning on growing our own food so that we can ensure that it does not have any pesticides. There are growers that are specifically growing organic foods, but they are not found at the local markets (where we still shop).

Evil Empire: Hmmmm. I would say that USA, Canada, European governments know more about their people than do the Belize government. The information that the Belize government collects you know about. In other countries they are just more sophisticated about collecting it. I personally don't trust any government - so I am not under an illusion that any government is good these days. The moral and ethical values of those in power is so very low around the world. We the voters continue to let them set the bar low.

I myself am looking for more information about Belize.

Anyone know of reputable builder that will build on CC?Thanks!

Dialectic exchange can lead to an approximation of truth. However to be more specific we can look at International Living and the retirement index. There are twenty two entries. Belize is close to bottom a notch above Cambodia and DR. Panama is at top alongside Ecuador. I have been to both and lived in Belize several years. My own observations will confirm the following: terrible overall infrastructure. Inefficient and expensive electricity. Slow intermittent internet. Pot hole ridden roads often impassable during rainy season. Amenities and commodities pale in comparison to other destinations and of inferior quality. Considered to be the most expensive country in C.A. overall. And Ambergis Caye is 30% more. Medical care (my area) is fine for basic but there is no effective 911/ ER/trauma care system. If you are seriously injured or ill, you will die. Unless you live very close to Chetumal Mx.  The educational system is in the words of a Belizean "a total piece of crap" My wife  worked as special ed and will confirm its  inadequacy. It is irresponsible to relocate there with children even with homeschooling.Crime is pervasive, police are ineffective, and all levels of government are corrupt. This is confirmed by transparency international. Poverty is 45%. Alcohol use is the highest in all of C.A. and Mexico.
Of course there are many nice things about Belize that make it a viable tourist destination but for permanent relocation? Not recommended.

We just purchased in Ambergris Caye, moving this summer.  We are optimistic about the country, the lifestyle and  our purchase.  We visited several times before deciding to purchase and choosing the location.

I see there are some negative posts about Belize, and each person has their experiences as well as facts about any given area.  All I will add, is to visit the areas, see how it fits into your lifestyle choices before deciding.  We are very happy with our decision, love the new people we have met on the island.

We worked with a great reality company with a great reputation on the island.  Have been pleased with the process and things have gone very smoothly.  My husband has set up a consulting business and working with Atlantic Bank has gone very smoothly for the corporation set-up.

We are not going into this without lots of research on every aspect from real estate, crime etc.  we still choose Belize and are so happy we did!

I think the key is to find people in the area who are doing the same and ask for advice....which you are doing!   Please feel free to contact me if you have specific questions.  We close in a couple weeks.  Have a great realtor who was helpful with all aspects of the island.
Good luck!

just a couple of observations...1) watchingtheweasals has stated in a different posting the he/she has never been to Belize, but researched it extensively, so NO personal experience.  2) Dr Al sounds like a person who posted on Belize Forums and has never had a positive comment on Belize.  I have been here over a decade.....is Belize perfect? NO, but then no where ever is.  Would I bring school age children down here? NO, but I do not want to home school as I have neither the dedication nor desire to do so.  However, looking from the outside at the US school system that appears to be "dumbing down" the system...the US system is not perfect either.  Is the health care in Belize perfect? NO, but neither is it anywhere else.  We are healthy and have had good experiences with health care here.  Crime?  yes, it is here, but it is everywhere.  Costs?  we have found Belize to be less expensive than where we moved form.  Electricity rate?  Less than we were paying in the far frozen North.  Availability of goods?  Better now than when we moved.  Do we get frustrated at things not available?  yes, but we manage to get by with what is available.  Are we willing to move back to "civilization" to get what others perceive we need? NO WAY.  We have many more
Belizeans friends than others who have moved into Belize.  We have found that Belizeans are warm, kind hearted and welcoming.  Do they dislike expats who are critical of their country? Oh YES.  And I can't blame them.  We gave Belize a 5 year commitment and have never been sorry.  Do things cost more on the Cayes?  yes.  Do imported products cost more than wherever they were imported from? Yes.  If one is determined to use the same products as they used in the US(or wherever) they will cost more.  It's called importation!!  If one can be flexible and use other products costs are quite reasonable.  Give Belize a chance....it has much to offer !!

If you are a cash Buyer Buying in Belize is not difficult, anyone can purchase property in Belize regardless of nationality. Just be certain of any "Title" issues. I am Brittish  and have lived in several countries including Belize   ( where we are moving back to perminantely within the next year or so) I  am currently living in California and Do not honestly think Belize is much like the US, it is a tiny place but different areas can be totally different. You need to take a long visit (or a few short ones) to check out what you feel is the area you feel happiest in. Everyone will tell you not to live in Belize city but there are parts of the city that are not the crime ridden gang lands certain writers will tell you about (We lived in the Bella vista area for 2 happy years) we did get burgled, Our outside shed was emptied when we were out of the country,  but we have been burgled in the UK and here in the US. If you like the beach you have choices, Island life or the main land Placencia and Hopkins are really beautiful  laid back beach areas, The Cayo district has Jungle and farmlands and some very nice villages and more lively twin towns of San Ignatio and Santa Elena. North of Belize City there are more spanish speaking areas around Orange walk and towards the Mexican Border is Carazol with a larger Expat population I honestly don't  know that area I intend to explore it more when I get down permanently. The far south area I have only visited for a short time and did not get to see much more than the area around our friends Toledo farm, they are delighted to live there an anglo/american couple. Life is unlikely to be much like an American lifestyle unless you have a lot of money, but most of the expats that love Belize soon prioritize what parts of their lifestyle they need and the parts they can happily jettison. Those Brand names on everything suddenly become a lot less important. Do not make your decisions on what others tell you about it Belize needs to be experienced, at different parts of the year the dry season is HOT and the rainy season can be of Biblical proportions (or it seems that way). The information on this Forum is overall unbiased but there are a few who have axes to grind but you may find they have never actually been there so remember raving over enthusism, and dark warnings should both be taken with a pinch of salt we all have different expectations and experiences of Belize, and mostly people are trying to help.

Apologetics and tangential replies are common with the so called Belizeophiles. For instance on crime: Yes BUT it is everywhere. Or on commodities: yes BUT we get by. On health care: it is basic true BUT we are healthy.
Crime: Belize is the 6th most dangerous country globally. Police are poorly trained and paid.Crime resolution is <15%. In Canada and USA it is >70%. Theft and home invasions are  a cultural pastime.
Health care: BzeNorte is lucky so far. He has not observed a man die from a severed leg artery after an MVA because the rickety ambulance took an hour to arrive. There are many many  more stories  equally grim.
Amenities /commodities: has improved but that isn't saying much. I have concluded that those who don't care about the shortage of affordable red wine or fresh mushrooms are DIY survivalist/minimalists and this noble philosophy is not one many retirees would concur with.
Infrastructure: dreadful even by 3rd world standards. The power goes out 8to12x/month >3hours  for " repairs"  The internet is slow BUT it is good enough for us they say. Actually globally it is near the bottom alongside Uzbekistan. It is fully 3x the cost of nearby Mexico. When it works.
Roads are dreadful. Trash is every where and cancerous looking stray dogs lie on the curb occasionally poisoned with strychnine by officials.
The climate is what it is. Very hot and humid. Makes New Orleans feel sub arctic. Lots of unfriendly Dengue carrying insects.
Belize is  VERY expensive compared to Mexico or Panama in all spheres.
And to top it off there is a monopoly on beer and soda. If you want Shiner Bock or diet Pepsi you are SOL
If there is a paradise Belize falls very short IMHO.

So how can you say Panama is cheaper?  I can buy a 20k sqft lot with 160ft of lagoon front with a boat dock for 25k US  every thing that I have seen on panama can't touch that.  Also a new company "centric LTD"  has started making SIP construction housing in Belize.  This will give you all the amenities of an american house for a very reasonable cost with the security of 1st world engineering.

Dr. Al - it is your opinon:

Your reply shows such a bias as to be obvious to the casual observer. I was a policeman in Canada. I did statistics for the department (for 25 years studies), as well as for the national associations of police. I also have a degree from university where statistics was required classes. The UN study you quote is a first year course example of poorly done stats used in the total wrong way.

I am not going to waste any more of my time or others reading this blog responding to your comments which you are welcome to as it is your opinion. Just so others know there are many who do not agree with you. We have many expat friends from around the world that love their home in Belize. They don't lock their doors.

Yes the roads are bad - many of us consider that this is a great way to keep undesirables out.
Yes, health care is not as good. Yes emergency medical services are not good at all. Ambulances are really just scape you up and rush you to the hospital. Most of us are good with that. We didn't come to Belize to have another USA, Canada, Europe, etc.

Yes, the internet I miss (as I was an international Health Care software writer). Again - though my research showed this and I have made adjustments. Again - I am not looking to have everything the same as in USA, etc.

In the last 4 months our power has not gone out once.

The stray dog issue is real. Like most poor countries in the world there are stray dogs that breed and their puppies add to the problem. Very sad - thus I am doing a small part to prevent this.

Compared to the -67 degrees Celsius that it was in Saskatchewan last week the Belize climate is great. We have not used the air conditioning once in our home in the last 4 months. The dry hot season is upon us so we likely will be soon for a few months.

Our cost for electricity last month was $16.85 Belize. Food costs are about 1/3 of what they are in USA, Tx or Canada. Of course we are not trying eat USA brand foods. We eat local.

Many expats come here to enjoy the wonderful people here.  Belize is not for everyone. Each person must do their own research to see if it is for them.

DRal You opinion is as valid as any other on the forum but I do not hear many people apologising for Belize it is Belize a unique country and the experience we all have of it will also be unique. If we are just going to put up horror stories, for the medical services they happen everywhere, here In the bay area a person wandered off in a hospital and 10 days later her corpse was found in a little used stair well. Hardly world class treatment but no one will suggest it is the norm.
I am truly sorry you experiences in Belize were all so horrific, also a bit amazed you hung around so long in what you describe sop colorfully as the rectum of central America.

Awsome post. I will find my hearts content wherever it may or not be in Belize. One must go and see for themselves.

I have been living in Belize intermittently since 1990. I am familiar with horror stories  similar to some mentioned in some of the postings. Many of them may be true. But that is not the point. As an educated people (many of the people on this forum are more educated than average Belizean) and as a human being who had more opportunities than average Belizean, each one of us have a responsibility to help our less fortunate neighbors in Belize. After all we chose to make Belize our home (partime or full time). It will take a long time for locals to trust outsiders. Many of them may think foreigners are in Belize for exploitation only.
When Southern Highway was under construction ,Maya community (my neighbors) objected to the High way construction. Only recently the highway got finished. The reason was the community was afraid with paved roads foreigners may come in large numbers and buy up the property. Another incidence ,I had a lease to develop a 7000 acre to develop a Teak farm in the land adjoining my farm. Before I did any clearing local community members(many of them worked for me) went to Belmopan and succeeded in canceling my lease. They later told me .The land is for their children and Grand Children.
They made me see the light. Actually I did not need the land and they did.
Many on this forum  believe Belize is a beautiful country. Many believe Belize has weather better than what they had experienced, Yes Belize will go through growing pain for years to come like many countries. But there is a charm and beauty and "innocence" along with crime (hard to explain this) which makes Belize unique and almost addictive. The freedom in Belize may be similar to what the pioneers enjoyed when the new world was found.
Belize is not for everybody.

Have you decided where you want to live in belize yet
I can advise you on homes in Northern Belize, Corozal district

not sure where you got the cellphone info but it is false . my cellphone works just fine and is not registered with the government

Hi,

I visited Belize in 2010 and could not use my cell phone at all.  I will return this summer and would like to know if there are specific carriers that work better than others?  I luv Belize!

Thanks,
Deb

There is BTL and Smart.
Coverage BTL may have an edge. I use both when I am in Belize. BTL uses Sim card.
The Card is registered to a specific person. It may have implications .

Dr Al -
You grossly distort the facts when you refer to Belize as being at the bottom of International Living's Retirement Index.  You imply it is almost the worst place to retire.  In reality, the International Living index publishes the top 22 countries in the world in which to retire.  Belize ranks as 21st best in the world.

Which of course means that there are 20 better places to retire. You can look at the separate indices to see why.

What number did Sudbury come?

Obviously not dealing with someone with a functional central nervous system

vow !!!!!!

I had to ask, as you are so forthcoming about your prejudices against Belize in every thread, Why is a place perfect enough for you not number one in such a list.
I don't need to suffer your rants any more  since someone explained the ignore button.
I can get back to enjoying the helpful Forum this was before you started drooling your venom all over it.

I am hoping if many people ignore his poison filled postings,may be Al will disappear. Wonder if he is a doctor ,if so what kind? I am trying not respond to his postings even though part of me wants to reciprocate. Al ,please ignore this. i will stop talking about you.
There must be something you must have liked about Belize or else you won,t spend 5 years in Belize which for many people is a tropical paradise

On the subject of paradise etc from Lan Sluder...
"What is clear is that Belize gets only a small fraction of the number of retirees/relocatees that in this general region places like Mexico, Costa Rica and even Panama get, and also far fewer than European countries such as England, France and Italy get.
There IS a good deal of interest in Belize, primarily because of English being the official language and also the idea of being near the sea. Initially people also see Belize as a way to save money over living at home, though frequently after looking closer they may decide they were wrong about that. There's also the "I'm sick of the rat race" and the "I hate McDonald's and Walmart" crowd.
There are a lot of reasons that Belize doesn't get more: the lack of a truly competitive retiree/pensionado program in Belize, lack of good health care, high crime rates, the relatively high cost of real estate, the relatively high cost of living, lack of good business and job opportunities (the majority of relocatees and even retirees still want or need to work at least part time), the climate (it's simply too hot and humid for a lot of people).
There's also the reality factor. You move to Belize and suffer a home invasion or a series of robberies, and suddenly it doesn't seem like paradise anymore. Or you find out that to get electrical service to your house you'll pay BEL forty grand, or that internet costs five or ten times as much for one-fifth the speed as you used to get. Or you become ill and find out that you can't go to your local hospital and get sophisticated cancer care or a liver transplant, and the Canadian health system or Medicare suddenly becomes more appealing.
Finally, as has been noted, moving anywhere abroad, even part-time, is a big and costly decision. It means leaving family and friends. It means culture shock. It means shipping stuff overseas.
It's just a lot easier for the vast majority of people to stay put or to move to, say, Florida, where everything is more or less the same as back home, except sunnier and with more beaches and golf courses."

Informative,kindler,gentler posting with a little sincerity and usefulness to prospective Retirees and others who want to make a move. Little bit of fresh air. I see a future.

Hi Lorreann,
I am as new to the blog as you are, with the same plans and ideas. Searching, researching and reading about Belize has slowly became my hobby. Hope the future holds it well for us. I am far from a "typical" American who expects an American lifestyle while living in Caribbean, but I am hoping for the best. Life is what you make of it...as my husband always says.
Skyler

Hi lorreann,
I'm reading your post from our balcony overlooking the crystal blue waters off Ambergris Caye.  We visited a few  times before deciding to purchase here.  Found a beautiful condo and actually closed yesterday. 
I would suggest you research all you can on the area you might be interested in, then visit, speak to the locals in THAT area.  Belize seems to be so different on the cayes compared to the mainland.  Yes, more expensive, but we feel worth it.  The people here are very friendly...we walk to town at night, walk the beaches at night, we use the same sense of caution as we would back home.  (I actually feel safer here than in St. Louis or Dallas, our previous homes)

We are learning bits and pieces everyday, so feel free to contact me if I can help!

Hello.
First and most importantly; CONGRATULATIONS on your condo purchase!!! This must be so exciting for you. I am so jealous right now. I'll do anything to have the view over the beautiful water. Maybe one day (hopefully soon enough) I experience the same thing.
Secondly; thank you for your message. I truly appreciate any advise and suggestion from someone living there (oppose to an agent).
Thirdly; We plan a trip to San Pedro sometime during this November or early December this year. I would love nothing more than meet you or other U.S. expats living in Belize.
Please stay in touch if you can.
Thank you again.
Best regards
Skyler

HA!  Talking about armpit of the world..... I lived in Sudbury for a couple of years while a teenager.  It was like living on the moon!     i was introduced to drugs, as well as having to fight off the many pedophiles I frequently encountered  I.WOULD NEVER GO BACK TO SUDBURY AGAIN!!  It was truly the armpit of Canada!  So Dr.Al should be quiet about Belize.