I am an American That knows nothing about Belize.

Rkenehan wrote:

Hi All I am interested in visiting Belize to get a feel of the Country. My wife and I want to buy a travel trailer and possibly RV it down through Mexico. I am tired of being an American wage slave. We do own a house in Denver and both work full time now.

Welcome to the Belize Form Rkenehan. Most questions that you might think to ask and some that you might not think to ask will have already been asked and answered in previous threads, so my first suggestion would be to review as many previous threads and/or use the search feature by clicking on the magnifing glass at the top of the page. Keep in mind the age of the threads and then feel free to ask your questions or for clarifications here on the forum. There are several helpful folks that are willing to share their experiences.

You will find some previous threads on driving through Mexico and some advice from those that have made the journey.

You might also check out some of the blogs found under the "Community" tab at the top of the page for some insights from folks that share their experiences of living here.

Good luck with your research. Let us know if we can help.

Thank you Bill, I really have not traveled internationally in my 43 years on this rock lol. I have been to Hawaii once in 2005 and have seen every State in North America been to Windsor Canada once and Tijuana Mexico in the 8th grade. How hard is it to start a RV park there? I like snorkeling and fishing even spear fishing that is what draws me to the Caribbean. My plan was to rent our home out since Denver rents and real estate have skyrocketed and spend the Winter months in Belize. In a nice travel trailer. I don't need the expenses associated with property unless it was a investment.

Thank you for the response and I liked your blog and am reading it.

Welcome! Check out the requirements on starting a business in Belize on the forum and also in the expat guide. I recall a recent discussion on rv parks, so if you did a search for that, you may find some interesting info. Honestly, I think it is something that will expand here now that the southern road to Guatemala is complete. The only issue I've had in rvs that I've stayed in has been heat, but if you have solar or a plug in to do ac, you're golden.

Lots of helpful people in here (only a few poo poos that we all ignore), so ask away!

Thanks Monkey town for the information.

You are most welcome!

Does the southern road to Guatemala continue on the other side of the border?  It didn't,  last time we looked.

Looks to me like it does. I haven't been down there though.

Are the Mosquitoes bad there year round what about the humidity?

Rkenehan wrote:

Are the Mosquitoes bad there year round what about the humidity?

No. It varies.

Thank you Will.

You may want to check out the expense of bringing a vehicle and an RV down.  It's roughly 48% of it's value, if you are leaving it in Belize.  Just went through this!

Wow that is outrageously expensive.

Yes!  A few hidden costs!

I just got an email from the person at the Chamber of Commerce about importing a vehicle.  It must have a clear title (no liens).

Hello Jacott,

I am new on here and looking for information.
In few weeks I wanted to visit and explore Belize with my children.
I just read your offer for supporting with important documents.
May I ask if I also could write an email to you?

Jujore

Hello jujore,

Of course, anybody can.
I'm sure you will find it very infomative and interesting.

jacott wrote:

Hello Rkenehan,

If you want to drop me an email ......................................., I can send you over 20 PDF documents on -  Belize, health, buyer's cost, immigration, bank loans, opening bank accounts, etc.
These will anaswer most of the questions you may have about Belize and buying property here.

john

John we always appreciate folks offering to help. However, sharing email addresses and other personal information is strictly prohibited on the public forum. You are certainly welcome to private message folks to offer your services. It might also be good if you let folks know what you do, and that you do have a stake in selling Belize.

I have not heard anyone mention going to the library and getting books.  I'm sorry to be old-fashioned, but I recently checked out four books, they were very informative giving basic information.  Then I asked questions of the belize.org chamber of commerce, went on the Atlantic bank website finding banking information, etc.  Again, do your homework from resources that are published or official Belize government info.  Everyone has their own subjective living styles and for one, I do not intend to spend more than $25K a year living in Belize.  I've had next to nothing to a wealthy lifestyle and at this point in my life, I want things austere.

Good idea! I heard banking can be difficult.  Was the bank website helpful?

Since I only checked Atlantic Bank, it is very descriptive.  I told the manager of my Chase bank yesterday I might need a character reference letter to open an account and he just said let him know what he needed to say.  I told him when I am in Belize in Oct. I would find out.  Hope this helps!

ferriswhitfield wrote:

Since I only checked Atlantic Bank, it is very descriptive.  I told the manager of my Chase bank yesterday I might need a character reference letter to open an account and he just said let him know what he needed to say.  I told him when I am in Belize in Oct. I would find out.  Hope this helps!

The info, quantities of bank references (two banks), what they must contain and forms were on the Atlantic site two years ago when I started the process. I can add that they will not accept copies, so have two or three originals signed to take with you when you go just in case one should go missing, or you find you need to apply at more than one bank.

If you only have one bank reference they do have an alternative, spelled out in the online info.
I suspect these requirements are set by the Belize Central Bank and will apply to any bank in Belize.

What they don't say, is that they will actually contact the bank official that signed the letter, so get their direct phone number and email address on the bottom of the letters to avoid delay. Also the references must be current, but I don't recall how many days old they allow.

Also to anyone reading this that has accounts at Bank of America. BofA will not let their local bank officials sign a reference letter, they have a central place the local banker must contact and then a generic letter is emailed to the local BofA bank or to you to be printed out. As this document is not considered an original and no official signature is on it, it is worthless as a reference in Belize. I was glad that I had what I thought was overkill by having a letter from my credit union, Comerica  bank and BofA.

Sorry, BilldoesBelize, I wasn't really aware of how this works.

Yes, I do work for RE/MAX and I am the agent for the Cayo District.

I'm a Brit who has lived in Belize for over 30 years and I wouldn't live anywhere but Cayo. It is by far the nicest place to live in Belize - and much cheaper than the coastal tourist areas and the cayes.