Sanctuary Belize

Be very careful about this place and the people selling.  They have tried to resell the same lot over and over.  They will take your money and not build.  Numerous complaints against them.  They are crooks.

Please be careful  You can Google them and see what happened.

I myself had to fight very hard to get my money back.

Stay away!!!!!

Tikistar

Tikistar again.

Also, the developers were jailed in 2007.  Please Google this again.  Scroll down to find out about it!

I thought that was Sanctuary Bay, a different place

If it is sorry,  Just got so mad at these people.

I've just been told (by Lan Sluder, no less) in another forum that Sanctuary Belize IS the same development as Sanctuary Bay, they just dropped the "Bay" from the name.  I assume ownership has changed since the original developers got in trouble in 2012.  In any case, I'd tread carefully, given the past problems...

Hi All
I am confused, is this type of situation typical for Belize? I have heard the same things about Dreamscapes of Belize. Sounds like the best advice is to contact one of the realtors there mmake an appointment and let them show you what is gong on. I can understand why Tikistar was so mad nothing like buying in paradise and finding you bought a little bit of hell

Hi,

A couple of my friends from the UK have visited Sanctuary Belize (Formally Sanctuary Bay, had to change the name as two Sanctuary Bays in Belize). Both friends have bought lots there, as I have now too.
There were problems about 3 years ago with the 'crooks' who said that they owned the place, both now in jail.
Since then the development seems to have progressed well.
Bill Bannon (Ops Director, I think) seems to know what is  happening and is quick to answer any of my questions.
Although the lots are currently well priced, they could be a good investment in 3-5 years.
If you are thinking about retiring there, then visit their website.
Regards.

KDavidG
STOP, Please do  your research before posting. I could never believe that Sanctuary Bay could have turned over a new leaf but I took your suggestion and visited the site and to my suprise it had changed. Yes the perfect English accent telling us how much we meant to them. I went to the area on the website where they do testimonials from the people that had just visited. It sounded like heaven but being curious I decided to check these people out. Lee Abbamonte a world traveler who makes his living as a travel writer and expert global adventurer that writes for many newspapers and has appeared on television promoting. (strike one), I couldn't find much on Shekhar Deshpande but thats not suprising since he has 5 aliases (strike two) David Shapiro WOW a testimonial and commercial expert who is apparently great at his job hellhe even has pictures of Jack Nicklaus on his web site. He also has a lovely wife with two beautiful children(?)  so with the wife and kiddies why is he sitting on a beach in Belize with Kim Midgett???? Hmmmmmm Oh now I see, Kim is an executive assisstant at Gold Key resorts and professional hospitality resources Inc.
Nice try David.
Once again folks if you are thinking of moving to Belize don't fall for these scams find youself a professional real estate agent that you can check their bacground and references there are a number of them on expat Belize

Just adding my 2 cents again.  What I remember was that this land was owned by several family members,cousins, uncles, aunts, 2d cousins, etc.  Seems very easy to let a relatively (no pun intended!) unknown member of the family to take over and say they are new owners.  So please be careful!!!!

Shysters can be very tricky and always looking for a mark.  And they can be very nasty.  Take care.

Tikistar

Rather than visiting websites, visit the development.

Better yet, why not move to Belize first and rent for six months to a year? That way, you can find out if you even like it here or not.  If you don't, you won't be stuck trying to sell your property, which can potentially take years in Belize.

In the process of living here, you're certain to find one or two realtors that you can develop a relationship with (i.e., trust), and then if you're ready to buy, you can do so with confidence.  Far too many people rush into buying a home in Belize and live to regret it.

Thanks wealthships. I apologize for being so negative about this development. I have actually had phone contact with them previously and was not a pleasant experience. I am glad to have gotten to know people like yourself and others (including realtors) that are above board and have an agenda of honestly helping people. Once again sorry if I have offended anyone but there are to many good people in Belize to let one rotten apple.........

Just as a note the afore mentioned development has removed those testimonials I mentioned from their website

Joemac, I think that's very interesting about the testimonials being removed shortly after your post. I don't know much about SB, but anyone who has had an experience with them, positive or negative, should post here. I believe that's what the OP wanted.

I will say a lady called me last week about finding a rental house while her home was being built there. She raved about it!! Said she's having a very good experience. But that's all I know. I could put you in touch with her if you wanted, read_doglover.

Joemac,

I found it very interesting to stumble across our names amongst this blog. I am David Shapiro and you have your facts wrong about who I am. My wife and I bought at sanctuary and while I believe to have made a potentially profitable investment I continue to follow the blogs as we live in New Jersey and want to see what people have to say. As I read your blog I laughed hysterically. I could barely read it to my wife. It is good that you are trying to research these things and who people are but really....do you know how many David Shapiro's there are in the United States?

I wasnt going to reply because I dont think that people will decide to buy or not buy based off your post. I hope they only choose to try and educate themselves. I will say I shared a bit of your skeptics before I went on the Sanctuary tour and will advise anyone reading this and interested in sanctuary to go on the trip and see for yourself. Then make your own decision. 

We were on the March trip with Lee Abbamonte and had a chance to sit and speak with him. Your information about him is correct. The fact that he was a world traveler and writer who choose to invest in this development only added to some of the pro's to investing as well. I'm sure he got something in return for promoting the development but that doesn't make Sanctuary scam. 

Just a final note. I think it is important for anyone to research before they make an investment such as this one. My wife did most of the research before we decided to go on the tour. Our decision to buy was not done without research, or because we have the money to lose because we don't. I believe we are still taking a risk. No bigger than the one we took when we bought our house in the US back in 2007 for twice what its worth. However after doing the research and physically visiting the development we decided it was a risk worth taking.

P.S. I too and upset they removed the testimonials.I felt like a bit of a celebrity.

Sincerely,
The One and ONLY! (I think)
David L. Shapiro

My wife and I where on the tour one month before Mr. Shapiro and had a fantastic trip. Of course we went in a little skeptical but as we explored the property with no pressure what so ever we fell in love with what they have going on.  I have heard of other people getting upset with the process or the developers but helI, I know you can't please everybody and if you don't want to be a part of it than we sure do NOT want you there!  Also my wife and I are on the testimonial video and meant every word...

My wife and I are on the testominial and meant every word as well.  We have two lots there and are pleased with the progress. Having met the principals and have visited the development, the decision was easy.... for us. We have already seen appreciation in our lots. We work hard and aren't in the business of wasting money and feel this its a sound investment. We are excited and my future expat neighbors are too. Don't take my word, take a tour.

I cannot seem to find any concrete information on the web about this development.  No lot maps or prices etc.  Does anyone have a good link to give me more information or must you sign up for a tour before you can learn anything?

message sent. Phil

Are there projections for what the common charges will be per month or year and is this common charge likely to skyrocket when the development amenities are completed?

Thanks, Phil.  Shocked at how many lots are sold or pending.  I doubt any would still be available if I cannot get down there before April.  Have they told you what the common charges will be?  The one drawback to a community like this is the cost of all these amenities, shared between those who use it and those who do not, equally.

The homeowners association is only 100 dollars per month for everyone.And it's not to exceed that from what I was told. Because the development is in its infancy, the fees have not began yet.

As long as the association is being maintained by the developer, then the fees wont exceed 100 dollars. Eventually the HOA will be run by the homeowners and that potentially could change the amount.

I had looked at this Sanctuary place on the web , and was conned into giving my ph.# to see the rest of the site . Next day some guy calling himself Derren phoned me , he was extremley patronizing and agreed to what ever I said. Next thing I knew this guy was turning up the pressure trying to close me on the spot ( over the phone) . Oh he wanted to show me around once I was there ,and it was just the perfect community , security and everything. I said Id like to drive the whole 200 miles top to bottom of Belize to look around. He said that would be perfect and I could stay at Sanctuary while I explored the island, ( I guess I was suposed to race back each night ). next he gave me his number , no 011 in front of it , I said I thought it was considered overseas from Canada , he said " no just put one in front of it " I googled the area code , it was California.This guy has no way to make money but me and you , and will never see us again ,so they will say anything to hook us. They are on par with time share pressure tactics. I finally told him to get lost and said good bye. Next day he phoned again. I hung up.

I have heard a lot of good and a lot of bad about Sanctuary Belize.   The people who have bought there seem to really love it (though I've read of a couple of buyers who have bailed out just recently, so not sure what is up with that). 

My opinion is that any place that has to use such strong-arm sales tactics is probably not all it's cracked up to be.  If a place is really good, it will sell itself.

I get very, very turned off by pushy sales tactics no matter what the "product".  If what happened to xcaret were to happen to me I'd run as far as I could the other way, even if what was being sold was absolutely perfect for me.  The developers of SB should heed this -- a softer sell just might yield better results.

I have to disagree with you on their sale tactics. My experience with SB on this topic was the opposite. Initially the process started over the phone. We did have a lot of back and forth but that it was two sided. We traded phone calls back and forth, us asking tons of questions which they took the time to call back and answer and sure maybe they called a few times to see if we were interested in taking the tour. I think that initially they might push but its only to get you to take the trip for the tour. Once we were their they were very upfront taking a step back saying if you like what you see great if not enjoy your vacation but let us know so we can spend some time with the people who are interested. And from that point on the property does sell it self. I too do not like the "push" when it comes to making a deal especially one that is expensive but I didnt see it. Maybe someone else may have experienced it.
As for the question of HOA's I can promise that the $100 payments will change and increase. The development that I saw and toured will not be able to be sustained on $100 HOA fees. But thats fine with me. The property is amazing and you truly have to see it for yourself to believe the hype. If not then your risk does not match your reward and its not for you.

My husband and I are going on a tour this summer. If you go to the website Sanctuary Belize you can find out a lot of information about the development. I'm looking for someone who actually went to  this development or  is living there. Does anyone have any information to share about the development? Why are non of the houses listed as resales if people are not happy? Looking for any information on  Sanctuary Belize.  Thanks

I just read a few more posts regarding S.B. The guy calling himself "iamdshaps" has 2 posts only , both defending this place , notice he wants us to go there for the tour ,well thats what the time share people do too, once your there the pressure is unbelievable . ( I mean the time share sales places ) I can only say if you go there be ready for huge sales pressure .. from Mr. iamdshaps too,probably .( thats the guy touting the place on this forum).

There are two threads about SB on this forum.  On the other thread, someone posted yesterday that if it was so bad, why are people who have built there not reselling their homes. 

Fair question.  If what I've heard is true, however, the only houses that have been built there so far are owned by the developers, so it's not a surprise that they aren't reselling (yet anyways).

I have no stake in SB one way or the other.  I've never seen it.  I'm sure it's beautiful as it is in one of the very most beautiful parts of Belize.  But I don't like strong-arm sales tactics no matter where they are, and I've seen a lot of "too good to be true" promises here in Belize.  For those reasons alone, I would be wary.  That doesn't mean that SB isn't the greatest thing since sliced bread, but both factors raise a yellow flag of caution in my mind.

That's all.

Love San Pedro. Is that where you are living now? We want to relocate there in the next couple of years. We are going down to check out S. B. and will be wary of what we hear and see. We are not about to just turn over our savings. We do however own timeshare and it is often sold like a used car salesperson BUT it is an amazing way of traveling. We have owned for thirty odd year. We have been on Tradewinds live aboard catamaran four years ago and will be back on board this summer when we visit Belize. We are also going to hook up with a real estate agent to look at other homes for sale. We may end up back in San Pedro when we finally settle down. Thanks for your post.

Hindy wrote:

Love San Pedro. Is that where you are living now? We want to relocate there in the next couple of years. We are going down to check out S. B. and will be wary of what we hear and see. We are not about to just turn over our savings. We do however own timeshare and it is often sold like a used car salesperson BUT it is an amazing way of traveling. We have owned for thirty odd year. We have been on Tradewinds live aboard catamaran four years ago and will be back on board this summer when we visit Belize. We are also going to hook up with a real estate agent to look at other homes for sale. We may end up back in San Pedro when we finally settle down. Thanks for your post.

We are also Tradewinds members,thats how we fell in love with belize and bought our beach lot four years ago.

Would love to hear more about your search for a residence in Belize.

Hello.

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Thank you for your comprehension,
Aurélie

Hi, I'm looking for a sunny; beautiful place to live and was hit with some marketing info from Sanctuary Belize.  No bother but then people don't really bother me.  However the world is a mess and I'd rather own 100% my own plot and build in total control or buy somewhere already standing with an insured title through a good lawyer. Saying all that if SB had the main infrastructure in place and 70% construction finished it might appeal. However anyone wishing to send me the name of an honest independent realtor please do so BUT first I need to get over and decide where I'd like to be! All suggestions welcome. I want to be somewhere beautiful but not remote and not too far from an International airport.  I live on a small island (no motor vehicles so everyone also nice and slim and fit) off another island so a bit fed up with no food or newspapers on and off over the winter and having had a little illness - being a day from a hospital!  Visitors welcome this year but you need to either be up to walking or being taxied around (that's horse drawn of course) or be up to riding a bike over our hard unmade tracks!

Can you provide some information on living in Belize. I am traveling soon. I was contacted by S. B., but I turned them down. I would like to know good places to go. I will be also looking at places to buy. I am interested in land, house, farm, either of these.

GJ

We will be heading to Sanctuary Belize in May for their tour.  We are using the trip as our first Central America vacation and are looking forward to the visit.  I have been impressed with all the marketing info on Sanctuary Belize, but we have already decided that we will not be purchasing any lots for the time being.  The country of Belize has a lot of appealing qualities for the future expat, but for now we'll just take advantage of the experience.  I will let you know how the tour goes.

Before going to the sales pitch , yopu might want to experience the pressure you will get , by first going to a 2 hour time share pitch in Cancun. Its unbeleivable what sales people can try to do.
Besides saying that , yes it will be interesting to hear of your wxperience .. also if you google mls belize , for the muliple listing serives you can find loads of places for sale.. I found a site ,i think it was remax or maybe century 21

xcaret...you are at it again.  SB is not Cancun, nor is it a time share.  The tour speaks for itself and there is NO pressure....NONE.

Please Everyone Take a Step Back & stop listening to the negativity from those who have no idea what they are talking about. Listen to those who have posted positive comments about SB because they are OWNERS, like myself.  We took the tour & made our own decisions...NO PRESSURE like what you get from time shares.  However, there are those who would rather complain than DO...maybe they can`t afford the tour.  One in particular I have blocked from my private in box.
FYI...it is Dreamscapes of Belize that is a scam NOT Sanctuary Belize.  I know because I bought lots in BOTH developments.  Lot owners at SB DO know what we are talking about.
Bottom Line...Do NOT purchase anywhere without looking at it FIRST.