Hopkins Realtors a Little Sketchy

You are spot on!
BTY it is not just Hopkins, I see the same ethical challenges in Placencia. I would be surprised if this were not true of the rest of Belize. It is no wonder that Belizeans do not trust realtors in general.

While I don't think it's every realtor, I definitely think it's country wide. Very few even respond to emails. It's a bit astounding, actually. There are buyers agents, but I wouldn't even trust all of those. We had a good experience with ours before deciding not to buy yet, but I think he was the exception. Some of the agents we encountered were downright hateful. I was dismayed at the total lack of professionalism.
And, yes, always, always, always title search.

You spoke the truth.  OMG  THe whole truth.  What they say in Hopkins is made up in their mind some times.  And yes one agency will not show another agent another listing out there  that is why GOOGLE your brains out

Me

It's not completely true that one agency won't show another's.  We at RE/MAX do everything we can to provide full service to our clients, and this does include showing property from other companies with listings in the area.  It's not about the commission, it's about the satisfaction of our clients and if that means crossing boundaries, so to speak, that is what we do.

Yes, there are many good-quality, professional realtors in Hopkins.

I didn't intend to suggest that all realtors in the village are trouble. Perhaps I should've titled the post
"A Few Sketchy Realtors in Hopkins".

I've received great feedback from this ad. People are saying good things about Re/Max and Coldwell Banker.

If you get a sketchy feeling from your realtor, look for another one. There are committed, hard working professionals out there so don't give up. Hopkins is an amazing village.

This might be a bit off topic for this thread, but in my three trips to Hopkins, I had the impression that because all the homes, and the few stores/businesses/restaurants are mostly stung out along a narrow band near the beach, there is no sense of community, or gathering place. The two restaurants I ate in did not feel welcoming. It is so spread out that to me it is just a collection of homes but not a community. Very different than other areas.

My question is, did I miss the hot spot(s) or is this just a place folks live in isolation from one another?

Near there, I did discover the River Bend at the Settee River Marina and enjoy going back there for good food and friendly atmosphere. Its fun to watch their pet crocodile swim across the River into his open pen at feeding time. 

That's an interesting perspective, Will. We haven't visited at all yet, but the top two areas that feel to me like what we're looking for are Placencia and Hopkins. I definitely feel like a sense of community is an important aspect. Is there less of an ex-pat population in Hopkins that would contribute to that lack of a community vibe from your point of view?

Ivana H wrote:

I definitely feel like a sense of community is an important aspect. Is there less of an ex-pat population in Hopkins that would contribute to that lack of a community vibe from your point of view?

I really don't know,that is why I asked the question here.

Perhaps it was bad timing on my part in not making any contact. There just were not that many people out and about, and the few restaurants and businesses seem to be spread out a lot more making a walking tour difficult. BTW I am making these comparisons to Placencia Village where it is easy to walk into many places and strike up a conversation.

Interesting comments. We thought Placencia was strung out with no real heart, and opted for Sittee Point. Everyone has different tastes and thoughts, visiting is essential.

@Sittee4
Several times, and in both directions, I have driven the road from the Southern Hwy along the Settee River passing the Marina to the beachfront road, but always via Hopkins. I never turned your direction on the beachfront road as the first time I was there, was during the October 2015 rains, the dirt roads were a mess and the danger of getting stuck was high. The other times it just did not look like there was anything your direction.

I just looked at Google maps and see there are some buildings to the South of that intersection. What is that area like, and where would you say the heart of Hopkins/Sittee Point is?

The road along the coast south of the marina is unmade, and of variable quality!! Ditto through phases 1 and 2. Lots in phase 4 are 75' wide with access to beach and canal. Beyond that is phase 5 with different sized lots. That's the end of the road.  Newly opened Mangos beach bar in phase 4 is a welcome local watering hole where plenty of residents gather. Next time you are in the area, drive down and take a look.

sittee4 wrote:

The road along the coast south of the marina is unmade, and of variable quality!! Ditto through phases 1 and 2. Lots in phase 4 are 75' wide with access to beach and canal. Beyond that is phase 5 with different sized lots. That's the end of the road.  Newly opened Mangos beach bar in phase 4 is a welcome local watering hole where plenty of residents gather. Next time you are in the area, drive down and take a look.

Thanks, next time I will, perhaps buy you a brew.   

1) What are lots/homes going for in the area you referred to.
2) What are the social gathering spots in Hopkins, if any?

It's not only Hopkins. Watch out for realtors in San Ignacio as well.

I find it very interesting that so often realtors don’t return emails.
I’ve sent emails to different realtors on numerous occasions only
to be ignored. If I ran my business like that, I would be out of business.
I think the only way to get honest, valuable information about real estate
is to be standing there in front of them.

I did find Remax in Placencia to be very helpful.

There has been a modicum of improvement since this thread started but only a little. We purchased in 2014 and 2015 with a good realtor from San Ignatio.

Don't be so quick to judge.  Realtors here and everywhere have lives outside of real estate.  Sometimes there are health issues, sometimes family problems and other times just a lot on our plates.  If it's really important that you connect with a realtor keep trying.  Likely they are not ignoring you, just dealing with their own issues.  It doesn't make us sketchy.

wmiller77 wrote:

Don't be so quick to judge.  Realtors here and everywhere have lives outside of real estate.  Sometimes there are health issues, sometimes family problems and other times just a lot on our plates.

You are correct, everyone, everywhere has problems. However true professionals do not let personal problems interfere with their chosen profession. In north america the real estate industry is heavily regulated and regulations are actually enforced. Here the newbie buyer is at the mercy of the character of the agent they happen to pick. I always suggest also hiring your own real estate attorney when buying or selling property in Belize.

Negotiate the contract with the real estate agent as well as the deal on the property. These are two separate contracts and the savvy buyer/seller has a lot of room to negotiate fees, commissions, who pays for what, etc. if they are firm in asking for it. Never let the over used phrase, "we always do it that way" get in the way of common sense.

wmiller77 wrote:

If it's really important that you connect with a realtor keep trying.  Likely they are not ignoring you, just dealing with their own issues.

If an agent has that many issues, then pick a different agent.

wmiller77 wrote:

It doesn't make us sketchy.

Perhaps, but things like trying to get the buyer or seller to pay the 12.5% general sales tax (GST) on an agents commission sure does. When I mentioned this to agents in the US, they laugh and say, WOW if I could get my clients to pay my Federal/state income tax for me, I would really be well off. 


In my experience, not responding to email is a very common thing in Belize no matter the business. Same goes for voicemail. Just keep calling but make sure you have the correct number as almost no one puts their name onto the voicemail message. Over the years I only recall one time where the voicemail message was not "you have reached the voicemail of xxx-xxxx"  rather than a name.
It is just a "feature" of Belize, and nothing personnel.

The 12.5% GST payable on commissions is instituted by the government of Belize, it isn't an agent or agency issue.  As you may or may not have noticed more and more stores are starting to break out the taxable items on the sales receipts.  GST is also payable on legal fees, consulting fees and so much more so this isn't a real estate thing.  Realtors still must pay their income tax on commissions generated.  We aren't expecting the sellers to pay our income tax for us. 

I can also tell you that one person will have a great experience with 1 realtor and yet another will have a poor experience with the same realtor.  Again that isn't sketchy, that's being human.   

As for the rest, you are entitled to your opinion.

My experience:
We contacted 3 realtors, received a response from 2. Went to meet our primary contact realtor, but he was never 'available' to show us property. The remaining realtor contacted me and came to our hotel and made arrangements to show us property while we were there. He continued to search for us on our remaining excursions. It turned out to be a great situation for us, and for him too. We bought in 2015.
I would not use a realtor who is 'confined' to one region. Find someone who really knows the country. You will NEED an attorney, just like anywhere else.