Any trip to Belize starts fantasies of owning a beach villa, or a jungle resort. There are a lot of North Americans in this English speaking, former English colony.
Belize is known for its reef, the second largest in the world, and the fantastic diving that goes with it. Even beginner divers have heard of the Blue Hole, a famous diving spot. Ambergris Caye, “La Isla Bonita” in Madonna’s song, is the main tourist spot.
Along with tourist shops and T-shirt shops, there are real estate shops on the dusty roads of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye. Belize prices can range from as low as $5-10,000 for a beach lot in Corozal Town, a sleepy border town, to much higher prices for properties on Ambergris Caye. The southern resorts like Placencia are somewhere in between, price-wise.
There is lots of online assistance available. Gringos resell their properties, and locals sell to gringos, often through real estate agencies. You can contact a local real estate agency when you are in Belize, or simply scour the listings online.
If you keep in mind the old “buying swampland in Florida” tale, you’ll realize that you simply MUST visit and see for yourself ANY property you buy. You’d take a $2,000 car for a test drive and kick the tires, wouldn’t you? Then why would you make a $100,000 purchase, sight unseen?
Oftentimes the most important part of a purchase like this is YOUR enjoyment – you can buy purely for investment purposes, but will get an additional bonus of sunshine and relaxation if you LIKE the area, WANT to travel there, and VISIT your property to keep an eye on it or stay in it.
As more and more North Americans travel, and with the ease of getting to Belize, and its English speaking, safer roots – there will be more people looking to retire and visit Belize. This should be a continuously appreciating investment with good rental prospects, if you do your home work!
