My wife and I are looking at investing in some property, and or a B@B. We are looking at maybe 10 years from now as we are in our late 40's and are still working stiffs.
How easy is it to be away from the country and sill maintain a good investment for a number of years?
Is it a user friendly country to do business?
Is there alot of red tape etc?
We are from Canada and will be arriving in March for 2 weeks staying at the Palms and will be doing some investigating.

Anybody have any thoughts?

JB

JB

Hi JB,
Feel free to email me at dolphin@btl.net. I am President of our Chamber of Commerce, and happy to help. Some of your questions require discussion answers. Also happy to meet with you during your visit here.
Tom
Tom

My experience with doing business, or in my case trying to do business, in Belize was not a positive one. Tons of red tape that can be very expensive and cause much heart ache. Having said that, I'd do it all over again.

Streetchie, Thank you for your comments, how about just buying some property for the future like maybe 5 to 10 years to develop then or just to buy an existing B@B or small guest house etc.
it sounds easy, but by reading on this site it seems easy also, but I am hearing humors its not.
What kind of red tape is there?

JB

Also, it may be a good time for Canadians as the $$$$ will be par soon, so the experts say

par with BZ or US

I've written two books on the subject of living/investing/retiring in Belize and interviewed a bunch of people on the subject.

The bottom line advice from most people is: To have a chance, you've got to be hands on at least in the early years, and even then the chances of making it work in Belize are not as good as for a similar business in the U.S. or in some other countries, due to the small local population and economy, the vagaries of the tourist market, and the red tape and less-than-free-market approach of the Belize government.

Plus, it's difficult enough to keep even a condo safe as an absentee owner, and to keep a hotel business going without losing your shirt and more would be an incredible challenge.

That's not to say you couldn't make it work in Belize, and it's easier to do in in San Pedro than in most other areas of Belize, but honestly I think the odds would be against you.

--Lan Sluder

About buying undeveloped property, IMHO, you can't lose buying on AC in the long run. You will always get more than you paid for it if you're patient.
If you're planning on developing the property, you need to be hands on, even during construction. So many stories... so little time...
--Lee

klcman, that is the USD, god help us if we (Canada) ever are on par with BZD, no offence to anyone intended. That would not be good for our retirerment. People in Belize would be moving to Canada, or maybe not ha ha

I don't know, Lan, I think anyone who has a good business plan, especially in the hotel trade, can do just fine here. Certainly I can't think of any well-thought out hotel here on A.C. that has failed where the owners are "in house" and looking after matters in person at their resort.

Most business failures here on Ambergris Caye result from too much booze, drugs and bad company. Taking care of business must be Job #1. Getting smashed and high 7 nights a week won't get Job #1 done. There is one other guaranteed road to failure for newbies....absentee ownership. You have to be here to make your new business work.

i have a friend that moved from canada to belize 16 years ago....she spent 8 years in cayo, and has been in san pedro for 8 years....2 years ago purchased property in corozal....getting ready to build....now is the time to get into corozal....prices are quite reasonable now....and from what i hear, this area could be the "san pedro" of tomorrow.....alot of potential here....just a thought...good luck....

Chris,

I'm not saying it's hard to make it in San Pedro, but my point was that you have to be hands on, at least initially. It's difficult if not impossible to be an absentee owner and build a small hotel or B&B business. Anywhere, but especially in Belize.

I do think San Pedro is the exception in Belize that proves the rule. It has the highest occupancy rates in Belize and the highest average room rates, and there are plenty of folks who have done well in the hotel business in San Pedro.

--Lan Sluder

would you like to invest in my copy of don't stop the carvival?

what's a "carvival"?

Dido, What's a "Carvival"


JB

Kerry, I looked up Corozal on the Web, there seems to be nothing there except for a couple of small lodges and no infrastructure. Is there a better web site? How far from AC, is it a quick flight? We are looking in 10 years not 25 years.
i do not mean to negative but, it seems along way away from anything.
Please correct me if I am wrong.

JB

JESSE & SPIKER
ASK PEDRO IF YOU CAN BORRO HIS DICKSHUNARY AND YOU KIN LOOK IT UP

Spiker,

In terms of tourism infrastructure, there's relatively little in Corozal Town and environs, compared with San Pedro in particular. There are about a dozen small hotels (the biggest is about 20 units). It will never rival Ambergris Caye as a tourist destination because it is not on the Caribbean -- it's on Corozal Bay. A couple of casinos are being developed at the border near the Free Zone.

However, it is becoming a fairly popular place for expats and would-be expats ... and it's just a few miles from the city of Chetumal, which has a population about the same as the entire country of Belize.

Corozal Town is a 25-minute, US$35 flight from San Pedro.

--Lan Sluder
www.belizefirst.com

Gay and David, Not unless you can define "Carvival" maybe you should see if you have the correct spelling. Not in any dishunary I have, but it made me look.

JB

carnival ......shhhh, don't tell I told ya

Gay and david, must be too many Rum, glad it was you not me

JB

spiker....lan is quite correct...u can also take the thunderbolt (water taxi) instead of flying to san pedro for $80 belize roundtrip....takes approximately an hour and fourty five minutes....granted it is not yet as developed as san pedro, but lots of new developments are happening here....they are putting a new clinic together here, and even tho it is still under construction, they are seeing patients....i just think that it's a pretty kool place, and costs are not as high as in san pedro....just depends on what it is you are looking for....me, i'm waiting to get my residency and hope to open a restaurant here in the near future....wish u the best with your plans....take care...kerry

do you guys use the metric system to measure height???

No

Hi

Just returned back from San Pedro a few days ago and already looking to return soon. I spent a day or two looking at various lots both north and south of town. I also spent a day watching the local construction. I am in the construction business in Saint louis and have been a journeyman carpenter since 1976. I do all trades and would love to come back to act as a General Contractor and use locals in the building of a building or two. I see the prices for new construction there is about a $100.00 per sf this is what two couples were paying when I talked to them in SP. If you need a good builder, honest and get it done right let me know...only willing to come back there and build your project up to USA building codes using local tradesmen. Most of the building products available in town are priced much to the same as US prices but I did notice the lumber was a lot higher.
Also willing to barter

Cheers
jim Strecker

Spiker,

Do talk to dolphin, before, during or after you are here. Experienced.

B&B, now, not wise. Land, can't go wrong.

In ten years, lil' AC will have much more developement including infrastrucure on the northern and southern portions. Talking to GOB official, north AC should experience the most growth. Ambergris Bay (a local sub-development) is just one project almost sold out.

The past ten years (95-05) have witnessed very extensive growth on the island. During this time the tourism sector has become the largest portion of the GDP. The growth in real estate values have likewise grown extensively and continue to do so.

The next ten years should prove exponetial growth in tourism and likewise real estate values.

Purchasing a piece of land would be a very wise investment.

Chamber Tom, Left a message a few weeks ago , and we are close to be there, March 11 2 weeks staying at the palms.
We are looking at investing and you mentioned to have you pop over and explain some ABC's of Belize investing.

Our last name is Bevis, John from canada, please feel free to contact us or i will do the same at your office.

Cheers

JB

Bevis? Family to Jim Bevis of Mountain Esquestrian Trails of Cayo, Belize?

If Jim is orignally from British Columbia Canada, then very well could be a relative as there are very few Bevis's in Canada. Especially spelled Bevis, most are spelled Beavis

JB

He may be from Canada, I'm positive it was Bevis as some pronunced it Beh-vis.

Not sure where they are at now. Katy Valk would probably know.

SIN

I think they are from BC. I met the son last summer and he was going back to BC, he said.

Jim and Marquerite are living in Belingham, WA. Son Arun is running MET. Marguerite from Uvalde TX, Jim from Merced, CA. His folks did rice farming at Big Falls off the western hywy yonks ago. Jims mom Betty recently passed away.

Barbra K, Where abouts in B.C. as I am from Victoria/Nanaimo/Vancouver area. The Bevis family of ours was orignally from Nanaimo, B.C. on Vancouver Island.
Do you know where abouts in B.C. and his name?

Cheers

JB

No I don't know anything else about them. Sorry