Looking for information on some of the housing opportunities. Has anyone stayed at one of the Vega's properties? or morning star. We would like something inexpensive, private bath, would love a porch so could be outside on a rainy day. Little concerned about the request for prior payments in full when we know nothing about the property.

Unless you are arriving at a busy time such as Christmas or Easter, you can usually just show up on Caulker, walk around and find something that suits you. I'm not sure what is inexpensive to you, but there are many good places on the island. Among them Treetops, around US$35 and Trends Beachfront, slightly more ... Shirley's, Anchorage and Seaside Cabanas (these are a bit more expensive), Tom's, which has a variety of rooms, all pretty cheap ... up to "deluxe" places like Iguana Reef Inn (around US$100) and Lazy Iguana B&B (US$85)

Silk who posts here regularly lives on Caulker and likely can give you some other suggestions.

--Lan Sluder

Vern are you looking for a place for vacation or for something more longterm?

Oh I love these little gremlin faces! LOL

Sorry we weren't clear. We plan to be in Belize from Feb. 10 to 24th. Alas just 2 weeks (unless we win the lottry)

I would choose Morningstar over Vega. I wouldn NEVER prepay for accomodations that were non-refundable. Makes you wonder.
--Silk
www.caribbean-colors.com

Why do we ask guests to pay a deposit to reserve and the balance before arrival?
Because, as owners of private condominiums, we cannot afford to block dates for people who may or may not show up. While a hotel with 50 "rooms," may be able to afford two or three of them being vacant due to no pay-no shows (though in fact, few do!), as private owners with only two condos, we cannot. It's as simple as that.
There is no reason for anyone to get ripped off in this day and age. We all have full descriptions of our accommodations and photos on the web for all to see. We all get emails, and if someone has a question about something that is not noted on our home page (are your condos handicapped accessible, etc., do you have a telephone inside, etc.) we answer them.
Potential guests have a far greater amount of info and much easier contact with the owners when they use the internet to look for accommodations rather than relying on a travel agent from the phone book who almost certainly has no personal knowledge of what you offer at all.
And with bulletin boards like these, it is very easy to get input from others about the accommodations you are considering.
And if you do find yourself someplace that is very different from what was described, you can tell the world about how you were ripped off...a very potent deterrent to those very few who might indeed want to rent properties under false pretenses.
If, after all that, you want to be able to book without pre paying, well...we just can't afford to block our dates for you, sorry....
If you want to do this, there is a way to do it: Just show up and take your chances on getting a suitable accommodation. That way, nobody is harmed. You are putting the risk on yourself, not on some property owner who is counting on your showing up for the time period that could have been rented to somebody else.

Susan, there is nothing wrong with paying a deposit to secure a room, but I would NEVER pay for a booking up front for 2 weeks (unless its for Treetops, Seaside Cabanas, Lazy Iguana or Iguana Reef Inn). Those hotels are consistently booked well in advance and in demand. Remember, this is Caye Caulker, not San Pedro. Vega Inn has no website, no photos to browse and no information on the worldwide web. I know both of the properties mentioned, and my personal choice between the two is still Morningstar. Caye Caulker has many good choices for inexpensive accomodations. I would book my first couple of nights and look around to see what's available. The populated area of the island is only 1 mile long and not even 1/4 mile wide. Unless its Christmas, Easter or August, there are plenty of choices on Caye Caulker.

I was speaking in generalities, and yes, our condos are on Ambergris Caye. I was attempting to address the issue of whether its OK to ask for prepayment before arrival.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with booking a couple of nights wherever you want and then doing the walk-in thing for the rest of your stay...you have every right to do that (or not booking anything at all and just showing up at the airport)...all OK if that's what you want to do.
But...you (again, a generality addressed to everyone and not "you" personally) should not make a reservation for a week if your plan is to stay a couple of nights and then look around for someplace you like better. And that is why we require pre payment...to ensure that this does not happen to us because we can't afford to block off a week for someone who may only stay two nights.
Again, a 50 room hotel can afford to get stiffed for a couple of rooms....but we condo owhers can't because its all we have and we are depending on the booking to pay the costs that don't go away (things like management fees, utilities, maids, repairs, etc. and in some cases, mortgage...)