AmbergrisCaye.com Home Forums The Cayes Environment Grand Belizean Estates

About 120 acres or more appears to be low lying mangrove marsh with only about two apparent places of higher elevation in the subdivision. A two minute rain shower made most of it quite soggy so I can only imagine what will happen in wetter times of the year. The subdivision appears about a mile long. The roads in the subdivision as they are now look like they would be completely unusable. Some of the terrain would likely stop a tank, as there appear to be many rocky sinkholes. It was stated there is a road from the east being build, however it was also stated that it's being pushed through so the developer can get road access to a much more southerly piece of property. With that being the case it appears as though the road will go "by" the eastern half of the subdivision and not necessarily get completed "through" or "within" the subdivision, if it gets completed at all. Construction had been stopped last I heard and there is some local debate about whether or not the developer even has permission from the property owners to finish the road at all. The contract specifically states in the final clause, "For greater clarity, and without restricting the generality of the foregoing, the Seller makes no representation whatsoever with regard to the supply of land fill, road access, utility services or with regard to any other alterations or improvements to the Lands or the surrounding region." www.grandbelizeanestates.net

The recent hype is that power poles are supposed to go in soon, however I heard it mentioned that BEL does not intend to pay for the wiring so someone else (?) would have to front a fortune per mile to string the wires. Who will that be? I dunno? I can guess it would be a conjunctive effort by the property owners since the developer expressly mentions making no representation with regard to utility so factor that into your purchase. I overheard a figure nearing seventy thousand per mile, but don't have any specific evidence of that. It's one thing to stand some trees up along side of the road, something entirely different to actually run power lines. Also the adverts mention that the subdivision is three miles from town, however this would be as the crow flies. It appears on the map to be around eight miles by road (if it ever gets finished) to the subdivision or about 15 minutes by boat plus half a mile hike back to the subdivision.

The domain grandbelizeanestates.net is registered to a realty company out of Colorado when I did a Whois search on it and does not appear to be registered to the developer or his company. The email [email protected] seems to be the only contact and it forwards to local realtors, not the developer. I did find reference to where the property, formerly government lands, was given to the developer in exchange for bad deal on a Caye near Caye Caulker. With the dismal economy abroad I have to wonder about the developer's motivation. Also check this thread:
//ambergriscaye.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/352461/1.html

It was stated to me after I'd visited the lots and later found an article online that environmental groups have stopped and slowed the construction on the road, as I feel they should. The dead orchids in the subdivision look like dead soldiers on the battlefield. With the apparent low mangrove marshlands it is likely a slough of other wildlife and watershed concerns should be addressed. News indicates that injunctions have been filed against the road because no environmental studies were done. I was not told about this upfront, it was only after I'd mentioned coming back to Belize to look at the progress on the road that I was told construction had be halted.

When I made a reference to coming back to look at the road progress, signing the contract in person and paying for the lots in person something changed for a reason I still don't know? The lots I was looking at purchasing were labeled in the advert at $7,450. I was forwarded a contract for $8,850. When I mentioned the error the agent assured me he would honor the $7,450 price as advertised, however a day later I received no contract and the real estate agent informed me that now the lots I'd been looking at were $9,850 and if I wanted them that was the deal. I thought we had already made a deal? He followed up with a bit of spam about how the developer was raising the price effective October 5th and now was the time to buy cheap, but still didn't offer me the advertised price which was still indicated at $7,450. The agent who I worked with made no attempt to send me a corrected contract, made many references to "trust" and "faith", and also made no attempt to send me information on other properties outside of the subdivision in which I had mentioned interest. When I expressed my distaste with the price jump and some of my other concerns I was told, "I don't need your business. I am very busy.".

The operation is run from temporary accommodation at the Belize Yacht Club leaving me to wonder if the temporary accommodations aren't just a means of making a quick getaway if the deals go bad. A trusted local friend suggested in his opinion it was a scam and I'd never be able to build there. The lots are priced well, but judgment should probably be observed. I've found them to be incredibly misrepresented and many aspects of the subdivision are very hush, hush. Everything is a rush, rush, rush, invest, invest, invest attitude and I couldn't even have a week to get my money together before they were raising the price. I have not found one single contactable person in two weeks of searching who has purchased a lot there or has a title.