My family and I (Wife and her Parents) will be staying at La Perla Del Caribe in August for about 7 days. We are interested in buying some beachfront land to build on at a future time.

I was wondering if the locals(or people in the know) think it is better to look at the Southern tip of Ambergris or should we head North towards Mexico?

We are not rich but would like to start planning for a great (hopefully) early retirement now. I am 36 years old and my wife is younger.

Also any great real estate agent recommendations ?

Thanks

Growth is north, and at your age and stage, I think it would be a better investment. MHO

I certainly agree North is better but a lot depends on how much you can afford now. Be wary of people telling you that 'x' amount per linear foot of beach is a good deal and that sort of thing. I would highly recommend Richard McNinimy of Barrier Reef Realty as I have used him on two purchases and found him honest, straightforward and willing to work with you even if you are not now a millionaire.

When you say beach property and future,immediately I think the West side.North is good also,you can get some good deals on the West side.

If you are looking for something a little closer to the action with utilities there are a few waterfront properties in town too.
http://www.coralbeachrealty.net/listings.php?search=type&value=0

Although I certainly understand folks giving advise as to what someone should be buying I think that you all are doing so without the facts. Based on the information you have provided I could not recommend that you purchase north or south. I would need to know what your goals are, what your budget is, when you say future what does that mean (number of years), etc.

Saying north is best and then saying you have a budget of $50,000.00 USD means the only place you can buy beachfront is Palm Bay. That is a long way away with no road and limited boat access.

Actually Land on the south end of the island is a better value and is seeing more activity at this time. Having said that I could not tell you what to buy without more information.

Rincoln,
The South end is developed already and a little lower sea level wise. The North is where the undeveloped space is and higher elevation, also the direction of the development.
Heat and mosquitoes should be a big consideration and the East side of our long skinny island that runs North and South is where 99% of the people live because of the Trade wind blowing the bugs to the back and cooling you off.. Its really a giant consideration.

Other factors to consider are important amenities such as road access, electricity, city water and cable tv. Although cell phone coverage is now available every where on the island the same cannot be said about the other basic amenities.

Keep in mind that you may be able to purchase a lot for $50K in Palm Bay - but the cost to develop that lot will be considerably higher than construction costs closer to town.

Although a developed property such as a condo may not be the your "dream" property at the moment you may find that buying a vacation home that is immediately useable that has the potential to produce income and can be resold in the future could be your most practical option. It provides immediate gratification - with fairly fixed costs that you can budget. One of the many benefits of a condo is that the vast majority are located close to town and have amenities in place. Having shared grounds, pier and pool mean you can enjoy these features without having to bear all of the costs of maintenance.

If you would like to discuss this subject drop me a PM - I will be happy to discuss your particular concerns and interests.

Sometimes life can be unpredictable,land is such a simpler investment. No insurance,no maintenance fees,no reassessments.Some of our clients would prefer to just get their foot in the door.Make sure you pick a good location that will work to your advantage investment wise.If you have plenty of time, buy a property that is close to electric;and cash in later when the infrastructure is there.Sometimes this is easy to see the progress with utilities,other times you will need a professional to give you the heads up.Land is simple and rarely becomes a burden.We have clients that specifically put their money in land (land bank).Beachfront is one of the best Land banks you can obtain.Don't be foolish and look for a bargain,get a well respected adviser/agency. Good Luck,and P.m. or e-mail if you have any questions. Most important have a great trip to the island.

Thanks for the post.
The timeline and budget are both not known.
My wife and I have a budget around $50,000ish and I time line of anywhere from 18 to 30 years.
However her parents are also looking and they have a timeline of 1 to 3 years and a budget of $200,000 to $400,000
We have also considering going in together.
Hope that info helps.

Thanks I never would of thought of that....Thanks for the local know how!

Rincoln, There are undeveloped areas to the south also plus you have easy road access to town year round. I would suggest keeping an open mind and take a couple days exploring all the different areas of the island. Then when you have an idea of where and what you like, talk to a realtor at www.mlsambergriscaye.com

Aha,
A shamelss plug. I new it was coming.=-)

.

It was only a matter of time.
http://www.sanpedrobelizemls.com/

S.P Daily
Should be having bad dreams at night. Not an advocate for the well being of the people who's country we live in.

La Perla is a great place, you're going to love it. I've been relaxing at La Perla with some folks for a few days. Have fun and explore all options!

I would like to Quote you on this ,if you don't mind??
".", SP Daily.

Wow! Thats profound - similar to Churchill and Benny Hill

I think he becomes speachless if he can't find something to cut and paste.

Jesse speechless? Ha

$50k won't buy any "beach" property that I know of anywhere near San Pedro.

Another bit of wisdom from bywarren

Beach front property all over ambergris is $1,500.-$3,000. USD a linear foot. That would make a lot of min. size (75feet) over 100 thousand USD., so if its considerably cheaper than than that you should look real hard for some problem,like only accessible by helicopter and only at certain times of the year :-)or limited ownership.
Some of the properties for sale at the extreme north end of the island are not practical to build on.IMHO

The only properties on the beach for sale in the $1,000.00 USD per linear foot range are in the Palm Bay area of the island (18 miles north). Lots in this area vary in size but there are 50' parcels available. There is limited access to the area and this is a long, long term investment. It is fee simple titled land with full ownerships rights and is on the beach.

I don't think you will find any beach front property on the reef side of Ambergris Caye for the $1,500-$3,000 per linear foot range unless it is really in an out of the way place. Just look at the Ambergris Caye MLS listings and you will see what I mean.

Can't wait for the first person to build a nice home up in the Palm Bay area. At one time, Tres Cocos was remote, then Journey's End area seemed to the the "Journey's End". Basil Jones seemed like the end of the island, but wow, look at all the nice houses up there, only a handful but sure is amazing for me to see.

Google Earth just updated their image, north and south of town for some reason, so you can see. It's interesting to compare the old image, maybe 10 years old with the new one, maybe a year old?

Why don't one of you real-estate agents post a map of where Palm Bay Club is?
I think in might really help, Its very unique typography, different than the rest of the island, very beautiful area, I've been there several times.
Show us a map so we can then find it on Google Earth.

Here is a general map of subdivisions on the island.
http://www.ambergrisrealestate.com/map.htm

It doesn't really show Palm bay, I talked with Armando and he said he can take someone to see the property by going up the back side and crossing to the front through the Bacalar channel for $500.but on a calm day he can get there through the front , but cost the same.

You can see the sub division on Google Earth pretty easy. $2500 a foot, 4.5 miles south of town, with elec and good road, reef side.

Your not talking about Palm Bay Club any more are you.

I think Chris is referring to Club Caribbean (which is south), not Palm Bay, which is truly north.
Palm Bay is quite near the boarder with Mexico, east side of the island.

When I look at Google Earth I can see the streets for the Palm Bay subdivision that is on the extreme north of the island. I have a lot up there. Love it, love the area.

I have a beach lot in Club Caribbean that I have no use for.In fact -I've never seen it. Got it in a trade years ago and never go to San Pedro. Anyone want to give me $125K?

how big is the lot ?

I'm sorry, not streets, but what seems to be lower vegetation which matches where the streets on supposed to be on the sub division map.

Just in case you were wondering what you could get on the beach for less than $2,000 USD per foot with road access: http://www.ambergrisrealestate.com/ClubCarib1362.html

Here are a couple of google images of Palm Bay and property for less than $1,000 USD per foot: http://www.ambergrisrealestate.com/PalmBay20.html

I hope that it was okay to post those links.

The Palm Bay area I've heard about for years, but i was told years back by one of the owners it's was a 'shares in the corporation' type of title. Do you know if that's still true.

We own a condo in San Pedro and live in Houston. We recommend Steve Stoops for any assistance you may need real estate wise on Ambergris Caye. His Belize phone number is 501-610-0911.

The lots in the Palm Bay subdivision are all titled.

Nice links traveling man! I heard The Palm Bay Caye Mart was opening soon, a branch of the Caye Mart in Boca del Rio.

Yes, and pizza delivery!

Don't joke about pizza delivery on the true north end. Turtle Mum makes some of the best pizza on the island for delivery in Basil Jones and Robles. Would love to have a Caye Mart up here!

Yo coleen what da ya know about real Pizza .LOL.
COFFEE YES PIZZA FORGETABOUTIT...LOL.

Timothy, I'm sure going to miss spending a little time at Ras Safari . . .but frankly, never could figure out how he could possibly stay in business. What about the house across the road? Is it for sale too?

Wow. "good road". "I have a lot there". Oops, just "lower" vegetation. Geez.

The good old days.........sure miss the Island Perk!!!

Thanks Capt Jeff and Another One Al. I miss the Perk too! But not the head aches.

Now back to buying beach property for $50,000.. I remember those days, 11 years ago.