I am a 42 single female and am considering purchasing a place to live in AC Belize for when I retire at 67 or 70. I went to Belize a couple of years ago (Turnafee Flats) and loved Belize. I have already logged in hours and hours of research on the internet but there are so many options - I thought it would be best to ask people who actually live in Belize (or go there very often). My preferences include easy access to snorkeling, a nice beach with easy access to the ocean for swimming, a gut renovated/or to build new interior situation, an amazing pool, access to restaurants (taxi/bike/walking/golf cart good enough), other people around, and I would like to have a dog. I am hoping for a combination of a sociable/exciting area but also somewhat quiet and peaceful area at night. I only need a 1 bedroom/1 bath but would prefer a large shower and either soaking tub/jacuzze. I can put $150,000 down and would prefer that to pay off the entire deal as I am not rich and would need to save quite a bit going forward for eventual living expenses when I retire. I looked at the Captain Morgans and Coco Beach sites and that set up looked nice but I am sure you can not have a dog. I also looked at Tranquility for their amazing beach but did not see availability to purchase anything. Thanks in advance for all your suggesstions/thoughts!
Best,
Judy from MA, USA
Judy,
check your P.M. mail.
thanks!
i can't find my 'PM' though. how do i access?
(i'm a newbie)
-judy
Look for a red flashing flag in the middle of the home screen
found where it is - just didn't get one from padennis - which is why i was confused....
thanks,
jlb
AC is a great place and I think everything you just described can be found there! We have a place on the island and visit as often as possible. ENJOY!
Just to make sure you don't get too many messages that say the same thing...most people will tell you to spend as much time here as you can. Try out all the different parts of the Island, and that's easy as there are rentals and resorts everywhere. Your price probably won't allow you to build or renovate, but there are nice places at that price. It's different living here than visiting. All right, what usual pithy bits of advice have I missed? Oh, research is good, but staying here trumps all the research.
Judy,
Have you figured out how to read your Private Messages? Just sent you one that might be some help.
Pam
I first visited in 2000, and have seen what the last 10 years have w(b)rought. Can't wait to see what it looks like 25 years from now, when JudyB comes down.
Here is the system I recommend to most clients to help them decide where they want to be.
1) Spend a day with a realtor and look at properties in your price range in all the different areas of the island.
2) Rent a golf cart or if you have a lot of energy a bicycle and cruise around the island on your own to get a better feel for each of those areas.
3) Talk to people who live on the island and who share some of your common interests.
The above steps should help you to narrow down the areas of the island that you would be most comfortable with for both location and what you get for the money.
4) Focus your search on that area and don't get discouraged if you don't find something right away. Once you develop a relationship with a realtor he or she will continue to provide information on properties that come up for sale in the area.
Good luck. Ambergris Caye is a great place to live with plenty a quirks and characters. There is never a dull day here.
Hi guys. I am looking to retire in Belize in about 10 yrs. I wanted to hear from folks who have lived there for a while and what the lifestyle is like. Is there any night life on the island? What is the village of San Pedro like, what is the cost of living and the prices of groceries, access to medical...etc.
Also,can anyone recommend a good realtor who preferably is local to AC and with whom some of you may have worked personally? I have heard of local 3-7 day tour packages from other realtors to come down to Belize and see what options are available.
Thanks,
Ben
Hi Ben,
There are several bars and two nightclubs. There are also regular block parties and community events. It really depends on what you want from a nightlife.
San Pedro is not really a village but a small, booming little town. It has three main roads and a wide variety of shops, ranging from small holes in the wall selling local food and produce, to higher end shops selling imported goods and expensive alcohol. Again, it is all a matter of tastes. Groceries are generally expensive unless you are prepared to only purchase local goods and produce. Groceries are generally more expensive in San Pedro than they are in the USA. There are several doctors and a polyclinic on Ambergris Caye. The polyclinic does not offer over night stay facilities so you have to be transported to the mainland for medical emergencies. Should you want medical care superior to that provided in Belize, Merida and Guatemala City are popular choices.
There are other threads here about real estate companies. Do a search and you'll find loads of good advice and recommendations. My own advice is to visit several, get to know them and find one that suits your personality and style.
The best way to find out about what life is like in San Pedro is to try before you buy. Most people test drive a car before buying it and with an investment that is even bigger, like real estate, you really do need to get a feel of the place. 3-7 days is not even close to giving you a true perception.
The expats who seem to do the best are the ones that come with low expectations, a good cushion of money and spend several months to a year here before committing or buying property.
Ambergris Caye is a perfect fit for some people, but just like shoes, you may not find it fits at all.
An excellent fair statement!
Thanks Collyk. I plan to spend a month in Dec-Jan this year in mainland Belize & AC and hope to learn as much as I can. Ofcourse I'll keep my expectations low, but I do want that dream of being able to mingle with the locals and at the same time be able to get away to my very own haven near the ocean. I sure hope I can find that one person/realtor with whom I can build a relationship in the near future. Thanks again Colly for your kindness in sharing your thoughts about San Pedro. Can't wait to get there.
Ben.
Hi Ben65! The best way to know if you want to retire here is spend some time in different places around Belize and speak with people who have already made the move. There are plenty of them! The best real estate people on the island are at
www.mlsambergriscaye.com. They have proven themselves trustworthy and all live on the island full time.
Best of luck!
I'm sure someone will correct me if I am wrong, but I have never seen a true realtor offering 3-7 day package "tours" to come visit. Now certain "developers", that is a fish of a different color.
Retiring in Belize is easier than you think.
Belize's low cost of living is enough to make it one of the world's greatest retirement havens. Belize has gone a step further by offering incentives to expatriates who want to retire in Belize.
Platinum you should check the spelling in your bottom line.
Me thinks PH is a realtor. Hey PH are you talking about the low cost of living here on Ambergris Caye?
Me thinks PH is a realtor. Hey PH are you talking about the low cost of living here on Ambergris Caye?
If he is talking about AC I would like some recommendations on where to shop.
This sounds like an ad from "International Living". Don't think PH has spent a great deal of time here.
PH is Belizean. Lovely guy.
Low cost living compared to where I wonder.... As I understand it, Belize is the highest cost of living in Central America. However, it is lower than most of the Caribbean Islands.
Perhaps we will be neighbors and we can all fish out of John's boat. HUH?
There is NO low cost of living here on San Pedro, everything is 40-60% over priced and you can't buy what you want anyway.
You will need a min. of $2,000 a month up to $4,000 if you want to live like your probably used too.
If you like wine or spirits there 50-70% more than just across the border.
All the fun stuff you do on vacation will now eat into your monthly budget as well, its all good but be prepared and have your eyes open.
Chances are that if you can't find it here you don't really need it anyway. The point of being here in Belize/Ambergris Caye is not eating and drinking and doing everything you did back in the US or Canada.
In terms of diving, fishing, snorkeling, water sports they also get cheaper when you live here as you will most likely develop relationships with people who operate these types of business's.
I (my wife and I) have been here for about 10 years now and moved here from Austin Texas. Our cost of living is about the same as it was there. We spend the money on different things ex: we spend more on food and wine but less on going out, cars, insurance, travel, etc.
The moral of this story is that if you want to have the Maitre D'hotel bring you a demi bottle of 1969 domaine de Cheval Blanc to drink with your kobe beef carpaccio you are in the wrong place. If you want to dive on the second largest barrier reef in the morning and then have a plate of rice and beans with stewed chicken from a food stand on back street for $8 BZD paired with a belikin then you have come to the right place!
Right on TravelinMan1. Our cost of living is substantially lower than it was in the UK and our quality of life is substantially higher. Of course it depends on what you consider quality of life. For us, we are able to live in a place that most people only dream about. We get to see the stunning turquoise waters and the white breakers over the reef every single day. We can dip our toes in the sea or swim with rays off the beach for free anytime we want. We can get anywhere we need to get on bicycle. We get to live in a community that is far friendlier than any I've experienced anywhere else. We wake up to tropical birdsong and pick fresh fruit in our own garden. We meet new and interesting travelers from all over the world. We eat delicious local food and discover new taste sensations all the time. We get to learn about our new home and discover a whole new world of history. I could continue to bore and go on and on and on..but I should also add that San Pedro is more expensive than other parts of Belize and other parts of Belize are equally beautiful and amazing.
I think a lot of North Americans forget or don't realise how cheap it is to live in the US due to it's huge population and first world status that allows markets to run with huge turnover but but very small profit margins.
Live anywhere outside the US and it will probably cost you more. As Colly says Europe is a lot more expensive.
I think that day to day living may cost you more (food, housewares, etc) but with the savings on having two cars, car insurance, thousands in property taxes, employee labour, etc, the cost of living is fairly even on a yearly basis as long as you don't try to live a luxurious lifestyle here.
A "luxurious lifestyle" in Belize is truly an oxymoron.
I should say a 'luxurious lifestyle FOR Belize'
Right, Like extra beans with your rice and beans.
I am most certainly Belizean and yes I have lived on the island of San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.
Belize's affordability index is lower than that compared to most other Caribbean and Central American countries.
We all know that San Pedro is typically priced about 20-40% more than that of any other location in Belize. This increase has a lot to do with the fact that business owners pay monies to get produce and dry goods to the island but it also has to do with the fact that Belizeans have been spoilt with the fact that expats still find the prices fairly more economical that where they were in their homeland and will not mind paying the price for living on La Isla Bonita.
Platinum Homes: Less expensive as compared to Central America countries. Really? Do tell of where you are speaking of!
We have a condo at Reef Village and there are 1 bedroom condo's there for $120's
There is a great pool and you can walk across street to snorkel on the reef
I did say compared to MOST other Central American countries.
I DID NOT say it is the lowest. Clearly there are places that the cost of living are lower compared to that of Belize, one of which is Nicaragua who is further away in travel time, so that would mean what you do not spend in basic cost of living, if you are an expat, you do end up spending in travelling. Costa Rica and Panama's basic cost of living is certainly more expensive that that of Belize.
The major difference though when comparing cost of living is comparing the prices of day-to-day goods and services. Your dollar in Belize will most certainly stretch further in all four countries of Belize, Costa Rica, Panama and Nicaragua than in the US, Canada and the UK.
that is more cash per month then i thought -
as i like to drink & go out to eat....
perhaps i will not be able to retire in belize after all.
are you thinking 3.500 per month after i completely pay off the home? i am thinking of buying the home or condo as a one shot deal.
-jlb
i am going to stay at tranquility bay resort for ~10 days but i am thinking that is not what it is going to be like retiring/living full time in belize. i don't need super fancy stuff but i would like OK food, mixed drinks/beer, comfortable furniture. i don't mind living in a studio or tiny one bedroom & not having a car (as i do not have one now & already live in a studio). my main goal is to be able to look outside my bedroom/studio window on the ocean every night when i go to sleep & also to be able to go in the ocean /snorkeling whenever i want. i have been continuing to research the different real estate listings & other threads but i am unable to ascertain what the true monthly cost would be and what i would need to pay to get what i actually want. i think i am going to make ~2 trips per year over the next couple of years and hopefully i will be able to untagle things.
best,
judy
Panama's cost of living higher than that in Belize? Really?
And traveling to Nicaragua more expensive than to Belize? Hmmm.
--Lan Sluder
Panama's cost of living higher than that in Belize? Really?
And traveling to Nicaragua more expensive than to Belize? Hmmm.
--Lan Sluder
Lan, just what I was wondering. Not in my personal experience visiting Costa Rica and Panama - much cheaper than Belize - main land or Cayes.
JudyB: I spent a month in SP, trying to figure it out(for me), after a bunch of March-10 day family trips, plus guy/fishing July trips. Still not sure, esp. the way things are changing. Geez, I'd go down for at least half a season b4 I committed to something. just my 2 pennies. john
KOB123 you give advice ?or trying I think to make a point ??and help ??.yes $120 ,000 for a one bed room sounds good . I will not debate the merits of this place ,location ?? or view or floor will not get into that..But my thought is =to quote you ..THERE IS A ISSUE WITH GETTING THE TITTLE, BUT IF AND YOU SAID [IF ]THAT IS CLEARED UP CHECK IT OUT ..You are kidding Me right why would anyone buy any land or condo or home with a maybe tittle Problem ???? forget where !!!!That is plan silly .Is the juice worth the squeeze ???????
I have a small bridge in Brooklyn that I can sell you a piece of. I'll get title soon. Trying to figure out where you should retire in 25 years is a long time frame. In 25 years SP could have grown so much it no longer resembles what is now SP. To come to Belize for vacations and extended visits doesn't mean you're committed to retiring in Belize. Come met people enjoy the island and see whether you want to spend more time here. No matter where you decide to retire you'll need a ton of money.
Don't retire at all. It is too exhausting.
I'll take you up on that bridge!!!
:-D
We don't try to save,have no home loan and live well on USD$1500 a month on Caye Caulker.Our monthly utilities are about US$150, have no car so most other costs are food and entertainment.
Sorry bridge was sold to many times to count. Belize has a retired person program for people wanting to retire to Belize. They require $2,000us a month income. Its probably a good place to start in terms of how much it will cost to retire there.
i saw that article this morning & it seems misleading (in terms of the monthly cost of living) - and how much did that home they pictured cost!!!! it is beautiful (but seems like it would be quite pricey)
Best,
jlb
Way to go, Lara!!!
Judyb
In 25 yrs your needs and desires will be MUCH different then they are now... And so will San Ambergris! It will probably be like San Cancun. Retire sooner or just vacation there...
We have looked at purchsing on AC for years, but in the long run, for us it makes sense to visit, not own.
However, Collyk makes a VERY compelling argument on the merits of immersion...